Blinking her eyes at the white ceiling, Bailey took a moment to enjoy the fact that her body no longer hurt. The screaming pain, the throbbing of her joints, the ache of her muscles all appeared gone. I've died. On the heels of that thought, she frowned. What on earth made her think any of those things? Not recalling any injury done to her person, it seemed foolish to wake up feeling relief she no longer hurt. Did I have a bad dream? It seemed the only likely explanation. However . . . that didn't explain the unfamiliar expanse over her head. How had she arrived here? Where was here? Bailey closed her eyes as she cast her recollection backward. A shiver of unease shook her body as, for a moment, in her mind's eye, she glimpsed glowing eyes, a fanciful imagery probably left over from whatever dream she'd experienced that left her thinking she'd gotten injured. A murky haze seemed to hover over her recollections, the sense of time passed, and yet, the
Catching her swooning frame, Gavin thanked every god that might exist for leading him to this particular forest at the right moment, in time to act the knight who rescued his damsel in distress. They'd only decided on this particular set of woods after tossing a coin. Location decided for the evening's hunt, Gavin and his brothers had driven up in their two SUVS and parked on the country road, a mile or so past the dirt track turnoff leading to where they believed the rogues might have holed up. There, in the darkness, not even lit by streetlights, they stripped out of their clothing as they prepared to shift to their animal selves, their keener senses as their beasts better suited for a task such as this. As they prepared themselves, they needed no words to communicate. No ribald jokes even peppered the air. They already knew their task in the hunt, and besides, while a car engine would go unnoticed as normal on this lonely stretch of road, conversation, especially at this
"She's escaped!" His minion, one of his very own creations-after numerous failures-part Lycan, part vampire, burst into his room, eyes blazing and his teeth fully extended. Such a gauche display, Roderick thought with disdain. "I know." "Shall I call the dogs together to chase after her?" Funny how his special minions looked down upon the brethren they'd once belonged to. "Yes. Let the mangy curs out for a run. But tell them if they hurt the girl, I will hurt them ten times worse." Roderick already knew they wouldn't catch her. After all, he was the one who had orchestrated her escape, planted the seed and compulsion, without her knowledge, of course. He'd wanted his experiment to flee and think she'd slipped his clutches. Like any good Frankenstein daughter, she'd obeyed and run right into the arms of destiny, several pairs of them, he'd bet. Just call me the puppet master. Once a wolf, an alpha in charge of a prosperous pack, Roderick despised the
Awareness returned, and she stirred, the sheets she laid upon rustling. Bailey froze. Where am I? Please don't tell me I'm back in that house. A callused finger stroked down her cheek, and she fought back a whimper. Fear made her keep her eyes clamped shut as she thought furiously. The last thing she recalled, she ran through the woods, pursuit at her heels, and . . . wolves. She remembered the wolf that pounced on her, only to find itself jumped on in return. Then, she recalled running again until she hit a wall. It wasn't a wall, though, but a chest, a naked chest belonging to- Wrenching open her eyelids, she came face-to-face with Gavin's clear blue gaze. She couldn't help it. A piercing shriek escaped her. Rolling sideways, she scrambled off the bed, her feet hitting a carpeted floor. Peering about wildly, she searched for escape or, even better, a weapon. Nothing came immediately to view. "Calm down." His deep voice washed over her. Bailey
Parker caught the little lady before she hit the ground while ignoring Gavin's glare. It wasn't hard, not with the plush form of the most delectable-smelling female he'd ever met. No wonder her disappearance had driven Gavin nuts. This close to her, Parker couldn't deny her appeal-or his immediate attraction to her, a pull also felt by his inner wolf, which paced in agitation. "What did you go and tell her that for?" Gavin's irritation-and jealousy-came through loud and clear. Parker managed to flip him a bird while carrying the limp Bailey to the bed. "I didn't realize it was a big deal." "Neither did I," Gavin replied, his shoulders slumping. "I realized as soon as she woke up and started talking that she'd lost track of time." Eyeing her frame, his gaze taking its time perusing her up and down, especially her plump thighs peeking from the edge of the T-shirt, an urge to cover her body with his made his cock swell. What is it about her that intrigues me? Inhal
The next time she woke, Bailey feigned sleep and listened to . . . nothing. She let out her pent-up breath. It embarrassed her to know she'd fainted, but the shock over discovering she'd gone missing for five days still made her tremble. What happened to me? That question kept repeating itself over and over in her mind. A blank slate met her mental queries. Could Gavin and his friend have lied? Possibly, after all, what did she know of her blond cowboy and his friends? Up to this point, she'd assumed he told her the truth, but what if he deceived her? Perhaps he belonged to the plot to kidnap her and had simply lulled her into thinking he was her savior. If that were the case, then she was in big freaking trouble. Yet, her inner radar for danger remained silent. Should she trust her gut or her mental musings? Frustration made her grunt and roll over, forgetting for a moment her situation. Eyes still clamped tight, she froze, feigning sleep just in case she wasn'
