Inouye Read online

  A few moments later, a shadow filled the cave entrance—bulky and menacing, he was the exact opposite of Ren's comforting strength. "Well, hello there. Someone's going to be very happy that we've found you."

  "I'm guessing that's not going to be me." Lucia didn’t recognize his uniform, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. The skirmishes between the government and the holdouts were mostly being fought by “independent contractors”, or as she preferred to call them, mercenaries.

  She glanced toward the wall where she'd last seen Inari, but the wolf had disappeared completely. Hopefully that didn't mean she'd run off to check on Ren. Though if this guy had made it to the cave, there was a chance that he'd crossed Ren's path and...

  No. She refused to think about that as a possibility. Besides, he’d said Inari would know if something happened to him. Ren had to be okay.

  The shadow shrugged. "Beats dying in a cave on the edge of a war zone."

  "I don't know. The scenery was nice. Until you blocked it, anyway."

  "Then allow me to get out of your way." He stepped into the cave, eyes dropping to take in the low fire and the splint on her leg. "If you come quietly, there won't be any trouble."

  Lucia tightened her hand on the rock, willing him to get closer. She'd only have the advantage of surprise once. "I suspect you and I have different definitions of that." She made a show of trying to push herself back from him while being unable to use her leg. At least her gasp of pain was real.

  In the dim light of the cave she could see him grin. Asshole.

  "Yeah, we might at that." He took another step and started to bend down when a blur charged across the small space and slammed into him. The mercenary yowled as Inari's teeth clamped down on his forearm. Lucia kicked out with her good leg, striking him in the knee. It didn’t break, but he stumbled backwards and scattered what was left of the fire.

  His free hand grabbed the wolf by the scruff, squeezing down and trying to dislodge the animal’s teeth. When that didn’t work, he raised a fist to pummel her, then froze. He stiffened, clawing over his shoulder, face suddenly panicked, before he fell over.

  Inari leapt before charging back in to grab the man’s throat. A voice called out, “Inari! He’s down.”

  The wolf stopped immediately, then padded to where Ren leaned against the cave opening. A hunting knife projected from the mercenary’s back, a dark stain spreading through the cloth around it.

  Lucia’s heart tried to hammer its way out of her chest, her hands shaking as the rock dropped from her nerveless fingers.

  "Shit," Ren panted as he leaned against the rock. "Sorry I took so long."

  The confluence of emotions that warred in Lucia's chest left her uncertain if she wanted to scream, laugh, or cry. To be safe she forced herself to stay quiet. Not that Inari had any such reservation—the wolf yipped excitedly and wove in and out of Ren’s legs. He shrugged a survival pack off his shoulders and set it next to the entrance, then gave his full attention to scratching the animal so clearly overjoyed to see him. The warmth and affection soaked into Lucia as she watched, but couldn't loosen the ice that gripped her blood.

  He crossed the too-small space and knelt next to her, and the concern in his amber eyes was too much. She threw her arms around him and crushed herself to him, finally settling on sobbing as the adrenaline and fear worked its way out of her bloodstream. He stiffened, but only temporarily, before easing onto the ground and cuddling her close. Strong fingers combed through her hair, and his hand stroked her back in gentle comfort. Lucia buried her face into his neck, relishing the smell of his skin and the warmth of him. The beat of his pulse against her cheek. But she needed more, wanted more as she tilted her face up and pulled his mouth to hers.

  His lips were everything she remembered them being; soft skin contrasted with the stubble of his cheeks. Desire curled in her blood as at last something produced enough heat to chase away her fear. She felt as much as heard his intake of breath and chased after it, fingers sliding into his short hair as she tugged him closer, urged him on.

  He pulled back, careful to keep both his hands on her shoulders as though he didn't trust himself to not dive forward again. After swallowing a couple times, Ren shook his head. "Not like this. You've just had a rough experience, you're emotionally vulnerable, and for all I know you could be in shock."

  "You should trust me to know what I want." She couldn't believe he was turning her down. Shame chased away her initial burst of anger and reawakened her awareness of the throbbing ache in her broken ankle. She ducked her head to hide the burn in her cheeks.

