Some Were In Time Read online

  My parents had died in a car crash, but it wasn't an accident. They had been the highest-level WTF undercover agents and they'd been taken out. The case was left unsolved which made no sense whatsoever. WTF got to the bottom of everything. It stunk of a cover up and if it was the last thing I did, I would find out what really happened to my parents.

  "Baby, they would not want you to die tryin' to solve the mystery. They loved you something fierce. They would want you to have a happy life," Granny said quietly as she looked over my shoulder at copies of old newspaper articles and death certificates.

  "I believe that," I said slowly as I touched the yellowed picture of my mother and father's faces, "but if the WTF covered up my parents' death, what else have they covered up?"

  "Good point, well made," Dwayne said. "We need to take those bastards down."

  "We don't know for sure that it was WTF," Junior cut in before Dwayne went into a blood-curdling, therapy-inducing story of how we should do it.

  "I'd bet my left boob, it's the bigger one, that they know what happened," Granny said without an ounce of embarrassment.

  "Wait," Dwayne said, confused. "I thought the right one was bigger."

  Granny grabbed her bosom and felt herself up.

  "Oh my god," Junior mumbled. "I don't know where to look right now. This is just wrong on so many levels." He shut his eyes and squeezed the stress ball with a vengeance.

  Hank stared at the ceiling while my grandmother ascertained which breast was larger. How was this happening?

  "Dang it, you're right. The right one is bigger. I'll bet my right boob that WTF knows what happened." She amended her earlier statement.

  "Mammaries aside, I will find out what happened and I will make whomever was responsible pay," I promised.

  "It's gonna be a cluster whomper of a bunghole to get the Council to tell you anything." Granny slid in next to me and gently caressed the picture of her daughter and son-in-law.

  "No, it won’t," I said.

  "How you figuring that?" Junior asked as he opened his eyes, hoping it was safe due to the fact that the conversation had moved on from boobs.

  "Simple," I said as I stood up and took the stress ball from Junior. "We go after the Dragons and figure out what the hell they're doing and who's behind it, and then we withhold that information from the Council until I get mine."

  "Damn, my girl is hot and smart," Hank said with a sexy lopsided grin that made me want to tackle him to the ground and make him see Jesus.

  "Do we get to kill some Dragons?" Dwayne asked hopefully.

  "If they deserve it, then yes," I said as I took the folder back from Granny and hugged it close to my chest.

  "How are you guys gonna make that work? Aren't you taking orders from the Council?" Junior asked as he put his hand back out for the stress ball.

  I reluctantly handed it over. I was definitely going to have to get one of those things.

  "Hell to the no." Granny cackled. "Our boy Hank here laid down the law with that dumbass Angela. We are going off the grid and we only report to her."

  "Dayum boy." Junior whistled and slapped Hank on the back. "What level of WTF are you?"

  That was a really good question. Why hadn't I thought to ask that? When my boss Angela had come down to Hung Island after the Dragon debacle, Hank explained to her how it was going to be—not the other way around as I had expected. She flinched and whined a little and then pulled some hair out of the left side of her head, but she agreed. It shocked the hell out of me. Angela was very high up in the organization…

  "Yeah," I said as my eyes narrowed at the love of my life. "What level are you?"

  He paused and considered his answer. Shrugging, he blew out a long breath. "My level doesn't exist."

  "Meaning?" I demanded, not liking the way this was heading.

  "Meaning he's as high as you get before you become Council," Dwayne guessed as he pulled out a hundred dollar bill and waved it around. "Anyone want to place a bet?"

  "Is he right?" I asked as I yanked the money out of Dwayne's hand and shoved it back down his shirt.

  How was he a higher level than I was if he'd been in less time than me? Oh my god, was I jealous of the man I loved? I took the damn stress ball back, closed my eyes and took a few cleansing breaths. I could feel all eyes on me, but I didn't care. My brain raced and then something clicked. Hard. I dropped the ball and slid to the floor.

  No. I wasn't jealous. I was petrified.

  I knew in my gut the Council had something to do with the death of my highest level parents and now my mate was the same level. I wasn't gifted with premonition, but this little twist made all the bells go off in my brain.

  "How many other Weres are at the same level?" I asked Hank tersely.

  He eyed me with concern and then shrugged. "I have no idea."

  "Junior, I need you to hack in and find out who's at Hank's level. It has to be recorded somewhere," I said as I put my thoughts together as I spoke them. "Research all agents at that level over the past fifty years and tell me if they are alive or dead. If they're dead find the death certificates, and if they're alive I want addresses."

  "Holy hell, Essie," Dwayne gushed with joy. "If I was straight I would totally fight Hank for your ass."

  "Thank you," I said.

  "Wait what?" Hank yelled. "You're mine."

  "I know," I told him. "Dwayne was just giving me an unfiltered and inappropriate compliment."

