Bound to Shadows

Chapter Three

My hand froze against the door knob.

I didn't want to confront him. I didn't even want to see him.

I hadn't set eyes on him since he'd walked away six months ago, and if I never had to see him again, that would have been all right by me.

I might have spent most of my life longing for my soul mate, but the reality wasn't what I'd hoped for.

Kye was a killer for hire—a man who didn't care who employed him or who he had to kill. All that mattered to him was the money, the thrill of the chase, and the satisfaction of getting a job done as quickly and as efficiently as possible. He wasn't a man who wanted a wife or a family or entanglements of any kind. He was everything I didn't want in a soul mate.

But I couldn't deny that he was, or change the fact of it—no matter how much I might wish otherwise.

"Are you going to open the door or not, Riley?"

His voice was like a good red wine—rich and smooth—and it touched places deep inside that no one, not even Quinn, could reach. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then complied.

He stood in a halo of sunshine, his golden skin glowing with warmth and the dark red of his hair running with brighter highlights. He was a golden man with chilling amber eyes set in a face that was handsome and yet uncaring.

But not unfeeling.

Because I could feel his hunger. I felt it rip through my body before it settled down low. It was a fierce and unwanted ache that had nothing to do with my heart's desire and everything to do with my werewolf soul. But while she had wanted this feeling, she didn't want this man. That made it a little easier to ignore the hunger.

And if I kept telling myself that, I might eventually believe it.

"What are you doing here, Kye?" My white-knuckled grip on the edge of the door belied the calmness of my voice.

"I might ask you the same question." He glanced from me to the squirming, barking dog in my arm. "Found yourself a pet, have you?"

"He belongs to the owner of the house." I glanced down at the almost frantic terrier and scratched his head. "And he doesn't seem all that happy to see you."

"Neither do you," he said, voice dry. "I would have thought you'd at least have a smile for the man of your destiny."

"Destiny can bite my ass."

He laughed. It was a soft, seductive and altogether dangerous sound. "Ah, Riley, it's nice to see you haven't changed."

"No, I'm still a guardian, and you're still interfering in Directorate business."

He raised his eyebrows. "And what business would the Directorate have with a vampire who has obviously been dead for several days?"

I opened my mouth to ask how he knew Gateway was dead then snapped it closed again. Kye was a werewolf, so he'd smell the decay even if he couldn't see the body.

"And my questions to you would have to be: why are you here to see him, and did you have anything to do with his death?"

His sudden smile made my stomach lurch, and it was all I could do not to drop the little dog and step into Kye's arms. They would be waiting for me, despite the outward indifference and the distance we were keeping between us.

"Vampires like him hardly ever require my style of killing." He crossed his arms and leaned casually against the doorframe, the leather of his old jacket straining deliciously across his shoulders. "Besides, from what I've heard, he's been too busy drowning himself in alcohol of late to make the effort of hunting him worthwhile."

Because for men like him, the hunt was almost as important as the fee. Almost. "And how would you know he's been drinking to excess?"

He raised an eyebrow, amusement setting his golden eyes ablaze. "I can smell the booze."

"Liar." Alcohol was the one scent not present in this house. Rotting vampire, unwashed dog and a little bit of mold, maybe, but not booze.

The smile was still flirting with his lips, and a whole lot of me ached to kiss him. "Then maybe I know he was a drunk because I do my homework when I'm following a lead."

"What sort of lead?" I glanced down at the still squirming dog, and wondered whether his intense reaction came from having another male on his turf or something more sinister. Whatever it was, scratching his head didn't seem to be calming him down. I stepped back, deposited him in the front bedroom, and quickly closed the door. He continued barking, and started scratching at the door.

"That dog seriously dislikes you," I added, crossing my arms as I faced Kye again.

He shrugged. "The alpha always defends his territory."

The steely edge in his voice suddenly had me wondering if I were one of those territories that needed defending. Was that why he'd suddenly reappeared? To reclaim what was his?

