Only a Mate's Touch

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A Total-E-Bound Publication

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Only A Mate’s Touch ISBN # 978-0-85715-848-2 ©Copyright Trina Lane 2011 Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright December 2011 Edited by Stacey Birkel Total-E-Bound Publishing This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing. Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution. The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2. This story contains 178 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 6 pages.

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Phantom River

ONLY A MATE’S TOUCH Trina Lane

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Book two in The Phantom River Series Only two who are truly destined for one another will find a way to stitch together the ragged edges of their souls and become complete. Shaun has been perpetually unlucky in love. None of the women he meets are his mate…but that doesn’t stop him from finding enjoyment with those he becomes close to. All that changes on the day he meets Meeghan Nicholson, a new deputy for the town of Stonepass. Shaun recognises that the feisty black-haired beauty is the one he’s been searching for all his life. So it’s a shame that the woman hates him on first sight. Now a man who’s always been known to speak before he thinks must sweet talk his way into his mate’s arms. Meeghan is tired of men who think that because she’s a woman they can get her to do whatever they want. Her body might soften at Shaun Colfer’s seductive touch, but she refuses to let her heart succumb to the sneaky shifter. Can Meeghan calm Shaun’s tempestuousness? Can Shaun crack the shell surrounding Meeghan’s heart? It just might work…but only with a mate’s touch.

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Dedication For all the girls from the best class ever to graduate from NHS. Had a blast at the reunion!

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Kleenex: Kimberley-Clark Worldwide, Inc. MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Jacuzzi: Jacuzzi Brands Corporation

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ONLY A MATE’S TOUCH

Trina Lane

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Chapter One

Shaun looked across the table at his dinner companion and sighed inwardly. The woman was nice enough, pretty even, but there was no spark between them. Nothing. He hadn’t gone into tonight’s date expecting to find his mate, but to be able to pass a few hours in mutual pleasure would have been nice. He should have known not to go along with Cooper’s blind date shenanigans. The man may have been one of his two best friends and claimed to know Shaun better than he knew himself, but Mister Would-be-Cupid’s arrow had definitely not flown straight in this case. He smiled and took a sip of his water, trying to follow along with the chatter coming at him from across the table. The woman hadn’t stopped talking for the last twenty minutes. Not one pause to even let Shaun respond or try to turn the subject away from her cat’s playful attempts at escape from her apartment. He tried to conceal the shudder that rippled through his body at the thought of trying to share a home with a cat. So not going to happen. He was going to kill Cooper for this in the morning. His dinner companion flipped her hair over her shoulder again, and Shaun couldn’t help but follow the path her fingers trailed down her neck. She started to play with the pendant sitting low on her chest, right above the pushed up mounds of her breasts. They were nice breasts if you liked them artificially full. “So would you like to go back to my place for a night cap?” Shaun’s head jerked up at the invitation. She was offering sex. He knew it, she knew it. He could take her up on it. He loved women—loved their soft bodies, the way it felt to sink inside them and feel them climax in his arms. Lately he hadn’t taken the time to explore the more pleasurable aspects of life, not with the turmoil currently racking all the lives of those close to him. It’d be nice to escape for a few hours, but Shaun didn’t have it in him to lead her on. Her offer provided an opportunity for physical release, but he simply couldn’t drum up the desire to sleep with the woman, which was a rarity for him. Maybe he was more depressed than he’d thought.

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“I appreciate the offer, but unfortunately I have to get back to the office. I left the payroll files unfinished earlier, and there’ll be a mutiny if my staff don’t get their pay checks on time.” Her pink lips dipped into a little pout and she sighed. “Well I guess that’s understandable. I know I’d be upset if I didn’t get paid when I should. Maybe another time? I really did have fun tonight and, well…you are one sexy wolf.” She’d had a good time? Really? He pasted on a smile but slid his hands back when she reached across the table. “Thank you. I…it was an evening to remember.” He stood and went around the table to pull out her chair. There was nothing to prevent him from being a gentleman to the end. Shaun prided himself on always treating his dates right. He walked her out to her car and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Have a nice night.” “You too.” She placed her hand on Shaun’s shoulder. “I’m not going to see you again, am I?” Shaun’s shoulders dropped a little. He felt bad that she’d seen through his attempt at a polite rebuff. “You’ll see me around, but…” “No mating magic, huh? You know, that’s okay. I don’t mind if I’m not your mate. We could still have a good time together?” Well, shit. How do you politely tell a woman that you’re just not that into her? “We could, but I’m beyond the point in my life when I’m looking for a good time. I don’t want to lead you on, or prevent you from finding the person you’re supposed to be with.” There, that sounded good, right? She smiled and gracefully slid into the driver’s seat of her car. Shaun gently closed the door and stepped back. The window lowered. “That was probably the best turn down I’ve ever been given. Thanks for being so nice. Your mate will be a lucky woman.” Shaun nodded. The quiet hum of the electric motor broke through the silent summer night, and he watched his date drive away. When he thought she was a safe distance from the restaurant, he let out a sigh of relief. He scanned the parking lot for his truck and quickly walked over towards the blinking headlights as he disengaged the security system. In www.total-e-bound.com

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Stonepass you really didn’t need more than a lock on your doors—and many didn’t even use that—but he’d bought the truck with the security measures already installed, so he figured he may as well make use of them. He stepped up into his truck and removed his comm unit from his wrist. He unfolded it and opened up his instant message application. A few taps and he’d pulled up Cooper’s contact info. “You owe me big time!” Shaun touched the biometric panel that told the truck to start. His dash screen came on when it picked up the presence of his comm-unit in the truck. A few seconds later an alert popped up, notifying him that he had an incoming message. “Activate messenger,” he ordered the truck’s system. “Why! Cindy’s nice. What went wrong?” “Reply to message. What went right? She never stopped talking. Like never. I had to listen to twenty minutes of how her cat likes to eat lunch meat from her fingers. Gross!” “LMAO! Sorry buddy. Who knew?” “Yeah, I’ll just bet you didn’t know,” Shaun grumbled. He pulled up to the exit of the parking lot. Should he turn left and go to the office, or right and go home? While the payroll bit had been an excuse, there was always stuff he could do. Since Jaryn had handed over management of the pack’s finances to him, Shaun was always in the middle of one balance sheet or another. Not to mention there were some details for the contracting aspect of his and Jaryn’s business which needed to be dealt with for their latest projects. He should probably check on some items of pack business that Jaryn was supposed to take care of before leaving town for a council meeting, but had most likely forgotten to complete. Since the kidnapping of Jaryn’s brother Charlie a month ago, his Alpha had been understandably distracted. When he and Jaryn had breached Adam Broyles’ compound in Wisconsin last November, Shaun had been confident going in that their strike would put an end to both the mystery of the missing shifters as well as the drama surrounding their pack. Unfortunately, while they had rescued all the hostages, Broyles had managed to escape. Jaryn, Cooper and Shaun had known their foe would strike again, but never had they imagined he would go after someone completely unrelated to the raid. Jaryn was completely devastated at the

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knowledge that his failure to kill Adam Broyles had led to his little brother’s torture and, most likely, death. Shaun turned towards the office. He was too agitated to go home and relax. Thinking about that video of Charlie always got him upset. Part of him knew that if Charlie had been given the same poison Jaryn had received at Broyles’ home, chances were all too likely that the sixteen-year-old was dead. The only reason Jaryn’s life had been saved was because he’d been given the antidote right away. At a time when his Alpha should be at his happiest—having found his mate and now raising their twin boys—Shaun all too often saw sadness, regret and anger in Jaryn’s silver eyes. When he got to the office, he’d check the message bank to see if anyone had left a tip as to Broyles’ whereabouts. Jaryn had put the call out to anyone and everyone to be on the lookout for a man meeting Broyles’ description. The American Shifter Council and Council of Praeternaturals—or the ASC and COP, as they were more commonly referred to—were tapping out their resources as well. Shaun knew they’d find the bastard eventually. He just hoped it would happen before any more innocents suffered. Shaun pulled into the parking lot of his and Jaryn’s office. He deactivated the motor and jumped out of his truck. The building’s facial recognition system identified him and unlocked the doors within moments of him entering the scan field, and Shaun yanked open the door with a little more force than was truly necessary. He made his way through the dark hallways with ease, his enhanced night vision making the addition of artificial light unnecessary. When he got to his office, he powered up his computer sphere. The wall across from his desk glowed in the dark room, creating a halo of light. Using the laser keyboard that floated on the surface of his desk, he typed in the network address for the message system then opened the inbox for the dedicated hotline. They received tips on a daily basis, but to date none of them had panned out. One subject line in bold made him look twice. Shaun opened the link and started to read the message. Dear Alpha Chaunterel, My name is Phillipa Thorton. I’m a federal agent and profiler with the FBI, and learned of your investigation regarding Adam Broyles. I’d like to lend you my expertise. I’d be happy to take a leave of absence and travel to Montana to meet with you. Unfortunately I know all too well what you are going www.total-e-bound.com

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through, based on both professional and personal experiences. Please contact me if you accept my offer. My Alpha is Clint Morgan of the Shenandoah Pack. You’re welcome to contact him for a reference.

For the first time in weeks, Shaun felt his blood speed up with excitement. It was possible that this Nicholson lady would be able to really help them. It wasn’t as though Jaryn was without resources. Hell, he, Cooper and Shaun still had contacts from their days in the Army and had access to all sorts of material that would make the average American shiver in fear. However, something deep inside him said that he should take the initiative and contact Ms Nicholson. He would feel her out, and if he thought she was credible then he’d introduce her to Jaryn. Jaryn needed his help. His Alpha was a brilliant strategist and diplomat, but right now he was too full of heartache to think clearly. It was Shaun’s duty, after all, to look after the pack as Jaryn’s Beta…and that meant looking after his Alpha as well.

**** Shaun pushed open the door to the office, grumbling under his breath. Why was everyone against him? The city council was giving him fits over his latest permits on a historical restoration project he and Jaryn had contracted, one of the pack members had stopped him on the street to complain about all the humans who were now roaming the pack lands with the completion of the retreat chalet and, to top it all off, his truck was making a noise that was distinctly abnormal and sounded very expensive. “Shaun?” He looked up at Catherine, their administrative assistant. “Yes?” “You have several messages that need to be returned and don’t forget there’s a pack meeting tonight. With Jaryn gone this week, you have to be there.” Shaun clenched his teeth and tried to rein in the harsh exclamation clamouring at the back of his throat. He’d forgotten all about the meeting. Normally the bi-weekly gatherings were a time of fun with his friends, but since Charlie’s abduction, they had become progressively more depressing. Charlie had been a ray of light among the pack. His youthful vitality and teen hijinks always brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Everyone loved Charlie, and his disappearance was like a spear through the gut. www.total-e-bound.com

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“All right, let me see the messages. Anything urgent?” Catherine handed Shaun the disc that plugged into his com-unit. “There’s one from Kim Caeser. She wants to know when Jaryn’s going to have the plans drawn up for her summer cabin.” “What is this lady’s deal?” he exclaimed as he scanned through the files transferred from the message system. He looked up at Catherine with a scowl. “Do you know she’s called every day this week? The contract clearly states that all blueprints will be presented a week from this Thursday.” “Yes, I know. I’ve taken each and every message. That woman is a spoilt rich girl. She’s used to getting her way at the drop of a hat. I’m just glad her ‘summer cabin’”—Catherine used little quotation marks in the air—“is being built on the other side of the mountain range.” “I couldn’t agree more, and as big of a pain as she’s turned out to be, the money she’s spending for these plans is nothing we could sneeze at. Not to mention Patterson referred her to us. Referrals from previous clients are crucial to our success. I just really hope she finds another contractor to do the actual work. If I have to be at that lady’s beck and call, I’ll probably go feral on her ass.” “You know it’s kind of amazing. Patterson is Hollywood royalty right now, and he was always very polite whenever we spoke. Both you and Jaryn said he was a dream to work with. But Little Miss Hot-Pants had a couple of moderately successful songs a decade ago and she’s a screaming mimi.” “Yeah, I’ve thought about that too. I don’t know if it’s a natural difference, or if Kim is desperate for attention and feels pestering us day and night will get her what she wants. Funny thing is, the more she calls, the less and less I want to deal with her—money or not.” Catherine leaned in over her desk and lowered her voice. “I feel really bad for Jaryn. He has enough on his plate to deal with right now and a fussy ex-starlet might send him over the edge. Did you know that Nicole is convinced that Charlie’s abduction is all her fault since she brought Broyles to our land when she escaped?” Shaun collapsed into the chair opposite Catherine’s desk. “Yeah. I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but no matter what I say, it doesn’t seem to help. For a little while, she was actually

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afraid Jaryn would leave her and the boys over it, but I know he nipped that in the bud real quick.” Catherine shook her head. “She’s had a lot to deal with in the last couple years. I’m actually amazed at how strong a person she is, given what she’s experienced. A perfect mate for our Alpha, for sure.” Shaun nodded. When Jaryn had met Nicole, Shaun had been both excited that his best friend had found his mate…and jealous. That jealousy tended to come out as relentless teasing towards his best friend, but in the corners of his mind and when he got home to an empty house at night, loneliness would set in. He’d look around wondering, why couldn’t it have been him? He flipped through the remaining messages on his comm-unit and saw that there were a few that he needed to respond to before leaving for the pack meeting. He stood and stretched, trying to release the tension that had built up in his shoulders during the day. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” Shaun entered his little inner sanctum. He bent over and brought his E-sphere out of hibernation. He selected his cloud drive and opened it. The programme kept his current projects organised and allowed Catherine to send him notices. He saw that several files had mysteriously appeared since the day before. “Well, crap.” He sat at his desk and opened the first one. He found the bid from one of the material wholesalers he’d planned to use for a restoration project on an old saloon being renovated in town. It seemed a bit high and when he looked at the materials being used he discovered why. Apparently the cost of using real tin roof plates had doubled in the last year. Shaun loved working on the older buildings, but in order to do things right, you couldn’t skimp on period-authentic materials. When trying to track down some items that had been used in common construction over a hundred years ago, you had a limited amount of sources, and like it or not, he usually ended up paying through the nose for them. However, Shaun refused to short-change his clients. He and Jaryn prided themselves on top quality work. It was as true now as it had been back in the day—you get what you pay for. He’d have to call the client and get the authorisation for an increase in cost, but Shaun

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was reasonably sure they wouldn’t give him too much grief over it. Especially since Shaun and his team were discounting some of the labour costs. He quickly moved through the other files needing his attention. Shaun looked to the right hand corner and found a folder lying innocently on the surface. Something that hadn’t been scanned into the system yet? He picked it up and mentally prepared himself for some more bad news. As he flipped open the folder, the first thing that caught his eye was a thick, bright red line drawn crookedly across the page. He scanned the paper in front of him and found a drawing of three wolves…a distinctly childish drawing. The wolves, in fact, looked more like mutant horses and there were blue triangles behind the creatures. At the bottom of the page, in legible adult printing, were words that tugged at Shaun’s heart. Thank you for my new mom and dad, Love Ben. Ben had been one of the super-shifters Shaun and Jaryn and their team had rescued from Wisconsin. Shaun remembered Ben as a small boy with inquisitive bright blue eyes. The scientists had record of his birth having occurred eight years ago, but Ben had looked hardly more than five. Ben’s records indicated that he’d been the product of a wolf and an ecological empath. Time would tell just what powers Ben would develop, but Shaun had been more concerned with the little boy’s immediate future—primarily that of finding him his first real home and a family that would take him in, raise him and give him the love and nurturing he’d been denied in the labs of Broyles’ compound. Shaun slid the drawing from Ben aside and fought the emotion welling up inside him as several more pictures were revealed from the younger super-shifters. There were even a few letters by the teenagers. Each and every one of them thanked him for his efforts to find them homes and families. The sleepless nights filled with hours of worry, countless requests written, organising packets of information on each child, video links he’d set up with packs and dens and communes around the country, asking for anyone to open their homes and hearts to these special children—all seemed to disappear. All it had taken was a few childish lines of thanks to put a smile on his face. He wondered who had organised his gift, because it was obvious that someone had gone to a lot of trouble. For security, Jaryn and Cooper were the only two locals who knew where Shaun had placed the children. Jaryn was at a council meeting and had been for the www.total-e-bound.com

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past three days. So that left someone in the ASC or COP, though it didn’t seem likely as none of the council members Shaun had met seemed like the overly emotional sort. It wasn’t really important in the grand scheme of things, but Shaun would like to know so he could thank them. “Shaun?” He jerked at the sound of Catherine’s voice coming from the doorway of his office. “Yes?” “There’s a link coming through the comm system from Phillipa Thorton.” Shaun picked up his headset and opened the software programme on his computer. He saw the little icon of the call on hold and opened the link. “Ms Thorton, this is Shaun Colfer. What can I do for you?” “Mr Colfer. I received your message the other day. Frankly I was expecting the response to come from your Alpha, but I’m happy you’ve decided to accept my help.” “Yes…well, my Alpha has a lot of responsibilities, and in our pack we tend to share many of them as a team. I appreciate your willingness to help us out. When can we expect you to arrive?” “I’m scheduled on a flight into Missoula tomorrow. I’ll be renting a vehicle and driving up to Stonepass. You can expect me by late afternoon.” “That’s great. There’s a motel owned by some pack members that’s quiet and comfortable. It’s called Stonepass Lodge, located two blocks off Main Street. I’ll notify them of your arrival and make sure there’s a cabin available for you. You should have easy access to whatever you need locally. And I’ll be happy to treat you to dinner when you arrive.” “I appreciate that. I do a lot of travelling for my job and it’s nice to have a friendly contact in the area.” “Ms Thorton, you’re offering to help us find closure and bring an evil wolf to justice. We’ll be forever thankful for whatever help you can provide.” “You sound like a nice man, Mr Colfer. I’m really looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you better. Maybe your mate can join us?” Shaun smiled at the still image of the woman on the wall. It was pretty obvious she was fishing for information. She was attractive and seemed genuine. Her voice was pretty sexy too. Not nasal, giggly or really high-pitched like some women he’d known over the years. www.total-e-bound.com

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“I don’t have a mate, but I’m certainly looking forward to dinner with a lovely woman.” “And judging by the image on my comm-unit, I’d be foolish not to accept a dinner date with such a handsome man.” Score! Shaun did a little mental preening. He’d been told he was attractive many times over the years. In his wild youth, he’d capitalised on the natural strength and physical superiority of his genetics to attract women. He’d spent many nights in various beds belonging to whomever he’d romanced for the evening. “Till tomorrow then, Ms Thorton.” “Good night, Mr Colfer.” Shaun disconnected the link and removed the headset. He wished the call had been from a video link so he could have seen Phillipa better. The small image on screen was enough of a taste to whet his appetite, but Shaun tended to be greedy. He enjoyed sampling from a full feast. He looked at the clock and noticed that he only had about twenty minutes before he had to leave for the pack meeting, and he still hadn’t returned any of the messages Catherine had given him earlier. He put the headset back on and brought up the contact screen to connect to the first link. Hopefully he could get Little Miss Hot-Pants off the phone quickly. He had a gathering to get to and a pack that needed him.

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ONLY A MATE’S TOUCH

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Chapter Two

Shaun pressed harder on the accelerator as he moved down the county highway outside of town. The pack meeting was scheduled to begin in five minutes. While there wasn’t an exact schedule and he knew that the members of the Phantom River Pack would entertain themselves until he arrived, he didn’t like being late for appointments. It not only showed disrespect for those he was to meet, but also gave an impression of being unprepared. Unfortunately, his call to Little Miss Hot-Pants had taken nearly three times as long as it should have, and he’d then still had to return five other calls to current and potential clients. Normally Jaryn handled the schmoozing of new clients and smoothing of any ruffled fur, but with his Alpha away at the council meeting, the duty had temporarily been placed on Shaun’s shoulders. Wonder if Jaryn would mind if I send her a bid on the construction costs that’s three times our normal rate, once she approves his plans? She is building over in Sagle. We can charge a premium or an out-of-state service fee. That way she’ll have to pick another contractor, right? Of course, knowing my luck she’ll fork over the cash without blinking and then I’ll be stuck working for her anyway. He needed to get his head off Little Miss Hot-Pants and focus on the immediate future. There were several items that had to be discussed and voted on tonight by the pack. He started to go over the meeting points in his mind as the road opened up before him. First thing he had to do was give an update on the pack’s financial accounts, then have the committee for pack development present an update on the bookings for the retreat centre and any other pack-owned businesses. Of course he’d open the floor to any community concerns from the pack members, and there was something else he’d planned… What was it? Maybe—hopefully—he’d programmed it into the data chip on his comm-unit. Shaun looked into the rear view mirror and saw a police car with flashing lights just as he heard a burst of the distinctive warble that signalled you were about to be in trouble. “Well, shit.” He looked down at his speedometer and cursed again when he saw the normally bright blue numbers flashing red as a warning that he’d exceeded the speed limit for this zone. “Great. Just what I needed today.”

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He hit the brakes, then pulled over onto the side of the road. “Gear to Park,” he ordered the system. Shaun looked into the side mirror of his truck and watched as the door to the cop car opened. A brown sheriff’s department hat emerged, but he couldn’t identify the person beneath. The door was slammed shut, and Shaun’s executioner started walking towards his truck. It was obviously a woman—the natural sway of a pair of trim hips and smaller stature gave that away—but Shaun wasn’t aware of any female deputies in Cooper’s department. Maybe she was new, but then why hadn’t Shaun heard about her through the grapevine? When she stepped up to the truck, the deputy was busy typing away on her comm-tablet. Her shoulders barely came to the base of the window on Shaun’s lifted truck. “Lower driver window,” he ordered. “You were speeding well over the limit. Please hand over your identification card.” Shaun tilted to the side and raised his hip so he could dig out his wallet with his identification card. As he did, his head leaned through the open window slightly, and he froze in mid-motion. He closed his eyes and inhaled. Starbursts of colour exploded behind his eyelids, his fangs dropped and his wolf howled deep inside his soul. This unknown female was his mate! Shaun’s mouth watered for the taste of skin and blood. His cock became hard as a spike, hungry to claim what belonged to him and spill his seed inside her womb. He wanted to mark her inside and out. He turned to see her through his wolf’s eyes. The muted colours did nothing to diminish her beauty. She’d tipped her hat back, and Shaun got his first glimpse of the woman he’d been searching for since he understood what wolf mates were. She had porcelain white skin with thin eyebrows that arched delicately over a pair of dark eyes. The pupils nearly melded with the iris—much like the ones he saw in the mirror each morning. The deputy’s heart-shaped face came to a point at her chin. Right now those dark eyes were hard as coal, which was in direct contrast to a pair of soft full lips, currently frowning in frustration. Shaun pushed open the door in a rush, desperate to wrap his arms around the woman destined to be his other half. One leg had touched the pavement when he heard the distinctive sound of a bullet being chambered into a pistol. “Stay where you are.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Shit! Shaun froze. “I’m sorry. I can explain.” “I don’t care for explanations. Slowly put your hands in the air and step out of the vehicle.” Great first impression, asshole! Shaun did as he was told, as he had zero desire to be shot by his mate for the simple fact that his human rationality had shut down and animal instincts had taken over for a few moments. “Keep your hands up and take two steps backwards.” “Honestly, this is all just a misunder—” “Shut up. When I want to hear you speak, I’ll ask you a question. Walk towards the front of the vehicle, and place your hands on the hood.” This meeting of his mate was not going how he’d imagined over the years. “Are you carrying any weapons?” Did she count his cock, which was hard as a blunt force instrument? A few more sentences in his mate’s husky voice would have him primed to explode. Who knew a strong female would have him panting like a horny pup? “No, ma’am.” “I’m going to pat you down. Do not move, or you will be subdued by force.” Shaun let a little smile cross his lips. His mate was a force to be reckoned with, wrapped up in a sexy little package. Shaun wasn’t really worried. He knew if he had to get out of a situation such as this, his training would allow him to do so. He voluntarily complied with his mate’s wishes. Her hands started to run up and down his sides. They came across his chest, and when the tips of her fingers brushed against his nipples, Shaun fought the moan that rose in his throat. Her hands smoothed down the outside of his legs then around his ankles. As they came up his inseam, Shaun’s fingers curled on the hood of his car. He closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle that his mate wouldn’t encounter the obstacle currently making his jeans tighter than comfortable.

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His mate’s scent washed over him and held him spellbound. Her firm touch set fire to his skin, even though, logically, he knew she was acting in a brisk and professional manner. Her hands disappeared, and Shaun wanted to groan in disappointment. “Turn around. My name is Deputy Meeghan Nicholson—” Shaun rolled her name around in his mind, and liked the way it sounded. His wolf must have liked it as well because he sent up another howl that made Shaun’s ears ring, making him miss whatever it was that Meeghan said next. “—are being charged with resisting—” “Hold on. I said I can explain. Please.” Shaun attempted to look as innocent as possible and crowed inside when he saw the hard shell of Meeghan’s eyes crack a fraction. “Fine. Say your piece, but don’t presume it will change anything.” Crap. Okay this had to be good. He stared at the woman in front of him. One hand rested on her utility belt and Shaun saw her finger tap against the gun, now resting in the holster. He noticed that she carried one of the new weapons Cooper had finally got the state funding for. The firearms featured a new safety feature that allowed them to only operate for the individual whose biometrics were programmed into the scanner embedded in the grip. He was glad that his mate had an extra layer of protection should a perpetrator try to steal her weapon and use it against her. “I’m waiting, Mr Colfer, and I’m not a patient woman.” “The reason I moved to get out of the car was because my wolf recognised you as my mate. It was an instinctual move and I meant you no harm.” Meeghan laughed and the dimples that appeared on either side of her mouth made Shaun want to lick the tiny dips with the tip of his tongue. “I’ll admit I’ve heard some outrageous excuses in my time to get out of a ticket, but that one really has to take the cake.” Shaun frowned. “It wasn’t an excuse. It’s the truth.” He took another sniff, and in addition to binding Meeghan’s scent to him, he also detected the fact that she was another shifter. “You know it’s true.” All joviality disappeared in a flash and Meeghan’s hand landed hard on Shaun’s chest. She pushed him back against the fender of his truck. www.total-e-bound.com

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“Listen. I will not have a mate that has such blatant disregard for the law or disrespect for those who uphold it.” “Disregard? Disrespect? What are you talking about? I was speeding, I admit, but it wasn’t as if I was driving recklessly.” He spread his arms out and looked around. “You do know where you are right? This isn’t exactly an urban freeway. There’s nothing between here and the pack lands. The only reason I was speeding in the first place is because I had a lot on my mind while trying to get to the pack meeting and didn’t realise it had happened. I made a mistake, I’m sorry. But I never disrespected you. I could have forced you to the ground in two seconds if I wanted to, but I went along quietly. I did everything you asked without complaint.” His mate moved fast, and before Shaun realised what was happening his face was pressed against the hood of his truck, and his hands were shackled behind his back. If she wanted to get kinky, all she had to do was ask… “You’re under arrest for impeding an officer’s duty. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?” “You have got to be kidding me,” Shaun grumbled. “Look, just call Cooper. He’ll vouch for me.” Meeghan fisted the back of Shaun’s shirt and forcibly walked him towards her car. He shuffled along, not wanting to hurt the woman in an attempt to wrench away from her grip. She opened the back door. Shaun sighed and lowered himself into the backseat. At least his mate attempted to protect his head from crashing into the roof as his tall frame folded itself into the narrow backseat. “I’m sorry Sheriff Tessen is unavailable tonight, but I’ll be sure to bring your concerns to him in the morning.” “I know he’s unavailable. He’s at the same pack meeting I’m supposed to be leading right now,” Shaun growled. “I’m the Beta of Phantom River.” “I’m well aware of who you are to the shifter community in the area, Mr Colfer. That still does not excuse you from the state’s laws. Now I’ll show you I can be a decent person

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and have one of the other deputies come pick up your truck and bring it to the station. You see, I’m not a total bitch.” Meeghan smiled, but Shaun saw none of the warmth that had been there when she’d spontaneously laughed earlier. “Your words, honey, not mine. I’d never use such crass language around a lady.” Meeghan snorted and Shaun couldn’t help but crack the tiniest of smiles. This whole situation was absolutely ridiculous, but he was sure that when they looked back on their first meeting years from now, they’d both laugh. Then he’d gather his mate in his arms and make love to her till she screamed in pleasure. Now that was something to look forward to. “While I do appreciate your offer to have my truck brought to the station, there’s one problem with that.” “Oh?” Shaun nodded. “My ignition is biometric. The system responds only to my voice and fingerprints. That means you’ll have to bring me all the way back out here later when this little misunderstanding gets cleared up. Of course I can think of worse things than taking a midnight drive under the stars with my mate. Or…” Meeghan arched one eyebrow but didn’t voice the question Shaun saw brewing in her eyes. “You could let me go now, the two of us can drive back to town, grab a bite to eat, and get to know each other a little better. I assume you’re on shift, otherwise I’d suggest we go to the pack meeting so we could run under the moon.” There was a trilling sound that rang out through the interior of the car. He knew it was his comm-unit strapped around his wrist, but because his hands were confined behind his back he wasn’t able to read the identification information of the caller. “That’s probably your boss, trying to figure out where I’m at.” Meeghan pushed Shaun forward and disengaged his comm-unit from his wrists. She unfolded the transparent nanotechnology-based device and opened the communications application. She tapped the speaker symbol. “Hello?” “Meeghan? Why do you have Shaun’s comm-unit? Oh fuck, please don’t tell me…”

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“Mr Colfer is fine. He’s sitting in the back of my cruiser, currently immobilised, otherwise I’m sure he’d have been happy to take your call, Sheriff. He is listening, by the way, so you’re welcome to corroborate the events.” “He’s what?” Cooper exclaimed. “I caught Mr Colfer speeding on the thirty-nine outside of town. He attempted to exit the vehicle rather brashly, and I was forced to place him under arrest.” “Is that true, Shaun?” “Sort of, but this is all a big misunderstanding. You see she’s my—” “Mr Colfer then proceeded to raise his voice and verbally resist when I read him his rights.” Cooper’s laughter made Shaun grind his teeth together. “I always told you that your big mouth would get you in trouble one day, buddy.” “Very funny, Coop. Will you please tell her to let me go? There are things—” “Sorry, Shaun. Legally, she had the right. Don’t worry. I’ll tell the pack that you’re indisposed. They’ll never know you got taken down by—” “My mate, Coop! She’s my mate!” Shaun flinched at the anger flashing in Meeghan’s eyes. But Cooper had to know. He had to understand that when the wolf found its mate, the man fell by the wayside. “Meeghan?” “Yes, Sir?” “Well?” Shaun silently dared her to say no. A shifter in their right mind would never deny their mate—even a beautiful, ornery and pissed off one such as the woman standing beside him. He knew she’d recognised him for who he was, for what they would be together. His sensitive hearing picked up the rapid beating of her heart, and his nose detected the instant her scent changed from alluring female to that of a shifter who’d recognised and begun to reach out for their mate. Getting her to be happy about it might be a little harder than he’d ever expected, but then, didn’t they say you had to work for all good things in life? “Yes, Sir,” she mumbled. “Well then, congratulations! Meeghan, go ahead and take him back to the station and process him. Shaun, I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night, buddy!” www.total-e-bound.com

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“What?” he yelled. “You’re still going to let her—” “Laws are laws, Shaun.” Cooper started to snicker. “God, I cannot wait to tell Jaryn about this.” Shaun wasn’t too sure about the gleam in Meeghan’s eyes. Frankly, it made him a little worried. “Don’t worry, Sheriff. I’ll take good care of him.” “Oh, I have no doubt about that, Deputy.” Meeghan disconnected the call and folded Shaun’s comm-unit back up, then slipped it into the breast pocket of her uniform. She leant down and placed her lips against Shaun’s ear then whispered, “I always did like having my men bound at my mercy.” Shaun growled. “Sweetheart, the little boys you’ve had are nothing compared to what a real man can give you. And I’m going to enjoy teaching you the difference.”

Meeghan jerked back from the wolf in her backseat and slammed the door of her cruiser. Her chest pounded as she strode over to Shaun Colfer’s truck. She climbed in the front seat and began searching for the remote ignition fob. Shaun’s truck did in fact have a biometric system, the latest advance in anti-theft devices, but she knew there was always an override. Shaun’s scent surrounded her in the cab of the truck, and her hands trembled as they skimmed over the controls. Her heart pounded against the wall of her chest, so she relaxed against the back of the driver’s seat, taking deep breaths to try and calm her racing pulse. She’d found her mate! She couldn’t believe it. Meeghan had, of course, heard of Shaun Colfer, Beta of Phantom River Pack. Sheriff Tessen was one of Shaun’s best friends, and she’d overheard her boss talking to his friend through a communications link several times since she’d come to Stonepass. Her recent relocation was to replace the deputy that had turned his back on the pack and ended up getting killed for attempting to kidnap the Alpha’s mate several months ago. Shaun was so much like the mate she’d always pictured in her dreams, but at the same time represented everything she feared in the light of day. His presence was massive. More than just physical—though he was a big guy—he seemed to have a presence that took up all the space surrounding him. When she’d moved in to pat him down, it had felt as though that www.total-e-bound.com

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aura had sucked her in like a wormhole through space. He made her feel out of control, and if there was one thing Meeghan hated it was being out of control. So far she’d heard generally good things about Shaun Colfer, but from what she’d observed so far, he was brash and impetuous. She was sure he’d got away with all kinds of transgressions in his life by using his good looks. Men like him always did. His tall frame was covered in hard muscle and those dark eyes were capable of making a person forget themselves. When she’d patted him down, it had taken everything inside her to fight the magnetism arcing between their bodies. And she had no desire to have some mate latch onto her and drag her around in his wake. Meeghan had gained permission from Alpha Chaunterel to join the Phantom River Pack a couple of weeks ago. However, she’d yet to be introduced to the members. In fact, she’d been on the way to the pack meeting when she’d pulled Shaun over for speeding. In all the times she’d imagined meeting her mate, she’d never pictured a scenario when she’d meet the man and immediately arrest him for being a smart-assed loud mouth. Granted, the arrest might have been a tad excessive and unnecessary, but she was tired of men who thought they could walk all over her simply because she was smaller and female. Her wolf may crave accepting Shaun as her mate, but Meeghan refused to align herself with a man who would treat her like his doormat for the rest of their lives. Shaun Colfer had another think coming if that’s the way he imagined their relationship was going to proceed. Meeghan knew that her demeanour sometimes put people off. They thought she was standoffish, and she’d heard herself referred to as ‘the ice queen’ more than once, but she didn’t know of any other way to make people see her as a competent individual. In her experience, the law enforcement community looked upon women as either hard-nosed bitches or softies. The softies were given desk jobs at the station and the tough were sent out onto the streets. Meeghan really wanted to be on the streets, so she did what she had to do to achieve her goals. When she’d worked for the LAPD, she’d gone home many nights and cried for those children who’d become lost souls entrapped by peer pressure to live the life of gang bangers. The countless women ensnared in loveless abusive marriages. The innocent gunned down on the street. But that was strictly between her and her box of Kleenex. She’d spent hours www.total-e-bound.com

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beating her pillow at night, unable to sleep because all she felt was frustration at being ineffectual at stopping the violence she encountered every day. When she’d read the posting for an opening in the Glacier County Sheriff’s Department, something inside told her it was time for a change. Moving from urban Los Angeles to rural Stonepass was turning out to be not as much of a culture shock as she’d first expected. From the moment she crossed the town limits, she’d felt at home. Maybe it had to do with the small town being not all that dissimilar to the one she’d grown up in before she’d headed to the big city to make a name for herself. She looked in the rear-view mirror at her cruiser and the man it contained. Or maybe she’d been called here to find her mate? Surely the man couldn’t be as insufferable as the first impression he’d given? A very small, select group of people in the shifter community were now familiar with the sleepy town of Stonepass. In her position as the daughter of an ASC elder and Alpha of the Six Rivers Pack in Northern California, she’d heard the name Shaun Colfer. He and the Alpha of the Phantom River pack were well admired by her mother and father for their efforts in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, those efforts had come at a high price. She’d never had the chance to meet the Alpha’s younger brother, but she knew from talking with the town residents over the last few weeks that his abduction and suspected death had hit the community hard. It seemed that even sleepy mountain towns weren’t immune to tragedy. Meeghan pushed a button on the console and there was a click from the padded armrest beside her. She twisted to the side and lifted the top. Inside was a file. She lifted it and flipped it open. It contained a handful of childish drawings. She thumbed through each one. Her actions may have been an invasion of privacy, but when it came to getting to know her mate, she’d exploit any advantage she could find. The last piece of paper was a letter, obviously written by someone older but not an adult, she deduced from the language. As she started to read, she let out a gasp. Shaun Colfer had been the one to take charge of finding homes for the rescued super-shifters. She looked over her shoulder out the back window of the truck. Could the same man who’d bragged he was looking forward to teaching her what a real man could do in bed be the same one who’d been responsible for finding homes for a group of lost children?

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She closed the file and placed it back in the compartment. She was about to shut the lid when she saw a glimmer in the corner of the black painted cubbyhole. Her fingers brushed over the spot, and she found the material was cool to the touch—more so than the rest of the area—and it was smooth, almost as if it were made of glass. She traced the surface until she found the edge, then lifted the corner. It was a flat rectangular tablet, no bigger than an identification card—one she now recognised as the device that allowed someone to override the biometric ignition. It’d been camouflaged against the black interior. Smart. She jumped out of the truck and shut the door. Shaun had been right when he’d said the area was pretty much isolated. There was no interstate anywhere near them, and everyone in town most likely knew Shaun’s truck. She doubted anyone would mess with it. She placed the tablet in her breast pocket and turned towards her cruiser. Now it was off the station to book her mate into jail. She tightened her lips against the little smile that threatened to cross it.

