I removed my sweater and looked at the injury on my right arm. It wasn’t just a graze—it passed through my skin and came out the other way, barely missing my bone. Jace had left to get a bowl of water and some clean bandages.I sat on a stool in Jace’s office on the second floor. My leg wouldn’t stop shaking from nervousness, so I examined the room, hoping it would change my mind from the newly formed hole in my body. It had a bay window and allowed me to view what was happening below and on the same level.I had to admit I was a little embarrassed from the last time I had seen Jace and took the minutes he was away to calm my fluttering heart. We had kissed, and I didn’t even remember it… also, so much has happened since.I passed my sweater over the bullet holes to remove some of the crusted blood and saw it had scabbed. I frowned when I discovered that. It should have still been oozing. The wound was barely an hour old, and I had repeatedly moved my arm during my escape.The door to
Jace POVI closed the door to my office and turned off the lights. The situation with Max was becoming a nightmare, and one I feared I couldn’t contain much longer from my father. She unknowingly stepped over the cover line and was now in the direct line of fire.Why did she prowl around the Umbridge case? I mean, what was her point? If Max uncovered more, the vampires in this city would order her capture or execution.Director Ventura had been breathing down my neck since he saw her here last week, and I was coming up short of excuses as more questions were directed my way.I could always say I wanted her as a pet, but it would be hard to pretend with Max’s hard exterior, as they would see straight through her and know she wasn’t one.There was something peculiar about Max. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on that made her stand out from the humans.The other problem was that she had unearthed the fucking Noctua. My father wouldn’t be pleased to hear they were alive and operat
After combing the house and earning myself a few side glances from Mrs. Dunkan, who had kept a watchful eye on my every coming and going, I locked myself in my room and tried to sleep my thoughts away. When that didn’t work, I stepped inside the shower.Up to now, Jace was still a mystery to me. I couldn’t find anything to give me insight into his life. Also, this house looked inhabited. It had a sterile feel, as though no one had really lived there since the purchase and renovations. I was getting a “staged” home vibe to entice future buyers.Regardless of whether it was staged, I had to hand it to Jace. The bathroom in this bedroom was gorgeous. Floor-to-ceiling tiles with no shower entrance or window separations. I liked the open concept. The shower head was long and extensive and mimicked rain. There were two other showerheads on each side, and when I pushed a button, it shot a more substantial stream that massaged my aching back.Heck, I was never leaving this shower.Soon, steam
I woke up to the sound of knocking. It was relentless, and I was already a grumpy morning person.I grumbled and turned away from the door but couldn’t roll over. Something was tied to my wrists against the bedpost. I pulled, but metal scraped my skin and forced me to open my eyes.What the… I was handcuffed to the bed!I twisted my arm and yanked harder, but the cuffs didn’t budge. A muscular arm snaked across my breasts, and soon, my body was under Jace.“Morning, beautiful. Sorry about that. I must have forgotten to remove them before I fell asleep.My face flushed as memories from the night before surfaced. Jace had found the cuffs in my backpack and wanted to have fun.God. Why couldn’t the bed swallow me whole? This was so embarrassing.The knocking on the door persisted, and Jace became annoyed. “What is it, Mrs. Dunkan?”Sir, your father has called and requested your presence at the office. Should I tell him you’ll be late?”“Tell him I’m not coming in. I rather stay in bed,” J
I checked the surrounding buildings, circled my neighbourhood several times, and when I was convinced no one was around, I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and marched to my VW Beetle.God, I had missed her! I looked to see if anything was amiss and even looked everywhere for possible tracking devices. When I saw they had left it undisturbed, I climbed inside and started the engine.I wanted to find Lukas, but first, I went straight to the orphanage that had taken me in all those years ago. They had to have some kind of record about me? That was back in the 90s, so I feared the paper files might have been damaged or moved, but it was a risk I needed to take.I took the highway and left the city. The orphanage—the children’s home, I should say—was some thirty-odd minutes out of town, and I spent the entire drive in silence, thinking about my time there.When I transitioned from one foster home to another, they would bring me to the children’s home until my new accommodations we
Lukas POVAs I pulled Max inside the house, I felt the cool outdoor breeze on my face and took one last look outside before closing the door. I didn’t think I’d ever see her again, but I was glad that we crossed paths once more. It seemed like she had managed to slip away from Jace again, as he would never have allowed her to leave his house alone, especially after what had happened.I led her to my kitchen, which was small and cozy, with just enough space for a dining table and a few chairs. I offered her a seat on a bench near the table and asked if she wanted anything to drink. Living alone, I didn’t have many kitchen supplies, except for the basics, but I was sure I had some coffee somewhere. I opened every cabinet and looked through every shelf. I couldn’t find it, which made me curse under my breath.When I turned to look at Max, I saw her with her head in her hands, shaking it as if she had just woken up from a nightmare. Her long, black hair was tousled and messy, and her eyes