The thought made me shiver. His gaze swept me, then rose to linger on my mouth. His hunger swirled around me, thick and strong, and little droplets of sweat broke out along my spine.

I wanted him. God, how I wanted him.

I clenched my fists a little bit tighter, digging my nails into my palm, using the pain to offset my desire.

It was a useless thing to do, really, when he was a werewolf and we were connected on more than a base level.

"I'm chasing a missing person," he said softly. "Did the vamp inside kill himself or did someone help him along?"

"I don't know. And since when did you start taking on missing persons cases?"

"I go where the cash is. And don't play games with me, Riley. You've been in the business long enough now to make an informed guess."

"It's a Directorate case, Kye. I can't discuss it."

"No, you won't discuss it. Not with me, anyway."

He had that right. "How long are you in town?"

"Why? Did you miss me?"

"No." Yes. Given the nail-digging wasn't achieving much, I flexed my fingers instead, but it didn't help release the tension rolling through me. "Why are you here, Kye?"

"As I said, I'm simply following a lead. Nothing more, nothing less." But his gaze met mine and, in those golden depths, I saw the hunter. The possessor. A wolf who hungered to control the very same things that I did. It made a mockery of his words, and it was a sight that sent a chill through my heart.

I didn't want this.

I didn't want him.

Even if my soul ached with the need of his kiss, his caress, his body.

But the wolf wasn't the sum of me, and as much as I might hunger for Kye, there was another man in my life. One that I cared about, one that I loved. And that part of me was what I reached for now to keep me strong.

"Whatever it is you're doing," I said, my voice harsh, "make sure you keep out of my way."

He laughed. It was a soft, cold sound that sent shivers up my spine and heat swirling through my body. "Things haven't changed, have they, Riley? Your words say one thing, and your body another."

"I'm not the only one adept at playing that game."

"No," he agreed. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Precisely what we're doing. Ignore and deny. You and I won't ever happen, Kye, and we both know it."

He uncrossed his arms and reached out, his fingers caressing my cheek. My skin tingled with the heated contact and my breath froze in my throat.

"But we will. We must. We are each other's destiny, even if neither of us particularly wishes it."

"As I said before, destiny can bite my ass." I pulled away from his caress and glanced at my watch. "Now, if you want to avoid Directorate scrutiny, I suggest you leave."

"Then Gateway has been murdered?"

He studied me calmly, a small smile teasing his lips, and I wondered whether he was reading my thoughts again. Kye was a siphon, which meant he could take on the psychic . talents of others and use them to his own advantage. So when he was with me, he was telepathic. And despite the fact I had psychic shields strong enough to keep even the oldest vampires out, Kye seemed able to slip past them and catch any unwary thoughts.

Although if he could thread his way through the turmoil his reappearance was causing, he probably deserved to catch an unwary thought or two about the victim.

"I need to know what happened to him, Riley," he added.

Tough was my automatic response, but I knew better than to say it. I might as well wave a red rag in front of a bull. I wanted Kye out of my life, not haunting me in an attempt to gain the information he needed.

"It'll take twenty-four hours for the report to come through. Call me." I didn't bother giving him the number. I had no intention of making things easy for him.

He nodded and pushed away from the doorframe. "I'll talk to you later, then."

I didn't reply, just watched as he turned and walked away.

And tried not to think about the way his jeans clung to his butt, or the loose-limbed, sexy way he walked.

Once he was through the gate and out of sight, I blew out a relieved breath and closed the door. The little dog had finally stopped barking, but the minute I opened the bedroom door, he charged out, making a beeline for his dead master. I scooped him up. "And what are we going to do with you, then?"

He glanced at me and whined. He really was a cute little thing, and while I couldn't leave him here, I didn't particularly want to dump him at a shelter, either. Which meant either taking him with me or finding him a home.

Dogs and a pack of wolves generally weren't a good idea, and although he didn't seem to have a problem with me, his reaction to Kye suggested it would be a different matter when it came to Rhoan and his mate, Liander.