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Chapter Three

“Full name, please?” Shaun sat in a hard chair beside one of the desks in the sheriff’s department office. He looked over towards Jody—the department’s administrative assistant, dispatcher…and pack member. She had her hand over her mouth and Shaun saw her shoulders shaking with laughter. He looked back at his mate, who stared at him with an expectant expression. “Are you really going through with this?” “Yes. Now give me your full name…please.” Shaun sighed. “Shaun Colfer.” “Address?” “Don’t you have all this in the system already?” “Do you have priors? I was operating on the assumption that you’re as innocent as you claimed out on the highway. Maybe I should check for any outstanding warrants.” Meeghan tapped her laser-board several times and the information synced to the interactive smart display from her E-sphere changed. “I don’t have any outstanding warrants, for God’s sake! I was talking about the fact that there is a database of every Stonepass resident on file. I’m not even going to point out to you that you still have my identification card and could easily scan it to download the information you seem be relishing in dragging out of me.” Meeghan blinked but said nothing. She looked back down at the glowing letters and numbers projected onto her desk and continued to type out something. Shaun tried to peer around and read the display but with a tap on the holographic keyboard Meeghan activated the privacy feature so he couldn’t see what she was writing. Jody laughed out loud and Shaun looked over at her. He tried to give her a menacing growl, but Jody knew him too well and stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation. She then went back to typing whatever she was working on. Shaun was getting rather testy and only half of that was owing to the whole stupid arrest. The other half was because his mate sat mere inches away from him and his hands www.total-e-bound.com

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were still shackled behind his back. Sure, he could get out of the handcuffs if he really wanted to—it wasn’t like it would be hard—but he was trying to be respectful of his mate’s sense of duty. However, his patience was quickly coming to an end. Meeghan pushed her chair back from the desk and stood. “I believe I have what I need for now. I’m going to take you back to lock-up. Don’t worry—it’s actually pretty comfortable in there, and since you happen to be our only guest at the moment, you’ll have the whole place to yourself.” Shaun stood and looked down into his mate’s dark eyes. “Meeghan, please. This has gone on long enough. I’m sorry about my reaction on the road but you know what’s happening between us. Under the circumstances, it was understandable.” He stepped into Meeghan’s personal space and lowered his head till his lips came close to her ear. “Take these cuffs off and let me hold you. I’ve waited so long to have my mate in my arms.” Meeghan started to sway towards Shaun, but then jerked back. She kept her eyes trained on his. “Well, I guess as the saying goes, you don’t get everything you want. My wolf may recognise you as my mate, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it or even accept it.” Meeghan stepped around him and gripped the back of his shirt. He let out a breath as she pushed him towards the back of the station where the cells were located. His mate wasn’t playing. She really was intent on rejecting him. Shaun’s wolf howled, and there was a physical pain in his chest. His head and shoulders fell, and he let Meeghan lead him where she wanted him to go. At least for a few moments more he would get to feel her hands on him. After he entered the clear-walled cell, the door slammed shut. To Shaun it felt as though that door not only denied him his freedom, but also shut out each and every dream he’d ever held of a life filled with love and a family. Like a robot, he followed Meeghan’s demand to slide his wrists through the opening in the door and soon felt the constricting handcuffs loosen. His arms fell to his sides, but he refused to turn around and let the woman outside the cell see the hurt he knew brewed in his eyes. He’d lived his life as best he could. Sure, he’d done things he regretted, but when he took stock at the end of the day, he figured he’d done more good than bad. Apparently his mate disagreed. Until today, he’d lived in hope that one day he’d find the woman who would be able to gather those tattered edges of his life and unite them with hers. Now that www.total-e-bound.com

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hope was dead. His mate didn’t want him and, to make matters worse, she was the new deputy in Glacier County. The only way to avoid her would be to leave the first pack he’d ever belonged to, but Shaun knew there was no other choice. There was no way he could live day by day with the knowledge that he would see her on the street, maybe even have to watch her date other men. He knew his wolf would never allow that to happen, so in order to avoid a real felony charge—of homicide—he’d have to leave Stonepass. Shaun would miss the friends he’d made the last few years, and he felt bad about abandoning Jaryn both as his Beta and business partner, but there was simply no other solution. He’d still continue to help with the investigation of Adam Broyles—he owed that to Charlie—but it should be easy to do so via remote links. His Alpha and best friend would understand. He had to.

Meeghan stared at the lowered shoulders and hanging head of the man inside the cell. It was as if the magnetic presence of Shaun Colfer had been neutralised. She turned and left the holding area before she could say something, like ask the man to forgive her. It wasn’t as if she’d really booked Shaun into the system. She was simply trying to teach him a lesson. The whole time she’d been at her computer, she been instant chatting with Jody, telling her about what had happened out on the highway. “You actually locked him up?” Jody exclaimed. Meeghan nodded. “What was I supposed to do? Say, ‘Okay I give. Let’s go in the janitor’s closet and get it on’? Then he’d never respect me. I had to show him that he can’t walk all over me.” Jody shook her head. “I don’t know what kind of men you’ve been hanging around, sweetie, but Shaun Colfer is one of the good ones. Every woman he’s ever dated has always gone on and on about what a gentleman he is. That and how good he is in the sack.” Meeghan growled. She did not want to hear about the undoubtedly numerous women her mate had taken to his bed. Jody held up her hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger. Facts are facts. Shaun is well respected in this town and around the world.” “What? Are you saying he has harems in strategic ports around the globe?”

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Jody’s nose crinkled up. “Did you take the time to learn anything about your mate before tossing him in a jail cell?” Jody’s voice sounded very disapproving and Meeghan wasn’t sure why. Shaun was just another wolf. Maybe it was small town mentality. She knew that where she’d grown up, they’d often rallied around one of their own. Of course, the town had been just as quick to turn their backs on someone who they’d felt had slighted what their community stood for. “Look, I’m not trying to offend you or anyone else around here. You want facts? Fine. Shaun Colfer was speeding, he raised his voice to an officer of the law and he resisted arrest.” “Okay, I concede that Shaun often talks before he thinks, but he’s never hurt anyone who wasn’t attacking him first. It’s simply not who he is.” “You make him sound like a choir boy.” Jody snorted. “Hardly. The man is a trained killer and has used those skills more often than you or I will probably ever want to know.” “He’s a what?” Jody waved off Meeghan’s exclamation. “Don’t worry. He’s never done anything that wasn’t sanctioned by one government agency or another. Most likely, he could have turned the tables on you faster than you could have blinked. My point is you’ve painted Shaun as the bad guy in your mind without even getting to know him. You may think you’re teaching him a lesson but all your mate knows is that you’ve turned your back on him. Take a moment to consider how that would make you feel.” Okay, when said like that, Meeghan conceded that maybe this whole thing had got a little out of hand. She looked back over her shoulder at the holding area. There was no way she could go back there and apologise right now, though. Maybe in a couple of hours. Right now, she needed someone familiar to talk to. She went over to her desk and brought up her communications programme. She scrolled through her contact list till she found her parents’ names. She clicked on the icon and waited for the link to connect. The smart display synced to her E-sphere showed a little circling arrow. Then the screen changed to a live video feed of her parent’s kitchen, and her father, Bruce Nicholson. “Hey, munchkin, what’s up?” Meeghan smiled at the childhood nickname. “Hi Dad. Is Mom home?” “Sorry. She’s out at the market.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“Damn,” Meeghan said under her breath. “What’s wrong? Is good old dad not good enough to talk to anymore?” She smiled and shook her head. “Sorry, Dad. You know I love our little chats, but I have a bit of a situation on my hands and could use a bit of motherly advice.” Meeghan saw her dad frown into the video camera. “Sounds serious. Anything I can do to help?” “I appreciate it, but not sure how much help you’d be. You see I have…female problems,” she finished on a whisper. “Uh, yeah…you might want to wait till your mother gets home for that kind of talk.” Meeghan couldn’t help but laugh at the expression of panic on her father’s face. If she’d ever had a problem as a child she didn’t want to talk to him about or if she got in trouble and had to come up with a good excuse, all she’d had to do was give her father an innocent look and say her problem was female related and he’d back off. It was a cheap ploy, but it always worked. “Are you laughing at me?” he accused. “Really, Meeghan, I thought you’d grown out of those shameless tricks to put me off by now.” Her dad shook his head, but Meeghan saw the smile on his lips. “Sorry Dad, I couldn’t help it. It’s just so darn easy. I don’t know…maybe you can help me. You see, I’ve found my mate, but—” “You found him! That’s fantastic, munchkin! See? I told you moving out of LA would be good for you.” Her parents had never really liked the fact that Meeghan had left their small northern California town for the seedy southern city, but they’d supported her desire to step out on her own as best they could. They’d even got in touch with the local pack for Meeghan to join once she arrived in the metropolis. She’d attended a few of their social functions, but never really clicked with any of the members. In the end, Meeghan never renounced her membership in her hometown pack and simply went home when she could in order to keep her ties strong. She waited patiently for her dad to stop going on and on about why moving to Stonepass had been such a grand idea, how lucky she was to meet her mate, when was she going to bring him home to meet them, and when could they expect to get their invitation to www.total-e-bound.com

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the mating ceremony? Growing up, her friends had often given her trouble about how her dad’s behaviour was more similar to their moms’, but to Meeghan, Mom was Mom and Dad was Dad. Her father had always been the softer of the two. He’d always spoilt her and showered her with love. Meeghan’s mom was a loving woman but had a more reserved personality. That was probably why she made such a good ASC elder. When her dad started in on pups, she decided to nip the tirade in the bud. “Dad, stop! I…um, sort of arrested him.” “Meeghan Ann Nicholson, you arrested your mate?” he exclaimed. “Why? Did he do something to you?” he growled. She waved him off. Her dad had a definite papa bear mode…or she guessed wolf would be a better description. He’d always said when she was growing up that until the day she met her mate, it was his job to protect his little girl…and he took his duties seriously. It had made dating a little difficult, which was another reason why Meeghan wanted to move to LA. She’d needed to spread her wings before settling down. “It’s not important. It was nothing, really…well, I thought it started out as something, but I didn’t realise at the time, and then things got out of hand and I couldn’t back down.” “So what’s the problem? Go let him out of jail, tell him you’re sorry then kiss and make up.” “It’s not that simple, Dad. If I back down now, he’ll think he can walk all over me the rest of our lives.” “Why do you say that? Do you know him to be that kind of man? Does he have a bad reputation? I truly don’t think the universe would provide you with a mate that would treat you that way, munchkin. It’s not how these things work. Think of all the mated couples you know—do any of them have abusive relationships?” “No,” she mumbled. “You know what I think? I think you spent too long in that city. It’s made you jaded. All you saw day in and day out was the bad things society has to offer.” Meeghan’s head dropped onto her desk. “Dad,” she moaned. “Don’t start, okay.” “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to go there. But I don’t think I’m completely wrong, either.”

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Meeghan lifted her head and looked at her dad’s face glowing from the interactive tablet. She knew he meant well…and maybe he did have a point. Not that she’d tell him that. Who ever wanted to actually admit that their parents were right? “So what do I do?” “This may seem a bit simplistic, but I would suggest that the first thing you do is unlock the jail cell and let your mate out. Then take it one step at a time. Get to know each other. If you don’t want to seem submissive, take the initiative. Court him on your own terms.” Meeghan snorted. “Court him? Careful, Dad—you’re showing your age.” Her dad grunted and waved his hand through the air. He squinted his eyes, and the few wrinkles he’d gained over the years furrowed across his forehead. “Court, date, hook-up, unite. Whatever you kids call it these days.” Her mother and father were older than many of her friends’ grandparents. They’d met and mated in their late teens almost ninety-two years ago. Meeghan had been a late addition to their lives. The pack doctor had actually worried that her mom wouldn’t survive the pregnancy. But on a full moon night thirty-seven years ago, Meeghan had joined the world and become the light of her parents’ eyes. Each and every day they showed her what a blessing her birth had been in their lives. God, she loved them. “I love you, Dad.” “I love you too, munchkin. Now go get your man. And I expect a mating ceremony invitation in my inbox in the imminent future.” Meeghan shook her head and smiled. “Yes, Father.” She disconnected the link and sat back in her chair. She wasn’t quite sure how to take the first step in repairing the damage she’d done. She lifted the biometric override from her pocket and looked at it. She flipped it over and over in her hand. She supposed she could go get Shaun’s truck and bring it to the station. That would be the kindest thing to do. “Hey, Jody?” she called out. “Yeah?” “Carl is on patrol tonight, right?” “Yep. I just sent him to a domestic over on Karrow Avenue.” “The Andersons again?”

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“You know it. I swear, why don’t those two just divorce and save us all a bunch of trouble?” Meeghan shrugged. “Tell you what, though, it makes me glad there is such a thing as mates out there for us. I mean, I’ve had my share of bad relationships, but I’d never actually commit to a man unless I knew he was my mate. That’s certainly a luxury humans don’t have.” “Uh-huh. That’s why you’ve got yours locked up in a jail cell at the moment?” Meeghan groaned. “I’m working on that, okay? Look, when are you off shift?” Jody looked at the clock on the wall across the room. “Ten minutes. Roger is going to pick me up, then we’re going out to the pack lands for a run and to catch the tail end of the meeting.” “Do you think he’d be willing to drop me off at Shaun’s truck so I can bring it back for him?” “How do you plan on driving that beast? Doesn’t he have one of those biometric systems?” Meeghan held up the override device. “Found it when I searched his vehicle.” “You searched his truck too?” “Would you stop asking me every question with that ear grinding shrill? Yes, I searched his truck after I’d patted him down, put him in cuffs and stuffed him in the back of my cruiser.” “You patted him down? How was it?” Jody leered. Meeghan saw the teasing gleam in her new friend’s green eyes. Her mind drifted back to that moment when she’d freely run her hands over Shaun’s large firm body. She’d felt his heat even through the clothes he wore, and the contractions of muscles pulsed beneath her hands as she ran them over each limb and across his abdomen. His arms and legs felt as though they were made out of steel, and when she’d run her hand over the front of his jeans, his arousal had been unmistakable. At the time she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on the hard bulge, but now her wolf wished she’d hadn’t been so pigheaded earlier. They could possibly even now be experiencing what it felt like to claim their mate. Her face heated, her nipples hardened and dampness formed between her legs. She shifted her stance, trying to ease the ache that had suddenly formed, hungry for her mate’s possession. www.total-e-bound.com

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“If the expression on your face is anything to go by, then I imagine it was very good.” “What was good?” Meeghan looked up and saw Roger, Jody’s mate, standing in the doorway. “Hi, love! I was asking Meeghan was it was like to feel up Shaun Colfer.” Roger stalked to Jody’s desk and Meeghan grinned at the look of complete possessiveness and lust on his face. “And why are you interested in what it’s like to grope our Beta?” Jody came around the desk and wrapped her arms around her mate’s neck. “Simple girl curiosity, love. No worries—you’re all the wolf I can handle.” “You better believe it,” Roger growled and swooped in for a deep kiss. Meeghan looked away from the mated couple, giving them a little privacy and herself a reprieve from watching such an intimate exchange between two shifters so obviously in love and lust. You could have that, you know. If you gave yourself the chance. “Meeghan? You ready?” She looked up and saw that Jody was looking at her expectantly, and Roger stood with his arm around his mate’s waist. Jody’s replacement, a human named Cynthia, was already at the desk. “Yeah.” She set her E-sphere into hibernation then scooped up the rectangular card from her desk. “The truck is parked on the thirty-nine about five miles outside of town.” “You’re going to have to tell me exactly how our Beta came to be locked in jail cell, and his truck abandoned on the side of the highway halfway to the pack lands,” Roger said. “It’s a rather long story,” Meeghan responded.

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Chapter Four

Meeghan turned the shiny black card over and over. “Nothing like making it user friendly,” she mumbled. She looked over at Roger’s car and called out, “You don’t happen to know how this thing works, do you?” Roger stuck his head out the window and yelled back, “Sorry. Too fancy for my simple mind. Just ask my sweet mate. I can barely remember the commands for our smart appliances.” Jody climbed out of the car and came over to where Meeghan stood outside the driver’s side door to Shaun’s truck. “It’s true. He’s hopeless when it comes to technology. Is there some kind of switch on the side?” Meeghan examined the edges, but nothing was revealed. She tried tapping on the surface and still nada. There had to be some type of activation control. “Abracadabra?” Jody called out. Meeghan looked over at her and rolled her eyes. “What? It was worth a shot.” The summer sun had almost set, and in a few minutes they’d be standing on the highway in the dark. She thought back to her time at LAPD. She’d heard of systems like this. She was a little surprised to have found it in Stonepass, as most biometric systems were utilised in areas with high crime rates. Wonder exactly what it is that Shaun Colfer keeps in his truck that he wants to keep out of the hands of others? Suddenly she recalled a case that had landed on her desk about three months ago. The individual had been suspected of dealing cocaine and had given all his customers copies of these devices so they could have access to his vehicle and the drugs that were placed in a hidden compartment under the floorboards when they’d scheduled a delivery. She closed her eyes and pictured the device that had been used for that case in her mind. Meeghan flipped it over and felt along the bottom edge. Her nail dipped into the barely perceivable crevice, and she lifted a tiny trap door located on the back. Underneath was a little red dot. She pushed it and the street below her glowed as the device came to life. www.total-e-bound.com

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She flipped it back over and saw the grid of dots that acted as a lock. To activate the device, you had to tap the dots in a specific pattern. It had taken the department’s tech people days to crack the drug dealer’s code. So what kind of pattern would a Beta of a wolf pack and construction contractor use? “You know Shaun pretty well, right?” “I know him as well as anyone in the pack does. Jaryn and Cooper are closest to him.” “Well, we’ll have to do our best. What’s the most important thing to him that you can think of? Maybe the code is the first letter or something.” Jody tapped her chin. “Well, I know he loves the pack and being Beta is important to him.” Meeghan traced the letter B for beta on the surface, but it stayed black. “What about a W for wolf?” Meeghan tried that, but still nothing. “This is silly. I should have ordered him to tell me earlier. We could be here all night.” A breeze blew across her face and Meeghan inhaled the scent of the summer flowers that grew along the side of the road. It was one of the things that she loved most about her new home. In LA all she could scent was dirt and the acrid stench of both unwashed and over-perfumed bodies. Out here in the country, the air was clean and fresh. The mountains that rose high above their heads were scented with pine, and Meeghan felt that for the first time in years she could actually take a deep breath. “Hey, ladies?” Jody and Meeghan turned towards Roger’s voice. “Shaun treated the dots as if they were keys on a number pad. The code is one-sevennine-four-three.” “How do you know?” Jody called out. Roger held up his comm-unit. “I called Cooper.” “And that is why I love you.” Jody blew Roger a kiss. “Wonder what it means?” Meeghan asked. “Who knows and who cares? Just get this baby unlocked so we can hit the road.” Meeghan pushed the corresponding dots and the smiled as the device’s main menu lit up the black surface. www.total-e-bound.com

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She scrolled through the options till she found the control for the locks and selected the one that unsecured the truck. She heard the locks disengage and smiled. Jody gave a little whoop next to her. Meeghan opened the door and stared at the elevated floor board. She had to grab the handle beside the door to help pull her up into the cab. She activated the seatbelt and navigated to the ignition screen. A few taps and the truck’s electric motor powered up. Meeghan checked the power supply display and noticed that there was plenty of energy left. Shaun must have charged the batteries recently. She turned to Jody, who stood beside the open door. “Thanks for your help and advice earlier.” “We’re pack now. It’s what we do for each other.” Jody glanced over at car where her mate waited, then leaned in closer to Meeghan. “Plus I want all the juicy details later.” Meeghan shook her head and laughed. Jody closed the door and Meeghan watched in the side mirror as she met her mate for a kiss before running around to the passenger side of the car and climbing in. Roger pulled out and he and Jody continued straight towards the pack lands. Meeghan, however, pulled a U-turn and headed back towards town. A few minutes later she walked into the station and saw Cynthia, who waved. Carl sat at his desk, working on his E-sphere. He was most likely submitting his report for the call out he’d gone on earlier. “Hey, how are the Andersons?” Carl groaned. “The usual. Neither of them are willing to press charges against the other, and there’s nothing I can book them on since they weren’t actually fighting in public. I heard you had a bit of excitement earlier?” “Did you? From who?” “Well, let’s see. I heard it from Angel, who heard it from Landon, whose friend Mark was driving to the meeting when he saw you pull over our pack’s Beta.” “Let me get this straight. You heard it from your daughter, who heard it from her boyfriend, who heard it from his best friend that I arrested my mate?” Meeghan had almost forgotten how small town grapevines worked. And wolves were worse than humans when it came to gossip. The population of Stonepass was about seventy percent pack, so that made for one very chatty bunch.

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“Whoa, Shaun’s your mate? That had definitely not made the rounds…yet. And you arrested him?” “Why does everyone ask me that as if I’m insane? He broke the law, I arrested him. Just because he’s the Beta and apparently some paragon of society does not mean he’s above the law.” Carl frowned. “No, but if my mate arrested me I’d be pretty pissed. Probably best you had a change of heart. I’m actually surprised to see you here. Why aren’t the two of you off doing…you know? Isn’t the mating heat driving you nuts right about now?” “Umm, Carl not that it’s any of your business, but it’s a little hard to go off and do…you know…when he’s still in lock-up.” Carl’s eyebrows furrowed. “No he’s not.” Meeghan rubbed the back of her neck as the tension that had gathered over the last several hours threatened to explode into one massive raging headache. “Yes he is. I put him there myself.” “Meeghan, Shaun’s not in holding. I thought you released him before you left.” She stared at Carl for all of two seconds before she took off at a run. She skidded to a halt outside the cell where she’d locked up her mate. It was empty. He was gone.

**** It hadn’t been hard to get out of the cell at the station. He’d palmed his comm-unit from Meeghan’s desk when she’d been booking him into the system. Once he heard her leave with Jody, Shaun went to work and hacked into the mainframe of the building. All the cells used electronic locks, and once he figured out how to navigate the system, he’d freed himself in a matter of minutes. He could have done it faster on a real computer, but just as when he, Jaryn and Cooper had been in the service, sometimes you had to make do with what you had. It probably helped that his comm-unit wasn’t a garden variety type that the average shopper could pick up in a store. Jaryn, Cooper and he all had the same model with specialised capabilities so they could use them for the consulting work they still did for the Department of Defence.

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Shaun bent over Jaryn’s desk at the office, typing out a note that explained why he had to leave and asking his best friend and Alpha for forgiveness. With one click, the missive was sent off to Jaryn’s inbox. Shaun figured he had an hour tops before Jaryn opened the message and his comm-unit started to light up like a Christmas tree. He wasn’t quite sure where he was going, but he figured he’d head west and take it from there. Maybe he could find someplace to settle in Idaho for a while. He wanted to stay somewhat close in case Jaryn needed to activate him when they finally determined exactly where Broyles had disappeared to. “Shit, I forgot about Phillipa,” he whispered. He’d tell Cooper about the FBI agent coming to town. Given that Cooper was the sheriff, he was really a better contact than Shaun anyway. Everything considered, this royally sucked. He was leaving his home, his business, and his friends…all because he’d been rejected by a woman. Not any woman. Your mate. You, Shaun Colfer, were rejected by your mate, making you oh-fortwo. Apparently when it came to the fundamental relationships in a person’s life, he was a pariah. Did his running away make him a coward? In the eyes of some, probably. But he looked upon it as an act of self-preservation because he knew if he had to see Meeghan day in and day out, he would slowly go insane. He already felt his wolf whimpering in a state of depression. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was that he and Meeghan had never kissed. He’d never tasted her lips or truly felt her body press against his. He’d never given her a mating mark nor had his cock knot inside her body. Had that occurred before she rejected him, it would be tantamount to mental and emotional death for his wolf, and it probably would have caused his heart to disintegrate versus simply cracking as it was now. Shaun checked to make sure the office was locked then took off down the street. He’d have to walk out of town to pick up his truck then spin by his house to pick up some necessities. Shaun felt his comm-unit vibrate in his jeans pocket. He dug it out and looked down to see a message arrive from Cooper. Where are you? www.total-e-bound.com

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He slipped the unit back in his pocket without responding. He knew if he did, Cooper would track him down and try to talk him out of leaving Stonepass. Night had fallen and the streets were dark. Main Street only had a few lamps lit since all the businesses were closed at this time of night. As he crossed the intersection about a block away from the diner, Shaun looked to his left towards the sheriff’s station. He stopped when he saw that his truck was parked outside. It seemed that Meeghan had managed to not only find the override device, but also crack his security code. Impressive. He turned and started to jog towards his escape vehicle. It only took a matter of seconds before he was inside, had the motor running, and set the truck into reverse so he could leave. He quickly backed out of the parking spot and aimed his truck towards the mountains on the edge of town. He was about to put the truck into the drive gear when he heard a shout from behind. He peered in the side mirror and saw Meeghan standing in the opened doorway to the station. She stood there, her dark hair unpinned and hanging down her back, her pale skin looked almost translucent in the light spilling from the station house. She still wore her uniform and Shaun took half a second to admire his mate’s trim form and subtle curves that he’d never have the chance to caress. His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he took a deep breath, trying valiantly to bring some much needed air into his lungs. He could give in—could throw the truck in park, jump out, and get down on his knees before his mate, begging her to reconsider. But Shaun had some pride left. Instead, he slowly drove down the street and turned back onto Main. No matter how much his wolf urged him to turn around, he kept his hands firmly on the wheel and the truck pointed forwards. His house was on pack lands only a couple of miles from Jaryn and Nicole’s. Maybe he should stop by and check on his Alpha’s mate and children. He was still Beta, after all, and it was his responsibility to look out for those in the pack. With Jaryn gone until tomorrow and Broyles’ whereabouts still unknown, it was Shaun’s responsibility to protect Nicole and the twins.

****

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Shaun walked up to Jaryn and Nicole’s front door. He raised his hand to knock, but before his knuckles touched the wood the door was flung open. Nicole stood there with her arms full of two babies, both wrapped in towels, and the front of her shirt soaking wet. “Oh, thank God, another set of arms. Here, you take Gavin.” Shaun quickly found his arms full of his Alpha’s ten-month-old son. “What’s up, little man? Have you and your brother been running your mom ragged?” Gavin wormed his little arms out of the fluffy navy blue towel and patted at Shaun’s cheeks then smiled as if to say ‘if you only knew’. Shaun shook his head, chuckling, and stepped inside. He shut the door with his foot and adjusted Gavin’s position in his arms. Looking around the living room, he didn’t see his Alpha’s wife anywhere. “Nicole?” he called out. “Back here!” Shaun followed her voice into the boys’ nursery. She had set Kaden on the changing table and was in the process of digging out a diaper. A fluffy white rectangle suddenly flew in the air towards him, and Shaun used his free hand to grab it instinctively. He stood there and stared at the diaper. Gavin and Kaden happily babbled back and forth to each other. The baby in his arms would occasionally squirm and twist, almost as though he was reaching out for his brother, who was pinned to the changing table by their mother’s hand. “We’re going to get these two down for bed, then you and I are going to have a little talk. Will you get two sleepers out of the dresser?” Shaun looked over at the piece of furniture. “Which drawer?” “Top left.” He pulled open the drawer, and saw a pile of baby clothes. He didn’t know exactly what a sleeper was, but he assumed all the tiny scraps of clothing inside fitted that description. He looked at Gavin and thought about asking the ten-month-old which one to pick but didn’t want to look completely inept in front of his Alpha’s mate. Shaun dipped his hand into the drawer and felt the soft fabric caress his skin. He was slightly afraid of snagging what looked like delicate clothing with his rough contractor’s hands. However, if such garments were able to stand up to Gavin and Kaden’s complete disregard for durability—in addition to the other pups in the pack that had worn the getups before the twins—Shaun figured his hands couldn’t do significant damage. He scooped up www.total-e-bound.com

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one navy blue and one dark green. The fact that he looked down at Gavin to check for his silent approval before turning around to face Nicole again would stay between him and the baby. “Come on over here—there’s plenty of room on the changing table to dress them both.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Jaryn and I practically have bedtime down to a science, but without him I feel a little lost in space—as evidenced by the fact that these two are still up two hours past their bedtime.” Shaun brought the items over to the changing table and held them out to Nicole. She set them on the flat surface, then scooted over to make room for Shaun. “I’m sorry, Nicole. You should have called me if you needed help. I know I’m not the best at this baby stuff, but I would have at least tried.” Shaun tried to ignore the slightly despondent tone to his voice. He knew that right now he was overly sensitive, but it wouldn’t do to have Jaryn’s mate think that he was incapable of taking care of the pack. He laid Gavin down on the padded surface then unwrapped him from the towel. Nicole’s hand landed on Shaun’s shoulder. “I know what you’re trying to say, Shaun, and I appreciate it, but really we’ve been fine. Don’t believe for a second that you shirked your duty to your pack or as my friend.” Watching Nicole, Shaun managed to mimic her actions as she diapered and dressed Kaden. He was able to get Gavin’s diaper on and catch his wiggling limbs long enough to get them into the tiny outfit. His efforts may not have been as smooth as Nicole’s, but when he picked Gavin up for inspection, Shaun was pretty proud of the results of his efforts. “Have a seat in the rocking chair. I’ll go grab their bottles and be right back.” Shaun sat and cradled Gavin in the crook of his arm. He’d never really been around babies much until Jaryn had brought Gavin and Kaden home from Wisconsin eight months ago. It had been a real shock when he and Jaryn had walked into Broyles’ lab to find all those children. Kaden and Gavin were the youngest of the group, and Jaryn immediately recognised them as sharing his mate’s DNA. They’d learned that the twin boys had developed from Nicole’s illicitly harvested eggs, which had then been fertilised by a sperm

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donor who was a wolf shifter and had been genetically enhanced when they were still hardly more than a group of cells. They were birthed from a surrogate who’d died during labour. Jaryn had immediately brought the then two-month-old babies home to their biological mother. It had taken a bit of adjusting, but now the family was a cohesive unit and Jaryn treated Kaden and Gavin as if they were his biological sons. Plenty of pack members had pups, but Shaun wasn’t close enough with any of them to be there for feedings and diaper changes and the like. Gavin stared up at him with dark green eyes, so much like his mother’s. Shaun smoothed the red hair standing at all kinds of angles from the top of the soft round head. The silky texture of Gavin’s skin once again made Shaun hesitate in consideration of his rough hands, but the baby seemed to enjoy Shaun’s touch, so he let his worries fall to the wayside for now. His heart tumbled over in his chest at the realisation that he’d never get to share a quiet moment such as this with his own child. When he’d been working with the young supershifters rescued from Broyles’ lab in Wisconsin, Shaun had come to realise that he’d spent too many years alone. He’d even thought about adopting one of the young rescues himself, but felt their needs would be better met in a family of a mated pair. To take one of the young for his own would have been selfish. Once he’d learnt of his wolf genetics, he’d been informed that in order to have a natural son or daughter, he’d have to wait till the time when he found his mate. She would be the only one who could conceive his child and, until recently, Shaun had been content with waiting. He’d led a fulfilling life, having experienced the world with his military team and spending time carousing with his best friends, but lately Shaun’s dreams had started to shift. Now when he closed his eyes at night, he no longer dreamed of attractive women and decadent nights of debauchery, or sitting around a campfire drinking beer with his buddies. Now his dreams were filled with the sounds of childish laughter, and spending time with his arms wrapped around his mate as they watched their pups play in the meadow beside their home. Unfortunately, having now been rejected by Meeghan, those dreams would go unrealised. Shaun pushed gently on the floor with his toes and let the chair tilt back and forth in an easy motion. Gavin smellt of baby shampoo and powder. It was a calming scent, and Shaun adjusted the sleepy infant closer to his body. A bottle appeared in his line of vision, and he www.total-e-bound.com

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looked up to see Nicole standing there. By the expression on her face, she’d entered the room some time ago. “It’s easy to get lost with them in your arms, isn’t it?” she said softly, smiling. “Well, when they’re like this anyway. Now when Jaryn and I are chasing their wiggling little butts around the house, or the two of us end up with more cereal on our shirts than they do in their stomachs, that’s a whole different kind of moment.” Shaun smiled for what felt like the first time since he had been pulled over on the highway earlier that evening. He placed the bottle to Gavin’s pursed lips and watched as he latched onto the nipple. Nicole sat next to him in the other chair and fed Kaden his bottle. It wasn’t long before Gavin’s eyes started to droop, the little hands that had been braced on the sides of the bottle went lax, and his mouth stopped sucking. Shaun looked over when Nicole moved beside him. It seemed the twins continued their pattern of being in sync with everything they did. Kaden was sound asleep in his mother’s arms as she carried him over the crib. Part of Shaun craved to continue holding Gavin a little longer. There was something about the baby that soothed the tattered edges of his soul tonight. However, he knew Gavin needed a proper sleep, and he also suspected that if Shaun kept him apart from his brother for too many minutes, the two infants would start to fuss. He stood and carefully walked over to the crib, then placed Gavin on the mattress. Nicole covered her boys with a blanket and gave them both a kiss. “I thought you’re supposed to burp them after feeding?” he whispered. “At this age we don’t really need to anymore. If they get gassy, they’ll get the air out themselves one way or another.” Suddenly Shaun had the image of two little boys battling it out in burping and farting wars while trying to appear innocent when busted by one of their parents. He tried to smother his smile but knew he’d failed when Nicole softly laughed beside him. “Yep, I have a lot to look forward to.”

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Chapter Five

Nicole turned and they quietly walked out of the boys’ room. Shaun followed her into the kitchen. He saw Nicole reach for the French press that she and Jaryn used to make their coffee and intercepted her. “Let me, please?” Nicole nodded then went over to sit at the kitchen table. Shaun got to work measuring out the beans and grinding them to the perfect coarseness. The scent of fresh grounds filled the air and Shaun inhaled the rich aroma. He knew Nicole was perfectly capable of making coffee, but he wanted a bit more time before facing the inevitable inquisition. His Alpha’s mate had excellent people reading skills, and he knew she’d sensed something was wrong when they’d been in the boys’ room. It was guaranteed that she would, with the best of intentions, probe until he coughed up his secrets. Shaun needed to stall before admitting to his humiliation, if only for a few more minutes. He focused on each step, letting the routine settle him. Step one—command the water insta-heat system to set the temperature at one-hundred-ninety-five degrees. Step two—pour the grounds into the bottom of the carafe. Step three—slowly fill it with the heated water. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Nicole was watching him. Her green eyes focused on his back and their scrutiny was a direct contradiction to her relaxed posture in the chair. He faced the counter again and let out a long breath. Step four—wait till the grounds form a crust on the surface, then stir. Okay, he was as relaxed as he was going to get. The screaming in his mind had stopped for the moment, and it also felt really good to do this for his Alpha’s mate. Even if it was something as simple as making a cup of coffee, it felt right. Shaun placed the lid with the plunger on the carafe and took down two mugs from the cabinet in front of him. The coffee would steep while they talked. He carried everything over to the table and sat beside Nicole. “Are you ready to talk now?” she asked. Shaun nodded. www.total-e-bound.com

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“Good. Then the first thing I want to ask you is…was it hard to break out of jail? Because I’ve really always wondered what that would be like.” Shaun’s head jerked up and he caught Nicole’s green eyes laughing at him. It was not what he’d expected to hear. “How did you―?” “Cooper called.” “Of course he did,” Shaun mumbled. “He didn’t exactly give me the details, so why don’t you fill me in? How exactly is it that the Beta of Phantom River got thrown in jail in the first place?” “I was arrested.” Nicole continued to eye him expectantly. “It’s a rather complicated story.” And one he didn’t feel like rehashing at the moment. He slowly pressed the plunger down on the French press and let his concentration focus on the coffee, now that it had finished brewing. He poured out a mug each for himself and Nicole. Nicole stood and went over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a gallon of milk and took out a couple of packets of sweetener from one of the drawers. Damn, he’d forgotten to get that stuff. Shaun took his coffee black—had ever since he joined the military and such supplies weren’t always on hand—but that didn’t excuse him from not taking care of Nicole the way he should have. Nicole sat back down at the table and fixed her coffee. She took a sip, letting out a little moan. “You know, one of my favourite things about being a wolf is that I can now drink a cup of coffee, no matter the hour, and not have to worry about being kept awake all night from the caffeine.” Shaun smiled. “Yeah, a faster metabolism does have some advantages.” Nicole nodded. “So…you were saying?” Damn, he thought he’d got out of explaining anything further. As much as he loathed doing it, Shaun spilled his guts about what had happened between him and Meeghan earlier that evening, concluding with, “I left a note for Jaryn, but I wanted to come by and check on you before I left.” “And why are you leaving?” Shaun’s eyes widened. His hands tightened around the mug of coffee, but even the heat emanating from the ceramic couldn’t dispel the chill still racing through his bones. “Didn’t www.total-e-bound.com

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you hear what I said? My mate rejected me. She wants nothing to do with me. She hates me! The one person I’m supposed to live out my life with in happiness…hates me.” He hung his head and stared into the bubbles floating on the surface of his coffee. Nicole took a sip and continued to watch Shaun closely. “Did she say that? Because if so, you left that part out.” He looked across at his Alpha’s mate. He’d always thought Nicole was such a sweetheart, but right now she sounded about as warm as the winter wind whipping across the tundra of a snow-covered mountain. “Meeghan said that it didn’t matter what I wanted. It didn’t matter that we were mates. She would—” “Ah, so she didn’t reject you.” He was confused. Hadn’t Nicole been listening? Maybe she’d inhaled the toxic waste from Gavin and Kaden’s diapers too often. “What?” “Meeghan didn’t reject you.” “Yes, she did.” “No, she didn’t. In fact, she publicly acknowledged you as her mate to Cooper, according to your version of this story.” “That makes it even worse. She recognised me for who I am, but in the next breath said she wanted nothing to do with me. You didn’t see the coldness in her eyes. She was quite happy to lock me up and not think twice about it.” “Did you ever consider that she isn’t cold so much as she’s scared? You remember when I met Jaryn? How at first I was resistant to accepting our mating bond?” “That was different, though. You’d never been raised in a pack and had just escaped from a psychotic wolf determined to force you into mating with him. We all understood you needed time to heal and come to understand what belonging with Jaryn meant. Meeghan grew up a wolf—she knows what it means to share a mating bond with someone. And still she turned her back on me. What kind of man, kind of wolf, must I be that everyone who’s supposed to love me instead ends up rejecting me?” “Shaun, listen to yourself. Meeghan doesn’t even know you. You’ve spent a total of an hour in each other’s company.” Nicole placed her hand on Shaun’s forearm. “Despite the fairytales you were told as pups, a mated pair does not fall instantly in love the moment their www.total-e-bound.com

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eyes meet across the room. I know you’re struggling right now, but the self-recrimination and guilt I’ve seen in your eyes since the moment you walked through my door is not the Shaun Colfer I know. If I don’t recognise you, how on earth is Meeghan supposed to? She’s only been in town for a handful of weeks. Give her time to get to know the real you.” Nicole refilled her mug, then leant back in her chair. “On the couple of occasions that I’ve spoken with her, I got the impression that she’d built some kind of shell around her for protection. Whether she’s protecting herself from the violence she’s seen every day on the streets as part of her job, or whether she’s preventing her heart from reaching out for fear of getting hurt, only you’ll be able to eventually answer.” “And how exactly am I supposed to do that if she won’t talk to me?” “Charm her.” Shaun almost snorted hot coffee up his nose. “Me? Charm? You do realise who you’re talking to, right? Your mate is the smooth talker of our business. I’m more likely to unintentionally insult our clients than cajole them into signing on the dotted line.” “Oh come on, Shaun. I’ve seen you break out your enchanting skills. Not to mention I know a few of your former lovers that live here in town. And they never pass up an opportunity to tell me how great you are.” Shaun sat back in his chair. “That’s different. I don’t want to charm Meeghan into bed.” He smirked. “Well, not only my bed. I want her to be my…everything. I want to be her everything. That takes a skill set I’ve never been trained in.” “Training or not, I bet if you look deep inside yourself, you’d find a way. Of course that’s certainly going to be harder to do if you leave town now, won’t it?” Wasn’t that the bald truth staring him right in the face? Before, Shaun had felt slighted and hurt. Now he just felt like an idiot. “You’re right. Even before this all happened with Meeghan, I’d had a craptastic day. My disappointment spurred me to make a rash decision.” Shaun scrubbed his face and stared up at the vaulted ceiling of Jaryn and Nicole’s kitchen. The cedar had a reddish hue that warmed the entire space and Shaun detected the scent of fresh-baked bread Nicole must have made earlier. The coffee now churned in his empty stomach, and Shaun was reminded that he’d missed dinner since he’d planned on eating at the pack meeting. www.total-e-bound.com

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So, he’d have to find some way to charm his mate—make her see that he wasn’t the brash or aggressive wolf he’d demonstrated out on the highway. He could do this. He had to do this. “I should probably go back to the office and get rid of that note I left Jaryn. Or did you do that already, Cooper?” Shaun said before taking another sip of coffee. He’d scented the pack enforcer and county sheriff the moment he’d walked through the front door. “It’s been done. You didn’t think I was really going to allow you to walk out on your pack…on your family, did you?” Cooper strolled into the kitchen and sat down at the table with Nicole and Shaun. Shaun knew that Cooper wasn’t referring to any biological family. Shaun had never had a family, as many would consider the word. He’d been found abandoned outside a Detroit hospital emergency room as a newborn then subsequently raised in the foster system. It wasn’t until he’d joined the military at the age of eighteen that he’d felt anything remotely family-like. Four years ago, he’d come to the north-western Montana wilderness where Jaryn and Cooper had grown up then returned to after their retirement. Jaryn’s dad had been Alpha of Phantom River at the time and had welcomed Shaun with open arms. He’d been unofficially adopted by the Chaunterel family, which was probably why Charlie’s abduction had hit so close to home and left him so out of sorts the last couple of months. “Let me guess. The two of you orchestrated this little intervention?” He looked at Nicole, whose eyes shifted to look everywhere but at him, exhibiting her guilt. “You didn’t need help with the boys. I’ve never known you to be anything but in perfect control of them—even on the day we brought them home and your world was turned upside down.” He looked over at Cooper. “It was a set up. You knew I’d come here before leaving town.” Cooper shrugged. “I know the pack is most important to you. Even in self-pity mode, your first thought would be to check on the safety of those you’ve been charged with.” Great. All he needed now to make the humiliation of his knee-jerk reaction complete was the arrival of— “Shaun Colfer, what in the hell were you thinking?” Shaun groaned as the deep voice of his Alpha came from the doorway. “Fan-fuckingtastic,” he mumbled. “I thought you were still in Chicago.”

