Savage Hunger(68)

Who knew if they would actually do it. The chances seemed slim, being that she was Kevin Peters’s daughter.

Warrick’s throat tightened and a chill swept through him at his next thought. Maybe it might be a good thing for them both if she was wiped. It would be like his claiming her had never even happened. The marks would fade. Only he would know.

You’re a fucking bastard for even thinking this.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. He’d be able to keep his career and stay in the community, which was all he’d ever wanted, right? He’d never planned to take a mate. Had never needed a woman longer than a few nights. Until in one moment of jealousy—because that’s the only way he could rationalize what he’d done—he’d claimed Sienna. Had taken her innocence and claimed her as his own.

He wouldn’t push for her memory to be wiped. But if the final decision was to do it, then he wouldn’t fight it either.

Sienna shook her head, her eyes narrowing, and for one second he was sure she could read his thoughts and his stomach heaved.

“I’m going to go back to the house, take a shower, and then I’m out of here,” she said warily. “You have the jump drive, there’s no reason to keep me anymore, Warrick.”

“Hang on a minute. Answer me something first. You had all the information on that drive all this time. Right down to the chemical components that they’d been given. Why didn’t you try to develop an antidote?” She shook her head and tried to pull away, but he tightened his arm. “Don’t walk away from me, dammit! You went to school for this, Sienna, you’re a biochemist. Why didn’t you help them?”

“Because I’m not my father!” she shouted, frustration and humiliation in her eyes now. “This is way above me. If I could’ve helped them, for God’s sake, don’t you think I would have? I went to school to follow in my dad’s footsteps, because I’m fascinated by what he does. And everybody expects me to be the same fucking brilliant chemist, because I’m his daughter. Well I’m not. I’m just an average mind who could barely make the Dean’s list.”

Sympathy pricked in his gut, because he knew she was comparing herself to her father and coming up short. And Sienna was a damned smart woman—barely made the Dean’s list, his ass. But she was right. She wasn’t her dad. Her father was the kind of brilliant scientist whose name got flung around with other heavy hitters in the scientific field—some who were long since dead.

“You’re not stupid, Sienna.”

“Well, I’m not smart enough to crack this, Warrick. I didn’t have much time, but I tried. Molecular biology was never my strong suit.”

“Then you should have been honest with us, Sienna.” He shook his head and released her wrist. “You shouldn’t have hidden this. This is bigger than some little irrational fear you have.”

“That irrational fear was what got Leo killed,” she argued and made a great show of rubbing her arm. “So congratulations. You’ve likely just put that jump drive into the hands of someone who will betray your kind.”

“Quinton would never do that.”

“How can you even be so sure? And maybe it’s not Quinton. It could even be you, Warrick.”

The hell she made such an asinine statement. This was the second time she’d implied she didn’t trust him.

He wanted to grab her again, kiss the hell out of her until she took it back. She was his mate now, surely something inside her should sense it.

But he knew he needed to keep his emotions under control. He was a fucking P.I.A. agent and it was time he started acting like it.

Pushing all emotion from his voice, he replied, “You don’t believe that for a minute.”



Sienna stared at him, wanting to deny it. Wanting to hurl more accusations at him. But he was right. She didn’t believe it. This man was almost a part of her. He’d had no more a part of what had been done to those shifters than she had.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” The fight left her in a rush and her energy level plummeted.

Already she was emotionally and physically exhausted from making love. Though she wondered if it could even be called that. It had been so rough and passionate, overwhelming her senses and inhibitions. Not that she’d had too many inhibitions to begin with.

And afterward she’d been so full of amazement—her heart swollen with happiness. All she’d wanted was stay in Warrick’s arms. To be held and kissed. Not to mention ask him what had made him bite her. Maybe it was some seductive thing the shifters did. It had only hurt for a second before pleasure and light had radiated through her body. Warming her and swelling her heart with an emotion so close to love it scared the hell out of her.