So he needed a home. It'd be nice if I could find him another vampire…

The thought stalled and I grinned.

I knew the perfect person.

To say Sal was surprised to find me standing on her doorstep would be the understatement of the year. She and I had a whole lot to do with each other on a professional level—she'd taken over my position as Jack's main assistant, and generally handled a good percentage of my calls—but we weren't friends, and weren't ever likely to be.

"Riley," she said, her normally sultry tones decidedly frosty. "I'm on vacation. From you, and from the Directorate."

"I know. I just thought you might be able to help out a friend," I said, the little dog still half-hidden under my jacket.

Her gaze narrowed. "And why would you think I'd be interested in helping out one of your friends?"

"Because his master's just been killed, and I don't really want to dump him in a shelter." I pulled the little dog out from under cover and offered him to her. "His previous owner was a vamp, so he has no fear of us non-humans . "

A point he proceeded to prove with his ecstatic tail wagging and happy little panting. Obviously, it was just Kye he had a problem with.

"God, he's darling," Sal all but purred as she plucked him from my arms and snuggled him against her. Then her gaze narrowed. "What's the catch?"

"Nothing. I just figured he deserved a good home, and I knew you liked dogs."

"Thanks," she said, then added tartly. "But don't think you can start dumping any old stray you're feeling sorry for on my doorstep. I'm not a half-way house for the abandoned."

"Got it," I said, knowing that if I ever did turn up with another stray, Sal wouldn't turn him away. She might be a hard-headed bitch when she was dealing with me, but when it came to real dogs she was the biggest softie around. And that made her a good person in my books—even if I'd never tell her.

"Glad we're clear about that," Sal said, tossing her caramel colored hair out of her eyes. "Now go away."

I grinned and left. No one was home when I got there, but I knew both Rhoan and Liander would be back for dinner so I left them a note to wake me and went to bed.

It seemed that no sooner had I hit the pillow when something hard was hitting me upside the head. I opened a bleary eye and found myself staring at a shoe. A rather grimy and sweat drenched running shoe, to be precise.

"I know that smell and I do not appreciate it sitting on my pillow," I muttered, swatting the shoe off my bed. "Go away and leave me alone."

"You're the one that wanted to be woken for dinner," Rhoan said, his voice gratingly cheerful. "Liander's just about to serve."

"What time is it?" I tried glaring at the clock, but it was facing the window rather than me and I didn't have the energy to reach out and grab it.

"It's six-thirty," he said, suddenly appearing in my vision as he bent down to retrieve his shoe. He was wearing old sweat pants that clung to his lean, muscular legs and a blue muscle shirt that was darkened with sweat. My nose twitched, drawing in the familiar scent of him, feeling the security of it wrap around me like an old, but much-loved blanket. All wolves needed their pack, but for too many years Rhoan and I had only had each other. And while we now had Liander and Quinn sharing our lives, we'd been alone for so long that I really didn't think we could ever live apart.

Which was why Liander now lived in our apartment, why Quinn was spending more and more time here, and why we were seriously considering getting a bigger place. With the four of us, it was getting a little cramped.

"You're not showering before you eat?" I mumbled, dragging my pillow closer in a last ditch effort to retain some threads of sleepiness. I didn't want to get up. I felt like crap. Dreams had disturbed my sleep, and it felt like I hadn't got any rest at all.

The bed bounced as Rhoan plopped his sweaty self down. "Liander likes the odor of hard work, so no, not just yet. Did you write up your report for Jack?"

My eyes flew open and I groaned. "God, no. Totally forgot about it."

"Which would explain the irate phone call we got a few minutes go. I don't think you're his favorite guardian right at this moment."

"Am I ever?" I muttered, and dragged myself upright. Every muscle in my body protested the movement. Anyone would think I'd gone twelve rounds in the boxing ring or had a night of rough and tumble sex.

"You look like shit," Rhoan said, eying me with a frown. "What happened last night?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing strenuous." I rubbed a hand across gritty eyes. "I just feel drained and tired."

"How long were you asleep?"