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“Got a little help from an elder who can teleport. Sought him out when I got Cooper’s message that you’d found your mate. Wanted to come home and celebrate with you and the pack, but instead I arrive to find out that not only had my Beta been arrested, but he’d escaped from jail and was planning on slinking off into the night like the fugitive he’d become.” Shaun placed his mug on the kitchen table, then turned to face his best friend. “Don’t worry. I’ve already been chastised for my idiocy.” He looked over at Nicole and smiled. “And been given a lesson in female dynamics.” Jaryn came over to the table, bending down to give Nicole a kiss. Shaun watched the mated pair with more than a little longing. The depth of their love for one another and the passion they shared was obvious. Jaryn may have only been gone for week, but it might as well have been a year given the emotional greeting. Jaryn straightened then lifted Nicole from the chair and took her place, holding his mate secure on his lap. Jaryn played with Nicole’s long red hair. “I’m glad my mate managed to make you see the error of your ways. I wasn’t looking forward to having to beat it into you when I arrived.” Shaun chuckled. “You don’t fool me. I know you love to take advantage of any opportunity you might have to try and smack me around a little bit.” “Normally I would agree, but I’ve been away from my family for a week, and tonight I have a mind to participate in much more pleasurable activities.” Jaryn brushed Nicole’s hair away and nuzzled against her neck. “And with that, I believe we need to take our leave,” Cooper said. They stood then Shaun carried his mug over to the sink and washed it out. He glanced over his shoulder as he left the kitchen. Jaryn and Nicole were kissing again. Their arms were wrapped around each other, and Jaryn’s hand was buried in Nicole’s hair, holding the nape of her neck as he plundered his mate’s mouth. Such public displays weren’t abnormal in a wolf pack. Shaun had participated in gatherings over the years when the full moon would whip those present into sexual frenzies. Mates would openly make love and unmated wolves would pair up for sex of orgiastic proportions. On nights such as those, he’d loved revelling in the scents of sex and nature as

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his hands had fisted in the soil and he’d pounded into whatever willing partner he’d chosen for the night. “Come on. Let’s go back to your place. Nicole and Jaryn may be done with you for now, but I still have a few things to say.” Cooper gripped Shaun’s shoulder and propelled him towards the front door. “One second.” Shaun crossed the living room and quietly pushed the door to the twins’ room open. He peeked in and smiled as he saw them asleep in their crib, turned towards each other. He closed the door with barely a click and then returned to the front door. “Okay. I just wanted to check.” Cooper shook his head. “You are such a softie. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I ‘d never believe you capable of killing with surgical precision.” Shaun shrugged. “I may have killed when I had to, but I never desired the act of killing another person the way some in our unit did. I did what I had to in order to protect my life or save one of yours.” Shaun paused outside their parked vehicles. “Besides I like kids, always have.” Shaun climbed into his truck and started the motor. He followed Cooper as they left the area surrounding Jaryn’s house then crossed the pack lands to where Shaun had built his home. Unlike Jaryn, who’d wanted to build in the valley, Shaun had chosen a plot of land higher up the slope of the mountain. He wanted to enjoy the views of the surrounding range and large lakes that sat on the national park land not far from town. Night shadows of trees and boulders loomed across the meadow as he drove towards his house. The quarter moon provided enough light for him to make out the familiar shapes of nature stretched all around, but kept it dark enough that there was still the possibly of an unknown element. The Phantom River pack had made their home on this land for several hundred years and had officially bought the acreage in the late eighteen-hundreds. The pack had seen many seasons come and go in their corner of the world. This summer had been a dry one and if they didn’t get some rain soon there would be a real threat of wildfires in the mountains. Shaun knew such things were the way of Mother Nature—a cleansing—but it still tugged at his heart to think of such beauty being destroyed by a fierce beast. He pulled up in front of his house and sat back, looking at the structure he’d had Jaryn design a couple of years ago. Shaun had given his best friend a vague concept of what he www.total-e-bound.com

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wanted, but the results had been frankly beyond his imagination…which was why Jaryn’s talent as an architect was highly sought after from around the country. The opposing duality of Jaryn’s talent to design structures of beauty and his strategic ability to plan and carry out the destruction of enemies never failed to amaze Shaun. He climbed from his truck and walked up the stone pathway that led to his front entrance. He leapt over the three short steps and his boots hit the bluestone that made up the wide patios on the front and back side of his home with a thud. He passed between the matching stone columns and beneath the timber portico. The facial recognition security system unlocked the front door, and Shaun pushed open the leaded glass door. “Lights on, level two,” he ordered the home system. Soft light filled the great room in front of him from fixtures tucked into the beams of the vaulted ceiling. He heard Cooper shut the door before his heavy footsteps crossed the wood floor behind Shaun. The rear of the great room was dominated by a two storey glass, stone, and log-accented prow that jutted from the back of the house and mimicked the peaks of the Rockies that surrounded the pack lands. Shaun had placed a large sectional couch facing the expanse of glass to maximise his viewing pleasure. He collapsed onto the sofa and rested his head against the plush backing. He heard Cooper settle himself in one of the wide chairs opposite him. “Do you want pups?” Shaun asked, without looking at his friend. “Whether I ever wanted them or not, it’ll never happen.” He looked up at the touch of resignation in Cooper’s voice. “Why? Because you’re gay? It’s not impossible, Coop. As we’ve recently found out, there are procedures. I hate to admit it, but Broyles’ scientists did accomplish some amazing things. They were able to combine sperm of an unmated wolf to a donor egg, and achieve conception using special enzymes. Why couldn’t you—” “Let it go, Shaun. I have no intention of creating a Frankenstein family. Maybe one day I’ll meet my mate, but as for pups… Shifter genetics work the way they do for a reason. I would have welcomed them, but I won’t play mad scientist to get them. I’ll be the doting uncle to yours and Jaryn’s broods. It’ll be enough.” Shaun wasn’t so sure of that, but he’d do as asked and let the matter rest. “Now if you’re finished deflecting, you and I have some issues to discuss.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Great. Just what he wanted to hear. Apparently Cooper wasn’t going to let him get away with a little hand slap. The only question was, which part of tonight’s follies was he about to get raked over the coals for? “First off, how did you break out of my jail?” Shaun got more comfortable on the sofa. He had a feeling this was going to take a while. “Hacked into your mainframe and disengaged the electronic locks.” Cooper grunted. “Wish we’d get the funding to switch those things over to a biometric system.” “I broke into Broyles’ barracks—that had an active, triple-firewalled, biometric engaging system. One wrong key stroke and there would have been dozens of pieces of me hitting the ground from the explosives we found wired all over the building. If I want to get in or out of someplace, I’m going to do it. I believe you know that first-hand.” “True. I guess it’s a good thing most of the drunks we lock up don’t have your skills. Did you palm your comm-unit off Meeghan after she booked you?” “Maybe.” “I’m surprised you got the slip on her. She’s a pretty tough cookie.” Shaun didn’t want to give Cooper a bad impression of his deputy. It certainly wouldn’t help his charm campaign if it got back to her that Shaun had ratted her out to her boss. “Coop, she arrested me for back-talking. She put me in cuffs, shoved me in the back of her car, printed me, and slammed the cell door without barely letting me get a word in. All this after she recognised me as her mate. I think that’s pretty hard core, if you ask me.” “True. Okay, next point. Were you really going to leave? If Jaryn hadn’t contacted me and told me about your message, would the next time I saw you have been at the end of my fist? We’re your family, Shaun. Your pack. After everything we’ve been through…after everything we’re still going through? Broyles is still out there. Charlie is most likely dead. Our Alpha is putting up a brave front but you and I know better. He’s barely hanging on. He blames himself for what happened, for not having killed Broyles in that fucking mansion of horrors. This pack is hurting, and you were going to selfishly slither away in the night without a second thought, all because some girl turned you down!”

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Shaun winced as Cooper’s voice reached sonic proportions. The deep bass echoed through the vaulted ceiling of Shaun’s great room. But more than the anger, Shaun heard the hurt and disappointment in his best friend’s tone. “I thought it was the only way,” he said softly. “You’ve never been there, Coop. You’ve never had the chance to make eye contact with someone. To inhale their scent and know— without a doubt—know that that person belonged to you. Then have them turn their back and say ‘I don’t want you’…” Shaun rubbed his chest as if the motion could ease the ache. “The moment she stepped up to my truck window, there was no doubt. I swear to God it felt as though my heart was going to explode from my chest. My vision wolfed out and my fangs dropped. I was opening the door to my truck before I even realised it. It was as if my brain had short-circuited. I lost control of all higher functions and was operating on pure instinct. I was driven to wrap my arms around her, feel her body against mine and capture her taste with my mouth. It felt like an eternity, but must have only been a matter of seconds because next thing I know I’ve got one leg outside my truck and I’m staring down the barrel of her weapon.” “You’re right, I’ve never been there. But, if you ever try to pull a stunt like you did tonight, a five-foot-seven woman with a nine millimetre pistol is going to be the least of your problems. You hear me?” Shaun met Cooper’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” Cooper stared at Shaun for several seconds before nodding. “Now what?” Shaun stood and walked over to his glass wall that provided him with an unencumbered view of nature. He’d told Jaryn when the two of them worked on the house design that he wanted to take advantage of the views, but the end result still took his breath away every time he walked around his first real home. “That’s a very good question. Nicole says that I should try to charm her. Let her get to know the real me. But…” “Somehow I doubt a woman like Meeghan is going to appreciate you showing up at her front door with a bouquet of flowers after having you escape from the jail cell where she locked you up.” “Yeah. So what do you suggest?” “There’s really only one option.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun met Cooper’s gaze for several seconds. Exactly what was Cooper thinking? Cooper smirked and Shaun did not like the glimmer in the pack enforcer’s eyes. They held an unholy gleam that spelled nothing but trouble for Shaun.

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Chapter Six

“I’m here to turn myself in,” Shaun said as he walked into the sheriff’s station. Cooper had checked the schedule to make sure that Meeghan was working this morning, so Shaun’s sacrifice would have the maximum effect. “Is that so?” Meeghan asked, crossing her arms. Shaun held up his hands in surrender. “I know what I did was wrong and I apologise.” “You think? Last time I checked, escaping from prison was a felony. You’re bound and determined to make my life difficult, aren’t you, Mr Colfer?” “Not intentionally, ma’am.” Shaun walked forward till he stood only a foot away from his mate. He inhaled slowly and absorbed her scent. There was nothing in Shaun’s existence with which he could compare the tantalising aroma. There was a hint of honeysuckle, rolled together with something that reminded him of the night forest he loved to run through, but also an underlying vulnerability. Maybe Nicole had been right and Meeghan’s tough shell really was a protective barrier against the world. Shaun had seen it all too often in every corner of the Earth. Females on their own always seemed to be targets. As her mate, Shaun’s instincts wanted to take over her protection detail, but he knew trying to wrest any kind of control away from a strong woman such as Meeghan would only land him in hotter water than he was in already. Meeghan sighed. “Come on then.” Shaun followed her towards the same desk where they’d sat last night. Meeghan sat and started to tap her laser-board that was glowing on the desktop. Shaun watched her face, trying to gauge her mood. However, his mate’s emotional mask was firmly in place. Her inky eyes didn’t have the same coldness he’d seen the previous day, so that had to be good, but neither were they warm or friendly. Her lips were lush and not tightened in anger, but still not smiling. Her skin was creamy white, with not a hint of blush to advertise either anger or arousal. Shaun’s eyes followed the graceful line of her throat to where her pulse beat at the

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base. It was steady and regular. Either his mate was completely indifferent to his presence, or she was a master of hiding her emotions. The first would not be good. The second would make tracking the success of his charm campaign more difficult, but Shaun was always up for a good challenge. Once he got to know Meeghan better, he would wager he’d have a superior handle on how to read her. Of course, after they consummated their mating their minds and emotions would communicate effortlessly through their bond. “Are you going to just stand there all day, or are you going to sit down?” Shaun sat in the same chair he’d occupied last night. A grin threatened when he caught Meeghan looking at his crotch out of the corner of her eyes, and her scent grew richer. She might be able to keep her emotions off her face, but her body couldn’t lie to him. His mate wasn’t nearly as unaffected as she tried to appear. “Tell me, Mr Colfer, how did you break out?” “I’ve learned certain skills over the years.” “In your work with the government?” “Yes.” His military service was no secret. What he actually did for the military and some other untitled groups was another story. “And the other organisations that employed your service? What did they teach you?” “Whatever I needed to know to get the job done.” “There is one thing that I’m a little stumped on. If you were military, why are your fingerprints not in any database? And I do mean any.” So Meeghan had done a little digging into his past? That could be a good thing. It showed that she was curious about him. Shaun shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you.” Actually, he knew that his prints weren’t in any system. His basic jacket was a matter of record if the searcher knew how to work the system effectually. However, most of Shaun’s real résumé was so classified that even the best hackers in the world couldn’t discover half of what he’d done. Hell, a lot of it had never even been recorded. There had been times when Shaun’s actions were so covert even he would have questioned his existence.

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When he’d joined the Army at eighteen, Shaun’s superiors had recognised his talents both on and off the field of battle. This had led to Shaun’s fast rise in rank and his eventual joining of Jaryn’s unit, which took advantage of individuals with unique abilities such as shifters, vamps, fairies and humans with paranormal powers. Ten years ago, Jaryn and Cooper had formally said goodbye to the Forces, but Shaun hadn’t been ready to give up the military lifestyle. It had become a security blanket of sorts. The military had offered him a stability he’d never experienced in the foster system. It had given him the chance to belong to something, to have some sort of meaning to his life. He’d decided, instead of re-upping, to sign on with a mercenary group that the government called upon when something needed to be done and their official hands were tied. It provided him a little more freedom, but still supplied the structure he needed. The fact that the pay was a hell of a lot better than in the Army may also have been an influencing factor. When he, Jaryn and Cooper parted ways back then, Jaryn had told Shaun if he ever came to Stonepass, he would be welcomed. After four years with the mercenaries, Shaun had finally felt as though he was ready to move on. He’d missed his friends and had tired of constantly wandering the world, involved with one operation or another. It had been time to make a home for himself—his first ever. Stonepass and the Phantom River Pack had sounded as good a place as any. Meeghan hummed quietly, watching Shaun. “And the fact that all but the most basic elements of your service history is classified? You couldn’t tell me why that is either?” “Have you been checking up on me, Deputy?” Shaun smiled. Meeghan’s shoulders squared and she met Shaun’s gaze directly. “I have a duty to this community. You escaped from jail. It is widely known that you were in the service and suspected that you’ve been trained in advanced hand-to-hand combat and weapons. Not to mention you’re a shifter who has a reputation for having a quick temper. I needed to know if you were a risk.” Shaun wanted to clench his fist and yell out in indignation. He knew that Meeghan was doing her job, but Shaun had been a member of this community for four years now. He was Beta to the pack, for God’s sake. However, his mate wasn’t the only one who’d mastered how to wear a mask. “So now what, Deputy? You going to lock me back up? Take me before the judge?” www.total-e-bound.com

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“No,” she said softly. Huh? “I was…that is, I want to…apologise,” she mumbled. He had not seen that one coming. What was he supposed to do now? He’d been prepared to act as the defence in this match but, with a few words, Meeghan had completely changed the play. Meeghan’s trim fingers buried themselves in her black hair as it fell over her shoulder. Shaun saw the pink of her manicured nails through the dark strands. It was a girly colour—a contrast to the tough woman she’d presented during their encounter the previous day. “Look, I don’t know about you, but yesterday didn’t exactly go the way I’d pictured the big event of meeting my mate. Technically, I was in the right as an officer of the law, but maybe I overreacted a little bit.” “And the whole checking me out to make sure I wasn’t a danger? What was that?” “Recognisance. You’re not the only one who has skills, Colfer. You may have done some hiking in the jungle a few times, but I was a single girl living in Los Angles. You can’t get more down and dirty than that.” She smiled. “Touché.” Shaun leant forward and reached out for Meeghan, but she sat back out of his reach. He let his hand drop and sighed. It seemed they were still at an impasse. “You didn’t answer my question. Where do we go from here?” “I don’t know. My wolf wants you, but I’m not ready to concede. I’ve never been one to take blind orders.” He could respect that about her. “Me neither. You know what I want, Meeghan. So…I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it’s your call. We’ll handle this your way. At your pace.” Shaun saw her eyes widen, and a touch of panic enter the dark depths. He’d apparently surprised her with his submission. “And what if we find that no matter what our wolves think, we simply don’t suit? I’m not an easy woman, Shaun. I have a brain in my head and I use it. If I feel strongly about something, I will not back down. I’m not adverse to compromise, but I’m not willing to be the little woman who waits at home for her mate to make all the decisions. I have a career that I love, that I won’t give up. What if we’re together and I get a call in the middle of the www.total-e-bound.com

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night to go off to a scene? Will you be able to handle knowing that I may be in danger, and not get all possessive and overprotective? Will you be able to respect my ability to take care of myself?” Shaun braced his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together in an effort to not reach for her. “Have you ever known two mates who weren’t suited to each other? Will it ever be easy for me to accept that your job puts you at risk? No. However, if it did, what would that say about me as your mate? Will I let you go off and face danger without a backwards glance? Absolutely not.” He saw Meeghan stiffen in the chair across from him. “I’ll most likely yank you into my arms and kiss the breath out of you before demanding that you come home to me safe and sound, then see you to your car and pray the whole time you’re gone. One of the nice things you’ll find about Stonepass is that our crime rate is about a thousand per cent lower than LA. So the chances of you getting a call in the middle of the night to go to a shoot-out are about nil. That means that our nights can be reserved for action of a much more pleasurable sort.” “Awfully presumptuous statement, Colfer. What’s to say that I’ll be sleeping with you any time soon?” “You brought up the whole being together in the middle of the night part. I simply came to a natural conclusion.” “Damn, caught that did you? Okay fine. So I think you’re sexy—sue me. I’d have to be blind not to notice how attractive you are. I’m not…and from what I’ve heard neither are several women in this town.” Shaun smiled. “Is that jealousy I hear, Deputy?” Meeghan’s arms crossed over her chest. “No, merely an observation based on my research. Several women were all too willing to inform me of your glowing character and more than one of them made less-than-veiled references to a former association with you.” “You spent your time between last night and this afternoon interrogating my exlovers?” “Those I could find. I’m sure there are plenty I don’t know about.” Shaun wanted to smile. He really did, but beneath the calm exterior Meeghan’s pulse rate had increased. It was the first physical sign that she was more affected by him than

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appearances presented. Now whether that increase had to do with arousal, or her being pissed off at the fact that Shaun didn’t come to their relationship a virgin, he couldn’t tell. For him, the verbal sparring was a complete turn-on. His cock was hard in his jeans, and his fingers itched to caress the soft skin of Meeghan’s bare arms below the short sleeves of her uniform shirt. His nipples poked against his T-shirt and the cotton rubbed back and forth across the points, further stimulating them. If he sat back in his chair, his condition would be obvious for her to see. “Not going to deny it?” Meeghan asked. Shaun shrugged. “Why should I? I have had lovers, and a couple of them do live here in town. I’m not a pup, Meeghan. I’ve been around the block a time or two.” He heard a very low growl from the woman across from him. “The difference between any of them and you is that you are my mate. What I shared with those women was companionship and mutual pleasure. But I was always up front with them that I was ultimately searching for my mate. Now that I’ve found you? Frankly, I don’t care about them any longer.” He held up his hand. “That’s not completely true. I respect and admire anyone I’ve had relationships with in the past. But what I shared with any of them is nothing compared to what I’ll share with you. So you really have nothing to worry about.” Shaun couldn’t quite tell if he’d said the right thing or not. He talked a confident game, but he’d put his foot in his mouth more times than he could count when it came to any kind of profound conversation with a woman. He was much better at the superficial stuff. “Besides, didn’t I hear you say something about loving the feel of a man under your control yesterday? Therefore I can only conclude that you’ve experienced intimate relationships with men before. How would you feel if I went and tracked them down?” Meeghan’s whole body tensed. “Don’t worry. I have no plans to do so, because I’d most likely end up punching them if they started bragging about how hot you were in the sack. I propose that we let the past stay there and concentrate on the future. Our future.”

Meeghan felt the muscles in her body relax at Shaun’s promise not to start tracking down her former lovers. She’d never had a boyfriend per se. She’d slept with men. She’d used them for sex and enjoyed doing so. But an actual emotional connection to another person was not her forte…which was part of the reason she was so freaked out about this www.total-e-bound.com

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whole mate thing. It was much easier not to let the sticky stuff like caring or affection—or, God forbid, love—cloud an otherwise completely acceptable arrangement between two consenting adults. If what she’d observed from other mated couples was accurate, they were completely devoted to each other, always concerned with the feelings of their partner, sometimes to the point of sacrificing their own wants and desires. She’d worked too hard to gain her independence, to become who she was at this point in her life. Shaun’s words yesterday had haunted her all last night. He wanted Meeghan to be his everything, and she got the impression that he expected the same from her. The concept was slightly terrifying. And how is it that you know exactly what you can handle? Just because you’ve never been in love, doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of it or that you don’t believe in it. Look at Mom and Dad. Mated for ninety-two years and they still look at each other with gooey eyes. You remember all those imaginary tales you acted out as a child? The ones where you and your mate lived happily ever after? Well, here’s your chance to make fantasy a reality. Try not to screw it up anymore! “Our future, huh? Why don’t we take this one step at a time?” “As I said earlier, you’re in charge.” She pushed away from the desk and scooted her chair over so there was only a foot or so of air between her and Shaun. Was it just her, or had the air suddenly become hotter in the office? “Fine, I’m off shift at seven o’clock. We can start with a run. Because of some no-good lawbreaker I didn’t get one last night. Meet me at the pack lodge at seven-thirty?” “Sounds good. I’ll…oh shit, no. I can’t.” Shaun’s fists clenched. “What? I thought you said—” “It’s not that. I want to meet you, I do. But there’s this FBI agent coming to town tonight.” Meeghan straightened up in her chair. She hadn’t heard anything about the FBI coming to town, and why would Shaun be involved with them? He was a contractor, not a lawman. Did it have something to do with his past? Was he in trouble? “Look, maybe I can meet you after I see her?” “Or I could come with you. If the FBI is coming to Stonepass then I should be in the loop. Cooper may be Sheriff, but I’m his second in command.” “She’s not coming for anything to do with the sheriff’s department.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun was evading and she didn’t like it. Why would an agent come all the way out to Stonepass, Montana? Maybe it did have to do with Shaun’s involvement with the government. “Are you working for them?” “Who?” “The FBI. Are you still working for them? Is that why they’re coming out here?” “I never worked for the FBI.” Now she was getting frustrated. “Then why is she—” “For Charlie. She’s coming to help us find Charlie.” “I thought Charlie was…” “He probably is, but we still need to find him. We owe it to his family. To the pack.” “And in the process, track down this man Broyles?” Shaun nodded. She suspected what would happen when the men of Phantom River met up with the other wolf. She’d heard stories about Broyles and his labs in the weeks since she’d moved to Stonepass. She’d even met the evidence of his experiments when Alpha Jaryn had introduced Meeghan to his mate and children when he’d formally accepted her into the pack. While, on principle, Meeghan wasn’t a supporter of capital punishment or vigilantism, if half of what she heard about this guy was true, then she couldn’t find it in herself to be disappointed should he leave the planet. She leant forward and placed a hand on Shaun’s knee. “Let me help. I still have contacts on the West Coast, on both sides of the law. A few of my former informants aren’t exactly pillars of society, but if Broyles is anywhere on the California coast they’ll know about it.” Shaun looked down at Meeghan’s hand and his chest expanded as he inhaled slowly. The firm muscles of Shaun’s leg were warm and even through the denim she felt the heat of his skin. Meeghan allowed herself a brief moment to enjoy Shaun’s scent. It was rich and spicy and her wolf yipped in joy. Meeghan tried to tamp her wolf down. She wasn’t willing to let the inner beast have free rein or try to influence her decisions when it came to Shaun Colfer. “You want to help us?”

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Shaun’s voice was decidedly huskier than a moment ago and the low rumble vibrated over Meeghan’s skin, making all the hairs on her body stand up and her insides tingle. She swallowed hard. “I’m part of this pack now, too. It’s only right.” Shaun slid to the edge of the chair. Meeghan sucked in a breath when Shaun’s legs opened and bracketed hers. He lifted his hands and started to reach for hers, which were now in her lap. They stopped in mid-air as if he’d thought twice about it. He let his hands fall, but Meeghan did press her legs against his for a few brief seconds. “Thank you,” Shaun said softly. “Meeghan, I need you to ride out to the Triple D ranch. They just called in with a report of a fire in their tool shed.” She jerked away from Shaun at the sound of Cooper’s voice booming out of his office behind them. Damn, she’d forgotten that he was there. How much had he overheard of her and Shaun’s conversation? She knew how good a wolf’s hearing was. She stood and opened the drawer on the side of her desk, removed her weapon and situated it in her holster. Shaun stood too and looked over her shoulder. His face couldn’t mask his annoyance at being interrupted by one of his best friends and Meeghan tried to curb the smile that threatened to cross her lips. “Have they contained the fire, Sheriff?” Cooper came out of his office and leaned against the frame of his door. “They said so. Which is a good thing with as dry as it’s been lately. It wouldn’t take much for the wind coming up the valley to catch a tendril of flame and send it to the field or their house. Last thing we need right now is a wildfire. I need you to go out and take down a written report, examine the structure and see if there are any obvious signs of arson. If you suspect anything, call it in and I’ll send out a request for a fire investigator.” Shaun came to stand beside Meeghan. “Any chance old man Thomson and Davidson are starting up the feud again?” Cooper rolled his eyes. “Who knows? I thought they’d settled things over the spring, but with those two it’s always something.” “What feud?” Meeghan asked. “Nobody knows how it started. Every few years those two old coots go at each other. Normally, though, it’s nothing more than some harmless prank.” Cooper frowned. “I don’t think they’ve ever stooped to arson before or anything really dangerous.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun shook his head. “No, I honestly think they get a kick out of it. It’s like they enjoy the challenge of trying to outdo each other. They’re both basically retired and their sons now manage the ranches. Maybe the bickering keeps them occupied?” “Maybe.” Cooper looked at Meeghan. “You good to go?” “Sure thing. I’ll log in an initial assessment at the scene.” Cooper nodded then disappeared inside his office once again. Meeghan turned to face Shaun. It was strange. She didn’t get the impression that he wanted to use his height to make her feel inferior, as some of the men in her past had. Instead of feeling lorded over and defensive, she inexplicably wanted to step closer to the wide chest in front of her. “I have to go,” she said. “Take care and be safe out there. Phillipa is staying at the Stonepass Lodge. I planned on meeting her there at seven then taking her to Cureso’s for dinner. If you want to come over after your shift, you’re welcome to. Maybe afterwards you and I can go for that run you suggested? I’d love to meet your wolf.” Meeghan nodded. She hated goodbyes so she didn’t say anything else. She stepped aside of Shaun then headed for the front door. So her mate was meeting a strange woman at the local motel and taking her out to dinner at the nicest restaurant in town? “Phillipa,” she mumbled. “She’s probably some statuesque exotic beauty.” Meeghan paused as she opened the door of her county sheriff’s vehicle. “Jesus, listen to yourself, Nicholson. You sound like a jealous twit.” Regardless, she’d make sure she made it to that restaurant. If she and Colfer were going to give this whole mate thing a try then it would certainly be appropriate for her to be present. She slid into the car and logged into the system. The motor activated once she’d entered her passcode. The heat from the summer sun beating down on the roof had made the interior warm. As she pulled out onto Main Street, she looked towards the high peaks of the mountains on the far edge of town. She’d bet the air at the summits was crisp and fresh. Meeghan loved running in the mountains. When she’d lived in LA, she’d frequently taken trips up into the hills to stretch her legs. She’d even gone on a few weekend trips to the Sierras, but the Rockies had a raw beauty that had captivated Meeghan from the start. Older than the Sierras, the peaks pronounced through their weathered faces that they’d www.total-e-bound.com

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experienced eons of time, and no living being would ever completely understand the mysteries they contained in their deep crevices. However their jagged peaks jutting up towards the endless sky exclaimed ‘you ain’t seen nothin’ yet’. She smiled as she thought about her scheduled run with Shaun later that night. There was nothing a wolf loved more than running under the moon with their mate, or so she’d been told. “I guess we’ll find out tonight.”

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Chapter Seven

“So I take it your surrender worked out well?” Shaun settled in the chair on the opposite side of Cooper’s desk. “Yeah, I guess. It was strange, though. I’d hardly finished turning myself in and she was apologising to me for acting rash yesterday. It was almost as though she felt guilty, but that doesn’t make sense. What does she possibly have to feel guilty about?” “Locking her mate up?” “You’re the one who said laws are laws and instructed her to take me back to the station and book me.” Shaun frowned. “Somehow I didn’t think she’d actually do it.” “She didn’t.” Shaun’s gaze jerked up to meet Cooper’s. “Um, having been present? I’m pretty sure she did. She printed me, photographed me and—” “And sat there instant chatting with Jody while pretending to book you.” Cooper smiled. “It’s all right here in the log.” Cooper tapped a few keystrokes on his laser-board then Shaun’s comm-unit vibrated on his wrist. He unfolded the device to make a mini tablet, then scrolled through the information that Cooper had sent him. She hadn’t really intended to arrest him after all? He read through the chat log of what she and Jody had been talking about. Meeghan’s sense of humour came across in the pithy remarks, and he found himself smiling at the discovery of another side to his mate. It had all been a bluff. And he’d fallen for it. “So then why did she lock me in the cell?” Cooper shrugged. “I imagine it was to teach you a lesson. My guess is she was going to let you out after letting you stew for a while. She went to pick up your truck and brought it back here. She probably intended to let you out with some excuse of having dropped the charges and give you a warning. I think it was a bit of a shock to both her and Carl that you’d escaped in the meantime.” Shaun felt the heat flare in his cheeks. “Oops?”

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“Uh huh. So tell me about this FBI agent. Have you checked her out to make sure she doesn’t have any connection to Broyles? After that bastard, Jeff, I have to say I’m not feeling too trustful right now.” Shaun knew that Cooper felt guilty about his former deputy’s involvement in the attempted kidnapping of Nicole last November. Jasper, one of Broyles’ own victims, had taken Jeff down in a challenge. The death of the traitor had only helped to cauterise the wound so much. Shaun knew Cooper wished he had been the one to inflict the punishment on Jeff, but he’d been healing himself of a gunshot wound at Jaryn and Nicole’s house. “Of course I checked her out. After she sent me the first message I did a full background scan. She was born and raised as a member of the Shenandoah Pack. I’ve confirmed that with her Alpha, Clint Morgan.” “I know Clint. Good man, good Alpha.” “After receiving her degree in computer science from MIT, she joined the Bureau as part of their cyber division. She’s mostly an analyst, but does have some profile training. According to our sources she has a spotless record.” “So what’s her motive?” “Her letter said that she knew from both personal and professional experiences what we were going through, and she wanted to help.” “Is there any indication that she had a friend or relative who was a victim of Broyles?” “Not that I’ve found.” Cooper stood and went over to the coffee maker in the corner of his office. He poured himself a cup then turned and leant back against the table. He took a sip and winced. “Have you told Jaryn yet?” “No. Are you going to offer me a cup?” “You have two legs. If you want some, come get it.” Shaun rolled his eyes. Cooper was apparently in one of his moods today. He went over to the machine, selected which type of brew he preferred using the touchscreen, and set the mug beneath the spout. It wasn’t long before the sound of coffee splashing into the ceramic mug could be heard and the scent of hazelnut filled the air. Unlike Jaryn and himself, who liked the timeless tradition of a French Press, Cooper loved the more technofied automatic machine. It was okay, but in Shaun’s opinion didn’t make as rich a cup. www.total-e-bound.com

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“So this is your shindig. What’s the plan?” Shaun took a sip of his coffee and eyed Cooper with a smirk. “Are you holding out on your employees? This tastes like the good stuff.” “Hey, there are some perks to being sheriff.” Shaun chuckled and settled back in his chair. “I thought I’d use tonight’s meeting to get a feel for her. See if she has any credible information before taking her to meet Jaryn. He doesn’t need any false hope at this point.” Cooper rolled his shoulders and sighed. “Do you think there’s any chance she can help us? It’s not as if we haven’t pulled from our own resources.” He sat in his chair and leant back. “You know we chased a few ghosts back in our glory days, but not one of those hunts frustrated me as much as this one.” “I know how you feel, but those ghosts had identities. All we had to do was catch up with them and eliminate the threat. Adam Broyles doesn’t exist, and most likely he’s using another alias now. I’m hoping with Phillipa’s background in computer science and cybercrimes she’ll be able to find some type of pattern based on what we already know. It might give us a new lead. Did you ever manage to find that wolf Jasper and his mate…what was his name? Kenneth? Wasn’t he Jasper Broyles’ tech wizard? He and Kenneth stopped Nicole’s kidnapping, maybe they’d be willing to help us again?” Cooper shook his head. “I put out a bulletin through the national pack network, but apparently he’s also pretty good at disappearing. I don’t blame him. I’m sure Broyles put a price on their heads for their betrayal…although it wasn’t really betrayal since they were being held in Wisconsin against their will in the first place.” “Yeah, but you know that’s not how Broyles sees it.” Cooper set his coffee on the desk very slowly. “Do you think there’s any chance—” “We both know the probabilities of what you’re about to ask, Coop.” Cooper’s fists clenched, and Shaun saw him fight against throwing the mug of coffee across the room. “God fucking dammit, Shaun! Why Charlie? He’s just a pup. He…he tried to play off the whole spoilt snot routine, but the kid had a damn heart of gold.” Cooper rubbed his eyes hard. “Fuck, I loved him,” he whispered.

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Shaun’s vision blurred as memories of his times with Jaryn’s little brother swam to the surface. Snowball fights on the pack lands, being there when Charlie made his first change, taking the young shifter out to the forest and teaching him how to control his power with Jaryn and Cooper. Charlie may have been Jaryn’s biological relative, but he’d been a little brother to all of them. “I know, Coop. I’m so sorry. I’m sure you have a lot of memories, having grown up here.” Cooper nodded. “I remember the day they brought him home from the hospital. He was so small, I was afraid I’d drop him.” A low growl rumbled up from his chest. “Broyles was supposed to come after us. We could have handled him, but Charlie had no defences against someone like that bastard.” Shaun set his coffee on the desk. “Which is exactly why Broyles chose him. He knew that Charlie’s…that by taking Charlie it would have the greatest effect on all of us. It would tear us apart from the inside—and right now he’s winning.” Cooper’s blue eyes turned glacial. “Then it’s time we found that son-of-a-bitch and brought him down.” “I agree.” Shaun glanced down at his comm-unit. “Look, I have some things I need to do before I meet Phillipa. Meeghan and I are going for a run after the meeting tonight.” “Are you going to set up some little romantic spot in a meadow for the two of you to happen upon during your run, complete with a blanket and aphrodisiac snacks?” “Actually, I was going to go to the office and check on the status of my permits for the Markham building. But that sounds like a great idea! I knew having a gay best friend would pay off someday.” Shaun laughed as Cooper flipped him off. “Asshole. So long as you’re not thinking about me and my great ideas when you’ve got your mate beneath you.” Shaun gave a mock shudder. “That’s just wrong. Besides, who said anything about Meeghan being on the bottom? I think I kind of like the idea of being at her mercy.” Cooper rubbed his hands over his ears then pulled them away and inspected the tips. “Huh. I expected to find blood there.” Shaun laughed and surrendered. It was clear that Cooper had won this round. He opened the office door and walked out into the central area of the station. www.total-e-bound.com

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“Hey, Shaun?” He turned to find Jody smiling at him. “I was told to give this to you before you left.” She held out a micro-card. Shaun took the small device and plugged it into his comm-unit which was still in tablet form. When he opened the file, he blinked several times at what showed up on the screen. “Are you joking?” Jody giggled and shook her head. “Nope. I was given specific instructions to make sure you got that before you left.” Shaun glanced back down at the screen. It showed a ticket for speeding and fines in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars for the ‘escape from prison without force or violence’. Wait a minute…Meeghan had never officially booked him, therefore he couldn’t officially escape. So this must be another ploy on his mate’s part. Shaun laughed out loud as he left the station. One thing had become very clear. His mate would definitely keep him on his toes. And as for the fine? Shaun was perfectly willing to work off his debt in his mate’s bed.

**** Meeghan took another look at her reflection in the mirror on her wall. Staring back at her was no longer the tough-as-nails sheriff’s deputy persona she presented on a daily basis, but a sultry seductress. Or at least that was the look she was going for. The little black dress hugged her trim figure and conformed to what curves she had. The plunging neckline came to a point low in the valley between her breasts and the little spaghetti straps crossed her back. She turned and examined the three dimensional image of the dress and her body from behind being projected into her bedroom in front of her. A little camera inside her interactive mirror fed the projector the image so that Meeghan didn’t have to twist and turn to see her rear view. She’d tied her hair up in a soft chignon, leaving her back exposed. The dress left a lot of bare skin visible—almost her entire back since the lower half of the dress curved across the base of her spine and moulded her backside. The hem landed several inches north of her knees. Her pale skin was a dramatic contrast to the black material. The stiletto heels gave her legs more length and made her butt nice and high. Meeghan had found out that, without www.total-e-bound.com

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heels, the top of her head came to Shaun’s chin. With them, it should put her only an inch or so shorter than her mate. Perfect kissing height. She’d decided, on the drive out to the Triple D, that there was no reason to deny herself the pleasure of Shaun’s body. They could have sex without mating. She’d tell him that they’d have to use protection so he couldn’t knot inside her, and there would be absolutely no biting allowed. She hadn’t had sex in months and the thought of exploring the sexual heat that radiated between her and Shaun had her growing damp in anticipation. If they did this her way, it would give them a chance to take the edge off the mating heat without going all the way. She could think of worse men to break her celibacy with. Shaun was a prime male. Dark hair, smouldering eyes and, if half the muscles she suspected he had truly existed beneath his clothing, then she was in for a feast of male flesh. Unlike some wolves she’d known, Shaun’s muscles didn’t make him thick and bulky. His physique was, instead, trim and sculpted. A classic V-shaped torso, lean hips and legs that Meeghan knew could keep him running for hours. The only part of him that she hadn’t really been able to get a feel for was the size of his cock. She giggled out loud at the play on words rambling around her mind. Meeghan wasn’t afraid to admit that, in her experience, she liked her men long with a good amount of girth as opposed to average length and really wide. She’d seen the bulge of Shaun’s arousal in his jeans and had even got a fleeting touch when she’d patted him down, but the unveiling of her mate in all his naked glory was one premiere she was eagerly anticipating. “Ready or not, Shaun Colfer—here I come.”

