Resisting the Cougar (Cascade Shifters #2) Read online

  Aidan moved and she tried to keep pace. Dodging the trees and undergrowth were difficult and made her glad she’d worn sensible boots and jeans instead of the slacks and dress shoes her coworkers had suggested.

  Claire might have lived in a city just south of Seattle for the last five years, but she’d been born and raised in Western Washington State and loved hiking. Only an idiot would hike in heels.

  Well, at least an idiot by Claire’s standards.

  No doubt, Kian would understand. If he turned her away for not showing up in a pants suit, then he wasn’t the type of shifter she could see her organization working with. As desperate as she was to gain DarkStalker’s support, Claire wasn’t about to beg anyone’s forgiveness to make it work. After all, she fought for equal standing. She wouldn’t be intimidated by a shifter.

  Another two minutes, and they broke through the dense forest into a clearing. Sitting in the middle of it was a little black car.

  The cougar stopped, turned, and tugged his tail. After releasing it, the cougar grew into the shape of a man again. Careful not to glance down, Claire asked, “Do I want to know where you kept the keys?”

  Rather than answer her, Aidan went over to a tree, reached up, and retrieved a small bundle of clothes. She resisted tapping a foot as the shifter dressed. While she’d experienced her fair share of people ignoring her over the years, for some reason Aidan’s silence irritated her more than usual. After all, she’d just stroked the fur of his tail. In shifter circles, that was nearly as intimate as a body-to-body hug.

  Aidan pulled out a set of keys from his jeans pocket and glanced at her. “If you want a ride, then hurry up and get in.”

  Unlocking the car, he slid into the driver’s seat before Claire could so much as move a toe. Judging by his behavior, Aidan Scott was used to giving orders and being followed without question. If he were human instead of shifter, she would resist him on purpose just to rile him up. In her experience, male egos needed poking every once in a while.

  However, garnering any kind of shifter support was difficult, let alone an entire clan’s, so she half-ran to the passenger’s side. The engine was already running by the time she clicked her seatbelt. Looking over at the shifter, he held up a pink sleep mask. “Put this on.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Is that really necessary? Considering we trekked through the wild forest just to reach your car, I have no idea where we are right now.”

  “You might once we reach the road. Now, put it on or I leave you here and you can find your own way back.”

  She stared but the shifter never flinched. With a sigh, Claire took the mask. “Why does it have to be pink? I hate pink.”

  She swore she saw the shifter’s lips twitch. “Just put it on.”

  “Fine.” She removed her glasses, took out the case from her jacket pocket, and slipped them inside. After sliding the pink mask over her eyes, she made a show of feeling around to get her bearings. In the process, she touched the shifter’s forearm. The feel of his hair and warm skin against her fingertips sent a small burst of heat through her body.

  What the hell? She’d never had that happen before. It must just be her excitement at being on a shifter clan’s land.

  Realizing she still had her hand on the shifter’s arm, she pulled it away. “Sorry. But with this mask, I can’t really see anything.”

  The shifter grunted before turning on the radio. As he turned up the volume, she guessed he planned to spend the rest of the ride listening to blaring music. Too bad she wasn’t about to allow him. Reaching in front of her, she touched the glove box, moved her hand over until she felt the knob of the stereo and pushed it. The alternative rock music ceased playing.

  Aidan pushed away her hand. “Don’t mess with my stereo.”

  He turned it on again. Claire was about to turn it off and tell him what she thought of the loud, grating music when Aidan captured her fingers with his own. He yelled over the music. “Touch it again, and I will tie you up and toss you into the back seat.”

  She felt silly yelling, but did it anyway. “Then at least turn it down. It’s giving me a headache.” A few seconds of blaring music ticked by until the volume became a more bearable level, allowing her to speak without shouting. “Thank you.”

  The shifter grunted. “I’ll keep the music down as long as you remain silent. If you start talking, I’ll turn it up again.”

