Karen was prepared when the male voice spoke to her from the shadows.
“Did you enjoy your dinner?” the mystery man asked.
Karen pasted a smile onto her lips. During the endless hours waiting for the return of her captor she’d come to the decision that her only hope was trying to forge a personal connection. Unlike the last time she’d been kidnapped, this male wasn’t treating her as if she was a lump of flesh they needed for their sick experiments. He talked to her as if she was a real woman.
I was a long shot, but she might actually be able to convince him to let her out of the cage.
From there…well, one step at a time.
“It was delicious. Thank you,” she murmured, rising from the cot to stand at the door of the cage. She was still weak, and her head still throbbed, but she was capable of standing thanks to the truly delicious food that had been delivered during the day. “I still don’t know your name.”
There was a long silence before he at last answered. “Ward.”
“Ward,” she slowly repeated the name. It wasn’t familiar, but that wasn’t surprising. Few of her captors had ever bothered to introduce themselves. “Do I know you? From before?”
His weird laugh echoed through the empty space. “You could say that.”
Karen frowned. She sensed a double meaning in his words, but she didn’t get it.
“Why won’t you show me your face?” she asked.
“Because I want us to become better acquainted first,” he abruptly snapped.
Karen grabbed the bars, hiding her flare of impatience behind a tight smile. The man seemed twitchy. As if he might shut down the conversation at any moment. It was up to her to keep him there and talking.
“Okay,” she soothed in gentle tones. “What do you want to know?”
There was a shuffle of feet as if he’d stepped closer to the door. “Why did you run away?”
“Run away?” She blinked in confusion.
“When you were working for Benson laboratories,” he muttered. “You simply disappeared.”
Was he kidding?
She gave a slow shake of her head. “I didn’t run away. Indy came and helped me escape. I was being held as a prisoner.”
She heard his sharply indrawn breath. “Don’t say that.”
Karen’s confusion deepened. “Say what?”
“That you were a prisoner.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” she asked. “It’s the truth.”
“No. You were a volunteer, not a prisoner.”
Karen flinched as if she’d been slapped. Just for a moment she suspected he was cruelly taunting her. Did he take pleasure in pretending she hadn’t been kidnapped, abused, and tortured for over ten years?
“I’m not sure who told you that, but I was kidnapped at the age of seventeen when I was walking home from school,” she said, forcing her voice to remain calm despite the ugly emotions twisting her gut into a knot. “They snatched me off the streets and threw me in a cage.”
There was more shuffling, almost as if the man was battling against his urge to storm into the lab.
“I’ve read your file,” he said, his voice vibrating with a hint of a growl. Was he Pantera? Or maybe a hybrid? “It says that you arrived at Benson Enterprises and pleaded to be taken in as a volunteer. It said your mother was abusive—”
“My mother would never have hurt me,” she angrily interrupted. She wouldn’t allow anyone to spread nasty stories about her beloved mother.
Even if it meant putting herself in danger.
Clearly frustrated by her refusal to play his game, the man slammed his fist loudly against the open door. “Stop it,” he snarled. “Why do you lie?”
Karen frowned. He truly believed what he was saying. The mystery man thought she’d happily agreed to become a brood mare and could have waltzed away whenever she wanted.
Sucking in a deep breath, she shoved her arm through the steel bars, stretching her hand out in a pleading motion.
“I’m telling the truth, Ward,” she swore. “Whoever wrote the file you were reading was spreading lies.”
“I don’t believe you,” he hissed between clenched teeth. “You volunteered, but after you had children you grew tired of being in the lab. You took your favorite child and walked away.”
“Never,” she rasped. “Never, never, never.”
“You did,” he insisted, sounding like a petulant kid.
Karen swayed, her eyes squeezing shut.
“Listen to me. I would never leave my children,” she insisted, her voice thick with pain. How dare he imply that she’d ever abandon her babies? There wasn’t a night that passed that she didn’t cry out in agony, the hole in the center of her heart never healing. “After I gave birth, my sons were taken from me. I wasn’t even allowed to hold them. It broke my heart, but thankfully Indy arrived to release me from my cage,” she said. She’d been so close to giving up on all hope when young Indy had boldly crept into the lab and released her. “I found Caleb strapped to a gurney, being treated like a…” Her voice broke at the heart-wrenching memory of Caleb bound by leather bands, his scrawny body barely more than skin and bones and his hair matted with filth. Even more astonishing had been the rapid rate of his growth. Until she’d finally gotten him to the Wildlands he’d been maturing almost twice as fast as a normal human. No doubt a reaction to his Pantera DNA. “I searched for my other sons, but I couldn’t find them. So we released all the prisoners we could find and torched the lab.”
“And now you’ve started a new life,” he drawled, obviously not impressed with her story.
“I’ve done my best to start over,” she hesitantly agreed. What did he want from her?
Again he slammed his fist into the door. “Forgetting those you left behind.”
She shook her head. “I would never forget my sons. They’re my heart.”
“Easy to say,” he rasped.
Karen abruptly stiffened. Dear god. Was it possible…?
