Kiss of Moonlight Stephanie Julian
Plagued by nightmares. Stalked by kidnappers. Tamra McMillan needs a safe haven. When tattooed bad-ass Kyle Rossini steps into her life, the last thing she expects to find is a sanctuary from her demons or steaming hot sex. In fact, everything about him screams danger. But appearances can be deceiving. The tender possessiveness of his touch, the hunger in his eyes, the scorching sensuality of his kiss—all of it sears him into her soul and brands her as his for life. But otherworldly forces are afoot and death hovers… Etruscan werewolf Kyle is a loner. The king’s assassin with a killer’s instincts. The last thing he needs is a mate who could be placed in danger because of him. Until he meets the one woman who needs him more than he needs his solitude. When Tamra, battered but not broken, stumbles into his world and tumbles into his bed, she captures his heart. And nothing—not kidnappers or visions of his possible death—will keep him from her.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Kiss of Moonlight ISBN 9781419925399 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Kiss of Moonlight Copyright 2009 Stephanie Julian Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower Photography and cover art by Les Byerley Electronic book publication October 2009 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
KISS OF MOONLIGHT Stephanie Julian
Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Better Homes and Gardens: Meredith Corporation CNN: Cable News Network LP Google: Google Inc. Jeep Wrangler: DaimlerChrysler Corp. Jim Beam: Jim Beam Brands Co. Lifetime TV: Lifetime Entertainment Services Cable LT Holdings Inc. Mario: Nintendo of America Inc. Mercury Cougar: Ford Motor Company Superman: DC Comics
Glossary Arus: magical power inherent in the Fata and Enu, races of Etruscan descent Boschetta: Etruscan coven, traditionally comprised of thirteen streghe Candela: Etruscan sprite, tiny magical beings with wings and a certain glow about them Etera (pl. eteri): Etruscan for foreigner, used to describe regular humans Enu: humans of magical Etruscan descent Fata: elemental beings of magical Etruscan descent Folletta: Etruscan female fairy Linchetto: Etruscan night elf Malandante: Descended from the Etruscans but born with a bent toward evil, with a taste for power and wealth Salbinelli: Etruscan satyr Strega (pl. streghe): Etruscan witch Versipellis (pl. versipelli): literally “skin shifter”—shapeshifters including Etruscan Lucani (wolves), Norse Berkserkir (bears) and French loup garou (wolves)
Kiss of Moonlight
Chapter One “So, Dad, did you notice someone moved into the Johnson place?” Kyle Rossini pulled his head out from under the hood of the ’68 Cougar and caught his daughter’s bright aquamarine gaze. “And you would know this how?” Taking a closer look, he noted Cat’s windblown strawberry-gold hair and her pristine shorts and t-shirt. She’d been out running in her pelt. He sighed. “Cat, you’re not supposed to be out that far. Your mom’ll have my head if something happens to you.” The girl rolled her eyes. “Mom’s more worried about you right now.” Shit. “Tell your mom to worry about her mate.” “Daddy Dan’s worried about you too.” With a sigh, Kyle wiped his hands on the rag hanging from the waistband of his filthy jeans and leaned against the fender to stare at his daughter. Catene Rossini Ferrante stared back with all the wide-eyed innocence a fifteen-yearold girl could muster. And damn if she didn’t pull it off. Then again, he was somewhat prejudiced. The baby she’d been had stolen his heart the moment her mother had put her in his arms and told him he was her father. Which turned out to be only half true. His best friend Danilo Ferrante had an equal shot at that title. Good thing he and Dan had been strong enough friends to weather the resulting years. And when Dan and Margie had finally decided to set up house shortly after Cat’s birth, Kyle had thrown them a party. And finally admitted, if only to himself, that he was relieved to see Margie settled with a man who loved her the way she deserved. But Cat would always be his daughter. And Dan and Margie had never contested his claim to the little girl’s heart. Hell, Cat had three parents who loved her desperately. What was wrong with that? However, it also meant Kyle had three people who worried about him. Shaking his head, he tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Answer my first question. What were you doing all the way out there?” Cat shrugged with all the grace of her beautiful mother. “Running. I lost track of where I was.” Kyle shook his head. “Yeah, not buying that, little girl. Damn it, what if someone had seen you? Or worse.”
