Microsoft Word - Hagen-Lynn-Rise-to-Seduction.doc

Rise of the Changelings, Book 5

Rise to Seduction

Nate Valez is Rick’s top enforcer. He is a sure and competent man,
able to handle anything thrown his way—unless it’s Selene or

Sasha.

Selene Lopez hates Sasha. She is the one in love with Nate, not
Sasha, but it seems every time Nate gets around the wereleopard

alpha, he loses his damn mind.

Sasha Monroe loves to play, loves to purr, and can slice a throat in

the blink of an eye. He knows Nate is attracted to him. He knows
Selene is attracted to Nate. But what the two don’t know is that

Sasha has been attracted to them both for some time.

He just loves playing hard to get, but when Nate and Selene's

lives are threatened, Sasha must choose between protecting a key
element that could possibly win the war and protecting the
werewolves who are beginning to mean so much to him.

Will Sasha hand over what he has discovered, or will he let fate
decide whether Nate and Selene live or die?

NOTE! You are purchasing Siren's newest imprint, the Siren Epic
Romance collection. This is Book 5 of 7 in the Rise of the

Changelings series. The series shares an overall story arc with
many crossover characters playing major roles in each book.

These books are not stand-alone and should be read in their
numbered order.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 77,110 words

RISE TO SEDUCTION

Rise of the Changelings, Book 5

Lynn Hagen

SIREN EPIC ROMANCE,

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED:
Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to
only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on
your own personal computer or device. You do not have
resell or distribution rights without the prior written
permission of both the publisher and the copyright
owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any
format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer
to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer
program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest.
Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright
Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online,
offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently
known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not
want this book anymore, you must delete it from your
computer.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution
of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright
infringement, including infringement without monetary
gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5
years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared
illegally, please let us know at
legal@sirenbookstrand.com

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Siren Epic Romance, ManLove

RISE TO SEDUCTION
Copyright © 2013 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-199-2

First E-book Publication: March 2013

Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Rise to Seduction by Lynn Hagen
from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also,
thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing
rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this
book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Lynn Hagen’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect
Ms. Hagen’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

RISE TO SEDUCTION

Rise of the Changelings, Book 5

LYNN HAGEN

Chapter One

Enrique Marcelo held the butt of the rifle close to his shoulder. He

tucked it in tight, his fingers gripping the cold metal as his eyes
scanned over the area. Troops had just swept through the area, and a
distress call had come in not long after.

Rick wasn’t sure if this was a trap or not. It was hard to tell who

was friend and who was foe in this war. People he thought he could
trust were betraying him left and right. People he thought were the
enemy were fighting to keep him alive.

But there were just a handful Rick trusted with his life now. Nate

and Selene were sweeping the rooms upstairs. Benito and Miguel had
taken the perimeter outside. Aside from those four, it was Dorian who
held the majority of Rick’s trust. His mate walked silently beside him,
his gun gripped tight in his hand, his eyes intently scanning the room.

Rick had suffered too many betrayals that had struck at his heart,

and he was still bleeding from them. No matter how much he wanted
to build his defenses up so it wouldn’t happen again, Rick knew it
was inevitable. That was why he only trusted those closest to him.

When Rick found no one in the dark area below, he slowly and

silently ascended the metal steps in the large abandoned warehouse,
Dorian following closely behind him. Rick’s fingers were freezing,

8 Lynn

Hagen

but he found he couldn’t shoot with gloves on. They made it awkward
as hell for him, so he dealt with the bitter cold as he made his way to
the landing on the same floor Nate and Selene were checking.

Just as Rick turned to glance at the open floor down below, he

caught movement. A shadow slid between a few forgotten boxes and
then disappeared from sight. Dorian’s stance became rigid, telling him
his mate had caught the movement as well.

Rick continued to move down the landing until he reached a

hallway that would conceal them and then pulled his radio free.

“I have movement on the lower south interior.” His voice was

pitched low, only loud enough for the changelings to hear.

“Copy,” Miguel replied in the same quiet manner, his voice taking

on the tone of an enforcer who took his job seriously. “Moving in.”

Rick holstered the radio and then gripped his rifle, holding it

firmly at his side. Miguel and Benito had been enforcers for two
months now, and both had stepped up to the plate better than he could
have hoped. They still joked around, had fun, and were irritating as
hell to Sasha, the wereleopard alpha, but when it came time to dance,
they tangoed like professionals.

He hadn’t regretted his decision to give them their place in the

hierarchy of the pack for one second. Rick just wasn’t sure how much
of a pack he had left. Since the war, changelings had been killed by
the thousands. As much as Rick tried to save them all, he was
working with what seemed like impossible odds most days.

The United States government had declared war against his

species. They were killing them on sight. There was still one
remaining government-sanctioned detention center, and it was being
watched with a fleet of tanks and troops—some even reported
spotting helicopters flying overhead.

They hadn’t bothered to repair the damages to the other two

centers. Rick knew they weren’t using them to detain changelings
anyway. They were experimenting on his kind, torturing them as they
tried to find a cure for lycanthropy.

Rise to Seduction

Some of the things he had seen…
Rick turned slightly, gazing back down toward the floor below.

He could see an outline of a body still hiding behind the large
inventory boxes it had disappeared behind. Whoever it was hadn’t
moved. Dorian had night vision goggles on, but Rick could see just
fine.

Miguel crept into the warehouse, crouched down as he gazed over

in the direction Rick had given him. The werewolf enforcer stilled,
scented the air, and then glanced up toward Rick, his eyes wide.

Rick furrowed his brows. He wanted to radio Miguel and ask him

what was wrong, but the enforcer was too close to the target.
Whoever it was would hear Rick’s voice crackling on Miguel’s radio.
He couldn’t take that chance.

It could be a harmless changeling or a human, too frightened to

reveal themselves. Then again, it could be someone trying to sneak up
on Rick and his men, ready to take their lives. Rick was, after all, the
most highly sought after man in America. There was a staggering
bounty on his head and he didn’t trust anyone—aside from the
Rebellion group he was with—not to try and cash in on him.

With the bounty on the high end of six figures, Rick was half

tempted to cash his own ass in. Okay, no he wasn’t. But it amazed
him how much the government was willing to pay to get their hands
on him.

Dead or alive.
He had just recently learned that the man heading up this war,

Captain O’Hanlon, was in fact, his biological father. Talk about a
fucking head trip. Rick had always thought Estevez Marcelo his
father. But the files stolen for him had stated otherwise.

Rick tapped Dorian’s shoulder, telling his mate to get behind him

as he raised his rifle, sighted the person down below, and tried to get a
closer look. His senses were heightened thanks to his weregenes, but
even with better than average vision, the shadows were playing tricks
as he tried to spot who the hidden figure was.

10 Lynn

Hagen

All he could see was a dim outline.
Rick lowered his rifle, watching Miguel move in on the person.

Something didn’t feel right. Something was off. Rick never had any
problems seeing in the dark. He should have been able to make out
who was hiding down below, but the shadows seemed to swallow the
person up, keeping him or her hidden.

It was as if—No, that couldn’t be right. There was no way the

shadows were protecting the silent figure. That was impossible. But
then again, Rick had witnessed some impossible shit in the past six
months.

Still, Rick wasn’t ready to believe shadows had the ability to

protect a person’s identity. He glanced behind him when he saw Nate
and Selene coming down the hallway toward him. Rick held a finger
to his lips and then pointed down below.

Nate’s face took on a hard edge as he stepped in front of Rick and

glanced down. His eyes flickered around, and then he glanced back at
Rick. “Why can’t I see who it is?” he mouthed silently.

Rick shook his head and then turned quickly when shots rang out.

He pushed the rifle into his shoulder and looked through the scope
again. The Shadow was on the move. It was…Rick stared in
amazement for a brief second as the—Rick wasn’t sure what to call it.
But whatever it was jumped onto the wall and then leapt to another
section. The thing was using the wall like it was the ground, racing
across it, his identity still in shadows.

The sound of Dorian’s gun firing loudly beside him brought Rick

out of his stupor. He began firing at the Shadow as it moved. His rifle
moved along with the Shadow’s progression, and Rick didn’t have
time to analyze how he was able to shoot at something running across
the ceiling.

The ceiling, for crying out loud.
He pushed that shock to the back of his mind as his finger lay on

the trigger, steel determination gripping him as he tried to take down
the Shadow.

Rise to Seduction

He hit it. He knew he did. Rick still had tracer rounds in his gun.

He watched the glow of the bullet as it whizzed through the air and hit
his target, but the Shadow kept moving, not once giving any
indication that it had been wounded.

Nate moved out in the open and fired repeatedly, but the Shadow

quickly disappeared through a broken skylight and was gone.

“What in the fuck was that?” Nate shouted at him as he took off

down the metal stairs, not waiting for an answer. Selene was hot on
his heels, Miguel racing out before all of them. Benito was still
outside. Rick knew Miguel would kill to protect his cousin.

As the cold night air of February began to dry the sweat on Rick’s

face, he glanced around the dock outside, looking for not only the
Shadow, but his group.

Nate walked around from the side of the building, the other three

close behind as he shook his head. “Whatever it was, it’s gone.”

“I wounded it,” Rick said with conviction. “I know I did. I

watched the bullet hit the thing.”

“I got a few shots into the damn thing as well,” Nate stated with

certainty. “If he took that many shots, how in the hell could he have
still moved? I didn’t even scent any blood. It was as if the bullets just
went right through him, leaving the damn thing untouched.”

Rick remembered the wide-eyed look Miguel had when he had

scented the air. He turned toward the junior enforcer. “What did you
scent when you first came into the warehouse?”

Miguel’s eyes slowly rose until the sweet brown irises were

staring directly at Rick. “When I was a small boy, mi padre used to
take me to visit my grandmother’s grave. I hated it. The place always
gave me bad dreams for a few nights afterward.” Miguel’s nose
crinkled. “I really hated going, but especially when it had just rained.
I normally love the smell of wet earth, but not in a graveyard. Not that
graveyard.”

When Miguel paused, as if thinking about the past instead of

telling Rick what the young enforcer had scented in the warehouse, he

12 Lynn

Hagen

prompted him to continue. He knew that whatever Miguel was
remembering was frightening to the man because he was falling back
on his native tongue instead of speaking English.

Miguel’s brows furrowed deeper. “I know we don’t smell los

muertos. We have keen noses, but they aren’t that powerful, not when
the people are buried underground.” Miguel glanced up at Rick, his
eyes filled with long-ago memories that still seemed to haunt the
young man. “But I did. I smelled the rotting decay, even though my
abuela had been gone for years. I could still smell—” Miguel
swallowed tightly. “That’s what I smelled when I came into the
warehouse.” Miguel shuddered. “Death. Decay.”

Everyone stood in stunned silence. Rick would guess the Shadow

to be a vampire since vampires held a scent of dried earth. Some said
it was from the ground the human was buried in when he was
converted. They said it still clung to vampires many years after their
conversion, but Rick had never scented death and decay on them.

He had been around a few to know. Kraven, master vampire of

Hamilton County, was well over two hundred years old and the only
scent he gave off was the smell of dead leaves in the fall as they blew
around in the cold, crisp air.

“That is the creepiest story I have ever heard,” Dorian said.

“Thanks, now I’ll be dreaming of graveyards tonight.”

“Welcome to my world,” Miguel replied as he began to head

toward the front of the building.

“Don’t mind him,” Benito said as he began to walk beside Dorian.

“He always goes all weird when he talks about his grandmother.”

“Why?” Dorian asked. “Besides the graveyard thing. He said he

hated to go see her.”

Benito glanced up at Rick and then back at Dorian. “She wasn’t

well in the head.” The werewolf fell silent, and Dorian didn’t press
the subject. Rick had heard stories about Esmeralda. It was said she
dabbled with things better left alone. He never put that much stock in
spooky tales. But after not only seeing the Shadow move in ways that

Rise to Seduction

defied the laws of gravity, but seeing the haunted look in Miguel’s
eyes, Rick wasn’t sure what he should believe.

“There was nothing in the rooms upstairs?” Rick asked Nate,

needing to change the subject.

“We didn’t find anything. There was a layer of undisturbed dust

over everything, so I know no one has been up there in some time.”

“Then who in the hell left the distress call?” Rick was not going to

believe the Shadow made that call. That was just downright fucking
bizarre and something his mind wouldn’t allow him to contemplate.

“Beats me.” Nate shrugged his large shoulders. “Ian said it was a

man. That’s all we know.”

“Let’s get back to the house.” Rick didn’t want to stick around

here another second. He would take on changeling mercenaries,
human Breed Hunters, and even the government. Supernatural shit
was not on his dance card. He knew now that bullets had no effect on
the thing, and there was no way Rick was using his teeth and claws.
There was no telling what would happen to him if he sank his canines
into…could he sink his canines into a shadowy figure?

Rick didn’t want to find out.
Whatever it was, Rick hoped like hell that was the last they would

see of it. He swung his rifle over his shoulder as he headed toward the
front of the warehouse. He didn’t want to think about the Shadow, but
damn if it didn’t baffle him. The situation was just as creepy as when
he learned that Cheveyo—a dream walker who had offered to help Ian
fight off a vampire who was attacking him in his sleep—was a damn
ghost.

The elder Indian had looked real enough to Rick. Even his senses

had told Rick that the man was real. His corporal form had been solid
to the touch.

Now Rick wondered if he was dealing with a different kind of

ghost, but that didn’t make any sense to him. This thing moved like it
was one with the night, as if he was nothing more than a…shadow.

14 Lynn

Hagen

“Creepy, huh?” Dorian asked as he tucked his gun into his holster

and joined Rick. “And here I thought there were only humans,
changelings, and vampires in the world.”

“Me, too,” Rick admitted. “Now I kind of know how you felt

when you discovered that nonhumans existed.”

Dorian walked silently beside him. Rick could tell the man was

deep in thought. Rick stopped walking when Dorian finally spoke. “I
don’t think it’s other. My guess is that it’s either vampire or
changeling, just not a breed or category we’ve ever encountered.”

Rick’s mind clung to the idea that it was a familiar species. He did

not want to battle with something he had never knew existed. It was
bad enough their enemies outweighed their allies. Rick didn’t want to
add the Shadow to that list.

He wasn’t sure if the thing was friend or foe, but again, he hoped

he never ran into it again.

Dorian grabbed his shoulders, pulling Rick closer. His mate gave

him a reassuring, deep kiss before pulling back. “We’ll figure this out.
Right now we have to get back to the house.”

Rick scanned his eyes over the deserted parking lot that probably

used to be filled to the brim with workers. Now it sat there as an
empty reminder of the toll this war had taken on everyone. He began
to move again when the snow started falling in light flakes. Now that
the adrenaline had worn off, Rick could feel the cold start to settle in.

Their search had been in vain. There was no one here needing

rescuing. But the million dollar question was, who had made that
phone call?

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Two

“What do you think that Shadow was?” Benito asked as he

dangled his arm over the backseat, his expression thoughtful.

Selene shrugged. Her mind wasn't on the Shadow right now. “I’m

not sure, Benito. But I don’t think it was there to harm us.”

Benito slightly turned, giving her his full attention. “Why not?”
“It took off as soon as we spotted him. The thing also didn’t fight

back when we were unloading our guns into him.”

“Him?” Benito asked. “How do you know it was a male?”
“I don’t, but calling it a him is better than calling it an it.”
Benito laughed, running his hand over Selene’s shoulder. “That

doesn’t even make sense.”

Selene patted Benito’s hand, going back to her thoughts.
She wasn’t one to give in to timidity, but the thought of going

back to the safe house—where Sasha Monroe was residing at the
moment—made her want to get out of the Suburban and take off.

Not that she truly feared him, although she was smart enough to

know he was extremely lethal. No, it was the playful flirt in him that
aggravated her. Sasha was not the type of man who interested her. He
used his stunning looks to his advantage when it came to Nate, and
that pissed Selene off.

She wasn’t foolish enough to deny that Nate was bisexual. He had

so much as admitted it to her. Selene wasn’t sure how she felt about
that revelation. She had nothing against alternative lifestyles. Her
alpha was bisexual, his mate male. Even some of the members of the
Rebellion group were openly gay.

16 Lynn

Hagen

What confused her was how she fell for Nate, knowing he lusted

after Sasha.

God, even thinking the leopard’s name spiked her temper!
And Nate…
Selene slid her eyes covertly toward the large man who had been

at her side constantly for six months now. His enormous frame took
up most of the backseat. Miguel and Benito had to sit all the way in
the back of the truck because there was only enough room for her next
to Nate.

She was trying to imagine what it would be like to kiss him, but

all she could see was Nate kissing…Sasha.

Selene gritted her teeth as Rick turned the corner and began to

drive toward the house. If that irritating feline said one wrong word to
her, Selene was going to succeed in shooting his ass. One quick pull
of the trigger and one problem of hers would be solved.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how Nate would react to her

killing his point of fascination.

She just didn’t get the enforcer. What was so special about the

blond flirt that enthralled Nate? Sure, Selene wasn’t blind. She knew
Sasha was gorgeous. But in her opinion, the personality did not match
the package. The alpha was arrogant beyond reasoning and had an
ego that was so large it was surprising anyone could fit in the house
with the damn thing.

Selene purposefully leaned forward to talk to Rick who was

driving, her hip brushing the side of Nate’s trunk-like thigh. The
contact made things low in her body tighten. “What do you think that
Shadow was?” She knew the alpha had no idea, but Selene had been
dying to touch Nate.

Having the man next to her was making her insides knot and her

pussy clench in need. It had been like that since she became attracted
to him. Not being able to touch him was close to maddening. She was
using what she could to entice him, to remind the man she was still
there, next to him, wanting him.

Rise to Seduction

As it had been over the past six months, Selene’s body was drawn

to the muscled man. She wanted to reach out and run the tips of her
fingers down the swell of his bicep, to crawl into his lap and rub her
body all over him, leaving her scent behind to let everyone know he
was hers.

But Nate wasn’t hers.
She wished he was, but ever since Rick had blasted Nate’s

business, telling Selene and Sasha that Nate had the hots for them
both, Nate had kept her at arm’s length. They still worked side by side
with effortless ease, but the conversation about what Rick had
revealed never came up.

Selene had been stunned to learn Nate was attracted to her. She

knew he liked her as a person, but she hadn’t known he was attracted
to her. The man had helped her as she fought her way to the top. He
had guided her, fought right beside her, and was a pain in the ass
when it came to her safety.

He was everything a friend should be.
She constantly argued with him that she could hold her own. And

she could. Being a dominant female wasn’t a bad thing, especially in
time of war. But knowing he cared whether she lived or died had
touched a part of her and had made her start looking at him in a whole
new light. She hadn’t thought the feelings were mutual.

But now that she knew, it seemed to be impossible to get the man

to open up to her and confess from his own lips how he felt about her.
Selene knew men didn’t open up and talk about their feelings like
women did. But damn, one little hint, an acknowledgement that he
was indeed interested in her wouldn’t hurt the big lughead.

“I haven’t a clue, Selene,” Rick answered her, but Selene only

heard half of what he was saying. She was too busy inhaling the
strong musky scent that began to fill the interior of the truck. She
almost smiled when she scented Nate’s arousal. “But you can sit back
and stop torturing Nate.”

18 Lynn

Hagen

Selene glowered at Rick as she sat back, tucking her arms under

her small breasts. How had he known what she was doing? Glancing
sideways, Selene’s frown deepened when she saw Nate staring out of
the window, purposefully avoiding her.

She couldn’t understand how he was attracted to her, yet avoided

any kind of intimate contact. It wasn’t like she was trying to jump his
bones. She was merely trying to catch his eye, to let him know she
was more than open to the idea of him simply kissing her.

When Rick pulled into the driveway, Nate was the first out of the

truck, heading into the side door of the house.

Well, his running form was very bruising to her ego.
Selene sat there for a long moment, watching the door Nate had

escaped into. A sigh blew past her lips. If she didn’t know any better,
she would think Nate only wanted to be friends and brethren
enforcers.

Maybe that’s all he wants. Maybe you are wishing for something

that isn’t there.

But Rick had said that Nate wanted her. Had he been lying? He

had been angry at the time and had said a lot of things in his mini
meltdown. Maybe he had things mixed up and included her on Nate’s
most lusted after list by accident. Maybe it was only Sasha Nate pined
for.

Feeling utterly rejected, Selene slid from the backseat of the truck

and headed inside. She bristled when she spotted the blond pain in the
ass in the kitchen, leaning one hip casually against the counter, talking
with Rick quietly.

As the alpha filled Sasha in on what happened at the warehouse,

the feline’s eyes slid to her and the side of his lip curved up into a
teasing smile. Selene glared at him and continued up to the room she
had taken. She used to think Sasha was flirting with her. Now Selene
knew those playful tactics for what they truly were. The leopard was
mocking her, letting her know that the man she wanted most—which
would be Nate—was not interested in her, but Sasha.

Rise to Seduction

Gah, that leopard was an arrogant son of a bitch!
Selene stopped herself from slamming the door shut behind her by

a thread. It was a childish move. She was not going to allow Sasha
Monroe to know he was getting to her, not on such an immature level
at least. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction.

Selene dropped down on the bed, lying flat on her back and

staring up at the stained ceiling. What she wouldn’t give for Rick to
send her on another mission with Nate. It would put them back
together, alone with each other, and there would be no Sasha.

Her head turned toward the door when a knock sounded. “Come

in.”

The breath in her lungs caught when Nate walked in. He was the

last person she expected to see so shortly after his hasty departure.
She stared into the most handsome jade-green eyes she had ever seen.
Nate truly was gorgeous. His sandy-blond hair just reached his neck
in a short cut. It looked so silky that Selene would give anything to
run her hands through it.

“Rick wants us downstairs.” The man was gone before she could

ask why.

Growling in frustration, Selene pushed from the bed and met the

alpha and the rest of the Rebellion group in the small living room. She
would always be grateful to the people who lent their homes to the
group. It was more than any of them could ask for. She was sick of
motels and loved to indulge in a good night’s sleep in a comfortable
room.

But this house seemed too small for all of them. A few had to

share rooms. It was surprising Nate hadn’t volunteered to share a
room with Sasha. She pushed the thought from her head as she leaned
into the wall, tucking her hands behind her back. Her spine stiffened
when Sasha came to stand next to her, but Selene kept her mouth shut,
trying her best to ignore his presence.

20 Lynn

Hagen

“Okay, since the warehouse was…” Rick shook his head and then

continued. “We need to get working on our rescue. There’s been a
distress call coming in from the werehyenas in—”

“Werehyenas,” Selene growled as she cut Rick off. “Haven’t we

learned already that they can’t be trusted?”

Rick sat forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, giving her a

disapproving scowl that made Selene bow her head in shame for
snapping at him. Rick was known to be fair, but he didn’t take
anyone’s bullshit, especially from his enforcers. Lately he had
become even more lethal, and she couldn’t blame him. Too many
were dying, and it didn’t look like they were going to win this war.
“Don’t let Tyson put a bad taste in your mouth.”

Selene heard a soft purr coming from Sasha. The man was a damn

pig.

“Just because he was treacherous doesn’t mean all werehyenas are

deceitful. They happen to be very intelligent hunters. But from the
report we received, they are being forced into the mountains. If they
become trapped there, they will be separated and picked off one by
one.”

“Did they say who was after them?” Nate asked in concern.
God, Selene loved hearing Nate’s voice. She could listen to the

husky baritone for the rest of her life and never tire of it. She
especially loved when he spoke in a low tone. It sounded richer, more
resonant, and deeper.

“Breed Hunters,” Rick answered with a slight snarl. “It seems

they are growing in number while the changelings are dwindling.”

Selene leaned deeper into the wall, listening, wondering if there

was an end in sight. Things were starting to look grim. They needed a
way to gain the upper hand. It seemed all they did was run from one
place to the next, helping those who needed it. There was nothing
wrong with helping the ones who couldn’t get out of the situation they
found themselves in, but it wasn’t going to win a war. Something had

Rise to Seduction

to give. Something had to change, or Selene was going to continue to
watch her beloved species die out.

But she was stumped. She had no idea what to do to turn the

tables on the humans. The harder they fought, the more Breed Hunters
and soldiers showed up. Their numbers were multiplying in this fight.
The changelings were not.

As Rick pointed to a map on the coffee table, Selene wondered

what it would be like a year from now, hell, ten years from now. The
cities were already looking like decimated war zones. Everyone who
wasn’t fighting was hiding—human and changeling alike. It was hard
to find a business open. The only continuing normality was the news
stations. They were constantly on air, constantly reporting what was
going on all around the nation.

The reports were getting bleaker. The cameramen were taking

larger risks, going into hot spots to get everything on film. Selene
began to wonder if there was any humanity left in the world. If it
wasn’t for the Rebellion group she was with, she would start to
believe love had vanished as well as hope.

But seeing Rick with Dorian, or Mason with Ian, Selene knew that

there was a thread of the emotion left somewhere in the world.

If only she could steal some for herself. She glanced over at Nate,

who was sitting next to Rick, helping the alpha strategize the best
route to take. She felt the longing deep inside of her to be held in his
strong arms, to be loved by him, caressed, cherished as the other
mated couples in her group were.

She inwardly scowled and knew she didn’t deserve a chance at

happiness. Not after the deaths she had caused, the lives she had
taken. She slammed the lid on those thoughts. When she glanced to
her left, she noticed how Sasha was watching her closely, his kelly-
green eyes indecipherable.

She glanced away, feeling as if the man could read her thoughts

and know what she was thinking. Sasha wasn’t the one Selene

22 Lynn

Hagen

dreamed of being with. He wasn’t the one that played in every fantasy
she had when she closed her eyes.

It was Nate.
She watched as his head dipped, scrutinizing something on the

map. His thick, sandy-blond hair was once again making her fingers
itch to touch the soft-looking strands.

“If you don’t stop pining for him, you are going to choke me to

death with your scent,” Sasha said so low Selene almost didn’t catch
what he had whispered, but she caught the smug smile.

“Please, by all means, choke to death.” She glared daggers at him

before looking away.

Her back teeth ground together when Sasha moved closer, the heat

from his body scorching her skin. “I love it when you talk dirty to
me,” he teased in a light, provocative tone that sounded all feline.

“Trust me, there is nothing sensual I want to do with you. If

thoughts of me watching you die a slow and painful death turn you
on, by all means, sport a boner.”

Selene stayed in her relaxed pose, but it took every ounce of her

control. She was not going to let the cat know he was ruffling her. It
would only please the man, and that was the last thing she wanted to
do.

“Trust me, my little vixen.” Sasha purred the words close to her

ear—so close that she felt the tuft of warm air blow over her neck. “I
always sport a boner when you are around.”

“Will you stop fucking with me,” she hissed irritably.
“Oh, I haven’t fucked with you yet.” He drew the sexual word out,

the implication apparent, but not welcomed. He seemed hell bent on
mocking her and rubbing it in that he had Nate’s interest, not her.

She turned, standing tall—which didn’t have the effect she had

hoped for considering Sasha was well over six foot three and Selene
was an average five nine. She had to look up at him, which stole some
of the badass she was trying to pull off. “I. Don’t. Like. You.”

Rise to Seduction

“I’m sorry, but is our plotting and planning interrupting your

conversation?”

Selene turned to see not only the entire room staring at her, but

Nate’s expression was heated, and it was aimed toward Sasha. She
couldn’t do this. She couldn’t stand here and watch the man she
wanted openly lusting after the man she wanted to maim.

Walking from the room, Selene headed out the side door and

paced manically back and forth in the driveway. Maybe it was time
she joined another Rebellion group. Her personal interests were
getting in the way of her job. She wasn’t staying fully focused
anymore. Not when she was working close with Nate.

And when the leopard was around, Selene’s mind wasn’t on her

job, but on thoughts of strangling him to death. She heard the side
door open, and then Rick was standing in her path, stopping her from
her agitated strides.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked as he leaned against the

Suburban, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I think I need to be reassigned.” Although the last thing she

wanted to do was leave the people who meant the most to her, Selene
knew she wasn’t on her game and that would eventually lead to one of
them getting killed.

Rick looked a bit stunned. “Is that what you want?”
No, but she couldn’t continue to torture herself with what she

couldn’t have. Nate was aroused around her, his scent a thick musky
aroma that made her womb clench anytime she smelled it. But the
man didn’t gaze at her with hunger, not like he did when Sasha was
around.

She knew the only reason she hated the wereleopard alpha was

because of Nate. Personally, he hadn’t done anything wrong to her,
except irritate the hell out of her. Sasha was the only male she knew
who could make her angry faster than any other.

Maybe it was time she stepped aside and allowed things to

progress between the two men. Maybe with her gone, Nate would

24 Lynn

Hagen

finally let Sasha know how he truly felt and they could become a
happily mated pair.

The thought tore at her, but Selene wasn’t going to keep chasing a

man who obviously held no interest in her. She wasn’t going to keep
aching for someone who seemed to want another.

Steeling her nerves, Selene gazed up at her alpha. “Yes. Please

arrange it…now.”

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Three

Nate stared at the empty doorway Selene had just angrily exited

through.

I should tell her. He needed to tell her that he wanted her, but

every time he opened his mouth to say how he felt, his brain did this
amazing thing were it completely shut down and made him look like a
total idiot.

It was frustrating as hell. Nate wanted her so badly that his dick

stayed in a perpetual state of readiness whenever he scented her.
Working side by side for the past six months hadn’t helped him one
bit. He had never gone this long without sex, and he was ready to
shoot something.

Jacking off was no longer working. If anything, it was making

him even more frustrated.

Sasha pushed away from the wall, his eyes sensually heated as he

gazed at Nate. “I wonder if she is naked under her clothes.”

Nate stood, walking past the leopard as he went to find out what

was wrong with Selene. She had looked…off. Normally Selene was
the embodiment of strength and was damn good at holding her
emotions in check. She worked well under pressure and remained
inscrutable as she took care of whatever needed to be done.

But what he had seen in her chartreuse eyes worried him. She

looked…defeated, resigned.

“Nate.”
Nate turned to see Sasha standing there, his eyes growing somber.

The man was so damn gorgeous that Nate wanted to reach out and
touch. If only Sasha would let him. He was around the two people

26 Lynn

Hagen

who confused the hell out of him, and Nate wasn’t sure what to do
about either of them. He was afraid to say anything to Selene, and he
was afraid of Sasha rejecting him. Nate didn’t like being afraid. It was
a foreign feeling to him. He was a top enforcer and could do his job
and sleep at night. But these two…Nate inwardly sighed.

“You’ll never win her over with silence.”
The man had hit too close to home. He had struck a nerve. Nate

turned and strode toward the side door, unable to give Sasha a
response. What could he say? The man was right.

When he stepped outside, Rick was standing there by himself. He

had one hand tucked in his front pocket, the other holding his cell
phone. Nate glanced around, but Selene was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Selene?”

Rick turned his head toward Nate, a sorrowful expression in his

light-grey eyes. He shoved the phone into his back pocket and shook
his head. “She’s gone.”

A jolt of fear shot through him as his mind worked overtime to

understand those two words. She had just been inside the house.
There was no way she was gone. Where? “What do you mean she is
gone?” There was a deep growl in Nate’s tone. He looked up to Rick
in the past four years with nothing short of awe and respect, but the
man was talking about Selene. The woman Nate cared so much about
that it hurt most days.

There was a loud rumble of warning coming from Rick as he took

a step toward Nate, all sympathy gone from his face. “Don’t take that
tone with me unless you are challenging me for my position as alpha
and leader of this Rebellion group.” The words were cold, delivered
with frigidity that Nate had never heard aimed at him from this man.
“She requested to be reassigned.”

“Where?” Nate asked, knowing he was asking for his throat to be

sliced open by sharp claws when he stood in the way of Rick walking
back toward the house. But he wasn’t going to just drop this. He could

Rise to Seduction

feel the desperation building inside of him. “Where did you send
her?”

Rick’s murderous glare would be downright frightening any other

time, but this was Selene they were talking about. True, she could
battle just as hard as Nate, and defend herself better than any female
he had ever encountered, but that didn’t stop him from being worried
out of his mind. They were at war. There were changeling
mercenaries and Breed Hunters everywhere. She wasn’t safe. She
could die.

“Please, Rick.” Nate gentled his tone even though he wanted to

growl at the alpha for standing between Nate and Selene. He kept his
temper in check as he waited.

Rick blew out a long breath, placing his hands on his hips as he

turned and strode back over toward the front of the Suburban. Nate
followed.

“Why did she want to leave, Nate? Why was she adamant about it

being right now, this second? Did you do something to her?” Rick’s
tone was questioning, but Nate could hear the underlying accusation.

“I would never fucking hurt her,” he said evenly, menacingly. To

think that the thought would even enter Rick’s mind was a punch to
Nate’s heart. He had foolishly thought his alpha respected and trusted
him. But the cool accusation in Rick’s eyes told a different story.

Rick leaned against the hood, seeming unaffected by Nate’s

aggressiveness. “Then tell me why she took off as soon as I made the
phone call?”

Nate raked his hands through his hair and then yanked at the

strands in frustration. “I don’t know,” he answered in a loud,
desperate tone. “I haven’t done anything to make her afraid of me.”

That was another reason Nate had kept away. His sheer size

frightened him when it came to Selene. He could break her. She was
so tiny, so petite. Nate was six foot two with well over two hundred
and eighty pounds of raw muscle. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on
him anywhere. He had come from a line of extremely large men. He

28 Lynn

Hagen

was even bigger than his father. He felt like King Kong next to her
small frame.

That scared the shit out of him, but it hadn’t stopped him from

wanting her.

“You’re right,” Sasha said as he stepped out of the door, looking

just as gorgeous as he always did. Nate still wasn’t sure what to do
about the leopard. Wanting the man hadn’t changed, not even when
Nate’s mind told him Sasha was a lost cause. “You haven’t done
anything. That’s the damn problem.”

Nate rounded on Sasha. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Sasha glared right back at him. “She wants you, you blind idiot.

But you haven’t said one damn word to let her know the feeling is
mutual. She hates me because she thinks you only have eyes for me.
I’m competition for her. I try my fucking best to woo her, but it falls
on deaf ears because I’m not the one she wants.”

Nate was taken aback. He never knew Sasha was interested in

Selene. The alpha had made it very clear he didn’t have a high
opinion of werewolves. He thought of them as dogs. It was a fact that
should have stopped Nate in his tracks when wanting Sasha, but he
couldn’t control how he felt.

But to hear the man wanted the woman Nate cared for blindsided

him. He turned away from Sasha and his pretty green eyes. Nate was
already dealing with one screwed-up situation. He didn’t need to get
into it with the wereleopard alpha. “Rick, please tell me where she
went. This is my mess and I need to fix it.”

Rick crossed his arms over his chest, his look penetrating. “If you

hurt her, I’ll cut your damn balls off. She is like a little sister to me.”

Okay, Nate hadn’t known that either. “I won’t.”
Rick looked like his arm was being twisted painfully behind his

back as he spoke. “She took off to South Dakota to join up with
Clyde's group.”

“The clan of werebears?” Nate asked.
Rick nodded.

Rise to Seduction

“I’m going after her.” Nate glanced around. “Shit, I don’t have a

vehicle to use.”

“Selene took off on foot,” Rick provided.
Nate nodded. “I’m going to grab my bag and head out. I’ll have

my cell on me if you need me.”

“I’m going,” Sasha flatly stated as he walked into the house. He

didn’t wait to get Nate’s permission. He didn’t ask. He just told Nate
he was going. Nate glanced at Rick.

“I have a feeling a war of our own is going to ignite.”
“And I have a feeling Selene will be the victor. She can handle

herself, Nate. Maybe she needs time away.”

“Bullshit.” Nate wasn’t going to agree. She was a strong woman.

He would give Selene her dues, but there were monsters out there that
would stop at nothing to either kill her or make her wish she were
dead. She wasn’t invincible, no matter what Selene believed.

Rick held his hands up. “Just like I couldn’t make Selene stay, I

can’t force you to keep your ass here. All I’m saying is that you may
not get what you’re going after.”

It didn’t matter to Nate. Even if Selene told him to go to hell, he

had to make sure she got to Clyde’s safely—and hopefully convince
her along the way that he wanted to be with her.

She could be as stubborn as they came. Nate had found that out

working with her for so long. He was well aware she had fought her
way to the top, and treating her with anything less than equality
always made her bare her teeth.

Nate couldn’t help that sometimes. He was who he was.

Protecting beings smaller than him was in his nature—but then again,
everyone was smaller than him.

Leaving Rick standing outside, Nate fetched his bags. He also

grabbed Selene’s. She had left so fast that she hadn’t even taken the
bag she always carried with her. That thought bothered him. Why had
she taken off like that? She could have come and told him she was
leaving. Weren’t they at least friends?

30 Lynn

Hagen

The more he thought about her leaving the way she did, the more

it pissed him off. She had put herself at risk going alone. Hadn’t he
drilled it into her stubborn head that always having someone watching
her back was better than fighting by herself? It was standard protocol.
The woman never listened. She was too damn strong-willed
sometimes.

And this time it just might get her killed.
“Ready?” Sasha asked from the doorway.
“Yeah,” Nate said flatly as he brushed by the man and headed

downstairs. Before all of this had started, Nate would have been
thrilled to his size fourteen boots that he and Sasha were working side
by side.

Something in him had changed, though. He still found the man

amazingly attractive. Who wouldn’t? But after everything that had
gone on, and after the way Sasha had been in Shelton, Nate had put a
protective wall around his emotions where the wereleopard alpha was
concerned. He didn’t want to feel the sting of rejection from the man
anymore. His heart still quickened whenever Sasha was around, but
Nate had learned to ignore those warm and fuzzy feelings.

They took off in the direction her scent was the strongest and used

it to track her. Nate knew Sasha was the fastest changeling he had
ever come across, but Selene was pretty damn fast herself. They
covered twenty miles, her scent still lingering on the cold winter air,
but they hadn’t caught up to her yet.

“How damn fast is she?” Sasha finally asked after remaining quiet

the entire time.

“She’s the second fastest person I know,” Nate blandly replied.
“And the first?” Sasha prodded.
Nate grunted at Sasha’s need to talk. He wasn’t in the mood. He

just wanted to find Selene, tell her how he felt, and make sure she
made it to Clyde’s safely, and talk her into returning at the same time.

“Miguel.”
Sasha laughed. “Liar.”

Rise to Seduction

Nate scowled at the man. “I don’t lie. I might tell the truth

creatively sometimes, though.”

“I’m the fastest person you know. Admit it.” The teasing was

slipping from Sasha’s voice. Nate could tell the man was becoming
extremely irritated.

“You don’t like being second best at anything. Do you?” Nate had

realized that about Sasha’s personality a while back. The man
excelled at everything he did. He also liked doing things on his own
terms. The alpha—as any alpha—hated to be bossed around or have
anyone tell him what he could or couldn’t do. But Sasha was more
extreme than that. The cat loved to play and purr, but became
downright lethal when pissed off. He also loved accolades.

“Second is boring and can get you killed. Besides, there are no

shiny rewards with coming in second.”

“Jeez. I think I should have come alone. Your ego is pushing me

aside.”

Sasha stopped walking and gave him a look that made Nate’s

hairs rise. His guard instantly went up and his muscles coiled. He
wasn’t sure if the man was going to attack or not. He still hadn’t
forgotten how Sasha had clamped his teeth over Nate’s head when he
caged the man. Nate had been doing as ordered by his alpha. It wasn’t
his fault he had to use a tranquilizer to capture the leopard.

“Becoming the best kept me alive at a time I should have died.

You have no idea what I’ve—” Sasha threw up his hands. “Why am I
even explaining myself to you?” He began to walk again, leaving
Nate standing there wondering what the man was about to say.

Maybe there was more to the changeling than met the eye, but it

didn’t explain why he flirted his ass off with Nate and then pushed
him away. Nate did have emotions, too. It fucked with his head when
Sasha was hot one moment and ice cold the next. That was why Nate
had begun to pull away. He wasn’t used to being treated as an
emotional yo-yo. He didn’t like feeling confused either.

32 Lynn

Hagen

He caught up to Sasha, and they continued their trek in silence,

Nate scenting the air occasionally to make sure they were still on
Selene’s path.

Who are you kidding? You still want the bastard.
Yeah, Nate did. But that didn’t mean he had to give in to that

need. Sasha would tease and then turn cold on him, telling Nate they
were cat and dog and that there would never be a we.

He still remembered those sharply spoken words. It felt like a

lifetime ago since he had been in that truck, Sasha giving him proof
that the three changeling murders down by waterfront were a setup.

Times were still ambivalent back then, but Nate had still held out

on the hope that things wouldn’t get this far, that a war wasn’t
inevitable. He had seen so much since then, things he would rather
forget.

He had no problem killing when it was necessary. Nate had taken

a blood oath to protect his pack. But this was different.

So damn different.
The senseless killings and the horrifying experiments were going

to leave lasting scars on his soul—had left them in fact. When he had
aided in the rescue of the changelings at the detention center in New
Mexico, Nate had seen things nightmares were made of. He wasn’t
sure how he had stumbled into the hallway where the labs were kept.
He was supposed to go to the prison cells and release the changelings.

But he had gone.
And he had seen.
“You’re lagging.” Sasha’s censured tone ripped Nate from his

morose remembrance. He glanced over at Sasha, still feeling the chill
that had encased him in a nightmarish cell in his mind in those labs.

“Sorry,” he said without thought as he hurried his strides.
Sasha stood there for a moment and studied him. His green eyes

concentrated on Nate. “I need your head in the game or it could mean
the difference between life and death.” His tone wasn’t reprimanding

Rise to Seduction

as it had been just seconds ago, but it was a crisp reminder that Nate
needed to stay on alert.

As they cleared the forest, they came upon a small town. It looked

to be deserted. Nate would never get used to seeing places like this.
They were eerie. It was as if the town echoed what once was.
Playgrounds were lifeless, the streets silent. He heard no dogs barking
or car horns honking. It was utterly still.

He kept his senses on alert, watching for any movement as they

followed Selene’s scent. It was stronger here, as if she had passed
through not too long ago.

They were catching up.
Or she was slowing down.
Nate hiked the bags higher on his back as he walked beside Sasha.

The cat seemed just as hyperaware as Nate was. Sasha pulled the gun
from the holster around his shoulder as they walked the abandoned
streets.

“There she is,” Nate said as he spotted Selene just as she quickly

slid around a corner. Nate was ready to race toward her when Sasha
grabbed his arm and yanked him down behind a car parked along the
curb.

“What the hell did—” Nate stilled when an convoy of trucks

began to roll into town.

The military had arrived.

34 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Four

“If they find her, they will kill her!” Nate snarled so low only

Sasha’s expert hearing picked up the panicked words.

“I’m well aware of what they will do to her.” Sasha pushed up just

an inch to look through the glass of the car window and then dropped
back down. “I’m also aware she is a very clever woman and will
know they are here before they find her. What we need to do is get
from where we are currently hiding to where she is currently hiding.
Now that will be a hell of a lot easier said than done, mi chico
valiente.”

Sasha watched as Nate’s jaw flexed. “I am not your brave boy.”
The tone was indignant, and Sasha gave the man a wicked grin.

“So be it.” If only Nate would stop being so defensive. He had seen
the change back at his home in Shelton, and Sasha couldn’t
understand where it was coming from.

He knew he could be a real prick sometimes, but he was an alpha

and it was in his DNA to be bossy and demanding. But he was also a
very tactile creature. He loved being petted and played with. If only
he could get Nate to play with him, maybe he wouldn’t be so wound
up and ready to pounce on the man.

Besides, he loved when either of Nate or Selene’s cheeks colored

with embarrassment. If they didn’t give a shit about Sasha, they
wouldn’t be so easily ruffled.

At least, that was what he told himself.
He could be wrong, but Sasha wasn’t going to analyze their

reactions. He had more pressing problems.

Rise to Seduction

Like how to get across the center of the small town while a train

of army-green trucks rolled by them. If the men coming through had
been changeling, Sasha and Nate would already be dead. The two
would have already been scented, fettered out, and killed. He never
thought he would be so grateful for a weak sense of smell.

“So what’s the plan?” Nate asked as he pressed his back harder

into the door of the car. Sasha was a bit surprised Nate was asking
him. They didn’t exactly see eye to eye, and Nate had a very
dominant personality. Sasha thought they would be arguing instead of
Nate looking to him for leadership.

It pleased his cat to no end.
“First, stop pushing into the car before you knock it over and give

us away.” Sasha had to admit, he had never met a larger man than
Nate. What did the man eat for breakfast, cows? “Second, we need to
wait until they have rolled by us before we use the various cars for
cover.”

Nate’s expression almost made Sasha smile. He looked befuddled.

He had to admit, for Nate, it was an adorable look. But then again,
everything about Nate turned Sasha on. “That’s your brilliant plan?
Leapfrog from one car to the next?”

Sasha gave Nate an exasperated look. “Unless you want to place

trash cans over our heads and slowly inch our way across the square.”

Nate apparently didn’t find Sasha the least bit humorous. Not if

the deep scowl on his face was anything to go by. Sasha ignored the
man as he pulled his hair over his shoulder and began to braid it. He
needed it out of his way if things went to hell and he had to fight.

Tossing the long plait back over his shoulder, he turned to see

Nate watching him. Sasha held back the satisfied smile. He knew
Nate watched him. Even when Sasha wasn’t looking, he could feel the
man’s eyes on him.

If the werewolf only knew how much struggle Sasha went through

to keep his aroused scent from suffusing the air when Nate or Selene
was close by. He had wanted them for a while now. But he wasn’t

36 Lynn

Hagen

going to take one without the other, and right now, Selene hated his
guts. If Nate didn’t tell the woman how he felt soon, Sasha was going
to throttle the man.

He had no chance in hell with either of them as long as Selene

saw Sasha as competition. As long as the little vixen snarled at him—
and pointed a gun in his face every chance she could—Sasha had
nothing.

He wasn’t going to settle for nothing.
“I think we can start leapfrogging,” Nate said as he turned slightly

and glanced up through the window.

The thought of playing leapfrog with Nate threatened to make

Sasha ramrod hard. He forced the thought from his mind and took a
glance for himself. The last vehicle had rolled by them. He waited
another minute and then, in a crouched position, hurried to the next
vehicle.

Nate’s jaw was set firm as he pushed from the car and hurriedly

moved his way over to Sasha. This was going to take forever, but
Sasha saw no other way of getting to Selene. She was across the
square. The soldiers stood between them and her. If the humans had
waited ten more minutes until they invaded this town, the three could
have been on their way already.

Sasha glanced at the next car and groaned.
“What?” Nate asked as he glimpsed over his shoulder at the

convoy parked haphazardly on the main street.

Sasha nodded toward the small, retro VW. “You are not small

enough to hide behind that car.”

Nate glanced at the tiny car and then gave Sasha an unconcerned

shrug. “You’d be amazed how I can fit my body into small places.”

