Destiny Jackson is a leopard shifter who rejected her family’s rich and killer lifestyle, instead going into the military and eventually signing on to work for Nick’s shifter protection agency. She didn’t believe it when she was warned she might be assigned to guard her fated mate, but the moment she meets Archer, she’s head over heels.

Archer Rogen has a secret: he knows all about the shifter protection agency and the fact that the men who are assigned female agents often meet their mate. So when he is installing a security system and discovers a dangerous situation, he’s all too eager to call up Nick and ask him for a bodyguard. The moment he meets Destiny, he’s thrilled. She’s smart, beautiful, and more than he could have ever dreamed of.

The close encounter with death and subsequent use of the shifter serum, though? That was a little bumpier than he’d like. Now Archer has brains and brawn, but he and Destiny have just a small window until a nefarious plan comes to fruition. Can they stop it before it’s too late?

Chapter 1

Destiny

Destiny Jackson drove through the desert dust, feeling jittery about her first assignment. She had been hired by Nick and Meghan some time ago, but she had been on stand-by for what felt like forever. She was elated about the idea of getting away from the life she was born into … one of violence and little-to-no wiggle room.

She drove up to the police station where she would be meeting her client. It was her first one-off job, so there were some nerves involved. She wanted to do a good job for Nick and Meghan and also for herself. 

Destiny, of course, wondered who her client was. She had been informed by Nick and Meghan that he was a millionaire creator of the latest cybersecurity program, one the wealthiest elite flocked to for protection. The concept of money wasn’t new to Destiny, for she had grown up never needing it.

The dust kicked up as she parked in front of the cop shop. She climbed out, her sunglasses on, and was smacked by the dry heat of the Vegas summer. Destiny had grown up there, but the way it still knocked her over was stunning.

Destiny entered the building, relieved by the blast of air-conditioned splendor. She asked for Chief Frank Barlett, the officer who had made the connection with her agency. He was a small, husky man, sporting a permanent look of annoyance. However, he greeted her pleasantly enough, leading her into his office to meet Archer, the client she would be protecting.

Destiny walked into the room and saw a man sitting in a chair with his back to her. Before he even turned around, she caught a whiff of something ethereal, cosmic, and perfectly staggering.

The scent was a beautiful medley of citrus lemon and a whisper of freshly cut grass. It made her weak as she stood there watching him turn in a painfully slow motion.

“Archer Rogen,” Barlett said, “this is Destiny Jackson. She will be your bodyguard while we investigate the ongoings of Morduch and Isom.”

Archer stood awkwardly, nearly tripping himself on the leg of the chair. He held out his hand while he pushed his glasses from the brim of his nose and smiled at her like she was the first female in existence.

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Archer said. 

Destiny made herself focus, forcing a grip on Archer’s extended hand. After all, he was human, so she had to take it easy. But she felt an impulse to pull him in closer, to sniff his neck, and breathe in every inch of his body.

“As it is you,” Destiny said with a smile.

His eyes were a gray-green that could disappear easily into the background for someone who wasn’t paying attention. But Destiny observed how his irises caught in the fluorescents of the office, a pinpoint of dazzling light standing out like a flare in the night.

Archer pointed to the empty chair beside him. She sat, crossed her legs, and made herself face Barlett. She was completely caught off guard by the thoughts swirling through her mind like a windstorm.

It’s absurd; it can’t be.

“All righty,” Barlett said, taking a seat and clapping his hands together. “Let’s get down to business. I assume you’ve been briefed?”

He was looking at Destiny, and she nodded, her hands clasped over her knee. Barlett turned his eyes back to Archer, whose leg was jumping up and down like an excited grasshopper. 

Destiny couldn't help but glance at him to get a better look. Her shifter nature allowed her to scan others for the most intense detail, ones that the average human might overlook. She lingered on his jawline speckled with bits of facial air like sprouts in the dessert. He dressed simply but still stylishly, clearly aware of the trends. He was skinny, but Destiny could tell it was a mere burden of his genetics rather than neglect. She briefly zoned in on the beat of his heart, rapid with anxiety, hammering between his ribs like a wind-up toy.