  He lifted her face and pinned her with his tender, amber gaze. "I respect you enough to let you make that decision in less...stressful circumstances." His exhale was shaky, barely controlled. "When we get out of here, I'm hoping that you'll still feel that way. In which case, I'll be happy to take you up on the offer. Ideally without a..." His eyes drifted toward the dead mercenary.

  Whatever heat she’d recovered fled as the realization of how close she’d been to danger struck home. The air huffed out of her as she collapsed against Ren’s chest. He held her while she listened to the comforting beat of his heart. When she had recovered enough, she whispered, “Thank you. For coming back for me.”

  A soft, furry head forced its way under her arm, and Lucia felt the hum of comfort and concern from the wolf as she burrowed her way between her and Ren. She leaned over and pressed her face against the top of the wolf’s head, senses full of the pleasant smell of the wolf’s fur. "I am taking it easy. He’s the one who went running about, you know. Thank you for protecting me.”

  When she lifted her head, Ren looked at her like she'd grown wings. His voice was quiet. "That's not supposed to happen."

  "What doesn't happen?" Lucia eased herself back, keeping one hand on the wolf's withers. Her fingers dug into the fur, and the wolf’s satisfaction washed over her, pushing away the pain of her injury.

  Ren sat back on his haunches, hands splayed across his thighs. "You should only feel her emotions if she's bonded to you."

  Eight

  Ren tried to wrap his head around the impossible. Out of reflex, he turned his focus inward, making sure his connection to Inari remained intact. Sure enough, the wolf's presence nestled in his awareness: warm, comforting, and cautiously happy. He could taste tin where her concern crept into his awareness. Which only made everything more confusing. Inari had been checking on Lucia, wanted her to relax. He'd been about to relay that information when she responded as though she'd heard it herself.

  "Everyone feels the wolves’ emotions though, right? I thought that was the whole point." She looked as confused as he felt, so that was a mercy at least. She also hadn't taken her hand off Inari's back, like she needed the wolf to ground her.

  He knew the feeling.

  "Not like that. I mean, if you’re observant, you can make a pretty good guess, but only bondmates experience the emotions of their individual wolves. Otherwise any time a group of wolves got together it would turn into a chaos of feelings." There was one situation where two people might share a wolf’s bond, he knew, but no way he was bringing that up. Not after he'd just turned her down.

  And hadn't that been the hardest thing he'd had to do since he’d enlisted?

  He inhaled through his nose. If Inari felt he and Lucia were supposed to be together, then he could take that up with his wolf at a much later date. After they'd gotten out of this mess. Ideally, after they were off Tyson and in orbit around a different world. In one of the other systems would be perfect.

  Light blasted through the cave mouth, disrupting his train of thought. He shoved Lucia to the ground with one hand and tugged his blade free from the dead mercenary. Partially blinded, he went into a low crouch so he could charge the silhouette taking up the entrance.

  "Stand down, Ranger. I'd rather not get the business end of that blade. Hell, you didn’t even clean it first."

  The voice was familiar, and Ren realized he recogn
ized the shape at the door. "Grenville?"

  A blur zipped past him as Inari charged into Djehuti, Grenville's wolf. The two animals yipped and play growled as they tussled and greeted each other. The haze of joy and excitement washed into him from his wolf, and he wondered if Lucia felt it as well. He resisted the urge to ask her.

  Grenville shut off the light on his harness and smiled. "Who else would come looking for you, Inouye? The brass are too smart to send Chen or May."

  "Only because the two of them would insist on using explosives to find us somehow. At least you're doing this on the QT." He stood and crossed to his battle buddy, and they clasped each other’s forearms before Ren pulled the taller man into a one-armed hug. "I'm glad you got here."

  Grenville followed him into the cave and prodded the mercenary with the toe of his boot. “I see you found a way to make the stay exciting, at least.”

  “Very funny. Recognize any of that unit insignia?”

  Grenville checked the mercenary’s kit, then rocked back on his heels. “What insignia? There’s nothing here. I’d ask how you managed to miss that fact, but...” He inclined his head at Lucia.

