Page 19 of Mated to Team Shadow

"It depends on how rough the water is. Ryker right now is tying up breakaway harnesses from the rope for us and then tying up the inflatable. If the swells get too high, they could capsize us. Then he'll have us go up top and put us in a harness, and we'll ride it out there. It will be wet, but safer than being down below if the boat capsizes. Don't worry. We'll protect you."

"You make this sound like it's not a big deal. But it is."

"We go into dangerous situations at least once a week and can't afford to let the danger affect our thinking. We were trained and still train hard to come out of the impossible alive. Each of us knows what to do to keep kicking."

"Except me."

"Yeah, but we'll protect you."

"What did Ryker mean, 'not yet?'"

Gunner's face in the dim light flushed. "He's protecting you, is all."

"No," I said with heat. These evasive answers did not cut it for me. "That's not what he meant."

"If—no—when, we get out of this, we'll all be having a talk with you and we'll explain it then. Right now survival is job one."

"I thought this wasn't a big deal for you," I replied.

"Doesn't mean it's not a job," he snapped.

I could get a rise out the unflappable Gunner. He cared about his work and took pride in it. That's not such a bad quality for a man to have. Still, he ticked me off, and it probably showed in my face.

"Sorry," he said. "This is an unusual situation for me, I mean, us."

"And I could care if I knew what the situation was."

"You don't know you are on a boat without an engine in the middle to the ocean with a storm overheard?"

Without warning thunder pealed around us, and caught me off-guard, I shrieked. Gunner plopped next to me and put his strong arm around my shoulder.

"It's okay. It's just thunder."

"I know," I said. Damn. Some days the bravado of being a kick-ass newspaper woman wore too thin. What I wanted to do, was bury my face in Gunner's chest and let him hold me tight and safe against danger.

The rumble of the ship's engines greeted my ears, and I sighed with relief. At least one thing had gone right, right?

But the hatch popped open, and Ryker's face hung there with a face so serious you would think we sat at a funeral.

"You two better get up here now."

Ryker

The powerboat tossed on the waves swirling to twist the boat. If we couldn't turn the vessel into the waves, one could wash over us and capsize us. I'd stared into danger and death more times that I could count, but nothing made my heart beat so hard as to think my mate might die under my watch.

Mate.

Sometimes the jaguar side of me played real well with the human part, and we were an effective team. But he was a wild creature, my jaguar barely under the control of my human half. With the woman who he wanted to claim as our mate under our noses, I could hardly contain him. In the hold with her and Gunner, it was a battle not to let him take control. The animal within me wanted so much more than touching her intimate flesh.

But it wasn't time for play, and I had our asses to save and grudgingly my wild part gave way to my more sensible side.

Nor would I let any of my team make their play to claim her until she understood fully what she faced. Not just one jaguar shifter, but four wanted her, and I couldn't help but think that would blow any woman's mind.

Speaking of blowing.

Nope. My mind can't go down there. I had to focus on tying these knots for our makeshift harnesses. As I did, I glanced at Damon and Kane fighting wind and rain to start the engine again. I could scarcely hear what they said to each other over wind gusts that tossed us around like a child splashing a rubber ducky in his bath.

"Now!" said Kane, and Damon lurched to the wheel and cranked the engine. It sputtered, and Kane cursed.

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