*** Lisa’s POV ***
“Smells good in here, Lisa.” Riona's voice cut through the lively hum of conversation as she strolled up to where I stood. “Some good people watching, too.”
“As subtle as ever,” I teased, glancing around at the mix of guests mingling in the garden, fully aware that Riona was keeping an ear on the uninvited guests lurking just beyond my property.
She had always had a way of zeroing in on what really mattered while making it seem like she wasn’t paying attention at all. But today, her usual easygoing nature was tempered by a tension I hadn’t seen in a long while.
“Her awakening was unexpected,” Riona said quietly, her voice lowering as she glanced away from the crowd. “I’m worried for her.”
*** Riona's POV ***Nyx purred in the back of my mind, thoroughly enjoying the late-night spectacle at Jack-in-the-Box. Human women, with their intoxicating mix of innocence and willingness, danced for the pleasure of us Others. Their movements were fluid and sensual, a deliberate invitation, but they rarely understood the depth of what they were truly offering. Our kind had a tendency to take more than intended—we were greedy by nature.The club itself was a study in decadent excess. A sleek, high-end erotic playground, where the liquor was as expensive as the clientele was rich. The air was thick with the smell of cigars, aged whiskey, and expensive perfume, blending with the raw scent of desire. The lighting was l
*** Kirk’s POV I’d been watching Red all night, my eyes tracking her every move like a predator circling its prey. Eamon had checked in a few times, going over leads the team had gathered from the party, but they were weak compared to tailing Red. Eamon agreed—Red was the real play. And I wasn’t just interested in watching her for the job; I wanted to get on her. It had been
*** Kirk’s POV“In my game, I ask the questions, and if I like your answers, I’ll reward you,” I whispered, my breath grazing Red’s ear and trailing down her neck. Her skin was smooth, and I noted, just as I suspected, no mate mark. The thrill of control coursed through me, heightened by the lack of any visible bond on her.“Let me guess,” she quipped, tilting her head slightly in response to my closeness, “If you don’t like my answers, you’ll punish me? So original.”“I’m all about originality, baby. If I don’t like your answers, I’ll just slit your throat instead,” I said smoothly, letting my words hang in the air like a knife. Grimnir stirred in my mind, pleased at the threat.She snorted a laugh, the sound light but unimpressed. “Well, that would be original for a cop... unless, of course, you’re crooked,” she mused, her voice dripping with amusement as she trailed off.“I’m straight as an arrow, baby,” I growled, grinding my hips forward into her backside, feeling the tension betw
*** Kirk’s POV"We’ve noticed that Miss Ravenshade has had some bad luck recently." Kirk’s voice was low, his words measured as his eyes tracked every subtle movement in Red's body.Red turned to him, a coy smile playing at the edges of her lips. "Has she? I hadn’t noticed." Her expression glinted with a hint of surprise, as if Kirk's line of questioning caught her off guard. This wasn’t where she thought the conversation was headed—it wasn’t why she thought they were following her. Maybe they weren’t dirty cops after all."We don’t like disturbances Others cause," Kirk continued, his tone carrying a quiet authority. "Especially when they turn up on the Humans' radar."Her gaze softened slightly, thoughtful. "Well, Miss Ravenshade doesn’t want to be on any radar, thus the increase in ‘disturbances.'"A less perceptive wolf would have missed the subtly in her response , but I understood. The attacks on Ravenshade had been relatiory. She was refusing to play ball with someone. There was
*** Riona’s POVThe club was exactly what I’d needed tonight—an escape, a promise. The kind of place where desires were laid bare, and the shadows offered protection. This wasn’t a dive bar filled with humans and their cheap thrills. No, this was for our kind, for those who could afford the exclusivity. The lights were low, casting a seductive glow over the polished wood and velvet, and the faint scent of the finest perfumes and expensive cigars lingered in the air. Dancers moved on the stage like art, their bodies shimmering beneath the chandeliers that dripped with crystal.I didn’t come here for business, and I definitely didn’t come here to be bothered by him—who I had been sure I’d lost hours ago.Skoll had been restless for weeks, and I’d promised her some action tonight. A little reward for her patience. After all, it wasn’t every night I found time to indulge in what this place offered—namely, anonymous satisfaction. I deserved it. She deserved it. But this? This wasn’t what I
*** Riona’s POV"Mate," he breathed the word into my ear, his voice like a prayer. His mouth descended to my exposed neck, lips brushing softly against my skin. The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down my spine, and then his tongue—slow, deliberate—lapping at the skin where I knew he could mark me. Electricity crackled at the point of contact, a gentle tingle that spread outward like wildfire. Everywhere his lips touched, everywhere our bodies connected, it was like I was waking up—coming alive under him.I could feel my body screaming for him, every nerve ending on fire, the heat between us building to a point I could hardly stand. He smelled it too. I knew he could sense my arousal, smell it in the air. His growl rumbled low in his chest, vibrating against me as he pressed harder into my body. My breathing grew more ragged, more desperate, as my wolf, Skoll, roared in my mind, lust and need crashing over me in waves.I was almost breathless when I mumbled, "If you want me… then
*** Kirk's POVThe wave of her climax rippled through me, a surge of heat that coursed from her body to mine, snapping the mate bond into place. I could feel her walls clenching around me, involuntarily stroking me, pulling me deeper into her, beckoning my own release. My body responded instantly, the tension coiling in my core until I growled low in my chest, releasing myself inside her. The pleasure hit me like a storm, my hips jerking into her as my mouth released her neck. I lapped up the blood at the place where I’d marked her, sealing the bond.The taste of her on my tongue sent another shiver through me, but even as I finished, I couldn’t stop. My body still craved her. I was still hard, still thrusting, the need for her not yet sated. I wanted her to ride me forever, to keep this moment suspended in time, right here against the wall, with her body wrapped around mine. The euphoria of my release began to settle into contentment, but something was wrong.She wasn’t moving.Riona
*** Eamon's POVLil had left the party hours ago, but still wasn’t home.I regretted not following her, but I couldn’t reconcile that with abandoning the surveillance. It had seemed like the obvious choice at the time—keep my eye on the case, let her do what she needed. But as the night dragged on, regret settled in, gnawing at me like a wound that wouldn't heal.There had been no sense of urgency or danger through the mate bond, so I wasn’t exactly worried. Annoyed? Yes. Worried? Not yet. After all, I had explicitly told her not to leave the house but she’d done the opposite. My frustration grew tenfold knowing she wasn’t answering her phone because she’d left it behind in her apartment. I’d heard the damn thing buzzing when I tried to call.I busied myself with checking in on my team. Kirk had tracked Red to a Sanctum club, the kind of place with a dubious reputation and an even more exclusive clientele. She apparently had VIP access, which only fueled our optimism that tailing her w