Of Blood and Desire

Prologue

Nineteen Years Ago...

Helena wrapped the thick wool blanket tighter around her shoulders, pressing herself closer to the man beside her. His skin, impossibly cool even through layers of clothing, sent shivers down her spine. The ground beneath them had long since lost its warmth with the setting of the sun, and now, the night sky stretched overhead, glittering with countless stars.

Her fingers traced the sculpted ridges of his toned abdomen, moving over the crisp button-down shirt he still wore. Slowly, deliberately, she walked her fingers downward until they reached the hem. She hesitated for only a moment when she heard his breath hitch. The slightest tightening of his arms around her was enough to make her heartbeat quicken. He was magnificent. Unnaturally strong, more powerful than any male she had ever known. She bit her lip, willing herself to be bold, and she slid her hand beneath the fabric of his shirt.

"Helena," he breathed, his voice husky and filled with restraint. "Your warmth is... intoxicating." His lips skimmed the top of her head, brushing against the dark waves of her hair. The deep timbre of his voice sent another shiver coursing through her, one laced with something far more dangerous than the night’s chill.

She tilted her face upward, locking onto the rich maroon depths of his eyes. As if entranced, she wove her fingers into the copper locks framing his face. Her breath catching in her throat at the realization that they were doing this. And this was a line they had never crossed before. It was forbidden.

Ever since he had rescued her from the hunter’s trap only months ago, they had met here, at the furthest edge of her pack’s territory. The place where it had all begun.

Two Months and One Week Earlier...

Helena ran. Faster. Harder. The wind howled past her ears as her silver fur rippled under the moonlight. Her paws barely skimmed the earth as she leapt onto the upper cleft of the ravine, beginning the steady incline of the vast land before her. Her land. Further than most pack members would be found wondering about, so far away from their town.

She pushed herself to her limit, ignoring the burn in her muscles as exhaustion crept into her limbs. She was strong—born strong. She had to be. In just three months, she would turn eighteen, the age of adulthood in her pack. Then, she would prove herself. She had trained tirelessly, breaking through the limits of her own body, only to set new ones.

Eighteen. The thought sent a thrill through her. At eighteen, she would become eligible to find her mate—if the Moon Goddess willed it.

She swallowed the nervous flutter in her chest. Of course, she would have a mate. She was the Alpha’s daughter. The strongest bloodline in the pack. They were descendants of the first wolves, the ones the Moon Goddess had created when she grew lonely and desired children of her own. To her beloved weres, she had gifted the sacred mating bond—a force so powerful that no one could resist it. It was her decree that each wolf find the one who completed them: body, soul, and mind.

To have a mate was a werewolf’s greatest blessing. Or their greatest curse.

Pain. A sudden, searing pain tore through Helena’s leg. She yelped, a sharp, agonized sound echoing through the trees. She hadn’t seen the trap until it was too late. The iron teeth sank deep into her hind leg, clamping down with merciless force. Panic surged through her veins as she twisted, clawing at the cruel device. Blood seeped into the ground beneath her.

A rustling in the trees to her right snapped her attention away from her injury. Her golden eyes sharpened. A scent drifted toward her on the breeze—foreign. Dangerous. Vampire.

She turned, lips curling back in a vicious snarl. The growl that ripped from her throat was meant to be a warning. Then, from the shadows, he stepped into view.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. His skin, impossibly pale, stood in stark contrast to the night around him. His presence was calm, calculated. And though she, as a wolf, was more than twice his size, she knew the truth. She had seen what it took to bring down one of his kind. Strength radiated from him, coiling beneath his stillness like a predator waiting to strike.

His reddish eyes locked onto hers, and the world stood still. The only sound was the hammering of her own heart.

Helena was alone. Miles from her village. Trapped and injured. The enemy stood before her, the one she had been raised to hate. It was always them or us. She forced herself not to think of the warriors it had taken to bring down a single vampire in the past. She would fight until her last breath. If this was the end, then so be it.