She had to peel herself away from him, which threw her into a tizzy of confusion.

Barlett lifted the phone and dialed a number with his knuckles as he spoke.

“You’re going to request that you go back into Morduch’s home for some standard quality control check,” Barlett said. “It’s what you generally do for customers. But don’t push him too hard. Guys like Morduch get suspicious easily, especially when they are hiding something.”

Archer nodded as Barlett handed him the phone. He shot a look at Destiny, who tried to give him a reassuring smile. His hands were shaking, and sweat bloomed under his armpits. It made her want to chuckle, not with abuse, but with adoration. 

He looked away and brought a hand to his face, suddenly fearful of Destiny’s gaze.

Destiny and Barlett shared a look. It was one that told the tale of experience with unsavory characters such as Morduch.

“Hello, Mr. Morduch!” Archer said rather spritely. “How are you this morning? I’m calling about setting up a quality control check for the recently installed Rogen program we placed within your home.”

There was silence, and Destiny looked at Barlett, who had a single earpiece listening on the other end. Destiny assumed Morduch wasn’t going to be fooled easily; it was within his best interest not to be an idiot.

Archer nodded, wiping more perspiration from his brow.

“Yes, it was indeed in the contract,” he said, voice shaky. “It’s a customer service gesture that we offer all of our clients. Since we’ve been so busy, we often have to schedule a follow-up a fair distance down the road.”    

Barlett nodded and held up his thumb to Archer. Destiny nodded in response, doing her best to hide her smile and satisfaction.

More silence as Morduch considered. Destiny hoped it was going to work; one could only surpass the suspicions of the paranoid for so long.

“Yes, yes, indeed, sir,” Archer said, slowly sounding more and more confident. “We can schedule that for tomorrow, sir. That works perfectly. Thank you, thank you so much.”

Archer was relieved as he slammed the phone down upon its cradle. Barlett laughed a husky laugh as he fixed the phone and removed his earpiece.

“You’re a regular James Bond, Mr. Rogen,” Barlett said.

Archer snickered, looking at Destiny for approval. She shot him a smile back, the desire to make him happy brimming inside of her. 

“So the meeting is scheduled for tomorrow evening,” Barlett said, making notes on a notepad. “He sounded hesitant, but I think the idea of the cameras not working bothered him more than your presence.”

Barlett spoke directly to Destiny. He leaned forward on his desk, almost completely forgetting that Archer was there at all. Destiny had seen it several times before. It happened with cop types or anyone in authority. 

“Morduch said he had ‘important plans,’ which could mean anything about Isom,” Barlett said. “We will be on high alert with that until tomorrow.”

Destiny nodded, turning her head to face Archer. She felt nervous talking to him despite her confident exterior. It annoyed her, but she hoped the way she looked was enough to veil the odd schoolgirl sensation.

“How does that sound to you?” Destiny asked.

Archer looked around like a pantomime, then pointed at himself. Destiny nodded, a warm glow shooting through her chest.

“Oh,” Archer said, “that sounds spectacular. You are the bodyguard, after all. I assume that this isn't anything new to you.”

Barlett turned to his laptop and was typing away absent-mindedly. Destiny could no longer stifle the urge to flirt. She leaned on her hand and looked at him with big, round eyes.

“Well, you’re my first,” she said in a low tone.

Destiny watched as Archer stumbled on his keyboard, looking around for a distraction, anywhere to look beside her alluring eyes. 

Christ, what is wrong with me?

“Oh,” he finally said.

Destiny reached over and touched his forearm. It was thicker and stronger than it looked.

“I’m kidding with you,” she said softly. “I’ve done a lot of military and law enforcement work. This is just my first independent job.”

Archer nodded, switching the crossing of his legs multiple times before Barlett turned back to face them both. 

“So it looks like we won’t need you until tomorrow,” Barlett said, blowing air upward from his bottom lip. “I’ve got both of your numbers, so I’ll give you a call tomorrow so we can set up the equipment.”

