Sedona Seduction (Sedona Pack Book 2) Page 2

  Although my family lineage included skin walkers, the legends of skin walkers usually revolved around someone corrupting magic through evil deeds and choosing to take an animal’s form. Maybe it happened that way for some of them, but in my family, it had been passed along the maternal side of the family, skipping generations at random. My grandmother’s spirit was tied to an eagle instead of a desert cat, but my parents recognized the ability and taught me to hide my lynx from others.

  Until the Sedona Pack came into my life, no one else knew my secret.

  My family had no idea werewolves and jaguar shifters existed, or that in both races the mutation was carried on the Y chromosome, passed from father to son. And if I had my way, they never would. The best way to protect them from the danger brewing between the werewolves and jaguars was to stay away.

  I pushed through the door into the kitchen and breathed in the aroma. God, I loved cooking. Part of me had worried that running my own restaurant would kill my passion, but it ended up doing the opposite. I didn’t get to prepare the food as often as I’d like, but it also meant I treasured the times when I did.

  Sadly, tonight wasn’t one of those times. I needed to get back out to the crew in my dining room. “Harley, can you make a plate of carnitas and a side of pollo for Vance and Abby?”

  My sous chef grinned. “Will do.” She glanced up from her cutting board. “That’s the third time this week. I think he likes you.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  I laughed, shaking my head. “For the millionth time, there’s nothing going on between us.”

  “But maybe there should be.”

  In addition to being a damn fine sous chef, Harley was a songwriter with a following in town. She was smart and a hard worker. I liked her. But I’d never tell her Vance and I were both shifters. She would probably never believe me anyway.

  Since I’d been bitten, I was some kind of hybrid shifter now. I could to take my lynx form at will, but during full moon nights, I now went through the painful change into a large black wolf. Any romantic relationship with Vance would be complicated to say the least.

  “When did you become a matchmaker?” I called over my shoulder as I headed back out to the TV crew. I approached them. “Sorry about that. Did you get all the footage you need?”

  “You’ve got a great place here.” Greg, the host, shook my hand. “I’ll e-mail you if we need any last details, but I think we got all the video covered.”

  “Thanks for coming out.” I released his hand. “I’m glad you enjoyed the food.”

  He turned around, chatting with the assistant who was removing his microphone, and I did my best to stay out of the crew’s way. I glanced at the window to the patio. Outside, Brody delivered Vance’s dinner. Vance looked over just in time to catch me staring. He winked, and heat crept up my neck as I shook it off and headed for the kitchen. Cooking might be the only thing in the world that could distract me from those sexy hazel eyes.

  My phone buzzed just as I dropped it into the pocket of my apron. I pulled it back out, and a smile curved my lips as I read the text.

  Kudos to the chef. Love, Vance and Abigail.

  One more popped up.

  Rugby game with the Black Sheep tonight at seven.

  I chuckled, shaking my head. He always invited me, and I was always working. But it didn’t escape my notice that he kept asking. I quickly fired off a reply.

  Cooking. Kick some ass.

  One more buzz.

  Always do.

  And our ritual was over.

  I stuffed my phone back into my apron pocket and got busy making my signature caramel sauce for the flan. I needed two nights’ worth because tomorrow was the new moon so I’d be out. Vance would be shifting into a huge black jaguar, and it was my lynx’s job to keep him away from the city.

  When Asher brought Vance into our pack, it was with the understanding that his new moon shifts would be guarded by the pack. We couldn’t risk humans discovering us. Even though we were stronger and healed faster, we were outnumbered a few thousand times over. If we ever found ourselves being hunted by humans, it would be a death sentence. Bigger, faster, and stronger, sure, but we could still be killed by a bullet.

  That had been drilled into me as a child, and my healthy fear of being outted hadn’t diminished over the years.

  During Vance’s first new moon as a pack member, I had taken the form of my lynx to see if he’d follow, and he had. I grinned at the memory. We had run and hunted rats and lizards in the desert. Freedom. The cats had played while our human spirits had taken a back seat, onlookers instead of active participants.