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Cat rolled those pretty eyes again. “Please. No one saw me. There’s no one out here. You live in the middle of nowhere.” “Except you said there’s someone in the old Johnson place.” Cat’s mouth screwed up in a grimace. “Well, yeah. But she’s young and sad. And really scared, Dad.” Kyle frowned. “What do you mean, scared?” “Just what I said.” Cat huffed. “She’s scared. She’s so scared I could smell it from the tree line. I think you should go over there and make sure she’s okay.” His frown turned into a scowl. “What? Why?” Cat bit her lip. “Because I’m worried about her.” “You just saw the woman to— Damn it, Cat. How long has she been there and how long have you been checking in on her?” His daughter tried for innocence. And fell damn short this time. His expression must have warned her he wasn’t falling for it and she huffed. “Well, if you’d get out of this house more, you’d know she moved in a week ago. But you’ve had your nose stuck in this old heap. Daddy says you’re in avoidance mode. Daddy says you’re blowing him off and he won’t be able to cover your a— ah, butt for much longer. He said Cole’s starting to ask questions.” Shit, that was even worse than Dan and Margie worrying about him. “And just how long have you been eavesdropping on your parents’ conversations?” Cat held his gaze steady. “We were talking at dinner last week. I told you, they’re worried. And I am too.” Vaffanculo. That was the last thing in the world he wanted. Reaching for her, he tugged a strand of gorgeous red hair, remembering how much lighter it had been when she’d been a baby. When it had been so much easier to keep her in the dark. Safe. Protected. “I’m a big boy, Cat. You don’t have to worry about me. There’s nothing wrong.” Unless you counted the fact that he’d nearly died six months ago. But that was to be expected when you were a soldier, especially one with his unique talents. He’d been solo on that assignment to deliver a message for Cole, as he had been since Dan had retired several years ago. No one from his cohort, not even the tribuni had known what he was up to. So when he’d been injured, he’d had no one to drag him out. He’d almost died before he’d gotten to Doc. “Daddy, I’m not an idiot.” Cat was going for a gold medal in teenage-disgust eye rolling. “I know something happened last winter, something you don’t want to talk about. And that’s okay. There are gonna be things I’m not gonna wanna talk about either sometimes. But you’ve just seemed so…out of touch lately. And I know it has something to do with what happened.”
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Well shit. How the hell had she figured that out? Only he and Cole, the lucani king, had known why Kyle had delivered that message. And why he’d been shot for it. What had he let slip? And what did she really know? It couldn’t be much because if she’d known how close to death he’d been… He covered his concern with a smile and completely ignored the question in her eyes. “When did you get too big for your britches?” “Oh please.” There went the eyes again. “What are britches, anyway? I’m fifteen, Daddy. Not a baby anymore. I understand much more than you think. And I’m stronger than you think.” Yeah, she was. But she would always be his baby first and foremost and therefore his to protect. He nodded, smart enough to know not to talk down to her. “Sweet—” She cut him off with one finger in the air. “So are you going to check on her or what?” Tenacious should have been Cat’s middle name. “Why are you so insistent I check on some eteri I don’t even know?” Cat blinked and Kyle had his answer. “Vaf— Damn, Cat. You talked to her, didn’t you?” Her long-suffering sigh sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Vaffanculo, what if this woman had been sent to find him? To hurt him? The people he dealt with would have no qualms using his little girl as a bargaining chip. Which was why Cat only stayed with him for short periods of time. He hated that he couldn’t live close to her, that he worried about her even more when she stayed here. He took every precaution to safeguard this house and these grounds in eastern Berks County. The wards were airtight around his two square acres, including the open field surrounding the house and the small forest to the south. No one got through without his knowledge. He allowed Cat the run of the forest but he’d laid down the law about going beyond the tree line outside of the wards. That tree line bordered the Johnson property. “No, Dad. I didn’t talk to her. She talked to me. And look,” she held her arms out in front of her, her eyes wide in mock amazement, “I’m still here. You know, someday I’m going to move out into the big, bad world. Oh the horror. And I’ll actually talk to eteri every day.” He’d never admit it to Cat, or anyone else, but that was his worst nightmare—his daughter alone in the outside world, no longer under his watchful eye or living with Dan and Margie. The outside world was encroaching too fast. And for descendents of the magical Etruscans like Kyle and his daughter, who controlled an ancient and powerful magic, that world would chase them down with Uzis then strap them to tables and torture them with lab instruments. Still, he knew from experience that forbidding his daughter to do something was a sure way for her to want it. Which was why he gave her the run of the forest during the