Sasha’s arousal spiked at Nate’s innocent words. He had no idea

when he announced he was going with the enforcer how truly
torturous it would be. It seemed everything Nate said had a sexual
innuendo hidden in the sentence.

Rise to Seduction

Or was that just him looking for Nate to admit he wanted Sasha?

Could be, but he really didn’t think now was the time to find out if
Nate was playing sexual insinuations.

“You first.”
Nate looked stunned and then his eyes narrowed into two tiny

suspicious orbs. “Why? Are you setting me up?”

Sasha palmed the truck and glanced over the bed. “No. If you

manage to fit, I want to make sure there is room for me as well. If
there isn’t, you’ll have to move onto the next car before I can follow.”

“I just thought of a flaw in your plan.”
Sasha refused to look at Nate. He could hear the smugness in the

man’s tone and he didn’t like it. “What?”

“Even if we manage to make it from car to car, what happens

when we get around to where the humans are?”

So, Sasha hadn’t thought this through. It was the best he could

come up with on a second’s notice. Glancing behind them, Sasha
pointed to the general store that looked just as deserted as the town.
“We need to get inside and figure out a plan from there.”

“You are not my alpha.” Nate’s lip curled up as he spoke. “Asking

would be appreciated.”

“Then stay behind,” Sasha said with a clipped tone as he glanced

once more over the bed of the truck and then shot to the side of the
building, making his way around to the back entrance. He hoped like
hell Nate followed him, but he wasn’t going to stay crouched on the
sidewalk and debate shit with the man.

Sasha worked the lock on the back door until it gave and then

slowly peered inside. He scented the air, making sure there were no
unexpected occupants. He felt the heat at his back and knew it was
Nate standing close behind him.

Either that or someone was about to get a lethal set of claws in

their gut.

“What are you waiting for?”

38 Lynn

Hagen

Sasha was enjoying the feel of Nate so close behind him. He was

stalling and he knew it. That wasn’t the smartest thing to do
considering a soldier could come around the corner at any moment
and catch them, but Sasha just wanted one more second of feeling the
big man behind him.

“Checking the place out,” he stated as he soaked in the man’s

heat.

“We need to get inside.”
Sasha heard the heated infliction in Nate’s tone, but it wasn’t

irritation. The man was just as affected by the closeness as Sasha was.
He pushed the door fully open and stepped inside. Nate closed it tight
behind them.

Sasha didn’t like the large display window in the front of the

store. It made him feel too vulnerable, too exposed. The store wasn’t
that large and there weren’t too many places to lie low. Nate was a big
man, which meant he had even less options.

“There.” Nate pointed to a door behind the counter and off to the

left. “I think that leads to the apartment upstairs.”

Sasha glanced in the direction Nate was pointing and saw the

flimsy door. That wouldn’t hold out a child, let alone a fully grown
man. But his options were extremely limited at the moment. The store
didn’t have any good places to stay hidden, and maybe upstairs they
could keep an eye on the humans without being seen.

Glancing out of the large window to make sure they would be out

of sight, Sasha darted for the door, Nate close behind. As he opened
the entrance, a loud creak rang through the room.

“Damn thing needs oiled,” Nate said from behind him.
Sasha quickly moved into the tight confines of the small stairwell.

He heard the protesting door close, and then the area was bathed in
darkness. But Sasha could see just fine. His feline eyes adjusted and
then he began to ascend the steps, scenting the air as he moved
upward. There was nothing in the air to indicate anyone was in the
apartment upstairs, so Sasha hurried his steps.

Rise to Seduction

When he entered the apartment, he found it a little roomier, but it

was still small as hell. His shoulders almost touched the wall on either
side of his body as he headed toward the front room. Looking over his
shoulder, he saw Nate had to walk slightly sideways in order to clear
the hall.

“We should be able to see what’s going on up here,” Sasha said as

he strode into a small living room. He wasn’t sure why he was
making small talk with Nate. Sasha never felt the need to fill the
silence with unnecessary words. Yet he found himself reassuring Nate
as he walked toward the two windows set in the front of the
apartment. “We should hold out here until nightfall. We can shift and
then work our way around the town a little more effortlessly.”

“I like that plan a lot better,” Nate replied. “But you’ll have to

take one of the bags. I can’t carry both if I’m going to be in my
second form.”

Sasha always wondered how werewolves could either shift into

four-legged animals or choose to shift into a creature that stood on
two legs and could talk. He always felt like he had been jipped. He
thought it would be pretty cool to be able to talk while in his cat form.
That train of thought led to another. He wouldn’t mind seeing Nate in
his werewolf form. The man was massive on his own, but Sasha knew
the werewolves damn near doubled in body mass when shifting into
their third form.

It would be a very interesting sight.
Sasha strode to one window, Nate to the other, both peering down

to the street below.

“It looks like they are setting up some kind of base.” Nate ran his

hand over his stubbled jaw. “I don’t think they are just passing
through.”

Sasha watched as trucks were being unloaded. The soldiers were

carrying the equipment into what looked to be the town hall. There
were also men standing guard, their eyes scanning the area. He had a
feeling they were going to do a sweep of the town.

40 Lynn

Hagen

He would if it were him.
But another thought occurred to him. If the humans were setting

up base camp here, then they would be sweeping the surrounding
areas as well. They were well over twenty miles from Rick and the
Rebellion group, but Sasha didn’t want to take any chances. He was
going to have to call Rick and tell him to get the hell out of that safe
house.

This area was no longer secured.
“They are going to find her,” Nate whispered as he gazed out of

the window. Sasha could hear the bleakness in Nate’s voice. The man
sounded like it was inevitable. He couldn’t allow himself to believe
that she would be caught. She was a very resourceful girl and he had
to pray she kept herself from being captured.

“I told you that she is too clever to be discovered. For all we

know, she spotted them as soon they drove into town and took off.
Selene might not even be here.”

Nate glanced at him, his jade-green eyes hopeful.
Sasha had seen the fierceness in Nate many times. He wasn’t used

to seeing such vulnerability in the man. He glanced away, shutting
down that part of him that wanted to reach out to the werewolf. Nate
wouldn’t welcome any kind of touch from Sasha right now.

Both their heads snapped up when the loud squeak sounded in the

stairwell down below.

It was the door leading to the apartment.
Sasha glanced around and then pointed at a door on the other side

of the room. He and Nate silently hurried toward it. When Sasha
looked inside, he found the door led to a closet.

A very small closet.
He waved Nate in first and then pushed inside, closing the door

behind him. With Nate’s size, Sasha was smashed between the man
and the door. Every inch of Nate’s front was even with every inch of
Sasha’s.

Rise to Seduction

There wasn’t an inch between them. He could feel every solid

muscle the man owned pressing into him as Nate’s body heat soaked
into Sasha.

Nate glanced into Sasha’s eyes, and Sasha could not only hear, but

feel Nate’s heart beating just a bit faster. The close proximity was
affecting them both as the air in the closet seemed to become so thin
that Sasha was finding it just a bit difficult to breathe.

His brow slowly rose, and a smile played at his lips when he felt

Nate’s erection pressing into his groin. There was only an inch of
difference between them in height, so Sasha could hold Nate’s gaze.

The small space began to fill with the scent of Nate’s thick, musky

arousal. Sasha could do nothing but breathe it in as they stayed
cramped in the tiny closet. It filled his lungs and made his own cock
try and lengthen, but Sasha fought it with everything in him.

If they both became aroused, there was no telling what Sasha’s cat

would do. He could only hold back so long. It was true that he had
wanted Nate and Selene for a very long time, and he planned on
having them, but the truth crept into his mind, giving voice to
something Sasha continuously tried to ignore.

You are on the run from some very dangerous men. Do you really

want to let your guard down? Besides, you know it won’t work. You
are already a mutt. What in the hell would your kids look like if you
crossed them with wolves?

The cold truth washed over Sasha. It was true. He had something

so valuable that men were hunting him down and killing anyone who
got in their way as they searched for him. Not only that, if Sasha’s
leap found out he was a half breed, his daughter just might end up
dead. He had told Nate he hadn’t cared about his leap, but in truth, he
had to. They were hiding out with his little Sammy.

Sasha felt as if he were stuck between a rock and hard place.
Samantha was only seven. She didn’t understand what a half

breed was. Sasha refused to allow that term to be used in his home. It
was vile and degrading and outdated. More and more half breeds were

42 Lynn

Hagen

being born, and the ancient laws needed to catch up with the times.
What did him being half leopard and half—Sasha stilled when he
heard footsteps.

Nate swallowed roughly, but the damn man’s erection didn’t go

down. How in the hell did he stay turned on when they were about to
possibly fight their way out of the closet?

Sasha gave one small grin to his thoughts.
Nate’s hands came up, grabbing Sasha just as the door flew open.
Sasha pushed his body into Nate’s so he could use the momentum

to leap at the intruder when he noticed Selene standing there looking
shocked and so pissed off that her eyes had shifted to a glowing wolf
yellow.

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Five

“You know, gatito, if you suck my cock any harder, you’re going

to suck it right off of my body.”

Dorian smiled around Rick’s shaft and then licked one long path

from base to tip. His eyes were filled with a heat that said he knew
how far to go before causing Rick pain. Rick couldn’t argue, because
Dorian was bringing him nothing but spine-bending pleasure. His
silken lips molded to Rick’s cock, sliding up and then working their
way back down.

Rick watched in fascination, his body coursing with a fire that

burned hotter than molten lava. Dorian’s head was between his legs,
bringing him so much pleasure that Rick had to bite back the howl
threatening to burst from his chest.

“Gatito…fuck…look what you do to me.” Rick grabbed Dorian’s

head, locking it into place as his hips began to curl with powerful
thrusts. He could feel his eyes glowing, his beast coming out as he
fucked Dorian’s soft lips, plunging deep into his hot, moist mouth.

Fingers gripping his mate’s scalp, Rick pulled Dorian away,

breathing as if he couldn’t catch his breath. “It won’t be that easy.”
His words were challenging, his body coiling for the chase. There was
no doubt Dorian was going to run. His mate loved the chase just as
much as Rick did.

Dorian jumped from the bed and circled around it, his eyes filled

with a playfulness Rick loved. He hopped up as well, but Dorian
skirted around his hands and took off toward the bathroom.

44 Lynn

Hagen

A smile curved Rick’s lips as he slowly sauntered toward the man,

his claws emerging as his heart began to beat faster. “Where are you
going, gatito? There is nowhere for you to run.”

Dorian stood there, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his eyes

flickered over the bedroom.

“Do you think you can get away from me?” His tone was taunting,

teasing, and filled with so much sexual hunger that Rick knew this
game would not last long. His cock was still moist from his mate’s
sucking, throbbing to be buried deep in the man’s tight ass.

He palmed his cock, giving a few strokes, watching as Dorian’s

eyes locked onto what Rick’s hand was doing. Rick ran his other hand
over his chest, pinching at his nipples, moaning out his pleasure.

Dorian licked his lips but didn’t come any closer. Rick glided his

thumb over the moistness leaking from the head of his cock and then
gave the smeared finger a long, sensual lick. “Mmm, so good.”

“You play real dirty,” Dorian accused as he slid an inch to his left.
Rick gave Dorian a wicked grin as he began to stroke his hard

shaft a few more times. If he didn’t get inside his mate soon, Rick was
going to end up merely masturbating to completion. He was that
close.

Dorian’s eyes never left Rick’s hand, but Rick could see him

slowly inching his way around where Rick stood. He would let his
mate play for a second more, and then Rick was pouncing.

“I play…with myself.” Rick palmed his balls, giving them a

gentle tug, putting them on display for Dorian to see. “Don’t you want
to feel this hard cock pounding your soft ass?”

Dorian ran.
Rick was faster. He grabbed Dorian around the waist and spun,

tossing his mate on the bed. He moved lightning-fast, covering his
mate and spreading Dorian’s legs before the first playful protest could
fall from Dorian’s lips.

Rick grabbed Dorian’s cheeks, separated them, and then plunged

deep. His hands curled into Dorian’s flesh, kneading it, rotating the

Rise to Seduction

twin orbs as his cock thrust deep and hard. Dorian reared back,
slamming his ass into Rick’s pelvis, crying out his pleasure as Rick
took him hard and fast.

Rick began to pull Dorian back toward him, using powerful

thrusts to meet his mate’s ass. The sound of skin clapping together
spiked Rick’s arousal even higher. His growls shook his chest as
Dorian tilted his head to the side, begging without words for Rick to
bite him.

Rick drove deep before blanketing Dorian’s body with his and

sank his canines into the mating mark, strengthening their bond.
Dorian lowered his shoulders, which brought his ass to a higher angle,
allowing Rick to go deeper.

His cock plunged in and out of Dorian’s soft flesh, his hunger

filling him to the point it almost felt savage. Rick ground his cock
deeper into his mate, watching as Dorian’s body took his steel-hard
shaft over and over again.

His balls tightened, but Rick was too busy drowning in Dorian to

care how close he was. His chest surged at the intimacy of just
touching his mate. Dorian had no clue how much Rick needed him,
not just sexually, but emotionally and mentally. He was Rick’s solid
rock, his very foundation that Rick relied on when things became too
much.

But it wasn’t just that. Dorian had become a part of Rick. He

knew he couldn’t live without his gatito.

He was pulled from thought when electricity arced through him,

his cock lodging deeper. Rick’s body was glistening in a sheen of
sweat. He wiped it from his eyes with his shoulder as he spread his
legs wider, pulling Dorian’s hips closer. Rick’s hands gripped his
mate’s hips tighter as his dick pistoned in and out, harder and faster,
the head so sensitive that Rick shivered at the sensation.

Dorian clenched his muscles, encasing Rick’s cock in a viselike

grip. He was overwhelmed by the heated tightness surrounding his
hard shaft and the sound of pure ecstasy coming from his mate.

46 Lynn

Hagen

Dorian knew how to drive Rick to the brink and knew what he loved
most. He pulled his canines free, licking a long path from shoulder to
ear, letting a groan escape his lips. “You are so fucking sensual,
gatito. I love being inside of you. I love feeling your tight ass
squeezing my cock.”

Dorian was the first to shout his release, bucking under Rick, his

fingers digging into the bed. His hot, tight channel contracted around
Rick’s cock with almost brutal intensity.

Rick loved the way his mate sounded when he was in the throes of

passion. It stroked his ego and pleased his wolf to know he was doing
this to his mate, that he was the one making Dorian lose control in
such a passion-filled way. The noise was erotic, making Rick’s wolf
howl at his mate’s raw pleasure.

Rick drove his cock hard, feeling the licks of fire racing up his

spine before he, too, was shouting as his orgasm exploded, his seed
spurting inside his mate’s body, marking him as Rick’s once more.
His cock pulsed to the beat of his heart as his climax shattered Rick.
Resting his forehead against Dorian’s shoulder, Rick closed his eyes,
letting the waves ride through him. God, he loved this man so much.
If anything ever happened to take Dorian away from him, Rick would
die. He knew in his heart he couldn’t live without his mate.

“You fight so dirty,” Dorian said between pants as he turned his

head, kissing the top of Rick’s head. The gesture was what Rick
craved. The sex between them was fantastic, but it was the small
things Rick cherished the most. A kiss on the head, a sigh falling from
Dorian’s lips, or the way his mate just brushed a hand over Rick’s
arm that told him that all this fighting was well worth it. He never
wanted to lose these moments.

Rick ran his hand over Dorian’s sweat-soaked body, grinning as

he rocked slowly back and forth, prolonging the pleasure. “You know
you enjoyed it just as much as I did.”

Rise to Seduction

“True, but if you ever masturbate in front of me again, I’m going

to suck your cock until your toes curl and you shout that I’m your
stud.”

Rick chuckled, slapping Dorian on his ass as he slid free from his

mate’s body, and then the bed. He was about to head toward the
bathroom when his cell phone rang. Grabbing his cell from the
dresser, Rick recognized the number as Edward’s. He was going to
have to remind the man to get another phone. Keeping the same one
for an extended period of time was not wise.

Pressing the send button, Rick took a seat on the side of the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

Edward and Isabelle had fallen off the grid, even from the

Rebellion groups, and Rick had been worried sick that something had
happened to them. He knew his brother-in-law was just trying to keep
Isabelle safe, but it was eerie the way he had made them disappear.
No one had heard from the couple. It only proved to Rick Edward
knew what he was doing when it came to keeping her safe. He
wholeheartedly approved, but it didn’t stop him from worrying.

“A unit came after me for hacking into O’Hanlon’s files. We had

to get out of the cabin we’d been hiding in.”

Rick was thankful Edward hadn’t referred to that man as his

father. The rat king could be cantankerous sometimes. Rick didn’t
want the reminder of who his biological father was. The revelation
still fucked with his head. He thought about who the man was to him
as little as possible.

“How’s Isabelle?” His sister was having complications with her

pregnancy. Rick knew it was harmful to move her. He also knew
Edward must have hated to make the choice.

“I’m a nervous fucking wreck, Rick,” Edward confessed quickly.

“That’s why I called. She is in labor now. The weredeer healer fled
with us and is in there with her right now. I can’t do this. Her screams
alone are tearing me apart. I can’t listen to my mate cry, Rick. I feel
so fucking helpless. I would do anything for her, anything, but there is

48 Lynn

Hagen

nothing I can do when it’s the birth of our child that’s putting her in
so much pain.”

Rick pushed from the bed and began pacing the floor. “But the

weredeer thinks her delivery will go well?”

“She said it’s too soon to tell. If—” Edward fell silent as Rick

listened to his baby sister howling in the background. All werewolf
females howled when they were close to giving birth. The baby would
be there soon.

“Goddamn,” Edward growled. “I can’t take hearing her in such

pain.”

“But I’m willing to bet you will be in even worse pain if you don’t

get in there with her. Werewolf males are always present for the birth
of their children, Edward.” Rick could have been a prick and let
Edward find out afterward when Isabelle was tearing him a new
asshole, but he knew the joys of watching a child come into the world
and didn’t want Edward missing out on that.

“You–you want me to go in there? With the blood and—” Edward

sounded like he was about to pass out.

“I don’t want you to go in there, but she does. She needs you,

Edward, so borrow a set of balls and watch your child being born.”

“I really hate you sometimes, Rick.” Edward hung up.
Rick grinned, although his stomach was tied in knots from worry.

He prayed his sister and the baby came through the delivery just fine.
He was glad Edward hadn’t told him where they were. Rick just
might have taken off to go check on them himself.

Dorian walked out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel over his head.

“I thought we needed to get moving so we can rescue the
werehyenas?”

“Isabelle is in labor.”
Dorian lowered the towel as his eyes softened. “How is she

doing?”

It touched a part of Rick to know his mate cared about Isabelle.

They really hadn’t had a chance to get to know each other that well.

Rise to Seduction

Rick knew that once this was all over, the two would form a lasting
bond as not only pack, but family. The little time they had spent
around each other, they had gotten along.

“Edward said it’s too soon to tell.” Rick tossed his phone aside

and took a quick shower, getting dressed afterward as he thought
about the mated pair. The whole time he prayed that mother and child
would be fine.

He and Dorian made it downstairs and saw the rest of the group

sitting in the living room, their faces solemn. Rick slowed his steps,
glancing at each person. “What’s wrong?” It seemed he was asking
that question a little too much today. An urge hit him to grab Dorian
and run back upstairs, get naked, and forget there was a damn world
outside the bedroom the two were in.

“One of the Rebellion groups sent word that military forces have

taken over a small town about twenty miles from here,” Howard,
Dorian’s father, replied. “The Rebellion said they were going to be
conducting sweeps and we needed to head out.”

They had to move around quite a bit since all of this began. Rick

couldn’t understand why they all looked so worried. “Why the long
faces?”

“Nate and Sasha were seen entering to the town right before the

military invaded it,” Miguel informed him.

Rick silently cursed to himself. He had a choice to make. Either

go after the werehyenas who had called for help, or go make sure
Sasha and Nate weren’t in a shitload of trouble. As badly as he
wanted to make sure the men from his group were safe, the
werehyenas had to take precedent.

He had to trust that Nate and Sasha could take care of themselves.

“We go ahead with the rescue as planned.”

“But what about Nate?” Bryson asked.
“If Nate couldn’t take care of himself, then he wouldn’t be my top

enforcer. He’s been in tougher situations than this.” Rick hoped like
hell he was right. He could tell the group didn’t like the idea of

50 Lynn

Hagen

leaving Nate and Sasha to their own rescuing, but Rick had to think
about the changelings who actually did need their help. “We’re
meeting up with Ross and his group. If we are to make our
rendezvous point, we need to head out. Gather your things and meet
me outside.”

Dorian’s mother placed her hand on Rick’s arm, giving him a

gentle smile. Lillian had been captured a while back, even though she
was human. They had tortured her and he could still hear her
whimpering some nights. It made Rick want to bring those guards at
the main detention center back from the dead so he could kill them all
over again.

She had been a sweet, tough-as-nails woman before she had been

taken. Now she was quiet, reserved, and hardly spoke. Howard was
by her side, resting his hand on the small of her back. It killed Rick
that she was a shadow of what she used to be.

“You are doing the right thing.”
Rick reached up and patted her frail hand. “Thanks.”
“Come on, Lillian,” Howard said as he pulled her away. “Let’s go

make sure the boys are packed and ready.”

Lillian was even more protective of her sons than before—

especially Ian. She didn’t care that her youngest son was collared and
in a relationship. If he was out of her sight for too long, she became
extremely agitated.

It made Mason’s relationship with Ian a little more difficult, but

the jaguar changeling took it in stride. It seemed he was just as
protective of his mate’s mother as he was of his mate. She was the
only one allowed to interact with Ian whenever she pleased.

Mason was helping Ian to rebuild his self-confidence and self-

worth after spending four years as a fang addict and being abused by a
club of sadistic vampires. He didn’t allow anyone to interact with Ian
unless he gave his explicit permission.

Lillian was the exception. If Mason and Ian were outside the

bedroom, the jaguar didn’t say a word about the woman engaging Ian

Rise to Seduction

in conversation. It seemed to help both of them. Ian had thought his
family hated him. It seemed having his family’s approval went a long
way with the small human.

Dorian and Ian were still working on rebuilding their sibling bond,

but Rick knew that was going to take time. Dorian had come a long
way in understanding that BDSM wasn’t about the need to get beaten.
His mate had sat for long hours talking with Mason about the lifestyle
and what it was all about. Dorian was seeking knowledge to
understand Ian so he could be close to his brother once more.

His mate was trying, and Rick was damn proud of the man for

that.

When Dorian came down the steps with their bags, Rick walked

him out to the truck, holding the door as Dorian walked by, and taking
in a lungful of the man’s familiar scent.

Rick glanced in the direction Nate and Sasha had taken off after

Selene and hoped like hell all three made it past the town before the
military found them.

52 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Six

Selene wasn’t sure she was seeing things right. Were Sasha and

Nate really tucked into this tiny closet, holding each other? The scent
of arousal was so thick in the air that she coughed and took a step
back. She had been desperate to get away from these two, and now
she stood there staring at them in a compromising position.

What the hell kind of cosmic joke was this?
“Selene,” Nate began.
“Save it,” she said in a clipped tone as she held her hand up,

tamping down the disappointment that was trying to take hold and
fuel her anger. She needed to come to grips with the fact that these
two wanted each other, not her. “Why in the hell are you two here?”
She wasn’t even going to ask what they were doing stuffed in the
closet.

It was none of her business.
Taking the few steps remaining, she glanced out of the window to

the town below. It would be her luck she ended up with not only the
two men she was trying to get away from, but ended up in a town full
of militant men that would love nothing more than to kill all three of
them.

“We came after you when we found out you took off on your

own.” Nate sounded worried and pissed off, but Selene chalked that
up to their friendship, not to the fact that Nate wanted her.

“I can take care of myself. I was on my way out of town when I

picked up both your scents. I wouldn’t even be here if you two hadn’t
followed me.” The bitterness bled into her tone. As much as she was

Rise to Seduction

trying to hide it from Nate, she wasn’t succeeding. The only thing she
could think of was seeing them wrapped around each other.

It bothered her that it didn’t bother her to see them together. Not

that she wanted Nate with the arrogant cat, but seeing Nate with
another man should have pissed her off.

But it didn’t.
Selene refused to go there. She was too busy being angry.
“It seems you need a lot of help.” Sasha moved closer to her, his

catlike green eyes heavy with sarcasm.

She pointed a finger up at his face. “You stay out of this, Sasha.”
When Sasha leaned forward and licked her finger, Selene

growled. “Do that again and I’ll cut your tongue out.” She moved her
hand away in time as Sasha’s tongue flickered again. He made a very
crude gesture with his tongue, wagging it quickly up and down before
he smiled.

“Get your boyfriend before I hurt him.”
Nate stepped between the two, only confirming Selene’s

accusation. They were lovers. This was exactly what she didn’t want
to deal with. She shook her head as she made her way from the room.
“I’ll be gone by nightfall. You two should head back to Rick. I’m
very capable of handling myself.”

“Can I watch?” Sasha purred from behind her.
Curling her lips in so she didn’t give them away to the humans

down below by screaming at the dumb cat, she ignored him and tried
to put as much space between them as she could by walking into the
kitchen of the apartment. If she could find some coffee in this small
kitchen, she might be able to settle her nerves and face these two
morons.

“Selene.” Her name was spoken in a soft whisper from Nate.
He was right behind her. Selene had an urge to turn around and

punch him. She wanted to bring Nate as much pain as she was feeling
right now. How could she be so stupid? How could she have fallen in
love with a man who didn’t want her?

54 Lynn

Hagen

Rummaging through the cupboards, she searched for a canister of

coffee. She would settle for instant right about now. Her movements
were quiet, listening out for anyone trying to sneak up on them as she
curled her hands around a small container of decaf.

It would have to do.
“Would you listen to me? This is hard enough for me as it is.”
He was about to tell her he was in love with Sasha. She could hear

it in his voice. The ultimate brushoff was coming. Let’s remain
friends. I never meant to hurt you. I can’t help who I fall in love with.
All the excuses she feared Nate would give her ran through her mind
as she plugged in the one-cup coffeepot.

She couldn’t help who she fell in love with either. Only she came

out the loser on her end. A very large hand came over hers, stopping
her from filling the water reserve. Selene paused, dying inside as she
soaked in the heat from Nate’s hand.

She blinked up at him, trying her best to fight back the tears. “I

understand, Nate. Trust me. I’m trying my best not to make a big deal
out of this.”

“You’re stepping aside?” he asked in astonishment.
“Yes.”
“Selene.”
She pulled her hand away. It instantly turned cold, but she went

about making the coffee, even if she felt like her insides were being
ripped out. “We’re good, Nate. We’ll always be friends. We work
well together.”

“And we’ll work even better together just as soon as you hear me

out.”

Turning the machine on, Selene pivoted to face him. “What else is

there to say?”

Nate turned seven shades of red. A cold lump formed in her belly

as she saw how embarrassed he seemed. “Oh, no. I don’t want any
details.” That was the last thing she wanted was to hear about Nate
and Sasha and what happened between them.

Rise to Seduction

Nate moved in closer, pressing her against the counter. Selene

placed her hands behind her, stopping him from blocking her in.
“Move, Nate.”

Her pulse was beating so fast that Selene heard a rush of blood in

her ears. What was he doing? Why was he trapping her between his
large body and the counter? “Nate.”

Nate dipped his head, cupping her jaw lightly as he kissed her.

Selene stood there in shock. He was giving her what she had dreamed
about for so many nights. His lips were soft, contrasting his large
muscled body. She couldn’t believe how silky his lips felt on hers.
Selene’s eyes closed briefly, opening for his tongue as it swooped in
to taste her, and then reality set in.

Selene pushed on Nate’s chest until he took a step back. They

were both breathing in ragged breaths. “What the hell kind of game
are you playing?”

Nate looked confused. “I’m not playing any game with you.”
Putting space between them, Selene glanced at the entrance to the

kitchen to see Sasha standing there, his eyes a deep green, filled with
desire. She glanced back at Nate and then pulled her arm back,
slapping him dead in the face. “How dare you make a mockery of
how I feel for you! Did you think you could kiss me like that and then
tell me good-bye?”

“Hot shit, she’s got her claws out,” Sasha said with an excited

purr.

“I’m not trying to tell you good-bye, you thickheaded woman!”

Nate roared at her. “I’m trying to tell you that I’m in love with you
and want to be with you.”

Selene stilled and blinked up at him. Her mind was trying to grasp

what he was saying, but the words just didn’t make sense. Nate stood
there glaring at her, making Selene swallow roughly. “I’m confused
as hell.”

Sasha sauntered over in a move that could only be seen as a

predator coming close to its prey, sliding up behind her and making

56 Lynn

Hagen

Selene nervous as hell. “What he is trying to tell you, my little vixen,
is that we both want you in the worst sort of way.”

“Sasha,” Selene said his name in warning.
She could actually feel him smiling in satisfaction behind her.

“Yes?”

“Get the hell away from me,” she replied calmly.
“Not until you pull your gun out and threaten me with it.”
She elbowed him in the gut as she moved away from both of

them. “I’m not sure what kind of sick game the two of you are
playing, but—” She grew quiet when the downstairs door squeaked.
Selene’s eyes shot to the fresh pot of coffee percolating.

With the quickness Sasha was known for, he opened the back

window wide and then hurried them down the hallway to the closet.
Selene glanced inside once the leopard had the door open. How in the
hell were all three of them going to fit in there?

Nate moved in first and then grabbed Selene and yanked her in.

Sasha pulled the door closed behind them. It was so tight in there that
Selene could barely breathe. Nate was smashed into the front of her,
and Sasha was pressed tightly in behind her.

This was a situation she had never thought to find herself in. She

found that although Nate was as large as two men, Sasha wasn’t a
small man either. His muscles were just more compact, closer to his
body.

“Do you smell coffee?”
Selene held her breath as she heard the stranger’s voice in the

apartment. There was an extremely light growl coming from behind
her. Sasha was giving her his disapproval. What did she care? She
hated him. The man could growl until the cows came home.

“Someone was just here,” another man said loudly. “The back

window is open. I think they took off down the fire escape.”

Selene bit her bottom lip, praying the humans fell for Sasha’s

ruse. If the three were discovered in the closet, they were going to
have one hell of a fight on their hands getting out of town.

Rise to Seduction

Why in the hell had she come back for these two? She should

have just kept going.

* * * *

Nate was once again hard as a rock. Only this time it was Selene’s

soft frame pressed into him. He had just enough room to insert his
hand behind her back, pulling her closer—closer than she already
was.

She glared at him, but knew she couldn’t say a word or fight him.

The soldiers were too close. He was playing dirty, but he needed her
to see how much how much he wanted her. With his hand tucked
behind her back, Nate could feel how close Sasha was to her as well.
They were smashed like sardines in a can, and it felt so damn right.

“Should we check the place or take off after the person?” the first

voice asked.

Nate’s attention was snapped back to what was going on in the

apartment.

“You do a quick check. I’m going to head out. If the person fled,

I’m going to catch them and win the pool of who made their first
kill.” The second person had excitement in his voice, determined to
hunt down the animal and slaughter him. It made Nate want to tear
the bastard apart. He was a living breathing person who didn’t
deserve to be hunted down like a rabid animal. None of them
deserved it.

It pissed him off to hear his death talked about so nonchalantly.

He was not a fucking trophy kill. Sasha and Selene began to press into
Nate. He hadn’t realized that he was struggling to get out of the
closet. Nate wanted to show those two men just what hunting
someone down felt like.

Sasha reached up and pinched his nose.
Nate grimaced. The alpha looked angrily at him, and the throb in

his nose was enough to bring Nate’s rage back under control. He

58 Lynn

Hagen

heard the first man leave. The door downstairs squeaked. That left the
second man in the apartment.

Nate wasn’t so sure they were going to go undiscovered. The

place only had so many hiding places. The human was sure to check
them all.

The floorboards creaked as the soldier swept the apartment. Nate

could hear him getting closer. In a matter of minutes, maybe less, they
were going to be discovered.

Sasha held his hand up, his claws slowly elongating from the

fingertips as he began to climb up and over the two. He was giving
himself room. The closet wasn’t large in circumference, but the height
was enough for Sasha to press his body into the wall above them.

The wereleopard dangled there, his expression ominous as they

waited to see if they would have to silently kill the man and then think
of another way out before the death was discovered.

Nate held his breath when the door handle jiggled. He could hear

a very low and lethal growl coming from above him. Sasha was
coiling for attack. The sight was just as hot as it was dangerous.

When the door swung open, Sasha swung out into the living room

and landed on the soldier. He had had his gun at the ready, but Sasha
was too fast, taking the man down before he even knew someone was
in the closet.

Sasha sliced his claws from throat to pelvis. “Try and kill me now,

you son of a bitch,” Sasha snarled. Nate grabbed the disemboweled
body from the floor and tucked the man into the closet. Selene
grabbed the small center rug over by the coffee table and covered the
blood that had been spilt.

Hopefully if the soldier who had left the apartment returned, he

would think the dead man had swept the place and left.

“We need to get ghost,” Sasha said.
“How?” Selene asked. “There are soldiers everywhere.”
“That trash can idea of yours is looking better and better,” Nate

muttered as he glanced out of the window. “They are searching all the

Rise to Seduction

buildings. When the dead guy doesn’t report in, they’ll come looking
for him.”

“We could swing from the fire escape and use the roof as

coverage until darkness falls. There is no real way up there, so no one
is going to think to look up top,” Sasha suggested.

“We can’t.”
Both men turned when Selene gave a frightened protest.
“Why not?” Sasha asked. “It’s a sound plan. The neighboring roof

isn’t that far a jump for a changeling, and we can use the rooftops to
get away.”

“Because,” Selene said and Nate could tell she was trying her

damn best not to give them the real reason. But she had no choice. It
sounded like their only option at the moment. Soldiers would flood
this place when they found the dead body in the closet. They had no
other means of escape.

“I’m waiting,” Sasha said as he rotated his hand to indicate he

wanted her to tell them.

“I’m terrified of heights, okay!”
“How?” Nate asked. “You’re changeling. Climbing should be

very natural for you.”

She folded her arms over her chest and turned away from both

men. “I fell off the roof of the barn when I was younger. Ever since
then, I’ve been afraid to leave the ground.”

“But you’ve left the ground,” Nate reminded her.
“And I damn near passed out when I did. You don’t understand.

The fear grips me. It damn near immobilizes me. The only reason I
can climb is because…” Selene glanced down at her feet. “I focus on
you.”

Nate was shocked. He had never scented fear on her when they

had to climb. Her features were hard determination. God, what else
didn’t he know about her?

“Then I’ll carry you,” Sasha stated flatly.

60 Lynn

Hagen

“Not on your life,” Selene argued. “You are more liable to drop

me just out of spite.”

Sasha was in front of her and making her bend back in the blink of

an eye. “I may be a lot of things, little girl, but a murderer isn’t one of
them. I’d rather fuck that sweet pussy of yours than kill you.”

Okay then. Nate was pretty damn sure Selene was about to hand

the leopard his balls. Sasha looked pissed off, but so did Selene.

Before the two could argue, they heard the door downstairs give

its loud protest.

“Time’s up,” Sasha announced as the three raced silently down

the hallway and headed toward the window Sasha had opened.

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Seven

Sasha grabbed Selene before she could protest and swung her up

onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her
legs around his waist. She damn near choked him as he stood on the
edge of the black metal railing.

“Don’t drop me,” she whispered into his ear. It sounded more like

a prayer than a request. She was placing her life in his hands and
Sasha knew how difficult that was for her. He may play and purr, but
when it came to her safety, he didn’t fuck around.

Sasha grabbed her legs and made her lock her ankles around his

waist and then leapt. He could hear the small whimper in his ear. As
much as she threatened to shoot him, Sasha didn’t like hearing the
pure fear coming from her. He made damn sure he had a tight hold on
Selene as he landed on the rooftop. There was no way in hell he was
going to drop her.

She had no idea just how much he cared about her. She was

femininely soft, yet her spine was as solid as a concrete wall.

And she carried a gun. That was a turn-on in and of itself.
But what made him feel violently protective was the soft whimper

that continued to echo in his ear. He had never seen her vulnerable.
Selene had always been ballsy, smart-mouthed, and stood up to him.

This softer, more susceptible side spoke to him in ways he wanted

to ignore. He not only had a daughter to think about, but some very
bad men after him. There could be no relationship with either Nate or
Selene. He needed to stop fooling himself. Sasha not only had to think
of Sammy’s safety, but Nate and Selene’s as well.

62 Lynn

Hagen

Of course, his cock kept making him say the dumbest shit to these

two. He couldn’t stop flirting with either of them if his life depended
on it and he knew it.

There had to be a way to get his daughter away from his leap. If

he knew she was safe, he would go after these two with relentless
determination.

Maybe he needed to confide in Rick and let him know what he

was up against. It just irked the shit out of him to have to ask the
werewolf for help. Sasha was an alpha and should be able to handle
any and all problems by himself.

But it was his daughter at stake, his little Sammy, and Sasha

wasn’t taking any chances. Besides, Sasha planned on making Nate
and Selene his. God, he was confusing his own damn self about what
to do.

He wanted his Sammy safe, but he wanted the two people that

meant more to him than they knew. Sasha had to find a way to
accomplish both.

Running his hand down her legs, Sasha gave them a small pat.

“We’re on the roof, Selene.”

“We are?” she asked as if she didn’t believe him. Sasha tilted his

head and could see her eyes were smashed shut. “Please don’t lie to
me about this.”

“Nate,” Sasha said as he turned, “tell her where we are.”
Nate placed his hands on her sides and pulled. “We’re on the roof,

Selene. You can get down now.”

Selene let out a slow breath and then opened her eyes. Once she

saw she had a solid surface under her, she quickly let Sasha go. He
didn’t want to let her go. Soft heat was warming his back, and Sasha
almost growled when she got down.

He stilled when his long braid got caught in Selene’s belt buckle.

She worked at getting it free. Sasha could have had it free within
seconds, but he was enjoying her playing with his hair, even if it was
to untangle it.

Rise to Seduction

“Have you ever considered cutting this long stuff?” Selene asked.
“Never,” Sasha admitted. He glanced over her hair. It was colored

black and had a mess of spikiness to it that only made her look like a
little pixie. She glanced up at him, her chartreuse eyes locking with
his for a moment before she finally got his hair free.

He slung the braid over his shoulder to rest against his chest and

then took a seat on the blacktop. Leaning against the small brick
smokestack, he glanced out over the town. He couldn’t see down
below, but that wasn’t what Sasha was looking at. He was looking at
the cold February clouds. “Snow’s coming.”

Selene and Nate took a seat by him. “We need to find someplace

warm to stay for the night,” Nate said as he, too, glanced up at the
dark clouds moving in.

“You two could go back,” Selene suggested without looking at

either of them.

“By now Rick knows there are soldiers in the vicinity. He already

plans on helping the werehyenas. They are long gone, darling,” Sasha
replied without a hint of his usual playfulness.

Selene’s shoulders slumped.
Nobody said a word as the first flakes began to fall from the sky.

There were light and thin, but Sasha could smell the storm brewing in
the air. By dawn, the entire town would be blanketed in snow, and
this rooftop would be covered with a good foot of the white stuff.

They needed to get moving. The problem was, there were soldiers

all around them. Until they had the blanket of night, they were stuck
on the roof. The wind picked up and blew across the open area,
sending tendrils of loose hair all around Sasha’s face. Their plan of
jumping from rooftop to rooftop was gone now that he knew Selene’s
fear. It would make the journey damn near impossible. He wasn’t
willing to make her worst phobia come true, not when they could hold
out up here for a few hours.

Selene began to shiver and that was when Sasha noticed the thin

coat on her. “Why aren’t you wearing a heavier jacket?”

64 Lynn

Hagen

“Because it’s too cumbersome.” She turned, giving Sasha her

back. He flicked her on the shell of her ear. Not enough to hurt, but
more to annoy her.

“Would you stop messing with me?” Selene snapped as she turned

to glare at him.

“Then acknowledge our conversation from earlier.”
Nate’s eyes cut over to Sasha, telling him to let it go, but Sasha

wasn’t one to back down. His daughter was at risk, yet he couldn’t
stop himself from wanting to hear her confirmation that she heard
them.

Selene wrapped her arms around her waist, curling in to fight off

the cold. It was stupid to Sasha. He and Nate could warm her in no
time, but he knew Selene wouldn’t allow them. The damn woman
would stay stubborn while she froze to death.

“You’re shivering,” Nate said as he pulled Selene to his side.

Sasha wished she would allow him such ease with her. She had made
him the enemy, and he didn’t know how to fix that.

As he watched her curl into Nate, Sasha’s heart began to fill with

turbulent emotions that he wasn’t sure how to handle. He had never
cared for anyone this much aside from his child.

Pushing to his feet, Sasha moved around the roof , making sure he

wasn’t seen, but trying to give himself enough room for privacy. He
pulled his cell phone out and made the call.

“Richard Carson.”
Sasha smiled. He knew Rick hated that alias. But his smile didn’t

last long. Not when he knew what he needed to talk to Rick about. “I
need a favor.”

“You guys in trouble?” A steel edge was in the alpha’s voice.
“No, but…” Sasha glanced back over to where Selene and Nate

were huddled together. As big as Nate was, Sasha knew the man had
to be cold. The temperature was dropping the closer night came. “I
need you to save my daughter.”

Rise to Seduction

There was a long silence. Sasha knew it was news to Rick that

Sasha had any kind of family. He never talked about Sammy to
anyone. That was because he had always tried to protect her.

“Where is she?”
Sasha ran his hand over his forehead, wondering if he was doing

the right thing—and wondering if he had a choice. “Thirty miles north
of Shelton with my leap. If they find out I’m a half breed, they’ll kill
her.”

Sasha never considered himself a coward. But he knew if he went

anywhere near them right now, he could be leading the men after him
right to Sammy.

Besides, his leap would have questions he couldn’t answer.

Astoria—a pride member who had been a pain in Sasha’s ass—was
already trying to move into position to challenge Sasha for the leap.
The man had been digging into Sasha’s past. He knew this. Sooner or
later the changeling was going to find out.

Astoria wouldn’t even have to fight Sasha for the position. If he

knew, all he had to do was tell the rest of the leopards. That would be
it. Every mature male would attack. The leopard leap wasn’t a close-
knit pride like Rick’s pack was. They were basically loners and
cunning as hell. They lived their life by the ancient laws.

They would kill his precious daughter and then come after him.

His leap had grown cold and vicious over the years. As much as
Sasha tried to keep them from falling apart, in the end, they had
turned into bitter cats.

He would go in and get her out, but again, he didn’t want to lead

the bad men to his little girl.

“How old is she?” Rick asked.
“Seven,” Sasha answered.
“I can call Brooke and Deluca and see if they can keep her safe

until this war is over.”

66 Lynn

Hagen

“I think their home is turning into a child rescue shelter.” Sasha

used the levity to ease the ache in his heart. He was terrified for
Sammy.

There was a soft chuckle on the other end. “They don’t mind.

Their home is like a fortress. If anyone comes near it, they’ll know.”

Sasha remembered baby Kell. From what Rick had told him, the

small child was like an alarm system. He knew when anyone was
close. There were also Brooke’s fathers. Ex-military. Sasha hated to
place Sammy anywhere unfamiliar, but he needed to get her away
from the cats.

“How dire is the situation?” Rick asked.
“One of my leap members has been digging into my past. I

wanted to get Sammy out of there sooner, but all hell broke loose and
the leap took my daughter and ran. If I show up to get them, the other
leopards are going to know why I’m taking her away.” And Sasha
couldn’t tell Rick about the men who would more than likely follow,
taking Sammy and using her as leverage to get back what Sasha now
had in his possession.

“I have two covert ops that can go in and get her out.”
“Jordison and Corrigan?”
“They can get her out, Sasha. I wouldn’t risk your daughter if I

didn’t think they could handle the job.”

“But my pride will scent them before they even hit the edge of the

forest.”

“Let them do what they were trained to do.” Rick paused. “Did

you make it out of the town before the troops showed up?”

“We’re currently stuck on a rooftop waiting until nightfall,” Sasha

said as he looked over his shoulder. Selene and Nate were still
huddled together. Sasha knew he had to get them out of here. The
wind was picking up, and that was only making the windchill drop.

“I’ll send help your way.”
Sasha knew it would be night before any help arrived. It would

only make the situation worse if more changelings were caught.

Rise to Seduction

“Focus on helping the werehyenas. We’ll get out of here. Do you
want us to head your way?”

“Has Selene changed her mind?”
Sasha rolled his eyes. Rick should have known better than to ask

that question. They were talking about Selene after all. “Call me if
you need us.”

Rick chuckled. “She’s stubborn.”
No shit. She was the most stubborn woman Sasha had ever

encountered. And that was saying a lot considering he led a leap of
leopards where the females were as brutal as they came. But none of
them had anything on Selene. He had a feeling that if it were just the
two of them, Selene would rather be captured than follow him.

Damn if that didn’t hurt his male pride.
Rick’s laughter died as he spoke. “Do you have any pictures of

your daughter? It would help the two out in finding her.”

Sasha remembered the pictures he took of Sammy on her last

birthday. “In my phone. I’ll send them to you.”

“I’ll call you when she is extracted.”
Sasha tucked a hand in his pocket, not expecting so much

cooperation from the werewolf alpha. They weren’t buddy-buddy,
and Sasha hadn’t been all that nice to the man. They were both alphas
protecting their own territory. But this was different and Rick didn’t
have to help. “Thanks.”

There was a slight tinge of amusement in Rick’s voice when he

spoke. “Never thought you would be calling me for help, did you,
cat?”

“Not in this lifetime,” Sasha admitted truthfully.
Sasha was amazed Rick hadn’t asked the most obvious question.

Why hadn’t Sasha ever said he had a child? The man offered help, no
questions asked. Maybe the wolf wasn’t so bad after all.

“I’ll keep in touch.” Rick hung up.
After sending Rick a photo of Sammy, Sasha slid the phone to the

inside pocket of his winter coat and checked to make sure the date

68 Lynn

Hagen

card was still there. He wasn’t sure what was on it, but it was
something men were willing to kill to get back.

When he had broken into that lab months ago, Sasha had no idea

what he was after. He just knew he had to make sure no changelings
were being experimented on. Dexcom, Shelton’s largest blood bank,
had only been half of what the corporation did. Sasha found out they
had a lab about fifteen miles outside of Shelton.

After everything that had been going on, Sasha wasn’t going to

stand by while changelings might be in the lab being tortured.

What he found was not changelings, but a bioengineering lab. The

single scientist who had been in there had taken the data card from his
laptop and tried to swallow it, but Sasha had stopped him in time.