  Although Vance’s jaguar was at least three times bigger than my lynx, I’d never been injured. His claws were always retracted when he pawed at my lynx. And when we took our human forms again, we never discussed our runs under the moonless sky. Like the unspoken physical attraction between us, our once-a-month animalistic adventures were equally secretive. At first I’d thought maybe Vance didn’t have any memories of the cat when he shifted, but I’d heard him tell stories of the night he had almost died destroying Nero headquarters.

  He remembered. We just didn’t talk about it. Maybe we didn’t need to. I looked forward to the new moon every month anyway.

  The dinner rush flew by, leaving my feet and back sore in the best way. I loved feeding people. A good meal around a candlelit table was a ritual too many took for granted these days. Knowing I could give folks some time to relax, connect, and nourish their bodies meant everything to me.

  I tossed my dirty apron in the basket for our laundering service to pick up in the morning and headed for the office to crunch numbers while my employees closed their stations. We’d had a good night. I dove into the inventory and food orders.

  “Kaya?”

  I jumped, having lost track of time, and turned around to see Brody poking his head into my office. “You’re the last one out. Want me to walk you to your car?”

  “You’re sweet, but I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

  Like the rest of my staff, Brody had no idea I could shift. Being a skin walker and a werewolf shifter, I was stronger than a man twice my size.

  He tapped a hand on the doorframe. “Okay, then. Good night.”

  “Night, Brody.”

  I finished up my bookkeeping and left a note for my assistant manager about tomorrow night. I stood up, stretching my tired arms. A scent I didn’t recognize hit my nostrils. I reached for my purse and pulled it—and my Ruger—closer to me. My night vision had been heightened through my connection to the lynx, but my sense of smell was a newer ability from my wolf. I frowned, slinging my purse over my shoulder. Isolating the scents was difficult, like walking into a busy food court in a mall. All the different foods, plus perfumes and colognes, all intermingled in a jumble of smell. I’d been practicing sorting through them but still wasn’t the best. Cole, one of the born wolves in my pack, had been working with the bitten wolves like me, teaching us to recognize and then ignore the various scents, like pulling back the peels on a banana until you got the fruit in the middle.

  I took another breath as I exited my office. The aromas from the dinner service still lingered in the kitchen. Next, I recognized the cleaning solvents we used on the floors and tables. I was getting closer. I moved toward the back door, and the scent I’d been trying to isolate grew stronger.

  Jaguar.

  And this one wasn’t Vance. I didn’t recognize this one.

  Shit.

  Nero’s satellite facility was up in Flagstaff, and a few months ago they’d abducted my friend Naomi. She escaped with a little help from Asher and the others, but now that we knew more about their operations up there in the woods, I didn’t want to be the next target.

  I checked the time on my phone. Almost midnight. Asher and Naomi had little ones. I didn’t want to wake them in the middle of the night. Instead, I pressed the number for the Wolf Pack Bar. My packmate Ryker was bartending tonight. The pack owned the bar, and the revenue s
tream paid for the upkeep on the ranch we used as our pack’s home base. We also had a savings account set aside for any pack member who might be struggling. We didn’t always agree, but I loved being a part of a family who always had my back. It was all new to me after a lifetime of hiding a huge secret.

  “This is Ryker,” he answered.

  “It’s Kaya. I think I’ve got a Nero visitor in my parking lot.”

  “Fuck.” He lowered his voice. “Hold on. Let me go in the back.”

  A cacophony of voices filtered through the line as he made his way through the crowd to the back. The Wolf Pack Bar catered to tourists from all over the world. None of them realized they literally were drinking alongside a pack of werewolves, and we wanted to keep it that way.

  “Okay, I’m in the storeroom.” Even whispering, I had no trouble hearing him. “What’s going on?”

  “I caught the scent of a jaguar. It’s stronger by the back door. I can probably handle it, but a little backup wouldn’t hurt. Anyone else there with you tonight?”