**** Meeghan mentally cheered when she saw Shaun stand and his jaw drop as she entered the restaurant. It seemed she might have pulled off the sultry seductress look after all. Regardless of her appearance, she felt sexy and that must have transmitted to her mate because, even from ten feet away, Meeghan detected a shift in his scent. Shaun’s gaze travelled slowly up and down Meeghan’s body. As she closed the distance between them, for a moment, Meeghan almost swore that she saw her reflection in the dark pools of his eyes. www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun reached out, and he pulled Meeghan in close. “My God, you’re stunning.” A little grin crossed her lips. The heels had put her right at kissing height, exactly as planned. If she tilted forwards only a few more inches, she’d be able to feel Shaun’s lips against hers. Maybe that was dangerous, though? Maybe no kissing should be another rule she insisted on. Kissing was intimate and would definitely initiate their mating bond. She had to forcibly remind herself that tonight she simply wanted to use Shaun for sex. Tonight wasn’t about building their bond. It was all about being primal wolves who wanted to fuck each other. “Hello?” She turned her head and found herself looking down at a very attractive woman. This must be Phillipa, and she was exactly as Meeghan had pictured her. She was gladder than ever that she’d gone all out on her appearance for the dinner meeting. There was no way that, in her usual garb, Meeghan could hold a candle to this woman with her worldly poise and polished appearance. “I’m sorry, Phillipa.” Shaun kept his arm around Meeghan’s waist as he stood beside her. “This is my mate, Meeghan Nicholson.” Phillipa frowned. “I thought you said you didn’t have a mate.” Shaun pulled out Meeghan’s chair and she sat as gracefully as possible in the tight dress and high heels. “Shaun and I met recently.” “Must have been quite recent since my last communication with him was only a couple of days ago.” Shaun nodded. “We met yesterday. It was quite a shock to both of us. You could even say it was an arresting experience.” Meeghan nearly choked on the sip of water that she’d taken. He looked over at her and winked. “Well, congratulations. I wish you both all the best. Can’t say that I’m not disappointed though, Shaun. I was looking forward to getting to know you better.” She did not just say that! Meeghan opened her mouth to strip a piece of hide off the little tramp— “I’m sorry, Phillipa, but you must understand that everything has changed, having now found my mate. Nurturing our bond is more important than any casual relationship. I’d be www.total-e-bound.com

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happy to introduce you to some of the other males in town. Our sheriff, for instance, is very single, and I know that slender, dark-haired beauties are right up his alley.” Meeghan looked at him out of the corner of her eye and received another little wink. She didn’t know exactly what Shaun was up to, insinuating that Phillipa was Cooper’s taste, but she assumed the boys were in the middle of another one of their silly male competitions. She glanced at the woman across the table. It looked as if she could handle herself, so Meeghan wasn’t worried about her getting hurt in the scuffle. Meeghan felt as though she was at war with her wolf. The bitch was ready to roll over and beg for Shaun’s possession, but her human side couldn’t seem to give in. Shaun’s words made Meeghan’s insides warm with his immediate set down in response to the woman’s forward approach. In a single breath he’d said to her—in not so exact words—that anything they might have shared would have been nothing more than a hook-up, and that his and Meeghan’s future was all the mattered anymore. She shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the unspoken implications of Shaun’s statement. She’d told herself that they were going to take this mating business one day at a time. She’d get to know Shaun, relieve some sexual tension, and if she happened to end up liking the guy, she might consider a full mating but there were no guarantees. Shaun’s hand rested on her back and the warmth of his palm made her skin tingle. The backs of his fingers started to glide up and down her spine and she now second-guessed the intelligence of choosing a dress that left so much bare flesh available to Shaun’s touch. Her panties grew damp, and her arousal climbed. She heard a guttural moan from Shaun. Obviously her mate had detected the change in her scent. She took a sip of the wine that the waitress had delivered. Shaun’s body heat seemed to increase beside her, and his scent became heavier. It didn’t take long before she found her breathing had become shallow and she had difficulty following his and Phillipa’s conversation. Meeghan clamped her legs together to try and alleviate the ache building in her core. She’d never responded to a man like this before. In all her past relationships she’d always been in control, but sitting there next to Shaun, she had the urge to climb into his lap and demand his kiss—yearned to straddle those muscled legs and feel his trapped hard cock press against the miniscule barrier of her thong. Her nipples were hard against the thin www.total-e-bound.com

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material of her dress, and this outfit didn’t exactly allow for the protective barrier of a bra. Therefore with every movement, the fabric rasped across the sensitive tips, keeping them stimulated. Were these urges a result of the mating heat she’d always heard about? If she and Shaun remained in each other’s presence, would they become mindless slaves to the hormones running rampant through their bodies? I suppose there are worse things in this world to worry about, but it certainly won’t help me keep my objectivity. “Meeghan?” Her head jerked up. Phillipa was staring at her expectantly, and Meeghan cursed inwardly because she had no idea what the woman and her mate had been discussing. She looked over to Shaun for assistance and hoped that the desperation in her eyes wasn’t too obvious. “I’m interested to hear all about your most interesting cases, too, since we really haven’t had a lot of time talk about such things yet.” They want to talk about work? Not sex. Not dragging Shaun to a dark corner and taking the edge off the inferno turning her blood to lava as it rushed through her veins… She took a long drink of water. “The most notable case I was involved in was the Hawatmeh trial.” Shaun took Meeghan’s hand. “Wasn’t that the man who was convicted of killing something like twelve women and raping another fifteen?” “Yes. In addition to serving on the SWAT team, I did undercover work when the detectives needed it. It was my job to lure Hawatmeh into a relationship while gathering evidence to turn over to the district attorney so we could formally charge him. We’d suspected him of rape but none of his victims were willing to come forward and testify. With the murders, we never had any hard evidence. Everything was circumstantial and not enough for a warrant until I was able to literally unearth the remains of one of his victims in the backyard of his house.” She saw the concern in Shaun’s gaze, and the feel of his large hand holding hers was comforting. Meeghan stared into his dark eyes, trying to read exactly what her mate was thinking about her involvement in the case. Shaun rested his hand against her cheek. For a split second, Meeghan allowed herself to lean into the comforting touch. She quickly moved www.total-e-bound.com

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away, though. It wouldn’t do to show any vulnerability, especially in front of Miss FBI. Shaun had to respect her for her professional abilities, and if he had any idea how often Meeghan still had nightmares about the things she’d experienced as part of that case, all hope for equal footing in their relationship would be lost. “How were you able to gain Hawatmeh’s confidence? How did you approach instigating a relationship with that kind of suspect?” Meeghan looked over at Phillipa. “I did what I had to do.” For the first time, Meeghan saw respect in the other woman’s eyes. Shaun’s hand disappeared beneath the table and a moment later Meeghan heard a clinking sound. She glanced down and saw that the fork he’d been holding was bent in half. She lifted her head and was caught by his gaze. “I’m trying real hard here, Meeghan.” Trying hard to what? To not yell and scream at her for being so reckless? Trying hard not to swear to protect her from all the evil in the world from that day forward? Or was he simply trying real hard not to pull her into his arms and thank the heavens that she’d come out of the situation alive and relatively unscathed? Maybe let her lean against his chest for a moment and let his broad shoulders bear the weight of the world for a few seconds. Unable to decide which of those options she actually wanted to have come true, she turned back to her meal and tried to appear interested in the food sitting before her. When Shaun’s hand landed on her leg and gave a gentle squeeze, something that had been coiled tight in her gut loosened and Meeghan was able to take a deep breath again. She looked across the table at the woman whom Shaun and Cooper were hoping would be able to help the pack heal. Squaring her shoulders, she met Phillipa’s gaze. “So exactly how are you going to help us find and destroy Adam Broyles?”

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Chapter Eight

Phillipa set her glass of wine back on the table. “The thing you have to remember about a man like Broyles is that he’s ruthless as well as smart. He has no compunction about using others to his advantage, then simply eliminating them once their perceived usefulness is over. He knows that we’ve lifted the veil on his activities in Wisconsin, so I strongly doubt he’ll attempt to set up a secondary operation. However, he’s too much of an egotist to halt his work to ‘better the shifter race’, as he sees it. He’s convinced that what he achieved is going to take us to the next level—to dominate humans and become the ruling majority of the world. My guess he’s set up a new lab on a smaller scale somewhere.” “So what you’re saying is that basically he’s on a power trip of massive proportions and has no intention of stopping until he achieves his goal of world domination?” Meeghan asked. Phillipa nodded. “Essentially.” Shaun took Meeghan’s hand and held it in his lap. He looked across at Phillipa and asked, “I don’t mean to be rude, but given the level of secrecy we’ve maintained, I have to wonder how you were able to be read-in on the situation to form these opinions. I realise that you work for the FBI, but this was and still remains very much of an internal investigation with the ASC and COP. You have no direct ties to the American Shifter Council or Council of Praeternaturals. You mentioned in your letter that you knew from personal experience what we were going through, but my research into you didn’t reveal any connection to Broyles or any of his victims.” “My Alpha, Clint Morgan, is an ASC elder. When the initial investigation into the disappearing shifters began, he came to me and asked for a preliminary profile on what type of person the task force should be looking for. I had heard through the grapevine about Charlie Chaunterel’s abduction. Since I knew that Phantom River’s Alpha, Beta, and Enforcer were the leaders of the task force, I made an intuitive leap in assuming the two cases were related. My personal connection to this case is a little more abstract. I did know one of Broyles’ victims. A vampire by the name of Jack Devlin.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun cursed softly beside her. Phillipa’s eyebrow rose. “I take it you knew Jack?” Shaun nodded. “How did you know him?” “He worked in the Cyber division with me when I first started out. When he came back from the compound he was a real mess. I did what I could to help him, but in the end it wasn’t enough.” Meeghan looked back and forth between Shaun and Phillipa. Obviously she was missing something. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Shaun said softly. Phillipa nodded slowly then glanced over at Meeghan. “I’m sorry, you must feel out of the loop right now. Jack was taken captive by Broyles’ predecessor almost a decade ago. At the time he disappeared, we were dating. One day, he simply disappeared. The FBI ran an investigation, thinking it was related to an open case, but after months went by without a single lead, it went cold. I did everything I could to convince myself that Jack had taken off and didn’t want to be found. Jack wasn’t my mate, but we were very fond of each other. I was heartbroken when he disappeared, but eventually came to realise that my life continued, despite the days I wished it wouldn’t. Then, two months ago, he showed up on my doorstep.” “Oh my God,” Meeghan whispered. Phillipa smiled. “That was about my same reaction. I took him in, but it wasn’t long before I realised that he’d changed. All the light was gone from his eyes and it took everything I had to get him to feed enough to sustain basic functions. My friend and lover was gone. In his place was a hollow shell.” Phillipa swiped at her eyes. “I tried getting him to talk about what had happened, and what he was able to tell me still sends shivers of terror racing up and down my spine. The experiments. The drugs. The captivity. Did you know that Broyles purposely told Jack’s guards to not close off the shields in his cell during the day on a regular basis simply to torture him to the point of incapacitation? Then they’d shoot him up with some type of concoction and do it all over again. They were trying to achieve immunity to the light. Being only two hundred years old, he hadn’t built up his resistance to the sun yet, which was probably why they targeted him. Jack said that each injection felt as though poison had been pumped into his veins, and he thought the drugs actually made the www.total-e-bound.com

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effects of the light a hundred times worse than a natural reaction. The repeated drug use left Jack in a state of perpetual pain. There were times his body would shake so hard I thought his bones would rattle apart. Tears of blood would leak from his eyes, and every time I looked into them I saw the agony he was experiencing. A month ago I came home from work to a note telling me that he simply couldn’t take it any longer. I found him in the bed he’d been using. He’d refused to let us sleep together for fear of lashing out at me in his sleep…that is, when he did sleep. He’d used a dagger with his family crest to pierce his heart. It was the first time since he’d come home that I saw his face relaxed. He looked so peaceful. He looked like my old Jack.” Phillipa’s claws lengthened and cut into the tablecloth. “Vampires are supposed to be the stuff of nightmares, but in my opinion Broyles is the real monster.” “Again, I’m sorry. I only met Jack that night we rescued everyone. We will find Broyles, and we will stop him. When we do, all those lives he’s forever changed or destroyed will have justice.” Shaun took a deep breath and Meeghan gave his hand a squeeze. This was a side of her mate that she hadn’t expected. Clearly he wasn’t as one-dimensional as she’d suspected yesterday, and with each second spent in his company, Meeghan found she wanted to explore each and every facet. “So how do we do it? Track him down, that is,” she asked. “I think the best way is to use his obsession against him.” Shaun stiffened beside her in his chair. It wasn’t obvious, and Meeghan didn’t think Phillipa had picked up the tension. But since she sat next to Shaun holding his hand, the miniscule contractions of his muscles were obvious. Either that or she was getting better at reading her mate. “What do you mean?” Shaun asked. “His experiments. He’s not going to let all his hard work go by the wayside. My suspicion is that he’s going to continue with the experimental drugs. In order to do so, he’s going to need supplies. If I can find out exactly what was in the cocktail he used on Jack, I can possibly trace sale outlets. I’m sure that Jack wasn’t the only one to undergo that type of torture. There must be different variations for different species.” Shaun looked over at Meeghan and she gave him the briefest nod. It didn’t sound as though Phillipa was aware of the super-shifters and, if she was reading her mate correctly, he www.total-e-bound.com

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wasn’t willing to volunteer the information. However, they could throw her another bone to chase. “There’s a chemical he calls CRS-264. It’s essentially poison to a shifter. Not only does it inhibit their ability to change, but it basically kills their animal. When left untreated, it will kill the person too, by attacking the organs one by one at a very rapid rate. Our Alpha was stabbed with a knife coated in the stuff, but fortunately he received the antidote within a few minutes. However, even that was almost too late.” Shaun swallowed and gripped Meeghan’s fingers a little tighter. “Charlie wasn’t so lucky.” Phillipa’s shoulders dropped and her eyes closed for a few seconds. “You have confirmation of this?” Meeghan nodded. “Broyles sent a video link. It showed him injecting Charlie with the serum. Then—” “There was this God awful scream. I’ve heard a lot of men cry out in pain, a few unfortunately on the brink of death due to injuries sustained in battle, but I’ve never heard anything like that. Charlie was pushed off camera at that point, but…” “I’m sorry,” Phillipa said softly. Shaun cleared his throat and took a sip of his water. “We may not be able to bring Charlie back, but we will find his killer.” “So can you get me the information about the chemicals used in the serum?” “I can do one better. I can get you the scientists who developed it under Broyles’ command.”

**** Shaun parked his truck outside the pack lodge. He looked over at Meeghan, who was inspecting the barn-like structure where all the pack gatherings took place. She almost blended completely into the darkness of the cab. The only thing visible was her pale skin that shimmered under the moonlight. The night shadows swallowed up her midnight hair and the dress that had left him slack jawed when she’d entered the restaurant a couple of hours ago. He wanted to reach out to her but was nervous about being rejected again.

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It had appeared that, over dinner, Meeghan’s aversion to him had calmed somewhat. She’d willingly held his hand and, on more than one instance, he’d felt her give it a squeeze when he’d spoken of Charlie, silently lending her support. He’d also detected her arousal during the first half of their meal. The scent had reached out to him as strongly as a siren’s call from the ocean, luring him to its clutches. He’d been so intoxicated by the scent that Shaun felt more than willing to die for the sake of experiencing pleasure in Meeghan’s arms. Of course, hopefully, experiencing intimacy with his mate wouldn’t actually kill him. “Would you like to get out?” he asked softly. Meeghan didn’t respond but did open the truck door. Shaun did the same to the driver’s door and jumped down. He used his enhanced speed to race around the truck to the other side. He put his hands around her tiny waist and gently lowered her to the ground, heedless of the potential of Meeghan to take offence at his actions and sink her claws into his skin. She weighed hardly more than feather but, despite her slim build, his mate had the strength of a wolf flowing through her veins, as proven by her hands clutching his shoulders in a tight grip. When her feet touched the gravel, Shaun was reluctant to let go of his prize. She was finally in his arms. Her enthusiasm about the development was as yet uncertain, but Shaun took a few seconds to relish her body pressed closed to his. Meeghan’s head tilted up and the high moon shone on her features. Her lips were painted a deep red colour and her sloe eyes held secrets Shaun imagined would take years for him to discover. Her high heels lifted her to a height at which their bodies were almost aligned. She was so close. All he had to do was dip his head a couple of inches and their lips would meet. Shaun stared at those lush, soft lips. He wished he could say they were begging for his touch, but in all honesty he wasn’t sure if Meeghan would kiss him back or slap him into the next county. His cock, which had been half hard the entire ride over from the restaurant, stiffened further. The tip of Meeghan’s tongue peeked out and moistened her upper lip, as if moisturising the soft flesh in preparation for his kiss. She shifted her weight and Shaun sucked in a heavy breath when she put her arms around his neck. Meeghan moved in and closed the distance between them, pressing her body against his. “You want me,” she whispered. “Yes.”

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His voice sounded low and gravelly, even to him. Meeghan snuggled their pelvises together and Shaun dropped his hands from her waist to grasp her hips. He held her against him, knowing his arousal would be evident. “How much?” “I think that should be obvious,” he said as he tilted his hips forward. “That feels nice, but you have to earn my favours, Colfer.” Earn her favours? What was that supposed to mean? He had earned them. He was her destined mate. He’d always thought that, when he found his mate, sharing their bodies would be the easiest, most natural thing in the world, but apparently Meeghan wanted him to earn it. All right then…he could do this. He’d been seducing women for more than twenty years. “I want you as the tides long for the moon. I am the sea, and you are the goddess who can command me to your will.” Meeghan hummed. “Not bad. A little more flowery than I would have expected from you, but you get an ‘A’ for effort. I think such creativity deserves a reward.” Meeghan’s hand slid down his chest and between their bodies to massage his cock. Shaun’s head tilted back as a groan left his throat. Things had gone from him being uncertain if Meeghan would attack him for a kiss, to having her stroke him with all the confidence of a woman who knew her touch would set him aflame. He didn’t know how he would survive once they were actually skin to skin—once he sank inside her body and bonded them together for all time. He’d never been a slave to his passions, had always been the one in control of a situation with any of his lovers, but one touch from his mate had him ready to beg on his knees for the pleasure to never end. Meeghan’s lips touched the outside edge of his ear. “I can’t wait to have this inside me.” She gave him a squeeze through his pants, then slid her hand down to cup his balls. “Do you have the stamina to make this worthwhile? You should know, I like a lover who can go all night long.” Shaun growled and lifted Meeghan into his arms. He did not like hearing about any lover she’d experienced in her past, and if he had anything to say about it, after tonight they would all be wiped from her memory. He crossed the gravel driveway of the pack lodge in only a few long strides, then wrenched open the door. The wood banged against the outside www.total-e-bound.com

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of the building and Shaun hoped he hadn’t cracked any of the glass panes. Meeghan’s legs were wrapped around his hips. His large hands held tightly to her ass. He carried her inside and headed straight for one of the couches scattered around the perimeter of the main room. This was not the time or place to claim his mate, but Shaun was powerless to resist the overwhelming need to feel Meeghan’s body beneath his—his desire to hear her sounds as he guided her along their path of shared passion. His knee sank into the leather as he lowered their bodies. Shaun stretched out above his mate and moved in for their first kiss—the one that would ignite their mating heat and begin the bonding process. Meeghan arched up into him but, at the last second, turned her head away. His lips landed on her cheek. Her skin was soft beneath his lips and Shaun tasted the flavours of his mate for the first time. He slid his lips up to her ear and nibbled on the delicate lobe. Next, he sampled her neck as he rocked their bodies together. He’d never been so close to bursting while still fully clothed, even as a pup on the verge of losing his virginity. Meeghan’s artery pulsed beneath her skin, calling to him to give her the mating bite. His fangs threatened to drop, but Shaun kept them in check for the moment. His sensitive hearing picked up every breathy sound, gasp and moan from the woman in his arms. He slid his hands up and cupped one of her breasts. They were small, but perfectly proportional to his mate’s lithe figure. The nipples stood out hard against the material of her dress and, much to Shaun’s delight, were larger than he would have expected. He’d never really cared how large or small a woman’s breasts were, but he did have a thing for nipples. There was nothing like the feel of his tongue rasping over a taut peak, the soft flesh full and begging for his lips to surround the nub and stimulate the sensitive nerves, ratcheting his lover’s need higher with each suckle. His thumb brushed over the peak and the tips of his fingers slid the tiny straps of her dress over her shoulders enough to loosen the material at her chest. He plumped and tweaked one nipple, rubbed it and rolled it between his fingers until it stood out, begging for his lips. He lowered his head, and his mouth opened for the plush nubbin. Meeghan’s hands held his head against her chest and Shaun was more than happy to comply with her voiceless demand. He opened his mouth and sucked one of Meeghan’s nipples into his mouth. He rolled the flat of his tongue around the nipple then flicked it with the tip.

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He smoothed his hand up the outside of her leg, lifting the material of her skirt till it rested at her waist. “Your skin is soft as satin. I don’t want to scuff it up with my work-hardened hands.” Meeghan’s head tilted back as Shaun laid another trail of kisses down her neck. “I like the roughness. Your calluses make my skin come alive.” That was a good thing, because Shaun had no intention of stopping his exploration of his mate’s body. He dipped his head and attached his lips around her other nipple. Meeghan’s legs were wrapped around his hips and her heels dug into his lower back. Shaun slid his palm over her hip and beneath her body. There was no fabric, only the satin skin of his mate’s bottom. Meeghan’s pelvis arched up against him, and Shaun’s fingers slid into the crevice that guarded her private area. He was tempted to rip the narrow band of cloth that secured the covering over her mound, but resisted at the last second. Shaun’s lips released Meeghan’s nipple and he smiled as her groan floated over his head. He glanced up past the bare skin of his mate’s chest to study her features. His wolf sight cut through the darkness of the barn without difficulty. Meeghan’s face watching him, tense with desire, was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. He rose up to kiss her, but at the last second her head fell backwards against the armrest of the sofa and Shaun’s lips landed on the tip of her chin. Why did his mate continue to avoid his kiss? He tried again to capture her lips, hungry for the first real taste of his mate, but was once again denied. He knew her arousal was high—her scent was rich and created a cloud of lust that fogged his brain. Maybe she was still nervous about their mating? “What’s wrong?” “No kissing.” Shaun froze. He braced his hands on either side of Meeghan’s shoulders and lifted his upper half away from her body. “What?” “You heard me. No kissing. Not on the lips.” “Why on earth not? You are—” “A horny woman in need of a good lay. This”—she gripped his hips and pulled him tighter into the juncture between her legs as she arched up against him—“has nothing to do

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with us being mates. If we kiss then the mating heat will begin, and I’m not ready to give into my wolf yet. She doesn’t say when…I say when.” Shaun couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d never in all his years ever heard of a woman denying her wolf and trying to control the mating bond the way Meeghan intended. The mating heat and building of the bond was something to glory in, not fear. Shaun brushed the brash words aside and looked closely at his mate. This time he forced himself to remain objective and not let emotional pain cloud his perceptions. It was clear that fear was what ruled Meeghan, not a true aversion to their mating bond. She hadn’t rejected him—she was rejecting the part of herself that allowed her to make the connection they were destined to share. It made his heart hurt. However, Shaun had said he would take this at her pace and the fact that his mate was now writhing in his arms, her flesh damp with perspiration and arousal, was definitely a step in the right direction. He would seduce his mate through touch and words. Those had seemed to work so far. He’d show her one step and one day at a time that she had nothing to fear from their bond. He could see that she was waiting for his verdict. There was a trace of regret in her eyes. Was she sorry for her rash words? The woman who’d been so soft and compliant in his arms was gone. Now his mate looked up at him tense with anticipation. Shaun smiled. If his lips weren’t permitted to caress hers then Shaun would use them elsewhere to seduce his little mate. He loosened Meeghan’s legs from around his torso and scooted down the sofa. He ran his hands down her thighs and groaned appreciatively at the feel of her silky flesh. Firm muscles contracted beneath his touch as he got closer to his destination. It was obvious that arousal still flowed through his mate’s veins, despite their little hiccup. God knew the momentary pause did nothing to minimise his desire for her. Her scent got so strong he had to take a second and breathe through his mouth to calm the fire raging through his blood. Unfortunately, that only made his taste buds tingle with the desire to capture her taste on his tongue and caused his fangs to drop with a speed that had him gasping. His fingers shook as they untied the strings on the side of her panties. Conscious of the reverence of the occasion, he slowly lowered the front covering of the scrap over her mound. Except for a puff of midnight-coloured hair at the apex of her slit, Meeghan’s dewy flesh was www.total-e-bound.com

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bare. His fingers stroked and petted the curls then slid between Meeghan’s nether lips. Meeghan’s body went lax. He heard a low moan from Meeghan as she arched her hips. His fingers glided along the softest flesh he’d ever encountered, wet and swollen with desire. He spread her labia open and slowly traced the individual folds. When he grazed Meeghan’s engorged clit, she cried out. It stood proud, and Shaun lowered his head between her legs. He stuck out his tongue and made one long swipe from the opening of her vagina to the tip of her clit then swirled around the bud before sucking it between his lips. He devoured his mate’s cream as it flowed over his tongue. Meeghan’s hands speared through his hair and her nails dug into his scalp. The sting was a perfect counterweight to the need threatening to send him over the edge. However, Shaun had never been one to be mindful of warnings. He needed—wanted—more. Shaun dived between her thighs and devoured her thoroughly. He was extremely careful not to let his fangs nick the tender flesh receiving all his concentration. He lifted his head for a second and Meeghan’s essence clung to his nose and lips, filling his soul with the need to howl out in pleasure. He gazed down at her glossy cunt lips then up at her peaked nipples. Her shallow breathing and wide eyes gave away her desire. “Why did you stop?” she panted. “Because you’re in charge. Do you want to come? Do you want to scream out in pleasure as your body shatters apart in my arms?” It looked as though she was about to reprimand him for such an obvious question, but he stilled her words by thrusting two fingers inside her channel. His thumb rubbed her clit in slow circles. “I warn you, Meeghan. If you do then there is no going back. We will be bonded mates.” “But…you have to bite me, knot me before the bond forms,” she insisted. “Physically, yes, but I refuse to share this experience with you unless you acknowledge the inevitable.” So much for slow seduction, but Shaun knew he owed it to both himself and her to be honest. He simply couldn’t do this without any connection. Not with his mate. He wouldn’t be her sex toy. “I waited too many years to find you and I will not leave my heart and soul vulnerable to your claws. You will be mine. I will be yours. It’s destined by the universe that we belong together.”

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Meeghan’s muscles contracted around his fingers and fluid dripped from her body. Whether or not her mind was ready to accept their relationship, Meeghan’s body was more than ready for Shaun’s claiming.

All this time she’d felt as though acknowledging her mate would leave her vulnerable to hurt—to having some alpha male walk all over her life and try to take command. But his words, the raw emotion in Shaun’s eyes, the way his scent called out to her almost as though it was begging her to claim him, made her realise that he had just as much to lose and that what she’d done last night, not to mention only moments ago, had really hurt him. It was more than a bruised male ego at her rebuff—it was her mate’s wolf crying out in silent agony at her rejection. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Shaun’s head and shoulders fell. His fingers left her body and he moved to stand from the sofa. Meeghan caught the tang of tears in the air and Shaun’s scent changed from arousal and need to despondence and depression. Her heart turned over in her chest. He thought she’d done it again! Meeghan scrambled to pull up the straps of her dress and rise from her reclined position in the deep cushions. She turned on her side and swung her arm out. She almost caught Shaun in the groin, but he jerked away and her fingers brushed his. She tightened the tips and latched onto his, locking them together. “Wait! Don’t go!” Shaun stood still but refused to look down at her. “There’s nothing more to say or do. You’ve made your choice.” She pushed up with one hand, refusing to loosen their tenuous connection. Now seated on the sofa, she tugged on Shaun’s hand, bringing him closer. Looking up Shaun’s silhouette in the darkened interior of the renovated barn, she realised what a powerful presence he had. Her night vision allowed her to see her mate as well as if the light of day were shining down through the multitude of skylights in the structure’s roof. His tall, solid frame screamed strength and vitality, even as waves of hurt poured off his body. Something clicked inside her, and in that moment she realised he’d never use that strength against her. He may be a trained mercenary, but he’d never be merciless. “Yes, I have.” She stood and wrapped her arms around Shaun’s neck. “I choose you.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Chapter Nine

Meeghan pulled Shaun’s head down and sealed their lips together. His body stiffened in her arms, and it seemed the seconds passed interminably before all the muscles relaxed and his arms gathered her close. Her tongue slid along the seam of his lips and her mate opened. She drank from his lips and heat coursed through her body as Shaun’s taste merged with hers. Shaun’s tongue plunged into her mouth. He licked and stroked, plundering her. She could taste herself on his lips and, while in the past that had been a real turn-off with her previous lovers, somehow it felt right with her mate. His arms were locked around her waist, but instead of crushing her, he cradled her in his embrace. Heat filled her body, building in her belly and radiating to her limbs. The flesh between her legs remembered exactly what Shaun’s tongue had felt like and slickened with renewed desire to experience that climax he’d promised moments ago. This was more than a first kiss. This was the beginning of everything. She tasted Shaun’s hunger—all his desire, all his passion. His years of hoping and waiting mingled with her new flush of wanting and needing. She kissed him back with everything she had, hoping that he could read her desire to begin anew—to restart as they should have begun, had her fears not consumed her. Never before had a man’s kiss made her tingle this way, and Meeghan finally understood what it meant to be with the man who was made for her alone. Shaun’s head lifted and she could tell his eyes had shifted when light from the night sky caused them to glow. She inhaled deeply and moaned as the scent of Shaun’s arousal flooded her senses. The sound of their laboured breathing was loud to her sensitive ears. At some point Shaun’s hands had dropped to her buttocks—he now kneaded the globes hidden beneath her skirt. “What now?” she asked. Shaun lifted her against his body. She felt his hard cock press against her mound between the layers of her clothes. It would be so simple to pull down his zipper, raise her skirt and unite their bodies the way nature intended. Meeghan squirmed and Shaun’s hands www.total-e-bound.com

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tightened on her ass. She fully expected him to lower them back to the sofa and claim her. Instead, Shaun stabilised her on the floor then stepped away. He started to slowly unbutton his shirt. Well, this is okay too. Meeghan’s eyes followed Shaun’s fingers as they moved lower, now at the level of his abdomen. She saw a strip of skin between the parted fabric and waited with bated breath until the edges were pulled aside and her mate’s chest was revealed in its entirety. Shaun released his cuffs and she was surprised to see him drop actual cufflinks into his pants’ pockets. Hardly anybody used cufflinks anymore since they were considered so antiquated, but she found herself smiling at her mate’s acknowledgement of the traditions of the past. Shaun pulled his shirt off and Meeghan’s mouth watered at the expanse of muscle on display. Her eyes feasted on the defined pectorals and multiple ridges of her mate’s abdomen. She’d felt the power in his body earlier when he’d braced himself above her, but seeing bare, smooth skin cover the corded muscles of his neck, shoulders, arms and torso made Meeghan realise that he was truly a specimen to behold. Unlike several wolves in her experience, Shaun didn’t have a lot of body hair. She found that she liked having each ridge and ripple exposed to her view. His hands dropped to the waistband of his trousers and, in quick order, parted the material. Meeghan fell back onto the sofa, her legs going weak as her mate divested himself of the rest of his clothing. Cut muscles led to a pair of lean hips and powerful legs. She even found Shaun’s knees sexy. Meeghan had enjoyed lovers with many different body types—all unique—and who generally had some feature that appealed to her, even one or two whom society would not deem beautiful, but had made a few of the lonely hours of the night pleasurable. Her mate, however, put them all to shame. And so far, her favourite feature was his warm eyes that seemed to shimmer as he waited for her verdict. “You’re… Wow.” All intelligent vocabulary abandoned her as she stared at the man she’d share the rest of her life with. Meeghan stood and lowered her dress over her hips. Shaun stepped back into her space and she sighed as her body met his. The fabric of his briefs brushed against her bare flesh, and the hardness trapped inside jerked as they rubbed against one another. www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun put his arms around her and their gazes met. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with,” he whispered. She smiled. “You’re standing too close. How can you see me?” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what your body looks like. Your beauty lies not in your features or in the gentle curves that fit perfectly in my arms. It’s in your soul.” She’d had men spout pretty lines to her before. And while at any other time she’d probably consider it a bunch of baloney coming from a man who simply wanted to get laid, hearing it from her mate’s lips…she almost believed him. She wanted to believe him. Was that part of the bond? What would happen when they did claim each other? She knew that their minds would merge and they’d be able to sense each other’s thoughts and emotions. For the first time, all her defences would mean nothing. Her breathing grew shallow and her muscles tightened. Shaun’s lips slid to her ear. “Stay here with me. It’s all right, I promise. We’ll take care of each other.” Group by group, her muscles relaxed as Shaun’s hands caressed the bare skin of her back. She lowered her head to his shoulder and she leaned against him. His chest expanded against her body with each slow, deep breath, and Meeghan found herself matching its rhythm. She nuzzled against his neck and inhaled his scent. The last of her nerves melted away and she knew she’d made the right decision. They’d take this mating thing one day at a time, but they’d do so together. She lifted her head and Shaun stepped back. Her eyes widened as he slid his briefs down over his hips then kicked them away. Standing proud before her was a man in his full glory. Her man. And as Meeghan’s gaze locked on the one part of Shaun’s body that had been hidden from her view, she vibrated in anticipation. Her head jerked up when Shaun’s body began to shimmer and tremble. In a matter of seconds she was no longer looking up at a naked man, but down at a black wolf. Shaun sat on his haunches with his ears perked forwards. “You want to go for a run now? When you got me all…and I expected us to…” Shaun sat there, watching her without a sound, and Meeghan felt a growl rumbling in her chest out of sheer frustration. Her mate wanted to go for a run? Fine! She’d show him

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what it meant to run. She’d make his furry ass chase her all over the pack lands, and if he did manage to catch her, she’d be more than happy to give him a dose of his own medicine. She kicked off her heels and let her wolf take over. She always been a fast shifter, faster than most of the other girls she’d grown up with in her pack, and in the blink of an eye she changed from standing on two legs to four. Meeghan shook out her fur and cocked her head to the side as she stared at the black beast in front of her. Shaun took a step towards her, and his head dipped then rose quickly to meet her eyes, then dipped again as he took another step. Meeghan inhaled and her wolf caught the first scent of her mate in animal form. The tension in the room shattered and she and Shaun came together. Their muzzles rubbed against one another and tongues came out to lick at each other’s noses. They rolled around on the floor with yips and barks of joy. Meeghan loved her wolf form. She always felt the wolf provided her with a sense of freedom she could never quite achieve as a human. Shaun gave a soft yip then turned and headed for the door leading outside. Meeghan followed at his side, but when they reached the door, evidently instinct took over. Shaun looked over at her and barred her exit. He cautiously padded out and Meeghan watched as he sniffed the air, his protective instincts at full charge. The human in her would have bristled, but the wolf had no problems with her mate’s need to protect her. Shaun signalled that she could join him and she stepped out into the summer night. A light breeze ruffled her fur and she inhaled the scents of the mountain air. Crickets chirped and somewhere an owl hooted. Shaun stood by her side and together they raised their heads and howled. Their voices blended and echoed off the mountains. Somewhere in the distance a pack member responded, and Meeghan wondered who was also out enjoying the cloudless night. Shaun walked forwards and Meeghan watched as he rose up on his hind legs then pushed the passenger side door of his truck closed. They must have left it open in their haste, and if she’d been capable of laughing in this form, she would have. Shaun let out a little bark and looked over towards the forest. They took off for the tree line together. The scent of the earth rose up to meet her as her paws dug into the ground with each running step. She could tell that Shaun was shortening his stride so their paces would match. Meeghan closed off her mind and let the wolf take over. The joy of a night time run was amplified by the knowledge that the wolf beside her was her mate. They ran, jumped www.total-e-bound.com

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and played in the field and through the trees. At one point they gave chase to a fox then stopped by a lake to drink from the cool water. Meeghan was lying on her stomach panting when Shaun walked up to her. His eyes were bright with happiness and she rolled onto her back. The black wolf’s head dipped and he licked her, pleased with her show of submission, then sat beside her. They curled up together beside the lake and rested.

**** Shaun opened the front door to his home and gestured for Meeghan to enter. She stepped inside and he held his breath as he waited to hear if his mate was pleased with what would become their household. If Meeghan hated it, Shaun knew he’d be disappointed but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He’d sell it to another pack member then have Meeghan work with Jaryn to design a place she’d love. Shaun would miss his mountain, but his mate’s happiness was more important than a plot of land. “This is amazing. From the front it looks like any other nice, upscale cabin, but inside it opens up into another world.” She ran towards the glass on the far side of the great room. “Look at these windows! How far can you see from up here?” Shaun smiled as Meeghan put her hands upon and pressed her nose against the expanse of glass that let nature into his home—their home, if her excitement was anything to go by. “On a clear day you can see into Glacier National Park.” Shaun shut the front door. “Secure home,” he ordered the system. He heard the beep that signalled the system was engaged. “Lights level one.” Low watt lights tucked between the beams of the vaulted ceiling came on and gave the great room a soft glow. He walked up behind Meeghan and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pressed his lips against the side of her neck and smiled as her body relaxed back against his. He could tell that whatever realisation or acceptance she’d come to before their run still existed. It felt as though, for the first time since their meeting, they were on the same wavelength. He let out an internal sigh of relief. “Would you like a tour?” he said softly. Meeghan shook her head. “Later. Right now I’m mostly interested in the bedroom.”