He didn’t have a clue what was on it, but it was now in his

possession. Soon after Sasha left the lab, his house had been broken
into. Thank fuck Sammy hadn’t been home. Sasha had been waiting
on information about Rick at the time Nate had shown up. He had
planned on taking Sammy and running, but then he had been
tranquilized and shoved into a cage.

He didn’t hold any ill will toward Nate. The man hadn’t known.

But by the time he had come to, the leap had taken Sammy and had
run.

Sasha had been too afraid to go back and get her. What if he led

the men who were after him to his daughter? It was a chance he
couldn’t take.

But he needed her out of there, and Rick was the only man Sasha

could think of who would be able to pull off a rescue mission without
getting Sammy hurt.

As he stood there on the rooftop, watching the snow grow heavier,

Sasha prayed like hell that his daughter would be safe. She was all he
had left.

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Eight

As warm as she was, Selene pushed up from Nate’s heat. She felt

foolish sitting there huddling into him. She was an enforcer. She
should be helping to assess the situation, not enjoying the feel of
Nate’s warmth soaking into her body.

It was her own damn fault she was this cold. It was mid-February,

and she hadn’t dressed properly for the weather. Dealing with it was
her only option because they couldn’t stay on this roof. They needed a
plan, and they needed to get the hell out of this damn town. Her body
was becoming cold that fast. Selene was tempted to sink back into
Nate’s heat, but she knew they couldn’t stay on this roof.

“Night is almost here. We need to start making a move.” Although

the thought of climbing down from the roof scared the shit out of her.
That was a long fall down.

“We can jump over a few roofs until we reach the one closest to

the edge of town,” Sasha said as he turned and headed for the edge. “I
just didn’t want to make you jump because of your fear.”

Nate glanced at her, his jade-green eyes full of concern.
“I can handle the jumps,” she said defensively as she walked over

to Sasha. Nate was right behind her.

“You don’t have to shut me out, Selene. We’ve worked side by

side for months.”

She ignored Nate as she backed up and then took off running,

leaping into the air. When her feet hit solid surface, she blew out a
controlled breath. The trick was not looking down. The trick also was
not talking to Nate or Sasha about what happened in the apartment.
Not only was she confused as hell, Selene admitted that she was also

70 Lynn

Hagen

a bit frightened. If what Sasha said was true, then she had two
predatory changelings wanting to bed not only her, but each other.

The thought of being with both of them at the same time was

intimidating as hell. Selene was a dominant female. The act of sex
itself wasn’t daunting to her. She loved having sex. But Nate and
Sasha not only topped her dominance, they superseded it.

Sasha landed gracefully next to her. She may not view him as

competition any longer, but he still irritated the crap out of her. He
was not only a very strong male, sure and confident in everything he
did, the man had to go and be damn good-looking to boot.

The urge to shoot him was growing steadily stronger.
Leaving had only made things more confusing, not easier. She had

been so clouded by her fear of Sasha taking Nate from her that she
wasn’t sure what to think now that she knew the truth.

Keeping him, and Nate, at a distance until she figured things out

in her head seemed like a damn good idea.

Selene’s eyes widened when Nate landed on the roof lastly. She

glanced down at the asphalt paving and wondered how in the hell it
supported him. There were small spiderwebby cracks around his
boots. “One more jump like that and we may end up inside a
building.”

“He’s a big boy.” Sasha grinned, his eyes raking Nate from head

to toe lasciviously. Selene didn’t miss the overt way Sasha was eating
Nate up with his eyes.

Turning away—because the warm feelings stirring inside of

Selene confused the hell out of her—she ran and leapt again. Even
though their lives were at stake, Selene couldn’t help the smile that
the freedom of running caused. She had always loved to run. The
wind didn’t feel as cold and her cheeks were burning with excitement
as she took off and leapt to the next roof. Just as long as she
remembered not to look down, she was good.

She crouched down when she heard loud activity down below.

Something was going on. Had they discovered the soldier’s dead

Rise to Seduction

body? As Nate and Sasha landed next to her, Selene strained to pick
up the conversation. Too many people were talking at once. She could
only pick up fragments of the conversation.

“In a closet?”
“It had to be a changeling.”
“I don’t know why those men are here.”
“Give them full cooperation.”
What men? She knew the military was there, but from what she

could pick out of the racing conversations, others were there.
Important others.

“Who in the hell are they talking about?” Nate asked.
“We need to get moving,” Sasha said tightly. “The longer we stay

here, the bigger risk we are taking.”

He was right. They needed to get as far from this town as possible.

Just because they were up on the roofs didn’t mean sooner or later
someone wouldn’t catch on. Selene was a bit surprised no one had
come up here to look, or better yet, place a few of their soldiers up
here for lookout.

Either way, their time was running out.
Nate circled to the other side of Selene, brushing his large frame

against her as he moved. The rough masculine heat burned through
her thin coat to incite her wolf to voracious sexual want.

Selene quickly moved away.
“I’m pretty sure Nate is trained not to bite.” Sasha grinned at her.

“Unless you want him to.” The wereleopard snapped his teeth at her
and then gave a subvocal chuckle.

She was really glad he was reminding her why she didn’t like him.

It helped clear some of her confusion. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“Such language.”
Selene glared briefly at Sasha as she moved toward the back of

the building. She was so engrossed in her anger that she nearly looked
over the edge.

“Don’t look over.”

72 Lynn

Hagen

“I don’t need you coddling me, Nate.” She wasn’t protesting

because she was confused as hell about what to do with the revelation
in the apartment. Selene couldn’t stand when she was treated like a
damsel in distress. She had fought her way to the top and deserved to
be treated as an equal—even if she was terrified of heights.

“Stop snapping at me,” Nate said, his tone a growl. “I haven’t

done anything wrong to you, so stop pissing all over me.”

Before she knew what was happening, Sasha grabbed her and

slung her over his back. Selene held on with a death grip and closed
her eyes tightly as Sasha moved over the edge. “We really are going
to have to work on your fears.”

Somehow Selene didn’t think Sasha was talking about her

acrophobia. “If I don’t open my eyes, I have nothing to fear.”

“You can’t go through life with your eyes closed, vixen. Sooner or

later you’re going to have to open them for the predators.”

If she wasn’t so damn afraid he would drop her, Selene would

choke him. “I still don’t like you.”

“Oh, ma chérie, you hurt my feelings.”
“You’re not French, Sasha.”
“And you are not a coward.” The statement was blunt, to the

point. “Two men should not scare you. It’s just me and Nate. You
know us.”

Selene could feel her teeth gritting. “Drop it.”
“For now.” He tapped her legs, and Selene instantly opened her

eyes and jumped off of his back. Nate was right there behind her. The
two stood there for a brief second. Sasha was in front of her, his cat
eyes staring at her with nothing but pure lust. Nate was behind her, his
body heat soaking into her cold skin. Selene moved from between the
two and glanced around. “Now what?” she whispered.

* * * *

Rise to Seduction

Nate might have fucked up by not telling her sooner that he

wanted her, but he wasn’t going to let her act as though nothing was
going on. He was still scared as hell that he would hurt her with his
size, but right now, all he could think about was that kiss they had
shared.

“We’re on the outskirts of town,” Nate replied. “It’s night out and

harder for humans to see. I say we need to make a run for it.”

“We need to shift,” Sasha pointed out. “We’ll blend in easier and

be able to run faster if need be.”

Nate pulled the bags from his back and then began to quickly

undress. It was so cold out here he was afraid his dick was going to
crawl up in his body. He paused when he saw Sasha and Selene
staring at him. “What?”

Selene’s eyes slid away, her cheeks becoming pinker than just

from being cold. He smiled at her and finished undressing.

Sasha began to undress, never saying a word. Nate wondered what

the man had thought about when he was staring at Nate, but he didn’t
ask. He wasn’t going to be rejected again. The cat was doing one hell
of a job trying to seduce Selene, but hadn’t said a word to Nate.

That made him want to bear his teeth.
“You need to hurry,” Nate said to Selene. “We can’t risk standing

here too long.” He folded his clothes and shoved them in the bag as
Sasha did the same with his clothes.

He could tell by Selene’s jerky movements that she really didn’t

want to undress in front of them. She was so quick that Nate nearly
missed the fine curve of her nice little ass before she shifted.

“I missed that. Do it again…slower,” Sasha said right before he

shifted. Selene snapped her jaws at the leopard. Nate moved over to
Selene and grabbed her clothes, shoving them in her bag before
setting it down in front of her.

He shifted, grabbed his bag with his teeth, and then the three were

off. They stayed to the shadows as they raced toward the edge of
town. The military group was on the other side, but Nate didn’t trust

74 Lynn

Hagen

that all of them were occupied. He just hoped like hell none of them
had strayed this far yet.

A gunshot whizzed past Nate’s head. He ducked and kept going.

Sasha stumbled, dropping his bag. The leopard raced back to pick it
up and then hurried to catch up with them. It was just a bag of clothes.
Was the man willing to risk his life to retrieve it?

Apparently so.
Nate smelled the scent of blood as they hauled ass toward the

woods. Looking behind him, he saw a bright red spot on Sasha’s hind
leg. The leopard didn’t look like he was slowing down, but the stain
on his fur was growing.

The cat had been shot.
Nate wanted to stop and check the wound, but they weren’t in the

clear just yet. He heard men shouting and truck tires screeching.
When Sasha slowed, Nate got up behind him and used his head to
push Sasha. The leopard took off, as if realizing he had slowed down.
Nate checked on Selene, but she was running next to Sasha, in a way
that said she was making sure he didn’t stumble.

They blocked the cat in, a wolf on either side as their feet hit cold,

hard earth. They had made it to the outer boundary of the woods. But
they had to keep going. Nate wanted them deep in the thicket so it
would be impossible for the humans to use their vehicles.

When Sasha stumbled again, Nate shifted and tossed the

wereleopard over his shoulder. He grabbed his bag and started
running, Selene racing alongside him. The heat that circulated through
him from running was welcome. Nate just hoped he didn’t get
frostbite on his dick.

He held tight to the cat as he rushed up the embankment and over

the top, hurrying down the other side. The noise from the humans was
getting further behind them, but Nate knew that even though they
were outrunning their pursuers, they needed to find a place to get
warm. The snow wasn’t falling as heavily in the woods, but it was
still falling, and so was the temperature.

Rise to Seduction

He hadn’t a clue where they were, but he knew they had to press

on.

They ran until Nate’s muscles began to cramp. He wouldn’t be

able to keep up this pace much longer. Not only was he running naked
in the dead of winter, but he was carrying a cat who was nothing but
pure muscle over solid bone.

The bastard was heavy as hell.
Selene gave a low growl that made Nate look up. He saw a house

in the clearing. It had a barn and a corral. Nate headed for the barn. If
humans lived here, they didn’t want their presence known.

He quickly opened the barn door, waited for Selene to run inside,

and then closed it behind him. Glancing around, Nate saw a loft. “We
need to get up there.”

Selene shifted and quickly dressed, grabbing the bag from Nate.

“I’m right behind you.”

Like she always was.
Nate climbed the wooden ladder and moved until he was at the

back, making it harder to see them if anyone looked up. He carefully
laid Sasha down and then began to examine his wound. He was going
to have to get the bullet out.

Selene handed Nate a set of clothing.
“Thanks.” He hurriedly put them on, feeling his body cooling off

now that he wasn’t running at top speed through the woods. He began
to shiver. Although changelings were stronger built than humans,
Nate wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t catch pneumonia after streaking
through the frigid woods.

He and Selene worked silently together, trying to extract the

bullet. It would be nice to have his damn Yukon right about now, but
it had quit on him about two weeks ago and he was hard-pressed to
find a mechanic shop that was open. He missed the hell out of his
truck. Not to mention he always carried a medical kit in the thing.

76 Lynn

Hagen

Grabbing the knife from his bag, Nate began to dig into Sasha’s

soft flesh. The cat came awake, yowling and snapping his jaws at
Nate.

“Hold still,” Selene said as she tried to keep his teeth from Nate’s

hand. “We have to get the bullet out. Stop acting like a cub.”

That stopped Sasha short. He gave her a rumbling purr, and Nate

knew the noise for what it was. Sasha was being pissy with her.

“I don’t give a shit if you want to yell at me. You are going to

behave while we get the damn thing out,” Selene chastised.

Sasha laid his head down, but Nate could see the back leg

twitching with pain. He tried to be as gentle as he could, but the bullet
had lodged at the top of the leg, where strong muscle and well-padded
tissue lay.

This wasn’t going to be pain-free.
Nate finally saw the silver glint of the bullet and cursed. It was

wedged in pretty deep. “Hold him down. This is going to be painful as
hell.”

“You want me to hold down a two-hundred-pound pussycat?”

Selene asked in astonishment.

Nate gave her a look.
“Fine, but if he bites me, I’m using your knife to cut off his balls.”
Sasha gave a low yowl in protest.
“Then don’t bite me,” Selene warned as she blanketed Sasha’s

upper half with her body. Nate went to work, maneuvering the knife’s
edge around the bullet until he could work it under the shiny piece of
metal. With a lot of careful nudging and Sasha giving protest the
entire way, Nate finally had the damn thing out.

He tossed the knife aside and cursed when the blood began to

pour out. He pressed his hand over the wound, but the blood flowed
past his fingers.

Nate glanced at Selene and swallowed hard. “I think the bullet

nicked an artery.”

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Nine

A dry leaf blew across his highly polished shoe as O’Hanlon stood

by the lake, looking out over the frozen water. He clasped his gloved
hands behind his back as the car pulled in beside his.

The driver got out and walked toward him. Neither shook the

other’s hand.

“Did you retrieve the data card?”
The man shook his head. “Sasha Monroe has joined up with

Enrique Marcelo. It’s been very…difficult tracking them down.”

O’Hanlon was getting really tired of hearing that name. Enrique

was nothing more than a large thorn in his side. One way or another,
O’Hanlon was going to see the man dead. “Enrique has two godsons.
Is there any way to use them against him?”

The man once again shook his head. “They are under tight

security. Two of our best that have defected are keeping them under
twenty-four-hour watch. There are also two retired Navy SEALs there
as well.”

If O’Hanlon wasn’t keeping this project under hush-hush, he

would have the military storm the house in NOLA and capture
everyone in the home. But he had to stay low-key.

“Sasha Monroe has a seven-year-old daughter. Find her. She’s the

solution to bringing her daddy down. We need that data card that
Sasha stole. We can’t have a biochemical war without it. The research
on that card is invaluable. Dr. Formente didn’t save the information
on his computer and James Sellers has disappeared. We can’t
duplicate what he has accomplished.”

78 Lynn

Hagen

“We have word that Sasha and two others were spotted just inside

the South Dakota border. I have men there now searching for him.
The military has set up base in a small town, but they are giving my
men full cooperation.”

O’Hanlon turned, his face stern. “Find the daughter. Sasha will

give up the data card if he knows we have her.”

“There’s one more thing,” the man said. “We have found that

Sasha is a half breed. Apparently being a mutt is frowned upon in the
nonhuman society. We could use that as well to our advantage.”

“How?” O’Hanlon asked as he cocked his head to one side. This

was an interesting bit of information. He wondered how he could use
it.

“Samantha Monroe is hiding with her father’s people. If they

knew their alpha was a half breed, I’m willing to bet they would take
care of our problem for us.”

“But we need the data card.”
“I’m quite sure, for the right price, one of his members will make

sure the card is returned to us, undamaged.”

“Then do it. I want the formula for their destruction ready by the

end of next week. We need to win this war and eradicate all
nonhumans.” O’Hanlon looked the man right in his eyes. “That
includes vampires.”

If Kraven thought he could double-cross O’Hanlon, the undead

man had another thing coming.

Rise to Seduction

Chapter Ten

Rick moved in closer to the location where the werehyenas were

supposed to be under attack. They had left the vehicles behind,
Miguel guarding Howard, Lillian, and Ian. The snow was coming
down in thick coats of white, the wind frigid and picking up.

When Rick spotted tire tracks, he held his hand up. Everyone

stopped, Mason glancing at him and then down at the groves cut deep
into the snow. “Do you think we’re too late?”

“Or is this a trap?” Bryson asked.
Rick had his doubts about Bryson when the man first joined their

Rebellion group, but he was proving himself to be as committed as he
had vowed in that alley where Rick had met up with him. The
werewolf was not only good at triage, but was proving himself one
hell of a fighter.

Rick pointed to Mason and Benito, telling them to go right. Rick,

Dorian, and Bryson went left. They made their way to the edge of the
mountains. Rick could see that this area was used for high traffic.
There were multitudes of paw prints heading into the bordering
woods.

But he didn’t see any more vehicle tracks.
He spun, holding his rifle up when he felt something move behind

him. Gazing over the landscape, Rick scanned every inch, but saw
nothing except a flock of birds taking off toward the sky. Inhaling
deeply, he tried to pick up a scent.

Death.
Decay.
“It’s here, isn’t it?” Dorian whispered. “That Shadow thing.”

80 Lynn

Hagen

Rick nodded as his eyes roved over the patch of forest. He wasn’t

so sure he wanted to take his mate up into the mountains where it
could be a potential trap. No one knew what that Shadow was, and
being caught at night with it tracking them wasn’t a good thing.

But the werehyenas were depending on someone to help them.
It was a tough call for Rick, but in the end he headed into the

forest. He met up with the others a few yards in.

“Anything?” Mason asked.
“The Shadow,” Dorian whispered. “It’s back and hunting us.”
Mason cut his eyes to Rick and Rick confirmed Dorian’s

statement with a nod. The jaguar changeling gave a long blink, as if
he were trying to get his mind to believe that something like a
Shadow figure could exist.

Rick knew how the man felt. The wolf inside of him was growling

to get free and hunt the damn thing down. Rick couldn’t allow that.
Not when they had changeling to rescue.

They moved forward as a unit. Rick continuously scoped the area,

looking for shadows that were watching them.

A whimper sounded from up ahead. Rick moved faster, but kept

drawing in his breath to make sure there were no enemies waiting to
attack.

Rick moved around the thick, snow-covered brush to find a small

werehyena lying on its side. It was a pup. As he moved closer, Rick
could see the poor baby was in shock. He set his rifle down in the
snow and pulled the small werehyena into his lap.

The pup’s scent told Rick he was dealing with a male. He waited,

allowing the pup to become familiar with his scent. He curled into
Rick’s lap and began to shiver, his small body trembling.

“Where’s its parents?” Dorian asked as he looked around. “I know

for damn sure they wouldn’t leave their baby out here all alone.”

“I’m not sure,” Rick replied as he brushed his hand down the

pup’s spine, giving him the comfort he needed, the security he hoped
helped the small changeling. His skin was cool against Rick’s hand,

Rise to Seduction

telling him the pup had been out here on his own for a while. “But we
need to get him warm.”

Rick stood, tucking the changeling into his coat and zipping it up.

He wanted to let the babe get used to his scent, but they didn’t have
the luxury of waiting. They needed to get moving. He picked his rifle
up and glanced at the men around him. “Let’s see if we can find
anyone else.”

Rick could feel the pup still shivering. He knew it was from both

cold and fear. Running his hand over the lump in his coat for comfort,
they began to search the rest of the woods. He wanted Bryson to
check the babe over, but that was going to have to wait until they got
back to the truck.

There was a splatter of blood against the pure whiteness of the

snow, and Rick didn’t have a good feeling about this. The smell of
death and blood was in the air, and Rick knew they had made it too
late. His men weren’t fighting the shift from smelling the fresh blood,
which meant the werehyenas were dead.

Their beasts knew the difference between live and dead prey.

Rick’s hand soothed over his coat, wondering what he was going to
do with the pup. A war was no place for a small changeling. He
thought about what Sasha had said. It did indeed seem like Brooke
and Deluca’s home was turning into a daycare.

He was going to have to contact them and let them know he had

another child to add to their ever-growing household.

They finally came upon the bodies that were strewn about, blood

covering so much of the area that Rick knew this was a slaughtering.
The werehyenas weren’t just shot, they were torn to pieces.

That meant this had to be a mercenary kill. Humans couldn’t tear

animals with their hands and blunt teeth. Rick nodded to one of the
bodies. He didn’t want to get close and have the pup accidently stick
his head out and see the carnage. “Check for claw marks.”

Bryson and Benito examined the body, and the medic gave a firm

nod.

82 Lynn

Hagen

Rick cursed, feeling the aggression skate over his body and along

his spine. The pup whimpered and Rick knew he had to pull in his
anger. “Let’s head back to the truck.” He continued to rub his hand
over the lump, reassuring the little changeling as they made their way
back to the rest of their group.

He wanted to hunt down every last changeling who had stolen this

pup’s parents and kill them with his bare hands. It was a senseless
killing in a war that should have never taken place. The waste of life
was heavy on Rick’s mind as he opened the back of the truck and
pulled the pup free.

“I need you to check him over,” he said to Bryson, who had just

gotten into the back. The medic gently took the pup from Rick and
began to examine him.

“Is he a changeling?” Lillian asked as she watched Bryson

closely.

Rick nodded. “His parents were killed.”
He ran his hand over the soft fur, unable to stop himself from

giving the changeling pup all the comfort he needed. When Bryson
was done checking him over, Benito and Miguel took the male and
cuddled him, keeping him close to their body. They knew what he
needed and gave it in spades.

“In the human world,” Lillian began, “orphaned children are put

into the system. What do you do with orphaned changelings?”

“We find a pack of whatever breed the child is and give them over

for care and raising.”

Lillian blinked up at Rick and then glanced down at the small pup,

who was still shivering, but not as badly as before. “Can I take care of
him?”

“Lillian.” Howard said his wife’s name gently. “That’s a large

responsibility. He’s changeling. We don’t know his needs.” Howard
turned to Rick. “Does he have to be raised with other werehyenas?”

“It would be better for him,” Rick admitted.

Rise to Seduction

“No.” Lillian shook her head. “He will be fine being raised in

Rick’s pack. I may not be changeling, but I’m a mother, and I know
how to raise a child.”

Rick was stunned. Lillian had just declared she was pack.

Although she had been with them for a few months now, she had
never indicated she was anything other than Ian and Dorian’s mother.

“So we have a little brother now?” Dorian asked from the front

seat.

Lillian gave a strong nod, determination etched in the fine lines of

her mouth. “You do.”

Rick wasn’t so sure this was a good idea, but Howard was staring

at him with a soft plea in his eyes. Rick knew Lillian hadn’t been the
same since she was in the detention center. Maybe she needed this
connection. The pup would need someone who could give him as
much love as possible.

“For now,” Rick finally stated. “We need to make sure the pup

adjusts. If he doesn’t,”—Rick gave Lillian a firm look—“we find a
werehyena clan to take him in.”

“Does he have a name?” she asked.
“We won’t know until he shifts. Right now he is too terrified and I

won’t force him. Miguel and Benito’s scent will soak into the pup,
letting him know he is safe. We’ll figure it out later.” Rick looked
over the area, searching for the Shadow he could feel watching them.
“But right now we need to get away from here.”

He closed the back door and then slid into the driver’s seat.
“Aside from being through a horrific situation, physically, he’s

fine,” Bryson said through the open window and then headed toward
his car.

“At least that’s one problem we don’t have to worry about.” It

made Rick feel better knowing the pup was unscathed. He turned and
backed out of the space he had parked the truck.

Now all they had to do was get him to shift and hopefully find out

who the boy was and see if he remembered what happened to his clan.

84 Lynn

Hagen

As Rick drove away, his cell phone rang. He recognized Edward’s

number. His heart began to hammer in his chest as he answered.
“How is she?”

He could hear the tightness in Edward’s tone. “She and our son

are doing fine.”

Rick grinned from ear to ear. “I’m an uncle.”
Dorian turned and smiled, resting his hands on Rick’s thigh and

giving it a squeeze.

“Boy or girl?” Benito asked excitedly.
“Boy.”
“His name?” Rick asked, feeling the morose emotions slip away at

the good news. Thank fuck something good was happening in the
world.

“Edward Estevez Costello.” Edward sounded both proud as hell

and relieved. “He…uh…”

Rick gripped the wheel tighter, apprehension filling him at

Edward’s hesitation. “What?”

“He was born in his changeling form,” Edward announced. Even

though they were shifters, Rick knew that changeling babes were born
in their human form.

“How?”
“He’s a hell of a combination. I’m pretty sure his body is

adjusting to all the different strains of changeling, but I’m told this
isn’t the first time a babe has come out in his changeling form.”

“Is he healthy?” That’s all Rick wanted to know.
Edward chuckled. “Healthy and a really big fella. He weighed in

at ten pounds and two ounces. Isabelle threatened to cut my balls off
if I ever got her pregnant again.”

Rick chuckled. “I can’t wait to see him.”
“I took some pictures. I’ll send them to your phone.”
Rick was amazed as hell that a child could be a hybrid. He had

never heard of such a thing before. Half breed, yes, but more than two
breed genes, never. It defied the laws of nature, but then again, all

Rise to Seduction

changelings did just by being who they were. “Tell her I love her and
congratulations to you both.”

“Thanks.” Edward hung up. A minute later the pictures came

through. Rick pulled to the side of the road and stared at his nephew.
He had Edward’s thick black hair, but Isabelle’s facial features. His
eyes were blue, but Rick knew they would change. He just wondered
if the baby would have hazel eyes like Isabelle or brown like
Edward’s. Damn if pride didn’t swell his chest as he handed the
phone to Dorian, who in turn, handed it back to Mason. The phone
was passed around, everyone giving Rick their congratulations.

One child was born and another saved.
Maybe there was really some hope left in this war.

86 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Eleven

Selene paced back and forth, chewing at her thumbnail as Nate

worked. “I may not like him, but I don’t want him to die.”

“Could have fooled me.” Nate grunted as he worked to repair the

damage. He didn’t have much to work with, but he had a small medic
kit in his bag. Selene was glad as fuck he had thought to bring his bag.
“Every time he comes around you shove a gun in his face.”

She stopped pacing and tossed a hand toward Nate. “You don’t

particularly like him either. Weren’t you the one who told me Sasha
was as cold as the Antarctic?”

“Not now, Selene,” Nate growled, which surprised her.
“You are still in love with him, aren’t you?” It wasn’t an

accusation, but a real question. How in the hell had she gotten herself
into this mess? There was no way she could compete with the two.
Even though Sasha had confessed to them both wanting her, Selene
felt out of place. Nate looked at Sasha like a love-struck pup.

And Sasha purred and played with Nate constantly. She was right

in wanting to get away from them. Selene felt like a third wheel as she
watched Nate’s determination. He was working feverishly to stop the
bleeding.

“Do you need help?” she asked once again.
And once again he shook his head. “I’ve almost got it.”
Selene paced the loft, not only because she was filled with worry,

but because it was cold as shit. She could see her breath, but at least
they were out of the howling winds and falling snow.

As she passed the two men, Selene studied Sasha’s leopard face.

He looked so harmless while he was asleep. Too bad he wasn’t that

Rise to Seduction

way when he was awake. But she had to admit, the man was beautiful
in his changeling form. Never did she think she’d ever admit a cat
was exotic and stunning, but Sasha was.

Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, Selene knelt by Nate.

“Why are you mad at me?”

Nate’s hands were bloody as he worked to sew up the nick. “Who

said I was mad at you?”

“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re being short with me

and you’ve hardly spoken a word since Rick—”

“I need to concentrate.” Nate’s jaw firmed to a tight line.
Selene felt the harsh whip of his words. She moved back, feeling

as if quicksand were moving beneath her feet. Nate had never acted
this way with her before. Selene could scent not only Nate’s worry,
but confusion. She wasn’t sure why Nate was confused, but they were
never going to work things out if he didn’t tell her what was going on.

Nate wiped at his forehead with the back of his hand, and Selene

could see the sweat building. She reached out and patted at the
moisture with the end of her sleeve. He didn’t push her away.

“I got it,” he finally said.
Selene could see the flow of Sasha’s blood slowing. Now that he

was out of danger of bleeding out, he would heal. When she almost
cried in relief, Selene realized just how worried she was about the
leopard.

And that puzzled her.
She laid her hand over Nate’s, feeling how his was shaking, and

gave it a light squeeze. An electric current crackled over her body as
she stared up at him. “He’ll be fine.”

Nate nodded as he moved back and then sat on his bottom. What

puzzled Selene even further was that neither she nor Nate was trying
to shift. It was a baser instinct inside them all to shift and hunt that
which bled.

The only time they didn’t was when—shit, did she really care

about Sasha? Did she really—she wasn’t going there. Not now. Her

88 Lynn

Hagen

feelings were too raw, too high strung right now to examine
something that deep.

Selene wanted to reach out and comfort Nate. He looked so damn

upset, but she knew he was being standoffish. She pushed to her feet
and walked to the far corner of the loft. Things seemed to be
unwinding between her and Nate ever since Rick’s announcement
about how Nate felt.

She wished she could rewind time and stop her alpha from telling

all. That was the defining moment when Nate had begun to pull away
from her. She missed how they used to interact with one another. She
missed his conversations.

She just missed Nate.
Selene kicked at the hay that was strewn about on the floor. She

wasn’t going to beg at his feet. Her pride wouldn’t let her. He was
rejecting her. Sasha had told her—why did it seem everyone else was
telling her how Nate felt except Nate? She couldn’t figure that out.
His actions contradicted what others were saying, yet every time she
tried to ask him about it, he pushed her away.

The heavily muscled wolf sat there in silence, studying Sasha.

Selene could tell Nate was concentrating on not talking to her, and
that hurt like a bitch. Her anger started to build, knowing she had
done nothing wrong to deserve his cold shoulder.

“I’m going to do a perimeter check,” Selene said and began to

climb down the ladder before Nate could stop her. She needed air.

Gut clenching with a furious mix of anger and sorrow, Selene

pushed outside the barn and carefully checked the area. They needed
to know if the soldiers found them preferably before they reached the
barn. They didn’t need to become trapped with no way out.

Selene ran her hands over her hair as she walked around the barn,

wondering if she and Nate would ever patch things up. It seemed like
they were floating further and further apart. Even if they just
remained friends, that was better than what was happening between
them now.

Rise to Seduction

A cold silence that was eating her alive.
When Selene circled all the way around to the back, she was

stopped by a very large male. He was standing there staring at her.

“Why are you out here?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be watching

over Sasha?” It seemed no matter how much distance she tried to put
between her and the two men bent on sticking around, she couldn’t
get a moment’s peace.

“They were right.”
Selene crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive move as she

leaned into the wood of the barn wall. “About what?”

Nate kicked his big booted toe into the snow that seemed to be

accumulating at a rapid rate. It stuck to the front of his boot as he
kicked at the white wonder again and again. It was an odd gesture for
the large intimidating man to make.

“Nate?”
“I can kill someone without a thought. I can hunt down the people

who need justice dispensed to them. I can even work under pressure
that would make most men crumble. But when it comes to talking
about”—Nate ran his hands over his head—“feelings, I suck.” He
drew out the word feelings like it was something bad. Selene didn’t
say a word. She knew this was hard for him and held her breath,
hoping they would finally get to the root of the matter between them.

* * * *

Nate really didn’t want to do this. Guys didn’t talk about their

emotions. They sucked it up and did what they had to do. All that talk
of feelings was for women. She had to know how he felt about her.
Selene had to know he cared. Why did he have to tell her?

“Just say it, Nate.”
That was easier said than done. He had tried to just say it many

times over the past few months. Every time he opened his mouth to

90 Lynn

Hagen

tell her he wanted her, his mind laughed at him and decided to shut
down.

Just as it was doing now.
Before he could say anything, his wolf swept over him, his

hackles raised. Selene must have scented it as well because she spun,
crouching as she pivoted on her heels. Her gun was in her hand as
Nate glanced up at the barn, wondering how he was going to get to
Sasha in time.

Every male instinct in him wanted to pull Selene to safety, but he

knew she was an enforcer, not only capable of fighting, but handling
herself. She would be pissed if he tried to protect her.

The crunch of snow echoed around them. The steps of the intruder

were measured, even, and sounded as if they were doing a slow
search. Nate tapped Selene’s shoulder, and they both hurried around
to the front of the barn.

Nate growled and grabbed Selene, shoving her behind him when

they came face-to-face with a stranger. She punched his back, but
Nate ignored her fight as he pulled up to his full size, telling the man
standing by the barn door that he was not to be underestimated. He
bared his teeth when he saw movement inside the barn.

He needed to get to Sasha.
“You are on my land and you act aggressively toward me?” the

man asked. “That’s insulting.”

Nate didn’t answer him. He drew in a deep breath, scenting. The

man was human. Nate wasn’t sure if he was friend or foe, so the best
course of action was caution. “No insult intended.” He had to remain
calm. Getting Selene and Sasha out of there unharmed was his goal.
But if the man stood in his way, he was going to feel Nate’s claws.

“You look like you’re running from someone.” The stranger

scratched at a highly shadowed jaw. “Could it be those military men
scouting the woods?”

Damn. The soldiers were still searching for them. “How do you

know about them?”

Rise to Seduction

“Seen them on my way home. They looked like they were

searching for something very important. They had the dogs with
them.”

Oh, this was not good. The only positive thing they had on their

side was that they hadn’t left anything behind for the dogs to find. If
they had, they would have Nate and the other two’s scent to work off
of. Right now, they were blindly searching.

Nate switched the weight to his other foot when he saw the

shotgun in the man’s hand move. The stranger readjusted it, resting it
on his shoulder. “Why are they hunting you down?”

“Who said they were hunting me?”
Intelligence shone in the man’s eyes as he glanced from Nate to

Selene. “I’m too far in the woods for visitors and you two look like
you are about to attack if I stand in your way.”

Nate could disarm the man and he and Selene would be gone

before the human could get his bearings, but Sasha was still in the
barn healing. The leopard wouldn’t be up for a fight right now. Even
though Sasha was changeling—able to heal at a faster rate than
humans—any wound that devastating took time to heal.

Nate let out a low, feral growl when another human walked from

the barn. “There’s a large predatory cat up in the loft,” he said to the
human standing there with the shotgun. “He looks wounded.”

Nate could feel his werewolf fighting to get free, to protect the

two he cared about. He wasn’t going to allow these two to harm
neither Selene nor Sasha. It was his job to protect them both, even if
the two stubborn changelings would wholeheartedly disagree.

“So, are you gonna tell me why they are hunting you down?” the

man asked. “I already know you’re nonhuman. I can tell by the glow
of your eyes. That should be enough cause for them to search for you.
But they seem too focused. What’d you do to them?”

“Nothing,” Nate answered instantly. They hadn’t. Well, except for

killing that soldier, but Nate couldn’t find it in himself to regret what
Sasha had done. The two soldiers had talked of the changelings’ death

92 Lynn

Hagen

as if it were a thrill. It had made Nate think of the juveniles who had
been hunted for sport by the human detective and judge back in
Shelton. No one was going to hunt him down like an animal.

No one.
“We were just trying to get away from being captured,” Selene

said from behind him in her sweetest feminine voice. “They shot our
friend just because we were changeling.”

The man eyed Selene, his expression thoughtful. “Do I look

foolish to you?”

He heard Selene grunt behind him. Nate had never seen her try to

use her femininity as a tool before, and it pissed him off that she had
tried. What was she going to do if he—Nate growled.

The man’s eyes flickered to Nate, his hand gripping the shotgun

resting on his shoulder tighter. Selene slapped his back. “Knock it off.
We need to save Sasha.” The words were spoken low enough that
only Nate caught what she had said.

“Not at all,” Selene said to the human. “You look like a very

intelligent man. We killed one of theirs because they were trying to
hunt us like savages. They were actually talking about winning a bet
on who could make the first kill.”

Blunt honesty.
The man looked like he accepted the truth a hell of a lot better. He

glanced at the younger man next to him and then up toward the loft.
“They shot the cat?”

Nate nodded.
The human shifted to his other foot as the snow began to fall more

heavily. Now that Nate wasn’t terrified Sasha would die, he felt the
cold begin to seep into his skin, reminding him they were in the
middle of no-fucking-where and they needed to get moving if the
stranger was right about the militant men in the woods.

“Are you going to shoot me or let me to get my friend and leave?”

Nate asked. He wasn’t going to allow the man to lower that shotgun

Rise to Seduction

in an attempt to shoot a damn thing, but Nate was trying to feel the
guy out.

And he was tired of standing here making small talk when he had

humans searching for him.

“Depends,” the man replied. “Are you dangerous?”
The younger man next to him stiffened, his eyes cutting over to

Nate and Selene. Nate could tell the boy was no older than fifteen.
That had to be his father he was standing next to.

There was nothing more dangerous than a parent protecting his

pup. Nate knew this, but he was also protecting the two people he
cared about the most.

“We’re only dangerous if you stand in our way of getting out of

here,” Nate replied honestly. He cocked his head and listened, cursing
under his breath when he heard the search party drawing closer.

The man glanced at Nate and then nodded. “Grab your friend and

bring him inside. I have somewhere you can hide until the soldiers
pass.” The man glanced at his son. “Cover their tracks.”

Nate hadn’t been expecting that reply. “Why are you helping us?”
The man turned, waving for them to get inside the barn. “Get your

friend and carry him inside the house before it’s too late.”

“Answer me,” Nate growled.
“Because,” the older gentleman said as he continued to walk

toward the ladder leading up to the loft. He glanced back at Nate and
looked him over. “You changelings may be scarce now, but your
people have not been forgotten.”

94 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Twelve

Sasha felt himself being carried. As his mind cleared, the scent of

human flooded his lungs. Without warning, he leapt from the arms
holding him and landed on his feet, yowling loudly at the two humans
in front of him. He backed up, keeping Nate and Selene behind him as
his jaw opened widely, giving off another loud warning.

He felt strong hands running over his fur and knew without

looking that Nate was touching him. That feeling only brought out
Sasha’s aggressiveness. He took a step closer to the older looking
human, the rumbling in his chest echoing all around them.

“It’s okay, Sasha,” Nate said soothingly as his fingers curled in

the nape of Sasha’s neck.

Sasha backed up further, making sure he felt Selene as well. She

grabbed his fur, giving it a tug. “We’re okay, Sasha.”

The stranger didn’t move, studying Sasha in a way that said he

wasn’t really afraid, but knew to be cautious as hell.

“We need to get moving,” the stranger said as he kept his eyes

locked on Sasha. “They’ll be here soon.”

Selene gave another tug. “Come on, kitty.”
Even though he heard the urgency in her voice, Sasha also heard

the sarcasm. His head swiveled to the side as he gently nipped at her
fingers. He would never hurt her, but he let her know he may be
wounded, but not wounded enough to let her barb go.

“Stubborn all the way,” she said. “The soldiers are searching for

us. We need to get inside.”

That got Sasha’s attention. He stepped aside, allowing everyone to

walk to the house before he began to move. He wanted to watch the

Rise to Seduction

humans. Neither man nor cat trusted anyone around the two people
who meant more to him than they knew.

Cursing mentally as he walked, Sasha hated the fact that he was

limping. He wasn’t fully healed, but he needed to be on alert. They
needed him. He didn’t have time to lie down and rest. He spun,
watching the younger human as he made his way toward the house,
erasing their tracks. Sasha watched him carefully as the boy climbed
the steps.

“Hey, cat,” the teenager said, showing no signs of fear. Sasha

must be losing his touch. If he couldn’t put fear into two humans, he
needed to hang up his claws. He yowled. Not loud, but enough to let
the human know he wasn’t a damn friendly pet.

The kid laughed. “I like you.”
Crap. He really was losing his touch.
“Get in here, Boston.”
“We better get inside,” Boston said as he glanced over his

shoulder. “They’re close.”

Sasha scented the air and agreed. He could smell the soldiers on

the wind. He also smelled dogs, which made his fur rise. That was not
good. These men were determined. Sasha hurried inside when Boston
held the door open.

Checking, Sasha was relieved to see his bag slung over Nate’s

shoulder. Sasha jerked out of the way when Boston ran his fingers
over fur. Didn’t the kid have any self-preservation? Sasha nipped at
his fingers as he moved over to where Nate and Selene were standing.

Nate’s eyes zeroed in on Sasha’s limp, but the man didn’t say a

word. At least Nate had some damn self-preservation. Sasha was not
about to be questioned whether he could defend them or not.

“Follow me,” the man said as he headed toward the kitchen. Sasha

steered clear of Boston. The kid seemed to stick close to his side.

What a strange damn human.
The father opened a pantry door, walked to the back of the closet-

size room, and then slid a hidden door open. Sasha let a low rumble

96 Lynn

Hagen

sound in his chest. There was no way he trusted this man to seal him
and the other two in a room. For all he knew, this was a setup. The
man could be putting them in the small closet and then waiting until
the soldiers showed up before handing them over.

Yeah, Sasha had trust issues. Sue him.
“It’s okay, kitty,” Boston said as he smiled at Sasha. “The door

locks from the inside. You’ll be safe and no one can get in unless you
let them in.”

If the human wasn’t a juvenile, Sasha would show him how much

of a kitty he was. Did the kid have a screw loose?

“He’s telling the truth,” the father said. “You have complete

control over who comes into the hiding room.”

Nate moved closer, his sheer size dwarfing the human. “If this is a

setup, you will pay for the betrayal.”

Sasha’s pride swelled at the viciousness in Nate’s voice. He knew

the wolf was a badass, but to see it in action was a damn turn-on.
Sasha wanted to rub himself all over Nate, marking the man with his
leopard scent.

He wanted to do the same to Selene. He just wanted all of them to

be naked first.

“Is there another way out of the room besides this opening?”

Selene asked.

Smart girl.
“No.” The man shook his head. “This was built in haste when the

war started, but it’s sturdy.”

Sasha did not like this.
All of them turned when they heard a dog barking outside.
“They’re here,” the human said. “Time’s up.”
Nate grabbed Selene and hurried inside the closet, Sasha

following. His chest tightened when the wall was sealed up behind
them. Nate reached over and slid the large slide locks into place.
There were three on each side. They looked heavy duty. Sasha prayed
they were enough.

Rise to Seduction

Sasha shifted and grabbed his bag, quickly dressing. “I don’t like

this shit.”

“Me neither,” Nate replied.
Sasha’s leg was still sore as fuck. His thigh was throbbing, but he

gritted his teeth through the pain as he finished dressing, tucking the
white T into his blue denims. He bent down, tying up his dark-brown
boots. Once they were laced, he checked the inside of his coat, still
feeling the data card on the inside pocket.

Sasha stayed on his knee when he heard the soldiers inside the

house. He cocked his head, listening.

“Go right ahead,” the man who had helped them said. “Check the

place out.”

There was heavy footfall. The men were indeed checking the

entire house out. Sasha slowly stood, black waist-length coat gripped
in hand as he glanced around the small room. It was nothing more
than a hiding place. There was no furniture, no light fixtures, just a
small closet for evading detection.

Nate and Selene stood behind him, their eyes locked onto the

wood piece with the many locks. Sasha quickly dug into his coat
when his cell began to vibrate, silencing it. The three stilled when
noise came from inside the pantry.

Thinking quickly, Sasha leaned against the wood plank. If one of

the soldiers knocked on the wall, they would hear a hollow sound. He
had to stop the person from realizing there was a room in the back of
the pantry.

His body should give enough solidness to the wall to stop it from

echoing. He was right. A second later, there was a light tapping.
Selene got on the other side, filling the empty space. The tapping
continued for a second longer and then it stopped.

Neither of them moved.
Sasha glanced at Nate. He was standing there with his wolf eyes

glowing. He could see Nate had his claws out as well. The guy was
ready to fight if need be.

98 Lynn

Hagen

Damn, the man was hot.
The tapping sounded again. Somehow Sasha knew they weren’t

finished inspecting the wall. That was why he hadn’t moved. Selene
tensed next to him and Sasha reached his hand over and curled it
around her smaller one, giving her the comfort he knew she
desperately needed but would never ask for.

She was a strong woman to a fault.
Oddly enough, she didn’t pull away. He had been half expecting

her to. But he kept his eyes averted. He knew looking into her
gorgeous chartreuse eyes would make her nervous and she would
definitely pull her hand away then.

Sasha didn’t want that. He was enjoying the feel of her smaller

hand. It was warm and felt too damn good enclosed in his. But he did
take a chance and run his thumb over the back of her hand.

She still didn’t pull away.
Turning his head, Sasha pressed his ear into the wall. Not that he

needed to. Being a changeling, he had expert hearing, but it kept him
from giving in to the almost irresistible need to stare into her eyes.

“These dogs are highly trained. They are able to detect

changelings,” someone said from the other side of the wall. “They led
us here. Why would they do that if there are no changelings here?”

Nate quickly yanked Sasha from the wall, replacing him. He

didn’t understand what the hell the wolf was doing, but he couldn’t
argue. All Sasha could do was stand there and glare at Nate.

He didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t holding Selene’s hand any

longer. Sasha didn’t like standing there feeling left out as the two
pressed their backs into the wall, standing side by side, like a team.

Sasha stiffened when he heard sniffing at the wall.
The dogs.
Nate gave a very subvocal growl. It was barely audible and lasted

a good minute. The sniffling stopped and Sasha could hear claws
clicking on the floor, as if the dogs were moving away.

Rise to Seduction

Now he understood what Nate had done. He and Selene were the

dominant predators over the dogs. Nate was telling them that with his
low growl.

Sasha was impressed. If he had still been standing there, the dogs

would have smelled cat and probably would have gone crazy.

“I have no clue why your dogs are sniffing around here,” the

father replied. “It’s just me and my son. Trust me, if there were
nonhumans here, I would know.”

There were some scuffling sounds and then gunfire sounded from

the other side of the wall. Sasha moved to get out of the small room,
but Nate and Selene stood in his way.

“Move,” Sasha mouthed angrily.
Nate shook his head.
Sasha’s claws extended, a low, threatening rumble in his chest.
“Now, tell me where the changelings are,” the stranger asked. It

was the same man who had been questioning the two humans who
had helped Sasha, Nate, and Selene.

“I haven’t seen any changelings.” It was Boston and he sounded

scared shitless. Sasha tried to pull Nate away, but the man was
unmovable. He shoved at Sasha, pushing him back.

“No,” Nate mouthed. “There are too many for us to fight.”
Sasha paced the small room. The kid was one strange human

when it came to his lack of fear about predatory changelings, but
Sasha was not going to just stand there while the soldiers tortured
him.

He couldn’t. His conscience was tearing him apart.
“Head out, men,” the stranger shouted. “They have to be close

by.”

Sasha went for the wall again, and this time it was Selene who

shoved her hands into Sasha’s chest. “Wait,” she mouthed.

He didn’t want to wait. Sasha wanted to make sure the two

humans who had helped them were unharmed. The gunshot was not

100 Lynn

Hagen

comforting. He wasn’t sure if it was fired in warning, or if someone
was lying in the other room dead.

Please don’t let it be the father.
Sasha prayed it wasn’t the father. He wasn’t foolish enough to

believe that no one died in the war, but he wouldn’t be able to bear
the guilt if the father had died just to hide them. He wanted to make
sure the kid was all right as well. The boy hadn’t made another sound
since the soldier had questioned him.