  Rather than point out the loud music had to hurt his delicate shifter hearing, Claire merely nodded. Battling Aidan Scott over something as silly as the music wasn’t worth the chance of him turning around and dropping her back at her car.

  Tapping her fingers against her thigh, every cell in her body urged her to talk with him and find out information. But through sheer force of will, Claire kept her mouth shut.

  Even though she could recite her presentation notes and demands in her sleep, she ran through them again inside her head to ease some of her energy. Aidan’s disdain toward her chipped at her confidence. She hoped that Kian and his team would view humans differently. Otherwise, the meeting could fail and her ballot initiative would never pass in November.

  Rather than think of how the last five years of her life working toward shifter marriage equality could all be for nothing, Claire practiced facts and figures. She’d find out how the cougar-shifters viewed her soon enough.

  ~~~

  Aidan spent the next twenty minutes alternating between tapping his fingers against the steering wheel and gripping it tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. Claire was keeping her end of the bargain and hadn’t said a word. Yet despite her silence, he couldn’t think of anything but the human female at his side.

  Her delicate scent of lavender and woman filled the inside of the car, which only made his inner cougar wake up and take notice. All his cat wanted to do was pull over, cup the human’s face, and find out what she tasted like with a kiss. Even Aidan’s cock was semi-hard, and only through his learned self-control as a DarkStalker soldier did he keep it from going rock hard.

  More than being tortured with her scent, the human half of him tried to figure out why Claire affected him. He’d ridden with countless females from his clan in this very same car and had never had the urge to pull one into his lap and breathe in the scent from where her neck met her shoulder.

  He hadn’t felt this way in more than ten years. The last time a female’s scent had triggered both man and cat, it had been the first time he’d met his dead mate, Emily.

  No. Aidan refused to equate the two. While shifters could have several mates in a lifetime, his inner cougar wasn’t cruel enough to make him want a human female. Humans were the ones who had stolen his mate from him in the first place.

  As Aidan made the last turn and pulled into the back entrance to DarkStalker, he pushed all thoughts of mates, both former and future, out of his mind. Once he handed Claire over to Kian, he’d never see the female again. It would be easy enough to forget her.

  Turning off the car, he ordered, “Stay inside and don’t take off the mask,” and exited before the human could speak. To clear his head, Aidan took in a deep inhalation of fresh air filled with scents of the surrounding forests and lake. He was home.

  With his head cleared, he moved to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. While the top half of the female’s face was covered, he could see the grim line of her mouth, her plump lips tempting both man and cat to taste them.

  Pushing aside his cougar’s desires, Aidan kept his tone brisk. “In case you haven’t figured it out, we’re here.”

  Claire turned her head up in his general direction. “Can I take off my mask now?”

  “No.”

  She sighed. “Then how am I supposed to walk? And please don’t tell me you’re going to carry me because that’s not going to happen, buddy.”

  When she slapped a hand over her mouth, Aidan struggled to keep his face neutral. Thankfully, more than twenty years of training won out. “I’ll guide you through the passa
geway.”

  She removed her hand and revealed her pink, enticing lips again before raising a hand. “Thank you. I greatly appreciate your help.”

  He resisted a growl. Her sudden politeness and distance grated against his inner cat.

  Taking her hand, he pulled her up to her feet so fast she fell into him. As her soft breasts and belly pressed against his chest, a surge of heat shot straight to his cock. Images of Claire Davis naked and him caressing her skin as he sucked her hard nipple filled his mind.

  The human’s heart rate kicked up and her voice was breathy when she finally spoke up. “Are we going to stand her all day or are we going?”

  Her sass snapped Aidan out of his fantasy of taking long licks between Claire’s thighs. Afraid the human felt his hard cock pressing against his jeans, he stepped back and turned her until she stood next to his side. “Get ready to walk.”