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Shaun’s breath hitched. It was time. He took her hand and they walked through the great room back towards the front door. He turned right and paused outside a set of carved double doors. “Are you sure?” Instead of giving him a verbal answer, Meeghan rose up on her toes and pulled his head down till their lips met. It was a slow kiss, filled with promise and desire, and it was all the response Shaun needed. He opened both sides of the doors and entered a hallway. In front of them stood another set of doors, these made of etched glass, which led to the master bath. To their right was a wide opening framed with wooden beams that led to the bedroom. Their feet sank into the plush carpet Shaun had insisted on. Wooden floors were great for the rest of the house, but he’d wanted warm, soft flooring in the bedroom. There was nothing worse than waking up in the morning and stepping onto a cold floor. On the far wall was a pair of French doors that led out onto the bluestone patio that spread along the back of the house. “I like the fireplace. Very mountain mannish.” Meeghan smiled. “Should keep us nice and toasty in wintertime.” Shaun gathered her in his arms and nipped at her earlobe. “You won’t need a fire to keep you warm. That’s my job.” “And I’ll bet you’re a very dedicated employee?” “Absolutely,” he growled. Meeghan pushed against Shaun’s chest. “Winter may be one thing, but right now I’m hot and sweaty. Don’t suppose you have a shower I can use real quick, do you?” “Nope, but I have one we can share.” He led her out of the bedroom and through the glass doors in the hallway. He showed her the large walk-in closet with built-in cedar shelves. “Feel free to fill it up. I only use a quarter of the space.” Then they made it to the bath and Meeghan gasped beside him. “Oh my God!” “What’s wrong? Do you not like it? We can change everything, I don’t care.” Meeghan slapped her hand over his mouth. “Don’t you say such blasphemous things!” Shaun chuckled. “So…it’s good?” Meeghan slowly walked into the centre of the bathroom and turned around in circles. Shaun tried to look at the space from an objective point of view, but all he saw was his www.total-e-bound.com

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scanbrush he’d left on the counter that morning, the water splotches on the mirror from when he shaved, the shirt that hung halfway out of the laundry basket, not to mention the trash can that was almost overflowing beside the vanity. He winced as he realised a towel hung limply over the edge of the Jacuzzi tub instead of on the rack where it belonged. There was nothing like showing your mate what a slob you were on your first date. He peeked into the water closet to make sure there was at least a semi-full roll of toilet paper on the holder. “Your bathroom is nicer than my entire apartment! I’ve never seen a tub that big, and how many people can fit in that shower?” “No idea. I’ve never experienced anything but one, but I’m planning on two tonight.” He was glad that Meeghan seemed to approve. He’d built most of the house to his own desires, but when it had come to the bathing chamber, he’d tried to imagine what his future mate might like. The double sinks on the U-shaped counter ensured that there’d be plenty of area for bottles of lotions and perfumes and whatever female paraphernalia needed to be laid out. There was plenty of cabinetry to stash beauty products. He’d always been told that girls liked to take long baths, so he’d told Jaryn to design something with enough space for the biggest tub on the market, and since Shaun stood at six foot five he wanted a shower big enough not to make him feel as if he was a sardine in a can. He’d basically stolen bits and pieces of rooms he’d built for others and collaged them into what appealed to him. Even the slate blue colour on the walls was one that he’d taken from one of the first projects he and Jaryn had worked on together. “Shower on,” he ordered the house system. Seconds later the sound of falling water hitting the tiled floor could be heard. “I programmed the temperature to one-hundred-andtwo degrees. Is that okay? You can have your own setting, of course.” Meeghan walked over towards Shaun. “Will you relax? Everything is fine. I know I hurt you before. I’m sorry, but I’m really not the queen bitch I made myself out to be. I’m not going to jump down your throat or claw your back.” Shaun shook his head. “I never thought you were a bitch. I understand where you were coming from. I was hurt, yes. It’s pointless to deny that, but we’re starting fresh now.” He looked around the room for a second. “Not many people have ever been to my home. In fact, only a handful even know where I live. I want you to be happy here and anything that doesn’t make you happy can be changed. It’s just a house.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“No, Shaun. It’s your home. You have every right to take pride in each log, stone, and pane of glass that I’m sure you painstakingly picked out.” “What makes you say that?” he choked out. “Because I happen to know it’s your first.” He swallowed hard. “How?” “Remember that research I did? I wasn’t really looking to find out if you were a menace to society. I wanted to learn about the man who would become my mate. I never intended to turn my back on you. I was scared and reacted poorly. I know how you were raised, how you joined the military and later became a mercenary. I know you moved to Stonepass four years ago and went into business with Jaryn. When he became Alpha, he asked you to be the pack Beta.” “So you know everything.” “No. I’m sure what I discovered is only the tip of the iceberg, but I’m looking forward to learning the rest.” “And what about you? Do I get to learn about you, or will you continue to wear the mask that hides your true heart and mind?” Meeghan’s eyes widened, and Shaun brushed aside a lock of hair that fell across her cheek. “You’re not the only one who did some research. I know you’re the only child of older parents. I know where you went to school. How you were bullied as a teenager for being a small wolf and took a lot of flak for being the only female in your class at the academy. You got dumped on as a young recruit in a huge city, forcing you to become a ball-busting cop who clawed her way up the ranks, demanding the respect of her peers. You’ve had a lot of lovers, but never loved. You keep your friends and co-workers at a distance, but have a soft spot for children in need.” Meeghan blinked away the tears the filled her eyes. “Sounds like we both got a good start.” Shaun nodded. “It’s a good thing we have a couple of hundred years to figure out the rest.”

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He lowered his head and placed a chaste kiss on Meeghan’s lips. She immediately put her arms around his neck and she lifted her body up against his. Their clothes fell away, and Shaun led her into the shower chamber. Steam filled the enclosure. He shampooed Meeghan’s long dark hair and couldn’t resist wrapping the tresses around his wrist, holding her against his body for a tongue thrashing kiss. Her soft hands stroked his body and when they closed around his cock, Shaun thought his mind would shatter at the pleasure coursing through his body. He didn’t dare linger in the shower because he was afraid he’d spill under Meeghan’s skilled hands. He desperately wanted to come inside his mate’s body, to experience that fabled moment when he’d knot inside her and fill her womb with his seed. They left the enclosure and he used one of the towels to dry his mate, then wrapped it around her body. He wiped himself down and secured a towel around his hips before he went over to the vanity and pulled out a drying cap for Meeghan’s hair. He held it out to her. “I’m not sure how this works, but the lady at the store said it was essential.” After he’d finished the house, he’d gone to a store that advertised having everything for a complete home. He’d asked one of the staff to show him all the stuff a woman would need. Three hours and about a thousand dollars later he’d walked out in a state of shock. Who knew girls used so much junk? Meeghan smiled. “Thanks. I didn’t exactly relish the thought of going to bed with wet hair.” He twisted her long hair up inside the cap as his mate instructed him to do and Meeghan activated the thing to her desired settings. Shaun earned himself another few brownie points when he took out a bottle of lotion, removed the towel and proceeded to smooth the cream all over his mate’s body. By the time he was finished, the drying process had finished. He removed it and watched mesmerised as Meeghan’s hair fell in black waves down her back. He secured the towel back around her body to keep her warm then carried her into the bedroom and sat her in front of him on the bed. He took his time combing out the tangles of the soft tresses that reached down to the middle of her back. Caring for his mate in such a manner was both calming and erotic at the same time. Meeghan must have thought so, too, because every now and then he’d hear a soft hum or moan of pleasure.

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Shaun tossed the brush away. He slowly opened the towel. His hands cupped her breasts and rolled her nipples. He lowered his lips to the side of her neck and kissed the pale column. He wrapped one arm around her chest, while he slid the other down her torso to rub her stomach in slow circles. The tips of his fingers skimmed and played with the tuft of curls at the apex to her slit as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Meeghan reclined against his chest and sighed. He kissed her temple and her cheekbone. Her head tilted back and her chin lifted, asking without words. At the same moment that their lips met, Shaun’s fingers slid between the wet folds of her mound. His tongue thrust into her mouth while one finger slid deep inside her body. She was so hot and wet it was as if liquid fire coated his finger. Meeghan tried to arch her hips for deeper penetration, but Shaun kept her still. He slid another digit into her depths and captured his mate’s cry with his mouth. He used his thumb to rub her clit. As her arousal climbed, he felt her labia swell and open. He wanted to bring Meeghan to climax before claiming her, wanted to show his mate that what they shared could never be compared to anything in her past. The only hands he wanted on her were his own, the only body drilling her through the mattress—his. This craving to get as deep into her as he possibly could just couldn’t be normal. Had Jaryn felt like this when he’d mated Nicole? Shaun was getting to point where he was desperate to be surrounded by Meeghan Nicholson. He wanted to see those dark eyes go wide in shock with awareness of him as he slid balls-deep inside her and became saturated in heaven. He wanted to lay his mate beneath him and see her lips swollen and bruised from his kisses, her cheeks flushed and soft breasts quivering as he moved within her, cramming in every inch, riding her with all the pent-up hunger he’d carried since setting eyes on her.

Meeghan’s whole body was heavy with need. Her eyes opened and she looked down to see Shaun’s fingers buried inside her. Her legs were splayed open in the most hedonistic display. Shaun’s fingers played with her nipples and they jutted up harder and thicker in appreciation. She gripped Shaun’s towel-covered hips as he knelt behind her. She wanted more than anything to feel his smooth skin—wanted there to be nothing between them. Shaun did something with his fingers and she gasped, moaning as she arched back against Shaun’s www.total-e-bound.com

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chest. She was trapped in a haze of need. Her arms fell limply to her sides, her nipples ached, and her belly was tight. Had she been capable of higher thought, she probably would have been embarrassed at the wetness that spilled between her legs, but right now all that mattered was reaching her climax. “You’re so small, it’s going to take some effort to get all of me inside you.” Shaun voice rumbled above her head, dark like the night sky they’d run beneath together. The thought of the cock she’d only got a glimpse of earlier filling her body caused her arousal to spike and more moisture to gush from her core. She knew she’d stretch, knew she was wet enough for him to slide right in, but the sensual threat lingered in the air around them and made her crave his possession even more. “Yes…please,” she pleaded. “Soon. But first I’m going to make you come on my fingers. I want to feel this soft, slick flesh clamp down and suck me deeper like the greedy little cunt it is. And it is greedy, isn’t it Meeghan?” She whimpered as Shaun’s fingers thrust higher inside her. “Isn’t it?” he growled. “Yes!” “You want more?” “I want everything,” she panted. “Give me everything.” Shaun began to rub her clit briskly as his fingers thrust into her channel, massaging the tissues behind her pubic bone. She kept arching her hips and moaning. Then Shaun’s mouth opened and his fangs pressed against the tendon in her neck. She cried out, splintering apart as a violent climax ripped through her. She thought it was over, but to her surprise Shaun slid out from behind her and lowered her to the mattress. He pushed her legs apart and high against her chest. His head lowered and he speared his tongue into the same flesh his fingers had occupied only moments ago. He suckled and nipped and licked between her folds as if it were his last feast on Earth. Meeghan couldn’t keep her eyes open. Her head thrashed on the mound of pillows. She pinched and pulled at her own nipples, as they were desperate for some type of stimulation. Shaun forced her to peak repeatedly with his mouth and his hand, all the while

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ordering her to watch him. “You will know it’s your mate who brings you this much pleasure,” he’d said to her. Her body was sated and slack from Shaun’s attentions, but she’d yet to experience her mate’s bite or feel his seed pour forth from his body to bond them. What Meeghan had feared only hours ago, she now craved. She pushed up on her elbows and looked down at Shaun once again lapping at her clit. His skin was pulled tight across his features. Sweat beaded on his forehead and she could feel his hands tremble as they caressed her inner thighs. Her mate needed her. “Shaun, come up here.” He rose and came over then braced his weight on his elbows and smoothed the tangled strands of hair that clung damply to her face. Her hands slid between them and loosened the towel that still clung to him. She whipped it away, wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her hips. “Please, take me now.” Moaning low in his throat, Shaun closed his eyes and adjusted his position between her legs. She felt the head of his cock brush against her opening. “You’re ready?” “Yes,” she whispered, thickly. Shaun thrust partially inside her and she gasped at the feel of his thick cock parting her already tender folds. Shaun cursed softly as her motions encouraged him to sink deeper. He grabbed Meeghan’s hips and held her still. “Don’t move, for God’s sake, or I’ll hurt you.” He truly did feel huge, bigger than she’d ever had in the past, and she knew his control had to be strained to the breaking point. So Meeghan decided to take his word for it. “I’m okay, but hurry.” Shaun moaned and pushed further inside her. Meeghan caressed the side of Shaun’s neck where his tendons stood out. She whispered nonsense words that not only helped to calm him, but also served to let her body relax enough to allow Shaun to gain another couple of inches. “I’m almost there, honey. God in heaven, I’ve never felt anything like you. Thick, wet velvet wrapped around me tighter than any vice on this planet.”

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She couldn’t believe there was more. Her body was so full, she actually began to wonder if Shaun would fit. Her muscles tightened with tension and Shaun groaned. His head dipped and he kissed her gently. He slid his tongue into her mouth and lapped against her, entreating hers to come out and play. His hips made circling motions and he pulled backwards. When she moaned in regret, he pushed back in, but no further than before. Slowly Meeghan’s body relaxed, and she rocked up into Shaun’s small thrusts. “Touch yourself,” he rumbled. “Stroke that pretty little clit.” Meeghan’s hand slid between their bodies and she let her nails flick at her bud. It was big and hard as a rock, displaying her hunger. She rubbed and milked the bud while Shaun sucked at one of her nipples and continued to make half thrusts inside her. All the stimulation was overwhelming and with a body already primed to explode from the time Shaun had spent pleasuring her, it didn’t take long before Meeghan began to climb towards another climax. Shaun changed the angle of his thrusts and he bit down on her nipple, tugging on the engorged tip. Meeghan’s fingers flew faster on her clit. “Oh God…oh God…Shaun!” There was a popping sound as Shaun released her nipple. “Do it, Meeghan!” he growled. Her orgasm burst from her and Shaun yelled as he buried himself to the hilt inside her. He placed his hands on either side of her head and loomed over her body. He didn’t move, but Meeghan felt every pulse of his cock as it filled every crevice and rested high inside her channel. She lifted her legs over her mate’s shoulders and smiled. “Let’s get this party started.” Shaun laughed and a huge grin spread across his face. He withdrew and plunged back inside her pussy over and over. She’d unleashed the animal inside her mate, and he filled her with long, thick strokes. Shaun’s pace was relentless—he gave her no room to hide, no moment of respite as he carried her over one peak of pleasure to the next. Her hips lifted beneath his, trying to match his rhythm, but she couldn’t keep up. He changed his angle and tempo—first quick, then slow. Perspiration bloomed on their skin, causing their bodies to glide against one another. Shaun’s body slid along her sensitive skin as he thrust hard and deep inside her. His cock shuttled in and out. Each thrust threw her higher, tossing her into a maelstrom of sensations. www.total-e-bound.com

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Her mate’s lungs bellowed as his momentum increased. She knew he had to be teetering on the edge of his orgasm. How he’d managed to hold out this long was a mystery to her. She cupped his face, which was dripping with sweat and tight with control. Her thumbs smoothed over his flushed cheekbones. “Let go, Shaun. Let our bodies lock together, claim me as yours.” “You…too,” he panted as he continued to thrust. “I…need…you.” “You’re already mine,” she whispered. Her hormones and the enzymes in Shaun’s pre-cum had made her cervix open. She felt the thickening of Shaun’s cock and the extension elongated to push through the tiny opening to knot them together. Shaun threw back his head and let out a roar more akin to a lion than a wolf. The moment his seed splashed into her womb, an orgasm unlike any she’d ever experienced consumed her. Waves of pleasure crashed over her only to build higher and toss her over the pinnacle once more. Shaun’s bite caused a sharp pain to cut through the ecstasy and, as if a window had been thrown open, she sensed Shaun’s presence in her mind. She felt his physical pleasure in his release, his euphoria in the completion of the mating bond. Tears spilled from her eyes at the enormity of all the emotion and the release of physical tension that had held her body prisoner. Operating on animal instinct, Meeghan’s fangs dropped and she claimed her mate as the universe intended. Shaun howled and another burst of semen filled her womb. They lapped at each other’s mating marks. Meeghan’s channel continued to milk Shaun’s cock, and they trembled together as mini-climaxes continued to overtake them with each offering of Shaun’s body. Their essences blended together and, with every second, their minds merged more closely till Meeghan had difficulty distinguishing her thoughts from Shaun’s. It should have been terrifying to lose herself so completely, but all she felt was peace, acceptance and love. Shaun rolled them so he lay on his back with Meeghan draped over him. Their bodies were still locked together, their hearts beat as one, and in unison they looked into each other’s eyes and spoke the words that every wolf learned as eagerly as their ABCs.

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“You are my mate. Our souls are bonded together from this moment and into eternity. You are my love, the keeper of my heart. Our lives are now one, I am yours as you are mine. I give myself to you, forever.”

**** Meeghan sat in an Adirondack chair out on the back patio with a cup of coffee in her hand, wrapped in Shaun’s robe, watching the first light of day creep over the horizon. She always loved this time of morning. There was something peaceful about watching the world wake up. Her mate, it seemed, was more of a night owl—she looked through the French doors into their bedroom to see him sprawled out on the bed, still sound asleep. However, to be fair he had worked awfully hard the night before. She giggled and her body hummed with remembered pleasure. Shaun had definitely succeeded in obliterating any memories Meeghan had had of former lovers. A part of her wondered if the occasion had been a one-off or if Shaun’s all-consuming style of lovemaking was what she could genuinely look forward to for the rest of her life? She turned her head at the sound of a growl behind her. Shaun stood inside the bedroom, naked as the day he was born and looking extremely delicious in the morning sunlight. The soft light painted his tall, hard, muscleridged body with shimmers of promised heat, highlighting the blatant male strength. “Have no doubt, love, that the rest of your days will be spent shattering apart in my arms.” “Then I guess it’s a good thing we live up on this mountain with as loud as you made me scream.” It was the first time they’d communicated through their newly-formed telepathic link, and they both grinned. Meeghan turned back to watch the sunrise. She squeaked as a few seconds later she was lifted by a pair of strong arms, and she worked to balance her cup of coffee until she was settled on her mate’s lap. Shaun had wrapped the discarded towel from last night around his hips. She held out the mug and offered him a drink. A hum of appreciation and approval vibrated against her back as she reclined against her mate. She picked at the fabric of the towel. “I thought we’d gotten rid of this?” Shaun set the mug on the stone patio. “You want it gone?” Meeghan nodded. www.total-e-bound.com

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“Then this”—Shaun untied the belt at Meeghan’s waist and opened the two halves of his robe—“has to disappear, too.” Meeghan stood and turned to see her mate open the towel. At the same time she dropped the robe onto the bluestone. Shaun was already half hard, and she wanted to taste the cock that had taken her to such heights the night before. She kicked the robe between Shaun’s spread legs, then dropped to her knees. She wrapped one hand around the base of his cock and with the other cupped the balls hanging heavy between his thighs. The morning air chilled her bare skin, but she didn’t feel cold. Shaun held her cheek then slid his palm around to the base of her neck as she lowered her head. She opened her mouth and sucked the crown of his cock between her lips.

Meeghan’s forehead rested against his belly. The wet heat of her mouth surrounding the head of his cock had him gripping the arms of the chair with white-knuckled fingers. She grasped the part of his shaft that wasn’t in her mouth with one hand and circled his scrotum with the other. With an impressive amount of coordination she pulled the two in opposite directions with each suck. Shaun’s head spun and his heart seemed to float up and down in his chest with each stroke. The morning chill evaporated from his skin as heat radiated up from his groin. His head dropped back against the chair and his toes curled on the stone. Meeghan’s clever little tongue flicked at the nerve centre under the tip. Silky midnight hair draped over his lap, giving its own erotic stimulation with each dip of her head. Her hand fell away from his cock and Shaun cried out as her head dropped more than halfway down his shaft. Up and down her head bobbed. Her small hands now clenched his hips and with every little hum from his mate, Shaun’s blood sang with pleasure. “Put your hands on me again.” Meeghan complied and she twisted and rubbed while licking and sucking him deep into her mouth. When she released him to lap at the drops rising from his slit, her warm breath washed over the thousands of nerve endings vibrating in the head of his cock. His orgasm started to rise from the soles of his feet, tingling up the backs of his legs and making his buttocks clench. “No,” he ordered himself.

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Meeghan looked up at him in confusion. He pushed up off the chair and held out his hand to his mate. Together they walked hand in hand out onto the grass of their property to the edge of the overlook where Shaun had built a log fence in anticipation of one day having pups running around the mountainside. He placed Meeghan in front of him and braced her hands on the top bar of the fence. He grabbed her hips then slid slowly into her pussy. Meeghan moaned as her sweet body sucked him deep inside. It was easier this morning, having only been a few hours since their last round of lovemaking. When their hips rested against one another, he paused. Meeghan’s head hung low to her chest. “Lift your head, honey. Watch the morning come alive.”

Meeghan gasped as Shaun lifted her effortlessly up and down his cock. The drag of his flesh through hers ignited the nerves that still hummed from their lovemaking the previous night. His movements were slow, as slow as the sun inching higher in the sky. The scents of the mountain filled her lungs—evergreens and summer flowers, grass and soil. A morning breeze blew across the ridge and her nipples peaked, making her gasp. Shaun’s body was a furnace behind her, and the two opposing temperatures had her moving back and forth, seeking the cool air to calm the heat in the blood and then the warmth of her mate’s body to dispel the morning chill. “You are the most passionate woman, so responsive to my touch. You set my body and soul on fire with every look from your dark eyes.” Shaun rotated his hips, and she cried out in reaction. His pace increased and their mating climbed to a frenzy of need as they raced towards completion. Shaun’s fingers dug into her hips, while hers scraped against the hewn log of the fence. Her body melted and opened for his knotting. Shaun whispered dark enticements in her ear as he continued to pound into her from behind. One shift from her mate and Meeghan was climaxing, shouting out in the morning air, heedless of the animals she’d no doubt scared in their nests and dens.

Every muscle in Shaun’s body grew taut. The feel of Meeghan coming around his cock had him grunting, the scent of her peak intoxicating, the way her body milked his hungrily enchanting. Oh Christ, it nearly killed him. She was so soft. So smooth. So slippery. He www.total-e-bound.com

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grunted from the incredible feel of her as she clenched around him. He pressed inward, penetrating to the maximum depth. He cursed softly as his mate’s climax caused the narrow walls of her channel to tremble and flutter around him, demanding his release. He was powerless to resist. He slammed into her a few more times before giving over the pleasure that had coiled in his body. He unleashed a torrent of seed deep inside his mate. His cock extended and knotted within Meeghan. A pleasure-pain swamped over him—so intense it had him shaking. He wrapped his arms around his mate and held on for dear life. Meeghan screamed again and bucked back against him as they tumbled over the edge together. He shuddered and pulsed as the mini-orgasms continued to pummel their bodies. He merged his mind with Meeghan’s and shared with her every ounce of love that filled his heart on this, their first morning together. It was his hope, his fervent prayer, that the love would only grow with time.

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Chapter Ten

Shaun walked into the office two days later to find Cooper, Jaryn and Phillipa standing in the middle of Jaryn’s office staring at a large comm-tablet. He assumed it must be Phillipa’s because, as far as he knew, neither Jaryn nor Cooper owned anything like it. “What’s going on?” Cooper’s head jerked up and he looked over his shoulder at Shaun in the doorway. “We may have a lead.” Shaun rushed over and tried to see what they were all looking at. He, Jaryn and Cooper were all about the same height, but Phillipa was much shorter. Her head topped out at their chests so they were all able to look down if they crowded around her. The problem was that Shaun wasn’t good at reading upside down. He tried to turn his head, but that didn’t work. Then angled his body closer to Cooper’s, but he still couldn’t read the small print on the screen. With a frustrated sigh he went back around and stood behind Phillipa, looking over her shoulder. He braced a hand on each of Jaryn’s and Cooper’s shoulders. “You see this,” Phillipa said, pointing to the tablet. “This is the base compound that Dr Johns told me was used to develop CRS-264. It’s not exactly common and you have to have specific licences to obtain it in large quantities.” Shaun squinted but his eyes were trained to read blueprints, not inventory lists of chemicals with more syllables in their names than letters in the alphabet. “Which one, where?” Cooper groaned and lifted the tablet from Phillipa’s hands. He raised it up and held the screen a couple of inches from Shaun’s nose. “This one right here,” he said very slowly. Shaun shoved his best friend away. “Well, excuse me for asking. Somebody neglected to tell me we were having a little get together, otherwise I would have been here at the start and known what you guys are talking about.” “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. You’ve been too busy—” “Gentlemen!” All three of their heads turned to see Catherine standing in the doorway. www.total-e-bound.com

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“And lady,” she said, smiling. “If you’d be so kind as to follow me, I believe I have a solution to your little problem.” The four of them turned and followed Catherine out of the office like pups trailing after their mother. Catherine led them into the conference room that Jaryn and Shaun used to display proposals and go over bids with clients. “Now, Phillipa—at the end of the table here is a built-in touch surface you can use to exhibit the same information you have stored in your tablet on the smart display hung against the far wall. The surface also gives you access to our network. Simply place your tablet on the designated area and the integration is instantaneous. That way you won’t have these Neanderthals hovering over you and making grunting noises.” Phillipa laughed. “Oh, it wasn’t so bad being surrounded by all that masculinity.” Catherine smiled. “No doubt. But two of them are very much spoken for, and the third has interests other than the female persuasion.” Phillipa’s head swivelled to Shaun with an eyebrow raised. He felt a little guilty for placing her in the middle of his and Cooper’s petty revenge game but, at the time, she’d been making eyes at him after being introduced to his mate who sat right next to him. Shaun, Jaryn and Cooper all sat around the table and looked over at Phillipa expectantly. She set the tablet on the table and with a few taps had synced the two devices. “It’s probably best for me to start at the beginning.” She tapped the tablet and an image of Dr Johns, one of the scientists Shaun and Jaryn had rescued from Broyles’ compound eight months ago, appeared on the wall. “I decided to go back to the beginning and see if we could make any kind of connection between Broyles and his scientists.” Jaryn met Shaun’s gaze across the table with a frown. “We proved that they were being coerced into performing the experiments Broyles demanded.” Shaun removed his comm-unit and quickly sent Jaryn a message reminding him that Phillipa knew nothing about the super-shifters. He wanted to keep it that way. “That’s true, Alpha. However, how did Broyles get in contact with them in the first place? It’s not as though you can scan through the national directory and find a heading for biochemical engineers.” Shaun’s comm-unit flashed and he saw Jaryn’s affirmative response. A part of him relaxed marginally. He didn’t really expect Jaryn to put up a fight with Shaun’s desire to www.total-e-bound.com

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keep that part of Broyles’ experiments under wraps. After all, his sons were the products of those experiments, and what parent had any desire to see their children be scrutinised like a bug under a microscope? A second later, Shaun caught Cooper’s slight nod out of the corner of his eye after he formed his comm-unit back around his wrist. “My research determined that Adam Broyles did not exist prior to five years ago. Afterwards, we combed that place from top to bottom and found no evidence of his real identity. Doctors Johns, Kelly and Rakaza only ever knew Broyles by his assumed name. How does investigating their past get us closer to finding him now that he’s gone to ground?” Shaun asked. “You’d be shocked what information people don’t realise is stored in communications. Dr Johns told me that Broyles first made contact with him via a mail message. Being the meticulous researcher that he is, the good doctor saved the file.” Shaun sat up a little higher in his chair. “The meta-data of the file contained the original electronic address of the sender. It was registered to a Brent Haas.” Shaun slumped back in his chair. “Brent was a wolf from the Sierra Pack. His pack reported him missing in November of 2031. He was listed as deceased on July twenty-eighth, 2032, in the records kept at the compound. The report stated that he died as a result of an adverse reaction to an injection of serum CRS-260, the precursor to the chemical used on Jaryn and…” “And my brother,” Jaryn added quietly. “This is all true, but did you know that at the time of Brent’s disappearance, he was a graduate student at the University of Las Vegas? The FBI actually got involved with his disappearance because of the potential of the case to cross state lines, since Brent’s parents live in Bishop, California, and he was reportedly driving home for Thanksgiving when he disappeared. When the agent in charge interviewed some of Brent’s fellow students about his disappearance, a couple of them casually mentioned that that another man frequently seen in Brent’s company had also seemed to have gone missing. This man’s name was Zachary Wilkerson.” Shaun looked over at Cooper, who unfolded his comm-unit and started rapidly tapping away. www.total-e-bound.com

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“It won’t do you any good, Cooper,” Phillipa said, shaking her head. “I searched every database the FBI has access to and can’t find any human, wolf or other species registered under the name Zachary Wilkerson.” “Damn it. What about the original report? Surely the agent followed up on the lead at the time?” Phillipa nodded. “He did. Unfortunately he didn’t have any better luck. His first stop was the university’s administrative office, but there was no student registered at UNLV under that name, and when the agent ran a global background check, all he was able to find was a current address listed at the time, but there was nothing in any database for the individual prior to June of 2031. None of Brent’s friends knew anything about him other than Brent had brought him to a couple of parties and they were known to hang out at a local café. The initial report recorded a supposition that Zachary and Brent were taken by the same people, but because they had no idea who Zachary Wilkerson was, the course of the investigation focused on Brent, and hoped it would lead to Zachary somehow.” Shaun scanned through the roster of the compound in his mind and didn’t remember any Zachary listed. Shaun shook his head. “Hold on a second. I was the one who informed Brent’s parents of his death after the raid. They never mentioned anything about him having a best friend who also disappeared. You’d think if they really were that close then the parents would have known about Zachary’s existence.” Phillipa shrugged. “Brent was in college. Did you tell your parents about every person you associated with during your glory days of freedom?” Shaun crossed his arms over his chest. “Wouldn’t know. I never had parents or went to college.” He saw Phillipa’s eyes widen, then she at least had the grace to blush slightly. It seemed that Little Miss FBI hadn’t investigated him as thoroughly as he had her before accepting her help. “Well, shit,” Cooper mumbled. “I thought we had something there.” He sat up higher in his chair. “Maybe we do after all? You said that Zachary Wilkerson only existed between June and November of 2031, and the only reason we have that much proof is because of an initial background search done at the time of Brent’s disappearance?” www.total-e-bound.com

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Phillipa nodded. Shaun turned in his chair to look at Cooper. “So maybe he never existed in the first place? Maybe Zachary Wilkerson is another one of Broyles’ aliases used to lure victims to the compound? He befriends Haas and convinces him to travel to Wisconsin under who knows what pretence. Two years pass and Brent meets his maker as a result of Broyles’ twisted experiments.” Jaryn was shaking his head. “No. Broyles didn’t take over control of the compound until five years ago. If Haas disappeared eight years ago and is listed as deceased six years ago, that’s still more than a year before Broyles contacted Dr Johns. Each of the scientists confirmed that they were brought to the compound almost immediately after Broyles assumed control after the assassination of his predecessor, Dr Jorgenson.” Shaun stood and walked over to where Phillipa sat calmly in her chair, listening to them debate. He gestured to the table. “May I?” She nodded then scooted her chair to the side of him. Shaun picked up the special pen that allowed them to write on a section of the table and have it appear on the smart display. “Okay, I think we’re all talking too much and the ideas are getting twisted together up in the air. Let’s make a schematic.” He drew a box and wrote in Wilkerson and Haas’ names. “November 2031—Brent Haas and Zachary Wilkerson disappear.” Leading down from the box he drew a line, then separated it out into two branches. He sketched out two more boxes and wrote each name in one. “Brent,” he said, pointing to the box, “is listed as a compound resident from December 2031 till his death in July of 2032. Wilkerson”—he pointed to the other box—“ceases to exist now that he’s completed his objective. He bides his time, and eventually the servant becomes tired of always being under Jorgenson’s heel and decides to become the master. The man behind the mask becomes Broyles and assumes command of the compound in 2033.” Jaryn held up his hand. “Wait, wait, wait. What about the mail account? How do you explain that one?” Shaun tapped the pen on the table for a second. “That’s easy. Jasper. The man’s a hacker. It would have been nothing for him to log into Haas’ old mail account to contact Dr Johns. Hell, Wilkerson-Broyles probably planned the whole thing to throw people off his

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scent in the first place should his identity ever be questioned. It makes sense. Who’s a better scapegoat than a dead man?” Jaryn stood and started to pace. He looked over at Phillipa. “You’re suddenly awfully quiet. Is Shaun right? Is a dead man the best scapegoat? Do we know who Broyles really is?” “Yes,” Phillipa said, smiling. “Yes to what?” Cooper looked around for clarification. Jaryn braced his arms on the table and stared at Phillipa. “So Wilkerson is Broyles.” “No,” Phillipa replied. Now Shaun was confused. Yes, they knew who Broyles was, but Broyles wasn’t Wilkerson, and a dead man was the perfect scapegoat… Shaun thought back through his argument. He knew when he got excited that sometimes what came out of his mouth didn’t always gel with the facts presented, but no—this time he was okay. “How do you know Wilkerson isn’t Broyles? You said there’s no proof of his identity.” Phillipa shook her head. “I didn’t say that. I said there was no record of him registered in any database.” Shaun let out a frustrated breath. He didn’t like the smirk on Phillipa’s face. She was enjoying stringing them along, and he was about fed up with her bread crumbs. “What’s the difference?” he growled. Cooper smiled. “There’s a little thing that us law enforcement types refer to as evidence.” Jaryn closed his eyes and Shaun recognised the moment that he made the same connection as Cooper in his mind. Jaryn’s eyes shot open and those silver Chaunterel eyes flashed. Shaun stood and was two seconds away from throwing the pen against the wall. “Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on?” he exclaimed. Cooper smirked and looked over at his friend. “You’d think after the weekend you had that you’d be too sated to get your blood pressure up so high,” he teased. Cooper looked at Phillipa. “Am I right?” Phillipa smiled again, and Shaun was hard put to think why he’d considered the woman attractive in the first place. That little smirk of hers was really getting on his nerves. Maybe he’d been wrong in eliciting her help? www.total-e-bound.com

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“While I can’t comment on Shaun’s blood pressure or his sex life, the fact that I can detect a change in his scent from the other night would lead credence to your comment.” “Shaun? Are you okay? I can sense your aggravation. Where are you?” The sound of Meeghan’s voice in his mind was a balm. His tense muscles uncoiled and the steam that had been about to erupt from his ears cooled to a simmer. “I’m at the office, and Phillipa’s here—” “What’s she done to you? Is the little were-tramp hitting on you again? You are mine.” Shaun was about to do flips over Meeghan’s declaration. However, right before he let out a whoop, his attention was drawn back to the room by the sound of Cooper’s voice. “You said that Haas and Wilkerson were reportedly best friends. Now as much as it sometimes pains me to admit, the three of us are as close as two straight and one gay man can get. There’s evidence of our friendship all over each other’s homes—pictures, random crap one of us left over at another’s house…hell, even our biometrics are programmed into each other’s security systems in case of an emergency. So what kind of evidence do we have to work with?” “I thought you’d never ask.” She stepped back over to where Shaun stood. “My turn again?” He stepped back, and after a few taps on her tablet another image appeared on the wall opposite the table. “Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Brent Haas and Zachary Wilkerson? I found this image buried in an unnumbered sub file of the original case documents. It was collected as evidence from Brent Haas’ dorm room at UNLV.” Staring back at him was an image of two young men with their arms around each other’s shoulders. One blond with brown eyes, and the other a dead ringer for a younger version of himself. It was hard to tell when the photo was taken, but the background was clearly the night-time strip of downtown Las Vegas. “Shaun, you okay?” Jaryn asked. He shook his head and pointed to the wall. Jaryn and Cooper both turned and twin gasps echoed in the conference room. “What the fuck?” Cooper exclaimed. “How…who…what?” He couldn’t seem to formulate a cohesive sentence.

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He heard the three other people in the room all talking at once, but it was as if the sound came at the end of a long tunnel. He couldn’t pick out individual words or even voices—it was all mashed up and so confusing. “Shaun, what’s wrong?” The sound of his mate’s voice in his head went a long way towards restoring his ability to breathe. Reassuring his mate of his safety was more important than trying to process all the noise in his head. “I’m okay. Well, not okay…everything is pretty fucked up, but physically I’m fine. Phillipa just presented Jaryn, Coope, and myself with some evidence of her research. Things just got a whole hell of a lot more complicated.” “Don’t move—I’m on my way.” Shaun tried to tell his mate that she needn’t bother, but she’d closed off their link. He knew Meeghan was getting off a long shift and had planned to go back to her apartment to start packing after work. He didn’t want to drag her into this latest mess. But in true Meeghan Nicholson fashion, his mate had made up her own mind and set a course of action. This time, however, it would work out in his favour. Jaryn cursed softly. “I’d recognise those eyes anywhere.” He looked back over at Phillipa. “It’s hard to forget the eyes belonging to the man who literally stabbed you in the back.” Next he looked over at Shaun. “However, I think we just opened a whole new can of worms.” Cooper stood and came over to stand beside Shaun. He put his hand on Shaun’s shoulder. “Can you explain any of this?” Shaun blinked several times but the image didn’t change. He shook his head. Maybe it was all a coincidence? They said everyone had a twin in the world, but this was taking that phrase to a rather detailed level. He looked at his friends, but at the moment it felt as though the foundation he’d built his life upon was crumbling beneath his feet. He shook his head. “It’s not me,” he whispered. Cooper scoffed. “Hell, I know that. He’s a whole hell of lot better looking. Looks like you got the leftover genes, my friend. Sucks to be you.” Shaun knew Cooper was trying to lighten up the situation, and he tried to crack a smile. “Yeah, guess so.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“Cooper Tessen, you stop picking on my mate!” Meeghan yelled out as she ran into the room. A pair of small arms wrapped around him from behind and his mate’s scent washed over him. He turned his back on the image that had just changed his life and held the woman he loved in his arms. He drew from her strength and was shocked to find himself trembling. Cooper’s and Jaryn’s scents also surrounded him. This was his family—his best friends, his mate, his pack, his town. The man on the wall meant nothing…the man that by all appearances could have been his brother. Shaun hoped he’d eventually be able to convince himself of that. “I’m sorry, Mr Colfer. I understand now that this comes as a shock,” Phillipa said. “I didn’t realise before.” Meeghan turned towards Phillipa and Shaun heard a low growl come from his mate. “What did you say to him?” “Relax, Meeghan. She didn’t say anything, but I suspect she was testing Shaun.” Cooper met Phillipa’s gaze. “And I don’t appreciate the tactic used against my friend and our Beta. Since you’re so good at doing research, I would have expected more from you. Had you done that part of your job, you would have found out exactly who Shaun is and where he came from. Instead you dug up an old photo then tried to shock us like some sleazy tabloid.” Shaun hadn’t heard Cooper’s voice that low in a long time. It meant that his friend—the enforcer of Phantom River, not to mention Sheriff of Stonepass and former Black Ops military operative—was pissed off. Cooper and Shaun were used to giving each other shit, it was what they did. But it was kind of nice to hear his friend come to his defence for once. Not that he ever doubted Cooper would have, not really. He nodded at Phillipa, who was tilting her head at a submissive angle, clearly contrite at having been chastised by a superior ranking wolf. He sat in one of the chairs around the table, pulling Meeghan into his lap. He tucked his head against her neck to inhale her scent. The feel of his mate’s weight relaxing against him, the touch of her hand softly rubbing his chest, was very soothing. Cooper’s eyebrows rose at the sight of them nestled together, and Shaun actually chuckled when his little mate kicked her boss in the shin with her sheriff’sdepartment-issued combat boots.

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Jaryn stood resolute until Phillipa also showed her submission to him then he nodded in acceptance. “I agree with Cooper, but we need to move forward.” He walked around to the other side of the table and sat in the chair he’d vacated earlier. “Walk us through what you know,” Jaryn ordered, in full Alpha mode. “As I said, this photo was found in Brent’s dorm room at UNLV. I believe you all can see the resemblance of the dark-haired man on the right to Shaun. That is Zachary Wilkerson.” Cooper nodded. “But it’s not Adam Broyles.” Phillipa shook her head. “No, it’s not.” Shaun unbuckled Meeghan’s utility belt and pulled it away from her body. He set it on the table then pulled her closer against him. “Then by process of elimination, and the fact that Jaryn recognised the eyes of the other man in the photo, what you’re actually saying is that Brent Haas, who supposedly died seven years ago, is Broyles.” Phillipa nodded. “Then who died on that compound?” “I believe I might be able to help you with that.” Everyone’s heads jerked up and looked at the door to the conference room. Shaun recognised the new voice as belonging to Jasper and beside him stood his mate, Kenneth. The wolf and telepath were the ones who’d foiled Jeff’s plan to kidnap Nicole and take her back to Broyles’ compound after her escape. After Broyles’ disappearance, the two had gone to ground out of fear of retribution. Jaryn stood and circled the table to shake the two men’s hands. “Please. We could use all the help we can get.” Jasper sat at the table on the other side of Cooper. “Zachary Wilkerson was killed after organising and leading the one and only revolt at the compound in July of 2032, seven months after his and Brent Haas’ arrival.” “So Brent’s supposed date of death is actually Zach’s?” Shaun clarified. “Yes,” Jasper confirmed. Jaryn sat back in his seat. “I think it’s probably best if the two of you start from the beginning.”