Blood to blood. Soul to soul. Gavin felt the connection forge between them, an almost tangible link that would join him to Bailey until death parted them. Even given the circumstances, the power behind it awed him. Most matings occurred during sex, and Gavin could easily see why, given the rigidness of his cock. The urge to bury himself inside of her, claiming her with his body, and not just his soul, rode him hard. As he licked the spot he'd bitten, he couldn't help rubbing himself against her backside. Shock swept through him when she gyrated back against him with a moan. Despite her reluctance to trust, she obviously felt the same pull. Of course she does. She's my mate. His mate. And he'd yet to even kiss her. Not for long. He let his hand slide from her mouth, ready to return it if she screamed, but instead, she sighed as he turned her in his arms. She came willingly, her eyes glazed with wonder, and when he fitted his mouth to hers, the world around them d
Jaxon couldn't help stroking the smooth cheek of the female nestled on his lap. Sure, he could have dumped her onto the seat and joined Parker up front to ride shotgun, but he worried she'd roll onto the floor. Okay, he lied. He could have buckled her in to keep her safe. The truth was, he just didn't want to let her go. From the moment he'd first inhaled her scent in the motel room, he'd found himself intrigued-and harder than a teenage boy with his first issue of Playboy. She wasn't bimbo beautiful, like his usual conquests, but Jaxon couldn't say he'd ever seen a more appealing woman. She possessed lush curves covered in creamy skin that begged stroking. Her wild, curly hair tumbled about her face and shoulders, giving her the look of a woman just roused-or loved. Her bowed mouth, so full and tempting, was made to suck cock, and he could only imagine what a striking contrast she'd make, naked, against his own dark skin. Shifting her on his lap, and away from his wa
Days laterÉ Thaddeus surveyed his demesne, a house he'd never really shared, until now. And now? Now the place was overrun with vampires and wolves. Had he lost his mind along his tumultuous journey? No, but he'd definitely lost his heart. Toni slid an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. Through their bond, her love for him warmed and filled his heart-and his cock. On her other side, Marc appeared, his stealthy abilities increasing daily with practice, enough that even Thaddeus found it difficult to spot him unless he cheated and used the thread that tied them together. "A penny for your thoughts," Toni murmured. He gave her the disgruntled truth. "How did I go from loner to this?" He gesticulated at the rescued wolves, a quad of them, sparring with Sasha in the courtyard. Toni laughed, the sound so sweet he'd kill anyone who dared threaten it. "You fell in love," she stated. He sighed. "That I did." "Do y
If someone would have told Toni watching two guys bite each other with her sandwiched between them would be one of the most intense moments of her life, she would have scoffed. But even though neither of them had bitten her, she caught some of the backlash from their joining. She couldn't help but bask in the warmth of knowing they did it not just for themselves but for her. To be with her. Because they loved her. And to think I wondered why any woman would agree to more than one lover. Toni was more than ready to let them claim her. She wanted to join them and belong to them and have them belong to her. Not because of any laws or protection, but because she wanted them. She loved them. I want them to be mine. Marc might have thought to tease her or shock her with his words of making her wetter, as if that could happen. Her pussy had never hummed so strongly or felt so slick. She crooked a finger, beckoning to them both. On to the bed they came, on their knees b
Thad drove the last leg to the compound in their borrowed car. A two-seat sports car, which meant Toni got to sit on Marc's lap. His naked lap. His naked lap with an erect cock poking at her backside. Something about prevailing against death and danger was arousing. Stimulating. Having a wet woman, whose scent drove him wild, who kept wiggling deliciously and casting him sultry glances, just added fuel to the fire stoking him. Thad must have felt some of the simmering energy because his fingers danced along her thigh, skirting the vee between her thighs and causing Toni's breath to catch. They couldn't get to the compound fast enough. Oddly enough, Toni, her voice breathy and soft, spoke in the erotically charged silence. "That was pretty intense back there." "If you mean fucking scary, then, yeah," Marc noted. He wasn't too macho to admit he'd feared. Especially for her. And there was a moment where I wondered if I'd end up a vampire puppet again. Thankfu