“Help.” It was a small whisper, barely spoken, but Sasha

recognized Boston’s voice.

“Get the fuck out of my way!” Sasha snarled.
Nate and Selene turned, sliding the heavy bolts from the slots and

then Nate pulled the wall aside.

Sasha rushed from the hidden room, the scent of blood hitting him

in the gut. He stumbled slightly, fighting the shift as he searched the
house. The soldiers’ scent was fading, telling Sasha they had left.

But the smell of coppery blood was strong in the air. Walking into

the living room, Sasha stilled, his chest tightening to the point he
could barely breathe. The father lay on the floor in a pool of blood.

Nate knelt down by the elder human, feeling his pulse, and then

looked up at Sasha, his expression grim as he shook his head.

“Where the fuck is Boston?” Sasha asked as he spun on his heel

and continued searching. Seconds later he found the boy up in his
bedroom. It was apparent the kid had gone up here after the soldiers
had left. He was cowering in a corner, balled up so tight that Sasha
could only see his side profile.

“It’s okay, Boston. They’re gone,” Sasha said slowly, soothingly.

He took small steps, letting Boston see that he wasn’t a threat. The kid
had to be in shock after seeing his father killed right in front of his
eyes.

Boston whimpered but didn’t move.
Sasha moved closer. “I’m not going to hurt you, kid. I promise.”

102 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Thirteen

Selene hurried up the steps behind Sasha. They had to find the kid

and get out of here. Those soldiers did not sound like they were
giving up. She knew they would be back.

Following the strong scent of blood, Selene ground her teeth,

fighting the shift as she heard Sasha talking softly in one of the
rooms.

Her claws extended and her eyes shifted as she scented the air. It

smelled so sweet, so utterly mouthwatering.

“Get the fuck back!” Sasha warned, but Selene wasn’t listening.

She caught sight of her prey as he cowered in a corner. He looked so
weak, so damn delicious. She knew it wasn’t right. Selene knew this
and tried her best to clear from her mind the images of taking Boston
down and devouring him.

Selene took a step back. “I can’t be here,” she whispered. “I can’t

resist him.”

Sasha spun around, crouching low as his eyes shifted to leopard

and his claws slashed through the air. He yowled at her, giving her
warning.

Selene took another step back, her beast recognizing the stronger

male.

Nate came up behind her. “Shit!”
“Get her out of here or I swear I’m going to do whatever it takes

to protect the boy.”

Selene could hear it in Sasha’s voice. He really didn’t want to hurt

her. She wasn’t sure how Sasha could smell that sweet scent and not
be affected by it.

Rise to Seduction

103

“How is he?” Nate asked as his large hands grabbed Selene’s

upper arms, holding her back.

“He’s got a knife in his gut.” Sasha glanced over his shoulder and

then looked back at them. “The only way to save him is to convert
him.”

Nate’s grip tightened on her arms. “We don’t have time for his

conversion, Sasha. Those soldiers will be back.”

“And his father sacrificed his life to save us!” Sasha shouted. “Do

you think I will repay that debt by watching his son die?”

Nate ran his hands down Selene’s arms, and for some damn

reason, the touch soothed her, enabling her to think more clearly.
“Then we all watch over him as we get the fuck out of here.”

“Are you saying we run while he goes through his conversion?”

Nate asked.

Selene locked eyes with Sasha. She had thought him a selfish

prick, but what he was doing was the total opposite. He was willing to
risk his life to save the boy, so she could do no less. He was right. The
father had died protecting them and the son just might do the same if
they didn’t convert him. “Yes.”

“Then do it,” Nate growled. “But be quick. We have to go.”
Sasha moved back over to where the human was curled in the

corner. Selene watched as Sasha gently pulled the boy’s head up so he
was looking directly at the changeling. “I’m going to convert you so
that you can live. I want you to acknowledge what I’m saying to you.”

The boy began to shiver, his skin losing its healthy glow. Selene

knew they were running out of time. The boy was close to death.

“What will I be?” Boston asked and then swallowed hard, a small

whimper on the edge of his lips.

“A leopard like me and my responsibility,” Sasha replied.
Oh, hell. The man was adopting Boston. Although Selene

commended him, she wasn’t sure what they were going to do with a
teenager. This was a war. Boston was human. Even after his
conversion, his odds of surviving Breed Hunters and soldiers were

104 Lynn

Hagen

slim. Their race was dying out at an alarming rate. The weaker breeds
were going to become extinct if they couldn’t come up with a plan to
turn the war in their favor.

Boston nodded. “I understand.”
Selene watched as Sasha laid the boy down onto the floor, using

gentleness she had never seen him use before. Sasha tilted Boston’s
head to the side and then gave the kid a smile. “Lucky it’s me
converting you,”—he nodded toward Nate and Selene—“or you
would have become a werewolf.”

Boston gave a weak smile. “I like your cat.”
“Me, too, kid.” Sasha leaned forward and bit into Boston’s

shoulder. Selene could scent Sasha’s blood. She knew he had bitten
into his lower lip, mixing his blood with his saliva. Soon Sasha’s
DNA would race through Boston’s bloodstream, fusing with his own
DNA, and transform the human into a wereleopard.

But that wouldn’t be the end of it.
Boston was about to go through a very agonizing process.
The boy stilled and Sasha pulled the knife from his stomach,

throwing it across the floor as he grabbed the thick quilt from the bed
and wrapped the young man with it. Sasha lifted him into his arms
and then began to stride toward the bedroom door.

“Grab his coat and some of his clothes,” he instructed Selene.

Normally she would have bristled as his commanding tone, but not
today. Not when Sasha was saving a young man’s life. She hurried to
gather his things, shoving them in a small duffel bag. Once she had
some of his belongings, Selene raced downstairs.

Nate had their bags slung over his shoulder as he waited for her by

the door. She came to a stop by the father who was still lying prone
on the floor. She bent at the knee, reaching out and closing his eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered, but felt like that wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough for what he had done. There was no

way to repay their debt to him, but they could honor his memory by
making sure Boston lived.

Rise to Seduction

105

Selene stood staring down at the man who had saved their lives.

Her throat was tight, tears threatening to burst free at such a senseless
and tragic loss. Again Selene felt as if she wasn’t worthy of finding
happiness. The losses around her were too great. She had killed, and
others had died for her.

She did not deserve to bask in the glow of happiness when others

were suffering. It wasn’t right. It didn’t seem fair.

“Selene,” Nate called her name. “We have to go.”
She spun on her heel and hurried toward Nate, brushing past him

and out the door. She needed fresh air. Sasha was holding the young
man close to his chest, already heading in the opposite direction of the
massive amounts of footprints. The man still had a slight limp, telling
Selene he hadn’t fully healed.

As badly as she wanted to relieve him of Boston’s weight, she

knew Sasha wasn’t going to let the boy go. He said the kid was his
responsibility, and for a changeling, those words, when spoken, were
set in stone.

Even if Sasha had to crawl, he wouldn’t hand over Boston to

anyone.

* * * *

Nate grabbed his phone out of his pocket and dialed his alpha’s

number. They were not going to make it to Clyde’s. The snow was
coming down in a heavy blanket and Sasha was still limping.

“Richard Carson.”
“We need an extraction. We have soldiers hot on our heels and a

boy who is about to go through a conversion.”

Rick cursed. “Where are you?”
“I haven’t a fucking clue. I forgot to lay breadcrumbs.”
“I need some kind of coordinates, Nate.”
“We ran south of the town the military took over. We are

currently walking through woods that are quickly filling with snow.”

106 Lynn

Hagen

“Can you see a main road anywhere?” Rick asked.
Nate wished he had his goddamn Yukon right now. He missed his

red beast. Glancing through the falling snow, Nate saw what looked
like a road, but he wasn’t sure. “Sasha,” he called and then pointed.
Sasha turned and headed toward where Nate was walking. He hurried
through the woods, and then sighed in relief.

“Yeah. There is a large sign. I’m on Route 15.”
“I’m heading your way so find someplace to lie low, but stay

close to the road. If I pass you, call me.”

Nate glanced around, but there was nowhere to hide. They only

had the snow-covered trees. “I’ll use the trees for shelter until you get
here.”

“Wait,” Selene said as she grabbed her bag from Nate’s shoulder

and pulled out a red T-shirt. “Tell him I’m hanging this red shirt on
the road sign. If he sees it, he’ll know where we are.”

Nate conveyed the message as Selene ran from the woods and

headed toward the sign. Nate tensed. If any bad guys drove by right
now, she would be an easy target. His stomach stayed in knots until
she ran back to him.

“I’ll look for the red shirt,” Rick said. “Just hang in there.”
Nate hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket. Glancing

around, he strode toward the thickest copse of trees. “Bring Boston
over this way, Sasha. We should be safe back here until Rick gets to
us.”

And he prayed the dogs didn’t sniff them out again. He had lucked

out the first time using the dominant move with the dogs, but that
wouldn’t stop them from doing as they were told. The only thing Nate
would be able to do if they were found was stop the dogs from
attacking.

The humans were another story.
Nate hunkered down, using his body to shield Sasha and the boy

from the howling winds. Selene sank down beside Nate, adding—he

Rise to Seduction

107

wasn’t sure what because she was too damn tiny to use her body as a
shield, but he was glad she was beside him.

Staying stationary made Nate colder, but he knew Sasha couldn’t

keep carrying Boston. The boy was going to go through his change
soon and—Boston spasmed in Sasha’s arms, the leopard gripping the
kid before he fell to the ground.

The conversion was beginning.
Shit.
Nate moved closer. Sasha was going to need help. Even though he

knew Sasha to be very strong, the conversion restructured the bones,
reshaped organs, and was so goddamn painful Sasha would be lucky
if he could keep a grip on the kid.

There was one good thing on their side. They were out in the cold.

That would help Boston when his body began to heat up with the
generation of new tissue. Nate just wished there was more that they
could do. The juvenile had suffered enough.

Boston bowed his back and screamed to the top of his lungs.
“Selene, check the perimeter and make sure there aren’t any

hostiles in the area.” That was all they needed right now. If soldiers,
Breed Hunters, or changeling mercenaries heard Boston’s screams,
they were screwed.

Selene nodded and took off. Nate hated sending her out there

alone, but he knew Sasha was going to need him very soon. The kid
was panting heavily and writing in Sasha’s arms. It was agonizing to
watch. It had to be even worse for Boston.

“He’s just a young boy,” Sasha muttered as he pushed Boston’s

midnight-black hair from his forehead. “He shouldn’t have to go
through this.”

He shouldn’t, but this was a war. It was a harsh thought, but Nate

would rather Boston suffer through the conversion than die with his
father. “He’s a strong kid, Sasha. He’ll make it through this.”

Sasha glanced up at him. “He is a strong fella, isn’t he?”

108 Lynn

Hagen

Nate’s heart was breaking as he saw the sheen of tears in Sasha’s

eyes. Even though Sasha had just met Boston, it was like he had
already made the kid his own. It was like an instant bond between the
two of them.

“Yeah, he is.” Nate reached out and helped Sasha keep Boston

from hurting himself as he began to twist and flounder around.
Thankfully Sasha and Nate were changeling. The kid was about to
gain strengths humans could only dream of, and if the two of them
had been human, Boston could have inadvertently harmed them.

Nate watched in wonder as Boston’s body began to sprout light

hairs. He had to remember the kid was shifting into a leopard, not
wolf. Boston yowled, fighting against the hold the two men had on
him. This was fucked up. Boston should be somewhere he could have
room to go through the change.

He knew there was no way Sasha was going to lay the kid on the

snow-covered ground. Nate had never seen anyone convert in another
person’s lap. He wasn’t sure how Sasha was holding on to the boy.

Sasha tilted his head back and shouted, his voice carrying in the

wind. Nate saw Boston’s claws embedded in Sasha’s side. Reaching
over, Nate gently pulled them out. The blood instantly hit the air, but
oddly, just like when Sasha had been shot, Nate didn’t react.

That told him more than Nate was willing to examine right now.
“I swear to god I’m going to ground him when this is over,” Sasha

said through gritted teeth. “That hurt like a bitch!”

Nate shook his head. “Do you even know how to be a parent?

Raising a kid can be tough.”

Sasha glanced down at Boston. “Yeah, I can handle it.”
“It hurts,” Boston whimpered. “It hurts real bad.”
Sasha began to rock back and forth. Boston didn’t quite fit all the

way in the man’s lap. Boston was a teenager, after all. But from the
way Sasha was acting, Boston could have been a cub. He ran his hand
over Boston’s head, making small soothing noises in the back of this
throat. Nate had never seen Sasha in this light before.

Rise to Seduction

109

“You’re going to make a pretty damn good father,” Nate said,

feeling the pride inside of him at how well Sasha was handling this.
The man didn’t seem the type to take on such responsibilities.

Sasha glanced up at Nate, his kelly-green eyes haunted.

“Samantha seems to think so.”

110 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Fourteen

“You have a kid?” Nate asked in astonished bewilderment. Sasha

knew he would be puzzled. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his
daughter. Not in the least. He couldn’t be a prouder father. But Sasha
fiercely protected Sammy. If his enemies knew about her, they would
use her as cannon fodder.

And Sasha would kill anyone who harmed her.
“Thirsty,” Boston panted. Sasha cursed. There was nothing he

could do about it. He had nothing to give the poor boy to drink. Nate
scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it to Boston’s lips. The boy
opened, taking in what Nate handfed him. The kid was burning up, his
heat soaking through Sasha’s coat and jeans.

Nate moved closer when Boston began shaking. Sasha wrapped

his arm around the kid’s thin frame, holding on to him.

“You didn’t answer me,” Nate reminded Sasha as the wolf tucked

his hands under Boston’s shirt. Sasha knew Nate was using his cold
hands to try and cool the young man off. He watched as Boston
gritted his teeth, trying to ride through the pain.

“She’s seven,” Sasha whispered. “And she is the center of my

life.”

Nate pulled his hands free, pressed them into the snow, and then

placed the palms over Boston’s flushed cheeks. “Where is she?”

“Nowhere safe,” Sasha replied as he held on to the boy when

Boston began to writhe around again. He could see canines begin to
slide down from the kid’s mouth. It was an amazing sight. “She was
brought to my pride when she was just a cub. Her parents had been
killed by poachers. No one wanted to raise her.”

Rise to Seduction

111

“But any pack, pride, clan, or whatever would be thrilled to raise a

babe,” Nate said. “I don’t get it. Why would they shun her?”

“Now you are starting to see what I was up against as alpha.

Leopards are solitary creatures—changeling leopards not so much.
But my leap has grown cold, distant. No one wanted the
responsibility, so I took her in and haven’t regretted it since.” It gutted
Sasha to see his leap grow so self-centered. He had tried everything
he could think of to bring them back as a whole, but too many scars
remained unhealed. “My leap suffered a great loss about five years
ago. We were attacked, ambushed, and lost most of our females and
cubs. Ever since then, the remaining leopards have kept to
themselves. The surviving females are more brutal than the males. We
are solitary creatures by nature. I had done something no wild leopard
can do. I formed a leap, but it has fallen apart. They are bitter,
vengeful, and vicious.”

“Where is she?” Nate asked again.
Sasha glanced up at Nate, wanting to tell him everything, but

fearing that he would put the man he was starting to care deeply about
in danger. “With my leap.”

Nate cursed. “We have to get her out of there.”
It touched him to see the man so concerned for someone he had

never met before. It just showed Sasha Nate’s character. He had
thought the guy nothing but a cold assassin, but he was learning there
was more to the man than met the eye. “I already called Rick. He is
sending in Corrigan and Jordison.”

“Humans?” Nate asked in astonishment. “He’s sending humans

into a leopard leap?”

“He tells me they are the best,” Sasha replied.
Their attention was pulled from the conversation when Boston

bucked, shouted, and then fell silent again. Sasha glanced up at Nate.
“Selene has been gone too long. Go check on her.”

Nate grunted. “Dude, I’m feeling you on your kid, but that doesn’t

mean you can boss me around. Ask nicely, damn it.”

112 Lynn

Hagen

Sasha wanted to grin. He liked the fire in Nate and Selene. He

knew it would keep him on his toes. Sasha was looking forward to
that. But right now he needed to make sure everyone was safe.
Sammy was still with his leap, Boston was going through his
conversion, and Selene wasn’t back yet. Sasha didn’t like not having
control over the people in his innermost circle. “Please.” Sasha
relented to Nate’s request.

“Somehow I have a feeling that isn’t a word you’re familiar with,”

Nate grumbled as he stalked off.

It wasn’t. The only person Sasha used manners with was Sammy.

As soon as Nate was out of sight, Boston yanked from Sasha’s arms,
rolled, and then bared his teeth.

Sasha moved slowly to his feet. Not that he was afraid of the new

changeling, but he really, really did not want to hurt the juvenile.
Stripping his clothes off—and freezing his balls off in the process—
Sasha shifted.

He yowled at Boston, letting the juvenile know who the alpha

was, who the dominating male was. Boston backed down, but kept his
eyes on Sasha.

And then Boston fell to the ground, screaming as his leopard form

burst from his skin. The conversion was complete.

The neophyte wobbled as he got to his feet, once again baring his

canines. Sasha gave a low rumbling warning as he moved closer. He
wanted Boston to become familiar with his scent. The leopard was
going to be his to care for. The tone had to be set from the beginning.
Female leopards were the ones who usually raised the cubs, but Sasha
was different. He had always been different.

He wanted a family.
Boston lowered his shoulders to the ground, the rumble deep in

his chest. Sasha braced himself, knowing exactly what the juvenile
was doing. He showed his canines, daring Boston to come take a bite
out of him.

Rise to Seduction

113

The leopard sprung, his jaws wide as he came toward Sasha. But

Sasha was ready. He lifted his massive paw and knocked Boston to
the ground. The newly converted changeling shook his head, dazed.

Sasha yowled low, warning Boston to stay down.
The little shit prepared to attack again.
Sasha had to give him credit for tenacity, but it was futile. The

boy was not going to win. Sasha was the dominant male, and the
sooner Boston learned this, the sooner they could settle this. All
juveniles tested their elders sooner or later—and all ended up licking
their wounds.

Boston was no different. He may be newly converted, but it

seemed all teenagers were alike in one aspect.

All thought themselves badasses until proven otherwise.
Sasha crouched down as he mentally smiled in anticipation,

readying himself to teach this young badass a lesson.

* * * *

Nate followed Selene’s scent. Sasha was right. Selene had been

gone too damn long. It wasn’t like her to be irresponsible, which
worried Nate. So much had been happening between them, and Nate
wanted to shout for a time-out.

He could understand her reservations. He and Sasha were asking

her to embark into a ménage relationship. They were asking her to let
down her guard and give herself to them. That was a huge step in his
opinion. If she needed time, Nate would give it to her.

He just hoped like hell she didn’t take forever.
As the winds began to pick up in their intensity, a smell blew

toward him that had Nate stilling, scenting his surroundings. Nate felt
a whisper of horror riding the air.

Slowly he stalked forward, his steps silent, merging expertly with

the trees, his presence undetected by the humans he knew to be close.

114 Lynn

Hagen

Fury rose in a blinding wave, and his heart tightened when he

stepped around the tree to see three soldiers holding Selene down.
One was tasering her. One was holding a gun to her head, daring her
to shift so he could blow her head off. The third…Nate’s mind
swirled and twisted into a red haze as he saw the torn clothes and the
bruises marring her perfect skin.

To her credit, Selene didn’t scream. She didn’t cry. The female

hadn’t made one damn sound while she writhed on the ground as the
man tasered her.

Nate stalked forward as he shifted in midstep, his clothes

disintegrating as he approached them. The first one Nate grabbed was
the one who held a gun to her head. Picking the man up by his head
with one massive hand, Nate roared in the man’s face before using his
free hand to tear the man’s face off.

He threw the body aside, his chest expanding forward, his arms

propelled behind him as he let an animalistic cry rip from his chest.
The human tasering Selene stumbled backward, his eyes filled with
horror as his skin paled.

Nate took a step forward, the air coming out in a haze of cold

from his nostrils as he let a low rumble leave his muzzle. He grabbed
the taser from the man’s hand and shoved it into his eye, into his
skull.

The third one tried to run as if he didn’t know he was already

dead. Nate leapt, grabbing the tree for momentum and swung around
it, barreling into the human and knocking the soldier ten feet from
him. He hovered, but didn’t attack. He knew Selene needed to take
back some of the control they had stolen from her.

She stumbled to her feet, blood trailing down her nose, her eyes

holding a knife-edge gleam as she snapped her head up and then
screamed, attacking the third male. Nate stood by, making sure no one
else attacked as Selene shifted and clamped her jaws down onto the
male, her head viciously snapping back and forth as she tore the man
apart with her claws.

Rise to Seduction

115

The heart-wrenching whimper that was coming from her made

Nate want to hunt the rest of the soldiers down and eviscerate them.

She tore at the human, pulling him apart piece by piece. Nate

finally stepped in, shifted, and folded his arms around her, pulling her
away from her kill. “I got you, baby. You’re safe.”

Selene threw her head back and howled, shifting in Nate’s arms.

She was fighting him, her eyes wild. Nate held on, keeping her in the
safety of his arms. “You’re safe, Selene. It’s me, Nate. I got you,
baby. I got you.”

He carefully picked her up into his arms, carrying her back to

Sasha. He needed to get her clothes from her bag. It was freezing out
here and Nate knew once the shock wore off, she would be cold as
hell.

Once he cleared the trees and saw Sasha, Nate also saw Rick. The

man had made it.

“What the hell happened to her?” Sasha asked as he hurried

forward. He saw anger in the man’s leopard eyes.

“She was attacked by soldiers. One of them was tasering her.”

Nate’s tone was filled with rage as Sasha grabbed some of her clothes
from her bag and helped Nate quickly dress her. Once Selene was
dressed, Sasha took her so Nate could do the same. His balls were
freezing.

“You four can ride with Bryson,” Rick said. “We need to get out

of here. I saw military vehicles about a mile back.”

“No,” Selene said as she fought to get out of Sasha’s arms. “I’m

still going to Clyde’s.”

“The hell you are,” Nate snapped before he could stop the angry

tone. She turned and glared at him. Nate shrugged. “Call it
kidnapping if you want, but I’m not allowing you out of my sight.”

“Who the fuck are you, my father?” she snapped at him. Nate

wasn’t sure if it was her reaction to what had just happened to her or
if it was her normal fire returning.

116 Lynn

Hagen

“I’m the man who is going to make sure nothing like that ever

happens to you again.” Was she serious? Was Selene that stubborn?

“They caught me off guard. It won’t happen again.” She spun

around, walking away from the group. Nate had had enough. He
grabbed her around the waist as Selene fought him, but he wasn’t
letting her go. The images of those men—what they had done and
were trying to do to her—were still holding Nate in their grip. Hell if
he was going to allow them to succeed next time. And if he let her go
on her own, there would be a next time.

“You big baboon, put me down!”
Sasha grabbed their bags, giving Nate a look that said he

wholeheartedly agreed with what Nate was doing. The bags were
stored in the trunk. Boston climbed into the passenger’s side as Nate
tucked Selene between him and Sasha.

“Fine,” Selene growled and then fell silent.
Rick bent at the waist and stared into the backseat. “We’re

heading to Louisiana. I need to drop Dorian’s parents and their new
pup off.”

“Their what?” Nate asked.
Rick shook his head. “I’ll explain later.” The alpha walked back to

the Suburban.

Sasha glanced over at Nate, asking with his eyes what else had

happened to Selene. He knew what Sasha wanted to know. Nate
shook his head, but said, “Almost.”

They had almost raped her. If Nate hadn’t gotten there in time,

they would have succeeded. The soldiers’ deaths had come too
quickly in Nate’s opinion. He could still feel the rage inside of him. If
he was able to do it all over again, Nate would have taken his time
showing them just what real torture was all about.

It was something he had done before and knew how to do very

well.

Sasha gave a grim nod as Bryson pulled away, following Rick.

Rise to Seduction

117

“So, I take it his shift is complete,” Nate said to change the

subject. He needed to calm down. Selene was already enraged. There
didn’t need to be two vengeful people in the car.

The side of Sasha’s mouth curved. “It is.”
“He challenged you, didn’t he?” Nate asked, knowing all

teenagers did at one point in their dumbass adolescent lives.

“He did,” Sasha said with a smirk. “And I showed him who the

alpha was.”

Boston turned, grinning like a goof. “He handed me my ass.” And

then his grey eyes filled with something Nate couldn’t read, but knew
the boy was shutting down as he turned back around.

He had just lost his father. Boston was bound to have moments of

utter silence. Everything had happened so fast for the kid. He was
shoved into a life that was not only dangerous, but without the man
who had raised him.

The soldiers who had set up base in that small town had caused so

much devastation in such a short period of time. Nate wondered if
they were ever going to see the end of this fucking war.

118 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Fifteen

Selene was so damn angry right now. Those soldiers had snuck up

on her. It was something they shouldn’t have been able to do. Her
mind had been a thousand miles away, thinking about Nate and Sasha.
She hadn’t been paying attention to her surroundings.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was her own damn fault. She had put

herself in that situation. God, all she had wanted to do was get away
from the two men on either side of her. That was all. But it seemed
like fate had other plans.

That still didn’t stop her from sitting there feeling the hard, cold

metal of the gun pressing into her skull, or the threat that if she shifted
into an animal the men would kill her.

No, those images kept playing over and over in her mind. She had

come close to death. So close. The electric shocks still pulsed through
her body. She could feel a twitch here and a spasm there. They had
effectively immobilized her to…to…to.

Selene gazed at the road ahead of them, curling her hands into

fists as they sat in her lap. Rough hands still felt like they were pulling
at her. Cold, malicious laughs replayed in her head as if she could still
hear them.

She wanted every last soldier dead.
Fighting a war was not the same as rendering a woman helpless

and degrading her. That was not war. That was a coward’s way of
making himself feel like he was in control. She knew this. Her mind
told her that they hadn’t succeeded, that she was safe.

But those hands.
That cruel laugh.

Rise to Seduction

119

Selene jerked when Sasha reached over and pinched her nose. She

swatted his hands away. “What the fuck did you do that for?” She
massaged the offended area.

“Got your attention, didn’t it?” he asked from beside her.
Selene slapped at him. “I don’t need you to get my attention, cat.”
“Meow,” Sasha teased as he grabbed her wrists and then kissed

each hand. “Yes, you did.”

“Let me go, asshole.”
Sasha wiggled his blond brows at her, still holding her wrists.

“What color is Nate’s underwear?”

She stilled. “What?”
“Clear, because he doesn’t wear any.” Sasha released her and sat

back.

Selene blinked at him and wondered what side of crazy the man

lived on. “What was that all about?”

Sasha pushed his long hair over one shoulder and winked at her.

“It got you out of the dark and dismal place you were sinking into,
didn’t it?”

Selene sat up straight, glaring at him. “I don’t need your help.”
“Anger. That’s a good thing to have. Use it. But don’t wallow in

what could have happened. Focus on what is going to happen.”

Selene glanced up at Nate. “How in the hell can you be turned on

by this prick?”

“It’s my animal magnetism,” Sasha replied.
Nate smiled at her. “If you stopped trying to hate the asshole,

you’d see.”

“Was that a compliment or an insult?” Sasha asked as he slid his

arm behind her. Selene removed his arm, twisting his fingers.

“Keep your paws to yourself.”
“I just love when you talk dirty to me.” He pulled his hand free

with ease. It only reminded her of how strong he was. He slid his arm
back around her. “Now stop acting like an ice queen and let me give
you the damn comfort you need.”

120 Lynn

Hagen

“Forced therapy?” Selene quirked a brow.
Sasha leaned in and Selene leaned back, which only pressed her

into Nate. The man’s kelly-green eyes turned into molten lava right in
front of her. She wasn’t sure if he was pissed or not. “Trust me, vixen.
When I come after you, there will be no force. You’ll give yourself to
me.”

She snarled and slapped her hands on his chest, shoving him

away. “That will never happen.”

“You do remember Boston, right?” Bryson asked up front.

“Maybe the three of you could tone it down a bit.”

Sasha slid back into his seat, staring out of the side window,

ignoring her. Selene wasn’t sure what in the hell was wrong with the
man. One minute he was playful, the next he was this fierce leopard
ready to take a bite. Maybe he was bipolar or something.

But the trick had worked. Selene was no longer concentrating on

the events that had happened. She was too busy trying to figure the
cat out.

Sasha turned, his eyes raking over her, and then the irritation she

had seen in his expression changed. The side of his lip curled into a
smile. “You shower naked, don’t you?”

Nate’s body began to jostle next to her, and Selene realized the

damn man was laughing. These two were impossible! “No, I wear a
scuba outfit, complete with flippers.” Two could play at this game.

Sasha leaned closer, lowering his voice so only the people in the

backseat could hear. “I wear my birthday suit, complete with a very
large ribbon that you can feel free to pull on anytime you want to.”

Selene swallowed. She wasn’t sure why, but the image of Sasha

under a cascade of water, his body wet and hard was affecting her.
Her womb clenched as she pressed her thighs together, praying she
could stop the throbbing between her legs.

“Nate?” Sasha never moved as he glanced up. “How do you

shower?”

Rise to Seduction

121

It was silent for a moment, Selene’s breathing becoming ragged as

she waited to hear Nate’s reply. Images of the large wolf naked,
showering, his hands smoothing over his body was not helping her to
calm the wetness that was gathering in her panties.

Nate leaned down, pressing his lips to Selene’s ears. “I shower

with images of having sex with the both of you.”

Selene whimpered. Sasha inhaled sharply. She could feel the cat’s

hand pressed on her thigh, the heat giving her vivid fantasies she
should not be having in the backseat of the car. His hand slid up a
little further, his fingernails digging slightly into her jeans. “Now that
I want to explore in depth,” he said.

She could feel Nate’s chest rising and falling at a faster rate. He

had never acted this way when they were alone. Nate had always
pulled away from her when she tried to get close. It seemed having
the three of them together was affecting them all.

The walkie-talkie mounted on Bryson’s sun visor crackled.

“We’re taking a room for the night,” Rick said over the channel.

Selene’s eyes shot to Sasha. He had a very wicked grin on his face

as he leaned back and sat in his seat. Selene stayed pressed into Nate a
moment longer before straightening, and wondering if stopping for
the night was a good idea. She had a feeling these two weren’t going
to let her get any sleep.

That thought terrified and secretly thrilled her at the same time,

because in the back of Selene’s mind, she knew she had almost lost it
all.

And never knowing what it would feel like being with these two

top predators wasn’t an option to her any longer.

* * * *

Sasha blinked and wondered if he was dreaming. He had to be.

There was no way in the real world Selene would be tucked into his
front, Nate’s large form pushed into his back. With the combined

122 Lynn

Hagen

body heat, Sasha was sweating his ass off, but he wasn’t going to
protest. They had been bushed last night and had fallen straight to
sleep the minute they had gotten into their room.

He lay there, enjoying the heat behind him and the soft body

tucked into his front. He stared at Selene as she slept. When she
wasn’t baring her teeth, her features were soft, beautiful. Something
inside of Sasha stirred, and he knew without a doubt that he wanted
this gorgeous woman as his mate.

Nate grunted, shifted around, and Sasha relished in the feel of

having the large man at his back. Nate was going to be his as well.
Sasha was determined.

He slid the tips of his fingers down her cheek, loving that he could

touch her without the vixen threatening to cut off his balls.

Her skin was satiny smooth. Sasha was dying to find out if the rest

of her was. He gazed down at the small rise and fall of her breasts.
Sasha’s teeth ached to sample them. Just from the brief glance he had
the few times he had seen her before she shifted, he knew they were
just enough to fill his palms. But they had looked ripe, succulent, and
perfect for nibbling.

It took years of honed patience not to touch. His fingers were

burning to explore her at length. Selene was beautifully built, all
smooth curves and muscled grace.

He glanced over his shoulder when Nate’s arm slid over Sasha’s

waist. It was heavy, well-muscled, and felt right draped over him.
Nate’s features were soft when he slept as well. Sasha wanted to kiss
those pouty lips and run his hand through the short strands of his
sandy-blond hair. Sasha had never played bottom, but feeling Nate’s
strong muscles behind him was making Sasha feel a need he had
never had before.

To be taken.
A smile curved up his lips when he felt Nate’s erection pressing

into his back. He drew in a small amount of air and could scent the
man’s arousal.

Rise to Seduction

123

Nate was awake.
Sasha moved around, careful not to wake Selene, until he was

facing the werewolf. Nate’s eyes were closed, but Sasha wasn’t
fooled. Nate may be larger than Sasha in body mass, but Sasha was an
inch taller. He was able to lie face-to-face with the man and feel his
erection still pressing into him. Only it was now poking at Sasha’s
growing shaft. He leaned forward and licked a long path over Nate’s
bottom lip.

A quick inhale of breath.
Sasha did it again and then probed at the man’s lips until Nate

finally opened. Nate’s scent was a stroke against Sasha’s senses. His
skin stretched tight over his body as Sasha’s tongue delved into the
man’s mouth. God, the wolf tasted so damn spicy. Sasha hitched one
leg over the man’s waist, bringing their bodies closer together.

Nate’s hand slid up Sasha’s back, pulling him closer, their tongues

dueling and dancing, performing a mating dance that made Sasha’s
senses go wild. Sasha nipped at Nate’s lower lip, showing his
dominance in the most provocative way. Nate gave a low growl,
nipping Sasha right back.

Oh, they were going to have so much fun wrestling each other to

show who the stronger predator was. Sasha was looking forward to it.
He slid his hand into Nate’s hair, giving it a rough tug, pulling the
man’s head back so he could nip down the predator’s throat.

Sasha purred when Nate wrapped his hand around the long braid

and tugged. The sensations raced across his scalp, sending tiny shock
waves through his body. Nate wanted to dominate Sasha.

The man was going to have to deserve Sasha’s submission. He

was an alpha and didn’t submit to anyone. If the wolf wanted it, he
was going to have to fight for it. Sasha looked forward to Nate
seducing him.

Gliding his hand down Nate’s side, Sasha pushed it between them

and ran the back of his knuckles over Nate’s erection. The wolf

124 Lynn

Hagen

bucked, making Sasha smile wickedly as he continued to taste salty
flesh.

His fingers played until Sasha couldn’t take it any longer. He used

two fingers to unsnap Nate’s jeans, and then slowly lowered the
zipper, giving the man time to protest if he really didn’t want this.

Sasha prayed he wanted this. His body was primed and ready for

release. Nate didn’t stop him. His hand tugged harder in Sasha’s hair,
his head bent back as Sasha nipped and sucked at the man’s neck.

Pulling Nate’s cock free, Sasha inhaled the flare of desire that

seemed to be filling the air around him. His hand gripped Nate’s cock
harder when he scented a soft, feminine mixture tangling with Nate’s
spicy scent.

Sasha grinned into Nate’s neck.
With the quickness he was known for, Sasha reached behind him

and grabbed Selene, pulling her over his body and tucking her
between the two in the blink of an eye.

She growled and tried to slap at Sasha, but he grabbed her small

wrists and trapped them in front of her body. “You doth protest too
much, my vixen. I can scent your need.”

Selene didn’t deny Sasha’s accusation. Instead, Sasha could scent

a low level of apprehension. The vixen was afraid to be with two men.
Sasha cupped her jaw, stopping her from glancing away, and then
lowered his head, taking the kiss he had been dying to taste for a very
long time.

Selene bucked back and then there was a loud groan. Sasha knew

she had bucked back into Nate’s exposed groin. Lifting her hands,
Sasha handed them over to Nate who raised the small arms above
their heads.

“You really think I’m going to let you fuck me?” Selene growled

into Sasha’s mouth.

He nipped her lip. “No, I think you are going to let me dine on

that sweet, sweet pussy of yours while Nate fucks you.”

Rise to Seduction

125

“You want me to fuck you, Selene?” Nate asked, his voice

dropping, going wolf on them.

A second later, Nate’s spiked arousal mirrored Sasha’s. It was as

if they were working as one to seduce the little minx.

“Nate.” Selene gave a soft plea. “Nate.”
Nate dipped his head and kissed the shell of her ear as Sasha

moved down until he was staring at her waist.

“I’m right here, Selene,” Nate said to her. “Right behind you.”
Sasha released her belt, undid her pants, and then licked a long

path from her navel to where her soft, lacey panties ended around her
pelvis.

Sasha pulled her jeans and pretty panties all the way down and

then off. God, she was so fucking beautiful. Sasha’s cat purred in
agreement.

Sasha could see Nate’s hand span over her belly, pulling her

closer as the two kissed. He lay there for a moment just watching
them. Sasha wasn’t foolish enough to think Selene would like him
after this. They were exploring each other in the most basic way. It
was sex for her, nothing more.

But for Sasha, it meant more to him. He wanted the two as his

mates. There was no denying the need that was building inside of
him. Cats were lonely creatures, liking their solitude best. That was
one of the reasons his leap had been so distant with each other. But
Sasha wanted more. He wanted a life with these two, to raise a family.

He was tired of being alone.
“You smell like cream, vixen.” Sasha purred the words, even as

he licked the salt off of the skin on Selene’s inner thighs in a lazy and
highly provocative move. He palmed each thigh, spreading them
further apart, dipping his tongue into the folds of her moist cunt.

Nate grabbed one of Selene’s thighs and draped it over his waist,

giving Sasha much more room to play. Sasha used his tongue to swirl
around the swollen clit, lapping at it and then sucking the bud into his
mouth.

126 Lynn

Hagen

Selene jerked, but Sasha held her thighs in his hands, stopping her

from getting away. His leopard gave a yowl as Sasha felt like he was
drowning in the edible scent of the shewolf. He dipped further back,
rimming his tongue around her entrance, teasing her.

He saw Nate’s cock situated between the crease of Selene’s ass.

The wickedness in Sasha ran through him like a firestorm. He palmed
Nate’s cock and brought the shaft close to Selene’s opening, licked
both the head and her pussy at the same time before Nate slid his cock
into Sasha’s mouth.

“Shit, Sasha,” Nate panted.
Sasha grinned. He liked hearing his name on his lover’s lips. He

wanted to hear them both crying out his name. Nate grabbed his hair
once more, trying to hold Sasha in place as he fucked Sasha’s mouth.

Sasha pulled Nate’s hand from his hair. The man hadn’t earned

the right yet. Not yet. They were still feeling each other out. Until
Nate fully gave himself to Sasha, this was all about sex right now.

Hot, passionate, pulse-pounding sex.

Rise to Seduction

127

Chapter Sixteen

Selene almost screamed when Sasha’s thick fingers entered her

wet pussy. She gasped for breath as Sasha’s tongue slid slowly,
erotically, across her swollen flesh, making her forget her fear of both
men taking her.

They weren’t giving her time to think. Unending, agonizing

arousal was sizzling like electric fire through her body, making her
stomach clench and her clit throb so badly that Selene was ready to
beg one of them to fuck her.

It was tormenting.
“Fuck, you taste good.” Sasha groaned as he licked her from clit

to asshole. Selene’s hips bucked, but his strong hands were holding
her against Nate.

Nate’s teeth nipped her neck, his fingers under her shirt, rolling

her nipples between his fingers. Selene was finding it hard to catch
her breath. She turned her head, and Nate captured her lips. She could
feel his hard cock between her legs, but it didn’t enter her.

A cry fell from Selene’s mouth when the heat of Sasha’s mouth

covered her pussy, sucking at the clit, his tongue teasing the small
bud. Nate still held her hands over her head, stopping her from pulling
at Sasha’s hair, making him give her the release her body was begging
for.

“Fuck her, Nate.”
Yes. Please, Nate, fuck me.
But he didn’t. He just kept rocking his cock between her legs as

Sasha treated her as his favorite treat. He parted her saturated folds,
sending fingers of electricity surging over her nerve endings.

128 Lynn

Hagen

“Nate, please,” Selene begged into his exploring mouth. “Fuck

me.”

Sasha fucked her with his fingers, sucking her pussy until Selene

screamed, arcs of lightning crashing through her body as her orgasm
ripped her open, leaving her whimpering.

“Damn it,” Sasha growled as he circled his arms around her

quivering thighs and yanked her down, impaling her onto Nate’s
cock.

Selene screamed again from the pure rush of pleasure that

exploded between her thighs.

“Goddamn it, Sasha!” Nate yelled as he stilled. Selene could feel

his entire body shaking. “I’m going to hurt her.”

“The only way you are going to hurt her is if you don’t move,”

Sasha countered with an animalistic snarl. “Now fuck her.”

“You okay?” Nate asked through clenched teeth. Selene leaned

her head back, biting at his lip, smoothing her fingers over his face.

“Move, Nate. Please move.” If he didn’t move soon, Selene was

going to lose her mind. He had her stretched to her limits. Selene
didn’t want to feel the burn. She wanted to feel the pleasure as it took
her back under. “Fuck…move.”

Nate released her hands, rolled to his back, and took Selene with

him. She had her back to Nate’s head, but Sasha soon filled her vision
as he knelt in front of her. Nate’s large hands grabbed her hips as he
began to thrust deep inside of her pussy.

Sasha cupped her face as Selene tried to close her eyes, but Sasha

nipped her lip. She opened her eyes, staring into the heated depth of
his green eyes.

“How does he feel?” Sasha asked as he licked at her bottom lip.

“Does it feel as good as it looks?”

Selene swallowed hard and managed to nod her head. Reaching

out, she grabbed at Sasha’s shoulders, holding on as Nate fucked her.
She had dreamed of the moment when Nate fucked her, but the reality
was one hundred times better. Nate was finally inside of her and the

Rise to Seduction

129

cat in front. Selene had never dreamed of Sasha being with her, but
now that he was there, she realized how erotic he was in bed. His
kelly-green eyes were smoldering as he cupped her face, giving
Selene a very wicked grin.

Sasha leaned back, grabbing Selene’s shirt and pulling it over her

head. He unclasped her bra, discarding that as well.

White-hot lightning ripped through her body as Sasha took one of

her nipples into his mouth. His tongue rasped over the sensitive bud
and then pulled on it with deep suction. Selene curled her fingers into
his blond hair, using the silken strands as an anchor as both men
brought her so much pleasure Selene felt it all the way to her soul.

“I don’t want to be alone,” Sasha murmured into her breast. He

cupped the neglected one, massaging it with his callused hands, the
roughness bringing her extra pleasure. Selene wasn’t sure if Sasha
was talking to her, or if he even realized he had said that thought out
loud.

Nate’s hands skimmed up her sides. Selene released Sasha’s hair

and laid her hands over Nate’s, letting him know that she was fully
aware of who was fucking her. Their fingers entwined as Nate
brought his legs up and planted his feet into the mattress.

“Nate,” Selene cried out. “God, Nate.”
“Call my name, baby.” Nate growled the words. “Call it.”
“Nate!”
Sasha pulled away, grabbing Selene’s hands and pulling her with

him. She almost slid free of Nate, but the large wolf was right behind
her as she fell to her hands and knees. Nate grabbed her hips once
more, pounding into her as Sasha tapped Selene’s lips with his cock.
“Suck me, vixen. Take my dick into your hot mouth.”

Her gaze locked with Sasha’s as her lips parted. A wicked smile

tilted one side of his mouth as the head of his cock slipped past her
lips.

Both moaned.

130 Lynn

Hagen

The man’s taste exploded in her mouth, the hot, musky scent

filling her lungs as he inched his shaft in deeper. Selene dug her nails
into his powerfully corded thighs as Sasha began to move in short
bursts, fucking her mouth in short snaps. A broad, male hand cupped
her chin as the man’s cock plunged in and out of her mouth.

Selene glanced up and her eyes widened when she saw Nate and

Sasha kissing each other. Never before had she seen anything so
damn erotic. She momentarily forgot what she was doing as she
watched the two dominant predators growl into each other’s mouths,
both grabbing at the other’s head, trying to control the kiss.

Fuck, that is damn hot.
She had seen two men kissing before. There were gay men in the

Rebellion group. But seeing them kiss had never affected her.

These two did.
Nate’s thrusts slowed as Sasha grabbed Nate’s hair, pulling on it

as a low rumble vibrated through him. Selene pulled back, watching,
mesmerized. Her pussy clenched tight as Nate smacked Sasha’s hands
away, and then he wrapped his hands around Sasha’s long blond
strands, forcing the man closer, devouring the leopard.

Sasha pulled free and then his eyes lowered until he was looking

at Selene. She swallowed hard. His lips were kiss-swollen, wet, and
bruised.

“Suck my cock, vixen.”
It was a desperate plea. She could see the heat in his eyes as he

cupped her face, his moves slower this time.

Nate, however, had started to thrust deeper, faster as his cock

stretched her pussy wide. She felt his cock over every nerve ending
inside her cunt. Her arms began to shake as she took Sasha all the way
down her throat.

“I think seeing us kiss turned her on,” Sasha said, a provocative

purr in his voice. “I wonder what she would do if she watched us
fuck, Nate.”

Rise to Seduction

131

Nate’s fingers slid to her back entrance. Selene stiffened for a

second. She had never had anal sex, yet feeling his fingers circle
around her asshole was nothing short of pleasurable. Images began to
fill her head. They were images she had never had before, but it didn’t
lessen the need building inside of her to have both men inside of her
body at the same time.

Selene closed her eyes, letting the thought carry her on a whisper

as she moaned around Sasha’s shaft, silken threads of desire slipping
over and through her body.

“Oh, god,” Nate said. “She is so fucking wet.”
“That’s because the thought is getting her off,” Sasha replied.

“Isn’t it, kitten?”

Selene dug her nails harder into Sasha’s solid flesh as she tilted

her head back, sucking up his cock until she was lapping at the head,
her eyes still closed, the fantasy still holding her in its grips.

“Fuck, Selene…fuck,” Sasha groaned.
Nate blanketed her back, but Selene could tell he was holding

most of his weight off of her.

“Don’t bite,” she panted when she felt Nate’s canines scraping

over her sensitive flesh. “No biting.”

“No biting,” Nate whispered in her ear. “But I am going to devour

you.”

Selene moaned as he plunged deep into her pussy. One large hand

cupped her small breast, massaging it, kneading the skin as Nate
picked up his pace until he was growling in her ear.

Sasha began to move faster as well. She felt the white-hot fingers

of fire moving through her. Nate was close. She could tell by his
rough gasps. He started fucking her as if she were his sole focus, and
then he stiffened behind her, shouting her name as he came inside of
her.

Sasha quickly pulled from her mouth—and just as Nate pulled

from inside of her—Sasha was behind her, sliding his cock deep.

132 Lynn

Hagen

But Nate wasn’t done. Not by far. He moved until he was under

her, sucking her clit into his mouth. Selene was shaking so hard she
didn’t think she would be able to hold herself up much longer.

“Who’s fucking this pussy,” Sasha snarled. “Tell me, vixen. Say

my goddamn name.”