"Nearly six hours."

"Maybe you're coming down with something." His gaze went to my neck, although if he was looking for bite marks, there were none to be found. I healed extraordinarily quickly these days. "Quinn's not taking too much blood again, is he?"

"Quinn's still substituting synth blood for mine a couple of days a week, so no, he's not taking too much." I yawned. "Maybe I just need coffee and food."

"Maybe." Rhoan pushed to his feet. "We've got roast lamb tonight."

Roast lamb was my one of my favorites, and it was usually something we saved for special occasions, simply because the price was so high these days. "What are we celebrating?"

"Nothing," he said, his eyes twinkling as he all but danced out the door.

I scrambled out of bed and threw on some clothes. Something was going on, and I needed to find out what. Liander was setting side plates down on the table, but he glanced up as I walked in, a smile he couldn't quite control dancing about his lips.

"Okay," I said, glancing from one to the other. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," Liander said. His hair was plain silver today—no garish highlights, no glitter. It sharpened his features and made his silver eyes glow. "And everything. Sit down for dinner."

He disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving me with my oddly euphoric brother. It had me stumped, because it had to be something big for them to be reacting this way, and yet there was only one thing that I knew of that could make Liander this happy. Only it was the one thing I'd thought my brother would never, ever do.

I met his gaze and said, "Don't tell me you've finally agreed to fully commit to the man?"

A loud snort echoed from the kitchen. Rhoan merely grinned.

"Then what the hell are you two so giddy about?" Another reason hit me, and my stomach dropped. "God, you haven't bought a place of your own, have you?"

Some of his happiness faded. "You don't really think we'd do that to you, do you?"

I took a deep breath to calm the hammering of my heart. "No."

"Good, because we wouldn't. Ever. And don't expect that you and Quinn can get away from us, either. We're pack now, whether he likes it or not."

"This whole pack equation doesn't come easily to a vampire," came Quinn's dry comment, "but I am slowly getting used to the idea."

My heart leapt at the sound of his softly lilting tones, and I swung around. He was standing in the doorway, one hand on the door knob and a smile twitching his oh-so-kissable lips. His gaze met mine and, as ever, I felt myself getting lost in those gloriously dark depths. Kye might be what my wolf had hungered for, but this man—this vampire—was everything else. He was my night and my day and my heart, and I didn't want to lose him.

But that possibility was a malignancy that lingered in the background of everything we did, everything we planned.

Because of Kye.

Because none of us knew whether the pull my wolf felt for her soul mate would in the long run be stronger than the pull I felt for Quinn.

He closed the door behind him and walked towards me, a dark haired vision of male perfection in a grey suit. I bounded towards him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and dragged his luscious lips to mine. As kisses went, it was pretty delicious.

"Missed you," he said softly, when we finally parted.

"And we're missing dinner," Rhoan said dryly, "So get over here and eat."

"You won't let him eat at the dinner table," I said, grinning as Quinn draped an arm around my neck and guided me over to the table. His fingertips brushed my breast, sending little surges of desire coursing through my body, and I momentarily debated dragging him off to the bedroom.

Then the smell of roast lamb hit my nostrils, and hunger won out.

"That's because it's not polite to get orgasmic at the dinner table if you're not sharing the sensation," Liander said, placing a plate of food down in front of me and a pack of synth blood in front of Quinn. "And Quinn keeps insisting he doesn't do guys."

"Not unless it's an absolute do or die situation," Quinn agreed.

I raised my eyebrows as he pulled out a chair for me. "So you have done guys?"

"As I said, it's not my preferred option." He kissed my nose before sitting down himself.

"That's not what I asked."

A smile touched the corners of his luscious lips. "Yes, I have taken blood from men. No, I have never actually had sex with them."

"But isn't that your preferred way of feeding?"

He raised his eyebrows at me, the amusement touching his lips finally reaching the dark depths of his eyes. "You prefer men, but that hasn't stopped you from kissing women, has it?"

