Protector: The Elect, Book 1 (14 page)

“What’s your mother’s name?” Gabe asked. “When I get in this system I’ll check for it.”
 

“Merrilee Durand.”
 

Elias looked up from where he watched over Gabe’s shoulder as he worked.
 

“Ah, yes. I see it now.”
 

She arched an eyebrow when he didn’t continue. “See what?”

“The last year of the program a young telepath came in. Mary Leigh. She went by Leigh. She must have been your grandmother.”
 

“I remember Mom saying she was named after our grandmother,” Carter said softly.
 

“You have to get them out, Aunt Esme.” There was such a desperate edge to the boy’s plea that Esme was beginning to believe him.
 

“We will,” she promised again.
 

She hoped for his sake he was right. For the moment at least, her promise satisfied him, and a few minutes later he followed Carter, Elias, and Gabe out of the suite, leaving her alone with Brax.
 

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly from a few feet away.
 

“I don’t see how she could possibly be alive. She wouldn’t be in a mental hospital if she was, either. My mother…” She shrugged. “Well, she could be, but not that one. She couldn’t afford it, and Carter and I are her only living relatives.”
 

“Hmm,” he murmured. “I’m not sure about that. In her case, Stirling wouldn’t care about the money. Actually, her being poor and out of contact with her family would work in their favor.”

“Because no one would look for her,” she said softly and felt horrible because it was true. She hadn’t looked.
 

“Hey,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Don’t beat yourself up. This is all just guesswork and none of it is your fault. You were just a child when she disappeared.”

“I should have looked when I was old enough.”

“Why, baby? As far as you know, she abandoned you and your brother. You can’t second guess based on something you don’t know for certain.”
 

She knew that, but she’d have to work on not feeling guilty. Oddly, she didn’t feel guilty at all for the shooting earlier in the day. She titled her head back.
 

“Did you find out who he was? The man who tried to kill us?”

“Nothing yet,” Brax said, his voice grim. “The scene is cleaned, though. He wasn’t carrying any ID and Aaron didn’t find a match in the fingerprint database. Mason will search from here. Aaron won’t use any more department resources than necessary so he doesn’t attract the wrong kind of attention.”

“So the business card is all we have to go on.”

“Yeah,” Brax agreed. “But it’s more than we had yesterday.”

They stood silent, holding each other, for a long time. His hands rubbed soothing circles over her back and it wasn’t long before her mind wandered back to their conversation downstairs. He was aware of the direction of her thoughts; she felt his anticipation rise, knew what he wanted. He wanted her to voice her acceptance of this thing between them. It was a terrifying yet exhilarating step. She couldn’t fight the physical attraction between them, the craving she felt for his possession sexually. It was the pull on her heart that scared her, but despite that fear she knew she couldn’t walk away. She’d never forgive herself for not giving them a chance and suspected she’d never recover from the loss if she forced herself to walk away. That didn’t mean she’d let him take over.
 

“There are going to be rules,” she said sternly and almost laughed at the confusion that crossed his face. “For me to stay with you.”
 

“That’s not up for debate, angel.”
 

She wasn’t quite ready to admit that. “I’ve been alone a long time, Brax. I don’t need a keeper.”
 

His lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. Why was that so damned sexy? “What do you need, then?”

She rose for her perch on the sofa and put an extra swing in her hips, just to see the heat rise in his eyes. “A partner. A lover.”
 

“Oh baby, I got the lovin’ you part down fine. I’m already an expert.”
 

She shivered. There was no doubting his prowess in bed, but she wanted more. She wanted everything. “I wasn’t talking about sex.”
 

This time he did smile. “Neither was I, sweetheart.” He gave her a slow, deep kiss that made her toes curl and her stomach knot. “I love you. I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you.” He watched her for several long moments, expectantly. Confidently. “You’re supposed to say it back.”
 

“It scares me. A little.”
 

He nodded. “Me too.”
 

If this big, gruff man could admit that, couldn’t she?
 

“I love you too, Braxton Lee. Now take me to bed and show me how much.”
 

He scooped her up in his arms, laughing. “It would be my pleasure.”

About the Author

Loribelle is a former Army MP who traded in her combat boots for motherhood, flip-flops and all the Diet Coke she can drink. (She almost misses the combat boots.) She’s the author of more than twenty books, none of which her children are allowed to read. Ever. Visit her website,
www.loribellehunt.com
, or
www.facebook.com/loribelle.hunt
for information on new releases.

Look for these titles by Loribelle Hunt

Now Available:

Fireworks

Forbidden Passions

Passions Recalled

Renegade Passions

Print Anthologies

Forbidden Passions

Coming Soon:

The Elect

Guardian

Warrior

No one can outfly the speed of fate.

Renegade Passions

© 2011 Loribelle Hunt

Forbidden Passions, Book 4

As a member of the elite Messenger Corps, werebird Alexandra “Ajax” Petros is in her element. Under the protection of her people’s steadfast political neutrality, the only thing she can’t outfly are the secrets of her past—and her birthright as destined queen.

Which is exactly what she’s trying to do when she lands, literally, in the arms of a man with claws—and cold, methodical wits—as razor sharp as her own eagle talons.