The man had turned aggressive, his fingers digging into Selene’s

hips, adding pain to pleasure. Selene gasped, not sure why she found
the extra sensation so pleasurable.

“Tell me!”
“Sasha!” she cried out as he pulled her down onto his cock over

and over again. She was falling free, all her inhibitions gone as the
two men assaulted her with so much pleasure that she feared she
wouldn’t be able to handle them any longer.

“That’s right, vixen. Remember that the next time you want to

shoot me. Feel this cock fucking your tight-ass pussy. Feel me taking
you from behind. You’re mine!”

Nate’s hand slid up her belly, cupping her breast, and playing with

the nipple. “Nate.”

A slap burned her backside, sending electricity coursing through

her veins. “You don’t call his name when I’m fucking you, missy. Do
you understand me?”

Selene reached under her body, pushing her fingers into Nate’s

mouth as he sucked her swollen clit harder. “Fuck you, Sasha!”

Sasha thrust deep inside of her. “No, vixen, I’m the one fucking

you.”

Selene screamed as a second orgasm—much, much larger than the

first—exploded inside of her, stealing her breath and making her claw
at the sheets, trying to escape the barraging pleasure as it threatened to
tear her apart.

Both Nate and Sasha grabbed her, holding her down. Selene

began to sob, the feeling too much.

“Just let go, baby,” Sasha crooned. “I’ve got you. Just let it take

you.”

Rise to Seduction

133

Nate pulled from under her and then moved until his lips were

smashing into hers. “Give in to it, Selene,” he whispered into her
mouth. “I’ve got you. Sasha has you.”

Selene let go, screaming her pleasure as a loud yowl tore through

the room. Sasha jerked behind her, his fingers easing from her hips,
his hands smoothing over her back. Sasha wrapped his arm around
Selene’s waist, pulling her down as both men locked her between
them, both petting her skin, kissing her flesh.

Selene was exhausted. Her body was so boneless that she couldn’t

even lift her arm. She closed her eyes, gasping for breath, and praying
like hell she could handle these two strong males because she knew
they weren’t going to let her go.

134 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Seventeen

Rick sat on the steps leading up to the second floor of the motel,

one leg resting on the step below, the other stretched out in front of
him. He couldn’t sleep and he hadn’t wanted to wake Dorian with his
restlessness.

There were so many things crowding in his mind that he didn’t get

much sleep anymore. He hadn’t told Dorian. He didn’t want to worry
his mate, but Rick was working off two to three hours of sleep most
of the time.

How could he sleep? His species was dying out. The war was

decimating the numbers of nonhumans. He felt like he was failing.
There had to be a way to turn this war around in their favor, but Rick
was having a hard time figuring out how to do that.

The Breed Hunters were growing in numbers. The soldiers were

multiplying. The nonhumans were dwindling.

Rick tossed the small pebble he had been rolling around in his

hand, wondering if he had been the wisest choice when the
changelings chose him as their Rebellion leader. What the hell had he
accomplished?

It was aggravating as fuck. It seemed like every time he turned

around, someone was betraying him. Loki, the alpha of the
weretigers, had really hit home. Rick realized that although there were
many surrounding him, he was so fucking utterly alone.

“One of those nights?” Sasha asked as he walked out of his motel

room and leaned against the railing.

Rick glanced up at the wereleopard alpha. “Funny how I find

myself trusting my enemy when all hell breaks loose.”

Rise to Seduction

135

“We were never enemies,” Sasha said as he pressed his hip into

the railing. “Just competitive associates. I usually kill my enemies and
burn the bodies.”

Rick chuckled as he glanced down at his feet. “Why do I find that

refreshing?”

“Because,” Sasha said, “I’m familiar. I was there before all of this

began. I remind you of what things were like before the war. People
tend to cling to familiarity.”

Rick snorted. “Trust me. I’m not clinging to you.”
“Any word from Corrigan and Jordison?” Sasha asked.
Rick could hear the tension in the man’s voice. He really was

scared for his daughter. Rick would be, too, if it were him. “Nothing
yet. They’ll let us know what’s going on just as soon as they get her
out of there.”

Rick moved up a step when Sasha took a seat. He could tell the

man had something on his mind. Rick didn’t press him. It seemed the
night for heavy thinking. He would give anything to be sitting at
home right now in front of a roaring fire.

“It’s cold as shit out here,” Sasha said.
“Helps clear the mind.”
“So does sex,” Sasha teased. “If it’s good, I usually forget my

name…or theirs.”

Rick grinned. “From the racket you three were making, I’m going

to bet it was pretty damn good.”

Sasha grew serious, the smile slipping from his face. He turned

back around, falling silent. Rick wasn’t sure what that was about, but
right now he really didn’t want to add to his already overcrowded
mind.

“I’m trying to find a way to turn this war in our favor,” Rick

admitted in the silence surrounding them. “I’ve turned every possible
situation over in my mind, but I’m still coming up blank.”

136 Lynn

Hagen

“Sometimes it can be the smallest thing that changes it all,” Sasha

said quietly. Before Rick could ask the man what he meant, Sasha’s
phone vibrated.

Sasha pulled it from the inside pocket of his coat and answered.

Rick was about to get up and go back to his room when the voice on
the other end made him pause. His changeling hearing was too damn
good for him to miss what was said.

“You have a sweet little girl here,” the unknown caller said. “It

would be a true shame if something were to happen to her.”

Sasha stood so quickly he nearly knocked Rick back onto the step.

“You fucking touch her and I won’t rest until you’re dead.”

The man gave a low, malicious chuckle. “I don’t think you are in

the position to threaten me, Mr. Monroe. You have something I want.
I have something you want. I think we can both come to some sort of
agreement.”

Rick wondered what Sasha could have that would make someone

risk a leopard leap in order to kidnap a seven-year-old girl. What had
the leopard gotten himself into? The male caller sounded calm,
composed. That wasn’t a good sign. That usually meant the person
was more than confident he were going to get what he wanted.

Sasha grabbed the railing, his knuckles turning white. “I don’t

know what you are talking about.”

A rough sigh. “Then I guess we have nothing further to discuss.

I’ll just kill her and be on my way.”

“No, wait!” Sasha glanced up at Rick, fear so heavy in the kelly

green of his eyes that Rick felt it weighting him down. “When and
where?”

“Since you are on your way to Louisiana, I’ll call you when you

arrive.”

The caller hung up.
“What’s going on, Sasha?” Rick asked as the leopard ran his hand

over his face, looking a bit pale. “What do you have and how in the
fuck does that person know where we are going?”

Rise to Seduction

137

Rick could see the wheels in Sasha’s head turning. The leopard

changeling turned, staring up at Rick. “When you were gone, leading
the rebellion, and I was still in Shelton, I broke into a lab. I thought
maybe they were holding some changelings there, experimenting on
them.” Sasha tucked the phone back into his pocket and then his hand
came away with something that resembled a camera memory card.

“There weren’t any changelings there, but the scientist tried to

swallow this when I came into the room he was working in.”

Rick took the card from Sasha, turning it over. “What’s on it?”
Sasha shrugged. “I don’t have a clue. But I do know it was a

bioengineering lab. Ever since I took that thing, I’ve had men coming
after me. Whatever is on that thing must be something damn
important.”

“You’ve had this the whole time?” Rick asked as he curled his

fingers around the card. He could see Sasha stand straight, his cat
moving behind his eyes. “You’ve put us all at risk and we didn’t even
know we had men after us for this thing?” He held the card up. Angry
wouldn’t even describe what Rick was feeling right now. Sasha had
had the card the entire time he was with them, knowing he had men
after him, and hadn’t said a word. “If I’m going to fucking die, I at
least want to know what for.”

“Give. It. Back,” Sasha gritted out.
“Go to hell, Sasha.”
“They have my daughter. Do you think for one fucking minute

I’m going to let you walk away with my bargaining chip?” Sasha
shouted. “I’ll kill you before I let them kill her!”

“Why in the hell didn’t you tell me about this?” Rick matched

Sasha’s tone.

Sasha turned, slamming his fist into the door. There was a large

dent as he turned back around. “I didn’t want any of you in danger.
Samantha is already at risk just by being with my leap. I wasn’t sure
what to do with that damn thing or what was even on it. But if those
men are going through so much trouble to get it back, it’s worth

138 Lynn

Hagen

examining.” Sasha’s claws slid from his fingers. “But now they have
Sammy, and I won’t allow her to be killed just because you are pissed
off at me.”

“Whoa,” Nate said as he came out of his motel room. “What in the

fuck is going on?”

“Mr. Monroe has been keeping deadly secrets,” Rick said angrily.

“He’s had a data card on him the whole time he’s been with us and
forgot to mention men were hunting him down to get it back.”

Nate glanced at Sasha, and Rick could see the hurt swimming in

the man’s jade-green eyes. “Is that true, Sasha?”

“Give me back the card, Rick,” Sasha said in a low, warning tone,

his leopard close to the surface.

“You fucking asshole,” Nate snarled as he shoved Sasha. “You

put us all at risk for what?”

Sasha slammed his hands into Nate’s chest, his canines

elongating. “If you ever put your hands on me in anger again, I’ll slice
your throat faster than you can blink.”

Rick jumped down from the steps when Nate pulled his gun out so

quickly that Rick barely had time to register what was going on. Nate
had it pointed at Sasha’s temple, his face a mask of fury. “And I’ll
blow your head off, cat. Now tell me why you—” Sasha had the gun
out of Nate’s hand in the blink of an eye.

But Nate wasn’t lying down. He leapt on Sasha, the two going

down, but neither struck the other. Nate wrapped his arm around
Sasha’s neck, immobilizing him. “Why, Sasha?”

Sasha stopped moving, curling his fingers around Nate’s arm.

“Because I didn’t want the people I care about hurt.”

Nate released Sasha, took his gun back, and then moved toward

his room, slamming the door behind him.

Rick stood there as Sasha got to his feet. He knew the leopard

could have torn Nate’s throat out. Nate was a very big man, but Sasha
was the fastest changeling Rick knew. There was no way Nate should
have been able to take the leopard down.

Rise to Seduction

139

“I can have someone extract the data from this card. We need to

find out what is on it before you hand it over. We also need to find out
where Corrigan and Jordison are.”

Sasha began to walk away. He stopped, but didn’t look back. “Let

me know when I can have it back.” Rick watched as Sasha
disappeared around the building. He understood Sasha’s motives, but
the man could have confided in Rick. They weren’t the same men
from before the war. They weren’t on opposite sides now.

Rick strode to his room and pulled out his laptop. Once he had it

booted up, he slid the card into the slot on the side. He wasn’t
computer savvy, but Rick knew how to open the file. His eyes
skimmed over the screen, unsure of what he was reading. It seemed to
be some sort of chemistry notes. He knew what chemical compounds
looked like because he had failed chemistry miserably in college.

It was some sort of formula, but Rick wasn’t sure—he read the

notes at the bottom, feeling like his life was about to take a turn for
the worse.

The notes, he understood perfectly.
Those labs in the detention centers weren’t trying to find a cure

for lycanthropy. They were trying to find a way to wipe out the
changelings with a virus. Rick felt the bile rise to the back of his
throat as he continued to read. It seemed they found a way to stop the
virus from jumping from species and infecting the human population,
but the tests were inconclusive.

They were calling it Project Genesis.
Rick pushed from the table, his hand over his mouth as he glanced

around the room. Fuck, fuck, fuck! He couldn’t—no, there was no
way he could allow Sasha to give this back to the men after him.

Oh god. He was going to be sick.
Rick hurried from the room, pulling his cell phone out. He needed

to talk to Omar. The man was a genius. He would understand more
about this stuff than Rick. He dialed Freedman’s phone, waiting for
the human to answer.

140 Lynn

Hagen

Fuck. Rick’s head was spinning. This was a nightmare. If they

created this virus, changelings would die without the humans even
fighting them. He wasn’t sure how they were going to set the virus
free, but the thought of that thing getting loose on the changeling
population terrified Rick down to his soul.

“I’m in a bit of a bind,” Freedman said when he answered his

phone. “Make this quick.”

Rick snapped out of his daze. “I need to talk to Omar.”
There was a long silence. “You can’t.”
Rick clutched his phone tighter, feeling panic set in. He didn’t like

to feel panicked. It was an unfamiliar emotion. “Put him on the
goddamn phone!”

“I would, except he isn’t with me.”
Rick stopped pacing. “He left with you. Why isn’t he still with

you?” It seemed Rick’s night was getting worse by the second. He
had to talk to Omar. The man could read the notes for Rick and tell
him how they planned on using the virus. He had read through the
notes, but his understanding had been limited.

“Because,” Freedman said, “we were ambushed and they took

Omar to the detention center in Nevada. I’ve been trying to find a way
to get him out.”

Rick stumbled, dropping down onto the steps once more. He

landed with a thud as he ran his hand over his head. “How. When?
That place is harder to get into than Fort Knox. They are heavily
armed.”

“Yeah, I know this already. Now you see where my problem lies.”
Rick could hear the roughness in Freedman’s voice and knew the

man was fighting to keep control. Rick glanced up when Nate walked
back out of his room. He felt like he was in some sort of nightmare.
Everything seemed to move a little slower.

“I can’t get to you right now,” he finally said. Rick had to take

care of the virus situation first. If he didn’t, mounting a rescue for

Rise to Seduction

141

Omar would be futile. He had to find someone who knew about
bioengineering.

“I know,” Freedman said. “I’ve already called some old friends to

help me out. You take care of whatever it is you have to do. I’ll take
care of getting Omar out.” There was steel determination in
Freedman’s voice. Rick knew the man would die trying.

“I—” Rick wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to talk about

the data card over the phone.

Nate rested a hand on Rick’s shoulder. He knew the changeling

could feel his deep horror. Rick wanted to personally mount a rescue
and get Omar out of that place. But he couldn’t. Not when he held
something so dangerous in his hand that Rick felt like the grim reaper
at the moment. The future of his species lay curled under his fingers.
“Keep me updated on Omar,” Rick said.

“I will,” Freedman replied before hanging up.
Rick glanced up at Nate, swallowing a few times past the hard

lump of fear in his throat before speaking. “We are so fucked.”

* * * *

“Have you secured the girl?”
“Not yet, but we have the leopard believing we have her. They

sent two black ops after her, but I have men waiting to intercept them
as soon as she is extracted.”

“Keep me updated.” O’Hanlon hung up the phone. They needed

that data card. It was the only way to not only effectively kill Enrique
Marcelo, but wipe out the nonhuman population. He cursed to himself
that Dr. Formente hadn’t kept a backup file. Who in the fuck didn’t
back up their files? If he didn’t need the man to finish with Project
Genesis, he would kill the dumb bastard.

He strummed his fingers on his desk, contemplating putting off

his meeting with Vice Admiral Harrington. The man wanted an
update on Enrique.

Rise to Seduction

143

Chapter Eighteen

How in the hell could Sasha have done something like that? Nate

felt like a goddamn fool for trusting the leopard. He had put them all
in danger and hadn't said a word. Nate was hurting like hell right now,
but he set that pain aside as he sat down next to his alpha. “How?”

Rick snapped his head up, and Nate could see the anger and

resolution in the man’s light-grey eyes. “I need you to wake everyone.
Have them meet me in my room in ten minutes. Find that damn
leopard of yours. I don’t care if he is sulking or whatever it is he is
doing. We need everyone.”

Nate nodded as he stood, watching Rick stride quickly to his

room. He had never smelled such fear on anyone and wondered what
in the hell was going on. Going to his room, Nate gently woke Selene.
She turned over, her eyes blinking open. Gods, Nate couldn’t imagine
a day without her. She was so breathtakingly beautiful. “Rick wants a
meeting, now. We have to find Sasha and tell him.”

Selene was up and dressed before Nate made it to the door. She

was walking a bit strange, which made Nate grin. Things seemed dire,
but there was nothing like watching the woman he had fucked with
powerful strokes walking like she…got fucked with powerful strokes.

“Why isn’t he here?” she asked as she pulled her coat on.
“Long story. We need to find him and then let everyone know to

meet up in Rick’s room in ten minutes.”

They both walked from the room. Nate tilted his head back and

scented the air for the leopard. He caught Sasha’s scent and began to
follow it.

“Tell me what happened,” Selene said as she walked next to him.

144 Lynn

Hagen

Nate explained to her what had transpired near the steps. As he

retold the story, he could feel the anger trying to consume him once
more. Selene laid her hand on his arm, stopping him. “He has a
daughter?”

Nate could see the astonishment in her stunning chartreuse eyes.

“Yeah, it seems there is a lot we don’t know about Sasha.”

“How long have you known about him having a child?” she

asked. Nate could hear the strained anger she was trying to keep out
of her tone.

“You are not going to focus your anger at me, Selene.” She

looked pissed, and Nate was not about to be the focus of that wrath.
With everything that had happened, he simply forgot to tell her. It
wasn’t like he had purposefully held it back from her.

“His daughter’s life is at stake and you wonder why he did what

he did?” she asked bewilderingly as they moved behind the motel.

Nate couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He made a sound of

frustration as he stopped walking and then gaped at her. “Since when
do you take his side? If I remember correctly, you want to shoot his
ass every time he opens his mouth.”

“What if it was your daughter, Nate? What would you have done?

I wouldn’t have told anyone about the data card until I knew what to
do with it and knew how to get her out of the situation she was in.
Letting anyone know would be too risky.”

“But he lied to us.”
Selene shook her head, her chin stubborn. “He didn’t lie. He was

protecting his child. You’re just hurt because you think one bout of
amazing sex should have had him confessing his life story.”

How did she do that? How did Selene refocus his attention on

something else that quickly? “You thought it was amazing?”

She slapped his arm. “Men.” She sounded irritated, but the small

tilt of her lips told him she wasn’t as annoyed as she was pretending
to be.

Rise to Seduction

145

Nate grinned. He had feared hurting her, but it seemed she had

had nothing but pleasure when he was inside of her. Good to know.
As soon as the meeting was over he was going to show her just how
amazing he could be.

“You can’t be mad at him, Nate. He didn’t intentionally set out to

hurt us. In a strange way, he was not only protecting his daughter, but
us. You said so yourself.”

“I don’t need him protecting me.” Nate moved his arm from under

Selene’s slim hand. “I can handle whatever comes our way. He should
have trusted this group, or at least Rick.”

He should have trusted Nate. Was Selene right? Was Nate only

pissed because he did feel like Sasha should have told them after
sharing amazing sex together? Nate thought about the aggressive kiss
he shared with the leopard. His lips still tingled at the remembrance.
Sasha had been savage, controlling, and had in a way, challenged
Nate to fight him for those tender lips.

He had wanted to fuck Sasha so badly that he had turned just as

hostile. He could see now that Sasha wasn’t going to give in so easily.
The man was an alpha male, and Nate would have to prove his
strength and worthiness of getting such a precious gift as the man’s
ass.

Nate had no doubt he could show Sasha that he deserved the

man’s ultimate trust.

But that trust worked both ways.
“God, you are so damn thickheaded, Nate. I gave myself to both

of you.” A deep blush colored her cheeks. “Should I have confessed
my entire life?”

“I know you, Selene,” Nate said. “We’ve worked together for a

very long time.”

Selene turned and began to walk. “You don’t know me as well as

you think you do.”

Nate began to catch up with her. “What does that mean?”

146 Lynn

Hagen

Selene spun on her heel and stared up at him, her eyes wide as she

slumped to the ground. Nate had seconds to catch her before he felt a
pinch at his neck. Reaching up, he pulled a dart from his skin and then
stared at it as if he had never seen a tranquilizer dart before.

Somehow he had a feeling he and Selene were in deep shit.

* * * *

Sasha walked down the small sidewalk that ran the course of the

rooms. He wasn’t ready to go back into his and face Nate. The man
had no idea just how much he had wanted to tell the enforcer what
was going on. But Nate had no clue how terrified Sasha was that not
only would his daughter pay the price for the data chip, but this group
as well. He had felt like his hands were tied, and Sasha was clueless
on how to fix things with Nate.

Even back in Shelton, Sasha had been attracted to both enforcers.

He had thought being with either of them was impossible because of
their rivalry. He had also thought being with them was impossible
because of his leap. They would not welcome two werewolves among
them.

Personally, Sasha didn’t give a rat’s ass. But it was Samantha who

would have paid the ultimate price for his desires.

Sasha cursed in frustration. It seemed things were not meant to be

easy for him, even in his adult life. It was bad enough he had such a
fucked-up childhood when his parents’ leap had found out Sasha was
a half breed. He had barely made it out of that place alive.

Foolishly, Sasha thought moving to another state and starting over

would enable him to put all of that behind him.

He had been so wrong.
If anything, this was much worse. He had a child to protect now.

If it had been just him, Sasha would have walked away from it all. He
should have done that anyway. Financially, he could have taken care
of Sammy. That was no problem. But juveniles needed to be raised

Rise to Seduction

147

among their own kind. They needed the love and reassurance their
pack, leap, clan, or whatever could provide.

But the thing was, it had only been Sasha who had given her the

reassurance and love every child needed. His leap, even though
Sammy was leopard, had shunned her.

God, he had been so blind. Sasha had wanted her to fit in, to

belong so badly that he had overlooked their shortcomings in order to
give her a decent life. It would have been so much better if he had just
taken her and started over someplace else. He had let his pride of not
being run off keep him someplace that just might kill her now.

The bad guys had her, and Sasha was fucking terrified they would

harm her. No matter what Rick said, Sasha was going to bargain to
get her back. She was his life. The fucked-up part in all of this was
that Sasha didn’t even know who was after him. He just knew that the
scent he had caught in the labs was the same scent he had
occasionally smelled every so often. The scientist had warned Sasha
that there was nowhere he could hide that they wouldn’t be able to
find him.

He just didn’t know who they was.
“Where is Nate?” Rick asked as he walked out onto the sidewalk.

“He should be gathering everyone for the meeting.”

Sasha frowned at Rick. “I haven’t seen Nate since he stormed

back into our room.” That was what, a half hour ago?

Rick looked puzzlingly at Sasha. “I sent him to get everyone. He

didn’t come find you?”

Sasha had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he shook

his head. “No.”

Rick knocked on the closest door. Mason answered. “Have you

seen Nate?”

“Not since we checked in,” Mason replied. “Is something wrong?”
Sasha took off toward the room he had shared with Nate and

Selene. He prayed the two were in there, but knew Nate wouldn’t

148 Lynn

Hagen

disobey an order from his alpha. It wasn’t in Nate’s nature not to
make sure things were done when asked by Rick. It was his job.

Sasha swallowed hard when he stared at the empty room. Not

only was Nate missing, but so was Selene. A deep-seated rage flared
inside of him. Even if the two had come after him, they should have
been back by now.

“He in there?” Rick asked from a few doors down. Sasha turned

his head, looking at Rick as if his entire life was crumbling down
around him.

And it was.
He had a feeling the same man who had taken Sammy had Nate

and Selene. How had they snuck up on the enforcers? Nate would
have—tranquilizers. Sasha remembered when Nate had used one on
him when Rick had thought Sasha betrayed him and had ordered his
enforcer to bring Sasha to him.

That was the only plausible way that anyone could have gained

the upper hand on the man.

He glanced at Rick when his phone began to buzz in his pocket.

Sasha had a feeling he knew who was calling him. With a shaky hand,
he extracted his phone. Rick began to move toward him as Sasha
answered.

“It seems I have three bargaining chips now, cat,” the man said

with a smile in his tone. “If you want all three back unharmed, not
only will you deliver the card, but Enrique Marcelo as well.”

Sasha wanted to threaten the man, to tell him what would happen

if a hair was harmed on any of their heads, but he knew he hadn’t a
threat to stand on. The stranger pretty much held all of the cards now.
All Sasha had was a damn data card and he didn’t even know what
was on it.

Rick’s top lip curled. He knew the alpha could hear the

conversation. He gave a nod. Sasha knew Rick was telling him to
stall, to tell the stranger they had a deal.

Rise to Seduction

149

“The arrangement is still the same,” the man continued. “When

you get to Louisiana, I’ll contact you.”

Sasha leaned his forehead against the cold stone of the building,

knowing he had no way out of this. Three people who mattered the
most to him were being held by someone hell bent on getting the data
card back.

“He can’t get that card, Sasha.”
Sasha’s head snapped up, his eyes shifting into leopard with the

fierceness of the rage that gripped him. “Why the hell not?”

“Because,” Rick said, “it contains the formula for a virus that will

wipe out the entire changeling population.”

And here Sasha thought his night couldn’t get any worse. If he

had just left that damn thing with the scientist…the changelings
would probably be dead now. “We have to give him something.”

“What we need to do is find out who he is and kill the son of a

bitch,” Rick said heatedly. “But we have something now that we can
use.”

Sasha frowned. “How? It’s a virus that will wipe out changelings.

How can we use that against the humans?”

“Yeah, haven’t quite figured that part out yet.” Rick shrugged.

“But we have a few days to hash out a plan. Once we hit New
Orleans, our time is up.”

Sasha knew that whoever kidnapped the people he cared about

would keep Nate sedated. They wouldn’t chance the big man awake.
Nate was a force to be reckoned with, and his sheer size alone should
be enough to frighten those who had him.

It tore Sasha apart to say his next words. “We can’t give up the

data card, Rick.”

“No, we can’t. But we can come up with a plan that will get the

three back.”

A thought occurred to Sasha. “What about Omar? He’s smart as

hell. Maybe he can manipulate the formula so they can’t use it against
us.”

150 Lynn

Hagen

Rick’s eyes turned stormy. “A good plan, but Omar can’t help us.

I called. Freedman told me that Omar has been taken to the detention
center in Nevada.”

“Goddamn it!” Sasha shouted. “I’m getting really fucking sick of

all this shit.”

“We all are,” Rick replied through clenched teeth. “We are all sick

and tired of running, of merely surviving from one place to the next
and praying we aren’t caught. We are sick and fucking tired of
fighting a war that my bio-daddy decided to wage in order to kill me.
But we can’t lose focus. We can’t fall apart, not now, not when Nate,
Selene, and Samantha are depending on us.” Rick held up the card.
“We need to find a way to use this against our enemies. We need to
find a way to turn the damn tables and show them that we are not so
easily defeated.”

Sasha slammed his fist into the wall, watching as fine particles of

concrete dust crumbled to the ground. “Put out the call. Find out who
in the changeling world is a bioengineering genius.”

“Already have,” Rick replied. “But that still doesn’t help us figure

out how to use the information against the humans.”

“We have a few days,” Sasha replied, feeling the anger mounting

to a pinnacle inside of him. “We’re smart enough to figure something
out by the time we reach the southern states.”

At least he prayed they were. Three lives were depending on this

Rebellion group to save them. Sasha was not going to fail. He was
going to get his family back.

Yes, he considered Nate and Selene his family.
They just didn’t know it yet. They were going to find out, though.

Because when Sasha got them back, he was claiming them as his
mates.

Rise to Seduction

151

Chapter Nineteen

It felt like someone was slamming her head into the hard concrete.

Selene lay still, waiting for the splitting pain to subside. When the
pain ebbed enough, Selene opened her eyes.

Big mistake.
A wave of nausea overtook her, making Selene roll to her side and

vomit. Unfortunately, there was nothing in her stomach to get rid of,
which only made the process of spewing her guts all the more painful.

She tried to blink a few times, but there was someone inside her

head slamming an anvil down on her brain. God, it hurt. What in the
hell had happened? The last thing she remembered, she was arguing
with Nate behind the motel.

If that big brute slugged her, Selene was going to cut his balls off.
If Nate hit this hard, she felt sorry for anyone he unleashed his

anger on.

But it didn’t make any sense. As groggy as Selene was, she knew

Nate would never raise a hand to her in anger. That wasn’t like him.
He was someone she would be utterly terrified of if he were coming
after her, but as his friend, lover, and a fellow enforcer, he wouldn’t
hurt her.

So what in the blue blazes had rendered her unconscious?
Resting her forehead on her arms, Selene tried once again to open

her eyes. Maybe if she shielded them from the light, she would be
able to see where she was at.

“The effects should wear off soon enough.”
Selene did not recognize that voice. She rolled, her canines

elongating, and then she swayed and fell back on her face.

152 Lynn

Hagen

“I would rest until the tranquilizer wears off if I were you.”
“I’m not you,” she said into the mattress. Maybe he was right. She

didn’t feel in immediate danger, but then again, she had no clue who
the man was.

“True, but if you fight the effects, it will only be that much

worse.”

She opened her mouth, moving her jaw around. God, what she

wouldn’t give for something to drink right now. It tasted like she had
been sucking on a tailpipe. Not that she would know what that tasted
like. “Where’s Nate?” Her head lolled to the side, but she still
couldn’t focus.

“Close.”
“What do you want?” she asked. She had a pretty damn good idea,

especially after what Nate had told her. But if this was an altogether
different situation, Selene wasn’t about to divulge anything pertaining
to the data card.

“All changelings to die.”
Okay, maybe she was in immediate danger. From the way the man

sounded, even if he got the card back, she was going to die.

“But I’ll settle for Enrique’s head on a platter. I’m not too picky,

though. It can be mounted on the hood of a car for all I care. Just as
long as I know he is dead.”

Selene pushed her knees up under her, rocking back and forth,

trying to push through the grogginess her mind was floating in. She
stilled when she felt something around her ankle. Was she chained to
the bed?

“I’m almost willing to bet Enrique knows what’s on the data card

by now. I’m also equally willing to bet he isn’t going to trade his life
and the card for you or your boyfriend. I don’t think you are all that
valuable to him. Maybe if you had fucked the man, you might have
stood a chance,” the man said calmly, evenly. “But then again, not
only is my biological bastard an animal, but he would have to
outshine himself and be gay as well.”

Rise to Seduction

153

Selene became utterly still. She was barely breathing. Her heart

began to beat faster. She knew now that there was no way she was
going to survive this.

Not when Naval Special Warfare, Captain O’Hanlon was in the

same room as her. The man had already proven how monstrous he
was. What chance did she stand?

“Why?” Selene asked as she lifted her lids slowly. The man’s

outline was shadowed, but she could somewhat make him out. Good
fucking god, the man was the spitting image of Rick. His build was
much smaller, slimmer, but there was no mistaking the man for Rick’s
father. He even had the same light-grey eyes. Selene would have
thought with the surname of O’Hanlon, the man wouldn’t have the
dark features of his obvious Spanish ancestry. Damn if she wasn’t
wrong.

“Sorry, but I’m not going to sit here and confess my plans to you,

little girl.” He stood by a door, his hands tucked into the front pockets
of his uniform.

“I’m far from a little girl.” She growled her protest. Selene had

seen too much, killed so many. Being a little girl was something she
had left behind decades ago. She hadn’t been that innocent since she
was twelve.

“Ah yes. You must be referring to the pride of lions you

murdered.”

His knowledge of her past was terrifying. No one knew about

what she had done so many years ago. No one knew the blood that
dripped from her very hands. That was one of the reasons she had
asked Nate not to bite her, mate her. She did not deserve to be loved,
cherished.

She would never deserve happiness. Not when so many had died

at her hands.

“Fuck you,” she muttered. She couldn’t let the man know he had

hit a large nerve.

154 Lynn

Hagen

“My intel reveals that it was the king of the lions who fucked

you.”

Selene closed her eyes, fighting against the long-ago memories.

She couldn’t allow this human to get to her. She couldn’t allow him to
weaken her. But as hard as she tried to forget, the memories overtook
her.

“You were twelve at the time, correct?”
Selene bit into her bottom lip, using the pain to shove the

memories from her mind. Her stomach twisted into knots as she bit
back the sob. Death would come to claim her before she cried in front
of this man.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “None of it matters. You don’t matter.

The only thing I want is for that animal to die and to get the card
back.” O’Hanlon set a cell phone on the table by the door. Selene
wasn’t sure what the man was doing until she heard voices on the
other end.

“I need Howard and Lillian to take the babe and go ahead of us.”

There was a short pause. “Bryson, drive them to Brooke and
Deluca’s.”

It was Rick. The son of a bitch was listening in on Rick’s

conversation.

“I have many people who work for me, Miss Lopez. One of them

was kind enough to turn your alpha’s phone into a microphone for
me. I can hear everything that is being said, everything that is being
planned.”

Selene wanted to scream for Rick to shut up, to tell her alpha their

enemy was listening, but she knew it was futile. They could hear
Rick, but her alpha couldn’t hear them. A lot of things were making
sense to her now. It explained how they were losing the war. The
enemy knew what they were going to do before they did it.

“Enrique has one of our satellite phones. It made tapping into his

conversation child’s play.”

Rise to Seduction

155

“I hope you are aware that when he finds you, my alpha is going

to pull you apart, one muscle at a time.”

O’Hanlon smirked at her. “I highly doubt it, little girl.”
She gritted her teeth. The man was calling her that on purpose. He

wanted to fuck with her head.

She wasn’t going to let him.
O’Hanlon picked the phone up and pocketed it before he exited

the room and closed the door behind him.

Selene rolled to her back, covering her eyes with her arm as she

fought not to see Alejandro’s face. The man had been a monster who
preyed on little girls. But after he had brutally ripped her innocence
from her young body, Selene had gone into a blind rage, killing
everyone in the man’s pride.

It wasn’t until years later when she had come across a pride of

lions that the memories had resurfaced. Every gory detail came back
to her. Selene had killed so many innocent people in her blind rage.

“Fuck,” she ground out as she tried to sit up. The man knew where

to hit the hardest. He had taken the one dark memory she owned and
used it to hit her at her core. But Selene wasn’t going to lie here and
whimper. She had done enough of that already when the memories
had come back like an iron fist, threatening to choke the very life out
of her.

No, she was going to figure out a way to get her and Nate out of

here. O’Hanlon was not going to use them as his tool to destroy Rick.

Examining the steel cuff around her ankle, Selene knew she was

going to have a hell of a time getting free. She was stronger than
humans, but the cuff was reinforced steel with a chain attached that
was thicker than her wrist.

The bastard had thought ahead. Selene swore to herself that if she

ever had the chance, she would rip O’Hanlon apart with her bare
hands. Nobody had gotten to her like that in so many years since she
was a juvenile. She had proven herself in Rick’s pack and become an
enforcer. It was her way of taking back what Alejandro had stolen

156 Lynn

Hagen

from her. The guilt of what she had done afterward haunted her, but
the memory of that lion still visited her nightmares.

She had fooled herself into thinking she had put the devastation

behind her, but she knew the anger she held inside was what had
driven her all these years.

“Not now, girl. You need to focus.” She lifted the chain, feeling

the cold metal in her hands. The only way she was going to get out of
this shackle was to gnaw her own damn ankle off.

That was not an option.
So she sat there, wondering how in the hell she was going to get

out of here.

* * * *

“I need Howard and Lillian to take the babe and go ahead of us,”

Rick said. “Bryson, drive them to Brooke and Deluca’s. Boston will
ride shotgun.”

“Christmas,” Lillian said softly.
Rick paused. “What?”
Lillian held the boy in her arms. He had shifted back into his

human form earlier. Rick had guessed him as a toddler. He had been
right. The child couldn’t be any older than three. “He told me his
name is Christmas.”

Rick grinned. “I want you to take Chris and get out of here.” Rick

turned. “Mason, I want you and Ian to go with them to ensure they
make it safely. Drive straight there and stay off the main roads.”

The older couple gathered their things. Lillian glanced at Dorian,

and Rick could tell she didn’t want to leave him.

“I’ll be all right, Mom.” Dorian hugged her, and Rick could see

tears glistening in her eyes. He wanted to reassure her that everything
would be okay, that none of them would be harmed, but Rick was not
going to lie to her, so he said nothing as he gave her a hug.

Rise to Seduction

157

Dorian glanced at Mason. When the jaguar nodded, Dorian

hugged Ian. “Take care of Mom. She’s going to be worried about
me.”

Ian nodded. “I will.”
Dorian hugged Ian tighter. “I’ve always loved you, Ian. Even

through it all, I’ve always loved you.”

Rick could see the moisture in the smaller man’s eyes. “I know

and I’m thankful to have you as my older brother.”

Benito and Miguel walked them to the car, their guns out,

scanning the area. As soon as the car pulled away, Rick glanced at the
remaining men. He was left with the two enforcers, Dorian, and
Sasha. Smaller numbers would work better for them. Everyone
gathered in Rick’s room.

“There’s a message for you,” Benito said as he pointed to the

laptop still sitting open on the small table by the window. Rick
crossed the room, glancing down to see the message board the
Rebellions had set up. There was an unread post to his request for a
bioengineer.

He opened the thread to see the message was from someone who

referred to himself as Beastman.

Can meet you wherever you need me. Name the time and place.

Rick typed in a place he had once visited in Montgomery,

Alabama. It was a small trailer park off of Bell Road. Rick typed in
the location and time and then shut his laptop down. “Let’s hit the
road.”

Rick took his bags to the truck, storing them in the back when he

paused. He stood there, motionless as he felt someone, or something,
watching him. “I know you are out there.”

Nothing moved, no noise sounded, but Rick knew the Shadow

was there, hiding somewhere in the dark. So far it hadn’t attacked. It
was almost as if it was merely watching them.

158 Lynn

Hagen

The feeling vanished when Miguel and Benito came out of the

room, tossing their bags into the back of the truck. Rick glanced
around, but knew whatever had been following him since that
warehouse was nowhere around now.

Sasha was silent as he climbed into the back. Rick didn’t blame

him. The man had everything to lose if this went wrong. If the deep
scowl on his face was anything to go by, Rick had a feeling his two
enforcers were going to be mated just as soon as Sasha got his hands
on them.

Rick pulled away from the small motel and headed toward

Alabama. They were taking the roundabout way, but he needed to
find a way to use the card against the humans, not the other way
around.

They were going to have to drive straight through, no rest if he

was going to make it to Alabama to meet up with Beastman and then
hightail it to Louisiana. He just hoped whoever had Nate and Selene
didn’t know they were taking a little side trip.

The person seemed to know more than Rick would have liked. He

wasn’t sure how they were finding out the Rebellions’ moves, but he
knew he had to be careful or the two people who he cared about were
going to die.

“We’ll figure this out,” Dorian said as he smoothed his hand over

Rick’s. Rick turned his hand over, twining their fingers together.

“I sure as hell hope so, gatito.”
He sure as hell hoped so.

Rise to Seduction

159

Chapter Twenty

Selene fought against the two men escorting her down a hall. Her

wrists and ankles were shackled in heavy metal chains, preventing her
from kicking their balls in. She had already tried shifting to break the
ankle chain when she was alone in the room, but the only thing that
had accomplished was the metal digging into her skin.

Selene never knew there was such a thing to keep a changeling

bound. It was pissing her off. She didn’t like feeling helpless. The
scent of enjoyment lingered around the two humans. They were
getting a kick out of her struggling.

Bastards.
If she got loose, she would show them what it was like to have

their freedom taken from them when she tore their fucking throats
out.

When a loud howl rent the air, Selene pulled back—or tried to

pull back. The guards weren’t letting her slow down.

“Don’t worry, doll, I’m pretty sure your death will be quick,” one

of the guards taunted.

The other smirked as he released the lock on a door they had

stopped in front of and then swung it open.

Selene was violently shoved into the room, the door slamming

behind her. She wasn’t sure what in the hell was going on, but the
hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Before she could get her
bearings, she was knocked to the floor.

The air whooshed from her lungs as Selene struggled to get the

immense weight off of her when she saw a mouth full of very sharp,
lethal teeth.

160 Lynn

Hagen

“Oh, fuck.” Selene pushed at the furry body, but the werewolf was

too large, too heavy to get off of her.

This was so not good. Her ankle had bled when she was trying to

get the metal cuff off. The blood was scenting the air. This changeling
was going to try and eat her.

“Back off!” she shouted in a futile attempt to get him away from

her.

The werewolf’s hand—which was three times the size of hers—

curled around her neck, strangling her as his teeth moved dangerously
closer. Selene struggled, but the hand alone pinned her to the floor.

She used the chain connecting her wrists as a weapon, swinging it

up to slam into the beast’s face. It shook its head and then stared
down at her with murderous intent.

Jade green.
Oh, fuck!
“Nate,” Selene whimpered from a throat that was being slowly

crushed. “Nate, it’s me, Selene.”

In that second she knew what was happening. O’Hanlon had

somehow trapped Nate in his changeling form, pitting him against
her. Selene knew that if Nate killed her, he would never forgive
himself. She had to try and get through to him.

“Nate,” she whimpered again. “Please.”
His upper lip curled in disgust. She knew then that her weak pleas

were not helping. He saw her as prey in this moment—nothing more.

“Goddamn you, Nate!” She tried for a shout, but his hand

clamping down on her throat made it impossible. She bucked, using
her knee to slam into his ass. “Get the fuck off of me, you hairy
bastard!”

Selene’s eyes watered and tears began to roll down her face when

he picked her up from the floor by her neck, her feet dangling in the
air. She couldn’t even swing one leg back and use the momentum to
hurt him because of the ankle restraints.

Fuck, she was going to die.

Rise to Seduction

161

Nate gnashed his teeth in her face and then threw her across the

room. She hit the wall and then rolled, crouching. “Don’t make me
hurt you.”

The threat was almost laughable. Nate was the largest werewolf

she had ever seen. He had to be well over seven feet tall—if not
taller—and his body mass had doubled. The man was already large
enough in human form. This was insane.

This was going to get ugly.
When he grabbed her again, Selene managed to get the chain

around his neck. That was a feat unto itself considering his neck was
thicker than her waist. She wasn’t trying to kill him, but while in his
changeling form, Nate would not accept her weakness.

She had to show him she was a worthy opponent.
“I had sex with you, you mindless beast. Tell me you don’t

remember my scent,” she said with a hiss in his ear as she climbed
further up his back, tightening the chain around his neck. “Tell me
you don’t know it’s me, Selene.”

Nate roared as he struggled to get her off of his back. She dodged

his long claws before they sunk into her arms. He spun in a circle,
swatting his hands over his head, trying to extract her.

“Damn you, Nate! Think past the hunger,” she said in desperation.

“What did they do to you?”

A disembodied voice sounded overhead. “He has been given a

cocktail injection that will keep him in this form for a few hours, Miss
Lopez. It will be long enough for him to kill you.”

They were watching. This was some sort of sick entertainment for

them. Selene wondered if other changelings had gone through this.
Somehow she knew she wasn’t the first to fight for her life against
someone she loved.

It sickened her.
Gritting her teeth, Selene was determined to stay alive. If Nate

succeeded in killing her, she knew he would go mad from the guilt
and grief.

162 Lynn

Hagen

“I won’t let you make us enemies,” Selene shouted to the ceiling.
“It seems Mr. Valez thinks differently.”
Selene had allowed the voice to distract her. Nate reached up and

grabbed her before she had seen what he was doing. He pulled her off
with ease, his claws sinking into her arms. She bit back the scream of
pain, refusing to appear weak.

A tremor of fear raced through her when he lifted her and licked at

the wound in her arm. He was delighting in the taste before he sank
his teeth into her. Selene tried again. “Nate, look at me…Nate!”

He wasn’t listening to her.
He is going to be pissed at me for this one.
Selene swung the chain over his head and pulled closer, using her

own canines to sink down into his neck. She had to get his attention.
She had to get him the fuck off of her. He howled, tossing her aside as
he grabbed his neck. She could scent the blood.

His blood.
Pushing to her feet, Selene once again crouched down. “You want

me, beasty?” she taunted as she moved slowly to her right. “Then
come get me.”

Selene’s instincts had finally kicked in. She was not only fighting

to survive, but fighting to keep Nate from doing something he would
regret later.

Thank fuck she had trained with him and knew a lot of his moves

already. It made dodging his claws and teeth a little easier. But she
was still in her human form. Although her bone density was much
thicker than humans’, they could be broken. Selene just had to make
sure he didn’t get his hands on her.

She knew she was providing entertainment for whoever was

watching—and she had a feeling O’Hanlon was partaking in this form
of amusement—but she had to focus on Nate. She would kill
everyone else once she was free.

Rise to Seduction

163

Nate stood predatory still, watching her, trying to see what she

was going to do next. Selene wasn’t using any of the moves he had
taught her. She couldn’t. That would make her an easy target.

She ran toward him, coiling her body for the leap…and then slid

between his legs. She had thrown him off. Nate swung his arms out to
catch her midair, but she was on the floor, pulling his legs from under
him.

Nate hit the floor hard.
Selene hurled herself onto his back, holding on for dear life as he

quickly pushed from the floor.

“I love you, Nate. Please, come back to me,” she whispered low

enough for the words to reach his ears only.

Nate hesitated, and then howled, slamming his back into the wall.
There was no reaching him while he had that cocktail coursing

through his system. Selene could see that.

Damn it, he was going to make her hurt him.
It was better than the alternative, which was him killing her.
Using her canines, Selene repeatedly bit him along his shoulder

and the back of his thick neck. The pain exploded inside of her when
he hurled himself into the wall once more, trying to dislodge her.

Her claws extended and she sank one hand into each shoulder. It

was a death grip for her, but pain for him. She didn’t want to cause
Nate any pain, ever, but she was left with no choice. The voice had
said he would be like this for a few hours.

Selene wasn’t sure she could keep this up that long.
But she had no choice. Both their lives depended on her stopping

the werewolf from killing her.

* * * *

Sasha paced the small mobile home as the wererabbit worked

quickly to decode the data card.

164 Lynn

Hagen

Really, a wererabbit? Sasha had to fight not to take a bite out of

the small man. He had to give the changeling his dues, though. There
were predators standing all around him and he didn’t even flinch.

Although Benito and Miguel kept sniffing him.
“This is ingenious!” Beastman finally said. Sasha wondered how

the man came up with that username. It should have been Bitable.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. They managed to

isolate the enzymes for—”

“English,” Rick grunted.
Did Rick just lick his lips?
Sasha saw that he wasn’t the only one tempted by the furry little

man. Dorian must have noticed because he moved between his mate
and the delicious-smelling changeling.

The man turned, totally oblivious to the snack he presented, or

ignoring the fact. “They have basically made an airborne virus that
when inhaled”—the man made a small explosion sound—“makes the
enzymes in your heart explode.”

“Like, a heart attack?” Rick asked.
“Exactly.”
Sasha stepped closer, gazing at the screen, but all he could see

were things that made no sense to him. He wasn’t a bioengineer, after
all.

“But they screwed up. You see this.” The man pointed to a funny-

shaped drawing. “They think they isolated this virus to just
changeling DNA.”

“But they didn’t,” Sasha chanced a guess.
The man shook his head. “No, they didn’t. Humans will be

affected as well. The calculations are off by a fraction, but enough
that this virus will not stay with the changeling population alone.”

“How can we use this against them?” Rick asked.
The man gaped at Rick. “You can’t. If you twisted my arm and

made me create this virus, it would kill everyone, including household
pets. There is no way. We would all be sitting ducks.”