Lukas teased his cock at my entrance and made me shudder. He pressed me down, forcing me to arch my back, and the wait was killing me.I finally felt his tip part my pussy and slowly enter. I cringed, wondering if the size would fit. When it continued to slide in, I sucked in a breath and waited until my ass cheeks touched Lukas’s skin. I groaned and clenched my lower belly. He was so deep inside me that I thought he would split me in half.Lukas backed away and slammed his dick back inside.Holy shit. We were really doing this! My toes curled from the pressure of his cock rubbing against my internal walls, and my eyes rolled back.Lukas removed his hand from my shoulder blades, and, while keeping a steady stride, he scooped me up, placing both of his large hands over my breasts and pulled me up to his chest.I moaned as I sensed the friction shift inside of me. I leaned my head on Lukas’s shoulder and circled my hands over his wrists to keep myself upright. He rolled my nipples betwe
Lukas dropped me at Bea and Moe’s house with a promise he’d return before the day was over with a few of my things.I left my car at his place, and we used his motorcycle to get to Moe’s house. The bike was small, allowing us to squeeze into tiny alleyways and lose potential pursuers if they followed us.When Lukas left, I trudged up the steps and lifted my fist to knock on the door but hesitated. I had never come here unannounced, and I hated the feeling of being a burden to Moe and Bea.I sighed and swallowed hard before hitting the door with my knuckles. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and waited for someone to open. The bail bonds shop was already closed at this hour, so someone was bound to be home.The front porch light opened, and I saw Bea’s permed hair appear in the door window. Her eyes widened when she looked to see who it was, and she unlocked everything to greet me.“Max! What a surprise. What’s the matter?”“I’m not having a great vacation. Do you mind if I
I was high from meeting the director at the children’s home. My discussion with the director yielded interesting facts about the home and its desperate need for funds. The government provided what it could, but the man running the establishment informed me it wasn’t enough. It didn't surprise me. More and more children came into their custody, and they had difficulty finding foster homes. I elatedly accepted the director's promise to inform the board members and send me the paperwork in the coming weeks after discussing my plans to donate money and what I would like to help them with. My interest in funding couldn’t have come at a better time. I barely saw the car ride pass; I was already pulling up the small dirt road leading to Lukas’s cabin in the woods. Lexie stayed there for the moment while Lukas crashed either at his house or at my place. We had taken the habit of coming over there for dinner every two or three days to keep Lex company and to unwind. I was the first to arri
6 months laterMy finger pressed the intercom button of the police precinct.“Yes?” The robotic-sounding voice asked.“It’s Max. I have a Talulah Townsend for processing.”“Someone will be down shortly.”Talulah had broken parole and hadn’t attended her mandatory drug test. She had been my easiest catch of the week. I only had to drive down the drug strip to find her with a needle stabbed in her arm, half passed out from the shot. She was younger than me, and it broke my heart to see her like this.Oh, the joys of getting back into the trenches. After a long break, I did my best to return to my everyday life.The back door of the station opened, and Officer Dan and a colleague walked out to take the skip. When the woman was in custody, Dan removed her cuffs and returned them to me.“I heard you were back on the job. Christ, Max. You scared the shit out of me when you stopped showing up here! They told me you probably took a vacation, but I know you. Your job’s your life,” Dan said with
The wait was killing me. My leg impatiently shook when I sat on the chair. The lobby under the justice court building was brightly lit and warm. I had never been in that section before. If I didn’t have Moe guiding me through the separate hallway that brought us here, in the basement, I would have never suspected there was a place specifically designed for vampire laws.The fact that I was meeting the congregation was the least of my problems. My mind was on Lukas, whom I hadn’t seen since the fight with Ventura four days before. Jace didn’t want me to see him and had given me very few updates on his health, but the one news that kept bothering me was that the broken ribs were more important than we initially thought. Some had pierced his lungs and had caused damages that Jace feared Lukas would have issues healing correctly. There was also a matter about the drug Ventura and Mike had given Lukas to sedate him, which seemed to cause abnormal delays in his healing.I felt terrible becau