Okay, perhaps offering the warm heart to his comrades was perhaps not the sanest thing he'd ever done, but in Thaddeus's defense, it was considered quite the compliment in the vampire world, as it meant he was willing to share his power. With grimaces of distaste, Toni and Marc declined. Their loss. With a shrug, Thaddeus finished his treat, feeling his strength return and his wounds healing. Nothing like partaking of a master vampire's warm heart to give a boost to a weakened body. The skies chose that moment to release their moist bounty, a cool, fresh rain pelting them and cleansing the blood from their skin. But even clean, Thaddeus stood apart, watching as Marc held a shuddering Toni, a woman who'd unleashed her savage side and watched him eat another man's heart. What does she think of me now? Thaddeus wouldn't make excuses for what he was. He was a vampire. Eating the flesh of his enemies was a part of his life. A need. Although, in this case, he could have don
Despite the knock to her head, Toni understood they were in deep shit. Just one problem, she was too muddled to do anything about it. Through the ringing in her ears, she vaguely heard the word ambush and Thad's admonition to stay in the truck. Thing was staying in the truck wasn't a guarantee of protection. Evil lurked outside, and she could feel the nudge of it at the edge of her mind. Knock, knock. Who wants in? It wasn't Thaddeus. She knew his touch; it was gentle and not creepy. This mind probe reminded her more of Roderick's methods. Like a battering ram coated in slime. Someone on the impromptu battleground was trying to take over her mind. But who? Taking in deep breaths, she managed to calm the spinning in her head, enough so she could open her eyes without wanting to throw up. She wanted to shut them just as quickly. Chaos met her gaze. Despite the darkness, the one remaining headlight on the truck lit the surrounding area enough for her to see a nasty
Marc had only seconds to call upon his wolf, which meant bye-bye to yet another set of clothes. However, if he managed to get out of this ambush naked but alive, he'd count himself lucky. His initial estimate of half a dozen to the left proved accurate, but not so for the right. Marc only had a moment to realize Thad was going to get swarmed before his first ghoul attacked. Knowing what to expect this time, he didn't waste time grappling; he went for weak spots. Throat if he could reach it to tear it out. A close second was the legs. If they couldn't walk, it made them less of a threat. His strategy proved effective. While ghouls twitched on the ground and reached for him, he managed to keep to his four furry feet and cause some damage, enough that he felt the need to leave his group of ghouls and head to help Thaddeus, who was practically buried in them. He had to hand it to the old bloodsucker though. Thaddeus wasn't going down without a hell of a fight. Partway the
An hour or so later, they were on the road, the vehicle they borrowed not exactly luxurious, but the pickup truck in the garage, with the plow hooked to the front was less noticeable than Thaddeus's car with the torn hood and roof. Marc drove this leg of the trip, with Toni seated in the middle and Thaddeus on the other side. Cozy, but surprisingly pleasant. Thaddeus was still trying to come to terms with the speed at which his immortal life had changed. He'd gone from a boring and dull existence, where his primary amusement was stalking miscreants and taunting Morpheus, to embarking on a quest to save his kind, stop a war, oh, and get romantically involved with a woman and another man. Or at least the woman. The fact that she came with a hairy attachment he had yet to kill was something he still couldn't quite comprehend. I have never been one to keep pets. In times past, Thaddeus would have easily solved the dilemma by snapping a neck and claiming her for his own. He had
Wakening to one side of Toni, while Thad slumbered on the other, didn't freak Marc out as much as he feared. What began as a dislike and rivalry with the vampire had transitioned. He wouldn't exactly claim to like the guy, but he did have more respect for him and could now see him as a person instead of just a vampire. It also helped that Toni made it clear she wanted both of them, or neither of them. She wouldn't tolerate jealous bickering. Or, as she told them when they entered into a staring, growling match, "Behave, or I'll take my pussy and play with it myself." Nothing like the threat of no sex to calm them the fuck down. Then again, Marc wasn't serious about staking the bloodsucker and sticking him out in the sun for a tan, but a guy had to have some fun. Easing out of the bed, careful to let her eke out as many minutes of sleep as possible, Marc took first turn in the shower then headed off to scrounge up some breakfast. Within a half-hour, Toni arrived in the kitchen, he
This time Toni recognized the setting for what it was: a dream. I just wish I could choose a nicer location, say like a five-star resort. But no, her subconscious apparently harbored a sadistic side, and once again, she found herself in her dreary cell, wearing a gauzy nightgown trimmed with red hearts and ribbons. Ready for a loverÉor two. Unlike her last visit, this time the door to her prison was open. A shame, she'd quite enjoyed Thaddeus's appearance, and Marc's. They'd opened her eyes in this dreamscape to the possibilities, and now that they'd shown them to her, she had to wonder why she'd held back. But back to her dream. Why was she here? Was there something to be learned? Done? Only one way to find out. She strode from her former cell, the silence around her oppressive but not threatening. It seemed the fear she'd lived with for so long was losing its grip. Apparently eating some dead guy's ashes, kicking some ghoul butt, and then having the courage to take