Avenger's Heat (2 page)

Instead Erin shrugged. “I take it you're Angus Campbell.”

“And you are Erin Flynn, newest enforcer in North America. Jayce called to let me know you would be here soon, though I
expected
a call from you.” His head swiveled to Noah and his dark eyes turned hard.

They were the same height so the two men just glared at each other. She could practically see the flood of testosterone rolling off them. Despite the differences in their appearances, because Noah had certainly been blessed with his mother's features too, the tall broad-shouldered Scottish shifter was obviously Noah's father. It was stamped in the harsh, defined facial features.

Angus looked to be about forty by human standards but Erin knew he was at least three hundred. Very old for a shifter and
very
powerful. He'd have to be to control New Orleans for as long as he had, which had been since the Jazz Age. Almost a century ago and long before most humans had known of the existence of paranormal beings.

Clearing her throat and drawing the big shifter's attention back to her, she took a subtle step forward placing herself in between father and son. One of Noah's hands settled on her shoulder in a way she knew he meant to be proprietary, something his father didn't miss. The feel of Noah touching her like that should have annoyed her. Instead, it soothed her inner wolf in a way she decided to ignore. Angus's eyes flicked to Noah's hand, then back to her face so quickly she would have missed the speculative look if she hadn't been watching him closely. Let the old Alpha make of it what he wanted.

When it was clear Noah didn't plan to respond to his father's statement, Erin continued. “We need to talk about what's going on. Unless you approve of what's happening in your city.” It wasn't a question because no one in their right mind would want things to continue the way they were in New Orleans. But she wanted to gauge his reaction.

Those dark eyes flashed with raw anger and for a moment she saw the wolf lurking beneath the man's surface. “Six pregnant female shifters missing . . .” His jaw clenched once and she could feel his power radiating for an instant. There was a reason he was an Alpha. “Whoever is responsible will pay.” As he spoke, she heard the animal, not the human talking to her.

And he was right. Someone would pay. But not by his hand. It would be by an enforcer.
Her.

Erin's eyes narrowed. When she got her hands on the culprit or culprits, they'd be judged. And they'd sure as hell suffer for their crimes. Preying on a pregnant female, regardless of species, was the lowest of the low. All the women had been taken while alone. Two from their homes, one from a park, one right outside her real estate office, one from a grocery store parking lot, and one from a restaurant while her mate was in the vicinity. The two homes had been disturbed, but no serious damage. And the others taken had left behind purses and keys at their abduction sites. It was the only reason anyone had any idea exactly where they'd been kidnapped from.

Meli was the last shifter who had been taken and she was the only one linked directly to Angus's pack. The only lupine. It was the main reason the Council had sent her here. Angus was a powerful Alpha. The other five missing shifters were all feline with no pack or political pull. Erin had memorized their basic information and seen photographs of each woman.

The feline grabbed right before Meli was so
young
. Her name was Ciara. At twenty-five years old, newly mated for a scant six months, she was two months pregnant and the only redhead in the bunch. Her appearance didn't matter to Erin but when she'd looked at the girl's picture it had jarred her straight to her bones.

Something heavy settled on Erin's chest. Hurting a woman in that state when she was weaker, defenseless . . . it was just so wrong on every level. The heaviness seemed to grow inside her, pressing down until it was hard to breathe. The women must have been so terrified.

Noah had been silent, but his hand flexed once on her shoulder and she didn't miss the soft growl he let out. He wanted blood as much as she did. The feel of his fingers clenching around her pulled her from her thoughts and back to reality.

She was going to hunt whoever was behind this like the monsters they were. But first she had to figure out who was responsible for the disappearances and why. She just hoped Noah let her handle this investigation her way.

“I
f I remember right the last time you were in a bar fight, a female was also involved.” Noah's father didn't look at him as he spoke.

Next to him Erin stiffened.
Interesting.
Noah shrugged in response, not willing to talk more than he had to at the moment. His skin felt too tight for his body and now wasn't the time to lose his cool. Even if he was itching for a fight. Anything to expend all the energy barely leashed inside him. Since sex was off the table—until Erin finally admitted she wanted him—fighting would have to do it.

Noah kept stride with Erin as they walked out of the bar with his father. Thankfully there had been extra clothes behind the bar for him to change into—not surprising since this was a shifter-run bar. His father hadn't said where they were going, just told them he had a private place to discuss things that was completely soundproofed. But Noah knew exactly where they were headed. The Alpha owned a town house a block down from the bar. Or he had about a decade ago.

That was just the way New Orleans was set up. In the French Quarter, sometimes a home and bar were separated by only a stone's throw. Of course the old wolf had a few homes in the Garden District too. That was where the majority of the pack and Noah's mother lived most of the time. Angus spent his nights with Noah's mother, but the Alpha liked staying in the Quarter, liked keeping a pulse on what was happening in the city. Made sense for his position, especially since he had a lot of businesses there.

Noah took in the ornate wrought iron trim on the fences lining the old buildings as they passed, careful not to look at his father. He hadn't expected to see him so soon after arriving, though he probably should have. It was hard to look at the old man and not see his dead, younger sister staring back at him. Fiona had looked so much like Angus it shredded Noah's insides to see him after so many years of estrangement.

Clenching his jaw and forcing those thoughts away, he used his peripheral vision to watch Erin. The petite, very lean redhead had been driving him insane since they'd left North Carolina. Well, longer than that. With ivory, flawless skin and a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks she almost looked like a young, innocent college kid. But he'd seen her in action enough recently to know she could handle herself.

She tried to pretend the scorching kisses they'd shared over the past few weeks meant nothing. That she didn't want him. But every time she turned those mercurial gray eyes—that had an almost imperceptible ring of amber around them—in his direction, he felt her heat and need for him. Hell, he could smell her lust sometimes too. A sweet magnolia scent that had the ability to bring him to his knees. If she'd just admit what she wanted it would make life a hell of a lot easier. Women were fucking complicated though.

In typical Erin fashion she'd braided her shoulder-length red hair tight against her head and wore all black. Black cargo pants and a black T-shirt that molded to her like a second skin. She also had a black cap tucked in her jacket pocket with a tiny white skull and crossbones stitched on the front. A gift from Jayce before they'd left. If Jayce wasn't so unbelievably happily mated, Noah would have wanted to slice him up for giving Erin any gift. Her thick jacket covered her tight shirt and her blades, taking away the nice view he'd gotten earlier of the outline of her nipples.

Gritting his teeth, Noah shoved that image out of his head too. Thinking about Erin in any sort of state of undress would only short-circuit his brain.

Not that it mattered. The woman
never
left his thoughts. Seeing her jump into the middle of that fight had taken all his control not to attack that male. But he hadn't wanted to distract her. Didn't matter that all his biological urges had been clawing at him, telling him to kick that vamp's ass. If he'd gotten in her way it would have undermined her position in town. As enforcer—something he fucking hated, even while he respected it—people had to know she could handle her own. Especially since she was completely untried.

As they reached the brick town house he wasn't surprised to see not much had changed. A wrought iron balcony covered in an excess of lacy ferns looped around the second story and a fleur-de-lis the size of his fist that he guessed might have been made out of real gold adorned the bright turquoise door. Definitely his mother's influence. She liked color even if it was just a splash. His father didn't give a shit about any of that. Before they'd taken two steps up the short set of stairs, his father looked at his cell phone and cursed.

“One of the pregnant females has been found. From my pack.” His father's voice sounded more animal than human and Noah understood why. As Alpha it was up to him to protect his pack. Even one missing was too much.

“Alive?” Erin asked, hope threading that single word and searing right through Noah's chest. She might be an adept warrior—hell, more than adept, she was a skilled fighter especially for her young age—but she had a big heart and hated seeing anyone suffering.

“Barely.” Noah's father shoved his cell phone at Noah. “She's in the house off Coliseum. You remember which—”

“Yes. Go, now.” Noah might have issues with his father, but the man cared about those in his charge and he'd be able to get there a lot faster on his own.

Before he'd even finished speaking, his father had shifted right in the middle of the street. Fur streaked with browns and reds replaced skin as human became animal. Then he was gone in such a blur, Noah didn't even see when he rounded the corner of the street. His clothes and shoes were in shreds, his keys on the sidewalk. Noah scooped them up, knowing his father had meant for him to retrieve his belongings.

Erin breathed in awe, but only for a millisecond. “How are we getting there?”

They could shift and run in animal form, but she wasn't familiar with the streets and he didn't want to be hassled by law enforcement. He thought about running back to where they'd parked her car, but knew it would take too much time. Noah nodded back toward the direction they'd come from. “Saw a bike parked out front of the bar.”

The run back took them mere seconds. They only passed one human couple on the street. He belatedly heard them gasp after they'd flown by using their supernatural speed. He and Erin jerked to a halt in front of the bar. “I'll be back in a sec,” he said to Erin before hurrying through the busted-up door where he dumped the ruined clothes. The bar quieted the moment he stepped in. “I'm Angus Campbell's son and I need to borrow that Ducati out there. I'll—”

The bartender tossed him a key ring with a single key on it. “You wreck it, you pay for it.”

Noah nodded at the tall dark-haired feline shifter, surprised his father had a feline working for him, but it was New Orleans, the melting pot for supernatural beings.

He found Erin outside, already sitting on the back of the bike. Sliding on in front of her, he hated himself just a little for the way his body flared to life as she curled her arms around his waist. He must be a masochist. Didn't matter that she'd made it abundantly clear friendship was all he was getting from her, he still enjoyed the feel and scent of her wrapping around his body.

Gunning the engine, he took off, driving at breakneck speed through the narrow streets, until he was free of the cramped Quarter. He zoomed around cars, stopping at red lights only if other vehicles were coming. He'd broken about a dozen traffic laws by the time he made it into the lush Garden District.

Flashes of beads hanging in a few oak trees caught his eye as he sped down a cobblestone road. They were either leftovers from the last Mardi Gras or someone was getting ready for the upcoming celebration next month. A mesh of well-kept antebellum, Victorian, Greek Revival, and other various styles of homes flew by them in a blur until he pulled up to one of his father's mansions.

The ornate black wrought iron gate was open so he weaved in between the double line of cars along the winding driveway. Looked like the house was full tonight.

Erin was off the bike before he'd stopped and pushed out the kickstand. He missed the feel of her immediately. Magnolia trees dotted the yard, guiding their way to the stately mansion as they silently strode up the rest of the walk together.

The moment they reached the raised porch the front door flew open. A younger female he vaguely recognized nodded at them and motioned for them to follow. Hurrying inside and up a winding staircase, they stopped in front of the first door at the top.

The dark-haired girl knocked softly as she opened it. A second later his father, mother, and another male shifter he guessed was the pregnant female's mate by the agony on the guy's face, strode out.

“I want to be in there with her,” the male said to Angus, his voice more of an animalistic growl.

“She's stable and so is the baby. Let Erin talk to her.” For such an intimidating Alpha, Noah's father had a soothing voice that could put anyone at ease when he wanted to.

“But—”

“Imelda might be more willing to talk without you around. She doesn't want to hurt you; I saw it in her eyes, Evan. She knows hearing about her pain will make you suffer. Let this woman do her job. Let her investigate and find the bastards who took Imelda. Then you'll have your vengeance.”

Noah looked down as something sharp pierced him and realized his unsheathed claws were digging into his palms. The thought of Erin being taken from him, while pregnant no less, brought his beast to the surface. He hadn't lost control since he was a cub, but even thinking about Erin in danger . . . he couldn't go there. Not even in his imagination.

The shifter named Evan didn't respond. Just shifted to his wolf form on a loud growl and raced down the stairs, bits of clothing trailing after him.

“Her name is Imelda?” Erin asked quietly.

His father nodded. “According to our doctor she and the baby both have a stable heartbeat, but . . .” His jaw clenched and he shook his head, as if pushing away an unwanted vision or memory. “She said she's okay to talk to you.”

Noah knew the only reason his father was even letting Erin in that room was because she was an enforcer. Not an enforcer-in-training, but full-fledged. She had the backing of the entire Council and more important, Jayce Kazan. And she was in charge of the investigation. It still surprised him that his father wasn't being a bigger dick, trying to take over, but maybe the Alpha had changed.

When Noah went to follow Erin his father raised a hand, as if to stop him. Noah knew he should show him more respect, especially since he was in Angus's house, but his canines descended and he bared his teeth in a blatant show of aggression. It had nothing to do with their estrangement and everything to do with Erin.

Raw fury flashed in his father's eyes, but his mother placed her hand on his forearm, instantly stilling the powerful Alpha. Without another glance at either of them, he followed Erin, shutting the door behind them.

He went where she went. End of story. Even if she didn't seem to think she needed him.

Eventually he knew he and Erin would come to blows over his need to be with her, to keep her close, but that was just too damn bad. He
wanted
to have it out with her, to understand why she kept pushing him away.

The mating ache grew inside him hungry and painful with no outlet. Her continual rejection of him was only making it worse.

As his gaze landed on the bed, he froze. “Meli?” For some reason it hadn't registered that Imelda was his childhood friend,
Meli
.
Fuck
.

Erin had pored over the files Jayce had given her, memorizing everything about the missing women on their drive here. But Noah had driven, letting her prep for her first investigation without his interference. Now he wished he'd at least looked at the list of names. He'd known one woman was from his father's pack, but the rest were felines. He hadn't thought he'd actually know any of them. Not after being gone for so many years.

The tall, long-legged shifter with dark hair pulled up in a messy bun gave him a small, tired smile. “It's been a long time, Noah.” Her voice was raspy, hoarse, and the shadows under her eyes made her look almost ghostly.

He crossed the room in seconds, pulling up a high-backed chair on her left side, across from the place Erin had chosen. “I didn't realize you'd been taken.”

Meli swallowed hard, tears pooling in her eyes, but she didn't respond. One of her hands rested protectively over her big belly.

Noah watched as Erin gently took the woman's free hand in her own and lightly squeezed. Meli turned, a look of surprise crossing her face, but didn't pull away. “I'm Imelda, but you can call me Meli, especially if you're a friend of Noah's.”

Erin smiled faintly and glanced at Meli's large belly. “I'm glad your baby is safe.”

“Me too,” she said on a broken whisper.

Something dark and haunted passed over Erin's features. It was so painful it sliced right through Noah's soul. He'd seen that same expression the day they'd found her behind that Dumpster, broken, bleeding, so close to death he hadn't even been able to hear her heartbeat. . . . But not once since then had he seen that
look
. Up until a couple of months ago she'd been so quiet and reserved, but she'd eventually come out of that shell fighting. The look in her eyes now threw him off-kilter, reminded him how much she still kept from him. How vulnerable she could actually be when she let her guard down. But it was gone before he'd blinked, her mask firmly back in place.

“Can you tell us about who took you?” Erin asked softly, her mere presence seeming to soothe Meli. He also noticed she hadn't taken off her jacket, probably so her blades wouldn't frighten the wounded shifter.

Meli shook her head, a stray tear rolling down her pale cheek. “I never saw their faces. I know there were at least two of them, but they caught me from behind when I was coming home from the grocery store. It all happened so fast. I—” She broke off and quietly began to sob.