Grabbing the bars of the cage, she gave the door a frustrated shake. “Do you know where I can find them?” she demanded. “Do you know my sons?”
There was a long, excruciating silence before he at last answered. “Yes.”
“Oh, dear god.” Her knees threatened to buckle at the intense relief that seared through her. “Tell me what you know. Please. I’ll do anything you ask. Anything.”
As if her desperate pleas had at last stirred the mystery man into action, there was a ripple of movement and he stepped into the lab.
Karen had a confused second when she accepted the male was a stranger.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with the lean, muscular body of many Pantera, covered by an expensive gray suit. Then the fluorescent lights caught the red highlights in his closely trimmed hair and shimmered in the green eyes.
Her heart refused to beat as she took in the pale, elegant features that were almost an exact match to Caleb’s.
Oh dear lord…
Her knees collapsed as the world went black. With a soft groan, Karen tumbled onto the hard floor.
***
Ice tried to concentrate on keeping the Jeep on increasingly narrow roads as Cammy directed him through the darkness.
A task that was much more difficult than it should have been.
Dammit. He should have used their rest stop at the cabin to talk to her. It’s what he’d intended to do. After all, he was well aware that she’d spent the afternoon dreaming of him.
He’d caught the unmistakable scent of her arousal even as she’d softly whispered his name.
But he hadn’t missed her wary glances, or the way she’d kept a physical distance between them. She might be slowly accepting that she was sexually attracted to him, but she still battled against the deeper awareness that was forming.
His cat urged him to pounce, but his human heart warned that pressing her too far, too fast might ruin any hope of earning her as his mate.
Besides, they were on a mission
to track down their enemies and retrieve one of their kidnapped packmates.
Not precisely the time or place to reveal his innermost feelings.
But as they neared their destination, Ice felt a knot of regret in the pit of his stomach.
He’d wasted years. First, by trying ignore his feelings for her. And then by being too cowardly to make his claim.
Was he really willing to walk into danger without telling Cammy how he felt, and what he wanted from her?
“Turn left on the next road,” Cammy said, interrupting his inner thoughts. “She should be just ahead.”
His decision made, Ice forced himself to concentrate on their surroundings.
For the past hour they’d been driving through empty farmland, but as Ice turned the Jeep down the road that had been recently graveled, his night-gaze caught sight of the outline of distant buildings.
Pulling to a halt, he leaned forward, studying the high chain-link fence that framed the industrial compound. He could make out a three-storied central building made of concrete blocks, with several smaller structures that looked like barracks. At the far end there was a runway with a metal hangar.
“It looks like an abandoned military facility,” he murmured.
“Not entirely abandoned,” Cammy said, nodding toward the prop plane sitting near the hangar. “Someone’s here.”
Ice glanced toward the fence. Even at a distance he could make out the cameras tucked into the barbed wire at the top. He could also see tiny sensors that he assumed were motion detectors. It wouldn’t be easy to approach without being noticed.
“We need to do a sweep to check the security before we try to enter,” he warned.
Cammy leaned down, pulling her handgun from the backpack at her feet.
“I’ll head to the south and meet you on the other side,” she said, instantly in warrior mode.
His body tingled with male appreciation. Was there anything sexier than a strong, beautiful female?
He reached out as she shoved open her door, grasping her upper arm. “Wait.”
She glanced back in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
He allowed his fingers to stroke upward, tracing the line of her shoulder. “I want to say something before we do this.”
Her eyes dilated with arousal at his light caress, but her expression was wary. “Ice—”
He interrupted her protest. “Please.” He wasn’t going to be stopped. Not this time.
She licked her lips, making him instantly hard. He’d spent more than a few hours fantasizing about having that lush mouth wrapped around his cock.
“What?”
His fingers traced the vulnerable curve of her throat, resting over the rapid beat of her pulse.
“When Parish requested that I return to the Wildlands, I resisted,” he admitted, the musk of his puma scenting the air. The animal inside him didn’t understand why he wasn’t pouncing on this female to physically prove he was stronger and more cunning than any other potential mate. It didn’t want to talk. It wanted to lick and bite and taste every luscious inch of Cammy before pinning her beneath him so he could take her with a wild hunger. “My parents often traveled to dangerous locations around the world and I felt it was my duty to protect them.”
She stilled, as if captivated by his soft words. “What made you change your mind?”
“You.”
Her eyes widened. “Me?”
His lips twitched at her blatant disbelief. He’d clearly done a better job than he thought at hiding his obsession with her.
“Trust me, I tried to fight it,” he said in wry tones. “But from the first time I caught sight of you I was fascinated.”
She shook her head, her pulse leaping beneath his fingertips. “You glared at me all the time.”
He grimaced, recalling the petty jealousy that’d plagued him for so long.
“Because you were panting over Rage,” he muttered.
A flush stained her cheeks. “I never panted.”
“You did,” Ice insisted, his voice a growl. The mere thought of Cammy being with another male was enough to make him conjure homicidal thoughts. “You wanted to be with him.”