Rise to Seduction

165

Sasha licked his lips.
“I could mess with the formula so that it is nothing more than a

recipe for chicken soup, though.”

Sasha was getting really hungry. Would the man stop using

nonpredatory references? God, why was he tempting Sasha?

“Do it,” Rick said. “But I want you to copy the original first.”
“Why?” the man asked. “What would you accomplish by having

this information?”

“I want you to print out the flaw. Just that part alone. That way I

can send it to the humans to show them that we now have the formula
for the destruction of all mankind.”

The man shook his head. “I won’t do it. I won’t be a party to

genocide.”

Rick growled. “Then tell me, little bunny, how do we use this

information in our favor?”

The man swallowed. Sasha could see the light going on over the

man’s head. He glanced at each of them in turn, seeing the predators’
eyes glowing all around him.

“Will you stop scaring him?” Dorian snapped. “He can’t help us if

you guys scare him into a stroke.”

Benito leaned forward, inhaling the man’s scent. Dorian swatted

at the enforcer. “Back off.”

“But he smells so good,” Benito protested. “Can’t I have just one

small bite?”

“A nibble?” Miguel asked as his eyes darted to the wererabbit.
Dorian growled as he pulled his gun from his holster. “Bite him

and I’ll shoot you.”

The man began to type in a flurried motion, his fingers moving at

lightning speed. Sasha took a step back, calming his leopard, telling
the beast the man wasn’t for eating.

His leopard yowled in protest.
“I’ve restructured the virus,” the man said quickly. Sasha could

smell the fear coming off of the man. God, Benito was right. He

166 Lynn

Hagen

smelled so damn good. “If they unleash this virus, the only thing it is
going to do is give everyone the flu.”

“You can do that?” Rick asked. Sasha could see the alpha was

trying his best to hold his breath.

The man gave Rick a scathing look and then quickly relaxed his

expression. But the smugness didn’t disappear. “I’m a genius, Mr.
Marcelo. If I wanted to, I could bake a batch of cookies that would
shut down every muscle in your body…permanently.”

Okay, maybe Sasha wouldn’t eat the man.
“I need to call Edward,” Rick said as he slipped his hand into his

pocket. “Shit, I left my phone in the truck.”

“I wouldn’t use your phone,” Beastman said and then turned

toward Rick. “I have equipment that can pick up on the slightest
signals and you have a pulsating static coming from your truck.”

“Which means?” Rick asked.
“You, my dear predator, have an unwanted guest listening in on

your conversations.”

Rise to Seduction

167

Chapter Twenty-One

Nate lay naked on the floor, his body feeling as though it had gone

through a meat grinder. He was changeling, able to heal, but it felt as
though someone had stabbed him with a thousand knives.

Just what in the hell had happened to him?
Rolling to his side, Nate opened his eyes and stilled.
God, no, no, no, no!
Selene was lying in the corner, an unconscious, bloody mess. Nate

crawled to her before he had time to think, seeing shackles around her
wrists and ankles. The skin under the metal was bloody and looked
chewed. But it was the blood coming from various cuts all over her
body that drew his attention.

Reaching out, he lifted her chin, examining her face. God, it was

bruised to hell. What happened to her? Swallowing hard, Nate used
the tips of his fingers to feel for a pulse. He was terrified she wouldn’t
be alive. It was faint, but she was alive.

He had to get her to shift to heal her wounds.
“Selene,” Nate said in a low, desperate tone. “Wake up, baby.”
His primitive core told him a changeling had done this to her.

Worse, it was he who had inflicted these wounds on her delicate skin.
Nate didn’t allow himself to dwell on that thought. He had to get her
to shift. “Selene, wake up.” Running his hands over her head—
because he was afraid to touch any other part of her for fear of
making her wounds worse—he gave it a light shake.

Nate’s head snapped up when a flat-screen he hadn’t even noticed

came to life on the far wall. Watching in horror, Nate witnessed his
and Selene’s battle as it played on the screen. Why couldn’t he

168 Lynn

Hagen

remember any of it? His heart grew cold when he saw his changeling
beast pull Selene’s human form from his back and slam her into the
wall. He briefly closed his eyes, feeling as if he had just witnessed the
most heinous crime he could commit against Selene. It was him who
was abusing her—his beast. Even though Nate didn’t remember any
of it, he still felt so damn guilty that he wanted to rip his own throat
out.

When he opened his eyes, he could see Selene’s lips moving on

the television. Nate strained to hear what she was saying. “I love you,
Nate. Please come back to me.”

His world felt as if it were crumbling down around him. Nate

growled, leaping to his feet and racing across the room. He smashed
his hands into the screen, wishing he could hurt the people who held
them captive instead of the monitor. He didn’t want to see any of this.
How the fuck could he attack the woman he loved? How had his beast
not recognized her scent?

Nate crawled back over to Selene, carefully lifting her head and

cradling it in his lap. She was still unconscious and that worried him.
He wasn't sure what kind of damage he had inflicted. She was fucking
pocket sized and he was like King Kong in his changeling form. How
in the hell had she survived? He began to run his hands over her soft
black hair, wishing she would wake up when he felt a knot on the
back of her scalp.

Now he knew why she wouldn’t wake up. She was concussed.
“That was a brilliant show,” a disembodied voice said overhead.

“I look forward to seeing it again.”

Nate ignored it as he checked her body over. Frown lines marked

his forehead as Nate stared at a star-shaped bruise on her back. His
werewolf wouldn’t have been able to make such a mark.

Selene moaned and Nate held her still. “Careful, you’re injured.”
“My ribs,” Selene panted and then began to draw in shallow

breathes. “I think they’re broken.”

Rise to Seduction

169

The guilt tried to surface, but Nate held it back. Right now he

needed to find out what was wrong with her before he began the
process of beating himself up for what he had done to her. “What else
hurts on you?”

Selene blinked her eyes open, and the chartreuse color bore into

him. “Everything.”

He could tell it pained her to admit that. Her jaw was set firmly in

her bruised face. “I think my ankle is broken, too.”

“You need to shift, Selene. You can’t heal in your human form.”
“I can’t,” she gritted out. Nate was terrified her jaw was broken.

She was talking through her teeth. “The shackles won’t let me.”

Nate reached down and pulled her arm up, examining the metal. It

was reinforced steel. As carefully as he could, Nate laid Selene’s head
in his lap and then used both hands to grab the chain. With a hard tug,
he snapped it.

“I’m really pissed at you.”
The guilt was back. “I’m so sorry, Selene. I had no idea what I

was doing.”

“Not for that,” she said as she narrowed her eyes. “I couldn’t

break the chains, but you snap them with no problem.”

Nate gave her a wobbly smile, although he didn’t feel like

laughing. Not when she lay there with wounds he had inflicted upon
her. “I’ll teach you how.”

“I highly doubt it,” she said. “I think my jaw is broken.”
She confirmed his fear. “Then stop talking.” Nate turned the cuff

over in his hand and then wedged his fingers between flesh and metal.
“This may hurt, but if I can get these off, you’ll be able to shift.”

“I don’t think—” Selene cried out through clenched teeth as Nate

forced the cuff open. He shut down his mind, focusing only on the
task at hand, because if he allowed himself to hear her muted screams
of pain, he would be rendered helpless.

170 Lynn

Hagen

Once the cuffs were off her wrists, Nate worked on her ankles.

The last cuff proved difficult, and Nate nearly stopped what he was
doing when a loud, piercing cry filled the room.

“Shift,” he said without looking at her. He couldn’t. There was no

way Nate could look her in the eyes after making her scream for
mercy. His heart was breaking as she shifted into her second form.
She lay there, a wolf of the wild, and he could tell she fell into an
unconscious sleep.

“Very impressive,” the voice said. “Maybe I will keep you instead

of destroying you.”

Nate glanced up as his hands skimmed through Selene’s soft coat

of fur. “Why don’t you come in here and fight me for the privilege of
keeping me as your pet?”

Nate spotted the tiny camera up in the corner. He set Selene gently

against the floor, walked over, and ripped it from the wall.

“That wasn’t a very smart thing to do, Mr. Valez.”
“Fuck you,” Nate snarled. He tossed the camera aside, hurrying

over to Selene. He had gained precious seconds. He knew they would
do something to knock his ass out since they couldn’t monitor him.
Scooping her wolf form from the floor, Nate moved quickly to the
door. He was buck-ass naked, but there wasn’t much he could do
about that.

The only thing on his mind was escape.
Grabbing the doorknob, Nate crushed the metal in his hand,

breaking the lock. He opened the door quickly. There were men in
uniforms running down the hallway, guns raised. Nate let his
werewolf form explode from his body, only this time he was
cognizant of what he was doing. He raced toward the end of the hall
and leapt, his body shattering the glass window as he fell three stories
to the ground.

That was going to fucking hurt when his adrenaline wore off. As

the shards of glass rained down around him, Nate took off, running

Rise to Seduction

171

through the streets and away from the building he and Selene had
been held in.

Shit, he was in a city.
The few people on the streets scattered to get away from him as

Nate ran, the cold air rushing by him. He had to call Rick. He had to
let his alpha know where he was so that he and Selene could be
picked up.

Unfortunately, his phone was gone.
He spotted a store up ahead and raced toward the back. The streets

would be flooded soon with men hunting them down. Nate cleared the
back door and saw he was in an electronic store. Holy fucking shit,
luck was shining down on him. Nate grabbed the phone on the wall
and found a dial tone.

Maybe they would make it out of this alive. He cradled Selene in

one arm as he dialed with the other hand. “Come on, pick up.”

The call dumped into voice mail. Nate tried Miguel’s phone.
“Yo, yo, yo,” Benito said as he answered.
“It’s Nate.”
“Where the hell are you?” Benito asked and then he heard voices

in the background.

“Nate?” It was Sasha. “Where are you?”
“Running through a city, naked, and Selene is wounded. Hang

on.” Nate set the phone down and frantically searched for a piece of
mail, flier, or anything that could tell him where he was at. He spotted
a business card and snatched it up.

Nate picked up the phone. “You there?”
“I’m here. Tell me where you guys are.” He could hear the

desperation in Sasha’s deep voice.

Nate crushed the card in his hand as he gave Sasha the address.

“But I can’t stay here. They’ll be checking the buildings for us.”

“Head south. We’ll pick you up.”

172 Lynn

Hagen

Nate didn’t want to hang up. He felt like if he hung up he would

be severing the ties to the Rebellion group. “They made me hurt her,
Sasha,” Nate whispered into the phone.

There was a pause where Nate could hear Sasha breathing. “Don’t

do this to yourself. I need you to focus, Nate. I need both of you to
survive so I can claim you two.”

Nate closed his eyes, letting Sasha’s strong voice sink deep into

his frigid bones.

“Nate,” Sasha said a little more firmly. “Don’t let them win.”
“I won’t.” Nate hung up, because he knew if he didn’t do it now,

he would hold on to the phone forever. He moved around the store
and found a room in the back. There wasn’t anything there he could
use for clothes, but he did find one of those grey, scratchy blankets in
the first aid cabinet.

It would have to do.
He set Selene down on the table, wrapped the blanket around his

waist, and then as carefully as he could, Nate picked her up and
headed for the back door. Once he checked to make sure no one was
in the area, Nate hurriedly stepped out and made his way south. The
reprieve he had found inside the store was slowly seeping from his
skin, the cold air settling into his body.

Nate knew that if the Rebellion group didn’t find him soon, he and

Selene were going to freeze to death.

* * * *

“He’s thirteen miles north of us,” Sasha said as he gave the phone

back to Miguel.

“That close?” Rick asked.
Sasha had been stunned as well, but now he was determined to

find the two, and then he was going after his daughter. The son of a
bitch who had taken the people he cared about the most would pay.

Sasha was going to make sure of that.

Rise to Seduction

173

“Dump the phone,” the wererabbit reminded them. “Next time,

keep an eye out for the signs.”

“What signs?” Rick asked.
“Your phone will be hot to the touch, have static, and the battery

will drain constantly.”

“Thanks,” Rick said as he took the data card from the man. “I owe

you one.”

The man blushed as he glanced over at Benito. “No problem.”
How in the hell could the rabbit make googly eyes at Benito when

the werewolf had wanted to eat him? Sasha would never understand
nonpredatory men. Benito was liable to make a meal out of the guy
instead of fucking him.

The gleam in Benito’s eyes confirmed Sasha’s thoughts. “Let’s

go.” Sasha spun the werewolf around and shoved him toward the
door. “You don’t fuck your food,” he reminded the enforcer.

Benito laughed and then winked at the man.
Beastman scowled right before he slammed the door behind them.
“I swear I’m going to get a muzzle for every last one of you,”

Dorian complained as he climbed into the Suburban.

Rick grabbed his phone, slid the back off, and removed the

battery. “I want everyone to dump their phones.”

“You can’t,” Sasha protested. “At least not Benito’s. It’s the only

number he has right now.” There was no way Sasha was leaving Nate
and Selene out there with no way to get in touch with them. That
wasn’t even a possibility.

Rick glanced at Benito as he pulled from the lot. “Is your phone

hot?”

“Nope,” Benito said. “It’s not draining, either.”
“Keep it until we find our package and then toss it.”
Sasha grabbed his phone from his pocket, ready to turn it off when

he remembered the text he had received when he, Nate, and Selene
had been hiding in the closet. Checking his text messages, Sasha’s
breath left his lungs.

174 Lynn

Hagen

I know your secret, Sasha. How long do you think your brat will

survive when the others find out?

It was from Astoria.
But Sasha knew Sammy wasn’t with the leap. The men after the

data card had her. That didn’t make him feel any less worried, but to
know she wasn’t around that malicious leopard made the knots in his
stomach lessen.

Once this was over, Sasha was going to kill that damn cat.
They pulled onto Troy Highway and headed toward Nate and

Selene. Sasha sat in the back, watching out of the window as the
scenery flew by. He knew they had precious little time before they
had to be in New Orleans.

If the man holding his daughter harmed her in any way, Sasha was

going to personally blow the fucking White House to smithereens. He
was a powerful alpha in his own right, but it seemed the humans were
trying to prove he was as helpless as a babe.

If he—Sasha frowned when his cell went off. He didn’t recognize

the number. Cautiously, he answered. “Hello?”

“Daddy?”
Sasha slumped forward, resting his forehead on the palm of his

hand. “Where are you, Sammy?” Why would her abductors allow her
to call? God, please don’t let it be a brutal message they are trying to
convey to me. Sasha knew he wouldn’t be able to hear his little girl’s
screams.

“Hold on,” she said.
“Sammy, no!” Sasha shouted into the phone and waited. His pulse

was thumping so harshly that his heart began to hurt. “Sammy?”

Rick had pulled over to the side of the road, everyone turning their

attention to him. “You there, Sammy?”

“Extraction complete. Where do you want to meet us?”

Rise to Seduction

175

A relieved whoosh left Sasha’s lungs, and he could feel the tears

falling from his eyes. He didn’t care. This was his little Sammy they
were talking about. “Where are you, Corrigan?”

“Believe it or not, Shelton.”
Sasha glanced up at Rick. “Lie low. We have to pick up Nate and

Selene, and then we’re heading your way.” Sasha paused. “How did
you get her out? I got a phone call stating she was with some
unsavory men.”

“Trust me, it wasn’t easy. Those leopards damn near tore my head

off. Jordison is nursing some pretty heavy wounds, but he’ll survive.”

Then Sasha was lied to. He had the data card and the people he

cared about. The humans had nothing. But he wasn’t going to
celebrate just yet. He didn’t have all three of the people he cared
about with him. Until he could set his eyes on them, Sasha was going
to hold his breath.

“Call me when you are close.” Corrigan hung up.
Sasha held on to the phone a little longer, thanking whoever was

listening that no one had been harmed. He thought about what Nate
had told him, but Sasha knew deep down that Selene would heal in
her changeling form.

“We have to find a way,” Rick muttered.
“For what?” Sasha asked.
“To still use this card against them. They have nothing to bargain

with now.”

“Yes, they do,” Dorian said. “They still have the entire changeling

population, and it seems they are doing a damn good job of killing
them. Plus”—Dorian glanced at everyone in the truck—“they have
Omar.”

* * * *

Captain O’Hanlon waited on the dock by the lake, his hands

tucked neatly behind his back. The February winds blew his tweed

176 Lynn

Hagen

coat open, giving him a chill. He tucked the buttons into the eyelets
and then watched the few birds that remained behind fly off.

The sound of tires crunching on small pebbles told him that the

man who had been in charge of securing Samantha Monroe had just
arrived. A car door closed and then he heard the man approaching.

“Captain,” the man acknowledged.
“Have you completed your assignment?” he asked, cutting the

pleasantries and getting right to the subject at hand. He didn’t have
much time. O’Hanlon had to meet with Vice Admiral James in one
hour.

That was another problem he was still trying to take care of, but it

seemed the Vice Admiral was a little more cautious than O’Hanlon
had anticipated.

“The two ops slipped past us.”
O’Hanlon ran his tongue along his lower lip. “So she is back with

her father?”

He could hear the hesitancy in the man’s voice. “I’m afraid so,

sir.”

“Well,” he began as his eyes watched the white caps on the water.

From the look of the skies, a storm was coming. “They were trained
by the best.”

“That they were, sir.”
O’Hanlon reached into his inner pocket of his long tweed coat and

pulled the trigger, the silencer muting the gunshot.

As the body slumped toward the ground, O’Hanlon turned and

walked toward his car. “No excuses,” he muttered under his breath as
he climbed into his car and then drove off. Once he was clear of the
docks, O’Hanlon pulled his cell phone free.

“Sir,” the person on the other end answered, his tone professional,

crisp.

“It’s a go.” O’Hanlon hung up. He would have loved nothing

more than to be there when the house in New Orleans was blown sky-

Rise to Seduction

177

high, but he knew that was impossible. O’Hanlon had to stay removed
from the situation.

Enrique’s phone may have gone dead, but not before O’Hanlon

had learned where they were headed.

They just had to get that data card from Sasha before his body was

incinerated by the explosion.

178 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Twenty-Two

Boston’s fists tightened in his lap as he stared at the roadblock up

ahead. He knew changelings were being hunted to extinction, but his
father had kept Boston away from all of the nightmarish things going
on. He even went so far as to homeschool him.

This was his first time out in the world since the war started, but

he knew the roadblock was a very bad thing.

“Shit,” Bryson cursed under his breath. “I don’t have any blood

for them.”

“Use ours,” Howard quickly volunteered. Boston had no idea

what was going on until he watched the doc in action. He pulled over
to the shoulder of the road, enough to where the cops couldn’t see
them, and then grabbed his bag from the floor at Boston’s feet.

“What are you doing?”
“Saving our lives,” Bryson said as he made quick work of

drawing Howard’s blood. The scent hit Boston hard, but he felt a
hand on the back of his neck, squeezing. It was Mason.

“Breathe easy.”
Boston closed his eyes, but that wasn’t helping. The small

pinprick amount was making his canines elongate. He tried to shake
his head to clear it, but that wasn’t working. All he could think about
was licking the blood from Howard, and then biting.

“Get him out of the car,” Bryson ordered as he worked frantically.

“We’re screwed if he shifts.”

Mason pulled Boston from the front seat, tossed a heavy arm over

his shoulder, and walked him toward the trunk. “Take in deep
breaths.”

Rise to Seduction

179

The cool air was helping. The metallic scent of blood was no

longer clouding his mind. Boston could think past the red haze that
had been buzzing in his head. “How do you do it?” Boston asked. “Is
it because I’m newly converted?”

“Fuck no,” Mason replied. “I still have problems scenting blood

and not shifting. I don’t think any changeling has a handle on it. Even
Rick is sometimes affected.”

“What about Sasha?” Boston asked. He wasn’t sure why, but the

moment he had laid eyes on the cat he had been fascinated. Maybe it
was the fact that Sasha had been walking in his changeling form.
Boston wasn’t sure. But he knew in his mind he had some strange
hero worship toward the guy.

“He doesn’t have a full handle on it either.”
Boston nodded as he glanced over his shoulder, staring at the road

ahead of them. “What are we going to do? My father told me about
the cops testing for irregular blood.”

“Beat the test,” Mason replied. The man made it sound so simple,

but Boston knew it wasn’t. They were taking a huge risk.

“Why can’t we just turn around and go a different route?”
Mason crossed his arms over his chest, glanced behind him at the

road ahead of them, and then shook his head. “Because this is the
quickest way to New Orleans. Even if we manage to turn around,
there will be other roadblocks. We have to get through them.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” Boston voiced his fears. “What if they

discover that we are changelings? My father may have kept me
sheltered, but I know that towns are deserted, cities as well. There is
no one to help us.”

Mason cupped his face. “You have to keep it together, Boston. If

we panic now, if we give into our fears, they will win. The only way
we are going to make it through this is if we work together. You take
the backseat. I want you to sit between Howard and Lillian. I’ll take
the front.

180 Lynn

Hagen

Boston quickly nodded. He had wanted to get out, to see what was

going on in the world, but his father hadn’t let him. Now that he was
out here, Boston wanted to run back home.

But he could never go home.
All he had known was gone, and all he had left were the people in

the Rebellion group.

* * * *

Nate quickly moved off of the road when he saw a vehicle in the

distance. He wasn’t sure who it was. If the Suburban passed him, he
would call Miguel’s phone again. But until he knew for sure, Nate
was going to stay hidden.

He climbed down the side of the roadway, making sure he and

Selene were hidden as the vehicle passed them by. His eyes snapped
down to the wolf when Selene began to shift back to her human form.

Damn it. She was going to be naked and freezing now. At least in

her wolf form she had stayed warm with her fur. “How you feeling,
hon?” Nate asked as he pulled the blanket from around his waist and
used it to cover her.

“C–Cold,” Selene said as her teeth chattered.
He pulled her close to him, running his hands over her skin. She

looked completely healed, but that didn’t stop Nate from feeling so
damn guilty about what had happened.

“Don’t,” Selene whispered into Nate’s chest.
“Don’t what?” he asked.
“Feel guilty.” Selene tilted her head back, staring up at him with

such beautiful eyes. “Besides, how do you think you got knocked
out?”

Nate was stunned. “You knocked me out?” He tried to imagine

Selene kicking his beast’s ass but couldn’t. It was true he couldn’t
remember what had happened, but petite Selene handed him his ass?

Rise to Seduction

181

God, he prayed she never told anyone—especially Sasha. Nate would
never live that down.

“Don’t look so damn stunned,” she muttered as if offended that

Nate couldn’t believe she had knocked him unconscious. “Size
doesn’t always matter.”

Nate couldn’t help but smile at her. “Trust me, it does.”
The side of her lips quivered, and Nate could tell she was fighting

not to smile. “You know what I mean.”

Nate didn’t want to ask but he had to know. It was eating him

alive that he couldn’t remember what had taken place back at that lab.
And that was what it was, a lab. They had experimented on him, and
Nate felt like he had been violated in the worst sort of way. He had
had his free will taken from him, had been forced to do something he
would have never done if he had not been drugged. “What happened,
Selene?”

“It wasn’t your fault, Nate.” Selene burrowed in closer. “I won’t

sit here and hand you unnecessary cruelty by telling you what you
don’t remember.” Her tone was firm, unyielding, telling Nate she
wasn’t going to budge on this. He wanted to argue, but Nate had been
around Selene long enough to know she was as stubborn as they
came.

He cupped her face, tilting her head back, and stared into her

pretty eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Her lips slightly parted as she gave a small nod. They were hiding

down in a ditch on the side of the road, both naked, and both freezing
their asses off, and all Nate could think about was kissing her. “We
need to generate body heat,” he offered lamely.

She smiled at him, making Nate’s heart melt. “You don’t need to

hand me excuses, Nate. All you have to do is look at me like that and
I’m all yours.”

“Like what?” Nate asked.
“Like I’m the only person in the world who matters.” Selene

rolled her eyes. “And the irritating cat, too.”

182 Lynn

Hagen

Nate gave a soft chuckle. “He’s not that bad.” When Selene gave

him the stink eye, Nate shrugged. “Okay, he’s not that bad when he is
asleep. But you have to admit, Sasha would kill a rock for you.”

“What does that even mean?” Selene asked and then shook her

head. “Never mind.” She slid her hand to the back of Nate’s neck and
pulled him closer, her tongue licking across her bottom lip. Nate
groaned at the sight. He moved her around until she was straddling his
lap and then wrapped the thin, scratchy blanket around her shoulders.
His hands moved up and down her back, as he tried his best to keep
her warm.

He’d give anything right now to have her someplace warm. Nate

hated the fact that she was out here in the elements with nothing but a
first aid blanket wrapped around her. Selene leaned forward, nipping
at his bottom lip. “Stop thinking so hard.”

Her feminine arousal wafted up toward Nate, telling him she was

just as needy as he was. Both not only needed reassurance after the
ordeal they had been through, but they also needed each other. Nate’s
wolf was going crazy, knowing that he had somehow caused her pain.
Nate lifted Selene, easing her down onto his cock and letting out a
long breath as she inched her feminine heat around him.

“You are so damn big,” Selene moaned. “I love it.”
God, her pussy was so tight, felt so good wrapped around his

cock. Nate forgot where they were, what they were waiting on, but
not his surroundings. He still kept his ears perked just in case any
unwelcomed visitors wandered toward them.

He would kill anyone who brought any more harm to Selene. She

may be tougher than nails, but he was still a man who felt protecting
her was his number-one priority. The hard earth dug into Nate’s
backside, but it didn’t cause enough pain to make him stop. Not when
Selene was looking at Nate with such desperation. He kissed both
sides of her mouth as she began to move up and down his cock, her
wet pussy warming his body and bringing Nate such pleasure.

Rise to Seduction

183

“Did you ever think we would be having sex out in the open like

this?” she teased.

“I never thought we would have sex,” he admitted as his hands

slid down her sides and then gripped her hips.

“Why?” she asked.
Instead of answering her, Nate plunged his tongue deep into her

mouth, tasting the sweetness of her as he thrust his cock deeper,
eating up her small sex noises. Nate could listen to them all day and
never tire of her sweet pleasure.

Nate held on to her as he plunged deep inside of her, watching in

amazed wonder as she fell apart in his arms, her pussy convulsing
around his cock, milking it as she rode him harder, her head flung
back as she cried out his name.

With a few more thrusts, Nate was grunting his release, holding

on to Selene as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead
on her shoulder.

“Now if that isn’t a sight to see.”
Nate grinned when he heard Sasha’s voice. “We had to keep

warm.”

“Yeah, and shoving your cock into her pussy melted the chill in

the air for ten miles.”

Nate turned his head and smiled at Sasha. “You’re just mad

because it wasn’t you fucking her.”

Sasha winked at Nate. “Or maybe I’m miffed because I wasn’t

fucking you.”

Nate’s cock jerked at the thought. He had never played bottom

before, but the smile Sasha was giving him reminded Nate why he
had fallen for the leopard in the first place. It was sinfully wicked.

Sliding down the small hill, Sasha tossed them some clothes.

“Playtime is over, boys and girls. We spotted a military caravan about
a mile back. We need to get moving.”

Selene stood, grabbing the clothes from Nate. But before she

could get dressed, Sasha grabbed her from behind and ran his hands

184 Lynn

Hagen

down the flat planes of her stomach. “Are you going to be that
generous with me, vixen?”

She smiled and patted his cheek. “Only if you let me shoot you

first.”

Sasha gave a low growl in her ear. “You always know the right

words to turn me on.” He gave her cherrylike nipples a tweak before
she dressed. Sasha watched her as she slid her pants on, but Nate
could see the man giving him furtive glances. Nate felt himself
blushing at Sasha’s apparent approval. He winked at Nate before
turning and heading back up the hill.

“God, he is such a flirt,” Selene complained, but Nate could tell

there was no heat to her words. Yeah, she was beginning to like the
man’s seductive ways. Once they were dressed, Nate walked up the
ditch behind Selene and then climbed into the Suburban.

“You guys okay?” Rick asked, but Nate saw the side of the man’s

mouth twitching.

“We’re fine,” he replied, but he could hear the snickers coming

from the back of the truck. He shot Benito and Miguel a reproachful
glance, but that only made them laugh. Sasha sat next to the two
enforcers, laughing right along with them.

“Lighten up.” Selene shoved her shoulder into his.
Nate ignored them all. “Did you find out about—”
“Not in the truck.” Rick cut Nate off and then pulled from the side

of the road. “Sasha has something he needs to take care of before we
can talk about it.”

Nate glanced behind him to see Sasha holding up his cell phone

and then he held a finger to his lips. Nate was confused as hell, but
nodded.

“We need to talk,” Selene mouthed to Rick. “I know what is going

on.”

Nate wished he did. He sat there clueless. His pulse quickened

when Sasha leaned forward, his lips touching the shell of Nate’s ear.
“Don’t look so confused, my little buttercup. I’ll explain it all to you

Rise to Seduction

185

after I fuck you into a coma tonight.” The man nipped Nate’s ear
before he leaned back.

“Call me your buttercup again and the only thing you’ll be doing

is picking yourself up off of the ground,” Nate said with a snarl.

Sasha laughed. It wasn’t one of his seductive laughs, but a

genuine, good-natured laugh. The expression made his catlike eyes
sparkle with amusement. Damn, that was a good look for Sasha. He
wasn't being a flirt, or an alpha, he was being himself, and Nate loved
seeing him like this. “I see Selene has been giving you lessons in
pillow talk.”

There seemed to be no way to insult the guy—at least not for Nate

and Selene. Nate was pretty damn sure anyone else would be dealing
with one pissed-off leopard if they spoke to Sasha that way.

“I can shoot him for you,” Benito added.
Sasha growled as Nate chuckled.
“No thank you, sweetie,” Selene replied for Nate. “As irritating as

the man is, he has his uses.”

Nate gaped at Selene. Was this the same woman who swore she

was going to hand-feed Sasha his balls? He wasn’t sure what had
gotten into her, but Nate liked it.

186 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rick forwent the meeting with Samantha’s abductor. The man had

nothing and Rick had the data card. Jordison and Corrigan were to
meet Rick and the group at Deluca and Brooke’s. They all agreed it
would be better to hand Samantha over in the safety of the New
Orleans home. He was not only looking forward to seeing his
godsons, but Edward had called and said he and Isabelle were
meeting Rick there as well.

Rick couldn’t wait to meet his nephew. Edward had thanked Rick

for rescuing his cousin Phillip from the detention center and the rat
king was sounding better than he had before. Remus was coming with
them as well.

Frisk—one of Edward’s pack members—had gone to help another

Rebellion group.

“What do you think they are going to do when we don’t show up

for the meeting?” Dorian asked quietly from beside him. “I don’t
think they will bow out gracefully.”

Rick didn’t think they would either. Even though Beastman had

altered the virus, Rick was terrified of the data card falling into the
wrong hands. What if they figured out what the wererabbit had done
and reversed it? Rick wasn’t willing to take that chance.

But something told him not to destroy the card. His gut told him

to hold on to it. “I’m not sure, gatito. But if we show up, we are only
asking to be killed.”

“We all know it’s a setup, but I’m not getting a good feeling about

this.” Dorian shifted in his seat, glancing out of the window to his
right. Rick reached over and grabbed his mate’s hand, placing it on

Rise to Seduction

187

his thigh as he drove. He wasn’t getting a good feeling either. Rick
wasn’t sure what the foreboding feeling was, but it settled in his gut
like a lead weight.

He could hear the other changelings chatting softly in the back,

but Rick’s mind was working overtime. There was no way the person
or persons who had been after this data card all this time would just
give up when Rick and his group didn’t show. The information on the
card was too damn important.

So what were they up to? What were they going to do when Rick

was a no-show? Maybe he needed to get ahold of the Rebellion
groups in this area and set up a strategic plan just in case shit went
south.

Rick pulled over into a small strip mall. The entire area seemed to

be deserted, but there was a RadioShack on the end. “Does anyone
have cash on them?”

Sasha pulled his wallet out. “How much do you need?”
“However much it will take to purchase some cell phones.”
Sasha tucked his wallet back into his pocket. “I don’t have that

much cash on me. Why don’t you do what Mason did and write out an
IOU?”

Rick’s eyebrows shot up. “Mason wrote out an IOU?”
“And he tucked the itemized list under the register.” Sasha

grinned. “It’ll be pretty damn interesting if you leave a debt note.
Make sure you sign your name all fancy and shit so the owner has a
piece of history when all of this is over.”

Rick chuckled as he slid from the truck. “I’ll be sure to leave an

autographed copy of one of the wanted posters.”

Dorian slid from the truck, gun in hand. “You know those phones

have to be activated.”

“I’m pretty sure Edward can take care of that.” But he needed to

use the store phone as well. He just hoped it worked. There was no
telling if there was any power in this area.

188 Lynn

Hagen

Rick tried to open the door—even though he pretty much knew it

would be locked—and then glanced around him. The parking lot was
deserted, but being close to New Orleans made him extra cautious.
The men after them would be close as well.

He worked the lock until the door finally gave and then slipped

inside. Dorian stood watch right out front. Rick made quick work of
gathering cell phones, and then he wrote down what he took on a pad
next to the register. Once he had the phones in a bag, Rick tried the
store phone and was relieved to hear a dial tone.

Dialing quickly, Rick leaned against the back wall, his eyes

flickering over every inch of the store and listening for any noise as
the phone rang.

“Hello?”
“I need you to find out who the local Rebellion group is,” Rick

said quickly.

“Where are you?”
“Close to New Orleans. I’m in Louisiana.”
“That would be the werewolves. Jot down this number.”
Rick did.
“The alpha’s name is Fury. He’s a prick, but from what my intel

has gathered, he is as dedicated to this war as we are. He’ll help.”

“Thanks, Clyde.”
“Just stay safe. I’ve been hearing rumors that military forces are

gathering down there. I’m not sure if it’s because they got word that
their most wanted is coming to town, or if something else is going on.
Right now my group is helping Freedman lay a plan of attack on the
last remaining detention center. That soldier is hell bent on getting his
friend out.”

A chill ran down Rick’s spine. He knew the place was heavily

guarded. They weren’t taking any chances. Rick just wasn’t sure what
they were doing now that they had the virus—or had the virus. Were
they still experimenting on changelings? “I’ll stay below radar.”

Rise to Seduction

189

“Do that. The Rebellion groups across the nation are ready to go

when you are. Just say the word and we can be gathered within a
week’s time.”

“Remember our talk when we first met?” Rick asked.
“Yeah, and I still believe you are the man for the job. Don’t let

doubt begin to dissuade you from what you have to do, Rick. We need
to start heading toward Washington. It’s been too quiet there. I’m not
sure what they are planning, but we need to turn the tables.”

Rick chewed his lower lip for a moment and then spoke. “I have

something in my possession, but I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Rick explained to Clyde—cryptically—about the data card and how
Beastman screwed the formula up.

The werebear gave a low whistle. “I think I know what you can do

with it.”

Good, because Rick had no clue. It was developed to harm

changelings. He didn’t know what he could do to scare the humans
with the card. “Talk to me.”

“We need to meet face-to-face. Take care of what you have to do

in New Orleans and then meet me in the Dakotas. If I haven’t died
helping Freedman, we’ll talk then.” Clyde paused. “Whatever you do,
don’t lose that card.”

“I’ll call you when we are close to you.” Rick hung up and then

dialed the number Clyde had given him. When the werewolf alpha
answered, Rick quickly explained who he was.

“The infamous Enrique Marcelo. What do I owe this honor to?”
“I’m in Louisiana. I have a feeling I’m going to be greeted when I

meet some friends in New Orleans.”

“Name the time and place and I’ll make sure you have eyes high

up in the trees.”

Rick gave him the place and time and then hung up. He grabbed

the bag of phones and chargers from the counter and quickly exited
the store. Knowing he would have eyes on Brooke’s house, he felt
marginally better about going in.

Rise to Seduction

191

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sasha stood in the living room when they arrived at the house in

New Orleans. He watched as Rick played with his godsons and
everyone stood around getting reacquainted. Samantha was due to
arrive tomorrow, along with Rick’s sister and her family.

As fortified as this house was, Sasha knew they needed to move

the bulk of people to another location, someplace undisclosed and
well-hidden. This house was too vulnerable, too out in the open. If
any of their enemies knew of the gathering tomorrow, this would be
the hottest spot in America.

Not only would their enemies race to get here, but the bounty on

most of the men’s heads in this house was astronomical. A small
country could be funded if every last head was cashed in—including
Sasha’s. There were others who wouldn’t bat an eye at turning them
in.

Sasha was grateful for the Rebellions who had volunteered to help

keep an eye on the place, but he didn’t trust them. Hell, he didn’t
know them. This gathering of the most wanted Rebellions was too
much of a temptation for even the most well intended.

“Scary, isn’t it?” Selene asked as she moved to stand next to

Sasha. She tucked her hands into her back pockets, gazing at the
people around them. “So many friends, so many wanted men.”

“We’re changeling. Just from our lycanthropy DNA alone we’re

wanted people.”

She cut a glance at him. “You know what I mean.”

192 Lynn

Hagen

He did. “I think we should move everyone out. This house isn’t

the safest of places.” Sasha couldn’t shake the feeling that something
was going to happen when everyone arrived.

“Unfortunately, that’s not our call.” Selene moved across the

room, Sasha’s eyes zeroing in on the sway of her hips. Was the vixen
being seductive? The leopard inside of him bared his teeth, wanting to
take a bite out of her.

He held back the leopard—for now. The beast wanted to throw

Selene to the floor and mount her, biting into her neck, and claim her.
He followed the werewolf, his eyes never leaving her curves as
Selene walked into the bedroom that was given to them for the night.

He smiled to himself when he saw Nate sitting on a bed, watching

the news report. Silently, Sasha closed and locked the door behind
him. He had wicked, wicked plans that included him fucking the big
man.

Of course, Sasha didn’t expect Nate to give in so easily, but Sasha

was looking forward to the fight for submission just as much as he
was looking forward to the actual sex. His cock thickened at the
images of Nate wrestling him naked.

Selene took a seat in a comfortable-looking chair by the bed, her

eyes on the television. He was going to give her a show she wouldn’t
soon forget, and then he was going to make sure she joined them.

The image of having them both was erotic as hell.
Besides, he wanted to fucking bite them for allowing harm to

come to either of them. The possessive, protective thoughts clouded
his mind, pushing him closer to the bed. Sasha sprawled out, lying on
his stomach as he listened to the broadcast.

“Thousands marched the streets of Washington today in protest to

the war. Many believe that the discovery of nonhumans is nothing
more than a curse on society, while others believe that any life is
precious.

Numbers of the infected have skyrocketed, and military sources

believe that the primary measures of defense against the species are

Rise to Seduction

193

based on ultraviolet and silver ammunition. It appears the nonhumans
have a fatal sensitivity to these measures.

The Blood Anomaly Tests have been proven faulty, but the

government assures the American people that those found infected
will be detained for further testing.

In other news, Wall Street stocks have plummeted to an all-time

low…”

Sasha tuned the news out. He knew for damn sure those found

infected were not detained for further testing. He purged the news
from his mind, going back to his initial interest when he had walked
into the bedroom. Keeping his head turned toward the television,
Sasha reached out and ran the tips of his fingers over the skin exposed
right above Nate’s waistband.

Nate’s thick thumb pressed the button on the remote, but Sasha

could scent the man’s arousal growing heavy in the air. Inhaling the
sweet fragrance deep into his lungs, Sasha leaned over and licked a
path across Nate’s soft skin. He could feel a fine tremor race across
Nate’s body, but the man didn’t move. It was as if he was waiting to
see what Sasha would do next.

Sasha wasn’t fooled. This mighty man wasn’t going to allow

Sasha to have his way. Nate was feeling him out, only allowing him
to go so far.

Lust clamored inside Sasha’s brain as the need to have Nate drove

sharpened spikes of sensation racing over his nerve endings and
straight to his cock. Sasha knew—oh how he knew that Nate was not
only going to be writhing under him, but he knew there was going to
be a claiming tonight.

Two in fact.
Flattening his hand against Nate’s skin, he ran his hand up the

strong muscles of Nate’s back, feeling the ripples of desire coming off
of the male werewolf. Sasha dipped his tongue lower, following the
seam of the man’s waistband, and then the tip of his tongue lapped
where Nate’s crease began.

194 Lynn

Hagen

Nate hissed.
Sasha’s cock was a wedge of pure steel, straining in his jeans as

he pushed himself to his knees. With both hands, Sasha removed his
shirt, tossing it aside. He thought Nate would fight him as he reached
for the hem of the man’s shirt, but Nate lifted his arms and allowed
Sasha to pull it over his head.

He pressed his chest to Nate’s heated back. The skin-to-skin

contact was amazing. Wicked, driving hunger rose to the forefront of
his senses. The only thing Sasha could think of was having Nate,
possessing him, and making the man his mate.

When Nate grabbed Sasha and pulled him over the man’s heavily

muscled thighs, Sasha didn’t fight the power move. He was very
interested to see where this was going. He gave a low purr as Nate
grabbed his hair and pulled it back. “What do you plan on doing,
Nate?” Sasha teased.

Instead of answering him, Nate gripped Sasha’s hair tightly, the

hard growl that left the werewolf’s lips was the only warning Sasha
had before their mouths collided. Nate’s tongue rubbed against his,
fought for dominance in the kiss.

Sasha could feel the rioting pleasure rising inside of Nate right

before he placed the palms of his hands on the broad chest and
pushed, sending them both tumbling toward the other end of the
mattress. “Submit,” Sasha growled.

Nate yanked his hair back, his jade-green eyes beginning to glow

as small yellow flecks of brilliance filled them. “You wish.”

His hips bunched, grinding his cock into the fabric of Nate’s

jeans. “You know you want my cock buried deep in your tight ass,
Nate. Admit it.”

Sasha could smell the sweet feminine arousal fill the air and knew

Selene was sitting in the chair, her legs curled under her, watching
them. Sasha reached down and unsnapped Nate’s jeans, pulling the
zipper slowly down as he took Nate’s soft lips in another bruising

Rise to Seduction

195

kiss. The kiss wasn’t meant to be soft, it wasn’t meant to be gentle. It
was a power struggle he intended to win.

Growling into Nate’s mouth, Sasha said, “Selene, remove his

pants.”

When she hesitated, Sasha yanked his head to the side, effectively

removing Nate’s hold on him. With lightning-fast reflexes, Sasha had
Nate’s wrists pinned on either side of the man’s gorgeous head. “Take
them off, Selene.”

“Forcing me?” Nate asked with small pants of breath.
Sasha licked at the man’s lower lip. “Trust me, by the time I’m

done playing with you, you’ll be begging.” The damp heat of Nate’s
tongue, the satiny softness of the werewolf’s lips beneath his, were
like a narcotic that he couldn’t seem to rid himself of.

Sasha wanted to consume the man.
Lifting his hips, Sasha continued to plunder Nate’s mouth as

Selene tugged at Nate’s pants. When Nate fought against his shackled
wrists, Sasha gave a warning growl. It was low and vibrated his chest.

“Do you think taking me will be that easy?” Nate asked.
“I sure as hell hope not,” Sasha replied honestly right before Nate

flipped them, pinning Sasha to the mattress. A low groan left his lips
when he saw that Selene had succeeded in ridding the man of his
pants. He turned his head to see her standing next to the bed, holding
Nate’s jeans in her arms, and staring at them with slightly parted lips.
Her chartreuse eyes were wide with aroused excitement.

“How about I fuck you in the ass instead?” Nate snarled out the

challenge. “How would you like to feel my fat cock stretching your
asshole?”

A sharp breath exhaled from Sasha’s lungs at not only the

sensation of suddenly being flush against Nate, but the suggestive
threat.

Sasha licked a long path across Nate’s collarbone and gave a low,

provocative purr. “If you think you can get it, take it.” With brute
force, Sasha pushed from under Nate and was on top of him, pressing

196 Lynn

Hagen

the man’s chest into the mattress. “But I don’t think you are fast
enough, buttercup.” He hitched his hips, driving his jean-clad cock
into the man’s ass. “You like that, don’t you?”

He tightened his hands on the man’s wrists.
“I’m warning you,” Nate growled.
Sasha leaned forward, placing a light kiss on the man’s ear.

“What, are you going to shoot me?”

When soft fingers began to unsnap Sasha’s pants, he purred his

approval. Selene made quick work of pulling them down and off.
Damn, she was a gem. Just as soon as he had his cock buried deep in
the man’s tiny hole, he was going to have to make sure she was well
rewarded.

And claimed.
Neither of them were getting out of this room until Sasha made

them his. Sasha tilted his head to the side. “Come here, vixen.” Selene
moved closer and Sasha nipped her bottom lip. “You smell so damn
sweet. Your pussy is dripping wet, isn’t it?” As Sasha spoke, he let
his freed cock run up and down the crack of Nate’s ass.

Selene nodded.
“Give me a minute to convince this gorgeous man to let me fuck

him, and you’ll be played with just as thoroughly, baby.”

Sasha had his canines locked onto Nate’s shoulder—without

breaking skin—and growling into his flesh. “Submit to me.”

“Fuck you,” Nate replied heatedly.
“Oh, I plan to.” Sasha released the man’s shoulder and rubbed his

cheek along the soft flesh. “Tell me, Nate. Do you like the angle of
my dangle against your ass?”

Nate turned his head, his brows furrowed. “Your what?”
Sasha quickly sank into Nate’s mouth, into the warm power of

those silken lips before he reached down and ran a lone fingertip
along the man’s tight entrance.

Nate shuddered.

Rise to Seduction

197

“I can make this so fucking enjoyable for you, hon,” he whispered

into Nate’s ear. “I can make you come unglued, giving you so much
pleasure that your mind will splinter. Trust me, Nate. Give me what I
want.”

Sasha slid down the man’s body and parted the tight cheeks of the

man’s nicely shaped ass. His tongue flickered out as he tasted Nate’s
ass for the first time. The musky scent tore through Sasha’s senses as
he was engulfed in flames of desire.

Nate bucked, pressing his ass closer to Sasha’s lips. Sasha slid a

hand under Nate, cupping his balls and massaging them in his hands.
He used his free hand to lock onto Selene’s arm and then pulled her
toward them.

Without being told what to do, Selene slid under Nate and took

the werewolf’s cock into her mouth. Her lips stretched wide, her
cheeks hollow. Sasha purred before he went back to sucking the
man’s ass.

Nate grunted, his ass hitching higher as he stayed on hands and

knees. Sasha reached over and began to play with Selene’s pussy,
using his thumb to circle around her swollen clit. Nate and Selene
were writhing with pleasure, their combined scents filling the room
with overwhelming excitement.

Using nothing but his saliva, Sasha slid the tip of his finger into

the man’s tight ass. God, the muscles gripped his finger like a clamp.
Sasha was going to have to make sure the man was well relaxed and
stretched before he took the changeling.