  “Tell her I’m on my way over and to stay inside,” Vance’s Aussie accent growled in the background.

  I almost smiled. “Tell Vance I don’t need a rescue; I need backup. No one holds me prisoner in my own restaurant.”

  Ryker chuckled. “Good luck with that. He’s already gone.”

  I shook my head. “Thanks, Ryker.”

  After ending the call, I dropped my cell phone into my purse and withdrew my pistol. I’d learned to fire a gun just after we’d overthrown our last Alpha, Caldwell, and formed our current Sedona Pack. It couldn’t hurt to be prepared. I wasn’t a perfect shot yet, but if someone got close enough I wouldn’t have to be.

  I locked the back door and exited out the front, near the street. No sign of the jaguar, or its smell, here. Whoever was paying me this visit seemed to be hoping to meet me at the back door on my way to the car.

  Staying low, I rounded the building toward the rear parking area. Because of the Dark Sky designation in Sedona, the streets were very dimly lit at night. Usually that gave me an advantage with my heightened night vision, but the jaguar I smelled would have the same abilities I did. I peered around the corner toward the parking lot, my gun at the ready. The scent still lingered on the night air, but I didn’t see anyone.

  Something clicked across the lot. A gun? I hit the ground just before the stucco crumbled into my hair. Dammit. They were using a silencer.

  I aimed in the direction of the click, searching for my target.

  Headlights drenched the parking lot in light. Two silent shots and I was back in the dark again as glass shattered on the front of the car. My pupils struggled to keep up with the changing conditions.

  Vance.

  I had to warn him. The shooter already knew where I was anyway. “Careful,” I called over. “They’ve got a silencer.”

  “Wait there,” he shouted.

  Two more bullets hit the pavement in front of the car. Vance raced toward the shooter.

  Dammit. He was going to get himself killed.

  I hopped to my feet and sprinted from the side of the building, taking cover behind Vance’s car. A bullet ricocheted off the pavement near my foot. My heart raced while I held my breath. If they were busy shooting at me, they couldn’t hit Vance. I squeezed the trigger, my ears ringing as the shot broke the silence.

  The police would be here in a matter of minutes.

  But Vance might not have that long. Dammit.

  I shifted. Unlike full moon shifts, becoming one with my spirit animal was painless and fast. The lynx sprinted, leaving my clothes in a discarded pile. I coaxed her to find Vance. We tracked his scent, finding him just as the other man raised his gun. We didn’t hesitate, launching from the ground, claws outstretched. The man fell backward, screaming, but not before pulling the trigger one last time. Pain seared across my shoulder, but the cat barely registered it, tearing at neck of the predator.

  The blood was tainted with the scent of fear, driving the feral wild animal into a frenzy. Sirens blared in the distance, and I fought with the lynx for control.

  “Kaya,” Vance whispered. We recognized his voice. “We need to get him out of here.” He inched his arm between the cat and her prey. The lynx clawed at him before I could stop her. “Dammit. Kaya, the police are coming.”

  Finally, I soothed the lynx. She backed away, and Vance scooped up the body. He looked down at us. “You need to shift back. Where are your clothes?”

  My clothes. Shit. I gave the lynx a mental push toward Vance’s car. The clock was ticking. We raced to my clothes as red lights cut through the darkness. The police cruiser was close to the parking lot.

  In the blink of an eye, I shifted back, scrambling into my pants and top. I stuffed my bra and underwear into my purse while I stepped into my shoes. A second later the spotlight from the police car bathed me in blinding white light.

  “Freeze,” a male voice commanded.

  I had no idea where Vance and the dead jaguar shifter were, but I needed to come up with an excuse for this car blocking the entrance to the parking lot, and fast. With my hands up, I glanced at the car, unable to see the officers. “I was just going home.”

  “We had calls about shots being fired.”

  A pause.

  Another officer came up on the other side, his gun drawn. “Is that your firearm on the ground?”

