The Alpha’s Tempting Mate

“I think it’s possible, yeah. She’s an alpha female, and young enough to bear lots of pups.”

Amber swallows, looking a little sick. “We have to get her back.”

“Yeah.” My stomach clenches. “Soon. Before they start…” I can’t finish the sentence. My fists tighten, itching to punch someone. My wolf wants to rampage. I want to break everything I see. If Amber weren’t here, I probably already would have.

“So what do we do?” she asks, chin up like she’s ready to do anything. She’s not going to like what we have to do.

“We have no leads, Amber. No scent at all. We got nothing but your vision. Let’s play twenty questions with you and see what you can intuit.”

Her shoulders slump. Doubt oozes from her stance. I step so my body blocks my two packmates watching her, and cup her chin. “You can do this, Amber. Your gifts are meant to be used.”

“What if I’m wrong? Or I can’t see anything?”

“It will still be more information than we have now.”

“You’re crazy,” she mutters, but she walks to the couch and sits down, tucking her legs up under her body and closing her eyes. “Go ahead.”

Trey has his laptop open. “It says here that psychics can be clairsentient, clairvoyant, clairaudient or claircognizant. Which do you think you are, Amber?”

“Clairvoyant. I see things–I don’t usually hear. Maybe clairsentient–sometimes I feel things like emotion. Especially his.” She shifts her gaze to me.

“G, do you have something of Sedona’s?” Trey asks. “It says that police psychics hold an object that belonged to a victim or missing person to kick start the intuition.”

I go to the room Sedona stayed in and grab one of her tank tops from her suitcase. I hand it to Amber. “This belongs to Sedona.”

“Can’t hurt to try, I guess,” Amber mumbles, taking the shirt and holding it in both hands. She closes her eyes.

“Where is Sedona now?”

Amber sits perfectly still while three pairs of eyes stare at her in silence. Minutes tick by. She exhales in a whoosh as if she’s been holding it. “I don’t know,” she says at last.

“Is she in San Carlos still?”

Another long pause and then a shake of her head. “Sorry.”

“Can you get a name of one of the men who took her?”

Agitation radiates from my little human, but she squeezes her eyes shut again. “La… Luh… Lobo?” Her eyes snap open. “Oh, that’s stupid. That’s just wolf in Spanish.”

“No, you may be onto something. It could be the last name of a family of wolves.”

“Your father might have contacts with some of the packs down here,” Jared says in a low voice.

I blow out a breath. I was hoping to find my sister fast, without involving my dad. “First, let’s do some digging. We need a lead.” I know my dad. He’ll drive down with every warrior wolf in his pack, maybe even from packs who owe him favors. It’ll be war. My gut tells me Sedona will pay the price.

We’ve gotta get more information. “Trey? Will you see if Kylie can help with research?”

One of the shifters in Tucson-the panther who mated a wolf-is a tech genius. She can hack any system in the world for information.

“I’m on it,” Trey says.

“Is she in a house right now? Outside? Is she in wolf form or human?” Jared asks.

Amber’s face pinches, and she shakes her head. “I’m sorry, you guys. I just don’t know.” She looks pale and exhausted. My wolf whines, hating her distress.

“Okay,” I say. “Amber, why don’t you get some rest? It’s been a long day. We’ll try again in the morning.”

“No, that’s okay, I can keep going. Ask another one.”

“Amber.” I start to put an alpha-push to my voice. Jared catches my eye, and I back down. “All right. One more.”

“What step should we take next to find her?” Jared asks.

“Hmm, interesting question.” Amber closes her eyes again as Trey walks outside to call Kylie. I motion for Jared to follow him.

I sit back down and wait in silence, the sound of the waves crashing on the beach outside making a lullaby to ease the tension in the room. Amber gives a soft sigh. She’s fallen asleep.

