Buried and Shadowed (Branded Packs #3)

She didn’t know what the future might hold for her, but she did know that she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t do everything in her power to expose the truth.

“You need to go before the guards come to return me to the barracks,” she hissed in low tones.

He ignored her warning, his hands skimming over her soft curves as he studied her with a grim expression.

“Are you okay? Did the bastards hurt you?” he demanded.

“No,” she said, well aware that his concern was based on the fear that he’d lost his best chance of getting the information he needed.

He moved to crouch beside her chair, his brows snapping together as he reached out to gently touch the bruise on her cheek.

“I’ll kill them for daring to put their filthy hands on you,” he snarled.

Mira shivered, the heat of his fingers searing her skin with pleasure that she’d sworn she wouldn’t allow herself to feel again.

She jerked her head back, knocking aside his hand. “I’m fine.”

His eyes narrowed in surprise. It was the first time she hadn’t melted beneath one of his intimate caresses. Slowly straightening, he gave a condemning glance around the office.

“Revenge will have to wait until you’re out of here.”

“Sinclair, listen to me,” she said. “I can’t go.”

He stilled, his gaze returning to her pale face. “Did they threaten you?” A low growl rumbled in his chest. “Trust me, I can keep you safe.”

She licked her lips. Christ. He was so sexy when he was being all protective and…

She abruptly squashed the renegade thought.

No, no, no.

She was over Sinclair, Alpha of the Unseen Pack.

Wasn’t she?

“It’s not that-”

“We need to go,” he interrupted her words, stepping back as he waited for her to obey his command.

She shook her head. “I’m staying.”

“What?”

“I’m staying.”

His eyes glowed with the power of his wolf, a sudden heat prickling through the air.

“You’re working with them.”

The urge to cower beneath the physical impact of his dominance was overwhelming. Mira wasn’t a shifter, but she was fairly certain she’d be a submissive if she were. It was only with great effort that she forced herself to meet his fierce glare.

“Not exactly,” she mumbled.

“Then exactly what are you doing?” he sneered.

She stiffened. “Don’t use that tone of voice with me.”

He folded his arms over his chest, emphasizing the hard muscles that moved with fluid ease beneath his t-shirt.

“It’s the tone I use when I’m talking to people who’ve betrayed me.”

She scowled. How could he believe for a minute that she was a backstabber? She’d risked her job, even her life, to help him and his people.

Didn’t he know her at all?

“I haven’t betrayed you,” she rasped, unable to hide her pain at his accusation.

He grimaced as if already regretting his hasty words.

“Then why are you working with the enemy?” he asked, his tone deliberately softened.

She continued to glare at him. Okay. He was gorgeous. And sexy. And he had that whole animal magnetism thing going on. But that didn’t give him the right to act like an ass.

“Because it’s the only way to have full access to their private network,” she grudgingly explained.

“For what?”

She hunched her shoulder. “To look for Dr. Lowman.”

He nodded toward the computer on the desk. “That’s what you’re doing?”

“Yes.”

His gaze darted back to her face, his jaw tight. “Why was there blood in your living room?”

Mira was caught off guard by the abrupt question. He’d been in her home?

“When I came home after we met, they forced their way through the front door.”

A rich musk threaded through the air, Sinclair’s lips pulling back to reveal his elongated fangs.

“They hit you.”

She gave a slow nod, surprised by his intense response. She didn’t know much about shifters, but Sinclair had always possessed a rigid command over his animal. He had to, while he was ‘passing’ as a human.

It was startling to see him lose control.

“Yes.”

Sucking in a deep breath, her companion visibly forced back his wolf.

“Tell me what happened.”

A shiver raced through Mira. It wasn’t fear. She wished it was. That would be far less dangerous than the feminine fascination that she was trying to deny.

“As I said, they forced their way into the house,” she said.

“Did they say why?”

She wrinkled her nose. “They tracked the computers I purchased from Novo-Auction.”

“Dammit,” he snarled. “I knew you were taking too many risks.”

Mira rolled her eyes. Did all men have a compulsion to point out when they were right?

“How else were we supposed to discover the truth?” she asked.

He waved aside her perfectly logical question.

“What happened next?”

“They forced me into a van and took me to the SAU building in Denver.”

“Shit.” A strange expression rippled over his stark features. “That was your scent.”

“What?”