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Kenneth walked around behind Phillipa, heading for the opposite side of the table. “I met Zach not long after his and Brent’s arrival at the compound. We were both placed on the grounds-keeping crew.” He sat down in the chair across from his mate. “I was curious how he’d ended up there, so I began asking questions. Zach told me that he came to Wisconsin with Brent after his friend had been recruited for a special research project. Apparently Zach and Brent had met the previous summer when Brent frequented a café where Zach worked. He said that they’d struck up a friendship right away, despite being almost polar opposites.” “What do you mean?” Shaun asked. “Zach described Brent as being smart, ambitious and having come from a solid home and pack. However, Zach was little more than a drifter. He said he’d spent a couple of years in college but then dropped out and ended up working odd jobs to make money. When he got tired of one city he moved to the next. Truth to tell, I always got the impression he admired Brent…was maybe even a little infatuated with him.” Shaun shifted Meeghan in his lap so he could see Kenneth better. “He was gay?” He couldn’t help it. Now that he had knowledge of at least one other person in the world he was related to, he was thirsty for any and all information about him, even if Zach was dead, and Shaun was still all alone. He looked around the table. No, not alone. But something inside him wanted to reach out for the tenuous strings of what may have been a true family connection, had they been given the chance. Kenneth looked across at Shaun. “No. At least, not that I knew of. When I say infatuated, maybe a better description would be fixated. He was always talking about his buddy and how concerned he was about what was happening to him. Jorgenson always kept us labourers apart from the intellectuals.” Jasper leant forward and looked down the table. “When Brent accepted the, quote, ‘job’, he did so on the condition that his friend could also find employment at the estate. He told Jorgenson that Zach wasn’t picky, he’d done odd jobs for years and whatever the man could offer would be fine. I was on the tech detail. Our job was to research potential recruits, as Jorgenson called them, and pretty much do whatever Jorgenson ordered that involved computers or communications. Brent was selected because of his work in genetics. He was approached by Jorgenson to head up a special project, but what Jorgenson neglected to tell Brent was that, in accepting the position, he would become a prisoner in the compound.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Kenneth nodded. “So in the end, Zach came along for the ride to stick close to his friend. Unfortunately, neither of them knew the truth about the compound or its purpose.”

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Chapter Eleven

Shaun looked over his shoulder as the scent of steak filled the air. A few seconds later Catherine, Gillian and Cliff all walked into the conference room, laden down with containers of food from the diner. Meeghan jumped off his lap to help and Shaun took a few seconds to admire his mate’s uniform pants stretched over her delectable ass as she bent over the edge of the table to set pitchers of lemonade and beer in the centre. The savoury smells of Cliff’s home cooking wafted through the air and Shaun heard more than one stomach rumble. He looked down at his comm-unit. He was shocked to find that almost four hours had passed since he’d arrived. Catherine set down a pile of plates, utensils and cups. “I thought you all could use a little break and some sustenance.” Jaryn smiled. “Thank you. Do you think you could contact my mate and let her know— ” “Already done,” Catherine intoned. “Nicole says to take your time, but she expects you home for the boys’ bedtime.” Shaun watched Jaryn chuckle. His Alpha set about picking out his food from the selection Cliff and Gillian had brought over, but when he met Shaun’s gaze as they both reached for the pitcher of lemonade, Shaun saw Jaryn’s silver eyes brighten. He knew at that moment that Jaryn was using his telepathic link to talk to Nicole. Shaun had heard many descriptions for the contentment and happiness on a shifter’s face when they spoke to their mate through the mental link. His favourite—although he refused to admit out loud the fact that he thought in such fanciful terms—was a ‘glow’. He reluctantly let Meeghan pull up another chair next to him instead of having her sit back on his lap, and they dug into their dinner. His mate was happily munching on a strawberry and, when some juice dribbled down her chin, Shaun groaned as her tongue sneaked out to lick it away. He watched, mesmerised, as Meeghan opened her lips and popped the fruit slid inside her mouth. A few minutes later she picked up another berry and

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nibbled on the end, and Shaun immediately remembered what it felt like to have that mouth nibble on him. He shifted in his seat as his cock filled and tightened his jeans. “Having a little problem over there, Shaun?” “Nothing a few minutes in a dark supply closet couldn’t cure.” “After we eat, you could always say you need a bathroom break. I hear stalls are a great place to relieve some pressure. I’ve never actually been in a men’s room, but I’m sure you could ask Cooper. He’s probably had plenty of experience.” Shaun coughed as he almost choked on his piece of steak. His eyes began to water and everyone at the table turned to look at him. “I’m good,” he wheezed out before a few more coughs racked his chest. He looked at his mate out of the corner of his eyes. She had a façade of concern, but her dark eyes sparkled with mischief for him alone. The entire afternoon had been one emotional rollercoaster after another, but at that moment, sharing a few minutes of banter with his mate helped him find his centre once again. “You, little mate, are going to pay for that later.” “I was hoping to pay for it sooner rather than later.” “Unfortunately our restrooms don’t have stalls, but I do have a private office. I could yank those sexy as fuck pants to your knees then bend you over my desk and fuck you.” “Hmm, sounds perfect. I’ve been thinking all day about having you inside me again. I love it when you give me every inch of your cock. At first, I almost think it’s too much, but then you force me to let go and those last couple inches sink inside. It’s a perfect moment, and I can feel my muscles gripping you over and over, almost as if my body is begging you to never leave.” Shaun instantly detected his mate’s scent warm as arousal rushed through her system. It was a damn good thing that wolves were only attuned to a woman’s aroused scent if she was his mate. He tried really hard to sit still and pretend that he was concentrating on his dinner, but Meeghan’s scent was getting hotter. In fact, his hands started to tremble with the need to touch his mate. He gripped his fork tighter to conceal the response and ducked his head down so nobody in the room would see that his eyes had shifted. Shaun was a rarity in that, when he became a wolf, his eyes changed colour. They went from his normal dark brown to a very pale gold. “Meeghan, I’m begging you to stop. I promise that later you can torture me to your heart’s content. Your scent is driving me insane! I can tell you’re wet from over here, and all I can think about www.total-e-bound.com

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is getting my dick as far up inside you as fast as possible, but there’re still so many unanswered questions. I can’t leave, not right now.” “Shaun, are you okay? You’re breathing really fast.” Phillipa looked down the length of the table. “Maybe we should get back to the discussion. I thought a little break might give everyone some time to process what’s been said, but maybe we stopped at the wrong time.” Jaryn looked up and smiled when he saw Shaun’s eyes. “He’s fine. Let’s finish our dinner then we can get back to work.” Shaun took several slow deep breaths. Of course Jaryn would recognise his wolf eyes and know what was happening. His friend was probably, at this very moment, trying to think up some way to embarrass him. God knew he deserved it for some of the ribbing he’d given Jaryn when he and Nicole had first got together. Shaun shoved another piece of meat in his mouth and concentrated on chewing the perfectly-cooked morsel rather than on his mate sitting next to him. Thankfully, Meeghan seemed to have given in for the moment. Her scent―while still rich and earthy with arousal—had mellowed. “I’m sorry, Shaun. I was just trying to get your mind off things for a little bit, and since you’re a guy, figured the perfect answer would be to make you think of sex.” “As usual your skills of deduction are right on the money, sweetheart. You did help, only too well. Now I’m hard and hungry for more than this steak in front of me, but…” “You really need to find out what happened to Zachary? You need to know who he was, where he came from, and why the two of you were denied a life together?” “Simple questions without simple answers, I’m afraid.” “You’re probably right. I know that I resisted our mating at first. I was scared, but I want you to know that I’m now one hundred per cent on board. Whatever you need from me, I’ll do. I’m here for you, Shaun.” He looked over at his mate. Her dark eyes looked bigger today for some reason. But in their depths he saw the truth of what she said. His heart beat vigorously in his chest. He wondered if any other wolf in the room could hear how loudly it thumped with love for his mate. He finished his steak, and pushed his plate away. “You should eat your vegetables if you want to grow up to be big and strong,” Phillipa teased. www.total-e-bound.com

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Meeghan leant forward and smiled. “Believe me. Big and strong are not problems for my mate.” “Ladies, sheath your claws,” Jaryn warned, but ruined the effect by chuckling. “Meeghan, I know the other night I said some things that were…inappropriate. Please know that while I may have had hopes for something fun and casual between Shaun and me when I came to town, as soon as I saw the two of you together those hopes disappeared. I don’t want there to be any animosity between us.” Meeghan didn’t say anything, but Shaun could tell she was trying to get a read on Phillipa. He bet his little mate was deadly in the interrogation room. Those midnight eyes could hypnotise you as they stared right into your soul then, quick as a viper, she’d strike and have you lying on the floor begging for mercy. “I accept your apology and given the circumstances I can understand that you were caught off guard. However, Shaun is mine and you should know that I don’t share.” Phillipa held up her hands. “I have no intention of trying to get Shaun into my bed any longer. As you said the other night, there are plenty of single men around town for me to amuse myself with. Although, I do believe that the gentleman you mentioned may not be open to my advances.” Shaun chuckled and looked over at his mate who was trying to hide her grin. “Um, yeah…sorry about that.” Phillipa shrugged. “I deserved it.” Cooper stood and placed his plate on the pile that would be cleaned later. “Who did you try to set her up with, Shaun?” “You,” Shaun said with absolute glee. Cooper stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare over at Meeghan and Shaun. Then he angled himself for a better look at Phillipa. He tilted his head and squinted his eyes. Then he shook his head with a sigh. “Sorry. Your beauty is to be admired for sure, but I just can’t get past the girlie bits.” The room broke out into laughter and Shaun saw Cooper, Jasper and Kenneth all share a secret smile.

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Shaun stood and picked up Meeghan’s plate. He carried it over to the tray that Cliff and Gillian would pick up and take back to the diner later. On his way back to his chair, he gave Cooper a slap on the back for being such a good sport. Cooper reached up for Shaun’s hand and stopped him. “For Cindy?” Shaun nodded with a smile. “Then we’re even?” “For now.” He and Cooper smiled at each other. It was nice that some things hadn’t changed in the course of one afternoon. Shaun settled back in his seat. He would have pulled Meeghan back in his lap but was too full from the delicious meal Catherine had so graciously arranged. He’d have to remember to make her bonus extra nice this year. As a compromise, he pulled Meeghan’s chair close to his and took her hand. His thumb caressed the back of hers, and he smiled when Meeghan gave his fingers a squeeze. They’d come a long way in little more than ninety-six hours. Jaryn stood and looked around the table. “All right folks. I think break time is finished.” He looked over at Kenneth. “I believe you were telling us about Zachary and the sequence of events that led up to his death?” Kenneth nodded. “It was only hours after their arrival that Zach realised the estate was really a prison compound. Shortly after that, with a little inside information from the rest of us, he learned that the labourers who worked the grounds were also lab rats for the experiments going on inside the mansion. He put out feelers quietly to see who would support him in the effort to escape. Eventually there were about half of us who said we’d go along with the plan he developed. The intent was for a group to distract one of the guards at lockdown time so that Zach’s cell wouldn’t be secured. Then he’d get out and make his way over to the security station to release the rest of us still in our cells. We’d sneak out and hit the security hut to disable the locks on the other barracks so rest of the prisoners could escape, then storm the place in an outright coup.” “Ballsy, if not exactly well planned,” Shaun said with some admiration. Kenneth nodded. “We knew the chances of success were small, but we had to try, and Zach was the first one ever to organise an effort. The problem came down to the fact that he wouldn’t leave without Brent. Normally, the labourers were kept separate from those who www.total-e-bound.com

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worked in the lab. Jorgenson controlled everything about our lives. Where we lived, what we ate, who we fucked. And yes, there were times certain inhabitants were forced to have nonconsensual sex.” There was a resounding growl from several members at the table and Shaun saw Jaryn’s eyes flash. No doubt his Alpha was thinking about his mate and what she’d gone through under Broyles’ orders. Kenneth looked over at his mate and there was something haunted in his eyes. Shaun saw him swallow, and it was obvious that the young man was trapped in nightmares of his own experience on the compound. Shaun looked down at Jasper, who had his eyes closed. A second later Kenneth’s body relaxed and Shaun saw him give a slight nod. Kenneth took a slow drink of water, then very carefully set the glass back on the table. “I don’t think Zach had spoken to Brent since their arrival, but somehow he managed to get a message to his friend. He told me the next morning that Brent refused to go along with the plan.” “Fucker,” Cooper grumbled. “I know Brent’s reaction upset Zach. He thought Brent would be proud of him for organising the effort. Instead his friend turned his back on him. I don’t even know exactly what was said between them but, for several nights afterwards, Zach would sit in his cell across from me, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling. In hindsight, I’ve often wondered if Brent actually warned Zach not to attempt the escape, not to disrupt the research plans, but when it came down to it, Zach chose the good of the masses over the desire of his friend. “The night we intended to put the plan in motion everything started out fine, but then very quickly went to hell. Too quickly to be a coincidence. Brent gave us up and Zach paid the ultimate price. The last time I saw Zach he was involved in hand-to-hand combat with one of Jorgenson’s guards. It was really an unfair fight because Zach was already weakened from the drugs they fed us to prevent any of our talents from being utilised. While Zach was fighting for his life, the rest of us were gathered up and locked back in our cells. We never saw him again.” Jaryn closed his eyes and sighed. “So Zach was killed, either in the fight, or later out of sight.”

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Jasper stood and walked around the table. He stood behind Kenneth’s chair and placed his hands on his mate’s shoulders. “Zach was taken into some special isolated cells in the mansion. Jorgenson conducted several unrecorded experiments using Zach as his test subject, all the while interrogating him. Zach’s screams were never heard because of the soundproofing in the cell. About two months later, he was given a lethal injection.” He hung his head and let out a long breath. “I watched it all happen on the monitors,” he said softly and Kenneth reached up and patted his mate’s hand, resting on his shoulder. “About a year after Zach was killed, Brent found out the truth behind his death. Up to that point, Jorgenson had told Brent that Zach had died in the fight. It wasn’t more than two months later that Jorgenson was dead and Brent had assumed the Alpha position. He ordered me to change the records of Zach’s death to his name and erase all data about Zachary from the world databases…which wasn’t hard because I discovered that Zachary Wilkerson wasn’t even his real name. He’d been using an alias since moving to Las Vegas. Brent became Broyles and assumed command.” “You know the rest,” Kenneth said. “What I’m trying to figure out is, if Brent—Broyles—felt guilt over Zach’s death, why did he continue with the experiments after he got his revenge?” “Simple. He wanted the power. I truly believe that when Brent learned of Zach’s death, something in him snapped. Up to that point he’d developed the serums but was never present for the actual experiments. He was a lab geek. But afterwards he became obsessed with taking Jorgenson’s experiments to the next level. Collateral damage be damned—he would succeed where Jorgenson had failed.” “Why are you coming forward with this information now? Why not eight months ago when you were here? Why not two months ago when Charlie was taken, and we used every channel to contact you? You could have helped me save my brother!” Jaryn demanded. Kenneth stood and looked at Jaryn, his hand held securely by his mate. “I understand your pain, Alpha, and I’m sorry. After we left Stonepass we lived completely off the grid. Zero communications, no use of any type of electronic transaction. As you know, Broyles is highly psychotic. We escaped him once and there was no way in hell we were going to risk him locating us a second time. We didn’t even know about your brother until two days ago.”

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Jaryn slumped back into his chair. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine what the two of you have lived through. I’m frustrated because, even now knowing where Broyles came from, we still don’t know where he is or what name he’s using currently.” Phillipa cleared her throat. “That’s where the information I was trying to show you when Mr Colfer first arrived comes in.” Everyone’s head turned in her direction. Throughout Kenneth and Jasper’s story, Shaun had almost forgotten Phillipa’s presence. While he was still processing everything that had been said, he couldn’t help but be disappointed in the fact that he would never know anything more about the man who appeared to be his twin. At least Shaun knew that Zach, or whoever he was, had died trying to save others. Whatever else his brother had done in life, he’d died a hero—a warrior, just like Shaun had been—and that was something they would have in common for all time. The image on the wall changed back to the screen that had first appeared on her commtablet when Shaun joined the small group in Jaryn’s office. She picked up the marker and circled one word on the list. “This is the base chemical used in CRS-264. I did a general database search for companies that sell chemicals in bulk then narrowed down the field to those that carried the base compound we were looking for. After hacking through a few firewalls, I came up with this inventory list. It shows that, in March of this year, an order for one kilo of cathorbionium was placed by a single individual. Now, that may not seem like a lot, but this is not one of your everyday chemicals. In fact, my research didn’t turn up its use in any active patents listed with major manufacturers or grant-based university experiments. I know we’re still at the level of conjecture, but it’s possible this order was placed by Broyles in an effort to replenish his supply and continue his experiments.” “Screw conjecture. We’ll take anything at this point,” Cooper said excitedly. “Does the company have a tracking system showing who orders what or where it was shipped?” Phillipa smiled and Shaun had a whole new appreciation for the woman’s skills behind a computer. His unit could have used her on a few of their missions. “It was shipped to one Brent Adams of Twisp, Washington.”

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Chapter Twelve

Shaun lay naked and face down on the bed as Meeghan straddled his legs, her hands digging into the muscles of his back as she tried to massage away the tension from the day. After the weekend of pleasure she’d shared with her mate, neither one of them had been remotely prepared for the revelations that had bombarded them that afternoon. She found a particularly tight knot in Shaun’s shoulders and pressed down in an effort to break it loose. Shaun moaned into the pillow. The sound wasn’t exactly one of pleasure, but when the knot gave way, her mate sighed and she bent over to kiss the hot skin. “How are you doing?” Shaun shrugged, but through their bond she sensed a myriad of swirling emotions in her mate—depression, anger, resentment, resignation—all of them skittering in and out of Shaun’s conscious thoughts. Her hands slid down the column of Shaun’s back, the muscles resilient as he gave over to her ministrations and relaxation took over. She scooted further down his legs, planting kisses along Shaun’s spine. “If you keep doing that, you’re going to get me all tense again,” he mumbled. She smiled. When they’d got home it hadn’t taken more than a few seconds before Shaun had her stripped and was fucking her up against the wall beside the front door. It had been hard and fast and full of pent-up emotion. She knew her mate needed the release after the events in the conference room, and she’d gladly accepted every driving pump of his hips, every forceful kiss and squeeze of his hands as he held her imprisoned on his cock. When they’d come, their screams had echoed off the walls in the house. Afterwards Shaun had drawn a hot bath for them. They’d soaked in silence, Shaun’s arms wrapped around her. And when her mate’s body had begun to silently shake and hot moisture fell onto her shoulders, she’d closed her eyes and absorbed the hurt radiating from his body. “That’s okay. I think there’s such a thing as good tension.” She reached Shaun’s lower back and dipped her tongue into the curve at the base of his spine then slid it over the top of

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one round globe of his deliciously tight butt. Shaun squirmed on the bed, and his scent changed from that of lethargy to arousal. Meeghan hummed in appreciation. She placed her hands on his ass cheeks and massaged for a moment. She was tempted to see what would happen if she slid her tongue between the crevice. She lowered her head again and teased the very top with the tip of her tongue. Shaun’s breathing got louder, and she peeked up to see his hands fisted in the sheets. Meeghan decided to go for broke. She separated the globes, striking quickly. Shaun’s clean musky taste had her closing her eyes in rapture. “Holy God!” Shaun exclaimed. She flicked her tongue across the tightly clenched muscles over and over in quick little teasing laps then swirled around the outer edge. “Meeghan,” Shaun panted. “Jesus Christ, woman, where in the world…oh fuck it, do it again!” She did, but after another few licks lifted her head. Now that she knew Shaun enjoyed a touch many men might consider forbidden, she planned to use it as a reward for extraspecial good behaviour. Shaun pushed himself up, and Meeghan found herself tossed off his legs and over to his side. He flipped over, and her eyes immediately went to his cock, which stood tall and tight against his stomach. Shaun rolled onto his back, holding out his arms. “Come here, mate of mine.” “Ooh, do I get to go for a ride?” Shaun smiled and Meeghan saw a peacefulness that hadn’t been there earlier. She swung her leg over his waist and rose up on her knees. “M’hm. But first we have to make sure you’re ready to get in the saddle.” Shaun’s fingers slid between the lips of her pussy and dipped inside her channel. She sighed as he probed and spread the moisture weeping from her body in preparation for accepting his cock. Shaun’s thumb found her clit and rubbed the bud, making Meeghan’s breath catch. She tried to push down on his fingers, hungry for a deeper touch, but whimpered when her mate held her hip, preventing the downward plunge. “Please.”

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Shaun’s fingers left her body and he held his hard cock while she got into position. Meeghan braced her hands on his chest. She scooted back till the head of his penis was poised at her entrance. She let gravity carry her body down till the wide flare of the cap pressed inward. Meeghan lowered herself a couple more inches then paused. “Are you okay, honey? I didn’t hurt you earlier, did I?” She shook her head. The way her body was tilted at the moment, Shaun’s cock kept brushing over a bundle of nerves that made her blood sing. She lifted and lowered herself over that same portion again and again. Shaun stabilised her hips and his pelvis arched up as she slid down, adding to the sensation. “That’s it. God you’re amazing…so beautiful to watch you ride my cock.” Meeghan let out a breathy moan. “Let go.” “Huh?” “Let go, Shaun.” His hands released her and the next time she was ready to sink down, Meeghan leant backwards and plunged her body down his entire length. Her head tilted back on her neck and she let out a cry. Having Shaun fill her, feeling her muscles stretch around him and pulsate at his invasion, had her chest heaving. His big hands clasped onto the rounded curve of her ass, and he lifted her up, holding her in the air like it was nothing, only to drive his cock up inside her. She cried out as her body jolted and in the next instant Shaun pulled her down, so that they slammed together. He reached so deep inside her, making her back arch as a keen sensation of being utterly filled ripped up through her body. She opened her eyes, which had shifted, to see the stark lines of his muscles delineated in the moonlight coming through the French doors of their bedroom. Her lungs seized at the provocative image of her mate in full rut stretched out below her. His beautiful body glistened with sweat, his rugged features tight as she gave everything she had into meeting each of his upward thrusts. His dark hair was damp and his lips parted as low grunts came out with every merging of their bodies. Shaun’s eyes flashed open and she saw the pale gold of the wolf looking up at her—feral and hungry as it claimed its mate. God, he’s breathtaking.

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Her gaze was drawn to where their bodies were joined, and she made a low, humming sound at the sight of the thick stalk of his cock gleaming wetly, coated in the slick heat of her cream. Meeghan increased her movements and Shaun moaned as she forced his iron-hard dick between the tight clench of her inner lips at a faster rate. The air was thick with the musky scent of their mating. Her ears buzzed and every inch of her skin tingled. Sounds of wet slapping flesh and harsh, soughing breaths resounded in the bedroom. “Fuck me, Shaun,” she gasped, her voice unusually husky and raw. “I…oh God…I can’t…not like this…I need—” Shaun flipped them over and thrust back into her. He was a force of nature. Long, thick and demanding, he compelled her body to accept all of him. “You need more, honey? What’s going to get you there? You wanna hear about how hot and tight you are around me? How fucking amazing it is to feel your sweet, wet, cunt sucking me deeper with every drive of my cock? You wanna know what it’s like to feel your slick little walls milk me? Open our link, Megs. Let go and take everything I have to give you.” She let her walls down and was instantly flooded with sensations from Shaun. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She was getting fucked while at the same time able to experience every ounce of his pleasure at fucking her. “That’s it, honey. Yes! God, give it to me. I want it all. Let me feel this sweet little pussy ripple around me. You’re so beautiful. So hungry. Come for me, Meeghan. Let me feel you come.” He lowered his head and tugged the swollen peak of her nipple gently between his teeth, while his hips drove into her, powerful and possessive, relentless in their purpose. The orgasm crashed over her—it was so pure and exhilarating that all she could do was hang on for the ride. Meeghan’s legs clutched high on Shaun’s back as she writhed beneath him. The wolf’s eyes looked down at her—bright with lust and full of satisfaction that he’d brought his mate to the ultimate bliss. But there was also love in their golden depths and it was that love that sent Meeghan over another crest. Her body softened, Shaun thickened, his extension elongated and with a mighty howl he gave one last, grinding thrust, driving deep until he was pressed against the sweet spot that only he could reach, then held himself there as his body exploded. Meeghan actually felt

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each blast of semen as it filled her womb. Through their bond, pleasure flowed, and Meeghan cradled her mate in her arms when the strength in his body finally gave out.

**** Shaun sat with Meeghan out on the back patio as the sun slowly dipped beyond the horizon. He wore nothing except a pair of boxer briefs, and Meeghan had slipped on a little spaghetti strap tank top and tiny pair of shorts after they left their bed. His mate sat between his legs on one of the loungers with a thin blanket protecting them from the evening air. Even in July, the night-time temperatures rarely rose above fifty degrees, and since their home was up on the mountain there was usually a breeze. Their bodies were pleasantly sated, but he couldn’t seem to stop his hand from caressing Meeghan’s stomach and nuzzling her temple. He smiled when a soft sigh left his mate and she wiggled in his embrace as if to get closer. Meeghan was as relaxed as he’d ever seen her, and if exhausting their bodies with pleasure was the most assured way for that to happen, then Shaun vowed to make love to his mate with as much vigour as he had previously each and every night for the rest of their lives. “So what now?” Meeghan asked “Now? Now you and I watch the stars come out, then I’ll take you inside and we’ll get under our blankets. I’ll pull you into my arms and we’ll fall asleep with smiles on our faces.” “That sounds nice, but you know what I mean.” Shaun hummed and dipped his head to place a kiss on his mate’s neck. “I do, but I really don’t want to think about that right now. I want to enjoy a summer sunset with my mate. In a few months we won’t be able to sit out here like this and enjoy the air. Instead of evergreens and flowers, the scent of snow will be heavy in the air, and we’ll be confined to the house.” Meeghan chuckled softly. “I can think of worse things than being confined in a luxurious home with my mate, but I know what you mean about enjoying a summer night. This is so much better than LA. Instead of a stifling city, I get to look out at mountains, and instead of a bullet-proof vest being wrapped around me, I have a pair of strong arms.”

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Shaun growled low at the mention of the dangers Meeghan had faced everyday on the streets in her former position. Meeghan gave Shaun a soft jab in his gut. “None of that. I’m a cop and there is a certain amount of risk involved.” Her body stiffened and she lifted away from Shaun. “That will not go away, and I refuse to give up the job I love so you can suffocate me in cotton. So deal with it.” Shaun pulled Meeghan back against his chest and rubbed her belly in slow circles. The motion seemed to soothe her, and her body relaxed marginally. “I would never ask you to give up something you obviously love and makes you happy, but that doesn’t mean I have to like the fact that danger surrounds you. I know you can take care of yourself.” He chuckled softly. “I’ve experienced it first hand. But you are my mate, and I will always be protective of you. If I’m selfishly glad that you now work in a relatively peaceful country setting and not on the seedy streets of LA, then you can simply deal with that.” Meeghan tilted her head to the side and let out a long breath. “Fine.” Shaun clamped his teeth around his mating mark and gave it a little lick. “Good.” Suddenly the air around them changed and Shaun detected a scent that didn’t belong to the forest. He stiffened and knew Meeghan had detected the unknown scent when her body coiled tightly as well. Shaun reached beneath the cushion of the lounger and snagged his semi-automatic pistol he kept there for ‘just in case’ situations. His eyes widened when he lifted the gun and aimed it at the side of the house only to find Meeghan in a very similar position. He looked over at her weapon and smiled. “Nice choice.” “Thank you.” “Announce yourself!” he shouted into the breeze. “Beta Colfer and Deputy Nicholson, I mean you no harm. May I approach?” Shaun let out a heavy breath and lowered his weapon. “Come on around, Jasper. I assume Kenneth is with you?” Jasper walked around the side of the house with Kenneth’s hand in his. “Of course.” Meeghan clicked the safety over on her pistol, then placed it back under the cushion. “Pull up a chair and make yourselves comfortable.”

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Shaun realised that neither he nor Meeghan had apologised to Jasper and Kenneth for pulling a gun on them, and neither man seemed to have expected them to. Most likely the men had known exactly how he would react to an unfamiliar scent invading his territory, and that was why they’d waited at the side of the house. “What can I do for you?” he asked the pair. “I know it’s late and I apologise, but I wanted to talk to you about what was revealed this afternoon.” Jasper looked over at his mate. “I was going to wait till tomorrow, but Kenneth knew it was bothering me so he encouraged this unannounced visit.” “It’s not that late, only nine-thirty or so. I’m usually up till around midnight anyway.” Kenneth smiled. “That may be true, but you’re also newly mated. We didn’t want to…” He cleared his throat. “Interrupt anything.” Shaun laughed. “Had that been the case, you would have heard the sounds of our mating long before you reached the side of the house.” He got an elbow in his gut and grunted. “What? It’s true, honey.” “That doesn’t mean you have to broadcast it to everyone. Besides they don’t need to hear how you grunt and bellow like a stag in rut.” “Oh really, and how about your cries of ‘Fuck me Shaun! Harder!’” Meeghan giggled. “Those either.” He pulled Meeghan back into their original position and covered her with the blanket that had fallen when they’d caught Jasper’s and Kenneth’s scents. Kenneth tried to hide his smile, but Shaun caught the grin along with the blush that was visible on the telepath’s face even in the low evening light. “Kindly stay out of our heads,” he chastised. Kenneth held up his hands. “Sorry, but the two of you were broadcasting so damn loud I couldn’t help it. Nice bedroom, by the way. I like the stone fireplace.” Jasper put his arm around his mate. “I promise as soon as Broyles is put away for good, I’ll find us a real home, baby. You want a fireplace in the bedroom?” Kenneth shrugged. “If we lived somewhere like here, it’d be nice. I can’t imagine something like that down in Florida, though.” Jasper shook his head. “Too damn hot down there. Besides that’s mostly Lynx territory.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“Guys?” Shaun smiled at how both men’s heads turned and their eyes blinked quickly at the sound of Meeghan’s voice. The pair had been so engrossed in each other it seemed as though they’d forgotten he and his mate were sitting there expectantly. “Sorry,” Kenneth dipped his head. Shaun shook his head. “No worries. I understand how much your lives have been affected by all this, too. I’m sure you’re looking forward to the day when you no longer have to look over your shoulder. Thinking about what you want to do then is probably what has gotten you through the last several months.” Jasper nodded and kissed the side of Kenneth’s head. “True, but finally being able to hold my mate in my arms after all the years Broyles kept us apart has gone a long way to making the time enjoyable as well.” Meeghan tilted her head and studied the pair. “How long have you known you were mates?” “I knew Kenneth was my mate the first second I detected him in the compound. It took me a couple days to figure out who the new scent belonged to, but once I saw him, that was it.” “I was taken from my home in Connecticut six years ago. Once Jasper managed to find and inform me that I was his mate, we did everything to keep Broyles from learning about the relationship. We knew if he did that things would get exponentially worse.” “I can’t imagine that was easy,” Shaun said. Kenneth shook his head. “We went five years knowing that the one we were destined to be with was within reach, but unable to do anything about it. We met in secret a couple of times, but couldn’t risk Broyles detecting our scents on each other. There were times when I truly thought I wouldn’t survive, and I even partially convinced myself that Jasper would be better off if I did die. When Broyles pumped me full of drugs and made me… Jasper may not have been able to claim me on the compound, but I still considered myself his mate. And I was forced to…” Jasper rubbed Kenneth’s back and tilted his head up so their eyes met. “It’s okay, baby. That’s all behind us now. We’ve talked about this. None of what happened was your fault. That son of a bitch will never hurt you again, I promise.” Kenneth lowered his head to www.total-e-bound.com

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Jasper’s shoulder and kissed the base of his neck. Jasper looked across at Shaun. “I was shocked when Broyles ordered me to take Kenneth and follow Nicole to Stonepass. He’d insinuated that if something happened to Kenneth on the way, it would solve more than one problem for him. Why he put me in charge of the wet work, I still don’t understand. I was never a part of his hit squad. I’m a computer geek. However, I refused to take the blessing for granted. I knew I had to get my mate to safety or be forced to watch him die. The tricky part was playing Broyles’ game while all the time organising how to disappear.” “So where have you been for the last eight months?” Meeghan asked. “Here and there. We never stayed in one place more than a couple of weeks. Always crowded cities or towns, passing ourselves off as tourists. It hasn’t all been bad. We’ve seen a lot of the country and done some really fun things. It was easier for us if we pretended we were on an extended vacation rather than running for our lives.” “What about money? How’d you get from place to place?” Shaun asked. Jasper smiled. “Before I left, I transferred a substantial amount of cash from one of Broyles’ offshore accounts to another I’d set up under an assumed name. When we left Stonepass, I had the funds transferred to a local bank in Missoula under a set of false identities I’d created for Kenneth and myself.” Meeghan whistled low. “Note to self, never fuck with a computer geek.” “And you did all that at the compound without Broyles’ knowledge?” Jasper shrugged. “He was more concerned with the labs. Unless he needed something, he rarely bothered with us on the technology detail. Our job was mostly to keep tabs on the compound, do any investigations he ordered and research potential new recruits based on his requirements. The money I took before leaving was bounced around by a multitude of ghost accounts and names. I look at it as restitution.” Meeghan sat up and slid her legs over the side of the lounger. “You do realise you just confessed to embezzlement in front of a deputy, right?” The atmosphere suddenly electrified with tension. Meeghan handed the blanket to Shaun, who tossed it away. He didn’t care about his state of near nudity. If things turned ugly he didn’t want any kind of hindrance to his movement. Jasper stared at Meeghan for a moment. Their gazes were locked in a battle of wills. Shaun really hoped that Meeghan’s by-the-book nature wouldn’t rear its head. He’d www.total-e-bound.com

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experienced enough situations in life when there was no straight line between black and white. Sometimes you had to live within the gradient of grey. “Are you going to arrest me?” Jasper finally asked. Kenneth was so stiff at his mate’s side that Shaun thought the man might shatter. His eyes were trained on Meeghan and his hands gripped the edge of the cushion on which he and Jasper had settled. Shaun sat up higher in the chair, his body on alert for any aggression from the pair towards his mate. He couldn’t read Meeghan through their bond. He didn’t know what she was thinking, what she was planning. Would she take Jasper down? Would the other wolf attack Shaun’s mate? Hell, would Kenneth melt both his and Meeghan’s brains with some kind of telepathic ray for threatening his mate? His and Meeghan’s calm evening had been blown away with the mountain breeze and Shaun found himself holding in a growl. If he became forced to fight, he’d do so with every ounce of strength he had to protect his mate. If all three of them shifted, Shaun’s refuge would become a battle ground of snarls, barks, blood and fur. This was why he didn’t share the location of his home. Meeghan’s posture relaxed and she smiled. “No. After what I’ve heard, I’m glad to hear that some of that fucker’s blood money was liberated.” Shaun, Jasper and Kenneth all let out a slow breath. “Was that necessary?” “Yes. He knows what I do. Had I not said anything, he would have assumed I let that type of thing go all the time. By the way, thank you for not interfering.” “If he had attacked you, you can bet your sweet ass I wouldn’t have thought twice about protecting you.” “He wasn’t going to attack. I bet you a hundred bucks Kenneth was in my mind the whole time.” “I don’t like the fact that a telepath was able to read my mate better than me. In the future, please don’t close our link the way you did. I couldn’t read you and was prepared to shift any second to defend our lives and home.” “I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that I had. I’m still getting used to this whole mate bond thing. When I’m in work mode my mind shuts down to focus wholly on the situation. I guess the link closed with it.”

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Jasper nodded. “Now that we’ve set that little drama aside, I’d like to get back to why we came here tonight in the first place. We travelled all night to get here from Arizona, and I think we’ve all had a long day. I need to get my mate back to the motel for some rest.” Shaun scooted around so he sat beside Meeghan. He placed the blanket around her shoulders. “We have managed to get a little off track. However, I can’t imagine anything you have to say can really change anything for me. Zach is dead and you said that wasn’t his real name anyway. This is, of course, assuming that the man in the photo is related to me in the first place. We all saw the resemblance and I’m the first to admit it’s strong, but photos aren’t exactly a scientific way to prove our suspicions.” “What if I told you I have more than just that photo to get you the proof you’re looking for? I may have done what Broyles ordered, but I kept a backup copy of all the records as an insurance policy. Including a complete DNA profile. I also may have dug a little further into Zach’s background.” Jasper shrugged when Meeghan raised an eyebrow. “I was curious about the man who had that much influence in Broyles’ life.” “You have a DNA profile?” Shaun asked softly. Jasper nodded. “And Zach’s real name.” Meeghan picked up Shaun’s hand. He drew some of the strength from Meeghan’s grip into himself. Shaun’s heart beat hard in his chest. He sniffed, trying to detect any falsehood in Jasper’s words. He didn’t think he could take getting his hopes up, only to find out that they were empty promises. “Tell me,” he ordered. “His name was really Darius Cofsky and he was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 23rd 2000, to Benjamin and Joan Cofsky. According to the hospital records, Darius was the first born of twin boys. His brother’s name was Akil.”

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Chapter Thirteen

Shaun rolled the name around in his head. He didn’t really feel like an Akil. Then again, he didn’t know who Akil was supposed to be. When he was a teenager and had started to ask questions, he’d been told that one of the nurses at the Detroit hospital where he’d been found had given him the name Shaun for her younger brother who’d died of cancer the previous year. The doctors had judged him to be no more than two-weeks-old when he was discovered outside the hospital doors. The police had declared him a safe-haven baby so no investigation ever took place. If Darius and Akil were born on the 23rd of March then the dates worked. Shaun’s birth certificate had been generated at the Detroit hospital, and the date used was the one on which the security guard had found him outside the doors. It said April 1st, more commonly known as April Fool’s day—something Shaun never let anyone know. Within twenty-four hours, Shaun had been placed in the custody of child services and was a permanent resident of the system until his eighteenth birthday when he’d joined the Army. His last name belonged to the first family who had taken possession of him. They hadn’t adopted him, but had agreed to let Shaun go by that name since it made it easier to track him in the system that way. He’d stayed with the older couple for the first five years of his life until they’d called DFS and said they simply couldn’t take care of him any longer. From that point on, he’d bounced around twenty-three different residences—some good, some not so good, and some that had him waking up from nightmares years after he left. Funnily enough, the nightmares seemed to stop after a couple of years in the Army. “Shaun?” He looked over at the sound of his mate’s voice. “What happened?” It was the only question he could think of. Why had he been separated from his parents and his sibling? Did they not want him? Were two little boys too much and, since Shaun was second born, he had become the sacrificial lamb? Was he taken from them?