As tight as my gut is right now, as much as I want to find Sedona, I can’t bear to wake Amber. I lift her carefully. Her eyelids flutter, but she doesn’t open them. Her lips move, but I don’t catch what she’s saying.

“What’s that?”

She furrows her brow and shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. You know,” I assure her, carrying her into the bedroom. How can she have gone this long without anyone telling her how powerful and special her talent really is? A gift, not the curse she believes it to be.

I pull back the covers and lay her on the bed. My little spitfire looks so fragile asleep, the line between her brows creased with worry. My wolf is calmer now, and I can’t resist brushing a kiss on that little line. If she were my mate, I’d do everything I could to make sure she never had cause to worry again.

Amber

I wake to find myself on the bed in the bedroom, Garrett sitting in the chair, chin in hand and eyes on me.

“How long was I out?” I croak.

“An hour. Any headaches?”

“No. Watching over your prisoner?” I murmur, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I stretch my arms over my head, arching my back. Was the previous sizzling attraction a fluke?

Nope. I spy with my little eye something that begins with C, growing long and hard against his jeans.

“You take this kidnapping thing seriously.” I really shouldn’t poke the bear… wolf… but I can’t help it. He looks so delicious with his dark scruff and tousled hair.

“I could’ve tied you up again.” His voice is deeper than usual, his eyes boiling.

My pussy clenches, but I school my face. He doesn’t need to know how well he plays the game.

His nostrils flare, his eyes turning silver as he sniffs the air. “You’re close to ovulation.”

“What?” I yank the covers up, thankful I’m still fully clothed.

“You cycle with the moon. Not many human females do, anymore.”

I glance at the window, where the curtains frame a full moon.

“Two days,” he answers my silent question. His pewter gaze makes me pull the covers up under my chin.

So, what happens during the full moon?

I go hunting.

“What does that mean to you?” I ask.

“I might have to lock you up to keep you safe.” His glittering gaze screams big bad wolf.

“You already did that.”

“I mean lock you away from me.”

Lust kicks through me. Garrett leans forward, his hands clenched together, his tattoos clear.

He’s a menace, I remind myself. He kidnapped you. Tied you up.

A pulse grows between my legs. It would be so easy to push the covers back down, spread my legs. Play with myself. See how long it takes him to lose control.

No, no, no. Bad girl.

This guy is every bad decision I never made, rolled into one. And if I don’t snap out of lust soon, I’m going to make what might be the biggest mistake of my life.

A knock sounds on the bedroom door.

“Hey, boss?” Jared calls.

“Yeah,” Garrett gives his head a quick, dog-like shake and unfolds from the chair. He prowls to the door with a smooth speed, silent as a wolf. As a predator.

“I heard back from Kylie. She sent the list of people with the last name ‘Lobo’ in the surrounding area, and then all of Mexico. There aren’t any in San Carlos, though. There’s one about thirty kilometers away. We’ll drive over and sniff around right now.”

“Thanks, guys,” Garrett says. “I’ll stay here and pick Amber’s brain.”

I bite my lip as the guys leave. A woman is missing. Whatever Garrett and I have for each other, it can wait.

Thirty minutes later, I’m pacing the living room, balling my hands into fists. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. I wish I could help, but I can’t.”

“Just relax. You’re too wound up. Lie down on the sofa and close your eyes.”

My stomach twists up in a double-knot. “I can’t. Garrett, this isn’t working. I’m not going to be able to help you. You’ve got to find another way.”

“It is working. It has worked. I’m just asking you to try again.”

“For God’s sake, I can’t,” I snap, then close my mouth when I see pain on his face. I force myself to exhale. “I’m sorry, but you’re stressing me out. This whole experience is very intense.”

“I know. That’s why I wanted you to sit down. You need to relax. Either figure out how to do it for yourself, or I’ll help you.”

Excuse me? I whirl, my hands on my hips. “You’ll help me? Exactly how do you plan to do-” I stop speaking when Garrett stalks toward me, pulling his T-shirt off over his head.