on her wrist when she elbowed me.”
“It doesn’t make sense. She’s got to know they kill people.” I still couldn’t wrap my brain around a police officer working for Nero.
“They could have threatened her family.” Adam shrugged. “Maybe she was in love, and after she got bitten she still wanted to work? It doesn’t really matter right now. We’ve gotta get back to Reno.”
Aren looked out the window again. “I’ll stay behind and slow her down.”
Adam shook his head. “No way. We go together.”
Aren shifted his gaze my way, before he looked at his brother. “Look, Adam, maybe I was wrong. Maybe Lana isn’t trying to set you up, but now you’re mixed up in this too. I can help you get out of it. I’ve got the jaguar’s scent and you’ve got her gun. I’ll keep her here and keep her busy while you get back to the Pack.”
Adam ground his teeth together, his gaze moving between his brother and me. “You’ll be right behind us?”
Aren nodded. “I’ll be on a flight in the morning.”
Adam stepped up and embraced his twin. I watched them hold each other tight before they stepped back, and my heart clenched in my chest. They were brothers. And now, once again, I was coming between them.
“Ready?” Adam handed the gun to Aren.
He shook his head. “I don’t need a gun.”
“Take it just in case,” Adam said.
“She was just as dangerous without the gun.” Aren rubbed the knot on his forehead.
“There’s another jaguar here, too.”
“What?” Aren dropped his hand, looking over at Adam. “Besides Lana?”
Adam nodded. “Yeah. His name’s Sebastian. I don’t know which team he’s really playing for, so stay alert. Don’t trust him.”
“Like I would ever trust a cat.” Aren smirked, then he seemed to remember I was in the room because his expression faltered. But he didn’t bother to apologize. Instead he clasped Adam’s forearm. “See you back home.”
“Be careful,” I said, but Aren only nodded as he headed out the door. He didn’t even look at me.
There wasn’t time to think about what a racist jerk he was, though. Adam grabbed the duffel bag, and we hurried out of the room. We hopped in a cab at the back entrance and made it to the airport without any incidents. Inside the ticketing area, Adam seemed to relax a little. He took my hand and smiled at me, but I couldn’t muster much of a smile back.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “What’d I miss when I left the library? Find anything new?”
“I double checked dates against the Nero documents, and I’m almost positive I was the Baby Doe on the steps of the San Fernando Cathedral. And I think the sweatshirt they returned to me when I got older is pretty solid proof I was the missing baby from the Nero report.”
“That means you definitely have a twin brother somewhere.”
I nodded. “Sebastian seemed a little shaken when I asked him about it. He said my father is still with Nero.” The phrase “my father” felt foreign on my tongue.
We went through security and waited at the terminal for our flight. I lost track of the time, my mind wandering over the information I’d gathered on the trip. It was pretty easy to guess why Nero wanted me now. I was a female born as a shifter with a male twin. An anomaly. No doubt they wanted to study my DNA. My initiation into the “breeding program” probably wouldn’t be far behind. They’d want to know if I could reproduce female shifters.
Just thinking about it made me want a shower. I couldn’t let them get their hooks in me. Ever.
Forcing the thoughts from my mind, I looked over at Adam. His green eyes were still scanning the airport terminal. His muscles were taut like he was ready to spring into action at any moment. It was hard to believe just last night I fell asleep in those same arms.
He caught me looking at him and his lips curved up just a little. “We’ll sort everything out when we get home. You’ll see.”
Home. I nodded, but the word settled like sand in my stomach. Reno was Adam’s home, not mine. I didn’t have a home. I’d never had one.
Now that I understood what I was, and why Nero might want me, it was pretty obvious they weren’t going to give up until they had me. And after spending time with Aren, it was pretty clear the Pack would never accept me as Adam’s mate either. The best thing for everyone would be for me to disappear. I leaned my head against Adam’s shoulder, grateful for the comfort of his arm when he pulled me closer. I closed my eyes and breathed him in.
God, it would hurt to leave him.
We had a quiet plane ride back to Reno. It was dark when we landed, but the night air felt good on my face as Adam drove the Jeep back from the hotel toward his ranch.
“Are you sure it’s safe to take me to your place?”
“It’ll be fine.” He reached over to rest his hand on my thigh. “I called Luke and let him know I was on my way back so he could go home.”
I nodded, but it stung. Being reminded I was a big secret emphasized the fact that they were his family and I could never be a part of it. I closed my eyes and tried to bottle up my feelings as best I could.
We pulled in the driveway and got out to grab the bags. Adam slung the duffel bag over his shoulder before catching my hand in his. He pulled me close for a kiss and grinned. “Good to be back home.”
I smiled up at him. I couldn’t help it. “It’s good to see you smile.”
He opened the front door of the house and his smile vanished instantly. “Luke. I thought you were going home.”
A young guy, maybe eighteen or twenty, stood up and started walking toward us. He had dark brown hair like Adam’s, but it was longer, past his shoulders, and his eyes were light blue, piercing, wolf eyes. His skin was tanned too, which only made his eyes stand out even more.
He smiled at Adam, but it faded away as he got closer to the door.
He had to be catching my scent. I spun around and jogged back to the Jeep.
“Lana, wait.” I heard Adam call to me.
I hopped in the front seat and scooped the keys off the floor. I jerked the handle and pulled the seat forward, then fired up the engine. I wasn’t going to
It took me a minute to get the feel of the clutch. I hadn’t driven a stick shift in a couple of years, but it all came back and I drove right by Adam and his friend. Brother? Could Adam have a younger brother he didn’t tell me about?
It didn’t matter. I had no idea who Luke might be, and although Adam liked to think I was his mate, he kept me at arm’s distance. Even if I couldn’t meet his family, I would’ve hoped he’d at least confide in me about them. I only knew about Aren because his twin had hunted me down. For all I knew, Adam had a bunch of brothers, aunts, uncles—all the family I didn’t have.
I wiped at the tears that rolled down my cheeks, letting the night air dry my skin. I didn’t know where I was going, but it didn’t really matter. I needed to get away. Adam claimed to love me, but how could I accept it when it meant he’d have to leave his family? Not to mention the danger I’d brought to his hometown. Danger seemed to follow me everywhere I went these days.
I drove back to Circus Circus, grateful now that I hadn’t checked out when we left for San Antonio. I pulled into the parking lot and collapsed against the steering wheel. After a few good heaving sobs, I took a deep breath. Feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to solve anything. I needed a hot shower, some time to think, and a plan.
My brow furrowed, and I sniffed. How could I possibly be smelling Sebastian? I peered out into the dim light, grateful for my keen feline vision. I got out of the Jeep quietly and wandered through the parked cars, following the scent that shouldn’t be here. “Sebastian?”
I kept my voice low, but he would be able to hear. I slipped my hand in my pocket, relieved to feel my cell
