Free Jaguars' Reward [Impulse 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Zara Chase

part of the colony, are always trying to steal Impulse away from us so they can profit from its unique qualities.”
    She wrinkled her brow. “Why were they so keen for me to kill you, Vadim?”
    “Well, here’s what I think. I’m head of security, and so far I’ve managed to foil every one of their attacks. But I’m weakening for reasons you don’t need to know about. All that counts is that Zayd and I are the gatekeepers whom any predators need to get past. I’m guessing you were programmed to kill me, and then Zayd. With the two of us gone, security in Impulse would be adversely affected. Our enemies would use the opportunity to spring a surprise attack, while we were still in disarray.”
    “Oh, God!” Tears leaked down her cheeks. “I’m so glad I didn’t succeed. You think Ed Finch is involved?”
    “Him or someone connected to him,” Zayd said. “We don’t know who he is yet, but the leopards are working on that. They’re good with information technology.”
    “I don’t believe it. Mom hates shifters and would never knowingly have anything to do with one.”
    “You’d better tell us why that is,” Vadim said. “You have shifter blood, don’t you?”
    It was a long time before she responded. When she finally did, she spoke so softly that they barely heard her.
    “My grandfather was a wolf shifter,” she said.

Chapter Seven
     
    “I never really believed that shifters existed,” Talia said softly. “I didn’t know my grandfather, you see. He died way before I was born.”
    “But you were taught to mistrust them?”
    “To start with, I was told they were like fairies and giants and that they didn’t actually exist. But I heard things. Heard my mother and grandmother talking and picked things up, like kids do. I asked a question once. Asked what a rogue was, and what was Impulse? My mother hit me. She’d never done that before, but she got real mad and told me I shouldn’t listen to other people’s conversations.”
    Vadim covered her clasped hands with one of his own. “But she started warning you off shifters and Impulse after that? Am I right?”
    Talia paused to arrange her thoughts. Vadim’s hand covering hers didn’t help much. The warmth seeping into her skin, the scorching gleam from his intelligent golden eyes, combined to derail her concentration. He and Zayd were so kind to her, so understanding, that she found it hard to compute. It was a long time since anyone had cared about her. Not even her mother had—especially not her.
    Men came and went in Talia’s life, all of them wanting more than she was prepared to offer—usually sex. They were intimidated by her because of her ability to land them on their asses if they came on too strong and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She was used to being alone, to looking out for herself, and now these two hunks were eyeing her with equal expressions of concern. She tried to kill them and yet they didn’t bear a grudge, which confused her even more. All the adults in her family bore grudges like they were a fundamental human right.
    “My grandmother was pure human. So are my mom and dad.”
    “Is your dad still alive?” Zayd asked.
    “I have no idea. I’ve never met him.” Talia lifted her shoulders. “He and Mom weren’t married and he left before I was born. Mom won’t speak about him. I don’t even know his name, and if she does, she isn’t saying. On my birth certificate, under ‘name of father’ it says ‘unknown.’”
    “Why would she inflict that sort of stigma on you?” Vadim asked. “I don’t mean to be indelicate, but did she sleep around and really not know?”
    “Oh, she knew all right, but, like I said a moment ago, she’s made bearing a grudge into an art form. My father left her and so she she’s expunged him from our lives like he never existed. ‘We don’t need him’ was her favorite phrase when I was growing up.”
    Zayd scratched his head. “What made her so bitter?”
    “Blame my