  With her hand on his arm and his other hand on her lower back, he pressed her forward. Her standing next to him was too close, and no matter what image he tried to recall to soften his cock, nothing worked. It seemed his cat wanted Claire Davis.

  Not that he expected to find an answer in the five minutes it would take to bring Claire to his leader, Aidan ran through all the ways he could purge the human female from his system, because there was no way in hell he was going to pursue her, let alone fuck her. For once, his inner cat wasn’t going to get what he wanted.

  Chapter Three

  Claire knew she should be rehearsing the data one last time before meeting with DarkStalker’s leader, but all she could think about was the shifter at her side. In particular, her skin was still hot from falling against his chest. She only hoped that Aidan, let alone other shifters, couldn’t scent the betrayal of her body to his touch. Being aroused when she met Kian Murray wasn’t exactly what she’d planned.

  Yet she couldn’t ignore the wetness between her thighs or Aidan’s strong hands as he guided her down a series of passageways. For such a tall, muscled man, his touch was delicate against her back.

  Of course, it could be because he didn’t want to touch her, but she ignored that possibility. She would enjoy a few moments of a shifter’s strong touch because that would be all she would ever have.

  Sure, she’d done what most teenage girls did and dreamed of having her own shifter to marry. By the time Claire was twenty years old, she’d given up that fantasy. Not only was the marriage between shifters and humans illegal, she’d dedicated herself to her studies, which had brought Claire to her present position as head of the Shifter Equality Alliance. She couldn’t afford to be connected to any shifter, not even a one-night stand. The reason so many politicians and other humans listened to her was because the fight wasn’t personal.

  Well, to the public it seemed impersonal and Claire planned to keep it that way.

  Aidan moved his hand from her lower back to her side and squeezed, bringing her back to the present. Okay, Claire. Stop with the teenage shifter fantasies. No sex with shifters until after the vote in November; that’s the rule. She needed to reinforce boundaries with Aidan.

  She turned her head toward Aidan. “Squeeze me again, and I don’t care if I’m blindfolded, I will find a way to trip you and call out for help. I’m sure someone will hear me since my voice would echo down the hall.”

  He grunted. “Stop talking so loudly.”

  Claire listened for a few seconds and heard a snort a few feet behind them. “Who’s there?”

  A woman’s voice spoke up from behind them. “It’s about time someone wasn’t drooling over you as they stared into your eyes.” The voice became high-pitched. “Oh, Aidan. I want to feel that hard body over me. For someone as handsome as you, I’ll even let you take me from behind, no strings attached.”

  Aidan tightened his grip on her side. His voice was gruff. “Shut up, Dani. If you’re as all-seeing as you claim, then you know who this is. You’re giving a bad impression of the clan.”

  The woman who must be Dani replied, “Oh, I know who she is, but I’m curious as to why she’s snuggled into your side.”

  Claire was tired of being talked about. “I’m right here and I don’t appreciate what you’re implying, especially since I can’t see you.”

  The woman sounded amused. “So, you do have a backbone. Good, I was starting to wonder if my information on you was correct or not.”

  If Claire’s eyes were open, she’d blink. “What information?”

  “Nothing of importance to you. Now, Aidan, hurry up. You’re late and Kian’s waiting.”

  She half expected Aidan to place the blame on Claire’s shoulder. Then he spoke. “I would’ve been there already if you hadn’t butted your nose into my business. We’ll talk later.”

  Aidan pressed against her back, and as they walked, she heard, “Oh, I bet we will. You’re not going to like your new assignment.”

  More confused than ever, Claire moved her head up in what she thought was Aidan’s face. “What is she talking about?”

  The shifter grunted. “I have no fucking idea.”

  ~~~

  Aidan didn’t like the tone of Dani’s voice when she mentioned his new assignment. Ever since Sylas Murray had mated the wolves’ clan leader, Aidan and Dani had been put in charge of all of DarkStalker’s soldiers and security operations. After more than a decade working with Danika Fisher, Aidan knew that particular tone meant nothing but trouble and irritation for him.