"That's different—"

"How?" he interrupted. "We both do what we must when it's required. It doesn't mean we enjoy it."

I guess he had me there. I'd kissed Vinny solely to get information that might have helped solve a case and save lives, and he fed off people to survive. His might be more necessary than mine, but we were both doing what we had to.

His gaze flicked from me to the two men on the opposite side of the table. "Now, how about you two explaining the highly charged buzz I'm getting off you both?"

I began tucking into the lamb. The meat just about melted in my mouth and I groaned in delight. Quinn glanced at me, his thoughts reaching for mine. You do realize I'm planning to make you groan like that later.

Unfortunately for us both, I have to be at work by eight.

He glanced at his watch. I can do quick.

I leaned sideways, dropped a kiss on his cheek, and said with a mental grin, Quick would be good.

Liander placed the remaining plates on the table, then sat down beside Rhoan. His smile was a mile wide, and there were little crinkles of happiness lining the corners of his eyes. Rhoan was almost as bad.

"Well," my brother said, picking up his utensils and cutting into the thickly sliced lamb. "We do have an announcement to make."

"Color me surprised," I said dryly, munching down more lamb.

Rhoan's smile grew, though I wouldn't have thought was possible. "We have decided to have children."

I just about choked on my meal. The meat lodged somewhere in my throat and I started coughing violently. Quinn gave me several hard thumps on the back, which didn't exactly help. As I wheezed and wiped the tears from my eyes, he pointed out the obvious. "You're both guys. Neither of you can actually carry a child, and one of you is sterile."

"We do realize this," Liander said, eyes twinkling. "Which is where we hope Riley comes in."

"Me?" I squeaked. "In case you've forgotten, I'm as barren as Rhoan here."

"You may be barren, but you have frozen eggs," Rhoan said. "We're twins, Riley, which means you're as close as Liander's going to get to having a kid with me."

I looked from one to the other. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Liander nodded. "My sister has agreed to carry the child for us. It's our chance to have a child, Riley. It's our chance to carry on the family name." He paused. "But if you're not comfortable with it, that's fine. We'll just pick another donor. We don't want it to seem like its you or nothing."

"Either way," Rhoan added softly, "It leaves Liander with something to hold onto if the worst ever happens at work."

Something unfurled inside me—a desire long acknowledged and yet long forced away. My fingers began shaking—in fact, I think every part of me was shaking—so I put my knife and fork down on the table and leaned back in my chair. Quinn caught my hand, his fingers so steady and warm against mine. I squeezed his hand, more grateful than ever that he was there.

"We're different packs," I murmured, more to break the expectant silence than out of any real concern over whose name any resulting child might bear.

A child. Liander's and mine.

God, I wanted to get up and dance at the prospect and yet, at the same time, my stomach was churning with fear.

After everything that fate had thrown my way of late, it was hard to believe I was now being presented with this opportunity. Hell, part of me didn't want to believe that it might actually happen, because I didn't want to face the pain of yet more disappointment.

"Told you she'd say that," Rhoan murmured, then leaned forward, his arms crossed on the table. "We're starting a new pack. The Jenson-Moore pack, which currently consists of three werewolves and one vampire. Said vampire will be expected to play uncle and change diapers along with everyone else."

"Said vampire" Quinn said dryly, "seems to be getting the raw end of the deal. No surname involvement and excrement duty. Do not expect joy at the prospect."

"You did get off midnight bottle duty, even though you're usually awake," Rhoan said, glancing at me. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think I'm too shocked to actually think," I muttered, then leaned forward and studied the two of them. Though it was good to see the two of them so excited—so happy—the sick fear churning my stomach wouldn't let me give in to that same happiness. Maybe because I'd been right where they are—had my hopes up for something good, only to have it pulled out from under my feet—and I didn't want them to go through the same sort of pain.

"You do know this won't be easy," I said slowly. "My eggs are viable, but no one can say what effect, if any, the drugs Talon once gave me will have had on them."

"We're aware of that, Riley," Liander said, twining his fingers through my brother's. "We're willing to take the chance."