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“I don’t know. At the time I didn’t know you existed so I never researched anything beyond Zach’s real name and origins. I was able to determine that he attended Amherst College for two years before dropping out. Apparently there was some kind of scandal about an illicit relationship between him and a teaching assistant. The woman in question denied everything, as did Zach who, of course, was going by Darius at the time, but the administration asked him to leave all the same. That’s when he started to drift and changed his name.” “That wasn’t long after shifters were exposed. Do you think the two were mates?” Jasper shrugged. “No idea, but having found Kenneth, I know I’d never willingly leave him. So I have my doubts.” Shaun nodded and pressed his leg against Meeghan’s. “And…his parents?” Shaun couldn’t bring himself to say ‘my parents’. Not yet…maybe not ever. “Still living when I did the search. I don’t know if Darius ever kept in touch with them after leaving school or not.” “I appreciate the information. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I need to think, and I’d like to get a comparative DNA analysis to determine whether or not I am this Darius Cofsky’s brother. I know I won’t make any contact with Darius’ parents before that’s done.” Kenneth nodded. “Makes sense to me.” Jasper stood and held out his hand for his mate. “I think we’ve intruded on the Beta and his mate long enough.” Kenneth accepted Jasper’s hand and rose from the lounger. Shaun watched as the mated pair walked around the side of his house hand in hand. They’d given him a lot to think about, as if he didn’t have enough on his plate already. “Shaun?” He looked over at his mate. The hesitancy in her voice had him worried. He knew Meeghan was close to her parents. Would she expect him to try and establish some kind of relationship with the couple with whom he shared DNA? Would his mate be disappointed in him if he decided not to travel to Chicago? “There is something I’ve been wondering about since I found out you were…” “Considered an undesirable? It’s okay, you can say it. I came to grips with my childhood a long time ago.” Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Colfer. www.total-e-bound.com

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Meeghan frowned and turned to face him. “The system is a hard place for a child to grow up. Always has been, always will be. But you are not undesirable. I’m proud to call you my mate. Your friends, your town, your pack all love you. You may have started out in life without a home or family, but I think you’ve made up for that in spades. What I actually wanted to know is what happened when you shifted for the first time? I can’t imagine what that would have been like without a pack to guide and protect you.” “I was very fortunate that at the time I was living with a woman who turned out to be a fox shifter. She had a small house, so there was only me and one other kid there. His name was Mitchell and he was only seven. While I knew her house was a temporary stop, she was kind and always tried to make me and Mitch feel welcome. Anyway, she must have recognised the signs a few weeks before my first shift. She sat me down one night and explained what would happen. I guess she’d scented I was a wolf from the moment I stepped in her front door. The night of the full moon she got a neighbour to stay with Mitch and she took me out to a park not too far from the house.” He chuckled. “She actually took a leash so she could claim I was her dog if someone saw us. When I felt the change coming I started to panic, but Nina talked me through it. I didn’t stay a wolf for long…maybe only an hour or so. Before we got back to the house she made me swear never to tell anyone what I was. Shifters weren’t out of the closet yet and she warned me that revealing my secret could cost me my life. When DFS called to say that they were moving me again, she gave me the name of the local Alpha. She said if I was ever in danger to call him and because I was a wolf he’d help me—no questions asked.” Meeghan laid her head on Shaun’s shoulder. “Did you?” “No. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very good at asking for help.” He smiled and leant down to give her a soft kiss. “I did come close once. The next house I went to was less than ideal, and I considered calling them to see if I could crash somewhere with them until I turned eighteen, but I didn’t like the idea of charity.” When he’d been a little boy, at first he’d yearned for someone to love him or even to simply care instead of tolerate his existence. But the years passed and the houses that DFS dumped him in changed, and he learned that there was no sense in longing to belong to someone. When he was a confused teenager full of raging hormones and a wolf he had no idea what to do with, life didn’t change simply because he wished there was somebody he www.total-e-bound.com

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could go to for support. Even after he’d become a grown man and looked to his brothers in arms as a pseudo band of relatives, he’d still had difficulty opening up. Hence the fact that, until Meeghan walked into his life, he’d lived alone on a mountain. Shaun tried to be a good man. He did what he could for others and, yes, had volunteered to take on the adoption of the super-shifters. It had been a no-brainer that he would take advantage of the opportunity to find homes for misplaced kids—kids who, much like him, came from nowhere and had nothing. For the members of Phantom River, he tried to be the best Beta he could, considering he’d had no idea what a Beta did at the time Jaryn had asked him. But, even to this day, Shaun considered ‘charity’ a dirty word when applied to him. “I wouldn’t have been charity. You would have become pack. I don’t know how things are done in Detroit, but my father has never turned away a wolf in need. We have to stick together.” “I know that now, but I had no concept of what a pack was. I was just a kid trying to survive. Hiding my wolf became my whole life. I’d always been a loner, but after that first shift I got the nickname ‘ghost’ at the homes I lived in. I figured the less I interacted with people, the more inconspicuous I became, the easier it’d be to stay off anyone’s radar. I joined the Army the second I was old enough. It was the same year shifters were revealed to the public, and you know what happened then.” “I know the basics, but much of you is still a mystery. Think I’ll ever get to know the deep dark secrets you hold inside?” “You know what’s important, and quite frankly more than most. I’ve never even talked about some of this stuff with Cooper or Jaryn.” He nuzzled Meeghan’s ear and whispered, “You are one tough interrogator, Deputy Nicholson.” It was time for the talking to come to an end. He’d spewed enough of his guts for one night. He stood and lifted Meeghan into his arms. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and licked her mating mark on his neck. He walked towards the French doors that led to their room. It was time for bed.

****

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Shaun disconnected the communications link with the preservation society chairman. He’d finally got the permission he needed to retrofit the old theatre in town with new wiring. They’d been balking because the old fixtures wouldn’t support the new system and the society wanted to maintain the ambiance of the building, but code was code. Without the updated systems there’d be no power. No power meant no operations and the building would have to be condemned. Shaun promised to search the globe for fixtures that closely mimicked the original so the historical society would be happy. Catherine poked her head in the door to Shaun’s office. “Hey, good news. We got the authorisation for the increase in cost on the saloon project. Your tin ceiling is a go.” Shaun sat back in his chair with a smile on his face. “That’s two things gone my way today. Always like hearing good news.” Catherine came into the office and sat in one of the chairs opposite Shaun’s desk. “Speaking of news, how are you doing after the revelations last week?” Shaun sat quietly and watched his assistant and friend closely. Was that pity he saw in her eyes? He hated pity. Had ever since he was a child. There was nothing worse than being faced with a person whose body language screamed out ‘I’m sorry your life sucks’. He guessed that’s why he’d become so self-sufficient. If you didn’t have to ask anyone for help, then they couldn’t turn their weepy eyes on you or rag at you for being incompetent. He’d experienced both during his years in the foster system. By the time he’d hit boot camp, his shell had been so hardened he’d been impervious to the drill sergeants’ blasting. For a while they’d done everything they could to make him crack, but Shaun would stand at attention, still as a statue and let the insults bounce off. His mind stopped its journey down memory lane and he examined Catherine more carefully. Her eyes weren’t really weepy and she didn’t have the tell-tale frown. No, she looked warm and calm and interested. She really wanted to know, so Shaun decided to take a brave step forwards and tell the truth. “I don’t know. The samples I shipped to a contact sent the results of the DNA test back last night. I am Zachary Wilkerson’s twin, or I guess we really should call him Darius Cofsky. It’s a little surreal. My whole life I’ve been the unwanted baby dropped on a doorstep. I tried to never let it get to me, to hold me back. I’ve lived my life for me the best I can. Now I find out that I had a brother out there the whole time, only to find out that he’s dead. I don’t www.total-e-bound.com

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know whether I should be grieving, angry or neither. And if that wasn’t enough, Cooper called me a little bit ago and said that the Cofskys are still alive. They continue to live in Chicago. I have parents.” His head fell back against the high back of his chair. “What am I supposed to do now?” “I can’t begin to imagine what’s going through your head. But if you need a sounding board, I’ve been told that when I’m not talking I’m a pretty good listener.” She smiled. “Then again, you have your mate for that, too.” “Thank you. Now, enough chitchatting. We both have work to do.” As Catherine left his office his thoughts turned to his mate. Meeghan had been great to him all week. She didn’t pester him to talk, but he’d caught her looking at him out of the corner of her eye a couple of times—almost as though she’d just been checking on him. He would turn and give her a smile or a kiss, then they’d each go back to doing whatever occupied them at the time. When the results of the DNA test had come in last night, they’d sat in the living room and talked about what to do. Outside, the rain they’d been desperately hoping for had finally come and the mountain had rocked with the sound of thunder. He’d watched the storm through the prow windows, finding the tumultuous display mimicking what he felt inside but was unable to show to his mate. Meeghan had stretched out on the sofa with her head in his lap while the storm raged. The simplicity of having her near had gone a long way towards calming the riot inside him. She’d finished moving her stuff into the house last weekend. A few odds and ends had made their way onto end tables, and a couple of new rugs now lay across the wood floors. Shaun found that he really liked seeing their stuff mixed up together. By the end of the night Shaun still hadn’t had all the answers, but he’d reached a level of acceptance that, frankly, he was pretty damn proud of. Darius had existed, and Shaun was proud of the fact that his brother had died protecting those he’d taken under his wing. That didn’t really change his life. However, the parent issue had the potential to completely send his world into a tailspin. He figured it could go one of a few ways. He could contact the Cofskys and perhaps find out that they hadn’t been able to handle the concept of raising twins and had for some reason driven nearly three hundred miles to drop him off at the Detroit hospital. He could show up on their doorstep unannounced and see exactly how the couple reacted to being www.total-e-bound.com

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faced with the infant they’d abandoned thirty-nine years ago. Hell, maybe he’d learn that something had happened to separate Shaun from his family and be welcomed back with open arms. Or he could simply go on with his life with the knowledge that his parents existed but continue to build a real family right here in Stonepass, Montana. He and Meeghan had come to one decision last night. Shaun’s family drama would have to be put on hold for now. The priority for the moment was taking down Brent Adams, aka Adam Broyles aka Brent Haas, once and for all. If God was with them, maybe they could find Charlie’s remains and bring him home to rest. He should be home with his family and pack, not dumped in some unmarked grave. Shaun had done a satellite scan of Twisp, Washington, the other day. It was a small town, pretty much in the middle of nowhere—not that much different from Stonepass. However, home pride had him doubting it could possibly be as picturesque. He and Cooper had gone over to Jaryn’s the other night to hole themselves up in his operation centre. They’d logged into the secure network and used their contacts at the Department of Defence to find out if Broyles had taken on any new associates. Cooper had used the satellite system to get an eagle’s eye view of the property registered in Broyles’ new name. It seemed as though Broyles had downsized. The twenty-acre lot of land outside the town only had a small cabin and a couple of barns on the property. They figured that whatever experiments Broyles was conducting now must take place in the barn since the house was a fraction of the size of the one in Wisconsin. The plan at the moment was to pass on the information they’d learned to the American Shifter Council and the Council for Praeternaturals, then organise a strike. Shaun knew he was one of at least three who wanted to be the first through those doors. He looked at the clock on his desk and realised that the scheduled conference call with the councils was supposed to start in twenty minutes. He still had a lot of stuff to get cleared off his desk before then.

**** Jaryn stood in front of the holographic, three dimensional, image of Broyles’ property on display. “So we’re all in agreement. Two teams of five will make their way onto the www.total-e-bound.com

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property at 2200 hours. Cooper—you and Shaun along with Jasper, Kenneth and Don will take the barn. Myself, Anthony and Wright will take the cabin. Micah and Brian will act as forward observers.” “And what about me?” Shaun turned at the sound of his mate’s voice and saw her leaning against the door jamb into his command room. He’d shown her the space on the day she moved in because it also served as a secure panic room should his mate and future pups need to get to safety. “Honey, you know I think you’re a great cop but this is…” She strode into the room and stopped right in front of Shaun. “Be very careful about the words coming out of your mouth. I’m going. You can either give me an objective or constantly wonder where I’m at, but you’re not going to tell me to stay home like a good little girl.” Shaun growled low in his throat. “I’m not going to put you at risk. Nicole and Phillipa are staying here. Why can’t—” “Phillipa is a profiler and analyst with no field experience. Nicole is a civilian with zero training and two small pups to care for. This is what I do, Shaun. I served on the SWAT team for two years.” He pulled Meeghan into his arms and tucked her against his chest. “You know I respect your talents, but you’re asking me to knowingly put your life in danger. If anything happened to you, I’d lose my mind. I love you.” Meeghan leant back and smiled up at Shaun. “It’s about damn time you said so, but I’m still going. Oh, and I love you too.” Hearing the same words he’d held within all week coming back at him from his mate’s lips sent Shaun’s wolf howling in joy. He’d been afraid to tell Meeghan that he loved her— afraid it was too soon, afraid that if he confessed his true feelings she’d run again. But her dark eyes held no fear, only warmth and joy, and Shaun admitted her love for him had been right there before his eyes if he’d only taken the time to look. “Good, now that that’s all settled. Meeghan, you can take anchor on Jaryn’s team,” Cooper said. Shaun tightened his arms around his mate. “No. If she’s going, she’ll be where I can protect her. Don will be Jaryn’s anchor and Meeghan’s coming with us. Chances are, at that www.total-e-bound.com

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hour, Broyles will be in the house anyway. Minimum exposure, minimum risk. That’s the only way I’m going to agree to this.” Meeghan petted Shaun’s chest and his heart rate slowed. He couldn’t believe he was going to agree to this. But at least with this plan he’d be able to keep an eye on his mate. When he saw Meeghan’s head turn before she gave Cooper a wink, Shaun rolled his eyes. He’d been played. “I don’t want anyone to get cocky. We have a significant disadvantage here compared to Wisconsin. Not only are both the cabin and the barn in an exposed area, but we have no idea what kind of security Broyles has managed to get set up in the last six months. For all we know the place could light up like a Christmas tree the moment we step onto the property.” “Should we go in as wolves? Animals might not trip a system like a human could, especially in such a remote area.” Jasper asked. Shaun shook his head. “No, you need to be able to have access to your weapons at a moment’s notice. I don’t know if this is going to come down to close combat or not, and whatever advantages our wolves have will be useless against high-powered weapons.” He saw Kenneth take Jasper’s hand and move a little closer to his mate. “Neither of you have the training we all do. Are you up for this? Because if not, say so now.” Kenneth straightened his shoulders and stood a little taller. “I’m fine. I need to see this to the finish.” Jasper agreed, “Me too.” Shaun nodded. “Okay.” Jaryn put his hand on Kenneth’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Everyone go home, and get a good night’s sleep. We leave tomorrow at 0600.” One by one, everybody filed out of Shaun’s operation centre. He didn’t use the room often, but since he, Jaryn and Cooper still did occasional consulting work for the military, the space came in handy. Not to mention there were also times when Shaun’s old mercenary team would contact him. Meeghan gave his hand a squeeze and kissed his cheek. “Don’t stay up too late.” She left the room, and Shaun heard her order the house into secure mode as she walked through the living room. He was tempted to go over the strategy one more time, but the www.total-e-bound.com

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image of Meeghan stretched out in their bed had him crossing the room. He touched the power switch to the image generator. “We’re coming, Charlie,” he whispered, then hit the switch and the room went dark.

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Chapter Fourteen

Shaun braced his back against the side of the barn. Meeghan was right next to him, and Jasper was on the other side of her. He let his eyes shift for better night vision. There was no moon out tonight, so the land around them was nearly pitch black. On the horizon he saw the outline of the mountains, and he opened his ears, on alert for any sound that didn’t belong to nature. There were crickets blissfully chirping, oblivious to the evil that had infiltrated their land, and to the west he heard a coyote—a natural one—give out a yip. Then the sound was repeated by three distinct animals. “Must be some young pups trying out their voices.” “They sound pretty young, probably from this spring’s litter. How far away do you think the den is? They won’t travel too far yet.” “My guess is that they’re somewhere in the tree line on that hill to the west.” Shaun looked at the clock on his comm-unit. It was time. He keyed up the microphone attached to his ear piece. “No movement. We’re going in,” he whispered. Shaun got two clicks from Jaryn confirming the transmission. His Alpha was staged over by the cabin, preparing for entry. Shaun knew Jaryn wanted first crack at Broyles, and while he knew his best friend deserved to take down the man who’d destroyed his family, a small part of Shaun hoped he’d get a chance to get in a least one good punch too. He let out a slow breath and looked at his mate. Meeghan gave him a slight nod. As one, they silently made their way into the barn. Inside it was unlike any barn Shaun had ever seen. The entire place had been converted into a lab that looked much like the one in Wisconsin. His gut rolled at the memory of what they’d found there, and he prayed to God that they wouldn’t find more children locked in windowless cells. Shaun and Meeghan took the right side, Jasper and Kenneth went down the centre, and Cooper took the left side of the building. They were about halfway down when Shaun spied some odd-looking, box-shaped, wooden forms sticking out of the wall. He leant back to get a better perspective. “It’s a staircase.”

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Shaun nodded at his mate’s silent communication. He looked up and realised that there was a trap door approximately three feet square in size in the ceiling. Shaun caught Cooper’s gaze and gestured that he was going up. Meeghan was at his back as they carefully climbed the treads. At the top, he braced his hand against the flat panel, hoping the damn thing wouldn’t creak when he pushed it open. Shaun inched the wooden square door up and peered through. He turned and tried to see as much of the layout above as possible. There were no lights up there, and he used his enhanced wolf vision to try and get a feel for the layout. He could see a row of doors to his left and the air was redolent with the scents of all manners of preternatural beings. It looked like he’d just found the holding pen for Broyles’ latest experiments. Trying to recall Broyles’ scent from when he’d been in Wisconsin with Jaryn, he took another sniff. There was definitely a hint of the wolf’s signature in the air that signalled his recent presence, but Shaun couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. He didn’t see anyone standing in the open area immediately in front of him, but unfortunately the area behind the hatch wasn’t visible. He just hoped Broyles wasn’t lying in wait, ready for him to pop his head through the trap door and blow him away. His weapon at the ready, he opened the hatch to the fullest extent and quickly went through. He scanned the area, but didn’t detect any immediate threat. Shaun gestured for Meeghan to come up as he braced his back to the wall behind him. It looked like the upper floor travelled the length of the one below. This was obviously all new construction. He could still smell the fresh wood. Meeghan stood next to him, and he could tell she was doing her own assessment of the space. There were windows at either end of the building and, on the wall opposite from he and Meeghan, he noticed that the doors he’d observed earlier were made of steel as opposed to the wood that filled the rest of the space. Broyles was definitely trying to keep something contained. The rest of the space was empty. “I detect the scent of at least five different species. Think those doors lead to experiment rooms?” Meeghan asked. “Most likely they’re cells like the ones we found in Wisconsin. We need to check them for hostages, but I don’t like how there is no way for us to see inside them first. It’s hotter than hell up

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here, and who knows what kind of condition anyone being held in there is in. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to play saviour only to end up on the wrong end of a feral shifter’s claws.” “The cabin is clear. We’re heading over your way, so don’t shoot us when we walk through the door.” Jaryn sounded frustrated, but Shaun could understand why. They had all expected to find Broyles in the cabin, and that his Alpha would finally get revenge for, not only the stabbing in Wisconsin, but the torture of his mate and the death of his little brother. Now the game had changed once again. “Where is that fucker?” he said under his breath. “I’m over here.” Shaun whipped his head to the right and out of the darkness Broyles oozed into the open space. “So glad you could join me, Beta Colfer. And if my nose doesn’t deceive me, you brought your mate along with you. How touching. You know it’s not nice to enter a person’s home without an invitation.” Shaun adjusted his weapon so the shadow of Broyles’ body was directly in his sights. “I think you lost your right to common courtesy around the same time you lost your sense of humanity.” Broyles took a step closer. “Now that’s not nice. I’ve done a lot of good for the scientific community. You’ve seen first-hand what I can do. Imagine the world where my supershifters control the military. Humans will become the minority, and for the first time we’ll be in control.” “And what about those who have died as a result of your sick experiments? Those innocents you tortured for kicks?” Broyles sighed. “I assume you’re talking about the young Chaunterel wolf? He was sweet and put up a surprisingly strong fight. Unfortunately, he outlived his usefulness.” He knew Broyles was trying to goad him into attacking. Hearing the man speak of Charlie in such a callous manner almost made Shaun’s claws come out. He itched to rip the man open from nuts to nose, but that would play into what Broyles wanted. However, Shaun was compelled to get a better view of the man they’d been hunting now for almost a year. He took several steps forwards, careful not to leave his mate exposed. www.total-e-bound.com

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Broyles gasped and took several quick steps towards Shaun. “Zach?” He whispered in wonder then shook his head. “It’s not possible. You’re dead!” Shaun shook his head. “Guess again.” Broyles fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t you try to fuck with me! I saw where they buried Zach’s body. I’m the one who put up the marker so he wouldn’t be forgotten.” “How decent of you,” he said sarcastically. “Too bad you didn’t do the same for others.” Shaun kept several feet between him and Broyles. He knew the fucker was fast, so he intended to keep his distance. Jaryn had learned that the hard way, and by the looks of things downstairs there were no handy captured scientists with access to an antidote should Shaun get a dose of whatever brew Broyles had concocted recently. There was no way he was going to go on the offensive and leave Meeghan vulnerable. He’d brought his mate along thinking the barn would be the safest place and now Shaun’s body was all that stood between her and a deadly psychotic wolf on a power trip. Not good. Broyles waved off the comment. “They meant nothing. Zach was special. It was the least I could do to honour his life.” “That’d be pretty hard for you to do considering Zach Wilkerson never actually existed.” “What the fuck are you talking about? Of course Zach was real. I was his best friend. I was his only friend!” “Are you sure about that? Obviously my presence and more than slight resemblance to the man means you actually knew very little about him. In fact, I hazard a guess that you really didn’t know your best friend at all.” Shaun had no intention of divulging to Broyles how much his life had been turned upside down after learning about his brother’s existence. He’d learned back in his military days, after only the first couple of operations, that any psychological advantage should be exploited when facing the enemy. If he could get Broyles off balance, then the power would be tipped in the strike force’s favour. “And I suppose you did? Now you’re going to tell me that you’re his twin brother here on some type of crusade to avenge his death,” he scoffed. “How daytime television.”

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Shaun had hoped that his resemblance to the Broyles’ former friend would have had more effect, but it seemed as though the wolf was as cold as ever. Oh well, he’d tried. Now it was time to stop chatting and get down to the business at hand. “You’re half right. However, I’m here to avenge much more than the death of one man.” Shaun was milliseconds away from completing the squeeze on the trigger of his weapon when Broyles’ hand slipped into his pants pocket. There was a loud bang as one of the doors opened. He looked away from Broyles to face the new threat, but an invisible force slammed into him, knocking him against the wall and sending his weapon sailing away. He was lifted into the air and held suspended by his neck. He heard Meeghan cry out, and the crack of gun firing echoed in the attic. Shaun felt the heat from the bullet fly between him and whatever held him in its grip. “Now, now Ms. Nicholson. That’s not fair.” Meeghan’s weapon was ripped from her grip, and clattered on the floor on the opposite of the room from where they stood. When did Broyles develop telekinetic powers? “Thank you, although it would have been nice if you’d given me the gun you moron!” He couldn’t breathe as the air in the room was sealed away from his lungs. Whatever was squeezing the life from him had disarmed Meeghan, but why hadn’t the puppet given the tool to its master? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Broyles start to circle behind Meeghan. He kicked out with all the strength of his lower body. There was the sound of a grunt and he fell to the floor. “Run!” he shouted at Meeghan. “Like hell I will!” The invisible opponent landed a solid hit to the side of Shaun’s head. The ringing in his ears from Meeghan’s shot that had started to subside renewed with a vengeance and his head throbbed. He had to get Meeghan out of here. He had to protect his mate! Luckily his wolf was adept at rapid recovery and he ran over to where she stood then lifted her off her feet and into his arms. He paused beside the wide opening of the trap door. “Cooper!” He knew the rest of the strike force had gathered below, prepared to infiltrate the upper level when Shaun gave the signal. www.total-e-bound.com

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“Ready!” Cooper’s voice rose from the floor below. He dropped Meeghan through the opening to the side of the steps and watched as she landed in his friend’s arms. “God damn you, Shaun Colfer!” she yelled. “Sorry honey, but the game has changed. I love you.” Shaun slammed the trap door shut, effectively sealing him inside the upper level of the barn without any reinforcements. That part sucked, but his mate’s safety was more important to him than living. The air whipped around him as whatever creature Broyles had under his control continued to attack at random intervals. He knew there was no effective way to fight what you can’t see, so instead of trying to combat his opponent, he looked to his right to see Broyles now casually leaning against the far wall of the barn, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face as though he were watching an afternoon ballgame. Shaun leapt and shifted in mid-air. Two lunges and he was on top of the man who had destroyed an untold number of lives. He growled at the man who was more of a beast than the most feral of wolves. He crouched over Broyles, who did nothing but lie beneath him and laugh. He’d obviously gone nuts. There was no other explanation. Then there was a loud sound like a bolt of a safe door being unlatched and several of the cell doors opened. Low growls, hissing and roars filled the air. “You’re a dead man,” Broyles cackled gleefully. Shaun’s jaws opened to sever the head of the puppet master, but before he could latch his jaws around Broyles’ neck, he went flying through the air and landed hard on the floor with a whimper. “God damn, I hate whatever the fuck that thing is.” Shaun watched as several wolves, a cougar, and even a couple of humans who were displaying their powers left the cells and entered the open space. All eyes were trained on him and Shaun saw his death in their gazes. He got to his feet and braced himself for the attack. The trap door was shoved open, and all the members of the strike force quickly came in, shouting and aiming their weapons at the released creatures. www.total-e-bound.com

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“Nobody move! Brent Haas, drop your weapons!” Jaryn yelled. Shaun’s hackles rose when he saw his mate file in with the rest of the team. He ran over to where Meeghan stood and placed himself in front of her. The glint in his mate’s eyes said he could expect a thorough verbal thrashing later, but at that moment Shaun couldn’t care less. “What are you waiting for! Attack!” Broyles shouted. For several minutes the upper floor became a mass of twisting bodies. Grunts, cries and whimpers could be heard, interspersed with screams of aggression. Shaun tried to keep an eye on Meeghan, but in the melee he lost sight of his mate. Several who were capable had shifted, and the smell of blood filled the air as claws punctured one body after another. He caught sight of Broyles standing at the end of the room, overseeing the battle as if he were some kind of decorated general, leaving the gore and destruction to his foot soldiers. Shaun’s attention was ripped away from the sight by what felt like a bolt of lightning hitting his body. He looked up from the wolf who now cowered in submission below him to see one of the humans standing to the side with a ball of light suspended above his hand. The kid couldn’t have been older than his late teens. Shaun charged and dipped his head in preparation for hitting the boy at the knees, but he was once again knocked off course by an invisible force. “Mother fucker!” “Such oedipal insinuations hurt my feelings, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t insult my dear madré.” Shaun’s head whipped around and he tried to identify the source of the voice. “Where are you?” “I’m standing beside you.” Shaun spun and growled. He snapped at the air, but received a swat on his muzzle for the efforts. “Down boy. You have nothing to fear from me. These creatures aren’t going to hurt you and your team. Call off the dogs.” “Bullshit. You attacked us!” “All a matter of show, trust me.” “Why on earth would I do that? You’ve hardly pulled any of your punches.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“Don’t get your fur all ruffled. All things being equal, I’m pretty sure I owed you a few hits from the last time we tussled.” Shaun froze. Now that he was paying attention, there was a vague familiarity to the voice inside his head. Whatever he was fighting didn’t have a scent he could identify. “Who are you?” “It’s me…Collin.” Shaun sat and his ears perked forwards as his former teammate materialised before his eyes. Fairies were a unique entity that could use their inherent magic to do pretty much whatever they wanted. Collin specialised in telepathy and cloaking, something that their military team had taken advantage of on multiple occasions. Collin held up his hand. “Everyone stop. There’s no need for us to fight amongst ourselves. We all know who the common enemy is.” Shaun was shocked when those who’d been fighting the strike force went still. They all looked at Collin with complete trust. The animals dropped to the floor in submission, and the humans held up their hands in surrender. It seemed as though Collin was the leader of the group. All the members of the strike force halted, but continued to watch their adversaries. Everyone in the room waited to see what was going to happen next. “What are you all doing?” Broyles screamed. “Kill them!” All the heads in the room turned to stare at the far side of the room. Collin pointed at Broyles with narrowed eyes. “Shut up!” Collin held up his hand and Shaun watched as Broyles froze in place, imprisoned by Collin’s magic. “What the fuck! How…” Collin chuckled and the fire in his eyes reminded Shaun how thankful he was that the fairy was one of the good guys. “Did you really think your drugs would work on me? I’m a spiritual being, you idiot. Now you just sit tight while I visit with my friends here.” Collin looked back down at the black wolf sitting at his feet. “Sorry. Some people have no manners.” Jaryn and Cooper both shifted back and stared over to where Collin stood. “Collin?” they said together.

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“Surprised? Well, so was I when this ass-hat kidnapped me. I was moments away from sealing the deal with very attractive vampire. I thought about vaporising the cock-blocker on the spot but then recognised him for who he was. I thought it best if I went along for the ride and tried to work the situation from the inside.” Shaun shifted back to human, and in one smooth move he punched Collin in the jaw. Collin rubbed the side of his face. “Ow! What was that for?” “Because the last time I saw you, you cheated me out of a hundred dollars at the poker table. And what do you mean, ‘ow’? What happened to the whole impervious spiritual being crap you just spouted?” “Look, can we leave the class lesson about my physical form until later? I believe there are more pressing matters at the moment.” Shaun felt a flood of emotion coming from Meeghan through their bond. He couldn’t believe he’d let Collin distract him for a second from checking on the safety of his mate after the fight. Shaun looked to his left and saw Meeghan standing beside the teenager who’d hurled the ball of light at Shaun earlier. His mate was still clothed, which meant she hadn’t shifted. While Shaun knew that nudity among shifters was commonplace, deep inside he was glad that his mate’s charms weren’t on display for everyone to see. “Well, unlike you men who are so damn quick to react, I was able to read the situation and realised that there was no need to go on a rampage. There was no need for me to shift. Evan here is sorry for zapping you, but he was only trying to get your attention. Oh and by the way, I am beyond pissed for your little trick earlier.” “I’m sorry, honey, but I couldn’t watch you die.” “So instead you tried to kill yourself?” Shaun’s head rattled with the force of his mate’s exclamation. He shook it off and crossed the room to pull her into his arms. Meeghan smacked him on the back of his head, then wrapped her arms around him and held tight. She lifted up on her toes and opened her mouth over her mating mark on Shaun’s neck. Shaun felt the points of her fangs press against his skin before she released her bite. “Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me Shaun Colfer? We’re mates. I stand beside you, and you stand beside me.”

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“Yes, dear.” He buried his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent, letting the fragrance wash over him and assure him that his mate was unharmed. “Thank God you’re okay,” he whispered. “That’s very touching. Care to introduce me, Shaun?” “I’m going to kill every last one of you! You think you’ve won?” Broyles started to laugh. “This is only the beginning.” Collin looked at Shaun and smiled. “Excuse me for a moment.” He turned and looked across the room at where Broyles remained frozen. One moment Broyles was standing with his face red and eyes bulging with fury, and the next he was suspended in the air clutching at his throat as his face started to turn blue. “Your days of torturing innocents are over. I have an intense desire to stand here and watch you suffocate, but I believe there’s someone here who has a few questions for you.” Jaryn picked up his weapon from the floor and aimed it at Broyles’ head. “Where’d you put him?” “Him? Who him?” he choked out. “Where’s my brother, you son-of-a-bitch!” Broyles made several gurgling sounds, and Jaryn looked over his shoulder at Collin. “Can you put him down for a second?” Whatever force Collin had been using to hold Broyles in mid-air disappeared, and the man fell to the wooden floor like a stone, gasping and coughing. Jaryn looked down at Broyles and growled. “Now, where is he?” “You’ll never find what you’re searching for. Your brother doesn’t exist anymore,” Broyles snarled. Shaun looked over at Kenneth. “Can you help?” Kenneth walked closer to Broyles, Jasper right behind him. He stood a couple of feet away and stared down at the man who still breathed heavily and rubbed at his throat. Shaun watched as Kenneth pulled back his leg and kicked Broyles in the crotch with full force. Broyles let out a scream, and every man in the room winced, but Shaun also found himself smiling into the back of Meeghan’s neck. Kenneth looked over at Jaryn with a frown. “He’s developed some type of shield. I can’t read him. I’m sorry.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Jaryn put his hand on Kenneth’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you for trying.” Shaun kissed the back of Meeghan’s neck and gave her a squeeze then stepped aside. He walked up to where Jaryn stood over Broyles, who still clutched his groin and moaned. He looked down and tried to see inside the man, searching beneath the layers of evil to find the person who claimed to have been his brother’s friend. “I’m glad my brother never lived to see what you became. In the end you were nothing but a disappointment to him.” Shaun turned his back and walked towards Meeghan. There was a loud growl, and the air vibrated around him. He turned in an instant and saw a large shape flying through the air towards him. He lifted his weapon and fired. Three shots echoed simultaneously through the room, and a tawny-coloured wolf fell to the floor. Shaun watched as Broyles’ body shifted back to human. The once handsome man’s eyes were open in shock, staring up at Shaun. There were three round holes piercing his naked body. Two in the chest, and one in the forehead. Shaun looked over at Jaryn. There was smoke curling from the barrel of his gun. He looked over his shoulder and was met with a similar sight as his mate stood with her feet braced apart and her arms straight out. Almost as one, everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief.

**** “So what do we do now?” Shaun lifted his head and met the questioning gaze of a cougar shifter who had been one of Broyles’ prisoners. “After each of you meets with representatives from the ASC and COP, we’ll help you find your way home.” Kenneth pointed down at Broyles’ body. “What about him?” “He’ll be handed over to the ASC for disposal,” Jaryn said. He walked over the pile of clothes that lay in shreds from when he shifted. Jaryn picked up his comm-unit and keyed the microphone. “Micah, come in.” “Go ahead.”

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“Can you bring the extra clothes we all packed up to the barn?” He looked around and smiled. “Some of us are in a rather exposed position.” A snicker came through speaker. “I thought you enjoyed hanging out with your friends, Alpha?” Shaun rolled his eyes, and was about to respond when he choked on his own air as Meeghan’s hand slid over his ass, and one delicate finger slipped between his cheeks. His cock jumped, and he turned away from the group, spinning till his back leaned against the wall. He pulled Meeghan in front of him to hide his body’s reaction to her touch. He settled his hands on her hips and pulled her close. “Not here,” he whispered. “Sorry, babe, I couldn’t resist. The temptation of your naked body makes me want to do unspeakable things to you. But you’re right, not here, not now. You’re all mine.” Kenneth looked at the hostages. “Do you all have clothes in your cells?” “Yes, sir. We were allowed to have one spare set.” “Good. Go ahead and get dressed then meet us downstairs. And I’m not sir.” He looked up at Jasper and received a slight nod in return. Kenneth looked back at the small group. “My mate and I were in your place only a few months ago. I know what you’re feeling. I know about the self-recrimination, the anger, the pain. Things will probably be hard for the next little while, but I promise you it will get better. If any of you need someone to talk to, please feel free to contact us.” “That’s very kind of you, Kenneth,” Collin said. “Now why don’t we all do as suggested and get dressed then get the hell out of here. I don’t know about you boys, but I could go for a huge steak right about now.” One by one the freed hostages and members of the strike force made their way down the steps to the lower level of the barn. Shaun, Meeghan, Jaryn and Cooper stayed behind to deal with the body. Three pairs of black pants were tossed up through the trap door, and Shaun snagged them. He tossed the other two to his best friends, then slipped on his own garment. Cooper looked down at Broyles’ body then back up at Jaryn, Shaun and Meeghan. “Do any of you feel weird too?” “What do you mean?” Meeghan asked.

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Cooper shrugged. “Not sure. Usually after a successful operation I enjoy the endorphin high for a little while, but right now I feel…nothing.” Jaryn walked over and put his hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “This was hardly like one of our missions back in the day. We’ll all go home and try to move on with our lives now. There’s nothing more to be done.” Cooper nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” He blinked several times. “I’m sorry we couldn’t find Charlie,” he choked out. Jaryn looked up at the ceiling, but Shaun knew that his friend wasn’t seeing the wooden beams and sheets of plywood. Jaryn’s mind was high above the night sky, maybe trying to find heaven and reassure himself that his little brother was happy. “Charlie will always be with us. I have to believe that. We’re family. All of us here. Family is together…always.” Shaun felt a tear break free and slide down his cheek. Meeghan hugged his waist and she laid her head on his shoulder. Through their bond he felt her love and support. He looked over at Jaryn, whose eyes were closed, and he knew the man was sharing a moment with his mate through their bond. Cooper’s eyes shifted around the room, unable to focus on one element. He seemed lost, and Shaun knew in that moment his friend must feel a keen sense of longing for the connection with a mate. He hoped that Cooper would find the man destined to belong to him soon. For all the trouble they gave each other, Shaun wished only good things for his best friend. They may not share blood, but Jaryn and Cooper were his brothers, and the three of them shared a friendship that exceeded convention. “Hey guys?” Cooper asked. “What’s up?” Cooper pointed to the far end of the room. “Why is that last door still closed?” Jaryn took a couple of steps towards the centre of the room and looked down the length of the open space. “I don’t know.” He looked over at Shaun. “How did Broyles open the doors?” Shaun frowned. “His hand slipped into his pocket, shortly before Collin ploughed into me the first time. He must have had some kind of remote in there.” Cooper looked around the room “Where are his clothes?” www.total-e-bound.com

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Jaryn jogged over towards the window. “Here.” He picked up the tattered remains of the slacks Broyles had worn and shook them out. There was a clunk and Shaun’s eyes scanned the floor. “There!” He pointed to a spot on the floor a couple of feet away from Jaryn. Jaryn bent over and picked up the small rectangular device. He brought it over, and the four of them looked down. There were illuminated numbers one through five. Shaun looked over at the doors which currently stood open. There were four. Shaun took a sniff. “Can any of you detect a scent not belonging to us?” One by one they all indicated that they couldn’t. “Maybe there’s nothing in there,” Cooper said. Jaryn frown. “Maybe, but I intended to find out regardless.” He pushed the button labelled number one. The door closest to them slammed shut. “So logic says we should press number five,” Meeghan said. Jaryn’s thumb hovered over the glowing number. “Wait!” Cooper said. He walked down to stand outside the door. Shaun, Meeghan and Jaryn followed him to the other end of the room. They all pulled out their weapons and aimed them at the door. Shaun angled his body so he wouldn’t block Meeghan’s shot, but at the same time was in a position to protect her if needed. “Okay, Jaryn. Go ahead,” Shaun said. Jaryn pushed and the door swung open without a sound. As if a spirit had been unleashed, the air filled with the scent of the forest. But underneath was an undeniable odour of sickness. Shaun looked around the edge of the door and gasped. “Holy shit,” he whispered. Jaryn dropped the remote and rushed into the cell. “Charlie!”

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Chapter Fifteen

Meeghan climbed into the vehicle’s passenger seat and glanced over her shoulder as Jaryn carefully lowered Charlie onto the back bench. The rear door closed with an almost silent thud. Meeghan sniffed, but even with the unconscious youth only a couple of feet away, she didn’t detect any hint of his wolf. The opposite side rear door opened and Jaryn climbed in. He very gently lifted Charlie’s head, laying it across his lap. The tiniest whimper came from the still body and Meeghan let out a slow breath. It had been the first voluntary sign of life from the sixteen-year-old. “It’s okay, kiddo. We’re taking you home now. Mom and Dad are gonna be so glad to see you, and wait till you see the boys. Kaden and Gavin have gotten so big you’ll hardly recognise them.” Jaryn spoke softly as he smoothed Charlie’s hair out of his face. Meeghan blinked away the tears that threatened to slip down her cheeks. She almost felt guilty for eavesdropping over what was obviously a family moment. The driver’s side door opened, and Shaun leapt into the seat. The motor started and cool air flowed from the vents, drying the evidence of her emotional response. “Shaun, get us to the airport…fast,” Jaryn ordered. “I’ve already given instructions for the jet to be made ready. We’ll have him back home in no time.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he drove away from the ranch. “I think we should have Doc take a look at him as soon as possible.” Meeghan didn’t hear a response, but Shaun was looking in the rear view mirror and obviously saw the silent confirmation from their Alpha. The vehicle speeded up and Meeghan watched the numbers on the speedometer climb higher. Tonight, she didn’t care about traffic laws. The road wasn’t exactly smooth and the vehicle bumped along the ruts leftover from the winter melt and spring rains. With each bounce, she held on to the door handle. She was tempted to speak to her mate through their link, but didn’t want to distract him from watching the road. They finally reached blacktop a few miles outside of the town and, given the all-out way Shaun was driving, it was fortunate that at this time of night there were only www.total-e-bound.com

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a couple of other cars on the roads besides the caravan carrying the strike team and rescued hostages. They pulled up to the airstrip, which was little more than a single hangar, a watch tower, and concrete strip that was terrifyingly short. The ASC had let them use a private jet for the mission. With the addition of six rescuees it would be a tight fit, but Meeghan knew they could make it work. Shaun pulled right up to the plane. The steps were already lowered, waiting for them to board. Meeghan jumped out of the vehicle almost before it came to a complete stop. She ran around the opposite side and opened the rear door. Shaun stood with his arms out. “Let me have him, Jaryn.” In his silver eyes, Meeghan read the Alpha’s reluctance to let go of his little brother, but eventually he slid Charlie into Shaun’s waiting arms. Shaun took off and carried Charlie smoothly up the steps. Jaryn climbed out and Meeghan shut the door with a slam. The jet engines of the aircraft were already running and the noise was deafening. She placed her hand on Jaryn’s arm, and he turned from staring at the opening to the cabin into which Shaun had disappeared. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. Despite the noise, Jaryn clearly heard her. He took her hand and pulled her along behind him up the steps and into the cabin. Meeghan saw that Shaun had lowered Charlie onto the bench seat that ran along one side of the cabin, midway back. As soon as Jaryn saw that Charlie was secured, he let out a breath. Meeghan imagined that right now her Alpha was probably terrified his little brother would disappear again if he even blinked. Jaryn moved them out of the way so the rest of the team members could file in and find seats, then looked down at Meeghan. “I appreciate the sentiment, but we both know there’s something very, very wrong. I can’t detect his wolf at all and it’s obvious he’s malnourished. I was briefly under the influence of one of Broyles’ drugs, and I can tell you that it feels as though your blood is boiling and your guts are being ripped out of your ears. You can’t breathe, you can’t see, and the most terrifying thing is, it silences your wolf. You feel as though a part of your soul has been slashed away. Obviously Broyles gave Charlie an antidote, otherwise he would have died within minutes, but we have no idea how many

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times he was given the drug, or what his mental status is. I’m afraid Broyles may have been right. My little brother no longer exists.” Meeghan hadn’t known Jaryn very long, and the raw emotion in the man’s silver eyes made her want to hug him. It was obvious he was struggling, and she really wanted to give him some hope to cling to. “You know when you got in the car and had his head in your lap? He turned toward you. So some part of him recognised your scent. He knew he was safe. That tells me that your little brother knew exactly who it was that rescued him. He’s in there, Jaryn, we just have to get him the help he needs to find his way home.” Jaryn smiled and rubbed her shoulder. “Thank you. Now you’d better go to your mate so he stops snarling and doesn’t come over here to knock me on my ass for standing too close to you.” Meeghan looked over at Shaun and sure enough, there was a definite tenseness to his muscles that hadn’t been there earlier. His eyes were narrowed on where Jaryn’s hand rested on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes while shaking her head. She made her way back into the customised cabin. “Will you settle down? I was trying to comfort him. That’s all.” Shaun’s shoulders drooped and Meeghan almost laughed at the pathetic puppy dog look in his eyes. “I can’t help it. We’ve only been mated a couple of weeks. My wolf is very possessive.” She sat in the seat beside him and buckled her belt. “Oh, it’s all your wolf’s fault?" “Fine, I’m a bit possessive too. Satisfied? I don’t like seeing other men touch you or watching you have intimate conversations with them.” “Babe, you could hear every word we were saying.” “I know, I know. I just…” Meeghan took his hand in hers and laid her head on his shoulder. Shaun let go of her hand, and for a moment she feared he was more upset than she could detect. But then his arm went around her shoulders and he pulled her close. His lips landed on top of her head, and she heard him inhale deeply. “I love you,” she said softly. “I love you too, honey.” www.total-e-bound.com

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The plane slowly started to move across the concrete pad towards the runway. Meeghan looked up the aisle and saw that every seat of the small jet was filled. Cooper and Collin sat in a couple of chairs facing each other, directly in front of the seats across from her and Shaun where Kenneth and Jasper were sitting. Jasper was holding Kenneth in the same way Shaun held her, and the telepath’s eyes were already closed. The rescued hostages all seemed to have congregated towards the front of the plane, and the strike team in the middle. She turned to look behind her and saw the bench where Jaryn sat next to his brother. Despite her words, she was worried. Would they be able to bring Charlie back? Everything she’d heard since moving to Stonepass had given her the impression that Charlie was bright, fun-loving, and energetic. How would the boy who’d been on the verge of manhood deal with the trauma of his experience? What would they see when he finally opened his eyes?

**** Shaun heard the signal of the front door chime through the den of Roberta and Chris’ home. He stood and walked out into the living room. Most likely it was Meeghan. She’d volunteered to see Phillipa off so Jaryn and the rest of them could get Charlie home and evaluated. The agent had repeatedly said she wished she could stay and find out how Charlie was doing, but she had been called back by headquarters to work another case. Before catching her evening flight, she had a three-hour drive down to Missoula to reach the main airport for the region. When the team had arrived home early that morning and told Phillipa the news of Broyles’ death, Shaun could have sworn her eyes had lightened and a small smile crossed her lips. She had, of course, requested to see the body for herself. He and Cooper had taken her to the rear of one of the vans they’d driven into town from the local private airstrip where they’d landed and shown her the evidence of their successful mission. Shaun pulled open the front door and there stood his mate. The mid-afternoon sunshine was trying valiantly to break through the clouds that had rolled over the mountain peaks that day, but the quick bursts of light couldn’t dispel the gloomy pall over the entire town. The weather seemed to mimic the emotions of the townsfolk. On one hand, they should all be www.total-e-bound.com

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celebrating, but on the other, with Charlie’s future so uncertain, the jubilation couldn’t yet break through the sorrow. Meeghan looked tired. Her features were worn and the glimmer of warmth that he’d come to expect in her dark eyes was gone. She stepped into the house and he immediately wrapped his mate in his arms. “How is he?” she asked. “The doc is still with him. He did wake up for a few minutes but was really disorientated. Did Phillipa get on the road okay?” “Yeah, she said she’d call when she landed tonight.” Shaun tilted Meeghan’s head up and kissed her. He’d come to crave his mate’s kisses. Her soft lips and tongue had the ability to make Shaun’s mind drift away from reality. His head swam, lost in a world of heat and sensuality. One minute their kiss was sweet and loving then, as if a flash-bang had exploded, it turned into a raw meeting that burned with pure sex. Most likely their mating heat was enhanced by some residual adrenalin left over from the confrontation. They hadn’t made love since before leaving for Washington, and while he knew the circumstances weren’t ideal, his body hardened in preparation for his possession. Meeghan circled her arms around Shaun’s neck. His cock nestled between her legs. She writhed against him and started to shake. Obviously his mate needed him just as much, and Shaun couldn’t find it within himself to deny her. After the night they’d had, his need to reassert his claim on her throbbed within him. He needed to experience that moment of bliss when his mind shut down and his entire being was consumed by the pleasure he shared with the woman he loved. Shaun’s cock swelled even more as Meeghan fed him her desires through their bond. He lifted her so their bodies pressed together, till not even a breath of air separated them. Where should they go? Tempted as he was, he wouldn’t take Meeghan out in the open. He carried her into the laundry room. He set her on top of a built-in table. The sounds of the television filtered through the wall directly behind him. The possibility of discovery only added fuel to the fire racing through his veins. They grabbed and wrenched at each other’s clothing till all vital parts were exposed. It was a good thing Meeghan wore a short, casual skirt—it made for easy access. www.total-e-bound.com

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A rough groan was torn from him when he shoved his hand into the front of her panties. His palm was met with damp heat. His mouth watered for another taste of Meeghan’s juices, but they were taking enough of a risk as it was. He dragged his fingers through her delicate folds, using his calluses to further stimulate the hypersensitive flesh. There was no doubt that she wanted him. She was all but dripping and his hunger reached new dimensions. Need raw and primal beat in time with the powerful thumping of his heart. The height of the table put her at exactly the right level. Shaun held her hips and pulled her to the edge. He smashed their lips together at the exact moment he slammed his cock into her wet channel. Shaun swallowed the scream that escaped her at his possession. Shaun pumped his hips and surged into Meeghan over and over. His mouth rested against her ear. “You have to be quiet, honey. The rest of the gang are just on the other side of the wall behind me. Cooper has a really sensitive nose. I bet he can smell us fucking in here. Does that turn you on?” A surge of moisture flowed from her body and Meeghan’s inner muscles contracted around his cock. “Oh…I can tell it does.” His mate moaned, and they smiled as their eyes met. He loved knowing he could make Meeghan lose the control she always held on to. She reached up and he met her mouth halfway. Maybe if they just kept kissing they could keep the moans and grunts to a minimum. However Meeghan’s kisses were a danger unto themselves. Each time her tongue touched his, his stomach muscles tightened and cock jumped. She shuddered and clung to him even closer. Shaun’s hands squeezed her hips and he knew that without her superior healing skills there would have been marks on her skin. His cock thrust up inside her, aiming for the bundle of nerves he knew existed deep within her core. Their lips separated, so each of them could catch their breath. Shaun’s forehead rested against hers and they panted against each other’s mouths, making the air surrounding them humid. Meeghan unlinked her hands from around Shaun’s neck and took his nipples between her fingers. He hissed as she pinched the small nubs and rolled the sensitive tips. Shaun now fucked her so hard he was surprised the table and all the shelves around them didn’t vibrate. Meeghan’s head dropped back, and Shaun’s mouth closed over one of her nipples. His teeth gently closed around the peak even through the lace of her bra, which they hadn’t removed. In the next instant, Meeghan climaxed. Shaun grimaced as Meeghan’s nails scored his back. The faint scent of blood filled www.total-e-bound.com

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the air from both the love scrapes and Meeghan’s grip of her lower lip between her teeth. Shaun saw her fighting the desire to scream out as a result of the orgasm. He licked at the abused lip and captured Meeghan’s whimpers with his mouth. He’d thought he’d known how to keep himself in control during sex. He knew how to regulate his strokes. He knew how to read the signals of a woman’s body to give her the kind of fucking she really wanted—slow and deep, hard and fast, a mix… He knew more often than not he’d succeeded because, as Meeghan had pointed out when they’d first mated, Shaun did have a reputation with his former lovers. He’d always prided himself on giving his partner as much pleasure as she could handle before giving over to his own need but, with his mate, it seemed as though all the lessons over the years were completely wiped from his mind. He’d been unprepared the first night they’d mated for the hot, raw pleasure of parting Meeghan’s soft tissues with his cock. It had only been a couple of weeks, but Shaun had already lost count of how many times they’d made love. Then, as now, the fierce connection between them left him shaking. All rational thought as to how to please the woman in his arms was wiped away, and Shaun was reduced to an animal operating on raw instinct. He ate at her mouth and arched into the nails that raked across the back of his shoulders as his mate shook and moaned and came for what felt like an eternity. It took everything within him not to follow her into the blissful oblivion. Shaun lifted Meeghan and turned their bodies so she was braced against the only wall that separated them from the rest of his family and friends. If their mating had gone unnoticed until now, most likely this little manoeuvre would give them up, but Shaun didn’t care and he knew Meeghan didn’t either. They were mates, their bond sacred among their kind. Even in the home of his pseudo-adopted parents, with Charlie’s future so uncertain, to celebrate life with your mate in the most basic and primal way was respected and accepted without rancour in a pack—something he’d never experienced before coming to Stonepass and would never willingly give up. Shaun held Meeghan against the wall—tightly against him, breasts to chest, mouth to mouth, hands cupping her ass, holding her still for the thrusting he couldn’t help now. He was losing control and as the momentum of this thrusts increased, his rhythm faltered. She

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was warm and slick with her own juices. The sound of their bodies meeting competed with the thundering of his heart in his ears. Meeghan’s body rippled around him. The velvet clasp of her wet tissues had his wolf howling internally. His fangs dropped and he struck. He lost himself inside her as he exploded. His mate’s sweet blood flowed into his mouth and Shaun clung to her, trembling, as he came. Their emotions flowed through their bond and he almost found his eyes filling with tears at the intensity. He fucked her all the way through it, unable to stop, long hard jabs up into her, his cock on fire, coming so hard he almost blacked out. He pressed them against the wall until the knot retreated because his legs felt as though they’d give out any second. Meeghan let out a little sigh, and he adjusted his grip. Meeghan’s legs tightened around his waist. This caused his cock to glide through their combined juices and had them both moaning softly. He locked his knees and lifted away from her so his weight would stop crushing her against the wall. Her eyes were closed, and she had a soft, sated, smile on her lips. Her hair was mussed, sweat dampened her upper lip and forehead…and he’d never seen anything more beautiful. “Shaun,” she murmured, then opened her eyes. He sucked in a breath at the love staring back at him from Meeghan’s midnight eyes. Never in his life had he felt as though someone truly loved him, accepted him for every part of who he was. Even in his friendships with Jaryn and Cooper there was always a part of him that he’d held back, but with this woman Shaun saw his future, and for the first time he looked towards the years ahead with anticipation. “We should get cleaned up and go out with the others.” Meeghan nodded then leant forwards and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I love you,” he whispered. “That’s really nice to hear.” He pulled out of her body and turned them back around to set her on the table where they’d started. “Yeah, well I’m glad you like it, because I plan on saying it at least once a day for the rest of our lives.” He bathed the evidence of their mating away from their skin with the help of the sink beside them. Meeghan jumped down from the table and straightened her skirt. Shaun redid www.total-e-bound.com

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the buttons on her blouse while placing little kisses on her neck. Then, in quick order, Shaun put himself back together. He held out his hand and when Meeghan placed her hand in his he smiled. They opened the door and exited the laundry room into the kitchen. Shaun led her through the house in basically a giant U-turn towards the den. As they came to the stairs that led to the second floor, Dr Craig Johns, who’d chosen to stay in Stonepass for the time being, walked down the last couple of steps. Shaun could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn’t good. “Well?” he asked. Craig tilted his head towards the den. “I only want to do this once.” Shaun felt Meeghan squeeze his hand and they followed the doctor, who’d initially been one of Broyles’ captives in Wisconsin, towards the back of the house where the rest of Charlie’s family waited for the news. They entered the room. It was as if everyone in there sucked in their breath at the same time and the room turned into a vacuum. Shaun and Meeghan walked around the back side of the sectional and stood behind Jaryn and Nicole, who sat beside his parents. Kaden and Gavin played on the floor atop a blanket, ignorant in their innocence. Cooper sat in a separate chair a few feet away and Shaun met his gaze for a few seconds. His family was strong. Relying on each other’s strengths and letting others carry the burden when needed would ensure that whatever Charlie’s diagnosis was, they would get through this. Craig stood in the middle of the room and looked at each of the occupants. “Charlie is resting comfortably for now. I drew some blood samples and will have to run some tests, but my first impressions are that Broyles routinely administered his latest version of CRS-264 and its corresponding antidote on a continuous basis throughout Charlie’s incarceration. The long term effects of this are, quite frankly, unknown, as when the drug was used in Wisconsin we never used it in high, concentrated, doses. As some of you mentioned, you were unable to detect Charlie’s wolf, and my assessment is in agreement with your observations.” Roberta, Charlie and Jaryn’s mom, began to cry. Her mate and Jaryn, who sat on either side of her, put their arms around her. “I don’t know if this is permanent. Only after the blood tests are completed will I be able to determine if Charlie underwent gene therapy similar to Nicole. Charlie is a natural www.total-e-bound.com

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wolf, and the good news is that my research never determined a method of removing the lycan gene from DNA. So what I’m hoping is that Charlie’s wolf is simply suppressed due to trauma and will re-emerge when he’s healed.” Jaryn stood and crossed to Dr Johns. He held out his hand. “Thank you. Let me know if you need anything beyond what’s at the clinic to conduct your tests. I’ve already spoken with the Dean of Medicine at the research hospital in Billings and you have free access to all their labs and resources. The ASC jet will fly you back and forth from our airstrip to the Billings airport. Are you sure Charlie shouldn’t be hospitalised?” “His vital signs are strong. What he needs right now is healthy food and rest. I encourage you all to visit with him in small increments. It will help him to reacclimatise to being home. Don’t push him to talk about his experience, but be ready to listen if he wants to. Don’t let his experience become a white elephant in the room, it’s not bad to acknowledge his ordeal, but try not to let him dwell on it either.” “When should we get him in to see a counsellor? Because, quite frankly, Doctor, none of us are trained therapists, and I don’t think any of us want that kind of responsibility. We’re his family, not his doctors,” Charlie’s father, Chris, said. “I would say when he’s physically able to get around with ease. If you want to plant the idea in his head before then, that’s fine, but again don’t force the issue unless it appears as though he’s self-destructive.” “What do you mean, self-destructive?” Roberta asked. Cooper leant forwards and rested his elbows on his knees. “He means suicidal.” Roberta gasped. “Charlie would never do that!” Shaun placed his hand on Roberta’s shoulder. “Unfortunately, all too often I’ve seen men contemplate suicide after particularly horrific experiences. Strong men, ones you never would have suspected. It’s not a sign of weakness. They feel trapped in a never-ending cycle of pain or self-recrimination or whatever trauma they’re experiencing. Death seems a viable solution because it means escape. It means peace.” “But we just got him back!” she cried out. Jaryn crossed the room and knelt at his mother’s feet. “We’ll watch him, Mom. You know Charlie…he’s such a little spitfire he’ll probably bounce back being surrounded by yours and Dad’s love. We’ll all be here for him. The doctor just wants to give us all the www.total-e-bound.com

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information up front.” He looked over his shoulder at Dr Johns. “Right?” he questioned emphatically. Shaun heard the Alpha command in Jaryn’s voice and obviously the doctor also recognised the order because he started nodding his head and assuring Roberta that all would be well. Right then, Kaden crawled over towards his grandma and pulled himself up using her legs as support. Roberta lifted him, and he immediately settled against her chest, lying his head down on her shoulder. Roberta calmed down as she soothed the infant. Gavin crawled over to his dad and Jaryn lifted his son into his arms and placed a soft kiss on his head. Watching the closeness Jaryn shared with his sons made Shaun yearn for a similar connection. He looked over at Meeghan and saw her eyes were misty at the display. “Do you want to start our family soon?” Shaun never contemplated that his mate would say she didn’t want pups. It had nothing to do with a wolf’s desire to create stronger packs. He knew Meeghan had strong maternal instincts. He’d seen her interacting with Kaden and Gavin, and Shaun had read in her expression a desire to hold a child of her own someday. “Do you?” “I’d love to see your belly swollen with our pups. Feel them move within you and welcome them to the world. I’ve always wanted children. Maybe some part of me craves a biological connection to another being, to see my features staring back at me. But what I want more than that is to come home to you and our pups each night. I want to be present for the craziness at the dinner table and bath time, I want to tuck them into bed and read them stories about the magical moon. I want us to take trips up into the mountains and have the two of us teach them all about Mother Nature. I’ll probably embarrass the hell out of them the first day of school and when they go to their first formal. I want…” “Everything?” He smiled. “Yeah, everything. I guess it would be proper form for me to meet your parents and have a wedding before I knock you up, though, wouldn’t it?” “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

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Epilogue

“This was a bad idea,” Shaun said as he paced around his living room. “Are you getting cold feet? There’s still time to call everything off,” Cooper said. He went to the window and stared out at the trees across the mountain tops. Interspersed with the evergreens were leafy tops that appeared to explode with colour. Shaun wished he could go for a run. The smells and feel of the forest under his paws always seemed to calm him down, but unfortunately he couldn’t put off this event any longer. The house system announced the impending arrival of guests. He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. He’d never been so nervous in his life, even when he’d been trapped in the furthest, most inhospitable desert on Earth and had an assault rifle pressed against his forehead. “Was that the perimeter announcement I heard?” Jaryn walked into the great room of Shaun’s home with Gavin in front of him taking halting steps—Dad ready to catch the now one-year-old if his bid for independence faltered. Nicole followed immediately behind him, doing the same with Kaden. The boys were dressed in tiny suits that matched their father’s. Nicole had on a lovely green dress that set off her dark-red hair. Cooper stood and slid his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. “It’s now or never, buddy. You ready?” “Fuck no,” he said. “I think I’m going to throw up.” He turned and crossed the living room. He’d just entered the hallway that led to the master bedroom when the sight in front of him made him freeze in complete awe. Meeghan came out of their bedroom, still attaching an earring to her right ear. Her body was draped in a red dress that made her porcelain skin glow and contrasted with the dark hair that fell beautifully down her back. “You look gorgeous,” he said as he closed the distance between them and accepted the necklace that she held out. She turned and Shaun slid her hair over one shoulder. He secured

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the clasp while letting his fingertips skim over her soft skin, then placed a kiss over his mating mark. “Thank you,” Meeghan said while turning around to face him. “Is everyone out there?” He swallowed and nodded. “Honey, I…” Meeghan cupped Shaun’s cheek and looked into his eyes. “It will be fine. I promise.” “But what if—” “No ifs. We take this one step at a time, remember?” He nodded and took her hand. They walked out through the double doors back into the entryway. The door chimed, announcing that the last of the guests had arrived. Shaun took a deep breath and opened the door. In front of him stood a couple who, given wolf genetics, could be anywhere between forty and ninety years old. Shaun found himself staring at the couple, trying to read their expressions. Acceptance? Rejection? Tolerance? What emotions hid behind those dark eyes? “Pardon my bad manners. Please come in.” The couple entered and Shaun closed the door. Meeghan stood beside him with her hand resting on his lower back. “Mr and Mrs Cofsky, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Meeghan Nicholson, Shaun’s mate. Welcome to Stonepass and our home,” Meeghan said. The man nodded. “Thank you for inviting us. Please call us Ben and Joan. Under the circumstances, Mr and Mrs seem a little awkward.” Shaun held out his hand to his father. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben.” When Ben’s hand slid into Shaun’s, he saw the man swallow slowly and his eyes glisten with emotion. “You too, Shaun.” He’d made his first contact with the Cofskys about a month after Charlie’s return. The conversation had gone about as one would expect—full of suspicion and shock. It wasn’t until Shaun had fired up the video feed and gave Ben and Joan the chance to see him did they accept there might be something to his claim. For his part, Shaun had learned that Ben and Joan were told at the time that he’d died shortly after birth. They’d even held a small graveside service with their pack. There was still some mystery surrounding Shaun’s appearance in Detroit, but after some digging, using additional information the Cofskys provided, they suspected that Shaun had been kidnapped by one of the hospital workers, who was desperate for a child to replace one who had been stillborn only a month www.total-e-bound.com

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previously. The only reason they’d got that far was because Ben remembered the woman had been present in the birthing room. She had kept talking about how lucky they were to be blessed with two healthy babies when some people never even had one. Shaun and the Cofskys had shared several communications over the last couple of months, and when he’d asked Meeghan how she felt about him inviting them to their mating ceremony, his mate had assured him that she’d support whatever Shaun was comfortable with. “Joan?” Ben asked. Shaun looked to the woman who gave birth to him. It was obvious she was having a harder time with the occasion. What expectations she’d had, Shaun didn’t know. “You look just like him,” she said. “Yes, I’ve heard that and given that we share identical DNA profiles, it would stand that we share a similar appearance. However, I believe you’ll find I’m not Darius and, if you look very closely, I bet you’ll even see that our features aren’t as identical as they first appear.” “Of course, you’re right. I’m sorry. I know you’re not him, but this has all been so surreal. We find out the son we raised is dead, and the son we were told died is very much alive.” “I can appreciate the shock you’ve gone through. Believe me, this has turned my world upside down, too.” Shaun looked over his shoulder at the group of people gathered in the living room all trying to appear as though they weren’t listening to every word. He looked back at Ben and Joan. “Would you like to meet my family?” Joan smiled and nodded. “That’d be nice.”

**** Shaun stood in the meadow on the pack lands beneath a wide wooden pergola. He looked out at all those who had gathered to celebrate his bonding and marriage with Meeghan. They decided to hold a ceremony that encompassed both wolf and human traditions. That way, in the eyes of state law they would be married, and by pack tradition

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their mating would be celebrated. The fall leaves crunched under his feet as he shuffled his weight in anticipation, and the crisp autumn air cooled his warm skin beneath his suit. In the front row sat Roberta and Chris, right next to Ben and Joan. Last night’s dinner had gone really well, all things considered. The tentative threads of a relationship with Ben and Joan had been woven together, and the Chicago natives seemed to interact with small town Stonepass inhabitants with ease. It was still a little surreal to him that he now had two sets of parents. Shaun’s relationship with Ben and Joan was still very new and would take time to develop. He didn’t know if he could ever come to call them mom and dad. In his heart, Roberta and Chris were the first to hold that position, despite the fact that even his relationship with Jaryn’s folks was only a few years old. Jaryn and Cooper stood next to Shaun, and he turned to his left to see them smiling at him in encouragement. He looked to the right side of the gathering and saw Bruce and Kathleen smiling at him. Meeghan had taken him home and introduced him to her parents not long after they’d returned from Washington. Bruce was great, and he and Shaun got along like two peas in a pod. Kathleen was a bit more reserved, but Shaun saw how much she loved her daughter and was happy that Meeghan had found her mate. The rest of the chairs were taken up by members of the Phantom River and Six Rivers packs, townspeople of Stonepass, and even a few of Shaun’s former military and mercenary teammates that he still kept in touch with. Collin leaned out from his aisle seat and waved with childish glee. The sun had started its descent and the sky was a riot of pinks, oranges and purples. The mountains in the distance already had a dusting of white on the peaks and the sound of crackling fire from the pits on either side of the chairs arranged for the guests filled the air. “I believe it’s time.” Shaun looked back over his shoulder at the two men who would preside over the ceremony—one the chancellor of the ASC, and the other a local judge. The ASC chancellor nodded towards the last row of chairs where Nicole stood. The sounds of a string quartet floated towards them, and Jaryn’s mate started down the aisle. She looked beautiful but Shaun kept trying to peer around her to get his first glimpse of Meeghan. His mate had been very secretive about what she’d be wearing, but he knew that in whatever she’d chosen, she

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would look stunning. She always did. Behind Nicole came Jody, with whom Meeghan had become fast friends at the station. Finally, with Jody now standing up at the front, Meeghan walked out from the tent under which everyone would gather after the ceremony to enjoy dinner and dancing. Shaun almost forgot to breathe as he became spellbound by the woman walking towards him with her head held high and a smile on her face. The gown his mate wore was the most beautiful Shaun had ever seen. Lace wrapped tightly around her slim torso. She had a deep gold sash around her waist that matched the leaves and the skirt flowed down from her hips. She seemed to float across the ground until she came to a stop beside him. Shaun couldn’t look away from the happiness in Meeghan’s eyes. When cued, he recited his vows—the ones they’d written together. Meeghan looked down as Shaun slid the wedding band he’d had designed by the local jeweller onto her finger. He’d kept the design a secret and by the expression on Meeghan’s face, Shaun had hit a home run. The set featured two bands of what the designer had called pavé diamonds that surrounded both circles. In between the bands ten round diamonds were set that sparkled even in the low light. Then Meeghan slid his ring on and Shaun blinked away the moisture that filled his eyes. She’d chosen for him a band crafted from a billet of the Gibeon Meteorite. The etching in the metal, a result of composites formed by crystals billions of years ago, winked up at him. Shaun had commented that he thought the design was cool a couple of months ago when they’d searched the world network for ideas, and his mate had taken the initiative to commission one for him to celebrate their union. The effort made the occasion that much more special. The judge pronounced them man and wife by the state of Montana, then Shaun and Meeghan looked at the chancellor, who placed his hand over their united ones. “The universe has destined that you Shaun Colfer and Meeghan Nicholson be mated for life and beyond. You have recognised this destiny by the giving and accepting of marks, the formation of your bond, and the merging of your lives into one. May life bless you with happiness and in times of struggle use the strength of your bond to move forward till the light once again shines in your souls. May the love you feel for each other grow from this moment till your time upon this earth comes to a close.” The judge smiled. “I now invite you to share your first kiss as husband and wife.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Shaun slid his hand behind Meeghan’s neck and pulled her close. Their lips merged and Shaun tasted rapture. He yearned to prolong the kiss, to sink into the pleasure and pure happiness that filled his entire being, but the loud cheer that went up from the guests brought him back to reality. He pulled back, but for a moment rested his forehead against his wife’s. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.” “You’re my everything, Shaun, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He looked out over the crowd and several feet away, in the space that extended beyond the aisle, stood Charlie. The young man had all but become a recluse since his rescue. He didn’t let anyone near him but Jaryn, which had been difficult for Chris and Roberta. But everyone in the pack and their immediate circle knew it would take time for Charlie to heal, to learn how to trust again. Shaun nodded to him and Charlie nodded back, then he turned and walked away. Shaun and Meeghan walked over to where her parents stood. Bruce hugged Meeghan then pulled Shaun into a back-slapping embrace. “Welcome to the family, son.” “Thank you, sir.” He bent over and placed a kiss on Kathleen’s cheek. “Thank you for raising such a wonderful woman. I promise to treat her like the treasure she is.” “I know you will. I see in you the same traits I saw in my mate on the day of our mating ceremony. I’ve never regretted one day of our life together, and I know my little girl is in good hands.” They went over to where Ben, Joan, Chris and Roberta waited and accepted their congratulations as well. As they walked down the aisle, a chorus of howls lifted into the air, and Shaun knew that those tattered edges of his soul were now sewn together and he was complete. All it had taken was a mate’s touch.

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The Perfect Union Trina Lane

Excerpt Prologue

November 2006 Calleigh Wells was so glad the sun came out from behind the clouds as she walked down the street. Boston had been in a dreadfully rainy pattern over the past week. It had been cold but not enough to turn to snow. She lifted her head to the sky to soak up the burgeoning rays. Now, the temperature was low, but at least, the sun was shining. She opened the door to Bean Town, her favourite coffee place, and stepped inside. The warm air from the heat flowed over her cheeks that tingled from the crisp air. There were four people ahead of her in line as she tried to decide if she wanted her standby hazelnut latte or if she wanted to be adventurous and try the caramel macchiato. She felt a vibration against her side and opened her purse to see an incoming call on her iPhone. She didn’t recognise the number, but it was a long distance area code. “Hello?” “Is this Mrs. Wells?” “May I ask who’s calling?” She moved forward a step, glancing to the board and decided to be adventurous on another day. The hazelnut sounded good right then. “This is Sergeant Cooper. I’m trying to locate Calleigh Wells, wife of Sergeant Kevin Wells.” “Oh God. No.” Her heart stuttered, and she couldn’t breathe. There was only one reason someone from the Armed Forces would be calling her.

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“Mrs. Wells, I regret to inform you that your husband had been injured in the line of duty. He is being transferred to Ramstein Air Force base in Germany.” She blindly reached out to keep herself from falling down. When she looked up, she had hold of the man’s shirt in front of her. He turned around with a questioning look, but it immediately changed to concern. “What happened? Is Kevin okay? What—” “I’m not at liberty to discuss the event. If you wish, I’ll put you in contact with his unit liaison. They will be able to make arrangements for you to fly to Germany. Do you have a pen and paper handy?” “No…wait…please.” She looked at the two men standing side by side in front of her. “Do you have a pen and paper I can borrow?” The man with black hair held out a pen while the man with auburn hair grabbed a napkin off the counter beside them. Taking the items, she put the phone back up to her ear. “Okay, I’m ready.” She wrote down the information and ended the call. She couldn’t seem to move. Her feet were cemented to the floor. She looked around aimlessly, but nothing was in focus. The colours blurred, and her vision swam. She felt herself being guided over to the side and found herself sitting in one of the chairs scattered around the room. The dark haired man knelt down in front of her. “Are you okay?” He looked up at his auburn-haired friend who had pulled the chair out and was resting his hands on her shoulders. Taking her cold hands between his, the first man rubbed. “Miss? Do we need to get you help?” His deep voice cut through the haze in her mind. She looked down into a pair of bright sapphire blue eyes. “I need to go home.” “Okay. Did you drive here?” She shook her head no. She tried to dial the number to her house, but her hands shook too badly. She held out her phone to the man in front of her. “Can you call? I can’t get it to work. My mom can come get me. She has my babies.” He took the phone from her shaking hands, and handed it to his friend. “Tell you what? Why don’t we make things easier on your mom? Conor and I will take you home. I’m Rick.” He stopped the woman’s head from shaking back and forth by putting a hand to her cheek. www.total-e-bound.com

“We are completely safe. I promise you. You can talk to your mom the entire way there if you want.” He helped her to stand and turned her around so she could see Conor behind her. “Miss. I think I got the number ye wanted,” Conor said, holding out the phone. She took the phone from the tall man. Her vision was still blurring and all she could decipher were images of red hair and blue-green eyes. She noticed that he had some kind of soft lyrical accent. “Thank you.” Putting the phone up to her ear she heard her mom’s voice. “Mom?” she interrupted. “They called. Kevin’s hurt.” Tears started slipping down her cheeks. “I’m at Bean Town… No, I walked…These two men said they’ll drive me home.” She listened for another minute then held out the phone to the man with the black hair and blue eyes. “She wants to talk to you.” Rick took the phone from her hand. “Hello? Yes, ma’am. My name is Richard Connor. My friend and I were here at the shop when your daughter got the call. We’ll be happy to bring her home. She’s in no condition to be out on the streets by herself right now. I assure you we mean her no harm. Can you give me an address?” He listened then continued, “Okay we should have her there in about twenty-five minutes.” He ended the call and gave back the phone. Conor walked around to stand next to Rick. “Can ye tell us yer name, miss?” “It’s Calleigh. Calleigh Wells.” “Calleigh, I’m Rick Connor and this is Conor McGuire. Let’s get you home to your family.” He escorted her to the door Conor held open for them. They walked half a block down and stopped in front of a dark sedan of some kind. The auburn-haired man opened the front passenger and assisted her into the seat. She sat in silence as the door was secured, habitually reaching for the seatbelt. She thought they seemed nice, and she was desperate enough to trust two strangers. Rick looked over the top of the car at his best friend. “What in the hell just happened?” Conor shrugged. “It doesn’t sound good. I think somethin’ might have happened te her husband or brah’der or somebody. Feck man, she said she had babies at home. I hope to hell ‘tis not her husband.” “Yeah, me, too. Let’s get out of here. The mother said she lives in Mission Hill.” www.total-e-bound.com

The two men climbed into the car. She sat silently for several minutes before realising it was pretty rude not to talk to her two rescuers. She could worry in a little bit. The sergeant on the phone said injured not dead. Kevin wasn’t dead. It would all be okay. She figured her mom must have given the men directions to the house because they seemed to know where to go. What are their names again? Rich? Rick? And the other one is Connor? Wait I heard the name Connor twice I’m sure of it. So who’s who? She turned to face the man driving, the one with black hair. “Excuse me, but maybe I didn’t hear you right. You’re both named Connor?” She swivelled around as the auburn haired one in the backseat laughed. “That is going to plague us ‘til our deaths, man. His last name is Connor. With two ‘n’s, my first name is Conor with one. It’s how we met. We were on the soccer team at B.C. First day of practice, coach called out ‘Connor’, and we both answered at the same time. We’ve been friends ever since.” “I went to B.C. too. Class of 2003.” “We graduated in 2000,” Rick said. “So you said you have children at home?” She smiled at the thought of her precious little babies. “Yes, I have twin boys. They’re two months old.” She figured she owed these two some explanation of her erratic behaviour. “Their father, my husband, is in Iraq. Army Reserves. The phone call was from a sergeant informing me that my husband’s been injured, but that was all he could tell me. I sure he’s fine…right? I mean if it was serious they would tell me or send someone or something wouldn’t they?”

Rick watched the beautiful woman next to him. She was looking at him like he had all the answers, and damn, if he wished he didn’t. Her honey-blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and fringe fell over her forehead to end right above her eyebrows. She had bright brown eyes that looked like gemstones under black sooty lashes. She was a tiny thing, too, probably just over five feet. The pain and uncertainty in her eyes made all his protective instincts kick in. “I don’t know what military protocol is, but it stands to reason that if things were dire they would do something other than call you on a cell phone.” www.total-e-bound.com

He looked at Conor in the rear-view mirror to see if he knew but saw the man shrug. Conor’s dad had been Air Force, stationed in England, before retiring. He wanted to keep Calleigh’s hopes alive and distract her mind for right now. “What are your little boys’ names?” “Michael and Brandon. I guess the good thing is that if Kevin is coming home he’ll be able to meet the boys. He was deployed eight months ago, so he’s only seen them in pictures and over the internet.” She smiled “They look so much like him. Both have his green eyes and his mouth, but so far they have my blonde hair.” “They sound like dathuil ógánach. I love little kids. Always wanted brothers an’ sisters, but not te be.” “Conor, those words, they were beautiful sounding, but I don’t understand. What did you say?” “I said they sound like handsome youth. ‘Tis Irish Gaelic. I grew up in Ireland.” “I noticed your accent earlier but couldn’t quite place it.” Rick laughed. “That‘s because Con’s a real mutt. Born in Ireland and lived with his Mom then spent summers in England with his Dad. He transferred to the States when he started college, so he’s picked up a little American in the past few years. Most people only understand half of what he’s talking about. If you get lost, just smile and nod. I do it all the time.” Conor kicked the back of his seat. He laid on the Irish brogue nice and thick, “Ye bloody arse. Stop acting de maggot. Total ballsch ye donna understan’ me.” Rick looked over at Calleigh and saw her first genuine smile. It lit up her entire face. He rolled his eyes. “See told you.” Seconds later, they pulled up in front of a quintessential Boston brick rowhouse. The stone base had wrought iron rails leading up the steps, and flower boxes graced the bow windows. “Wow. Very Nice.” “Yeah, we rent the first and second floors. I have a neighbour in the basement apartment. We got a deal on the place because the owners are army friends of Kevin, stationed overseas.” She turned so she could see both men. “Please come in. I’ll introduce you to my mom, and you can meet the boys if they’re awake.” www.total-e-bound.com

Rick opened the door and walked around to get Calleigh’s, but Conor beat him to it. He looked up, and a woman in her early fifties was standing on the front steps. He guessed she was Calleigh’s mom, since they looked like carbon copies of each other. He tensed when he took a closer look at the woman’s face. There were tear tracks down her face. When they walked up the steps, the older woman pulled Calleigh into her arms and held tight. They all walked inside, but Calleigh stopped dead when a man in uniform stood from the sofa and turned to face her. His face was grim as he held his hat under his arm. “I’m very sorry, Mrs. Wells. I regret to inform you that your husband Sergeant Kevin Wells—” “I already received the call of his injury, Captain. What do I do now?” “Ma’am, there was a miscommunication. Your husband was not injured. He was killed in action.” Rick and Conor both caught Calleigh as she fell into a heap. Sobs echoed through the room. Her cries of denial ripped into Rick’s soul. His arm wrapped around her, holding her head to his chest. Conor’s wrapped around her waist as the heaving shudders racked her small body. They’d only known her for a short hour, but she’d already wormed her way into his heart. Her clear love of her husband and little boys was a testament to her character. He vowed then and there to protect this woman and her children from that day forward. Looking into Conor’s eyes, he knew the man felt the same.

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About the Author If you look up the word conundrum in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Trina Lane. Her personality is so multifaceted that her friends have spent countless hours scratching their heads in wonder. A scientist with a passion for history, music and photography, she loves to travel and experience new places but is terminally shy around people she doesn’t know. Trina has been devouring romance novels since her tender teenage years, although only began writing a few years ago. When her debut novel was met with resounding success, she said, “Hey I can do that again”. The rest as they say is history. Her choices in reading and writing material are as diverse as her iTunes library, which contains music from Mozart to Metallica. Her one concession is all stories must have a happily ever after ending—did we mention she’s incurably romantic? She lives in Missouri with her loving and indulgent husband, and orange tabby cat– affectionately referred to as ‘Houdini’ for his stealthy escape attempts. Email: [email protected] Trina Lane loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.

Also by Trina Lane Shield’s Submissive Taking the Chance Phantom River: The Scent of Seduction Perfect Love: The Perfect Balance Perfect Love: Simply Perfection Perfect Love: The Perfect Union Perfect Love: His Perfect Partner Perfect Love: Capturing Perfection Master Me: Paradise of Pleasure

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