Buried and Shadowed (Branded Packs #3)(52)

His claws sliced through the tips of his fingers, digging into the granite.

He didn’t bother arguing. He’d devoted a lot of energy to pursuing various females over the years. Why not? He was a cat that thoroughly enjoyed the hunt.

“Not yours,” he said with a wry smile. Bree had not only refused his attempts at seduction, but she’d also acted as if he’d just crawled from the gutter.

She shrugged. “I’m not interested in becoming some male’s afterthought.”

Rios scowled. He might not be a saint, but he would never, ever treat his lovers with anything less than complete respect.

“I’ve enjoyed the females who wanted to share their time with me-”

“They shared more than their time,” she interrupted with a humorless smile.

“It was a mutual desire to play,” he insisted.

The sharp tang of her anger assaulted his nose. “Good for you,” she snapped. “I’m not interested.”

“Hmm,” he said. If she wasn’t interested, then why did the mention of his other lovers ruffle her fur? Quite literally.

She glared at him, her expression deliberately wiped of emotion.

“What?”

He allowed a teasing smile to touch his lips. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low as he leaned toward her, sucking in a deep breath of her spicy scent. “I can smell a lie.”

With a fluid leap, she was off the rock and headed back down the mountain.

“I’m going to bed,” she said.

With a low growl, he watched the sexy way her hips swayed and the perfect curve of her delectable backside before he hopped off the rock in pursuit. “If you insist,” he said.

“Alone,” she snapped. Then with a swirl of magic, she was abruptly shifting back to her wolf form.

It was the perfect way to bring an end to the conversation.

Coming to a halt, Rios planted his hands on his hips as he watched the hauntingly beautiful wolf slide through the trees.

“Bree,” he called out, loud enough that she couldn’t miss his words. “This time, I’m not playing.”

****

Sinclair had expected the night to pass in extreme discomfort. After all, no male wanted to be aroused to the point of pain, with no relief in sight.

But he soon forgot his frustrated desire.

Sure, he wanted to be naked with Mira in the bed. But there was something oddly satisfying in standing guard as she fell into a deep, restful sleep.

Standing near the window, his gaze lingered on the pure line of her profile and the riotous curls that spread across the pillow.

She looked younger asleep. And peaceful.

When she was awake, there was a humming, vibrant energy; that was absent at the moment.

Relishing the rare opportunity to watch Mira without fear of revealing more than he wanted, Sinclair was barely aware of the hours passing. In fact, it wasn’t until he caught the smell of approaching humans that he turned his attention to the window.

Peeking through the edge of the curtain, he watched as six soldiers entered the parking lot on foot, two of them with dogs on leashes.

They were clearly following Mira’s scent. With a frown, Sinclair reached out with his mind to give the dogs a sharp ‘push’ in the opposite direction. Instantly, they were howling and tugging at the leashes, leading the soldiers away from the motel.

His mental power over them wouldn’t last more than a few minutes, but it would be long enough to ensure the men believed that the trail led in the opposite direction.

There was a rustle from the bed before the soft sound of Mira’s voice floated on the air.

“Sinclair?”

“I’m here.”

Smoothing the curtain back in place, Sinclair moved the short distance to the bed. Then, kicking off his shoes, he removed his shirt and jeans before pulling back the covers and stretching on the mattress. Mira rolled toward him, her eyes wide in the shadowed room.

“Is it the SAU?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

She shivered, her heart pounding loud enough for Sinclair to pick up the rapid beat. “They’re going to find us?”

“No.” With care not to startle her, he gently tugged her into his arms, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “Trust me,” he said.

Her tension eased, her head tilting back to study him with a faith that made his heart swell with fierce relief. Thank, God. There was a part deep inside him that had worried he was too late.

“What did you do?” she asked.

He gave in to the impulse that’d tormented him from the first time he’d caught sight of her and plunged his fingers into the spiral mass of curls.

“I convinced the dogs to move along,” he said.

“How?”

He hesitated before admitting the truth. “I can touch their minds.”

Her brows lifted, but there was no hint of disgust on her face. Instead, her expression was one of curiosity.

“You can speak telepathically with dogs?”

“It’s not really speaking,” he explained. “It’s more a mental warning to leave or be eaten.”

“Impressive,” she said.

A wicked smile tugged at his lips. “It’s the least of my skills.”

She rolled her eyes at his arrogance. “Seriously?”