Yeah, but was I? Those drugs were still changing me, and no one had any idea where or if it would end. Did I have the right to put any child of mine through that sort of uncertainty?

And yet, the eggs couldn't remain on ice forever. The doctors had already warned me that there were no guarantees that they would remain viable after more than a few years. If I ever did want children of my own, this might be my one opportunity.

But was I ready for a child? Was I ready for the heartache that might just come with it? Because, right now, those eggs represented hope. What if we went through with the surrogacy, only to discover that the eggs weren't strong enough—or had been changed too much by the drugs that had been forced on me—to ever become a living entity?

Confusion and hope and fear swirled through me. I didn't know what to do. I really didn't. And I was clinging so hard to Quinn's hand I was probably on the verge of crushing his fingers, and yet it felt like a lifeline.

"We're not asking you to make a decision right here and now," Rhoan said softly. "We know this has probably hit you like a ton of bricks. We just want you to think about it, and let us know."

I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Have you asked anyone else about donating eggs yet?"

"No, but we have several options. As I said, don't feel pressured into this if you're really not comfortable with it. We're okay if you say no."

Yeah, but would I be? "But another donor would make the child of your line, not yours and Rhoan's."

"In the end, the blood lines doesn't matter, only the child," Rhoan said. Then a grin split his lips. "Of course, we could imitate Talon and try the whole cloning issue, but setting up the lab and finding a willing scientist could get messy and expensive."

I smiled, as my brother had no doubt intended. "When do you need an answer?"

"My sister reckons she'll be good to go in a couple of months. Her own pups will be past the diaper stage by then, and she'll have more energy for the pregnancy."

"And you've sat her down and explained the dangers?" My gaze jumped between the two of them. "Does she really understand that this may not be a regular pregnancy in any way, shape or form, simply because no one knows what my eggs will do once they're fertilized?"

"She knows," Liander said, face somber. "I wouldn't risk my sister's life by not giving her all the facts, Riley. But she really wants to do this for us."

Then she was a sweetheart. But I guessed I would have done the same for my brother, had I actually been capable of carrying a child.

"Okay, I'll get back to you on it soon." I hesitated, then grinned. "You do realize, of course, that a week of roast dinners could influence the outcome."

Rhoan snorted. "Have belly, can be bribed."

"Totally." I shoved some lamb in my mouth and chewed happily. "I think breakfast should come into the equation as well."

Liander glanced at my brother. "I can see her stretching this out for as long as possible."

Rhoan gave me a warm smile, happiness in his eyes. "We can fix that easily enough. I'll just start doing the cooking."

I just about gagged at the thought. "God, no. Anything but that."

His smile gave way to an outright grin. "I cook as well as you do."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. Quinn will have to start paying for more dinners if that happens."

The vampire in question snorted softly. "Even I would struggle to support your appetite full time."

I met his gaze, a sensual smile playing about my lips. "Oh, I don't know," I said archly. "You're doing a pretty good job of it now."

He leaned forward and kissed me. His lips were so warm, so inviting and delicious, that the kiss quickly deepened, becoming a sensuous exploration that had me aching in an instant.

"Oh, get a room you two," Liander said dryly.

I grinned, twined my fingers through Quinn's, and stood up. "Good idea."

I dragged him to my bedroom, closed the door, and kissed him again, this time fiercely. His arms wrapped around me, dragging me closer, until my body was molded against his and I could feel the slow beat of his vampire heart and every intake of breath. He might not be human in any sense of the word, he might not be a werewolf nor the man I'd spent half my life longing for, but he was very much the man I needed in my life. The vampire I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

And no matter what fate had planned, I would fight for this. Fight for us. It might have taken me altogether too long to realize just what this vampire meant to me, but now that I had I had no intention of letting go.

"I can see you as a mother," he murmured, his fingers sliding underneath my t-shirt, sending delicious tingles of desire scampering across my flesh as he lifted my shirt up and over my head. "I think you'd be a good one."