  Ren flipped him off and hoped the heat in his cheeks wasn’t too visible. He crouched next to Lucia, who had watched the whole exchange with a bemused expression. She smirked at him. "I wondered when you were going to remember I was here."

  As though he could forget. "Lucia Coronado, allow me to introduce Ranger Specialist Yancey Grenville, electronic countermeasures, communications, and..." Grenville was a brilliant sniper too, but that wasn't the sort of thing someone bragged about. Especially given what had happened to her pilot.

  Fortunately, Yancey picked up the opening. "And your first-class ride back to the land of warm meals and soft beds." After an annoyed bark sounded behind him, he added, "And that's Djehuti. He's offended Ren didn't mention him first."

  "It's Sarmiento," she said, extending a hand. "Not Coronado. Pardon me if I don't get up."

  SOMETHING ABOUT UNASSIGNED Officers Quarters, Ren admitted. No matter the planet, no matter the base, they always smelled the same. Perfectly neutral, slightly musty, and carefully odorless. As preformed as the building itself.

  Camp Silas Rollins on Tyson was local jurisdiction, and normally would have put a lance corporal like him in the barracks, but being a ranger had its privileges. He took a deep breath and eased himself onto the tastefully neutral couch that decorated the living area. Another wave of nausea rolled through him, courtesy of the KnitFast the base doc had given him. The final tally had been a pair of cracked ribs and a hairline fracture in one of his vertebra. And, of course, an ugly glare from the doc and some muttered comment about rangers being too dumb to know when they’re hurt.

  Which was bullshit. He had been plenty aware of the pain. Getting Lucia to safety just mattered more.

  Inari curled up at his feet, still working through the smoked meat bone she'd been given by one of the mess staff. Between the bone and the infrared heater warming the floor, the wolf had everything she needed.

  Ren wished he could say the same. Still, the bed would be soft, and he could grab a decent night's sleep before hopping aboard the next trans-orbital and getting back to the constellation of ships that was his home. More importantly, he could put all the nonsense about Lucia Coronado back in the past, where it belonged.

  Sarmiento. Whatever her name was now.

  There was a knock at the door, and without looking up he answered, "It's open, Grenville." Honestly, he'd expected his teammate earlier, so they could coordinate their return to the Hunting Cry.

  Lucia poked her head in. "Sorry, it's me. I can go if you're expecting—"

  "No!" He jumped up, the word nearly a shout to push past the lump that had formed in his throat. "I mean, no. Please, come in." He quickly moved to clean up the place, despite having barely spent two hours in it.

  She had a kick-glider under her knee for support—better for long-term use than crutches, which meant her break would be a long time healing. Despite being in one place, Lucia filled the room. It was impossible to not look at her. She'd picked up some clothes from the PX—a simple top and a pair of khaki trousers that seemed perfectly made to torment him.

  After a quick glance around, she grinned. "Your apartment looks just like mine."

  Her smile was infectious. "Yeah, modular is easy to print out on the big fabrication units." Nice, Ren. Great small talk. Maybe you could move on to logistics math next, really thrill her.

  Somehow, she nodded instead of running away screaming. "Makes sense, I suppose." She directed her scooter across the floor, then stood and lowered herself onto the couch. The utilitarian furniture looked more elegant just by benefit of her being on it. After an awkward silence, she laughed softly. "God. I suck at this."

  It was like permission to exhale. "Me too. You're not a soldier, so I don't know what to talk about. Hell, you were still Coronado when I saw you last. Sarmiento is your mar—"

  "Mother's name," she said, cutting him off. "I stopped using my father's name when I withdrew from the family. It was about the same time dear old dad felt I should put away my ‘childish interests’ and make a nice trophy wife for one of his cronies. Those two things are probably connected."

  Despite the sarcasm in her tone, she tossed the idea out like it was nothing. Gave up her father's name—as though he wasn't one of the wealthiest people on Tyson. Top hundred, maybe even top fifty.

  She coughed and pushed her hair out of her face. “Don’t stare at me like that. It’s not like it was a hardship. I had my own place and plenty of money socked away. I knew how to invest well. I was still my father’s daughter, even without his name.”

