Miah’s first experience of travelling in a private jet soothed her fractured emotions. She revelled in the peace and tranquillity and all the space while the cabin crew attended to her every need. She watched a film and skimmed through several glossy magazines before enjoying a very pleasant meal followed by a box of Belgian chocolates, which she found impossible to resist. She had one chocolate and closed the box feeling very virtuous, but was eventually tempted into eating more. Alexander called her during the flight.‘Thanks for the chocolates,’ she murmured, ‘but I shouldn’t be thanking you, I should be complaining. I’ve already eaten half of them.’‘Didn’t I tell you that I’m fattening you up for Christmas?’ Alexander teased.‘That’s not a joke, Alexander. When it comes to chocolate you have to be cruel to be kind,’ she warned him. ‘I’m not great with will power.’‘I have a meeting this evening, so I won’t see you before the ceremony,’ he told her.Stark disappointment flashed th
His mouth closed over hers in a wildly intoxicating kiss. Fireworks of response blazed inside her, sending her temperature rocketing while her hunger climbed. She let her fingers sink into his cropped black hair with a muffled moan of satisfaction. She couldn’t get close enough to him. He felt it was as necessary for her as air to breathe. The fierce intensity of his hard mouth on hers was devastatingly erotic. He slid his hand through the gaping neckline of her robe and captured a pouting rose-tipped breast, skilled fingers stroking the velvety tip into throbbing rigidity. A gasp of response erupted from her as sensation piled on sensation. He kissed her breathless, and her heart was hammering so hard that she felt dizzy and clung to him. By the time Miah kissed Alexander, he was consumed by the moment, engulfed in a swarm of memories that buzzed around him like bees—aching, glinting memories of times past, flooding his mind.Alexander stared down at the woman lying so quietly in the
Miah hurried down the street on foot, avoiding the use of a car like a typical human would and refraining from transforming into mist and gliding through the air like a supernatural being might. As Alexander observed her, she broke into a run, her movements graceful and elegant, almost like poetry in motion.Who was she, truly? What was her identity?These questions lingered in Alexander's mind as he watched his mate fade away.Reaching out with his mind, he merged with hers, becoming a silent presence beside her. Miah harboured a deep fear of him; her earlier words reflected genuine sentiment. She had been engaged in some sort of experiment, enabling her to maintain her human form. But did she truly understand her own identity now?Alexander sighed. All he knew was that she had spent a great deal of time and energy researching, looking for a way to make the change. It had taken several years to get her body to the point that she could do so, undetected by werewolves and the like. She
“Okay, thank you.” Miah went willingly. It would only take minutes to get home by car, and she was exhausted. Settling into the leather seat, she snapped her seat belt in place automatically and smiled up at him. “You do like your luxury, Brice.”“There is nothing wrong with that. I know what I want, and I go after it.” His dark eyes moved over her suggestively.“Don’t start,” she cautioned, a laugh in her voice. “What is it with you, Brice? I’ve told you over and over that we can’t see each other.”“We see each other every day, Miah,” he pointed out with a grin. “We do quite well seeing each other.”“I’m too tired to argue with you. Just take me home and be nice.”“What did you do with the old man? You’ve got to quit picking people up off the street, Miah. That’s why you need me. You’re too nice for your own good. Sooner or later, you’re going to pick up an axe murderer.”“I don’t think there’s much danger in that.” Miah watched out the window as her house loomed large at the end of
Alexander’s return had not changed her mind. Miah could not conceive of another lifestyle. She had no intention of trying to fit into the supernatural world, where she believed she no longer had a place. Alexander couldn’t help admiring her. She lived her life well. And she was every bit as strong-willed as he was. He would tolerate much from her. But another man was too much.“Miah, are things so different from the time I remember?” Alexander asked.“What do you mean?”“I mean, I don't know how long I was buried there. I mean, I know I miss things so bad.”“Well—”“Do our people have all the women they need? I mean, humans hated us before; there are so many—”“Alex, things are different now. We have a treaty. Humans and supernatural folks like us respect that, and they don't fear us anymore.”“Okay, so can we afford for one of our own to become involved with a human male? Has the alpha of this pack solved the problem of shewolf births? Has he been able to cut down on the number of ou
The buzz of a mobile phone proved to be the wake-up call Miah needed. She pushed him away with both hands and tugged the edges of the robe back together. Trembling, she slid back to the floor, shunning the bed and him and the deceptive intimacy that had almost betrayed her. He answered his phone, his dark drawl rough-edged with huskiness.When the dialogue finished, she breathed, “What happened to the meeting you said you had this evening?”“The supernatural tabloid newspaper editor sent me those photos, obviously in the hope that I would dump you and call off the wedding and so give them an even bigger scoop,” he explained with rich cynicism. “I skipped the meeting.”Her body was a riot of nerve-endings, sizzling with a sense of loss and disappointment. He was making her want things she had never wanted before, and he was teaching her to want him with a depth of longing that physically hurt. The atmosphere was explosive, with undertones swirling beneath the uneasy silence that intimi