My gaze searched his. "But can you see yourself being one of the dads? You once said you couldn't stand children."

"Riley, this will be your child, and it'll be as close as I'll ever get to having one of my own. That makes the difference." He smiled. It was such a sweet, warm smile that my heart just about melted. "And you are wearing far too many clothes for my liking."

"This from the man wearing a suit," I said, tackling his shirt buttons. When they were all undone, I pressed my hands lightly against his skin, letting them rest on the hard planes of his stomach, reveling in the pleasure of simply touching him. Then I slowly slid my fingers upwards, enjoying the firmness of his toned body, luxuriating in the way his muscles quivered and jumped at my caress.

My hands slid under the material at his shoulders, my thumbs hooking both shirt and coat and slowly sliding them down his arms. Only to come to a dead halt at his wrists.

"Damn," I said, raising my gaze to his, laughter bubbling through me. "I forgot about the shirt cuffs."

"It never happens in the movies, does it?" he said, amusement touching his lips as he undid the problematic cuffs.

"It's the magic of the big screen," I said, watching the play of his muscles as he pulled off his jacket and shirt. Loving the way his gaze held mine, full of promises, full of desire.

"Bet you've never seen this done on the big screen." He bent, and in one smooth motion, scooped me up into his arms.

I grinned and flung my arms lightly around his neck. "The hero carries his heroine to the bed and ravishes her senseless in all the best romances."

He arched an eyebrow, bedevilment dancing in his dark gaze. "But does he do this?"

And with that, he tossed me. I yelped as I flew through the air, then laughed in delight as I hit the bed and bounced several times. "I don't think there are many human males who could throw their women with such ease."

"And there aren't many human females who have an appetite as strong as yours."

"Know this for a fact, do you?"

"Yes. I've been around a long time, remember."

"A very, very long time," I agreed solemnly. "I'm amazed you can still manage to get it up."

He took a swipe at me, but I rolled away from it with a laugh. "And there I was about to add something very nice."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

"Like every day I thank fate for putting such a stubborn, sexy and altogether wonderful werewolf in my life."

Something inside me went mushy. "I might just let you bite my neck for that."

"I might just hold you to that." He bent over the end of the bed and reached for my jeans. I arched my hips to make the zipper easier to reach and his smile grew.

"Such an eager pup," he murmured, hooking the waist of my jeans and panties and pulling them swiftly down my legs.

"Well, I can't have you fumbling around taking forever to get down to business. I do have to go to work soon, remember."

"After being on this earth for twelve hundred years, I'd like to think I'm beyond mere fumbling."

He dropped my clothes to the floor then tackled his own. My grin grew as his body was revealed, my gaze drifting up the lean muscular planes of his legs to the rampant hardness of his erection.

This man was desire personified, and it was all I could do not to jump his bones right there and then.

"Every man fumbles," I commented dryly, "because every man sometimes lets the little head think for the big one."

On hands and knees, he walked up the bed, straddling my body but not actually touching my flesh. His scent, his desire, filled every breath, making my body burn and my heart ache.

"There have only been two times in my life that I've allowed the desire for sex to overrule my better judgement," he said softly, his dark gaze burning into my mine and his expression serious. "And in the second case, it's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Then his lips dropped to mine and he kissed me. But it was more than just a kiss, more than just a meeting of lips and desire. It was heart if not soul, and the only place I wanted to be, now and forever.

There was no more talking from that moment on, just caressing and kissing and pleasuring. I explored his body as fully as he enjoyed mine, taking my time, letting the pleasure build and build, until it felt like every part of me was wound so tight it would surely break. Then he entered me, and everything did shatter, the power of my orgasm tossing me about like a leaf in the storm. When his teeth entered my neck, I came a second time, the pleasure of that one action sweeping through me like a tide.

And later, when I could think again, I realized that for me, it would never be just about the bite. It was this—the hot and sweaty aftermath, lying replete and exhausted in his arms—that was the most addicting moment.

The blood whores had no idea just how much they were truly missing.