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“I got a reply telling me I need to meet a contact—no description, but an assurance he’ll know me—on Kodiak Island just to the south and west of Mystic River. The message includes geo-coordinates.”
“Colby’s estate is on Kodiak, and we have a plane going over with some of the people we found. We can go with them and borrow transportation to get to the site.”
“We?”
“Did you miss the part about my being an overly protective alpha wolf who has no intention of letting you face danger alone?” He pointed to her computer screen. “That is sketchy as hell, and you know it. You’re not going without me.”
She arched her eyebrow. “What is it about you? Why don’t I get all pissed off at you when you talk to me like that?”
He leaned down and brushed her lips with his. “Because you know I’m right, and you’re not so foolish as to do something like that without backup.”
“Thank god I have a rational reason. Here I was thinking I just wanted to have you around so we could find a place after the meeting to fool around.”
She ran the back of her fingernail from the hollow of his throat up his neck and to his chin, which she grasped in her fingers, bringing his head down so she could kiss him back, and then she sashayed out the door. Cullen swatted her backside, and something deep inside her flickered to life. It was all she could do not to shiver.
After breakfast, Cullen sorted out who would be going to Windsong. As they were walking up to the plane, her hand intertwined with his, she said, “I notice both of the two women who don’t want to go back to their origin clans are headed to Windsong.”
Cullen nodded. “Neither Colby nor I are willing to ignore their wishes. The snow leopard shouldn’t be much of a problem. Hers is a minor clan, and Colby is sure he can bring pressure to bear on her alpha to not pursue it. The tigress, however, is another matter. Lucian Hendrix, the alpha of her clan, is a powerful warrior with a nasty temper. He’s already snarling about not being allowed to retrieve her yesterday. He threatened to try and take her from Ghost Moon Manor. I made him think twice.”
“Do I want to know how?”
“Probably not,” he chuckled.
Deciding he was probably right, she opted to let the matter drop and joined him as he boarded the jet. Cullen had arranged to borrow a couple of ATV’s and Colby had agreed to have them waiting on his landing strip. He let Salem sit by the window but folded up the armrest between them so she could lean against him while he pointed out various landmarks.
“I’d always thought of Alaska as being white and cold, but it’s really quite beautiful.”
Once they set down, Salem was introduced to the wily lynx-shifter who seemed to be at the heart of so many things that were going on.
Taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips, Colby said, “I see now why he wants to whisk you away from Windsong before you have a chance to know which would be better.”
Cullen growled. She took her other hand to reach up and pull his head to hers, kissing him deeply before turning back to Colby. “He knows he has no need for concern, and you’re just trying to get a rise out of him.”
“Beautiful and smart,” Colby purred. “Take it from a man who knows, it can be a devastating combination.”
“If you don’t let go of her hand, I’m going to rip your arm out of its socket and take it as a souvenir,” said Cullen amiably but with an undertone of steel.
“The ATVs are yours. Just leave them here when you and your people depart. As for the rest of you,” Colby said, looking at Cullen’s men, “you are welcome to join our guests. Come along, everyone, let’s get you settled.”
Before he could step away, Cullen stopped him. “Lucian is already making noises about taking his tigress back by force.”
Colby glanced at his watch. “She’ll be on her way out of here before the rest of them have even had time to get to the main house.”
Cullen nodded. “Good.”
“Can you handle Lucian’s anger?”
“Yes, but he isn’t stupid. He’ll figure out pretty quickly you were involved.”
“Perhaps, but then he’ll find I’m not inclined to put out my welcome mat for him. We can handle him. You’re not the only one with stealth gunships.”
Salem shook her head. “Boys with their toys. Cullen, we have a rendezvous of our own to keep.”
They took the ATVs Colby had provided and set off to the location they’d been given. At first, it almost felt like a lovely outdoor adventure, but the closer they got to the spot, the more apprehensive she became. They had agreed to stop about half a mile out, with Salem going the rest of the way on her own.
When they stopped, Salem sensed he could tell she was uneasy. “You don’t need to do this alone or at all. You can tell your bosses about the anonymous email and that it felt like a setup, which, by the way, it does.”
“I know, but that’s why I’ve got you with me.”
