Page 4 of Deception

The third reason he didn’t comment on the discussion was because Summer had stepped into the room with a tray of glasses, setting his mind and body on fire again. She moved with silent grace, distributing drinks in an unobtrusive way. Her hair shone in the dim light of the room, and it flowed over her shoulders in loose banana curls. The kind he’d like to wrap a finger in and wind around and around. The kind he’d like to wrap all his fingers around as he backed her against a wall and kissed her senseless while she made hungry mewling sounds.

He cleared his throat and sat straighter. Shit. Stupid bear, giving him bad ideas.

Good ideas. She’d like them,his bear insisted.

Summer walked past, and he sniffed deeply, inhaling her honeysuckle scent. A taste of heaven on earth.

Then she moved on, and a moment later, the back door swung open and closed. The second he felt her leave, his soul ached to see her again.

Man, what was wrong with him?

Mate,his bear growled.She’s my mate.

He closed his eyes, trying to clear the words out of his mind.

Trust me, she’s our fated mate. It’s destiny.

Right. Trust fate. Everyone knew how fickle that mystical force could be.

“Damn rogues,” Soren murmured, slamming a fist on the table.

Drew snapped his attention back to the room. Soren’s mate, Sarah, put a hand on the clan leader’s arm, calming him down. “I want to believe the rogues are gone. I want to believe we could stop looking over our shoulders and get on with our lives. I want to enjoy the holidays.”

Every shifter in the room nodded in agreement.

“But…” She patted the baby sleeping in her arms and trailed off.

“But they could still be out there,” Soren muttered with a murderous look on his face. “Who knows? There could be another Whyte. A new leader, ready to pick up their fucked-up crusade.”

Everyone went silent, considering the possibilities.

Tina Hawthorne-Rivera, one the leading members of Twin Moon pack, spoke next. “The problem is not so much the Whytes but the sick idea they promoted and how to eradicate that.”

Sarah shook her head sadly. “There will always be rogues with crazy ideas. What we need to concentrate on is whether they’re regrouping or giving up. Whether they have a leader strong enough to plan another attack.”

“Or a leader strong enough to show them a new way,” Tina said.

“We should send up a contingent to their base in Utah,” Luke suggested. “Wipe them out for good.”

Drew sat up straighter. Summer had spent some time at that ranch in Utah. Hope Springs — that was the name of the place the Blue Blood rogues had taken over as a home base. Summer had been forced to work with the Blue Bloods until she’d fled. Was that why her eyes were so haunted? Was that the source of the massive guilt that seemed to weigh her down?

Tina shook her head. “We don’t want to wage our own war. If we do, we’re no better than them.”

“We don’t even know if they’re still there or if they’ve moved on to some other place.” Simon scratched his jaw.

The back door swung open, and Summer entered again, quiet as a mouse. Drew just about jumped out of his chair to see her again, but no one else seemed to pay much notice — not to Summer, nor to how loudly he was sure his heart was pounding. How could anyone overlook a woman like her?

It must have been her silent grace, her light-footed step. She moved like a dancer, and her hair swung in a silky wave. She brushed it back with the gesture he’d long since fallen in love with and scanned the room, distributing muffins and picking up empty glasses as she went. She had a gift for dodging attention and staying in the wings, it seemed. Was that what it took to help her survive her time with the rogues?

He looked at Soren, hoping his cousin would suggest driving to Utah and shaking information out of every man, woman, and child at the Blue Bloods’ last known base. He sure as hell would be the first to volunteer. If the Blue Bloods were truly defeated, maybe Summer could move on. Maybe she could let herself laugh and love and live.

Laugh with me,his bear added.Love me. Live with me.

Any one of his buddies would fold into laughter if they heard his bear now. The bear who’d sworn he wasn’t ready to settle down despite the plentitude of women offering him their all. He’d never felt ready for a mate and a home and kids. But the second he’d met Summer, the burning need for a mate had flipped on, and he couldn’t find the off switch.

And not just any mate. Summer.

Summer, Summer, and Summer. Get it?his bear growled.

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