She paused, visibly considering whether or not to tell him the truth.
“I don’t know if it’s what I wanted, or what I thought I should want,” she at last confessed in tones so low he barely caught the words.
He arched his brows. “What you thought you should want?”
“Rage has been my best friend since we were cubs. He always felt comfortable.”
“And you don’t feel comfortable with me?”
Her answer came without hesitation. “No.”
“Good.” He lowered his head, kissing her with a fierce surge of joy. He didn’t want her comfortable with him. He wanted her excited and aroused and breathless when he walked into a room. That’s how he felt every time she was near. “I’m not sure how many times I was forced to leash my desire to punch Rage in his handsome face.”
She bit her bottom lip, her eyes glowing as her cat responded to his kiss. Her puma wasn’t conflicted. It wanted him.
Now.
“He’s really a very good guy and a dedicated Hunter,” she said, a shiver racing through her body.
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But he was a competitor for your attention. Which meant my primitive side could only see him as the enemy,” he admitted with brutal honesty.
“And now?”
His gaze locked on her lips. “Now I don’t intend to punch him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”
His hands cupped her face, his gaze holding hers as the air heated with his searing hunger. “And I don’t intend to waste any more time waiting for you to notice me,” he growled with unmistakable determination.
She gave a breathless laugh. “Trust me, I’ve noticed.”
He stole another kiss, savoring the lush satin of her. His thumbs traced the line of her jaw, tilting back her head as he dipped his tongue between her lips. He groaned at the sweet taste of her feminine desire.
“Keep noticing,” he murmured, brushing his mouth over the silken heat of her cheek.
She trembled, her hands lifting to clutch at his shoulders. “Ice.”
“No.” He nipped her lower lip. “I don’t need you to say anything. I just wanted you to know that my cat is done waiting. He wants to be on the hunt.”
She pulled back, her expression impossible to read. “What if I’m not ready?”
“Then I get to enjoy stalking you,” he said, his cat not at all opposed to spending time playing with his prey. There were few things he liked better than a challenge. He studied her pale face. “Just tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Are you scared of me?”
She blinked, seemingly caught off guard by his question.
“You can be intimidating,” she slowly said. “And arrogant. And mysterious. But no.” She gave a decisive shake of her head. “You don’t scare me.”
His cat roared with satisfaction.
The chase was on.
“That’s all I need to know.” With a last, lingering kiss he released his hold on her. “Are you ready?”
Her lips parted, then, clearly deciding now wasn’t the time to finish their conversation, she slid out of the Jeep. “Let’s go.”
***
Karen came back to consciousness with a sudden jolt.
Snapping open her eyes, she realized she was lying on the hard floor in her cage. But she wasn’t alone.
Trying to think through the fog in her brain, she cleared her throat. “What happened?”
“You passed out.” The man suddenly crouched beside her, his hair tousled as if he’d been running his fingers through the short strands.
Suddenly Karen remembered exactly what had sent her tumbling into darkness.
“Oh,” she breathed, her hand trembling as she lifted it to press against his lean face. “Ward.” She tested his name on her tongue. ??
?You’re my son.”
He gave a slow nod, his tension a tangible force in the air. “Yes.”
“You’re as handsome as I dreamed.” She released a pained laugh, trying to absorb the realization that this was truly her son. She’d tried to imagine what he would look like a thousand times, but she’d always thought of him as a nine-year-old boy with skinned knees and a goofy grin. Not a grown man. “Although considerably older,” she wryly admitted.
“My Pantera blood makes me age at an accelerated rate,” he said, his tone absent and his brow furrowed. Clearly his inner thoughts were troubling him. “My master has assured me my lifespan will still be much longer than a mere human.”
She nodded. It was the same way with Caleb, although his aging had slowed since they’d moved to the Wildlands. She assumed it had something to do with the magic of the bayous.
“Master?” She grimaced. “You mean Christopher?”
“Yes. He became my adoptive father after you abandoned me,” he said.
With a flurry of movement, Karen was pushing herself to her feet, fury pulsing through her. It wasn’t enough that the head of Benson Enterprises had kidnapped her and used her as a brood mare before snatching away her babies? Now she discovered that he’d brainwashed her own son into believing he was some sort of hero instead of the villain.
“That bastard,” she hissed through clenched teeth. Then, with an effort, she regained command of her composure. “What about your brother?” she demanded. “Was he adopted by Christopher?”
Ward gave a shake of his head. “No. I’ve searched the records, but I couldn’t find more than the proof that he was born in New York.”
Karen grimaced, squashing her sharp disappointment. “Why would they separate you?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I can’t be sure he’s still alive.”
“He’s alive. I can feel him.” Karen pressed a hand to her heart, her expression fierce. “Here.”
“I hope you’re right, but I have no way of finding him.” Straightening, Ward smoothed his hands down the expensive fabric of his jacket.
Karen tried to tell herself she should be pleased that her son had clearly not been mistreated. In fact, it appeared he’d been given a position of authority in the corporation. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop her from wanting to put a bullet through Christopher’s black heart.