Garrett
We arrive at the beach at sunset, pulling into Condos Pilar, the cluster of vacation rentals nestled along the white sand. I get out and stalk to the door of the condo where Sedona stayed, not waiting to see if the rest follow. I rap on the door and hear the voices of the young people and running footsteps.
"Hey man." Jason, the young kid who called, opens the door. The rest of the kids stare at me with pinched faces. I met them all when Sedona stopped by on her way out, but damn if I remember all their names. The place smells like sunscreen, liquor, and a sour smell that reminds me of nausea.
Trey, Jared, and Amber arrive behind me as the group of college students gather around. They repeat their stories, each a variation of what I already heard: Sedona went for a run on the beach that morning and never returned. No one saw anyone or anything menacing. They spoke with the authorities and filed a report, but since she hadn't been missing twenty-four hours, nothing was being done.
My fists tighten at my sides, wolf rages beneath the surface. The more they talk, the more I feel like I'm coming out of my skin. Finally, I reach for Amber. My wolf needs her close, and I'm willing to give him whatever he wants to keep from shifting and tearing this place apart. Already the kids look nervous, their gazes on the floor or darting to me, then away. Humans don't often understand animal dominance, but their primal brains recognize a predator when they see one.
Amber leans into me, her arm slipping around my waist and giving me a squeeze. She's still too pale, biting her lower lip. I scared her, bringing her down here and keeping her from escaping. But, here she is, comforting me. Her warm weight against my side keeps me focused.
"Okay, do you know how we can rent a place to stay here for the night?" I ask. It's almost dark, and I'm dying to shift and sniff the entirety of the beach.
"Actually, we were thinking we'd head back home tonight. We could go report it to the authorities in Tucson. So you could stay here."
Normally, I'd do anything to avoid involving the authorities, but, in this instance, not knowing what had happened to Sedona, I want all the help we can get. I should call my parents, too, but I don't want to worry my mom or my dad to start a war. If I can find Sedona first, it, would be better. If not, I'll call them in the morning. "That sounds like a good plan. Thank you all."
Within twenty minutes, Sedona's friends leave. We settle into the place, my pack mates searching the refrigerator to eat the leftovers from the college students.
"We'll go sniff the beach." Jared shucks his T-shirt.
I flex my muscles, my body itching to shift as well. While I trust Trey and Jared, my wolf won't rest until I've done the sniffing himself. But I can't leave Amber here alone. I'm not certain she'll stay put. Her attempt to climb out the bathroom window at the border crossing has me cautious.
"Bring me the duct tape from the trunk of the Range Rover," I order Trey in an undertone. He raises his brows like he thinks I'm nuts, but obeys.
When he returns, I take Amber's hand, leading her toward a bedroom.
Once inside, she turns. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." I blow out a breath. I can't forget she betrayed us, no matter how much my wolf wants her. "Listen, baby. I need to go shift and sniff the beach. I'm really sorry about this." I spin her around and pin her wrists behind her back.
"What in the hell-stop it!" she shrieks, real panic entering her voice.
"Easy, easy," I murmur in her ear. While this is a necessity, I'm going for seductive rather than abusive. I'm hard as a rock, and I remember how much she liked being restrained last night. If I can keep it sexy, I just might pull this off without her hating me for the rest of our lives.
I work quickly, wrapping the duct tape around her wrists and picking her up by the waist. "You're safe with me, Counselor. Nothing terrible is going to happen. It's just that after that little escape stunt you pulled at the border, I don't feel comfortable leaving you here alone while I go check out the beach."
Amber's resistance slackens. I sense her confusion.
I nip the shell of her ear. "Be a good girl, and I promise I'll reward you when I get back, baby. I'll even keep you tied up."
"You sadistic-"
I cut her tirade off with a hard kiss.
When I break it, she looks at me dazedly, lips parted. Gritting my teeth to keep from prying those legs apart to reward her immediately, I restrain her, plunking her in a high-backed chair and pinning her there while I rip off tape. Little angry grunts escape her.
Sexy little grunts.
"You growling at me, princess?"
"Don't call me that!"
"You're so fucking cute when you're mad." I secure her wrists and tie her to the chair.
"Let me go, Garrett. This isn't funny."
I drop to my knees at her feet and pry her legs apart. She's wearing the yoga pants from this morning, and her arousal has leaked through. I press my face into the apex of her thighs, open my mouth, and nip at her sex through the thin fabric.
She thrusts her pussy toward my mouth, making the cutest sound of dissatisfaction. "We both know you like being restrained, Counselor." I stroke my thumb slowly over her slit. "I'll make it up to you when I get back. You have my word."
She looks so beautiful, eyes dilated, hair mussed, full lips parted. My wolf surges to the surface, and my vision domes. Fuck. I guess I still want to mark her. Desperately.
Time to leave.
I rip off another piece of tape and clamp it down on her mouth. "Sorry, sweetheart. But this is the only way I feel comfortable leaving you. Trey will be right in the living room if you need anything. I'll be back soon. No more than a couple hours."
"Rmphel mphs!" she repeats in a muffled scream.
"Be good." I stroke her hair, watching her tits jiggle as she keeps squirming. "Are you hungry? Do you need anything before I go?"
Her brows slam together. "Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm." She kicks at me, eyes narrowed.
"No? Okay, baby. Bathroom? I guess I should've asked that before I taped you up. No? All right. I'll be back before you know it."
I tug her head to the side and nip her neck. "Please don't wear yourself out fighting with that tape."
Another furious scream, and I can't stop myself leaning down to kiss her lips through the tape. She tries to head butt me.
Chuckling, I rear back and look her up and down. Her chest heaves, and there are pink spots on her cheeks. Fucking gorgeous. "This is a good look for you," I drawl, just to see the anger and frustration spark again in her eyes.
She stills, and glares at me. "Uck. Oo." She enunciates each word clearly, as best she can behind the tape.
"There's my good bad girl."
~.~
Amber
Let the record reflect: I'm going to buy the biggest nutcracker in existence. I'll see how Garrett McJerkwolf likes getting tied up when he has a silver ballbuster clamped to his nards.
First I have to get out of here.
I wrench at the tape for the thousandth time, but it won't budge.
The front door bangs open. I sit up straighter, ready to go another round with a werewolf. But when Garrett walks in, his head down, shoulders slumped, worry lines creasing his forehead, all the fight drains out of me. I don't need a vision to show me he found nothing.
He's shirtless. His sculpted pecs, lightly dusted with brown curls, stand out in relief above the eight-pack abs and narrow waist. The moment he sees me, the bar of his enormous cock presses against the front his jeans. I noticed it when he tied me up, too. The fact it made me crazy horny only pisses me off even more.
I make a questioning sound, eyebrows raised.
"Nothing." He shakes his head. "There's no sign of her. All three of us shifted, but I couldn't catch her scent. The ocean probably washed it away."
I make another comforting noise. He looks so dejected.
He pulls the tape from my mouth, and the sting helps me remember my rage.
"Ow," I snap.
"Sorry." He breaks the tape from my chest and wrists with his bare hands, ripping it from me like it's tissue paper.
"I have some things to tell you, buddy."
"I'm sure you do, Counselor." Looking tired, but amused, he folds his arms across his chest, mirroring me. For some reason, this sends my temper into the red zone.
"That's funny. You acting like you respect me. Because last time I checked, when you respect a woman, you don't kidnap her and drive her across the border to Mexico." I channel Lawyer Amber as hard as I can to keep from screaming like a crazy person. "You do realize this is the worst second date in the history of dating. And that's saying something because the first one was epically, epically bad. And-why are you grinning at me like that?"
"My wolf thinks you're adorable when you're mad. But be careful, little lawyer. I'm real riled up right now. And I know just what would make me feel better."
"What?"
"Tossing you over my shoulder, carrying you to the bed, and fucking you six ways to Sunday,"
"It is almost Sunday." My voice sounds strangled. My lady bits are cheering.
"Nope." Garrett's grin is feral. "Not this Sunday. Next. It'll take about a week." He leans forward. "How's that end to our second date?"
"This isn't a date."
"I know. You're the one who called it that. You like spending time with me, Counselor?"
"What? No, I-" My cheeks flood. Damn my libido for picking this moment to go into overdrive.
Garrett steps close enough for me to feel his chuckle in my panties. "I promise our third date will be epically better."
"Look." I hold up a hand, trying to put space between us. It lands on his rock-hard chest, which doesn't help my focus at all. "Your sister is missing. We need to find her."
My reminder sucks the energy out of the room. Damn. So much for my reward. I should have let him keep me tied up a little longer.
"Yeah," Garrett sighs, and slumps. He looks about a thousand years old. "You saw her surrounded by men, so she didn't drown. Or get lost. She's been gone for twelve hours now. No human could have taken her-she'd rip their throat out. So it has to be other shifters."
"All right. You brought me here to help. How can I help?"
He stabs his fingers through his tousled blond hair. "Really?"
I nod. I hate being Crazy Amber, I'm afraid of becoming her, but I've never been the type of person to walk away from someone in need. If he thinks I can help, I have to help. Even if he did technically kidnap me and bind me with duct tape.
"Here's the thing. We're at the point I should call in my dad. But, if he comes down here, he's going to bring a hundred armed wolves and tear this town apart before asking questions. If you could get any more information before I call him down, it might keep wolves-particularly Sedona-from getting hurt."
"But I don't know how to use the visions. They just come."
He picks up my hand and rubs his thumb over the back of it. "Just try?"
"Okay," I whisper.
Crap. I am so not ready to embrace this side of myself. Especially around these people-wolves-I hardly know.
Except Garrett doesn't seem like a stranger. Not at all. And he doesn't make me feel crazy, either. Maybe I can do this.
I can at least try.
~.~
Garrett