The brief ceremony was highlighted by an exchange of wedding rings, and she learned that in Italy, the wedding ring was worn on a woman’s right hand. Afterwards, they signed the register, and Alexander introduced her to the woman she had noticed earlier. Ysabelle, as cheerful as a spring flower in her suit, glowed with energy and good humor.Ysabelle shared the limousine that ferried them to the church, and Alexander translated his grandmother’s rapid-fire questions.Asked if she liked children, Miah declared that she adored them and hoped to have two or three. Ysabelle followed up that response with others of a more housewifely note. Did she cook? Yes, but she didn’t bake very well. Did she sew? Not really; the ability to sew on a button was Miah’s only talent in that field. Did she embroider or knit? No, she didn’t embroider, but she had loved knitting ever since she created tiny garments for a friend’s baby. Alexander was accustomed to women without domestic skills, and he was quic
Alexander positioned his body over hers so that he could feel the cool satin of her skin against the unbearable heat of his. He bent his dark head and fastened his mouth to hers to take her first breath as he issued the command to wake, to come to him needing him. His mind fully merged with hers; he was unstoppable, a fully aroused male in the heat of the supernatural mating ritual. His mate’s heartbeat found the beat of his, her lungs followed the direction of his, and her mind was instantly captured by the hunger radiating from Alexander. He built the fire into a fierce conflagration. He needed her desperately just to survive. He had to have her. His body raged for her and demanded her. No one else could quench the flames, threatening to devour him completely.His hunger was her hunger, and his need became hers. Her body burned and ached, her breasts swelling in invitation against his chest and her hips moving restlessly. Alexander found some solace in the silken heat of her mouth.
She seemed to be free of all outside forces. He sighed softly, releasing her before his sudden, unexpected surge of anger transmitted itself to Shaina. She had been hideously abused and the raw wounds in her mind would forever leave scars. She was an extraordinary young woman with rare insight and gifts beyond measure.But the man who should have loved and protected her had been the very one to initiate and perpetuate the abuse. Alexander was careful to breathe deeply, wanting to appear completely calm and in control. He knew that Shaina would be terrified by any masculine displays of temper. Luther had already destroyed Shaina’s abusers one by one. He had taken the girl’s enemies as part of his little chess game with Alexander, to show he knew what Alexander knew. “Did you see anything in there that changes your mind about wanting to take me home with you and Miah?” There was a challenge in Shaina’s soft voice but her gaze had slid away from his the instant he released her. Alexan
Luther must not mean her any real harm. That was the only answer. He was baiting a trap to draw Alexander to him. She knew Alexander could read her thoughts, was sharing her mind. She should have realized Luther was sharing Alexander’s mind as well. His laughter came again, that soft musical symphony of beauty. “Now you see the futility of struggling against one such as I. This human child, though she is rare in this world, cannot fool one such as I by pretending to sleep. You cannot protect her from me, not with your safeguards, and not by trying to hide her from me. What Alexander knows, then so do I. When I wish to make her my slave, I will do so. Right now it is tedious to think of such a burden.” “Luther.” Alexander said the name softly, gently. “You grow tired of your existence. There is nothing to hold you to this world. You chose to lose your soul and follow the path of darkness, yet you gained no emotions, no power you had not already wielded. Allow me to aid you in leavin
“Never. There is nothing you can do to make me betray him, not of my own free will. Alexander is a great man and my lifemate. I willingly exchange my life for his.” She waited to be struck down. There was a silence, long and empty. She couldn’t hear him breathing, couldn’t hear his heart beating, if he had a heart. Her long lashes fluttered as she regarded the master demon standing so motionless, looking like the statue of an ancient god. It took a moment to realize there was no entrapment in his voice, just plain black magic. His voice simply made one want to comply with his every wish. “Why aren’t you forcing me to do your bidding?” she asked curiously, sweeping one hand nervously through her long blue-black hair. “I do not need the aid of women in my battle.” She felt a whip of contempt in his words. “I find it rather astonishing that my brother has grown so weak he has allowed this mortal you guard to remain alive. What do you see in this mortal that you would prefer his compan