  “Then how’d you end up in aid work?”

  “Because they needed someone who cared and had money to fund some of the relief efforts.” She smiled. “Fortunately, I had both.”

  He folded himself onto the floor, and Inari stretched out alongside his leg. “That sounds pretty noble to me.”

  Lucia drummed her fingers on her thigh and chewed her lip before speaking. "Look. I need to say this. Back in secondaries, I did a stupid, hurtful thing—”

  He brushed the air. “What’s past is past.”

  “No. Please. Let me finish. I could give a bunch of excuses for why, but at the end of the day that’s all they are. Excuses. I hurt you because I was more interested in staying popular. Because people I thought were important convinced me that cruelty was a virtue. I never thought I’d see you again, never thought I’d have a chance to apologize to you in person. I was a bitch, and I need you to know how sorry I am about it."

  Ren blinked. He'd expected a lot of things, but an apology hadn't been one of them. "We were kids. We all do dumb things. I don't even think about it." The lie almost sounded believable.

  "Well I do, and I regret the shit out of it." Inari padded over and pushed her head under Lucia's hand. "I don't generally believe in second chances, so when one comes, I feel like I need to take it. Do you think this qualifies as a less-stressful circumstance?"

  She took his hand, pulling him to the couch, and her touch bubbled through his blood until it emerged as a smile on his face. "It could be; I mean we aren't in immediate danger."

  "So, you're not going to accuse me of being in shock?"

  "I wouldn't want to take advantage..." He glanced at her foot, where the makeshift splint had been replaced by a high-end cast that covered the work they'd done to set the break.

  She guided him onto the couch, turning him until he faced her. "I want this. Tell me you want this too. Or tell me you don't, and I'll leave."

  Inari’s low growl let Ren know she thought that was a bad idea. So did the hunger that pooled in him when he met Lucia’s eyes. The downside of his bonding to Inari—the wolf made him all too aware of his emotions. Especially his hungers. "I want this."

  He wanted a hell of a lot more than this, but he wasn't going to get greedy. When they’d been in school, he'd naively pictu
red a whole life together for them, before she'd broken up with him in such a spectacularly public fashion. Now he'd take what he could get.

  She leaned into him, the smell of her hair surrounding him as his hands wrapped around her, and for a moment he felt peace. Then his lips met hers, and he was aflame.

  He'd been a fool. He'd never be able to have enough of this. Could never settle for only a taste. His heart would break all over again, and it would be worth it.

  Her hands slipped under his shirt, nails dragging over his abdomen and drawing a hiss from him. The first kiss broken, she glanced toward the corner. "I love Inari, but...is she going to watch?"

  He laughed. "Only if we don't close the bedroom door."

  Lucia gave him a playful shove toward the bedroom. "Then lead the way. I'm dying to find out if the rumors about wolfbound stamina are true."

  LUCIA HIT THE LIGHTS as she scootered after him into the bedroom. The illicit thrill left her nerves thrumming—cohabitation was frowned upon in the officers’ quarters, as the dour soldier who’d taken her to her apartment had explained. At the same time, they didn’t want her off base, because they had yet to finish her debriefing.

  She snort-giggled. Speaking of debriefing. Lucia sat on her scooter as she spun Ren around and pulled him back toward her. He reached past her, arm all muscle and power as he closed the door with a click.

  Even with the door shut, she felt the low hum of satisfaction from Inari bleeding into her own nervousness and want.

  Ren fell into her like a failing orbit, his mouth claiming hers with a hunger that drove her need higher. She slid her hands into the back of his trousers, smiling at his shiver when her nails dug into the taut muscles of his backside.

  He broke the kiss with a low growl. “Clothes. Off. Now.”

  When she pulled her shirt over her head, the air in the room was almost chilly. Ren’s appreciative gaze made her wish she had some of her pretty lingerie to wear—all the PX had were basic white garments. Functional, rather than sexy. Though from the look on Ren’s face these were working just fine. She reached behind her to undo the clasp and let the bra fall to the floor.