Nate stilled.
Sasha nipped one cheek as he slowly pushed his finger in.
“Sasha.” Nate’s voice was a hard, delicious rasp.
Sasha could feel the muscles inside, flexing, milking his finger

with the invading digit. Sasha slid his finger all the way in, and then
pulled it back, repeating this over and over again until Nate began to
relax.

198 Lynn

Hagen

“Fuck Selene, Nate,” Sasha instructed with barely kept control.

Selene moved until she was fully under Nate and then she wrapped
her legs around the man’s thick waist. With his finger still buried deep
inside Nate’s ass, Sasha watched as Selene’s slim fingers grabbed the
man’s cock and placed it at the opening to her pussy.

Desperate moans began to fill Sasha’s ears as Nate inched inside

of her, drawing them into a world of sensual hunger, heat and longing
that only built higher and higher. Sasha’s cock pulsed as he reached
under Nate, feeling the man’s cock seated all the way inside of
Selene’s hot cunt.

Sasha went back to licking at Nate’s ass, slowly, oh so slowly,

inserting another finger and shuddering at the tight feel. His cock
jerked, throbbed, sending Sasha into a near-orgasmic delight at the
images plaguing his mind, erotic images of him being buried deep
inside Nate.

When Nate began to move inside Selene, Sasha fucked the man’s

ass with his two fingers, scissoring them, stretching the muscled flesh.
Nate’s groans grew louder, his powerful thighs quivering.

Sasha leaned forward, pressing his lips into Selene’s as his fingers

continued to prepare Nate’s body for his invasion. She moaned into
his mouth, her nails scraping along his shoulders.

To his surprise, Nate joined the kiss. It was sloppy, their lips and

tongues crashing against one another’s, but it was so damn sensual
that Sasha nearly forgot that he needed to take his time with Nate.

He wanted the man, desperately.
“Lube,” Nate groaned. “Use lube.”
Sasha inwardly smiled triumphantly. He knew he would have the

man begging. Sasha was off the bed and racing toward his bag in no
time. He plucked the lube from inside and then was back behind Nate
before the man could catch his breath—or change his damn mind.

Thank fuck Mason had talked him into grabbing an entire case.

He just might need it by the time he was done with both wolves.

Rise to Seduction

199

He had his fingers well coated and slipping back into the man’s

ass. Only this time, Sasha added a third finger.

Nate grunted.
There was nothing so sexy, so completely filled with driving lust

and sensual excitement as these two beneath him. Sasha fought the
driven need to take Nate now. His cock was so full it was almost
painful.

“God, fuck him,” Selene begged. “Please, fuck him.”
Sasha stared down into her sexually glazed eyes. “You want to

watch?”

She licked her dry lips and gave a slight nod.
Sasha removed his fingers, lubed his cock, and with a shaky hand,

pressed the blunt head of his dick to Nate’s stretched asshole.

Nate didn’t stop Selene as she wiggled under him, freeing herself

and then knelt beside the two. Sasha grabbed her hand, wrapping her
delicate fingers around his shaft as he began to slowly enter Nate.

Her breathing became ragged as her eyes stayed locked onto

Sasha’s cock. “It looks fucking amazing, doesn’t it?”

“God, yes,” she whispered.
“Next time, I’m going to fuck your pussy as Nate fucks your ass,”

he purred into her ear. He inched in a little further. “We are going to
fill you up, vixen.”

Selene moved her hand, but her fingers still lingered on Sasha’s

cock when he finally seated himself inside Nate’s hot, tight ass. His
legs began to tremble as he fought not to pound into the man’s tender
flesh. Sasha waited for Nate to relax, for his body to accept the
invasion of his cock.

“Move,” Nate grunted.
“Move,” Selene repeated in a whisper.
Sasha grabbed the man’s shoulders and began to move slowly.

Both he and Selene watched as his cock slid in and out of Nate’s ass.
When Nate didn’t protest, Sasha began to move more quickly.

200 Lynn

Hagen

Selene’s eyes watched them heatedly, glittering hot and needy.

Sasha released one hand from the man’s shoulder and plunged his
fingers deep inside her wet pussy. Selene grabbed onto his shoulders,
her head falling back as Sasha fucked her with his hand.

But it wasn’t enough.
Sasha wanted more.
He pulled free of Nate’s ass and tapped him on the thigh. “On

your back. Our vixen wants a ride.”

Nate moved until he was lying flat on his back. Sasha hooked his

hands under Nate’s knees and pulled him closer, thrusting back inside
the scorching heat of the man’s body. He stilled as Selene slid a leg
over Nate’s hips and then leaned forward. Sasha grabbed Nate’s cock
and held it in place as she slowly lowered herself.

What a fucking sight.
When Selene began to move, so did Sasha. “Like the double

pleasure?” he asked Nate.

“Oh, hell,” Nate moaned. “Fuck yeah.”
Sasha grinned as he moved faster, plunging his cock deeper. The

muscles were gripping his dick so tightly that Sasha was already on
the verge of coming. He focused on Selene’s slim back, watching as
the sweat began to glisten on her skin. He leaned forward and licked a
long path up her back and then nipped her shoulder. “I’m going to
claim you, vixen.”

Selene didn’t say a word as she leaned back, resting her head on

Sasha’s chest. He kissed her jaw as he thrust harder into Nate’s ass.
When he glanced down at Nate, the man was watching them intently,
his eyes just as glazed as Selene’s were.

Sasha winked at him as he slammed his cock into Nate’s body.

The man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as Selene rode Nate
harder.

“Oh, god…Nate…close,” Selene began to murmur.
Nate grabbed her hips, thrusting upward as Sasha thrust forward.

Their rhythm was a thing of beauty as Selene arched her back and

Rise to Seduction

201

cried out her climax. Sasha licked at her shoulder, and then bit down
hard into her soft flesh. Nate jackknifed, biting into the other side.

Selene shouted again as they claimed her.
When she began to slump, both men released their teeth from her

flesh and slowly lowered her to rest on Nate’s chest.

Nate’s canines were gleaming, making him look so fucking good

that Sasha doubled his efforts and moved at lightning speed, pounding
into the man’s body. “Come here so I can claim you,” Sasha growled
his words.

Nate gently placed Selene on the bed next to him and then hooked

his hand behind Sasha’s neck, pulling him down. At the same time,
both sank their canines into the other. He growled hard as his cock
exploded inside Nate’s hot channel.

Selene moved until she was right beside them and then sank her

teeth into the other side of Nate’s shoulder. Nate shouted, his seed
spurting on his chest as Selene removed her teeth and then bit into
Sasha.

Another wave of mind-blowing eruptions slammed through Sasha

as he came again. Both were claiming him, both wanted him as theirs.
The revelation threw Sasha over the edge. Selene didn’t have to claim
him. Nate didn’t have to return the bite.

But they did.
He panted hard, his mouth going dry as Sasha released Nate’s

shoulder and rested his forehead on the man’s sweaty chest.

He was claimed now.
Sasha belonged to Nate and Selene.
He was no longer going to feel like he was all alone in this world.
He had a child, but having a mate—two mates—filled a void deep

inside of him that Sasha had carried around for years.

“Mine,” he growled softly. “Both of you.”
“I guess this means I can’t shoot you,” Selene teased as she lay

back on the bed.

Rise to Seduction

203

Chapter Twenty-Five

Selene woke to the smell of bacon and the sound of voices. She

lay there listening for a moment and then rolled to the side of the bed.
Nate and Sasha weren’t in the room.

Padding to the bathroom, Selene took a quick shower and then

dressed. She headed out of the room, following the voices. To her
surprise, Nate’s large frame was on the floor playing with little Kell
and some other small child. The two were using Nate as a jungle gym.
The sound of the man’s laughter made Selene smile.

“Who is your other friend?” she asked.
“His name is Christmas, but everyone just calls him Chris,” Nate

replied. “He’s Lillian and Howard’s adopted son.”

Selene glanced at the toddler and knew for a fact he was

changeling. Interesting. As she walked further into the room, she
spotted Sasha sitting on the couch with Peanut—Willow’s niece—and
a girl of about seven with long shiny black hair and blue-grey eyes.

This must be Samantha.
Selene leaned her shoulder into the doorframe as she watched

Sasha brush his hand over her head, smiling at her as he talked softly.
An unfamiliar ache began in her chest as she watched father and
daughter interact. Samantha smiled, her eyes sparkling, and then she
laughed. Sasha laughed as well.

She felt like she was intruding on something very personal. Both

men were powerful male changelings, but to see Nate rolling on the
floor with the two boys, and Sasha whispering small secrets to the
girls, Selene wasn’t sure what to do.

204 Lynn

Hagen

Just then Sasha’s head turned and he smiled at her. “Sammy, this

is Selene, my mate.”

Selene wasn’t a timid person. She had fought her way to the

position she held as one of Rick’s high enforcers, but when Sammy
turned her knowing eyes on Selene, she wanted to cringe and hide.
She felt as though she wasn’t going to measure up to the little girl’s
scrutiny. After all, she was now mated to the small child’s daddy.

The little girl flipped her hair over her shoulder and then smiled at

Selene. Good lord, it was the exact smile Sasha used most of the time
when he was being playful. It seemed Sasha was a great influence in
this young girl’s life. “Nice to meet you.”

Selene was nervous as hell as she walked into the living room and

took a seat across from the couch. She could hear the others talking
somewhere down the hall, but felt Sammy’s eyes assessing her.

“Behave, Sammy,” Sasha warned in a fatherly tone. “She isn’t one

of our leap.”

The statement hurt like a bitch until Sasha turned toward Selene

and smiled, giving her a wink. “Selene is nicer than the female
leopards.”

Selene was about to respond when the hairs on her neck rose. She

glanced around and then stood. Sasha was up and gazing over the
room at the same time.

“Run,” Peanut whispered from the couch, “they’re here.”
Pappy—one of Brooke’s fathers—raced into the living room, his

eyes wide as he glanced at everyone. “Get down into the bunker,
now!”

Selene didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Peanut as Sasha reached for

Sammy. Nate was off the floor and grabbing both boys in seconds.
They raced toward the steps that led downstairs, the rest of the
household close behind when the first explosion sounded, rocking the
very foundation of the home.

Rick was at the bottom of the steps, helping the woman and

children along. Selene held Peanut tight in her arms as she headed

Rise to Seduction

205

toward a large door in the back. She ducked when another explosion
sounded, dust falling from the ceiling beams.

As Selene entered the room, she saw monitors on one wall,

displaying not only the house, but the grounds outside. Her jaw
dropped when she saw the units of military men surrounding the
house. “Holy shit,” she whispered.

“Holy shit,” Peanut repeated.
Selene glanced down at the little girl, but Peanut only shrugged.

“You said it first.”

“You can’t repeat what I say,” Selene said as she moved them

further into the room with solid metal walls.

“Then why did you say it?” Peanut asked.
Selene couldn’t think of a good enough explanation. “Just don’t

repeat me.” She glanced at the wall monitors to see one of the wolf
changelings lying on the ground in front of the house. He was lying in
a pool of blood, and Selene knew the humans had found the Rebellion
group that had been hiding in the trees above.

This was not good.
The sound of a newborn crying caught her attention. Selene

glanced over her shoulder to see Isabelle holding her son, Edward, at
her side. As she scanned the room, she looked into the faces of so
many juveniles, so many innocent children. Trisha was standing close
to Willow. Nate was still holding Kell and Chris. Sasha had Sammy
folded into his arms as Boston stood close to the leopard. Rick had
one of his godsons in his arms, Dorian holding the other.

Then there was Bryson, Remus, Phillip, Benito, Miguel, Ian,

Mason, Brooke, Deluca, Pappy, Dad, Laura, Howard, and Lillian.

It was all so surreal.
The people who had fought at Rick’s side, or helped him in one

way or another stood there as they watched the monitor with looks of
horror on their faces. Selene knew in that moment that she couldn’t
allow anything to happen to these people. They had all touched each

206 Lynn

Hagen

other’s lives in some way, and they meant the world to one another.
“What can we do?” she asked with steel in her voice.

Pappy hit a few buttons and a panel slid to one side. There was a

door. “We grab weapons and kick some ass.”

Selene nodded as she handed Peanut off to Edward and then

followed Pappy into the other room. Her eyes widened at the cache of
weapons mounted on one wall. This room would make any gun shop
owner jealous. She hadn’t a clue what most of them were, but damn if
she wasn’t itching to find out.

Rick, Sasha, Nate, Benito, Miguel, Brooke, Deluca, and Mason

walked in behind her, all wearing hard looks on their faces. Selene
grabbed two nine millimeter handguns, an M16 rifle, and something
that looked like she could blow the side of a building up with it. She
also grabbed some knifes, finding thigh straps to secure them.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” she said to Pappy.

He winked at her. “You, my dear, never have to worry about

that.”

Everyone grabbed their weapons of choice, gearing up. Pappy

lifted a small panel and hit a few buttons, and then a door slid open.
“This tunnel leads to the next block over. Dad and the other men will
stay with the women and children to make sure they are safe.”

One of Selene’s brows rose. “Paranoid?”
“Prepared,” Pappy replied.
Selene followed behind the man, the others behind her as she

hurried down the tunnel. She could still hear the assault on the house
taking place and knew they had precious time before the entire
structure collapsed.

She glanced over her shoulder when her upper arm was grabbed.
“Be careful,” Sasha warned with a growl. Selene pulled from his

hold.

“She just might shoot you yet,” Nate said. “Selene doesn’t like to

be coddled.”

Selene smiled at Nate. “Thank you for finally realizing that.”

Rise to Seduction

207

Nate gave a low chuckle as they moved down the tunnel. “I’ve

always known that. But it doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop worrying about
you.”

She was touched. “Ditto.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Sasha asked. “If I remember

correctly, it was me who claimed the both of you first.”

Selene patted Sasha on his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect your

cute little ass.”

Sasha growled.
Nate laughed.
They reached the end of the tunnel. Selene let out a deep breath as

Pappy pushed the heavy door open. They seemed to be in some sort
of basement.

“This is the other house I own.”
“Why didn’t we let the others come here?” she asked.
“Because,” Pappy said, “they are safest where they are at. Nothing

short of a nuclear bomb will penetrate those walls.”

Knowing the others were safe, Selene hurried up the basement

steps and out the back door. The overcast morning was filled with
sounds of gunfire, explosions, and men shouting.

Selene took off, Nate and Sasha close behind. The others ran in

different directions, using the southern homes as cover as they made
their way toward the fight. Selene felt her heart speeding up as she
spotted some of the werewolves coming toward her.

“We lost a lot of men,” one of them was saying, “but we are still

great in number.”

“Good,” she replied. “Do you have weapons?”
He gave her a duh look. “Of course.”
She scowled at the changeling. “We are on the same side if you

have forgotten.”

“Female, you can stay behind me.” It was a testosterone-filled

statement.

208 Lynn

Hagen

Selene moved past him, having no time to show the bastard who

had the bigger balls. She may be female, but she was pretty sure she
could put the arrogant man on his ass. Guys like this one always
underestimated her and normally Selene joyously proved she was no
one to trifle with, but today wasn’t one of those days.

She politely flipped him off as she moved closer to the men trying

to bring the Brookes’ home down. Once she had a clear line of sight,
Selene froze. The sheer number of men astounded her. Seeing them
on a monitor was vastly different than seeing them up close.

Suddenly Selene felt adrenaline pierce the haze of stunned

disbelief. She suddenly felt alive, dangerous, and knew this fight was
going to cost them so much. It was a price all Rebellions were willing
to pay in order to keep their freedom.

* * * *

Nate grinned at the werewolf who thought Selene should stay

behind him. “You’re asking to get your balls snipped.”

The man took in Nate’s size as his eyes raked over his body. “You

kowtow to her?”

He shook his head. “You have a lot to learn about females.” Nate

caught up to Selene.

“I hate arrogant assholes.” Selene stood a foot away, a deep scowl

on her face. She looked damn sexy strapped to the nines with all those
weapons. Nate wasn’t sure why, but it always turned him on when she
was being such a badass.

“So kick his ass when this is all over.”
The side of her lip curled up into a smile. “I think I will.”
“Until then,” Nate said as he began to inch forward, glancing at

the large unit outside of the Brooke home, “we concentrate on
annihilating these bastards.”

Nate settled the rocket launcher on his shoulder, aimed it at the

human holding his own launcher, and fired. The cold and deadly quiet

Rise to Seduction

209

had begun to settle inside of him. The thought had crossed his mind
that when he was in enforcer mode, Nate was a force to be reckoned
with. But when he was around Selene or Sasha, he was a nervous
wreck.

How odd.
He couldn’t understand why he acted that way around them, but

maybe this wasn’t the right time to examine those thoughts. He did
have an army in front of him, after all.

Nate turned, shoving his hand into Selene’s chest, knocking her to

the ground as he and Sasha hit the concrete. A rocket passed over
their heads, exploding somewhere behind them.

He was back on his feet in seconds.
No the fuck they didn’t fire at Nate. He was pissed. Selene or

Sasha could have been hit. He dropped the launcher and grabbed his
rifle, letting the automatic rounds burst from the gun as he ran for the
cover of a nearby house.

He had wanted to get the focus off of the Brooke home, but damn,

now the entire focus was on him. Nate prayed he didn’t die when they
leveled the house he was hiding behind.

“Wrong target!” someone shouted. “Wrong target!”
Nate couldn’t let them refocus on the Brooke home.
“If you get yourself killed, I’m going to be really pissed at you,”

Sasha said as he joined Nate at his side. “I just might kick your ass.”

“Don’t plan on it, but I’ll keep that in mind.” Nate could hear the

leopard in Sasha’s voice and knew the man meant it. It agitated Nate
that Sasha thought he couldn’t take care of himself, but it also touched
him. He had been infatuated with the man for some time, but to find
out Sasha cared as well was a welcome feeling.

“Where in the fuck is Selene?” Sasha growled the words. “I swear

I’m going to tie her up and gag her.”

“Nice image,” Nate said as he quickly spun around the side of the

house and unloaded his clip. He had the enemies’ focus divided, but
Nate wanted them fully focusing on him. Pappy had said the bunker

210 Lynn

Hagen

was impenetrable. He didn’t want to find out if it was or wasn’t.
There were innocents depending on the Rebellions to keep them alive.

“I wonder if she showers naked,” Sasha said as he slid past Nate

and emptied a clip of his own before pulling back.

“I’m pretty sure she does.” Nate pushed a fresh clip into the

chamber and then emptied it into the unit of soldiers. “But we already
had that conversation in the back of the car when you converted
Boston.”

“I don’t think we are putting a dent in them,” Sasha remarked.

“We need to think of another tactic besides leapfrog. And yeah, I
know, we already did the whole leapfrog thing as well.”

Nate ignored the image in his mind of leapfrogging with Sasha.

Only his version had them naked and grunting. He never thought
letting anyone fuck him would be enjoyable, but Sasha had proved
that thought wrong. Nate had thought he was going to splinter when
he felt the man deep inside of him.

Goddamn it, he needed to focus.
“Either being in a life-and-death situation is turning you on,”

Sasha said with a provocative purr, “or you’re thinking about last
night.”

“Not now, Sasha.” Nate assessed the situation. The man was right.

They weren’t putting a dent in the unit. He had killed some, but there
were too many. The soldiers outnumbered the Rebellions.

“I have a few grenades,” Sasha said as he dug them out of the side

pockets on his cargo pants. “You want to throw them or get a little
more up close and personal?”

“I didn’t see any grenades on the wall.”
Sasha placed one in Nate’s hand. It was heavier than it looked. He

had never handled a grenade before, and for some strange reason,
Nate felt like if he held it too tightly, it would explode.

“Pappy handed these to me as I was leaving the underground

bunker.” Nate’s heart gave a leap when Sasha tossed his up in the air

Rise to Seduction

211

a few inches and then caught it like he was playing with a fucking
baseball.

“Don’t do that!”
“It is not going to go off unless I pull the pin.” Sasha pointed a

finger at Nate. “If you’re too afraid to handle it, give it to me.”

“Let’s just get this party underway.” Nate glanced around the side

of the house and then quickly pulled back when a hail of bullets flew
past him. “Shit, we need to go another way.”

“How do you keep ending up in this type of situation?” Sasha

asked as he pressed a fresh clip of ammo into his rifle. “The last time
we were dodging the military between cars.”

Nate blinked back at Sasha and then grinned. “It does seem that

way.”

“God, you’re even gorgeous when you let your badass wolf out.”

Sasha flipped the braid over his shoulder. The long plait swung
around to his back where it rested. Nate was tempted to give it a hard
tug.

“Stop thinking about sex, Nate,” Sasha warned.
“Stop looking so damn sexy,” Nate countered, his lip quirking.

“Speaking of sexy, where is Selene?”

“Right here,” Selene said as she moved through the backyard and

met up with them. “I have a way we can get around them.”

“Smart and sexy,” Sasha complimented with an appreciative gaze.

“Remind me to claim you.”

Selene rolled her eyes. “You already did, cat. Now let’s get

moving.”

“Are you as turned on as I am by her bossing us around?” Sasha

asked as he followed.

Nate cut his eyes over to Sasha, rolled them, and then shook his

head. “I think you would be turned on if she chained you up and beat
you.”

“Mmm, nice thought.”

212 Lynn

Hagen

“Will you two knock it off?” Selene scowled at them. “Pay

attention here.”

Nate was paying attention…to her ass. He could fit both cheeks in

the palm of his hands. Nate snapped out of his thoughts when he saw
where she was leading them. It was pretty damn brilliant.

They were now hiding behind a row of military Hummers. They

could do a lot of damage by blowing these vehicles up. It would
distract the humans from attacking the house as well. Nate and Sasha
got to work shoving a grenade in each vehicle, close to the gas tanks,
and then Sasha ran a thin wire through each clip. Once he had them
all connected, he ran the wire back to where they hid behind a large
truck parked at the curb.

“Get down,” Sasha warned as he pulled hard on the wire. The

explosions were simultaneous. The street rocked with the blasts,
debris flying everywhere. As soon as Nate saw it was clear, he got up
and fired his rifle over the bed of the truck.

Chaos was all around them. Nate even saw the other men from his

Rebellion group taking down their enemy. The werewolves joined in,
engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the soldiers.

Nate let out a loud growl as he raced to join the fight.

Rise to Seduction

213

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sasha lowered his weapon and stared around at the carnage with a

sense of utter disbelief. The battle had been hard fought and hard
won. There had been losses on both sides—horrible losses. The
number of dead and wounded was astronomical.

Sasha couldn’t help but wonder if it was all worth it. They were

fighting for their freedom and their right to live, but at what cost?
How many people had to die on both sides in order for one of his kind
to be able to walk down the street without being accosted?

When did enough become enough?
And even more than that, when did it all stop? There seemed to be

no end in sight. It was one bloody battle after another. He could
barely breathe with the knowledge that it could be one of his mates
dying at any second.

They weren’t winning the war.
They were just dying.
“Hey, we need your help rounding up the wounded and getting

everyone to safety.”

Sasha spun around and stared at Rick. “That’s it? Just round up

the wounded and move on to the next fucking battle?” Sasha’s voice
was edged with desperation and a sense of despair he hadn’t felt since
the threat against Sammy had been made. It was debilitating.

Rick’s expression was a mixture of understanding and a simple

warning. Sasha knew what that warning was. He had used that
expression himself before. Don’t fuck with me. “The wounded need to
be tended to, Sasha, and we need to make plans to move everyone out

214 Lynn

Hagen

of here before more soldiers show up. It’s obvious that they know
about the Brookes’ house now. It’s no longer safe here.”

“And go where, Rick?” Sasha waved his hand around at the

carnage surrounding them. “Where can we go that we won’t be
followed, discovered, hunted, slaughtered, or all of the above? Where
are any of us safe? America is not that damn big. We’re going to run
out of places to hide pretty damn soon.”

“Sasha—”
“We can’t keep doing this, Rick. Sure, we’ve taken the battle to

them in some ways, but we’re still losing the war. What’s the point of
fighting for something if there’s no one around to enjoy it when the
dust settles?”

Rick’s eyes narrowed down to tiny little slits. His jaw clenched.

Sasha knew he was pissing the man off. He just didn’t care.
Everything that they were doing seemed so fucking useless. Sasha
was terrified that when the hands of fate finally decided to come
down, they wouldn’t come down on the side of the nonhumans.

“We’ll figure it out, Sasha.”
“Will we?” Sasha felt so much despair and heartache well up

inside of him that he was almost crushed beneath the weight of it.
“Will we really?”

“Yes.”
Sasha blinked and turned to look at the werewolf again. There was

so much conviction in the man’s voice that Sasha couldn’t help but
wonder what Rick knew that he didn’t. Because he certainly didn’t
feel as confident as Rick sounded.

“We have to, Sasha.” Rick glanced over at Dorian and then turned

to look at Sasha. “We have no other choice.”

Sasha knew Rick was right when he heard his own mates

bickering. Nate was grousing at something Selene said, and the little
vixen was pointing a finger in Nate’s face, her eyes narrowed. Sasha
knew in that moment he would keep fighting to his very last breath to
keep them alive.

Rise to Seduction

215

He drew in a deep, shaky breath because rubbing his hands over

his face didn’t seem to make him feel better. The images of all of the
dead and wounded were forever embossed in his brain. “Okay, then
how do we do this?” Fuck it.

Rick’s lips curved. “Yeah, I was kind of hoping you had a plan.”
Fucking perfect.
The guy in charge had no idea.
“We’re supposed to be heading up north to meet with Clyde,

aren’t we?”

Rick nodded but he had a curious arch in his eyebrow as if he was

trying to see where Sasha was going with his line of questions.
“That’s the plan.”

“Isn’t Clyde lying low somewhere in South Dakota?”
“Somewhere. But I think I have an idea.”
Sasha turned to look at the wounded and those treating the

wounded. There were also people back at the house waiting for their
return. Sasha wanted to check on Sammy, to let her know he was
okay, but they needed to take care of the mess out on the street first.
They also needed to plot a strategy that would ensure everyone’s
safety. It would be no use winning this fight only to have another
occur so soon afterward. They needed to get the hell out of here,
pronto.

“Which would be?” Sasha asked.
“We need to get everyone loaded up and on the road. We’re

heading to South Dakota.”

Sasha frowned. “That’s a lot of people to be transferring at one

time, Rick. There’s no way we can pass undetected with that many
vehicles. We’d be caught at the very first roadblock we came to. ”

Rick had a gleam in his eye that told Sasha the Rebellion leader

had come up with a brilliant scheme. He sure as fuck hoped so.
“You’d be amazed at how easy it will be to get through the
roadblocks when our caravan has a military escort.”

216 Lynn

Hagen

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Sasha’s eyebrows shot up in

complete shock. “How in the hell are we supposed to do that? Politely
ask the humans to lend us some of their soldiers and hope they don’t
mow us down where we stand?”

“No, but we were not the only ones who suffered losses in this

fight. Just how many military uniforms do you think can be salvaged
from this mess? Not to mention the military vehicles, weapons, and
supplies.”

“Do you think it would work?” Sasha’s eyes moved to the bodies

littering the ground. They had lost some of the werewolves in the
fight. Sasha didn’t know them personally, but he felt the loss just the
same. More than likely the changelings who had sacrificed their lives
had families, loved ones, even mates. It saddened him to see the
devastation this battle had wrought. Sasha had seen death before. He
had killed before. But this was different. So different. When Sasha
took a life, it was for a reason.

This battle was without rhyme or reason. It was senseless killing

to him. They weren’t fighting a battle over land disputes or challenges
to packs. They were fighting a battle because one man wanted his son
dead and didn’t care if he wiped out an entire species to make it
happen.

The changelings should hate Enrique Marcelo for this fact. But

they didn’t. It wasn’t Rick’s fault the Captain of Special Warfare was
a cold and manipulative bastard who was afraid the world would find
out he sired a changeling.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Rick stated, bringing Sasha

out of his thoughts.

Rick started barking out orders before Sasha even had time to say

anything to anyone. Sasha wasn’t really sure who all did what after
that. There was a flurry of activity as if everyone knew they were on a
short time limit and needed to move quickly.

The dead soldiers were stripped of their uniforms and their bodies

placed inside an empty building down the street. It wouldn’t keep the

Rise to Seduction

217

military from finding them, but it might keep them from discovering
the bodies until after the Rebellion group was long gone.

Mason and Nate began working on a couple of the damaged

military vehicles, trying to get them up and running. Bullet holes and
blast damage on the vehicles was fine, but nonworking vehicles
served no use.

The wounded were gathered and loaded onto transport trucks.

Luckily, none of them seemed to have life-threatening injuries. Most
of the nonhumans had already shifted and were slowly healing. That
just left the humans.

Brooke’s parents were what floored Sasha. Once Rick explained

the situation and their plan, they had moved into high gear, packing
what belongings they could and loading them into the trucks. Sasha
knew his jaw had dropped when Pappy drove out of the garage with a
fully equipped and working tank.

Who owned a fucking tank? It made him grin at Brooke’s fathers.

He liked them. They were kick-ass men who knew what to do and
didn’t crumble under the pressure. They needed more men like those
two in their scattered Rebellion groups. They didn’t fluster easy, and
Sasha could see the gleam of determination in their eyes.

Two hours later, they were loaded up and ready to go. Those who

could fight were dressed in military uniforms. Those who couldn’t
fight were put into the back of transport vehicles as “prisoners of
war.”

With the tank leading the way, they started out.

* * * *

Rick sure as hell hoped this plan worked. It was insane to pose as

human soldiers, but that insanity was what could possibly make this
work. No one would be expecting such a bold move. Hell, he was
ready to send out word to the other Rebellion groups to do the same.

218 Lynn

Hagen

But he would wait to see if they got away with it before implementing
this plan.

He had to admit though, it was fucking brilliant.
The only thing that scared the shit out of him was the thought that

if they were exposed as frauds, there were innocent women and
children with them. Rick couldn’t let anything happen to them. This
had to work.

“You are one crazy son of a bitch,” Dorian said with a wide smile.

“I never would have thought of this.”

“If this works, gatito, I think all the Rebellion groups need to

implement this plan. It could be what turns the war in our favor. If we
can be waved through roadblocks and use their own weapons against
them, we just might have a shot as winning.” Rick glanced in the side
mirror to see the convoy of military trucks behind him. It was a
sobering sight, considering it was changelings who were driving the
vehicles.

“I told you,” Dorian said as he leaned over and kissed Rick on the

cheek.

“Told me what?”
“That you were the man to lead this war. I know you have been

ambivalent since this started, but I always had confidence in you,
Rick. Okay, maybe not at first,” Dorian admitted with a smile. “But
now I think you are the sexiest man when you take charge and kick
ass.”

Rick chuckled. “You do, do you?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“Repeat those words when I have you at my mercy, mi amante

valiente.”

“I don’t know what you just said”—Dorian leaned closer,

wiggling his brows—“but it sounded sexy as hell.”

“Did it now?” Rick wasn’t sure if he would be able to hold out for

a room if his mate kept this up. The only thing stopping him from
freeing his cock and having Dorian give him head in the truck was the

Rise to Seduction

219

fact there were people in the backseat. There was nothing he could do
about the lust that was riding him hard and giving off a thick and
spicy scent, though.

“Should we catch a ride with the others?” Benito asked as he

stared between the two. “Because if you two are about to fuck, I’d
rather not be sitting here to watch.”

Miguel rolled a window down. “No offense, alpha, but it’s getting

hard to breathe in here.”

“Rick,” Rick reminded the enforcer, “you have status now. Call

me Rick.”

“I’m still not used to calling you by your first name,” Miguel

admitted and then added, “Rick.”

“Heads up,” Benito said from behind Rick’s seat. “Here’s our first

test.”

Rick spotted the roadblock ahead and felt his gut clench. He

wasn’t sure what he would say if they were stopped. Most of the
uniforms had blood stains on them. He could say they were in battle,
but Rick would prefer not to talk to any of the soldiers. He’d rather—
wait, oh hell, they were being waved right on by.

It worked.
The fucking plan worked.
Rick blew out a heavy breath and dropped his head back against

the headrest as they drove through the roadblock unmolested. He had
doubts in the back of his mind, although Rick hadn’t said anything to
anyone. He was terrified that it wouldn’t work and everyone he cared
about would be killed.

And yet the plan had worked.
They had been passed right through the military roadblock and

they had not only been waved right on through, but the soldiers
guarding the roadblock hadn’t even looked twice at them. And why
should they? They were all just one big happy, bloodthirsty, military
family…with automatic weapons and a hatred of anything they didn’t
understand.

220 Lynn

Hagen

Still, the ease in which they had passed through the military

checkpoint gave Rick an idea. He didn’t want to say anything to
anyone until he had a chance to mull it over in his head a little. He
had learned early on in this war that failure to look at all of the angles
got people killed.

“You’re thinking awfully hard over here, big guy,” Dorian said as

he unbuckled his seat belt and scooted closer, leaning his body up
tight against Rick’s. “What’s going on in that head of yours? I can
smell the smoke.”

Rick grinned and curved his arm around Dorian, pulling his mate

closer. While he didn’t want to share his plan with anyone quite yet,
Dorian didn’t count. He shared everything with his mate.

“How hard do you think it would be to get our hands on some

more uniforms and military vehicles?”

“Uh…” Dorian looked nonplussed as he stared up at Rick.

“Wouldn’t Freeman be a better person to ask than me?”

“Best guess?”
“Best guess?”
Rick nodded.
“Well, depending on who we run into and what lies between us

and our destination, and considering you are the most wanted man in
America, it probably wouldn’t be too hard. But I can’t really say I’m
in favor of wearing a uniform that a dead man was in.” Dorian’s pert
little nose wrinkled up in disgust. “It’s kind of gross, Rick.”

“It might be gross, gatito, but it is also very effective. Those

soldiers back there didn’t even blink at us as they waved us right on
through the roadblock. And I think if we can get our hands on more
uniforms and military equipment, we might just have a chance at
winning this damn thing.”

“How?” Dorian’s voice was filled with so much confusion that

Rick couldn’t help but laugh.

“We need to be able to move around with more freedom and less

chance of being caught or attacked. We also need to get into areas

Rise to Seduction

221

where nonhumans are being held. If we looked like the military, there
are places we could get into that we wouldn’t even try right now,
places that can give us more intelligence on the military’s movements
and where our people are being held or even what they are planning.
It could give us a leg up in this war, Dorian.”

“Good god, you sound like a toddler with a new puppy.”
Rick playfully narrowed his eyes. “No references to puppies,

gatito. I get enough of that from Sasha.”

He may be teasing Dorian at the moment, but Rick was still a

bundle of nerves on the inside. They had made it through the
roadblock…this time. What happened if they were stopped by the
next? He knew he should be concentrating on the plan that was
forming in his head, but as leader of not only this Rebellion group, but
leader of them all, worry was a part of making sure his species
survived.

“Okay, no more puppy references,” Dorian replied with a slight

smirk on his handsome face. “But I like that you are finally excited
about something.”

Rick leaned over and kissed Dorian’s forehead. “It has been hard

to get pumped up when we are on the losing end of things.”

“Are you going to get in touch with Freedman?” Benito asked

from the backseat, reminding Rick that he and Dorian were not alone
in the truck.

“I’ll call him,” Rick replied. “But after we take care of this data

card, we need to head his way and devise a plan to get Omar out of
the detention center.”

The truck grew silent at the mention of Omar’s situation. He

wanted to run to Nevada and free the werewolf, but Rick knew in his
mind that his first priority was finding a way to use the card. It was a
harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless.

222 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Benito frowned when Miguel’s phone rang. The werewolf

answered it, and then handed the device over to him with a knowing
smirk on his face. Who in the hell would be calling him? “Hello?”

“Benito?”
Oh, fuck. Benito glanced at his cousin, who was smiling like the

cat who swallowed the canary. “Beastman?” The image of the small
wererabbit instantly came to mind as Benito held the phone to his ear.
His cock tried to harden, but Benito refused to get turned on by the
man’s voice.

Sasha was right. He didn’t fuck his food.
“I called because I took a closer look at the formula that was on

the data card and wanted to let you know I made a grave error.”

“I thought you destroyed the original formula.” Benito was not

happy that the little rabbit had held on to the recipe for disaster. The
man seemed harmless enough, but having that much power in one’s
hands could make even the most well-meaning person into a monster.

“I–I wanted to study it at length,” the rabbit replied. “I swear I’m

not going to do anything with it.”

“You might not plan on doing anything with it, but what if

someone got their hands on the formula, Beastman? You need to get
rid of it, now.”

There was a moment’s pause where Benito heard the quick

panting on the other end. He wasn’t sure what was going through the
rabbit’s mind, but he could tell that whatever it was, it made the man
nervous.

Rise to Seduction

223

“I’ll destroy it, I promise.” A submissive vow. God, the man was

making it hard for Benito to concentrate. Images of him fucking the
little bunny ran through his mind, but so did images of eating the man.
Both images equally made his heart race. He was so screwed in the
head.

“What did you find?”
“The enzymes won’t explode in the heart…”
Benito was getting a bad feeling about this. He wasn’t sure if he

wanted to encourage the man to go on or stop him right here. He
knew he had no choice. “Go on.”

“Are–are you coming back this way?” A blatant invitation.
“Beastman.” Benito sighed the man’s name, knowing there was

no hope of anything happening between them. He was a werewolf.
Beastman was a little wererabbit. Benito wasn’t that big himself, but
he was beginning to fill out nicely. He knew in a few years he would
have plenty of bulk on him. But the rabbit would always be the small
prey that he was now.

“Wilbert.”
“Huh?”
“My–my name is Wilbert.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Benito asked.
“Don’t know,” Wilbert replied softly.
“The error, Wilbert,” Benito reminded the man before he stepped

into dangerous territory with the bunny. There was a soft sigh on the
other end. As hard as he fought it, Benito gave a small smile. He
knew now that the Beastman had given Benito his name because he
wanted to hear Benito say it.

Now his cock was fully hard.
Damn it.
“I reconstructed the virus based on what I thought the original

virus contained. I hadn’t read through the whole card. I should have
known better, but with all those predators standing around me, I was

224 Lynn

Hagen

nervous. So I quickly reformulated what I thought was basically a
heart attack virus.” Wilbert shot his words out bullet fast.

Benito was beginning to see the man had a hard time

concentrating. He was all over the place. “Wilbert.” Benito said the
man’s name knowing what it did to the rabbit. He was tempting fate.
Sue him. “Tell me what you found.”

“Would you really eat me?” Wilbert asked.
God, trying to have a straightforward conversation with the

wererabbit was proving impossible. He drew on his patience. “More
than likely.” He wasn’t going to lie. But he omitted the fact that he
would more than likely fuck the man into a coma first. “Now tell me
what you found, little bunny.”

He meant for the name to be close to an insult. It would do to

remind Wilbert of their different breeds, but Benito knew he fucked
up when the damn rabbit sighed again. Either the rabbit was one big
head case, or he liked dealing with dangerous men.

Benito was leaning more toward the head case.
“You’re confusing me, Benito.” Good fucking god. The man had

said his name so dreamily that Benito was ready to find someplace
private and jack off to the man’s voice. This was insane!

Miguel slapped Benito’s arm with the back of his hand and then

waved his hand in front of his face. He was telling Benito that the lust
in the truck was suffocating.

Fuck if he could help it. Wilbert was doing things to Benito no

other had done before. “How?” He shouldn’t be encouraging this
conversation. He shouldn’t. He really, really shouldn’t, but hell if he
could stop himself from asking.

“You say you would most likely eat me, but I can hear another

hunger in your voice.”

“Can we find out what’s wrong with the formula before you two

start having crossbreed sex on the phone?” Rick snapped.

“He sounds mad,” Wilbert whispered.

Rise to Seduction

225

“Tell me what you found.” Benito stopped himself from saying

Wilbert, or worse, little bunny. He needed to stop making the man
think that anything could happen between them.

“Right,” Wilbert said. “Business, of course.” He sounded hurt,

offended. “After carefully studying the notes on the card, I discovered
a few mistakes. It seemed that whoever was developing this formula
had his own agenda. It started out as I stated, a virus that caused heart
failure, but once I was finished with the notes, it all came together.”

Benito could tell the man wasn’t used to talking in laymen’s

terms. He was running around in circles with his speech, driving
Benito mad. But he knew that if he told Wilbert to give it to him
straight, the man would start talking techno jargon that he wouldn’t
understand. So, he sat there waiting for the big revelation to take
place. Secretly, he was enjoying hearing the fluster in Wilbert’s voice.

“Whoever was working on this wasn’t trying to kill the

changelings, although he sure as hell made it look like he was. The
scientist cracked our genetic code and developed a virus that would
wipe out our lycanthropy genes.”

“They found a cure?” Benito asked in stunned disbelief.
“If you want to call it that,” Wilbert said indignantly. “I myself

like who I am. I’m not a damn disease.”

“No, you’re not,” Benito admitted.
“But he put a Trojan in the formula.”
“Wilbert,” Benito said exasperatedly. “Please tell me everything

at once.”

A silent pause. “If I did, then you would hurry up and get off of

the phone with me,” Wilbert confessed quietly.

Benito sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. He really didn’t

want to have this conversation in the truck with everyone listening.
“There can’t be an us, Wilbert. I’m a predator, you are prey. Trust me,
in the end, I would eat you.” Bold, harsh reality.

“Fine,” Wilbert snapped, but Benito heard the rejection in the

man’s voice. “The Trojan he planted would sterilize our species. I was

226 Lynn

Hagen

still correct that it wouldn’t stay with just our species, though. If this
virus hit the human population, it would not only sterilize them, but
cause cancer. If it hit the vampire species…nothing. It seems the virus
has no effect on the dead.”

“And the formula you gave us?” Benito needed to quickly ask

before Wilbert hung up on him. The man sounded pretty damn pissed
off. He wasn’t sure why he cared, but he hadn’t set out to hurt the
man’s feelings.

“I’m not an idiot, Benito.” This time Wilbert said his name with

disdain. “It will still give everyone the flu.”

“Fuck you, Wilbert.” Benito hung up. He was pissed off that

Wilbert was angry. He knew it was better to make the man hate him
than lust after him. It would never work. The rabbit needed to get over
him because Benito knew in the end, even with good intentions
backing him up, Wilbert would become nothing more than food to the
werewolf.

Rise to Seduction

227

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Selene paced the unfamiliar bedroom. The convoy had found a

small, desolated town to rest in for the night. Rick had assigned shifts
for the changelings to watch over the town while the others slept.

The group had split up and taken various houses to sleep in. Nate,

Sasha, and Selene had this house all to themselves. But after what
Rick had told them about the wererabbit and his revelation, Selene
found herself restless. It was unanimous that they find a secure
location to hide the others before the Rebellion group met with Clyde
and then headed to help Freedman with Omar. Thankfully, Edward
was working on cracking into the rabbit’s computers so he could wipe
the virus clean. Even Corrigan and Jordison were helping Edward at
this very moment.

They all agreed that they couldn’t leave the formula with the guy.

It was too dangerous for everyone. It may have been the humans who
had declared war against the nonhumans, but there were humans out
there fighting on their side.

Besides, none of them could conscientiously unleash a virus that

affected them all. What in the fuck had that scientist been thinking?
Selene shivered at the possibilities that could come with such a virus
if it was to be unleashed.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Sasha said as he moved across the

room. Selene nearly moaned when the wereleopard slid up behind her
and placed his strong hands on her hips. The heat of his hands soaked
through her jeans and into her skin.

Never would Selene have thought she would fall for Sasha

Monroe. She could feel his hands roaming over her hips, her buttocks,

228 Lynn

Hagen

bringing her a sense of heat and overwhelming pleasure. “You’re so
tense,” Sasha purred in her ear.

She inhaled sharply when one of his hands cupped her breast. It

was large, covering the entire mound as his fingers rubbed back and
forth over her nipple. She shifted against him, reaching up and behind
Sasha, pulling his long braid over her shoulder. “Release it for me.”

Sasha nipped her neck and then did as she asked, releasing the

long blond, silken strands for her to play in. “You like my hair?” he
asked. Selene could see the hesitation in his eyes. As hard as Sasha
played at seducing her, she could see the uncertainty flashing in the
kelly green, as if he were a little boy and needed her approval.

She had given herself to him, let Sasha claim her, but standing

here, staring into his face, seeing the need for approval, something
inside of her shifted. She turned in his arms, cupping his face. “I love
it, Sasha.”

His smile was genuine. He wasn’t trying to play games, wasn’t

trying to win her over, he just smiled at her with a look of a man who
was truly pleased that she had complimented him. How had she never
seen the vulnerability in him before now? Had she been that hung up
on trying her best to push him away that she hadn’t seen how much he
wanted her to want him?

Selene moaned when his lips slowly descended to hers. She

became desperate for his touch, aching for it as the sensual kiss
deepened. His hands pulled at the hem of her shirt, lifting the fabric
until he could cup her breasts. She almost cried out in protest when he
tore his lips from hers and pulled her shirt over her head, revealing the
lacey purple bra she was wearing. “So pretty.”

His lips and hands began to explore her, caressing over her, filling

her senses with the dark taste of passion and the stinging need
growing within her. Her thighs clenched as he released the front clasp
on her bra and drew the straps down her arms. “So damn pretty.”

The heat between her legs grew, making her so wet she was ready

to beg Sasha to take her. “And your heat smells so fucking good.”

Rise to Seduction

229

Sasha lifted his head, staring down at her. “Your pussy is wet for me,
isn’t it, vixen?”

A pulse shot through her womb and made the juices between her

legs gather. “Yes.”

His green eyes flared with heat as a wicked smile formed on his

lips. “I’m going to lick your pussy like a bowl of cream, vixen.”

“Oh, god,” Selene moaned. She could feel his rock-hard length

pressing into her. Selene’s swollen clit was screaming for relief,
wanting to feel his tongue on her and his cock inside of her.

Sasha leaned his head forward, his hand pushing one breast closer

to his mouth as he licked at one diamond-hard nipple. The pleasure
was so strong, so fierce that she could do nothing but cry out in
response.

His lips were devouring her, sending her senses reeling, her pulse

rocketing as sensuality wrapped around her.

Selene heard a long, male groan and knew the sound to be Nate’s.

She hadn’t even heard him enter the room, but felt the heat of his eyes
weighing heavy on them as he watched. Selene arched toward Sasha’s
mouth as he teased her nipple with his teeth.

And then she felt another mouth on her other nipple. The dual

sensation set her aflame as Nate bit down onto the other swollen
nipple, making her cry out as the sensation tore through her. It wasn’t
quite pain, but a fiery kind of hurt that made the pleasure hotter,
sweeter.

“Damn, baby,” Nate whispered against her sensitive nipple. “You

smell so damn hot.”

One of their hands, she wasn’t sure which, began to unfasten her

jeans.

“God, I love these pert little breasts,” Sasha said as he sucked the

peak into his mouth, swirled his tongue around the engorged flesh,
and then sucked it until the nipple popped free. “I love tasting them,
vixen. I love feeling the throbbing little points on my tongue.”

