world would be back.
She hid her face in his shoulder. A temporary measure, at best. But it worked—for now.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cody tapped his fingers on the steering wheel all the way down the highway, brow knitted tight. All the joy of his nights with Heather—a whole week of them since that night of the closing door—still didn’t solve his problems. If anything, they seemed to have been compounded.
A mate he couldn’t have—one who didn’t know his true nature.
A series of murders in which every clue came to a dead end.
A brother who cast a long shadow and a father whose gaze never ventured beyond it.
No matter where he searched for a sliver of hope, it all seemed impossible. The more he loved Heather, the more it hurt. She was his destined mate. Some instinctual part of her knew it, too. The way she held on to him and let go of her fear.
Our mate recognizes us
, his wolf purred in approval.
All well and good, but how do you tell a human you love her? How do you explain who you really are? Cody worked his jaw from side to side. Every minute he let tick by without telling her was a lie.
Meanwhile, he and Kyle had been up and down the state, hunting down every possible lead but coming up empty. Where would the vampires strike next? The next victim was out there, ignorant of her fate, and Cody could do nothing to save her. His mind spun it over a million times, all the way to the ranch.
Before he knew it, his truck passed under the gate.
Hmpf.
Some jerk had taken his usual spot—a truck he didn’t recognize with Nevada plates. Grinding his teeth, he parked two spots away, annoyed as hell that his father had summoned him to a meeting now. He needed to get back to town and finish the job. The sooner he could track down the vampires, the sooner he could concentrate on winning over his mate. Time was running out.
He entered the council room with a quick step then pulled up short. His father stood with another man, a grizzled old alpha. Roric, if Cody remembered correctly, head of the Westend pack, three hundred miles northwest. Beside Roric stood a petite brunette whose appraising eyes latched right on to Cody. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
“Ah, Cody!” His father was suspiciously jovial. Cody felt the blood drain from his face. “You remember Roric.”
He gave a curt nod as Roric’s slow lookover did its best to rough him up at ten paces.
“And his daughter, Sabrina.” His father practically sang the introduction.
“Hello Cody,” she cooed, undressing him with her doe eyes.
“Roric and I have some business to discuss,” his father continued. “Why don’t you take Sabrina for a walk? Show her around.”
His gut twisted, guessing exactly what kind of business his father had in mind. From the gleam in Sabrina’s eye, she was fully supportive.
What happened to three months?
he protested.
What happened to—
His father’s voice boomed in his head.
Think I’ll let my son ruin his life?
Cody’s blood ran cold as his father’s tone grew more measured.
Lest you allow yourself to be distracted by an unsuitable female, I’ve found you a good one. Isn’t she beautiful?
Maybe before Heather—maybe—he might have sniffed briefly in Sabrina’s direction. But now? He felt nothing but the dread spreading through the pit of his stomach.
But I don’t want her
, his inner voice cried.
You will do as I say!
his father thundered.
Take her, now!
The double meaning cracked through his head as his eyes roamed the room for some escape. Tina was there, her mouth pinched in a tight line. From the looks of it, she’d tried protesting but had been firmly put in her place. Cody looked desperately to Ty. Maybe the two of them together could… But no, Ty’s face was a mask. Where was the help he promised?
His mind flailed for some way out, even as he recognized the hard truth. Men like his father and Roric didn’t care about love or individual desire. To them, it was all about the
She hid her face in his shoulder. A temporary measure, at best. But it worked—for now.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cody tapped his fingers on the steering wheel all the way down the highway, brow knitted tight. All the joy of his nights with Heather—a whole week of them since that night of the closing door—still didn’t solve his problems. If anything, they seemed to have been compounded.
A mate he couldn’t have—one who didn’t know his true nature.
A series of murders in which every clue came to a dead end.
A brother who cast a long shadow and a father whose gaze never ventured beyond it.
No matter where he searched for a sliver of hope, it all seemed impossible. The more he loved Heather, the more it hurt. She was his destined mate. Some instinctual part of her knew it, too. The way she held on to him and let go of her fear.
Our mate recognizes us
, his wolf purred in approval.
All well and good, but how do you tell a human you love her? How do you explain who you really are? Cody worked his jaw from side to side. Every minute he let tick by without telling her was a lie.
Meanwhile, he and Kyle had been up and down the state, hunting down every possible lead but coming up empty. Where would the vampires strike next? The next victim was out there, ignorant of her fate, and Cody could do nothing to save her. His mind spun it over a million times, all the way to the ranch.
Before he knew it, his truck passed under the gate.
Hmpf.
Some jerk had taken his usual spot—a truck he didn’t recognize with Nevada plates. Grinding his teeth, he parked two spots away, annoyed as hell that his father had summoned him to a meeting now. He needed to get back to town and finish the job. The sooner he could track down the vampires, the sooner he could concentrate on winning over his mate. Time was running out.
He entered the council room with a quick step then pulled up short. His father stood with another man, a grizzled old alpha. Roric, if Cody remembered correctly, head of the Westend pack, three hundred miles northwest. Beside Roric stood a petite brunette whose appraising eyes latched right on to Cody. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
“Ah, Cody!” His father was suspiciously jovial. Cody felt the blood drain from his face. “You remember Roric.”
He gave a curt nod as Roric’s slow lookover did its best to rough him up at ten paces.
“And his daughter, Sabrina.” His father practically sang the introduction.
“Hello Cody,” she cooed, undressing him with her doe eyes.
“Roric and I have some business to discuss,” his father continued. “Why don’t you take Sabrina for a walk? Show her around.”
His gut twisted, guessing exactly what kind of business his father had in mind. From the gleam in Sabrina’s eye, she was fully supportive.
What happened to three months?
he protested.
What happened to—
His father’s voice boomed in his head.
Think I’ll let my son ruin his life?
Cody’s blood ran cold as his father’s tone grew more measured.
Lest you allow yourself to be distracted by an unsuitable female, I’ve found you a good one. Isn’t she beautiful?
Maybe before Heather—maybe—he might have sniffed briefly in Sabrina’s direction. But now? He felt nothing but the dread spreading through the pit of his stomach.
But I don’t want her
, his inner voice cried.
You will do as I say!
his father thundered.
Take her, now!
The double meaning cracked through his head as his eyes roamed the room for some escape. Tina was there, her mouth pinched in a tight line. From the looks of it, she’d tried protesting but had been firmly put in her place. Cody looked desperately to Ty. Maybe the two of them together could… But no, Ty’s face was a mask. Where was the help he promised?
His mind flailed for some way out, even as he recognized the hard truth. Men like his father and Roric didn’t care about love or individual desire. To them, it was all about the
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