Abandoned and Unseen (Branded Packs #2)(56)

He considered for a long moment. It was a question he’d asked himself. After all, he’d been perfectly satisfied spending his life roaming the Arctic as a bear. The sheer simplicity of it was addictive, and there were times when he went weeks without recalling that he had a human side. But once Sinclair had intruded into his solitary existence, he’d found the urge to be a part of a Pack stirred to life.

“I believed in his cause,” he said.

“And what’s that?”

He shrugged. “Destroying the SAU from the inside out.”

She nodded, thankfully not demanding a thorough explanation of the Unseen’s plans to topple the SAU. He trusted her with his very life, but Sinclair would skin him if he shared sensitive information before they were formally mated.

Something he intended to complete as soon as she was done with Ian Viker.

Unlike the shifters that were collared and branded, the Unseen didn’t use tattoos to display their commitment to one another. Instead, when they mated, he and Nicole would exchange amulets that they would place around each other’s necks as a symbol of the bonds that had already pulled them together.

“What about your mother?” she asked.

A wave of fond exasperation raced through Tucker. He’d tried a hundred times to get his stubborn mother to join him in his cabin. Or at least move somewhere that he could easily get to her if she needed him.

And every time, she’d gently claim that she loved roaming free too much to every become fully civilized.

Tucker thought it had more to do with her grief at the loss of her mate. When she was in her bear form, she didn’t have to deal with human emotions.

“She still lives in a remote village,” he told Nicole. “I travel to see her several times a year.”

“She must be lonely.”

“No.” He gave a firm shake of his head. “She likes the isolation. We’ll go see her in a few weeks.”

Her eyes widened as if caught off guard by his words, which was ridiculous. She had to know that his mother would be anxious to meet the female who’d stolen the heart of her only cub?

“Tucker,” she breathed.

“Don’t worry.” He flashed a teasing grin. “She’s going to love you.”

Her lips parted as if she intended to remind him of all the obstacles that stood between the two of them mating, only to heave a resigned sigh at the stubborn jut of his jaw.

“We’re going to have to discuss your habit of thinking you can toss out orders and simply have them obeyed,” she muttered.

“No doubt we’re going to have a lot of those discussions,” he assured her.

“No doubt.”

Another silence filled the car as they returned their attention to their surroundings. An hour had passed before Tucker accepted that there was nothing suspicious to be seen from their place on the street.

“Okay,” he murmured. “I’m going to do a sweep of the block.”

Nicole gave a swift nod. “You go around the front, I’ll meet you in the back.”

Tucker stiffened, his primitive male mind instantly rebelling at the thought of allowing his female to be in danger.

“Nicole.”

There was a low growl of warning as Nicole leaned forward, her wolf visible in her eyes.

“Don’t.”

He grimaced. As much as he wanted to forbid her, he couldn’t. This was her fight. She should be the one to hunt her prey.

“Be careful.”

Before she could say anything, he moved forward to capture her lips in a fierce kiss that revealed all the worry and wonderment and love that filled his heart. Then, pulling away, he shoved open his door and climbed out of the car.

He casually strolled down the street, using his heightened sense of smell. His eyesight wasn’t as good as other shifters’, but it was good enough to make sure there were no humans lingering near the house at the end of the road.

Rounding the block, he waited until he was sure no one was watching to vault over the back fence. Nicole was already waiting for him near the French doors.

“Anything?” he demanded, knowing she would have done a thorough search despite her urgency to confront the guard.

“Humans. A few dogs and cats.” She wrinkled her nose, looking more like a teenager than a female intent on bloody vengeance. “And a ferret. What about you?”

“Nothing that stood out as suspicious,” he said, resisting the urge to invent some reason for them to leave.

“Good,” she said on a low growl. “I’m done waiting.”

Reaching out, she grasped the handle of the French door and gave it a yank. The flimsy lock snapped, allowing her to slide it open. Then they moved with shifter-silence through the kitchen that had dishes piled in the sink and a linoleum floor that was sticky with…hell, Tucker didn’t want to know. They paused and silently listened for any sounds that would indicate that their entrance had been noticed. Finally, they stepped through an arched opening into the front living room.

Tucker shuddered. The drapes were closed against the afternoon light, but he could still make out the worn furniture that looked as if it’d been found in the local dump, and the rug that was littered with empty beer cans, pizza boxes, and bags of chips.

And on the sofa was a small, wiry man with thinning brown hair and a narrow face. He was dressed in creased khakis and a white tee that was in dire need of a washing machine.