230 Lynn

Hagen

Selene gasped as Nate pulled her jeans down to her ankles and

then lifted each leg until she was free of the denim. It felt strange
standing there in nothing but her bra and panties while these two men
remained fully dressed. It was a vulnerable feeling that had her
pulling back.

“Easy, baby,” Nate whispered as he peeled the panties from her

body. “Easy.” His large hands cupped her bottom. They slid around
her until her side until both hands were cupping her pussy, the index
finger and thumb playing with the folds, stroking her clit.

Her head fell back, her lips parting as Sasha licked his way up her

neck. She went up on her tiptoes as sensations exploded through her.
Her knees buckled, but both men stopped her from collapsing. A cry
tore from her lips as a flood of lust ripped through her body.

Selene pulled at Sasha’s hair when she felt Nate drop down

behind her and his tongue begin to lick at the crevice of her ass. The
sensations racing through her body were violent as the hands touching
her and the hot male groans sent her senses whirling, the eroticism
almost too much to bear.

“Nate…Sasha,” she cried.
“Right here,” Nate replied before his tongue probed her back

entrance and then pushed in, pulled out, and laved at the tight muscle.
Selene was lost as his finger touched her anus and then slowly slid
inside. She felt it open, milking his finger inside as Sasha pulled her
closer to his hard, broad chest, making Selene whimper in need.

“You’re so tight, so hot,” Nate whispered behind her. Selene

couldn’t think, her pleas were incoherent as soft cries fell from her
lips. She was desperate for both of them, to feel either or both of these
strong males inside of her.

The thought sent a spike of arousal straight to her pussy. What

would it feel like to have both of them inside of her at the same time?
She wanted to find out, was desperate to find out. “Please…fuck me.”

Sasha gave a low growl, cupping the back of her head and making

her stare into his eyes. “Which one of us, Selene?”

Rise to Seduction

231

She swallowed hard as she stared into the swimming pools of lust

not only in his eyes, but his tone as well. “Both.” Selene screamed in
pleasure and frustration when Nate pulled his finger from her rear.

“Hold on, vixen.” Sasha lifted her from her feet and carried her to

the bed, gently laying her down before he crawled between her parted
legs. Her juices were thick as Sasha ran his fingers through them and
then, to her surprise, coated her lips like he was painting them. “Lick
it clean.”

A blush stole over her body. She could see Nate undressing before

he joined them on the bed.

“Lick your lips, baby,” Nate encouraged her. Both men watched

her, their gazes intent. She hesitated. Sasha dipped his fingers into her
pussy this time, making Selene moan in pleasure. He pulled his
fingers free and then ran them over her lips once more.

“Open.”
Selene slowly parted her lips and suckled at Sasha’s fingers.
“Oh, hell,” Nate groaned. “That is so damn sexy.”
Selene had never tasted herself, but from the looks on both of their

faces, she knew she would do anything for them, anything that made
them look at her with pure liquid lust. Sasha dipped his hand into the
folds of her pussy again, only this time, when he pulled away, Selene
began to pant when Sasha fed Nate her juices.

The look of pure pleasure on Nate’s face almost made her orgasm.
“You taste so fucking good,” Nate crooned.
Selene still couldn’t believe she belonged to both of these strong,

powerful men. Even though she was an enforcer, able to handle
herself, they made her feel safe, protected as she lay there between
their muscled bodies. “Please,” she begged.

Sasha settled himself between her legs, a tuft of hot air blowing

across her swollen clit. “No need to beg, vixen. Anytime you want
one or both of us, we’re yours.”

Selene cried out when Sasha’s mouth covered her clit, taking the

engorged bud between his lips, and then began to suck the small nub

232 Lynn

Hagen

as if he were devouring her. Nate knelt beside her, watching, his eyes
drinking in what Sasha was doing to her.

“Nate.”
Sasha lifted his head and then nipped her thigh. “I told you about

calling another man’s name when I’m the one bringing you pleasure.”
His words were light, teasing, but Selene could see the sincerity
behind the kelly green.

“Trust me, cat,” she teased with sensual heat. “There is no

confusion in my mind who is making me feel like my body is
shattering into a thousand pieces.” She cupped his jaw, her thumb
rubbing over his swollen lips. Selene’s chest tightened as she saw the
maelstrom of emotions crossing the man’s face. “I love you.” The
words were out of her mouth before she even knew she was going to
say them. She glanced up at Nate, his jade-green eyes dark, intense. “I
love you, too.”

She screamed when Sasha buried his face between her legs and

sucked at the entrance to her pussy as if he were a dying man. The
hunger in Nate’s eyes was no less intense. Selene grabbed the base of
his cock and pulled him closer, licking her lips and telling the man
without words what she wanted.

There was tenderness in Nate’s eyes that stole her breath. He was

looking at her with such love that she had to blink a few times. Nate
moved closer, the crest of his cock at her lips, the pre-cum glistening
heavy as she parted her lips.

“Goddamn!” Nate shouted as she sucked his cock further into her

mouth. Nate looked like he was coming unglued right before her
eyes…and then Selene felt her body explode when Sasha inserted a
finger into her pussy, and her anus. She cried out around Nate’s dick,
her body arching off of the bed.

Sasha wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her down as

Nate grabbed her head, pulling her closer to his cock. “Suck it, baby.
Suck my dick. Tighter. Harder.”

Rise to Seduction

233

The dark storm in his eyes grew with hunger as she swirled her

tongue around the long length of his cock. The spicy taste spilled on
her tongue, the pre-cum sliding to the back of her throat. Nate cupped
her jaw, his thumb teasing around her stretched lips. “That’s it, baby,
taste me, take me in.”

Her ass burned as it stretched a little further, and Selene knew

Sasha had inserted another finger, using her juices to coat the digits as
they eased inside of her.

“I’m going to fuck that tight pussy of yours while Sasha takes you

from behind,” Nate said as his jaw clenched, the passion in his eyes
growing. “You want both of us, at the same time?”

She nodded as her fingers clamped down harder on his cock.
A twinkle sparked in Nate’s eyes. “Then I’m going to fuck Sasha.

Do you want to see that?”

Oh, god. Selene was about to climax again at the image Nate’s

words provoked.

“You do, don’t you?” Sasha said as he lifted his head, licking her

cream from his lips. Selene rolled her eyes in pleasure as his fingers
stretched her anus, sending a mixture of fire and pleasure racing
through her backside.

“I do,” Nate said as he gave a firm nod, his eyes locked onto

Sasha. To her surprise, Sasha didn’t argue, but another finger did slip
inside her ass. Selene lifted her bottom, trying to bring her rear down
on his thick, invading fingers. God, it felt so fucking good. She had
never even considered anal sex before, but with these two, she knew
this wouldn’t be the last time.

The two men stared at each other for a moment before Sasha gave

a nod. Selene tried to keep Nate’s cock in her mouth, but he pulled
free, taking away her need to make him come in her mouth.

“What are you doing?” she asked.
Nate grinned at her and Selene knew in that instant that these men

were about to consume her. Nate pulled her from her back as Sasha
slid from the bed, undressing. Seeing both of these men naked was

234 Lynn

Hagen

like watching the gates of heaven open. It was awe inspiring. They
were so muscled, so well toned that she could do nothing but stare at
each of them in turn.

Nate dropped to his back and pulled Selene over him. “Ride me,

baby.”

Sliding her leg over his waist, Selene positioned herself. Nate

grabbed the base of his cock as she slowly lowered herself onto his
shaft. Her pussy burned as the skin stretched, his dick slowly invading
her, stretching her muscles and making her cries of pleasure fill the
room.

And then she felt Sasha at her back, a cool wetness teasing her

anus.

“Look at me,” Nate said. “Concentrate on my face, Selene.”
Selene gazed down at him as she rested the palms of her hands on

his thick chest. The man was so damn monolithic. Selene was
surprised she could take him into her body this way. She was so full
she felt as if she would burst at the seams.

Nate pulled her forward as she seated herself on his cock, taking

her lips with a hungry kiss. She whimpered into his mouth when
Sasha began to play with her clit. She knew it was Sasha. Nate’s
hands were holding her to him, so it was Sasha circling his finger
around the sensitive bud.

And then his cock was pressing against her back entrance. Selene

stiffened.

“Easy, baby,” Nate whispered at her lips. “We’ll go as slow as

you need us to.”

Sasha’s hand smoothed over her back and then he laid a kiss at the

top of her spine. “Slow and gentle,” he said from behind her. “As
slow as you need me to be.”

Her fingers dug into Nate’s chest, piercing his skin as Sasha

pressed in the barest of fractions. It burned. Oh god, it burned. Selene
began to pant against Nate’s lips as her eyes fluttered closed.

“Look at me, baby.”

Rise to Seduction

235

Selene opened her eyes and stared into jade green.
“I love you,” Nate said as his fingers smoothed over her cheeks.
Selene felt the hot tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. She had

loved Nate for so long that hearing him say he loved her was almost
too much.

“Is he hurting you?” Nate asked, his expression growing serious.
Sasha stilled. “Am I hurting you, vixen?”
“It burns,” she answered honestly as Nate wrapped his arms

around her.

“That’ll pass.” There was promise in Sasha’s words. “Do you

want me to stop?”

God no! Selene had fantasized about both of them taking her, at

the same time, since they had mated her. “No.”

“Good girl,” Nate whispered as he kissed her. Selene dug her

fingers harder into Nate’s chest, knowing she could take it as Sasha
began to move again. Between Nate’s cock buried in her pussy and
Sasha easing into her ass, Selene felt as if she were going to lose her
mind at the barrage of sensations flooding her.

“So full,” she groaned.
Sasha and Nate both reached down and began to ease some of the

pressure with their fingers as her clit was massaged, tugged at, and
squeezed. Selene cried out, her head shaking back and forth as the
sensations began to build like a volcano ready to erupt inside of her.
When her head fell back, a scream escaping her throat, Sasha pushed
deep inside of her.

But it wasn’t pain Selene felt as her orgasm threatened to drive

her mad. It was a pleasure so intense, so volatile that it fractured her
in half, driving a fissure up her spine and making her spasm in their
arms.

“Shit,” Sasha growled from behind her. “Do that again.”
“Do what?” Selene asked as she desperately tried to pull air into

her lungs.

236 Lynn

Hagen

“Milk my dick like that again.” He brushed his hand over her

mating mark, the one he had given her, and a shiver shot through her
body.

“Ready?” Sasha asked from behind her.
Selene glanced down at Nate, seeing the need deep in his eyes.
“Yes.”
When both men began to move, Selene was overwhelmed with

sensations she never knew existed. Nate thrust forward as Sasha
pulled back. Nate pulled back as Sasha thrust forward. Selene was
caught between the two, and all she could do was hold on for dear
life. They fucked hard and deep inside of her, Selene feeling every
inch of both cocks as they alternated filling her pussy and ass.

“I can’t do this,” she cried out, the erotic sensations peaking to a

blinding madness.

“Let go, baby, we have you.”
“Give me your orgasm, vixen. It’s okay, let it feel good. Let it

go.”

Selene knew she was fighting the voraciousness of what they were

doing to her body, her mind, and her heart. She felt as if she were in a
stormy sea, fighting to stay afloat.

“Goddamn it, vixen, stop fighting it.” Sasha growled in her ear.
Tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head. “I can’t let go. I’ll

drown.”

“We’ll catch you, baby,” Nate whispered into the shell of her ear

right before both men bit into either side of her shoulder, reclaiming
her, igniting a firestorm that burned her alive, making her scream until
her throat was raw, sending her skyrocketing over the edge as her
orgasm tore through her body, sweeping her into darkness.

* * * *

Nate eased her to the bed with gentle hands, Sasha helping him.

Never before had he made anyone pass out from fucking them. It

Rise to Seduction

237

worried him for a second until he saw the even rising and falling of
her chest.

“She’ll be fine,” Sasha reassured him. “But damn if that wasn’t

intense.”

Nate tucked the blankets around her and then slowly turned his

head, gazing at Sasha with a deep hunger. “You’re next.” His words
were filled with a guttural growl.

A thick, blond brow rose a fraction. “I am, am I?”
Nate moved with lightning speed, pinning Sasha to the bed. He

knew the alpha wasn’t going to just give up the goods. Nate was
going to have to take it. He was going to have to prove he could top
an alpha leopard. Sasha wasn’t going to accept anything less.

The leopard shoved Nate hard, unbalancing him, but he held on to

the man, keeping him pinned down. “Yes, you are.”

“What makes you think you can have me?” Sasha asked with

unmistakable challenge in his tone.

Nate wrapped Sasha’s loose strands around his hand and then

fisted the hair, yanking Sasha’s head to the side. “Because you
fucking know you want to feel my cock buried deep in your ass.”

Changeling sex was brutal. They had gone easy on Selene since it

was her first time having two men deep inside of her. But Nate knew
Sasha wanted rough, raw, near-brutal sex from him—sex that would
break a human’s bones.

Nate crushed his mouth to Sasha’s, taking what he wanted, not

asking—never asking. Sasha didn’t want politeness. He wanted to be
claimed, to be taken down. He could feel the leopard’s canines sliding
from their sheaths and knew he was in for one hell of a good time.

Sasha fisted his hands in Nate’s short, blond hair, yanking at it,

growling and purring in turn. His cock was throbbing so hard, the
need to make Sasha submit so overwhelming that Nate thought he
was going to lose his mind. He could see that Sasha was just as hard,
just as desperate.

Nate reached down and played at Sasha’s ass.

238 Lynn

Hagen

The leopard knocked his hand away.
Nate growled fiercely into Sasha’s mouth. “You don’t want to be

prepped?” He knew he made a grave mistake when Sasha fought to
free himself. The man didn’t want to be asked a damn thing. He
wanted Nate to know what he needed. He had to use every ounce of
strength he possessed to keep Sasha pinned down.

“That’s right, fight me, cat.”
Sasha snapped his teeth close to Nate’s face. “You think you can

take me on?”

A challenge.
Selene’s juices still covered Nate’s cock. He worried that he

would hurt his mate, but from the fire in Sasha’s kelly-green eyes,
Nate knew the man wanted pain with his pleasure.

So be it.
Moving quickly, Nate shoved Sasha’s powerful legs back and

pierced his asshole with a thick cock, never stopping until he was
embedded to the hilt in the man’s body. Sasha snarled, bucked, and
then to Nate’s surprise, Sasha wrapped his legs around Nate’s waist,
pulling him closer.

“That’s right, kitty, you know who is in charge.”
Sasha snapped his teeth again, but didn’t dispute Nate’s claim. His

fingers curled into Nate’s hair, roughly pulling him down as their lips
collided. The heat of Sasha’s ass wrapped around Nate’s cock was so
fucking overwhelming that Nate was teetering on the edge already.

He pulled back and plunged deep into Sasha’s ass, his fingers

gripping the man’s legs tightly as he drove deep and fast.

“Nate,” Sasha said his name as his fingers gripped Nate’s hair

tighter.

The man’s ass was so tight it felt like an iron fist around Nate’s

dick. “Tell me no one has had you before,” Nate said in a growl. “Tell
me I’m your first.”

Rise to Seduction

239

Sasha released Nate’s hair and wrapped his fingers around Nate’s

throat, but he didn’t apply any pressure, just rested them against his
skin. “And the last,” Sasha replied.

The confession that no one had ever taken Sasha in the ass made a

surge of protectiveness burn through Nate. The man may be an alpha,
may be strong and powerful, but he was Nate’s. All his, and Nate
would kill anyone who tried to take the man from him. “Mine!”

Sasha’s legs tightened around Nate, his eyes growing darker.

“Fuck me, harder, Nate.” The words were spoken with a rough, raspy
demand.

Nate pulled free, grabbed Sasha with determination and flipped

the man to his hands and knees, spearing back into his body. He
wrapped Sasha’s hair around his fists and slammed into the man with
deep, steady strokes. “Like this?” He wasn’t asking, but teasing.

Sasha bucked against him, his ass colliding with Nate’s cock,

sending sweeping sensations through his body. Nate wanted to
consume the leopard, to devour him with his cock, his lips, his very
touch.

He was straining not to come, not to end this so quickly, but the

tight feel of Sasha was driving Nate closer to the edge. His body was
straining with the effort not to climax.

“Nate…goddamn, Nate…fuck me…make me beg.”
Sasha’s words shocked him, but Nate gave the man what he was

pleading for. He gripped Sasha’s hips and moved so fast that the
sound of skin colliding rang out in the room. “Play with yourself,”
Nate demanded. “Play with your cock.”

Sasha moaned and reached under his body, his hand moving

quickly as he jacked himself off.

“Son of a bitch,” Nate panted. “That’s it, bring yourself off,

baby.”

“Keep talking dirty to me,” Sasha begged. “Make me come,

Nate.”

240 Lynn

Hagen

This was a side to Sasha Nate had never seen. The man’s guard

was slowly lowering, giving Nate a glimpse at the man, not the alpha.
Sasha wanted to be loved, to be pleasured, and to be needed. He could
hear it in the desperate words the man spoke.

“You’re gonna suck my cock, Sasha. I want to feel your lips

wrapped around the head, suckling me as I come down your throat.”

Sasha’s body jerked as his hand sped up. “Are you going to force

me to suck your dick?”

Nate slapped Sasha’s ass, watching as his hand print appeared in a

pretty red outline. “No, you’re going to beg me to suck my dick.
You’re going to drop to your knees and pleasure yourself as you beg
me.”

Sasha bucked, his ass pulsing around Nate’s cock. The man was

close. Nate found the hot, explicit words just as erotic as Sasha did.

“And if I don’t?” Sasha asked.
Nate grabbed Sasha’s hips harder, giving hard, even thrusts,

watching as his dick disappeared into Sasha’s swollen, red hole.
“Then I’m going to pin you down and shove my dick into your ass so
deep, so hard that you will be begging me to let you come, but I won’t
let you. I’ll fuck you all night, refusing you your release.”

It was a power play. Sasha was too alpha to just give into Nate, so

he was making Nate tell him what he was going to do. Sasha wanted
the choice taken from him. Nate knew that alphas didn’t like to appear
weak, and that was something Sasha was going to have to get over, at
least in their bedroom. There weren’t going to be any titles or
positions when they were alone, being intimate with each other. They
were equals.

“This is my ass,” Nate snarled as he fucked Sasha harder and then

stilled. He ran his hand over Sasha’s back and then slapped the other
ass cheek. “You’re not an alpha in my bed, Sasha. You’re my lover,
my mate. When I want you to submit, you will do what I demand.”

Sasha’s arm stilled, and Nate could hear the ragged breathing

coming from the man. “Seriously?”

Rise to Seduction

241

Nate leaned forward, gently kissing Sasha’s shoulder. “Do you

think I would look at you as less than who you are if you gave
yourself to me in the privacy of our bedroom? I wouldn’t, Sasha. I
would look at you with nothing but respect, knowing my mate, my
lover trusted me enough with the pleasures he most desired.”

“Not all the time,” Sasha started, “but I want you to dominate me,

to show me that you care about me.” The man sounded so lost, so
fucking alone that it hurt Nate’s heart.

Nate reached down and pulled on Sasha’s chin until the man was

looking at him. “It would be my honor to show you what submitting
to someone truly entailed. Stop fighting me, Sasha. Let me love you.”

Sasha still held uncertainty in his eyes, but gave Nate a tight nod.

He pulled his cock from Sasha’s ass and then turned the man over,
smoothing his hand down Sasha’s broad chest. “Look at you. You’re
so damn gorgeous.” Nate had a feeling no one was ever tender with
this man. Sasha had to fight his way through life, and Nate could tell
it was taking its toll on the man.

Nate leaned down and gave Sasha a warm, searing kiss as his slid

his cock back into the man’s body. “Now play with yourself so I can
watch. Pleasure your body, show me what you want me to do to you,
baby.”

Sasha hesitated and then wrapped his fingers around his dick,

choking his fingers around the head and then pulling tight.

“You like pain with your pleasure?”
“Yes. Not brutal, but enough to make me come.”
“Taking you without prep was pretty brutal,” Nate said as he

watched Sasha’s fingers. The thumb slid over the head, gathered the
pre-cum, and then used the clear liquid as lube, as he slowly stroked
himself.

“And something you won’t be doing again.” Sasha smiled and

Nate’s heart melted. “That shit hurt.”

Nate laughed. “I can imagine so.” He pulled Sasha up into his

arms, holding the man as he gentled his thrusts, showing Sasha that

242 Lynn

Hagen

slow and easy was just as sensual as hard and fast. Sasha snaked his
arms around Nate’s neck and began to kiss him with a slow, burning
passion.

“You know I love you, right?” Nate asked.
“I do now,” Sasha said as he sipped at Nate’s lips, giving him

drugging kisses that made Nate’s head spin. “I may never say it often
enough, Nate, but I do love you.”

Nate could hear the vulnerability in Sasha’s tone and knew he

hadn’t said that to anyone but him and Selene. It was a precious gift
Nate would always treasure and never take for granted. “I know. The
big, bad Sasha can’t appear weak.”

Sasha shook his head as Nate moved inside of him, relishing the

heat surrounding his cock. “No, that’s not it. I’m just not used to
having a softer side, except when it comes to Sammy.”

“And she’s a kid so you don’t have to worry about her rejecting

you,” Nate guessed.

“Something like that,” Sasha admitted.
Nate cupped Sasha’s face. “You’re my mate, Sasha. I would never

reject you or make fun of anything you said, or wanted me to do to
you. If you wanted Selene to strap on a dildo and fuck you, I would
love it. Never be afraid to ask for what you desire.”

Sasha’s brow quirked. “A dildo?”
Nate chuckled. “Oh, cat, I have many plans for us, and toys are

going to be included.”

“I wish I had known that when Mason broke into that damn sex

shop.”

Nate hugged Sasha tighter as he thrust into him, moving faster,

feeling his orgasm tingling and wrapping around his spine. “I’m going
to fill you with my seed, kitty. I want you to wear my scent.”

Sasha groaned as he planted his feet firmly on the bed and began

to fuck Nate with intensity. His ass bounced up and down on Nate’s
shaft as the man took his pleasure. When the sensations became too
much, Nate bit into Sasha’s shoulder, sending them both over the

Rise to Seduction

243

edge and into the abyss of pleasure. Nate watched Sasha in the throes
of passion and knew he would kill to protect both his mates.

Never before had he loved anyone as much as he loved Sasha and

Selene, and Nate prayed this war didn’t take these two from him.

“You have to tell me, Sasha,” Nate said as Sasha slowly began to

relax, his climax easing. “What are you mixed with?”

Sasha gave him a murderous glare. “If you tell anyone, I’ll neuter

you.”

Nate laughed. “What happened to that postorgasmic look you just

had?”

Sasha nipped at Nate’s chest. “Don’t laugh.”
Nate sobered and nodded. “I would never laugh at you.”
Sasha shook his head, covered his eyes with his hands and spoke,

his voice sounding damn embarrassed. “A gazelle.”

Nate sat there stunned as he thought of the little harmless gazelle

that wouldn’t hurt a fly. “Oh, hell.” Nate couldn’t stop the laughter as
he fell back, taking Sasha with him.

Sasha slapped at Nate’s chest. “You promised.”
Nate grabbed Sasha’s hands in his, kissing each palm. “I’m sorry,

baby.”

Sasha gazed down at him, and then the sides of his mouth

twitched, turning into a smile. “Don’t ask me what in the hell my
father was thinking, but if you tell anyone…snip, snip.”

244 Lynn

Hagen

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Rick held his nephew in his arms for the very first time. Pride

swelled inside of him as he stared down into hazel eyes. His nephew
was still in his shifter form. He had the look of a wolf cub, but his
coat was a sleek and spotted like a cougar cub. His tail was a little
longer, giving away his rat breed. “He’s a handsome little devil.”

“Thanks,” Edward said. “He’s still shaky on his legs and just

opened his eyes a few weeks back.”

Rick could hear the pride in his brother-in-law’s voice. Edward

stared at his son in awe as Rick rubbed the little babe’s tummy. EJ, as
Edward and Isabelle were calling Edward Jr., was hissing and trying
to swat at Rick’s hand. He knew it was normal for a cougar cub to
hiss, scream, and growl. They were the sounds they made at such a
young age. EJ wouldn’t be able to roar until he was a full adult.

But damn if the little guy wasn’t adorable. Rick lifted the babe up,

holding him under his front legs as he stared into EJ’s hazel eyes.
“I’m your Uncle Rick and you, my little nephew, are going to be
spoiled rotten.”

“What about me?” Hunter, one of Rick’s godsons, asked. “Am I

going to be spoiled rotten?”

Dorian grabbed Hunter around the waist, tossed him gently on the

floor, and began tickling him. “Yes, you are,” Dorian said as Samuel,
Hunter’s younger brother by a year, tried to climb Dorian’s back.

Rick chuckled at the way Dorian was playing with their godsons.

The man jumped to his feet and took off, Hunter and Samuel giving
chase. Rick saw Sammy and Boston sitting at the table, playing cards.

Rise to Seduction

245

Boston was acting every bit the big brother as Sammy beat him once
more in Go Fish.

“Makes you want to kill anyone who threatens them,” Edward

said.

Rick nodded as he stroked his hand down EJ’s soft fur. “It does.”

The kids seemed oblivious to what was going on as Peanut ran into
the living room, screaming in delight as Dorian skidded around the
corner and tried to catch her. Peanut crawled up onto Edward’s lap
and then hid behind him. “Save me,” she whispered to Edward.

“Where’s Peanut?” Dorian asked, pretending he didn’t see her.

Kell crawled into the room, glanced up toward Peanut, and then sat on
his bottom. Hunter and Samuel raced in next, pointing to Edward.

“There she is.”
Trisha soon joined them and then sat at the table with Boston and

Sammy, asking to be dealt in. Rick glanced around at all the
innocence surrounding him, and his chest tightened at the thought of
any of them being hurt in this war. He knew Boston and Trish were
well aware of what was going on, but that didn’t stop Rick from
wanting to protect them from the harshness out there.

“Okay, come on, everyone, time for bed,” Willow announced as

she stepped into the room. The kids groaned, protested, but did as she
said. Rick and Dorian took the house next door, Nate, Sasha, and
Selene grabbing some privacy—being newly mated and all—in the
house on the other side of this one.

Rick knew the kids were well protected with everyone else here.

Benito and Miguel were patrolling outside, keeping an eye on things
as Mason and Bryson scouted the outer perimeter.

They weren’t taking any chances.
“That’s my cue to head to bed.” Edward stood, setting Peanut on

her feet as he reached for EJ. Rick reluctantly handed his nephew
over, giving him a kiss on the nose before his father carried him away.

Dorian grabbed Rick’s hand and pulled him toward the door.

“And that’s my cue to take you to bed.”

246 Lynn

Hagen

Rick gave a low growl as he bent down and kissed Dorian before

grabbing his coat. “With pleasure.”

They made their way next door, Rick spotting Benito standing off

in the distance. He knew the enforcer was confused as hell about
Wilbert, and it probably gutted the man to make the rabbit hate him.

But Rick left the matter to Benito. He was a grown man. He

respected him for knowing his limitations, but it still sucked to see the
far-off look on his face. Pushing the thought aside, Rick walked into
the house with Dorian. It was a bit chilly inside. Dorian had set up a
space heater in the bedroom, so he knew it was nice and toasty
upstairs. They had scouted the town for generators and most of the
heaters they found went to the house next door to keep the kids warm,
but Rick had snagged one for him and Dorian to use.

Although he was pretty sure they were going to generate enough

body heat on their own. Rick chuckled when he saw Dorian racing up
the steps. The man was just as horny as Rick was. Not wasting any
time, he raced up the steps behind his mate. Dorian was already in the
room, undressing, and looking at Rick with such heat in his brown
eyes that Rick felt his cock harden and begin to pulse.

“Someone wants to get fucked,” Rick teased as he tossed his coat

aside and removed his boots.

“Fucked, sucked, slobbered on, and anything else you have in

mind.” Dorian yanked his jeans and underwear off, showing Rick an
impressive erection. His mouth watered at the sight.

“Sucked, huh?” he asked as he pulled his shirt off and shoved his

jeans down and off his body. His cock was straining just as much as
his mate’s was, if not more.

Dorian grabbed the base of his dick, wagging the engorged shaft

at Rick. “Come suck me, Rick.”

The heat was in his voice, the need in his eyes, and the sensual

desire in the palm of his hand. Rick moved closer, but Dorian gave
him a wicked grin before racing over the bed and out of his reach.

Rise to Seduction

247

“Playing hard to get, gatito?” Rick asked. “You know what

running from me does to my beast.”

Dorian swiped his finger over the head of his own cock, and then

licked his finger clean. Rick’s nostrils flared at the erotic sight. “Oh,
I’m hoping he unleashes on me.”

Stalking around the bed, his cock bouncing in front of him, Rick

moved in on Dorian, cornering his mate. The chase sent a rippling
thrill through Rick, making his body pulse with need. “Come here,
gatito. You know you want to feel my lips wrapped around your
dick.”

Dorian’s lips parted as he stared at Rick. He could see the pulse in

Dorian’s neck racing as Rick moved a little closer.

“No fair,” Dorian whispered.
Rick took another step and then reached for his mate, but Dorian

came out of his lust-filled haze in time to move away before Rick
could grab him. His mate laughed as he jumped up on the bed and
then bounded over the other side.

The man was driving him insane!
“You have to catch me first,” Dorian teased.
Rick placed his hands on his hips. “I have to catch you in order to

give you a blow job?”

Dorian turned, spreading his cheeks with his hand, showing Rick

the sweet little hole he was going to sink his cock into. The sight
damn near made him come. “If you want this, you will.”

“Now who’s not playing fair?” Rick asked. He jumped over the

bed, raced toward his mate, and caught Dorian’s arm, pulling his mate
to his chest. “Gotcha.”

Dorian smiled as he rubbed his naked body over Rick’s like a

damn cat in heat. “Now what are you going to do with me?”

Rick was too worked up, too damn horny to wait. He shoved

Dorian back, his mate landing on the bed as Rick crawled toward him.
“I’m going to eat you alive.”

248 Lynn

Hagen

“Oh, hell,” Dorian whispered. “You’re eyes have gone all wolf on

me.”

Rick felt the shift in his eyes, but he was too busy concentrating

on Dorian’s pretty cock to pay attention. Moving between his mate’s
legs, Rick engulfed the shaft to the back of his throat.

Dorian fell back, his cries filling the room as Rick worked his

mate’s cock until he saw Dorian’s balls draw up to his body. He
licked, sucked, stroked, and devoured the man’s shaft. He also
worked Dorian’s hole, stretching him, preparing him for what Rick
wanted most right now.

Dorian spread his legs, bucking his hips as he fucked Rick’s

mouth. His mate’s spicy pre-cum was ambrosia on his tongue as Rick
laved at the tiny slit at the head of his mate’s cock.

“Damn…just…damn,” Dorian muttered as Rick used all three

fingers he had buried in his mate’s ass to not only stretch the muscles,
but fuck the man’s ass as well. Creating a suction, Rick took Dorian
back down his throat and then felt Dorian’s ass milking his fingers as
he shouted his orgasm and spurts of cum hit the back of Rick’s throat.
He drank Dorian down, pulling every last drop of seed from his mate
before he pulled away.

Rick grabbed the lube from his bag, staring at Dorian as his mate

laid on the bed a debauched mess. His throat tightened as he felt the
bond between them. In the past ten months, it had not only grown
stronger, but deeper. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the
short man. He loved him to the point it hurt.

Rick joined Dorian on the bed, easing his mate to his side as he

lubed his cock and then groaned when the head popped past the ring.
His fingers dug into Dorian’s side as his mate slung a leg over Rick’s.

“Do you know how much I love you, gatito?” he asked as he

peppered kisses along Dorian’s soft shoulder.

Dorian reached up and slid his hand over Rick’s jaw. Rick pressed

a kiss to the palm. “As deeply as I love you, Rick.”

Rise to Seduction

249

His mate looked dazed as Rick pushed deeper inside, liquid heat

engulfing him. Pulling back, he began fucking inside Dorian’s tight
ass as he held his mate’s gaze. It was intense, telling Rick that Dorian
did love him as much. It didn’t seem possible to hold this much
emotion inside of him for one person, but he did. He loved Dorian
more than his own life.

It was strange how he felt toward the man considering how they

started out, but Rick wouldn’t give up Dorian for the world.

The extreme emotions, the swirling sensations, and the feel of his

mate around his cock made Rick’s thighs bunch as his balls drew up
close to his body. He kissed his way down Dorian’s arm, smiling at
the goose bumps that formed along his mate’s arm, before he returned
to Dorian’s shoulder.

“Bite me, Rick.”
As he thrust deeper into Dorian’s ass, Rick bit down into the

mating mark, drawing their bond into yet another deeper level as
Dorian cried out, his hole throbbing around Rick’s cock as his mate
came.

Rick turned Dorian to his stomach and fucked him fast and hard.

His need to come inside his mate was overwhelming. He wanted to
mark the man with his scent once more, to let everyone know Dorian
belonged to him and he would kill anyone who threatened his mate.

His cock disappeared between Dorian’s cheeks, slipping in and

out of the man’s ass, driving Rick insane as he gave one last thrust,
spilling his seed into Dorian’s body.

As Rick knelt there, smoothing his hand over Dorian’s ass, he

closed his eyes when he heard his mate sigh.

Never would he tire of that sound. Never would he regret mating

Dorian, and never would he allow anything to happen to this man. He
looked forward to the day he and Dorian could sit quietly in front of
the fireplace in Rick’s home, snuggled together after making love,
and not having to worry about anyone coming after them.

250 Lynn

Hagen

He was dreaming of that day and was determined to make it

happen.

* * * *

Sasha zipped his coat up and walked next door, checking on

Sammy and Boston. He really hadn’t had a lot of time with either of
them since Sammy had joined them and Boston had been converted.
It seemed everything was happening so fast.

He was mated now to two of the most wonderful people he could

imagine. He also had two children to take care of now. Sasha couldn’t
wait until this war was over and he could bring them all together
under one roof, one family, spending their lives together.

He cracked the door to Sammy’s room to find her sitting up on her

bed, her raven-black hair falling down her back. Boston was sitting on
the chair by the window, both talking quietly.

Moving into the room, Sasha closed the door behind him and then

crawled onto the bed, pulling Sammy close to him as he glanced at
Boston.

“What are my children talking about instead of sleeping?”
Boston smiled, and Sasha could see moisture gathering of unshed

tears in the teenager’s eyes. The boy looked lost and confused. Sasha
wasn’t sure if he was too old or not acclimated enough to the
changeling for reassurance, but he waved his hand at Boston anyway.

The teen stood, coming over to Sasha and crawled up on the bed

with him and Sammy. Sasha ran his hand over Boston’s, giving him
the security and reassurance he could see the boy desperately needed.
“Now, what were you two little troublemakers talking about?” Sasha
asked Boston.

“Our family.”

Rise to Seduction

251

Chapter Thirty

Rick was the first to hear the soft whisper of footsteps

approaching the small town they had stopped in last night to rest. The
cold February gusts tried to drown out the distant footsteps, the twigs
snapping under the westerly winds, and the squalls that took the
visibility almost down to zero.

But Rick’s heightened senses picked up the imminent danger.

Someone was coming. More than just one person. Embers of fear
began to ignite in Rick’s stomach as he moved from under Dorian and
quickly dressed.

The once verdant area was now covered in fourteen inches of

snow. The storm had moved in through the night, dumping the fresh
powder all over town. The decimated town howled with the winds
blowing through the empty streets and around the buildings.

Rick left Dorian sleeping in the warm bed. The Rebellion group

had scouted the town and had found a handful of generators. They
used them to plug up space heaters and electric fireplaces.

Careful not to make a sound, Rick silently closed the door to the

house and stepped out onto the porch. For a moment, Rick locked
gazes with Sasha, who had stepped out onto the porch of the house he
shared with his mates. They both stood there, motionless, listening,
scenting the air.

They were out there, in the trees, making their way toward the

town. Rick spun on his heels, racing toward the house where a large
portion of the group decided to camp for the night. He needed to warn
them. The able-bodied men needed to grab their weapons and help
fight whoever it was quickly approaching.

252 Lynn

Hagen

At the same time, Sasha ran into the house where Nate and Selene

were sleeping. Rick knew he needed to get back to Dorian. His mate
was asleep and oblivious to what was taking place. There was no way
Rick was going to leave his mate vulnerable to attack.

But he had to wake the others first.
Before he could open his mouth to shout a warning, Mason was

running down the steps, Brooke and Deluca close behind.

“What is it?” Deluca asked. “Mason woke us, but didn’t say—”
“Someone’s coming,” Rick said quickly. “More than one. Get

ready to fight.” Rick turned and ran back toward the house he shared
with Dorian. Halfway there, he skidded to a halt. He saw someone
duck into the house where Dorian slept, unawares.

Rick tore through the deep snow, making his way toward the

house at lightning speed when he was knocked off his feet. He landed
on his back in the snow as a man jumped on top of him, trying to
pound his fists into Rick’s face.

Rick bucked, easily knocking the man off, and then rolled to his

feet. That was when he noticed the town swarming with strangers.
There were at least thirty—maybe more—converging on them. The
changeling scent filled the air, telling Rick he was dealing with his
own species, but many different breeds.

Were they mercenaries? He didn’t see the red band around the

man’s wrist, but then again, the guy was bundled in a warm coat,
covering his arms all the way down to the fingers.

“Let me see your wrists,” Rick snarled.
“Let me see yours,” the man countered.
Slowly, Rick pulled the sleeves of his coat up, the cold air

instantly stealing the little bit of warmth his arms held as he showed
the man his bare arms.

The stranger did the same. He wasn’t wearing a red wristband to

indicate he was a mercenary. But that didn’t stop Rick from staying
coiled as he stared at the stranger. “Who are you?”

Rise to Seduction

253

“Someone who vowed to rid the world of you soldiers,” the man

spat.

Rick was stunned. These Rebellions—and that was the only thing

he could think them to be—thought his group were soldiers. It was
true that they bore the bloody uniforms, the militant trucks and tank
lined the streets, and Rick’s group stood to his right, their rifles aimed
like trained soldiers.

He knew they were posing as human soldiers, but to face a group

of Rebellions who mistook them for the ones they were fighting
against only solidified Rick’s belief that they could actually pull off
this plan of his. If he had fooled his own rebels, then he knew for
certain he could fool the humans.

Rick reached his hand out. “Enrique Marcelo.”
The man’s brown eyes widened as he stared at Rick, and then

disbelief filled the orbs. “If you are our leader, why are you dressed in
military fatigues?” he questioned suspiciously.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Rick asked. “I had my own species fooled.

What if you were soldiers instead of Rebellions? Do you think any of
them would have questioned us?”

Rick could see when the realization of his plan dawned in the

man’s eyes. Now he knew what Dorian meant when he said he looked
like a toddler with a new puppy. The excitement in the changeling’s
eyes was almost tangible. “Got any more of those uniforms?”

Before Rick could answer, he heard the distinct sound of a gun

firing.

Dorian.
Racing to the house, Rick slammed the door open and clamored

up the steps, praying the whole way that his mate wasn’t the one
being shot. Rick stopped in the doorway when he saw Dorian holding
the gun, aiming it at the intruder. “Gatito, are you hurt?”

“No, but this asshole will be for coming into our room.”
Dorian aimed the gun a little lower, his intentions clear.

254 Lynn

Hagen

“Shoot my balls off and I swear to god I’ll kill your ass,” the

monolithic man snarled.

“Threaten my mate one more time and I’ll shoot them off myself,”

Rick countered.

“Uh…Josh,” the stranger who had come into the house with Rick

began. “This here is Enrique Marcelo.”

The huge man turned his head, his eyes raking over Rick. “You’re

shitting me.”

The man behind Rick gave a wide grin. “No, and that’s his mate

your threatening.”

“Dorian Campbell?”
“Gee, I’m famous,” Dorian said with irritation. “That still doesn’t

explain why you snuck in here.”

“They thought we were human soldiers,” Rick supplied.
Dorian finally took his eyes off of Josh. “It worked?”
Rick grinned as he nodded. “Yeah, it fooled the changelings who

thought killing us was on their agenda.”

“Can’t blame us,” Josh said apologetically. “We didn’t even scent

that you were changeling. All we could scent was the blood.” Josh
waved a hand toward Rick’s bloody uniform. “I’d be real interested in
knowing how you got that off the soldier who wore it last.”

“No,” Rick said as he shook his head, memories of what had

happened only yesterday morning resurfacing, “you wouldn’t.”

“I may be a big old dumb-ass hick from South Carolina, but I

know what you had to go through to get that uniform,” the man
behind Rick said. “Name’s Paul.”

Rick shook Paul’s hand.
“And I got to say it’s an honor to meet ya,” Paul added. “I was

beginning to think the infamous Enrique Marcelo was just a myth.”

“Can your mate lower his gun?” Josh asked.
Rick turned toward Dorian and placed his hand on his mate’s.

Dorian scowled at the two men but tucked his gun in his pants. “You

Rise to Seduction

255

can’t blame me for being pissy, Rick. You would be too if some
stranger crept into your room when you were sleeping.”

He would be more than pissy if that had happened to him. Josh

would probably be breathing out of the hole Rick would have made in
his chest.

“Let’s take this downstairs.” Rick pulled Dorian to his side as they

walked until they were outside. Dorian had grabbed a coat before
heading out the front door. Now they stood there talking to the men
surrounding them.

“I know Clyde,” Paul said to Rick. “We were heading to South

Dakota to meet with him.”

Rick turned when Boston made his way over. “Sasha wants to talk

to you.”

When Boston was first converted, Rick had worried that the

teenager wouldn’t be able to handle this life. From what he had heard,
the boy had been sheltered since the war started. But to Rick’s
surprise, Boston manned up and was a great asset to their group. “Did
he say what he wanted?”

Boston shook his head, his eyes roaming over the strangers who

had invaded the town. “No.”

“Excuse me,” Rick said to Paul and the group of men standing

close by. He strode over to Sasha, who was talking quietly with Pappy
and Dad. Sasha turned, giving Rick one of his normal grins.

“Glad to see you’re not getting a big head over your admirers,”

Sasha teased.

Rick didn’t find it funny. He really didn’t like the fact that these

men were looking at him with reverence. He was just a man on a
mission to save his species. Nothing more, nothing less. “What did
you want?”

The playfulness slid from Sasha’s expression. “You talked a while

back to Ross about going on air.”

Rick remembered the conversation. “And Ross said it was a bad

idea.”

256 Lynn

Hagen

“It was,” Pappy said. “When all of this first started. No one knew

who you were or what was going on. The public would have looked at
you like the crazy man the government was making you out to be.”

“But now?”
“I think it’s more than us who’s ready for this war to end. Our

thoughts are, if you go on the air now, tell the world what is on that
data card and what the government plans to do with it, you just might
see a shift in the winds,” Dad replied. “You’ve made a name for
yourself among the changelings, and the nation is torn in two on who
to believe.”

“Trust us, son,” Pappy said. “Everyone is in hiding, glued to the

television or their transistor radios. Your speech will be heard.”

* * * *

Rick paced behind the large brick building that housed a small

television station that had been abandoned. Men were working
diligently to get some power to the place so Rick could make his
speech. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he had changed
out of his military uniform. There was no use letting the public see
him in the fatigues and give away what they were up to.

“You’ll do fine,” Dorian said as he leaned against the building.

“Just stick with the facts, Rick. No one can dispute the facts.”

Rick paused and nodded. “You’re right, but they can call me a

liar. There’s no way I can show them the formula. They are going to
be taking me at my word.”

“But Nate has the other proof,” Dorian pointed out. “He has the

contradicting court documents from Shelton when we were accused of
killing the three changelings. He also has the document from Sellers
Pharmaceuticals. We have the paper proving Dyson Pharmaceuticals
is funding the Breed Hunters. We have the letter stating Captain
O’Hanlon is your biological father. The list goes on and on.”

Rise to Seduction

257

“And all of that can be disputed, gatito. Anyone can type up

phony letters.”

Dorian pushed away from the wall and strode toward Rick. His

mate placed his cold hand on Rick’s cheek. “Don’t you see? We don’t
have to prove those papers are real. All we have to do is plant the seed
of doubt in everyone’s mind. You can’t tell me that every single
soldier was fully disclosed on why this war started or why they were
wiping out an entire species. Not all of them are going to continue to
fight when you make your speech.”

“You think so?” Rick asked as he nuzzled Dorian’s hand. Even

though Rick was an alpha, he still needed the reassurance that all
changelings craved. His Rebellion group was already a large enough
target. Once Rick announced to the world why the war truly started,
and what the government had planned on doing to the changelings,
the military was going to come down on them with an iron fist.

The efforts of the humans bent on eradicating Rick and his group

would double.

“You are a very smart, sexy, and courageous man, Mr. Marcelo. I

have no doubt this will work.”

Rick’s head snapped up when he heard a whisper on the wind. It

was different than the noises of the men trying to get power to the
studio. This sound was light, a scraping of fabric, and high above him.
Tilting his head back, Rick spotted the Shadow on the rooftop, staring
down at him.

The Shadow didn’t flee. It stayed where it was at, the

incandescent red of the man’s eyes told Rick in an instant that he was
staring at a vampire—but not just any vampire. This man had
centuries of knowledge swimming in the glowing depths. “Why are
you here?” he called up.

The Shadow tilted its head, studying Rick for a long moment and

then it opened its mouth. Two very long, very sharp-looking fangs
gleamed in the illumination of the moonlight. “He’s coming.”

258 Lynn

Hagen

A frigid chill ran up Rick’s spine. The two words were spoken

with a thick Brazilian accent, but Rick understood them perfectly.
“Who is coming?”

The Shadow’s eyes burned a little brighter and then receded back

to the soft glowing red. “He’s coming,” the Shadow repeated once
more before disappearing from the rooftop.

“Yeah, that wasn’t creepy in the least,” Dorian said as he

swallowed hard. “Who do you think he is talking about?”

“I have no idea, gatito.” But Rick had a feeling he would soon

find out. The Shadow had been following them since the warehouse.
It was as if the Shadow had been simply observing them.

For what, Rick wasn’t sure.
“Why do I have a feeling that finding a cross might be a lifesaving

decision?” Dorian asked as he finally turned to look at Rick.

“Because it just might be,” he answered.
“We’re ready,” Nate called from the doorway. “Time to let the

world know what it truly going on.”

Rick heard Dorian sigh as he walked toward the door. He stood

there for a moment, glancing back up at the rooftop and wondering if
Dorian had noticed the bloodthirsty look in the Shadow’s eyes.

End of Book 5: Rise to Seduction

To be continued in

Book 6: Rise to Fall

WWW.LYNNHAGEN.COM

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LYNNHAGEN.MANLOVE

WWW.LYNNHAGEN.BLOGSPOT.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but

lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a

cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit