Jennifer Ashley - Wild Cat

“Where are your bodyguards?” Diego managed to ask.

Cassidy gestured. “Out there.”

Diego scanned the moonlit woods but could see nothing, hear no one. If the trackers were nearby, they were masters of stealth. But they would be, wouldn’t they? Shifters were animals with human intelligence. Incredibly dangerous-hence the Collars.

“Eric called them his trackers,” Diego said. “What does he mean by that?”

Cassidy shrugged, which did nice things to her body. “All clan leaders have Shifters that help guard the clan, keep tabs on any problems that might come up, alert the clan leader to danger. Eric’s Shiftertown leader now, so his trackers help him guard all Shiftertown.”

Diego lowered the rifle but held on to it. “He’s not supposed to have people working for him.”

Cassidy gave him a half smile, which made her even more dangerously beautiful. “Eric doesn’t care, Diego Escobar.”

“So Eric sent the trackers to keep you safe? He shouldn’t have let you come at all.”

“I know. Don’t blame my brother. He knew why I needed to come, and now I’ve finished my ritual. I can be very persuasive.”

Diego just bet she could be. She’d look at a man with those green eyes, dark now in the moonlight, and he’d do anything for her. “Last time you came here, someone started hunting you. What makes you think it’s safe here now?”

“I don’t.” Cassidy gave him a stubborn stare worthy of her brother. “But I refused to let him keep me from honoring Donovan. If I do that, the hunters will have won, won’t they?”

Her words made Diego pause. He’d felt the same after Jobe died, when everyone had told him to take leave, transfer out of vice, and other such asinine suggestions. No. If Diego stopped hunting drug dealers-who caused a hell of a lot more damage to the world than people wanted to believe-the bad guys would have their victory. He couldn’t let them stop him.

“I get that,” Diego said. “But I’m still going to take you home to keep you safe.”

“You’re being protective of a Shifter?”

“You saved my life. That’s nothing I take lightly, querida . ”

Cassidy took one more step toward Diego until she stood right inside his personal space. There must be half an inch between her breasts and his chest, but Diego couldn’t trust himself to look down and check.

“What does that word mean?” Cassidy asked. Her voice was soft, sexy. Mind-blowing. “ Querida , or whatever you said? I don’t speak Spanish.”

“It’s a term of endearment. An Anglo might say darling or honey .”

“What was that other one you used? Me ha?”

“ Mi ja . Short for mi hija. It’s what you say to someone you care about.”

She smiled. “When you say that you sound-I don’t know-affectionate.”

“Maybe I like cats,” Diego said.

Cassidy rested her hand on his chest, and her smile widened. “Meow.”

Diego couldn’t breathe. Her mouth was right there, red and moist, and he wanted to kiss her so much. He wanted to lock his arms around her, lift her against him, slide his hands down to her beautiful backside.

He wanted her. Right here, right now. Too damn bad about whoever was in the darkness watching.

Diego had rarely had to worry about female company in his lifetime, but this wasn’t the same. This was Cassidy-exotic, beautiful, and brave. Anything he started with her would mean something.

That realization surprised him. Diego wanted to pause, to touch the feeling, to explore it. He’d been a walking mass of anger since Jobe’s death, keeping others, including his own family, at arm’s length.

This woman he definitely wanted inside his arms.

But Diego couldn’t have her right now. She was in his custody, and violating that would break every rule he knew, not to mention his own principles. Custody meant taking care of someone as much as being in charge of them.

Even knowing all that, it was all he could do to take Cassidy’s hand and lift it from his chest.

“Cass,” he said with difficulty. “We need to go.”

He didn’t imagine her look of disappointment. Shifters weren’t ones to hide their emotions. But Diego would be back to see her-often-and he hoped she never looked at him with that kind of disappointment again.

Cassidy kept hold of his hand, her fingers warm and strong. “I’ll let you take me home,” she said. “But can I show you something first?”

Diego’s heart beat faster. He wanted to see anything she had to show him, though he knew he shouldn’t let her lead him anywhere.

But what the hell? He’d already left procedure way behind. He might as well go for it.

“Show me,” he said.

Cassidy released Diego’s hand, stepped away, and shifted back to her snow leopard form.

She was beautiful, even as a wildcat. Cassidy stretched-front legs first, then back-and shook out each foot as she straightened up. She looked back at Diego with light jade eyes, then trotted away into the darkness.

Cassidy heard Diego muttering behind her as she bounded up the path. He was slower than a Shifter, all humans were, but Diego was in good shape-admirably good shape. Diego had a honed, taut body and terrific reflexes, plus he moved with that fluidity she’d observed in him before. He’d make it.

He did make it, but he scowled at Cassidy as he crested the top of the hill and stopped next to her, breathing hard.

Cassidy wished he didn’t smell so good. She didn’t usually like human scents, but this man smelled of coffee, outdoors, soap, and a musk all his own.

She also scented his wanting. She’d have known Diego wanted her even if he hadn’t given her that burning look when she’d stood against him. To Cassidy’s shock and dismay, she’d been ready to let him take what he wanted.

Too soon. It’s too soon . But her body had other ideas.

Diego had pulled back. Humans who craved sex with Shifters usually made complete idiots of themselves, as did the groupies in the Shifter clubs. Diego only looked at Cassidy and kept his thoughts to himself.

He watched her now with dark eyes that were all about control. Diego might want her, but he wouldn’t violate his own rules and go for her.

“What did you want to show me?” he asked.

He’d slung the rifle over his shoulder, but Cassidy knew damn well he could and would shoot her with it in a heartbeat. Control.

Cassidy led him between the granite boulders that studded the hill and down into a little depression filled with thorny bushes. The moon shone hard on the dark rocks of the clearing and tall trees that ringed it, giving the place a beauty all its own.

It was a place she’d never forget.

Cassidy shifted back to human form, ending up sitting with her arms around her knees on one of the flat, black rocks.

“It was here,” she said. “One year ago tonight, this was where we found my mate’s body, shot by hunters.”

Diego crouched next to her, warmth in the darkness. “I know,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Cassidy shivered, suddenly cold. “Donovan’s Collar was off when the rangers found him. We know the hunters stripped it from him after he was dead, but the hunters claimed they didn’t see a Collar and therefore thought Donovan fair game.” The anger of that boiled inside her. “The hunters claimed that Donovan must have taken the Collar off himself, and so they weren’t to blame. An innocent mistake, they said. Innocent, my ass.”

Diego listened with quiet sympathy. “Donovan couldn’t have taken his Collar off himself?”