Miah was screaming, although no sound emerged from her throat. Alexander was engaged in a terrible battle with three ferocious enemies, his very life at stake. She closed herself off from him immediately, not willing to take the chance of distracting him from his duty. He could not help her. “What the hell is going on?” Bert muttered, his voice strangled in his throat. He was terrified, certain someone had slipped him a hallucinogenic. This could not be reality, not with monsters fighting, demons turning into wolves, and winged gargoyles coming to life. Automatically Miah reached out to soothe him, her fingers settling lightly around his wrist so she could manipulate his mind. Her voice was low and compelling, the compulsion embedding itself deep within his brain. She might not be able to save Bert’s life, but she could make the dying easier. He would never feel the teeth in his throat, ripping and tearing while the monster gulped fresh blood. With her head held high, she faced the
When her family had been wiped out in the wars, she had fled the Supernatural Mountains, making her way to Paris, where she learned to hide herself from her people. Tears shimmered unexpectedly in her dark eyes, the memory of that time still raw. She blinked them away and followed Bert along the winding trail. “I wasn’t just anyone, Miah. I was your best friend. But you always held a part of yourself away from me. No matter how hard I tried, I never could get close to you.” She hated that whiney note in his voice and that made her feel guiltier than ever. He had every reason to feel bad about what had happened between them. She had thought about spending her remaining years with him. She ducked her head, her long hair falling in a cascade around her face. “I didn’t mean to lead you on, Bert. I hope you believe that. I tried to be honest with you, but there were times when I seriously thought about becoming involved with you. Because I was considering a relationship with you, I must
He heard the soft shuffle of boots in the dirt, the heavy breathing of the ghoul a demon had created. Dangerous creatures, ghouls lived to serve their masters, feasting on tainted blood and the flesh of humans. They were vicious and without mercy. He waited, his power building and building, gathering until it flowed through him and poured out into the air around him. The ghoul approached from behind, shuffling closer, an evil being, clumsy but very cunning and impossibly strong. A human being would be in grave danger should he meet with a minion of the demon. Alexander was one of the ancients, powerful and far too experienced to give the ghoul much thought. As the grotesque creature closed the distance between them, Alexander whirled around, caught the misshapen head between his hands and jerked hard enough to break the neck. The crack was loud in the silence of the night. The monster wailed loudly, flailing its arms, but Alexander had melted away, his speed far too great for the m
“I will see to it this buffoon does no harm to our girl, but you will not do this thing.” Exasperated, Miah decided against arguing with Alexander’s tyrannical ways. At once she felt Alexander relax, felt his amusement, and she shook her head over the silly idiosyncrasies of men. “Did you have some questions you wanted to ask me?” she queried softly, looking directly into Barry Woods’s eyes. “Or did you have information that you thought was very important to tell me?” He could feel himself falling forward, deeper, deeper still until he was so mesmerized he wanted to stay there for eternity. He cleared his throat, unable, unwilling to break away from the beauty of her eyes. “I have friends who heard things about you. They’re dangerous men. We hunt demons. Real demons, not the make-believe things in the movies. No one believes the creatures exist but us. We’ve been collecting proof over the years. We just need to get one, a body, something tangible to make the world take us seriously
“What stranger entered your room, Shaina?” “A man. He asked me lots of questions about you, but I didn’t answer or look at him. I retreated like I do. Into my own mind.” Shaina continued to look at the wall as if she were slightly ashamed of herself. Her hands were clutching the little stuffed animal until her knuckles turned white. “I don’t know if I can keep from doing it when I’m really afraid.” Miah gently pushed her hair from her forehead. She couldn’t wait to get the child home, where she would be surrounded by love, by feminine things. She couldn’t wait to do something with the wealth of hair that had been neglected for so long. “He’s a reporter, honey, nothing more. Someone told him a story about me and he wants to write about it. It has nothing to do with you, but I’ll make certain there’s a guard posted outside your door at all times. No one else will get in.” She should have posted a guard long before this. A small sound escaped Shaina’s throat, something between a laugh
“You are a woman much sought after by these human males and I am beginning to find it tedious.” Her eyebrow shot up. “Tedious?” she echoed. “Do I hear a veiled threat in there somewhere?” He bent his head to kiss her. “It was not all that veiled.” His grin was boyish and seductive at the same time. “I cannot very well admit I am bothered by those who seek your attention when I am your lifemate. As an ancient I am above such trivial things.” Miah found herself laughing. “You’re above something all right, but I’m not entirely certain what it is.” “Watch yourself tonight, Miah,” Alexander cautioned as he glided through the room toward the door. “You must always remember you are a target now, and so is Shaina.” “I’ll send word to Aidan’s family, asking them not to delay. That way if Shaina is home, she can be protected while we sleep.” Her dark gaze was suddenly anxious. “Alexander, don’t let Luther undermine your confidence in yourself. I really need you and so does our child. Our ch