  Dammit. I had forgotten about my gun. “Yes.”

  “Keep your hands where I can see them.” He came around and picked up my Ruger.

  The other officer hidden behind the spotlight spoke up again. “Is this your car?”

  He could’ve already checked the registration by now. If I lied, I could end up in handcuffs. I cleared my throat. “No. It’s my boyfriend’s.” Boyfriend? Where had that come from? “I own the Red Coyote. Someone was out here tonight and shot at us. I fired back.”

  The officer stepped in front of the light, holstering his gun. “So where’s your boyfriend now?”

  Right on cue, Vance jogged out of the darkness, his hands half-heartedly in the air. “I’m right here, mate.”

  I wanted to ask what he did with the body, but it would have to wait.

  “I tried to chase the bastard down, but he got away.”

  The second officer holstered his weapon but didn’t return mine yet. He frowned as he looked over at Vance. “You’re bleeding.”

  My gaze snapped to Vance’s shoulder. His shirt was torn, too. The bullet that hit me must’ve grazed him too.

  All attention shifted in my direction, and the officer’s frown deepened. “You’re both bleeding.”

  I peered at my shoulder. A red stain bloomed on my silk shirt. Adrenaline must’ve dulled the pain. I’d almost forgotten the bullet hit me too. I needed to get the police out of here so we could move the body and get back to the ranch for some stitches. If the police discovered the dead man, we were doomed. Shifters couldn’t risk hospitals or autopsies. If the oddities in our DNA were ever seen under a microscope, we could have the whole human race hunting us down.

  Vance crossed over to me. “Caught myself on a tree branch while I was chasing after him. Just a scratch.”

  “I fell trying to dodge the bullets.” I shrugged. Mistake. Sharp pain radiated from my shoulder. I ground my teeth to keep from groaning in pain. Forcing a smile, I added. “Probably caught a piece of glass from the parking lot.”

  The officer took a step closer, his boot crunching on the glass. “We should get you both to the hospital. I can get a team out to search the area.”

  “I can’t.” I shook my head. “I don’t have any health insurance.” I glanced over at Vance. “I just want to go home.”

  He nodded and faced the officers. “I didn’t see much, but the shots came from over there.” He pointed to the woods at the edge of the lot.

  The officers shared a look before the second one returned my Ruger. “I just need to take down some contact info and we’ll see if we can find any bullet c
asings.”

  “All right.” I adjusted the purse strap on my uninjured shoulder and did my best to answer their questions. Vance slid his arm around my waist, and without meaning to, I rested my head against his chest. The adrenaline was fading, leaving me achy and exhausted. I needed a hot shower and sleep. Soon.

  When they finished with me, it was Vance’s turn. If he was feeling half as shitty as me, he hid it well. He answered their questions and we both gave them our contact information. Vance walked me to my car, keeping his voice low. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Yeah, it just grazed me. How about you?”

  “Same.” He nodded. “You probably saved my life tonight.”

  “You’re welcome.” I grinned, but it faded quickly. “What about the other guy?”

  “I stashed the body.” There was no trace of Vance’s cocky grin. This was the hardened jaw of the assassin. “Once the cops leave, I’ll take the body to the ranch and see if we can find out who he was and why he was looking for you.” His gaze wandered over my face. “I should follow you home, just to be safe.”

  “If they find that body and do an autopsy, we’re all in deep shit.” I raised a brow. “Besides, I was the one who saved you tonight, remember?”

  He smirked. “So I owe you one.” His eyes sparkled. “No one comes after my girlfriend.”

  I almost choked on my tongue. “You heard that?” I shook my head, hoping I seemed calm and cool. “I just needed an excuse for your car to be blocking the parking lot.”

  He cleared his throat, wearing that grin I’d come to realize was really more of a distraction. “Fair enough. I’ll check in with you later.”

  My heart fluttered, but I tamped the desire down, reminding myself Vance hid so many secrets behind that easy smile.