Chapter Eleven

 

 

 

Three days later

 

“Dakota?” Kieran walked into their suite and hollered for his lover. He was beyond exhausted and just wanted a hot shower with a hotter woman. He heard claws clatter against the bathroom floor and grinned. She’d been shifting every day to help speed up her healing, but he’d missed it. Looked like he’d timed it perfectly this time.

He could hear the shower running as he strolled toward the open bedroom door. Kieran pulled off his jacket and tossed it over a chair as he passed. The bathroom door stood open, but steam billowed out. He peered around the jamb and saw Dakota half in the shower, half out, looking like she was getting ready to shift back to human.

“No,” he told her quickly. “Don’t change back yet.”

She huffed at him.

“So is this what you do while I’m at work all night? Play in the water?” he teased.

She swiped at him with her massive paw, but he caught it. It was still strange to him to see her in her jaguar form, but he found he actually enjoyed it. He knew she was still uncertain, evidenced by the fact that she hadn’t been shifting in front of him, but he was going to get her to see he accepted every part of her.

Dakota’s injuries from the fight with Sparro were almost healed, but she was still struggling with the fact she’d lost control and almost killed him. Kieran didn’t know how to help her deal with it, other than to hold her when she woke from nightmares.

Their roles had reversed. Kieran was accepting he was a flawed individual and it was up to him to change his future. Without even realizing it, he’d begun to take back control of his life. He’d formed bonds with his partner and boss, he’d fallen in love with Dakota, reconnected with Jackson and was making new friends like Alex and Dean. He also had a soft spot for Mitch, the young Walker. All of these people had become family to him. His choice of who he wanted to be with.

Dakota had done the reverse. She’d distanced herself from the same people who Kieran had grown to care about.

The only one she wanted to be around was Kieran, but only in her human form. Everyone had called or stopped by, but she’d refused to see them. She went into the office to check on Corey but wouldn’t talk to anyone else. It was as if she was turning into a different person.

He had to find a way to bring her back to him, to all of them, while making her forgive herself.

“Well, if you want to play, let’s play,” Kieran told her.

She shook her head before backing away. Of course, that had her going to the spray of water.

“Why not?” he asked. “You told me last night you wanted to play in the shower in your jaguar form. I said it could be fun.”

Dakota whined at him when took a step.

“You’re afraid.” He stopped. He hadn’t noticed the scent before, since she was wet and that odor took up most of his senses.

She whined again.

“You won’t hurt me. I know you’re afraid of losing control again but it won’t happen.”

When she opened her powerful jaw, showing off her sharp teeth, he chuckled. “You don’t scare me either.”

This time she shook her entire body, which made the water on her coat fly everywhere, even onto him. Since he was already wet, he followed her into the stall and let them both get soaked. He was forcing the issue, but something had to change and this was the only thing he could think of.

Dakota had backed herself into the corner, so Kieran sat on the floor across from her. She tilted her head.

“I can stay here all night,” he told her. “With the water this warm, it will actually be better than usual.”

Dakota lifted her paw and slapped it down into a puddle that had formed. The splash drenched him.

“Oh yeah?” he taunted and stood to palm one of the showerheads. Dakota cocked her head and he let go. The shift in direction of the spout had the water flowing right at her face.

With a happy cry, she bounced.

“You like that, do you?” He stretched, grabbed at one of the higher streams and positioned it toward her face.

It was incredible. Dakota transformed from a scared shifter to a playful cat. She hopped and jumped, trying to get to the water. Kieran laughed along with her. A spark of inspiration hit and he grabbed the shower gel and squeezed it in front of one of the streams. The small space filled with bubbles. Dakota roared and chased one until it popped. Another floated in front of her and she swung at it.

Kieran would never have believed she could be this lighthearted after how she’d been feeling. She must have really needed this. Dakota was slipping and sliding but still tried to catch all the suds. She hit the edge of the stall, cracking the trim, but didn’t seem to notice. He might have to pay for the repairs, but it would be worth it.

He followed her out, grabbing a towel as he walked behind her. She was still leaping around the bedroom, then stopped suddenly. He made a move to go to her, but she dropped down onto the carpet and rolled onto her back.