Ventura’s fingers tightened around my neck, and I struggled to breathe.“There goes that defiant hiss again. You’re becoming quite the little vampire. You sound just like one,” he said with a growing hatred. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve been giving me? You killed my small human army of hunters who would do my future bidding. I had a chance at a surprise attack on the Harringtons, but you blew it! You were unsuccessful at making more of yourself and serving me. Why shouldn’t I just snap your pretty neck and be done with it? All my troubles would die along with you.”My hands instinctively circled his forearm to remove some of the pressure. When I saw black spots everywhere, my grip on him lessened. I couldn’t break free, and I thought this was the end. Surprisingly, Ventura let go and grabbed the front of my vest, dragging me on my back to where Lukas and Jace were.“Pathetic girl,” Ventura spat as he dropped me beside my mates. “It doesn’t matter. Everything I need to start my
I stopped my car in front of an old abandoned warehouse on 9th Street. Many were in the sector, but just as the letter said, I knew exactly which one it was. The run-down name of the company was barely visible, but the logo of an owl still showed, reminding me of the Noctua sigil. I could be wrong, but this building seemed the right one.I walked to the warehouse, looking for an entrance. The previous owner had barricaded all the entries with pieces of wood and chains. I groaned and trudged along the exterior to find another way to gain access. When I was about to retrace my steps and search another building, I spotted a broken window on the second floor.“Great,” I mumbled exasperatingly. “As if I do parkour in my spare time.”There was a ledge on the lower window, and I noticed a gutter installed on the wall close to it. I pulled up my leather jacket sleeves and lightly ran for a jump to get a high start. I climbed the downspout until I was at level with the ledge, and I swung my bod
I strolled down the street, taking in the city’s nightly smells. After some time, I stopped and took a deep breath. The neighbourhood was silent, and only the distant sound of car horns honking reminded me that life went on while I was away.The last time I stood in front of my apartment complex, I was drugged in a cab and kidnapped.I hurried along the entrance and pushed the glass doors open. The trek up the stairs was quick, and I walked to my door to unlock it. In the two weeks I was gone, nothing had changed. My apartment had been left untouched, and the little possessions I had left were still in their place. I was surprised. I thought the vampires would have ransacked my home to find any information on me.I opened my mini-fridge and pulled out the last remaining beer bottle.I reflected on Jace, Lukas, Moe and Bea’s plan as I sat. They wanted to draw out Ventura from wherever he was hiding, and the only thing they thought would succeed was to resume my life. Ventura would try t
Jace POVI watched Max from afar. She was a small thing compared to the tall vampire she called Moe. She had been with those two since their return to the cabin, and it slightly irritated me to have to share Max with two other vampires—one werewolf was already enough.“You’re doing that thing again. Stop it,” Lukas called from behind.I turned around and smugly slouched. “What exactly am I doing?”“I’ve known you for years, Jace. I know all your telltale signs. You know something that you haven’t told anyone. Spill.”My friend’s amber eyes darkened menacingly. I sighed and pressed a hand over my face. Lukas was an annoying dog but had good intentions.“I knew the congregation had released Ventura before coming here.”Lukas watched me from a distance. His face was becoming red, but I ignored it. Why was Lukas getting angry with me?“When were you planning on telling us?”I shrugged and crossed my arms. “This morning, but I didn’t think it was important.”“You should have told us the min
Lukas and Jace’s kisses lingered on my skin before I stepped under the water. It washed away their scent on my body, and I sighed.My fingers trailed the length of my neck and hovered over my swollen lips. They still tingled from Lukas and Jace’s bites.My face heated at the memory of Jace telling me to go on top of Lukas. I had never had sex with two men at the same time, and when Lukas filled my dripping wet pussy, and Jace stretched my ass with his dick, I almost forgot how to breathe. The feeling I had in the pit of my stomach was dreadful, yet exciting.The sensation had been odd and pleasing. My skin shivered with need and all the dirty things I wanted the three of us to do. I had both of them in me, and each thrust and withdrawal had me wanting, no, almost begging for more. I couldn’t seem to get enough of them. Their cocks filled each cavity perfectly, and their rhythms were in delightful unison. It was even more thrilling when Lukas and Jace gave me the reins, and I could choo
Lukas POVThe smell of Max’s arousal woke me. I had been lightly asleep but was now fully awake, and my dick painfully swelled inside my boxers in response.I didn’t want to act on her scent because I didn’t know if she was excited for me or for Jace, who was inconveniently sleeping on Max’s other side.I needed to change my mind. Anything was better than thinking of everything I wanted to do to Max.I thought back to what had happened before I went to sleep. After furiously running in wolf form, I returned to the cabin and found Jace waiting beside Max’s sleeping shape on the bed. He had gotten here much faster than I wanted, and I despised every second of him brushing his light fingers against the pale white skin of her bare legs.No amount of yelling and violent disagreements could remove Jace’s bond with Max. She was as much his as she was mine. Jace and I both made our claims, and the rest was history. We would be there for her, but Jace and I would need to have a more profound di