But he didn’t attack. Instead, his gaze dropped to the trap clamped around her leg. Slowly—so impossibly slowly—he raised his hands, palms open in a sign of surrender.

"Easy now, darlin’," he said, his voice a deep, soothing rumble.

Another warning growl erupted from Helena’s throat, her teeth bared in defiance.

He smirked, amused by her bravado. "I see you’ve got yourself in a bit of trouble." Another step forward. Then another. "Let me help."

Her growl deepened.

"I mean you no harm, young one. I was passing through when I heard your cry. If you’ll allow it, I can set you free." His thick brows lifted slightly in question, his voice as smooth as silk.

Helena studied him, uncertain. He remained still, his hands raised, his tall frame unnervingly relaxed. She hated that he looked... calm. Trustworthy. She hated that she wanted to believe him.

Before she could decide, he knelt beside her. With effortless strength, he pried open the trap, freeing her leg. Helena barely had time to react. He stepped back instantly, hands still raised. She blinked at him in shock.

"My name’s Cameron," he said, his gaze flickering to her injured leg. "Now, let’s get you home."

Present...

Looking into Cameron’s maroon eyes now, Helena felt like she was drowning. His arms wrapped around her, his scent filling her senses, his cool skin making her burn. She tangled her fingers in his copper hair, her nails scraping gently against his scalp. He groaned, forehead resting against hers.

"Helena," he whispered.

She tilted her head up, brushing her lips against his. A taste. Then deeper. Stronger. His passionate growl vibrated through her. A moan slipped past her lips, lost in the night air.

His hands tightened on her waist, then suddenly, he stilled. "Darlin’... we can’t." His voice was thick with restraint.

"Why not?" she whispered, her heart aching at the rejection.

"Because, my love," he said, voice pained, "you are a wolf. And I... I am not yours."

"I don't care about the bond! I love you Cameron! You!"

His eyes snapped to hers in an instant. Burning red flames locked onto her fierce golden orbs. "You are a wolf Helena. And I am not yours!" He said harshly. She flinched at his words. The tears now threatening to spill over. Cameron sighed and added more softely. "I have too much respect for you to take your mate-bond away from you Helena." His hands gently cradling her delicate face. "Three weeks, and you'll be fully mature, my darling. I want you to have the life you deserve. A happy full life. Wolves don't choose their mates. If your mate can make you happier than I can, then that's what I want for you." He spat the words out, but his eyes showed his sincerity. Eyes that conveyed so much emotion. She was certain that see could see the love that she held for him mirrored in those gorgeous eyes.

Passion flared inside her and she swang her leg over him, straddling him. "I can't imagine loving another soul more then I love you Cameron! Maybe you are my mate! I choose you! Vampires choose, and I can choose too!" She was desperate for him to understand how much she loved him. "I've felt it since that first day we met Cameron. I love you. I choose you!"

"Please Cameron."

"Please, " she begged.

With a loud groan he flipped her over, resting between her legs and his forehead on hers. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, down her neck and over the exposed tanned skin peeking out from the top of her dress.

"Are you sure about this Helena?" He asked staring impossibly deeper into her soul and gently thrusting his hips forward against her heated core.

"Argh" Helena moaned. "Yes Cameron, please!"

Fuck. He couldn't deny her anything. She owned him.

With that he captured the lips of the woman who had captured his heart. He deepened the kiss unable to restain himself any longer. There was no going back now. His hands roamed freely over her caramel skin. Their clothing disappeared one article at a time. Loud moans and ragged breathing filled the air. And whilst looking deep into each other's eyes, Cameron became one body with the alpha wolf's daughter. Ebony and ivory. Fire and ice. Living and dead. She cried out as she was filled by him, digging her nails against the smooth marble of his skin. He would fill her and love her so many times over the next few weeks.

If only they'd known then that sometimes love isn't enough....