  "It's true," Dwayne concurred. "I'd bang the hell out of Granny too if I enjoyed hoohoos."

  "TMI, Dwayne," I muttered.

  Junior shut his eyes again and put his hands over his ears. "Sweet baby Jesus in a jock strap, I can't unhear any of this."

  "Dwayne, I'd just like to say I find that flattering." Granny smiled as she adjusted her boob tube and blew him a kiss.

  "I would pop you in a minute if I went that way," Dwayne assured her. "Being gay has never been so difficult. However, I love being gay and wouldn't trade it for all the cows in… "

  "Stop," Junior shouted as he scooped up the stress ball from the floor. "I have entirely too much going on here to have this in my brain. I too find Granny attractive, uneven bosom and all."

  "Thank you," Granny said politely.

  "You're welcome. And I'm not sayin' shit about Essie's hotter than Hades looks because Hank would remove my scrotum."

  "Damn right," Hank snapped.

  "But we gotta get back on track here," Junior said in his outdoor voice. "How in the hell am I supposed to be Alpha and sheriff and hack in to Council databases to find super agents and find out if the Were Cows Dwayne didn't marry are still alive and want to kill his undead ass?"

  "Can't you multitask?" Dwayne asked politely.

  Junior's grunt of fury made Dwayne back up.

  "You're going to have to have help," Hank agreed. "Who in town has outstanding computer skills?"

  My grin was enormous and everyone stared at me like I'd lost it. "I know who has mad computer skills." I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing.

  "Who?" Junior asked as he squinted at me in distrust and pretty much tore the stress ball in half.

  Pausing for dramatic effect—a skill I'd learned well from Dwayne… "Sandy Moongie is absolutely brilliant on the computer."

  All eyes flew to Junior and we waited.

  "Multitasking will be no problem at all," he informed us with a grin that practically split his handsome face. "No problem at all.

  ***

  "So, Mister Sexy Pants," I said as I curled up on the couch in our cute little cottage on the outskirts of town, "you're some kind of super uper duper agent?"

  "Does that bother you?" Hank asked as he dropped down beside me and let his head fall back on the cushions.

  His scent and proximity made my inner wolf want to talk fast and get down to business faster. We were finally alone after far too much time with Granny, Junior and Dwayne and I wanted him something bad.

  "No. I thought it did, but m
ostly it makes me worry," I told him honestly as I traced his lips with my finger. "How'd it happen?"

  "How did what happed?" he asked as he sucked my finger into his mouth and nipped it.

  "Gaahhhh," I grunted as I yanked back my finger and got in his redonkulously gorgeous face. "How did you become a level whatever-the-hell-you-are agent?"

  "Council put me in a cage with a Dragon and I came out alive."

  "Oh my god," I shouted and punched him in the arm. That was asking for death. "Are you insane? Why would you agree to do that?"

  He sat silently and crossed his arms over his chest—a sure sign this conversation wasn't going my way. I hated when stuff didn't go my way.

  "Did my punch to your arm make you hard of hearing?" I demanded.

  "You have a damn fine left hook," he said with a smirk, completely deflecting. His lips found the spot on my neck that made me see Jesus. My inner hooker Wolf literally purred like a damn cat. However, I was not falling for the I'll give you a massive orgasm so we don't have to talk ploy.

  "Nope," I said as I backed away with difficulty and gave him the look. "Answer my question."

  "Didn't have a choice," he said as he stood up and walked to the kitchen. "You want a Coke?"

  "No! I want an answer and then I want to have sex until I forget my name. You do realize I can withhold panty privileges until you talk."

  I followed him into the kitchen and blocked the fridge.

  "You gonna leave me?" he asked.

  I was so confused I laughed. "What kind of question is that?"

  "A real one," he answered as he planted his very fine butt on the edge of the counter.

  I blew out a long sigh and slid down the fridge to the floor. "Of course I'm not going to leave you. That's a dumb thing to say."

  "There are two things that would destroy me, Essie." He stared at the ceiling. "You leaving me and you dying."

  "Ditto," I said, "but you still didn't answer my question."

  Hank lifted me off the floor and sat me on the counter like I weighed nothing. He then proceeded to fill a Styrofoam cup with the tiny rabbit turd shaped ice that I was addicted to and filled the cup with Coke. He added a straw and put it in my hands. His jaw worked furiously the entire time and I could tell he was thinking hard.

  "I bought time," he said tightly as he paced the kitchen like a caged tiger.

  "Bought time for what?" I yelled. Did he have a death wish? "Bought time till they put you in a cage with two Dragons? Bought time till they tell you to do some stupid ass bull honkey thing that will kill you dead? Bought time for… "

  "I bought time for you," he said harshly and then ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I bought time for you."

  I was stunned to silence. What was he talking about? Even my special drink, with my special cup, ice, and straw didn't give me any comfort.