  Forget it. To be honest, Dani had every right to tease him. As soon as one of DarkStalker’s males had walked by, the other male’s gaze had drifted to Claire’s breasts. The urge to punch him had been overwhelming. At least, until he’d placed his hand on Claire’s hip.

  His hand remained on her hip. The combined warmth and softness only made his cock harder.

  Then the door to the conference room came into sight and Aidan struggled to get his dick under control. In the next few minutes, Claire would no longer be his responsibility. Lusting over her curves was pointless.

  Just outside the door, he brought them both to a halt. Claire turned her face toward him and he zeroed in on her lips. If he could only take one kiss, then he could prove to his cougar the human wasn’t for them.

  As she let out a breath, his head moved forward of its own accord. Her voice was breathy. “Aidan?”

  He was half an inch from tasting her sweet lips when the door to the conference room opened and Aidan moved away from Claire’s face. Thanks to his shifter reflexes, he was merely standing next to Claire when Kian Murray peeked his head out. “I was wondering where you were. Come, bring her inside.”

  Claire whispered, “Can I take the mask off now?”

  “No.”

  Claire readjusted her grip on her glasses’ case. “Then hurry up because I want to be able to see again.”

  Aware that every shifter in the conference room could hear them, Aidan merely guided the female into the room and shut the door. All eyes looked from him to Claire and back again.

  Before he could say a word, Kian’s mate, Trinity, chimed in, “You can take the mask off, dear. You probably could’ve done so once you entered the special cloaked hallway, but judging by Aidan’s expression, he wanted to keep his hands on you.”

  Trinity always poked her nose where it didn’t belong. Yet, he wasn’t about to argue with her in front of a stranger. In response, he dropped his grip on Claire and took a step away.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched the human take off her mask and blink. Then she put on her glasses before glancing around the room. If Claire had been a shifter, she’d be assessing the possible threats in the room. Surely, the soft human female wouldn’t be doing the same thing.

  Claire straightened her shoulders and looked to Kian. “You must be Kian.”

  Kian raised an eyebrow. “My picture isn’t widely circulated, so I applaud you on your resources.”

  Even though Aidan knew his clan leader was happily mated, Aidan didn’t like the approving look in Kian’s eye
s. To prevent himself from doing something stupid, like shoving Claire behind his body, Aidan clenched his fingers. As soon as he had an opening, he needed to ask permission to leave.

  Unfortunately, Claire responded straight away. “There are a lot of people who would like for me to disappear, so I keep informed. That’s why I know about the human living on your land.”

  If Kian was surprised, he didn’t show it. He merely placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “We could stand here like two animals circling each other to determine if the other is an enemy, but I’m going to be honest with you, Claire Davis. I’m on your side. I would love nothing more than for my clan member and his mate to come and go as they please without fear of going to jail. However, I won’t sacrifice my clan’s stability or safety to do so.” He motioned toward one of the empty chairs in front of him. “Please, take a seat so we can get started.”

  As Claire moved to sit down, Aidan jumped on the temporary silence. “Kian, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to check on Chloe.”

  Kian shook his head. “No, you need to take a seat. You’re part of this too.” Aidan opened his mouth, but Kian beat him to it. “Chloe is with your brother. She’ll be waiting for you when we’re through here.”

  If Kian had arranged for Aidan’s daughter to be with his brother, then something important was about to take place. Of course, Aidan had no fucking idea what. “Does this have to do with the new assignment Dani mentioned?”

  “Yes. Take a seat, Aidan. The clan needs your help with this.”

  Trinity smiled. “Yes, and more than the clan needing you, I think you’ll enjoy it too.”

  A bad feeling pooled in his stomach. Trinity smiling with mischief in her eyes was never a good sign.

  Not wanting to delay the inevitable, Aidan sat down next to Claire and waited to see what was so fucking important.