She was adorable wiggling around and scratching an itch she couldn’t quite reach. Kieran laughed before he knelt beside her.

“Let me help,” he told her.

Dakota froze with her bright eyes staring back at him.

“You won’t hurt me,” he promised. Slowly he placed his hand on her stomach and rubbed. She gave something between a moan and a gasp so he stroked her harder. “See, I told you.”

She allowed him to massage her entire belly and legs before she flipped over. Kieran started at her shoulder blades and scratched. Dakota made all kinds of noise until finally she just collapsed.

“Are you ready to shift back?” he asked quietly.

She blinked then nodded. He gave her just enough space to transform. He felt the movement in the air before she was sprawled out on the carpet.

“There you are,” he whispered.

“I could have killed you,” she said.

“As I told you before, I won’t have a problem stopping you. You can’t hurt me,” Kieran argued.

She sighed. “You shouldn’t have taken the chance. I would have never forgiven myself if I’d hurt you.”

“You are already living with guilt as it is.”

She started to get up but he grabbed her shoulder and forced her back down.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Tough,” he told her. “It’s been three days.”

“And I’m just supposed to forget I almost killed my boss? That I lost control of my jaguar!”

“What bothers you more? That it was Sparro? Or your supposed loss of control?” Kieran asked.

“Don’t mock me,” she snarled. “Don’t you fucking dare!”

“I’m not,” he answered truthfully. “I’m just trying to make you see this was no different than any other time you had to take out a shifter.”

There was silence for several moments. “But I haven’t.”

He frowned. “Haven’t what?”

“Killed a shifter or anyone,” she confessed. She stared at the wall behind him.

“Really?” Kieran didn’t know how any Organization agent could have gone so long without having to take someone out.

“It’s not part of my job. I investigate,” she explained.

Kieran nodded. “Okay, good. Well, you still haven’t.”

“You don’t understand.”

“No,” he agreed. “Because I have killed. It was always in the line of duty or to save a life. The same as it would have been for you.”

Tears pooled in her eyes.

“You were injured and didn’t know the condition of Corey or Remy. You were scared and that’s okay. I have no doubt you would have made the right choice. No doubt.”

“You believe in me?” she asked. “That much?”

“Always,” he replied. He wiped away one of the tears that fell. “Always.”

“I am so scared of losing control.”

“I will be here to help you,” he promised. “If you want to practice control or learn to fight better in human form. Whatever it is you need. Let me help you.”

“We’ll do it together,” she said.

“We already are.”

“Okay.” She rolled on top of him, her naked body covering his wet one. “Your clothes are soaked.”

“Someone was playing in the shower when I got home,” he responded with a smirk.

“I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

He snorted. “That was obvious.”

“You have to be cold.”

Now she’d said the words, he could feel the chill seeping into him. “Yeah.”

“I should warm you up.” Dakota undressed him, then they crawled into the bed. She lay over him, stroking his cock.

“I was thinking we should get a more permanent place,” Kieran began.

“You want to discuss this now?” she asked.

Kieran almost told her no when she trailed kisses down his chest. “It’s been on my mind.”

“We don’t have to move,” she said. “I love it here.” Dakota crouched over him, still rubbing his shaft.

“It’s a hotel suite. We rent it, even if I’m not paying for it, and we should have something that’s ours.”

“Then talk to Jackson about one of the residences for sale here.”

“What?” he asked, growing distracted.

“Jackson owns his own rooms. So do some of his men. He was going to talk to you about it when he was sure you would stay in town.”

“I’m staying,” he swore. “I won’t ever leave you.”

“Especially now Caspar has been appointed acting director,” Dakota teased.

“Well, that doesn’t hurt, but even if Caspar hadn’t decided to stay, I wouldn’t have left you.”

She laughed. “Like you have any control. I would hunt you down.”

“How about you forget about hunting and suck me instead,” he suggested.

Her laughter rang out. “I might do that,” she said. “But first I’m going to bathe you in my scent. You might not have a smell, but I’ll have fun trying.”

Kieran spread his arms out wide. “I’m under your control.”