  "I bought time for you, baby," Hank whispered. He stood in front of me and pressed his forehead to mine.

  "I don't understand."

  Hank brushed a feather soft kiss to my lips and cupped my face in his large hands. "Apparently some on the Council want you taken out. I made a deal that they didn't think I would come out of alive. I lived through it. The deal was witnessed by the entire Council so it had to be honored."

  My body shook, not with fear—with fury. "Those old wankers want me dead? Why? What the hell did I do for our governing freakin' council to want me dead? I mean, I know I illegally used the company credit card to buy shoes and maybe I used it a couple of times at Victoria’s Secret and possibly at Neimans six or eight times, but that shouldn't equate to my demise. Why do they want me eliminated?"

  "They never said. If I had to guess I would have to say your theory about the Council being involved somehow with your parents' death is spot on. Someone wants you gone before you can dig."

  "Which one?" I yelled as I hopped off the counter and practically downed my drink. "Balls."

  I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose to try and ease the brain freeze my gulping just caused.

  Hank put his hands on my head and massaged. His magic flowed through his fingertips and the explosion in my head eased.

  "I don't know which one—or ones. But I swear on my life I'll find out and kill them," he said in a voice that made the hair on my neck stand up.

  "You won't have to," I said as I wrapped my arms tightly around the man who was willing to die for me. "I'm gonna find them first. Wait, how many are there again?"

  "You really skipped a lot of Were History classes in school."

  "They were boring," I snapped. "Just tell me how many."

  "Twelve."

  "I could take on twelve," I said hesitantly.

  "You will not take on twelve old and insanely powerful Werewolves," he stated with narrowed eyes.

  "I didn't say I was going to do it all at once," I muttered with an eye roll.

  "We, as in WE, will figure out who wants you dead and WE will deal with them together. You understand?"

  Hank had gone all Alpha on me and it was hot. It took everything I had to stay on task and not rip his clothes off his body.

  "I hear you."

  "Why do I feel like that wasn't exactly an agreement?" He grabbed me and pulled me close. "You and I are now us. Hell, we've always been us, but now that we're mated we are officially an us. There will be no going rogue. We protect what is ours. You're mine and I'm yours. Period."

  As I breathed him in I realized how utterly amazing and brilliant he was.

  "Oh my hell." I gasped and pulled back. "That's why you cut that deal with Angela."

  He nodded and tucked my wild hair behind my ears. "Yep."

  When my boss had come to Georgia Hank had made terms that were unheard of with the WTF. Conditions had been negotiated that Hank, Dwayne, Granny and myself would go off the radar completely. We wouldn't be monitored or in any kind of database. We would answer to no one but Angela and when the mission was done, we had a free pass out of the WTF. Apparently the Dragons were that much of an issue.

  "I thought I loved you all that I could, but I love you even more," I whispered against his lips.

  "You wanna prove it?" he asked as he pressed himself against me with a grin.

  "That could be arranged," I said as I slid off the counter and walked away with a hip swing that made him groan. "I was planning on taking a shower. Wanna join me?"

  "You don't have to ask twice," he said as he picked me up and sprinted to the master bath.

  "Your hearing seems to work just fine now." I giggled as he grabbed my ass and kicked off his shoes.

  "Yep. Get naked. Now."

  "Yes, sir." I saluted him before I tore my shirt over my head and kicked out of my fabulous mini skirt and wedge heeled sandals. My bra and panties disappeared in a frenzy of groping hands, nips and kisses. My inner wolf howled with delight.

  "God, you're sexy," Hank muttered as he pulled me into the shower and plastered his rockin' hot body against mine. "I am so in love with you."

  "Back at ya, big guy," I said as I ran my hands over his massive chest and six-pack abs. He was truly a work of art. Water sluiced down his body, enabling my hands to slip over him with ease.

  My fangs descended and I felt my eyes turn icy blue with desire. The cinnamon scent of lust unique to Werewolves laced the steamy air and my breathing became labored as Hank's hands molded my breasts and hips, causing little zings of heat everywhere he touched.

  "How in the hell does this keep getting better?"

  "Don't know. Don't care," he mumbled as his mouth lowered to my breasts.

  My nipples went into overdrive and I arched my back, begging for attention. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I held on as my knees grew weaker with every lick and nip. He dropped to his knees and his lips and teeth teased my most sensitive spot. An explosion of lust unfurled in my belly and I came with a scream.

  "So responsive." He moaned as he made his way back up my shaking body.

  The sharp gnawing pl
easure of aftershocks tore through me as he lifted me and wrapped my legs around his waist.

  "Wait," I stammered as my brain began to function again. "I want to return the favor." I tried to slip from his arms and find the prize, but he held me fast.

  "If you touch my dick with your lips this will be over before it begins," Hank ground out as his fangs punctured the skin of my neck, sending me into explosive orgasm number two.