For Nicodemus Leonidas, information is power. The journey into werebird territory to find out what happened to his father is a calculated risk, but nothing is more dangerous than his and Ajax’s instant, explosive chemistry. In the heat of the moment, he senses the stubbornly independent woman is his mate…and that she’s hiding something.

Evasive maneuvers do Ajax no good. Inexorably, Nico peels away her layers until he holds her very soul in his hands. And when she uncovers a plot to steal her throne, he is the one man with the power to force her to make the one choice she never wanted to face…

Warning: This book contains sex. A lot of it. In a kitchen, up against a wall, bent over a sofa, tied up and not tied up. Also, a family betrayal, a fight to the death, a reluctant queen and a very kinky leopard with control issues.
 

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Renegade Passions:

When the leopard set his hands on her hips, she had to grip the counter for support and bite her lower lip to keep from begging for more. His lips brushed her skin, and her blood rushed. Then his teeth scraped over her pulse. She groaned, and he released her abruptly as if he was burned by the heat rising in her body. She felt the same way.

Slowly, she turned to face him, study him. She’d just arrived home a few hours ago and everywhere she went had been told a leopard was in their mountains asking for her. Nico Leonidas. One of the leopard king’s brothers and the only one she hadn’t met until today. Considering everything that had been going on with the leopards recently, she’d decided it would be better if she found him first.

She’d expected him to seek her out sooner, had been informed by her source inside Refuge Resort that he was investigating the plane accident his father had died in. She had her own suspicions about that crash, suspected one of her own was behind it. She would be forced to move against him soon. The man’s arrogance, his greed threatened the balance of power in the shifter world and the bird’s place in it. She wouldn’t allow that, but she couldn’t strike without some kind of proof. Such rashness would shake the foundations of her clan.

So she’d done the unthinkable, broken the bonds of neutrality by sharing her suspicions with Adrian Leonidas. She couldn’t explain that compulsion to share the information with the leopard family, but it wouldn’t happen again. Her duty was to
her
people. She’d been waiting for the Leonidas’ arrival, had been sure she could deal with him and send him off quickly.

Now that he was here, she knew that belief for the mistake it was. As the leader of the Messenger Corps, she came into contact with many different werekind species. She’d often dealt with wereleopards. This one’s domestication was a thin veneer. Not a problem in and of itself. She’d known a few predator weres over the years that were barely human. But this one. This one was
hers.
And not at all happy about it if his expression was anything to judge by. To tell the truth, she wasn’t either, but his rejection still stung.

“Don’t like what you see that much after all, huh? Don’t worry. I don’t either.”

His eyes narrowed to angry slits as she brushed by him. It took every ounce of control she had not to reach up, soothe his brow and apologize for her angry response. She didn’t have time for a mate. If she had any sense at all, she’d shift and get out. Fly far away and wait to return until he’d left. Her body refused her mind’s orders to do so immediately. The sense of self-preservation apparently didn’t trump the lust. She was in real trouble.

She avoided looking at him as she opened the freezer and rummaged around. Her mother usually stocked it with casseroles while she was gone, and she pulled something out that might be lasagna. It was in a glass pan with a foil lid, and she put it in the oven. Turning the knob to three hundred and fifty degrees, she looked over her shoulder.

“Hungry?”

Another mistake. Nostrils flared, he stood very still and stared at her. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. For the first time she wondered if she might be in danger and felt a spike of fear. He reacted like she’d thrown cold water on him, jerking and prowling around the room. He stopped by the doors, didn’t turn around when he spoke.

“There’s no need to fear me. I won’t harm you.”

Was that hurt she heard in his voice? With his back turned she allowed herself the opportunity to really look at him. She could see his reflection in the glass and caught her breath.

He was a magnificent specimen of masculinity. Not much taller than average height, maybe a little over six feet tall, with defined muscles she itched to touch. His hair was very short, dark, almost black, as if to match the darkness she sensed in him. But his eyes were bright, grassy green. He met her gaze in the glass and held her snared. She suddenly wished she’d taken time to put more on than just a robe. As if he heard her thoughts, he let his gaze trail over the reflection of her body in the doors.

“I think I preferred you without the robe.”

His voice was low, husky with arousal. She held her breath, wondering if he’d tell her to remove it, wondering if she’d comply. The problem with being raised as the heir to a throne was you never met a man who could really take charge, who you wanted to give over control to. It could only be in bed, but it was a kind of freedom she secretly yearned for. Except his earlier rejection still rankled. It was clear from the bulge in his jeans he wanted her, so what was that about? She didn’t know what to think and fell back on cool disdain.

“I can find some clothes. No point in walking around without them. I try not to fly around inside.”

His smile was slow, a little cruel and all dominant male. “I’d just have to remove them.”

Her heart hammered, and her sex clenched in response. Her mouth was too dry to respond. He approached her, stopped close enough she could feel his chest rise and fall against hers. She stood frozen in place as he lifted his knuckles to stroke her cheek, down her neck and over her collarbone.

“How long before dinner?” he whispered.

“Um.” She gulped. Impossible to think while he stood so near. While he petted her. “An hour maybe.”

“Good.” The heat in his eyes faded a little. “Ground rules. You agree or you don’t agree. If you don’t, nothing happens between us. Understood?”

She nodded, still aroused but bemused by the sudden change in tone and conversation.

“Just two things really,” he said going back to stroking her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access and waited to hear his rules. “One, I’m in charge.”