Destiny nodded, then stood while Archer followed suit, nearly tripping himself over the chair again.

“Thank you, Chief,” Archer said, extending his hand to the hefty man.

Barlett looked at his hand, then shook it with a smirk. Destiny knew the Chief was picking up on Archer’s anxiety the same way she was. It didn’t take a shifter to notice.

“I will see you both tomorrow,” Barlett said, flashing Destiny a quick wink before they left his office.

Destiny immediately felt the baking sensation of the Vegas summer as they walked outside. Archer was a fair distance from her while she led in a position she seemed to naturally fall into. As they stepped onto the parking lot, Archer removed his keys and started fiddling with them.

“Well,” he said quietly. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow too.”

Destiny smiled, feeling deeply amused by his ignorance, then shook her head.

“That isn’t how this works,” Destiny said playfully. “If I’m your bodyguard, I’m your bodyguard 24/7. That means you come with me, or I come with you.”

Archer stopped playing with the keys and gave Destiny a stunned stare. His eyes were bright beneath the desert sun. The guy looked like some abstract painting rather than a nerd who ran a cybersecurity company.

Crossing her arms, Destiny stepped toward him. His scent blasted into her nostrils, her skin soaking in his deliciousness.

“I hope that isn’t a bad thing,” she purred. 

Destiny watched as Archer lost his words, clearing his throat, and even had to reach down briefly to adjust his pants. She was thriving on the power she had over him, loving how sexy it made her feel.

“I … I think that is fine,” he said, stumbling over himself.

She touched his forearm again, and he froze. She gave him a frisky purse of her lips, then nodded, trying to reassure him that she didn’t mean any harm with her wit.

“I’m fucking with you,” she said softly.

Archer looked away from her, clearly intimidated and, hopefully, a little aroused.

Destiny had no idea what was getting into her. She was there on the job to protect this rich young man, not to find someone to fuck. But it wasn’t just that. There was something more eating away at her from the inside.

She thought back to a conversation Nick and Meghan had with her when she was first hired. They had said that the shifters they hired had the habit of being matched with their fated mates and that she had to be prepared for that.

The thought ripped through her there in the parking lot like a bullet. Destiny had let it go completely because that was absurd, wasn’t it? He was human, after all. How the hell could a skinny human man be her lifelong mate?

Destiny removed her keys from her pocket and pointed toward the rental car. 

“That’s me over there,” she said. “I’m getting hungry, so we should probably head off soon.”

Archer looked over her shoulder, then scoffed. Destiny raised an eyebrow.

“What?” she said.

“I’m not getting in that car,” he said, looking like a spoiled child.

Destiny’s expression turned into a scowl as she placed her hands on her hips.

“And why is that?” 

“I’m not going anywhere in that thing,” he said, pointing at the vehicle like it was caked in shit. “If I’m going to take you anywhere, I want the Lamborghini.”

Destiny was shocked by how quickly he had morphed into the rich dick she had met thousands of times before as a child. She didn’t think it had imprinted itself onto his soul because no one that selfish would give a shit that Morduch was housing a wanted cult leader. He was putting his safety on the line. But he wanted to drive his fucking quarter-million-dollar toy.

Destiny rolled her eyes and then nodded. 

“I suppose I can accept that,” she said, voice not sounding entirely certain.

Archer grinned, tossing his keys into the air and catching them. He was enthralled like a child on Christmas morning. He began to sprint away from her, and she trailed behind him, catching his scent in the wind as he moved.

“I don’t get to drive it very often,” he said as he walked briskly. “So it’ll be a treat for both of us.”

They arrived at a surreal, Halloween-orange car that looked like it had fallen from the sky like a spaceship. Destiny had been around a few expensive cars in her lifetime, but it had been a while. It shined in the sun, capable of blinding anyone who looked too closely at it.

“Hop in!” Archer exclaimed.

The doors lifted vertically to expose the black leather interior. Destiny sighed as she climbed in, thinking to herself how strange life truly was.

My fated mate. My fucking fated mate.