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day. At night, she was only allowed to go out with him. Or with Tivr, if the Lord of the Silver Light was around. Which happened a lot more often than not lately. The Etruscan God of the Moon had always had a soft spot for Cat. Kyle reached deep for his patience. “Cat, we’ve talked about this—” “And I’ve talked to Mom.” Her expression was dead serious. “She agrees with me. You’re too strict.” Cat’s nose wrinkled. “Well, she didn’t actually say it in those words but that’s what she meant. Besides, I’m not stupid, Dad.” She drew that last word out to something like three syllables and he caught himself before he rolled his own eyes. “I checked her out before I approached her. She’s got no magic. At all. She’s just so lonely. And so scared.” And that’s what had drawn Cat to this woman. Cat had Margie’s pure heart. Margie couldn’t pass a stray on the street, human or animal, without a smile, a pat on the head and the offer of a hot meal and a safe place to sleep. As a strega, an Etruscan witch, Margie’s Goddess Gift gave her an affinity with plants and herbs, anything that grew in the ground. She was freaking Mother Nature but she had the same touch with people. And so did their daughter. “Cat…” “Daddy, would you please check in on her? Please?” His baby girl batted those blue eyes at him and his heart melted. And Cat’s smile spread from ear to ear. “Thank you so much.” Cat threw thin arms around his neck and gave him an increasingly rare hug, which he returned before she could get away. “I’m just so worried about her.” He released Cat as soon as she started to pull away, not wanting to hold her too tight. Never wanting to let her go. He sighed. “What’s her name?” “Tamra.” She clapped her hands in front of her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Tinia’s teat, why did he feel as if he’d just agreed to surrender to the enemy? It wasn’t like a female eteri could do much damage to him. “All right, baby. I’ll check on her tonight.”
***** Tamra McMillan heard the faint scratch of claws on wood and opened the front door, expecting to see the adorable half-grown black dog that’d been haunting her porch the past three days. She’d made some rice and ground beef for dinner for herself and she’d saved some for the dog, figuring she’d be hungry. She always seemed hungry.
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But when she looked out, the front yard glazed in silver by the almost-full moon, she didn’t see a little dog. She saw a full-grown wolf. Drawing in a deep breath, Tam froze. The animal sat at the bottom of the two steps that led onto the rickety little porch of the house built by her great-grandfather. It didn’t growl or bare its teeth. It just sat there and stared at her. As if waiting for her to come out. Or let it in. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a wolf. Maybe it was someone’s lost pet. She didn’t have a lot of experience with wild animals. Unless they were of the human variety. Before she realized she’d done it, she rolled her shoulder. Her clavicle had healed well, the doctor said, and it didn’t hurt much anymore. Her leg… That might never be the same, the doctor had told her. The bastard had ripped the muscles when he— No. She blocked the image with sheer force of will and focused again on the dog. His head turned to the side as he regarded her. He was a beautiful animal, his black fur sleek and shiny, his eyes a bright topaz. And he was big, at least a hundred pounds. Had to be a shepherd. She didn’t think there were any wolves in this area of the states anymore. Maybe he was the younger dog’s father. He certainly had the same shiny black coat. “Hey, boy. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?” The dog cocked his head to the side, as if contemplating her offer, and she took that as a yes. She’d already portioned off some of her dinner for the puppy and Tamra really wasn’t that hungry. If the puppy showed up later, she’d give up her meal. Of course, if she lost any more weight, her clothes weren’t going to fit and she didn’t want to have to buy new ones. That would require a trip to the mall. All those people rushing around. Too many people to see them all clearly. She shuddered. She’d force herself to eat something a little later. It only took her a minute to get the food from the tiny fridge and return. The dog had stayed exactly where he was. She set the bowl on the edge of the porch and stepped away, watching as he looked at her then at the bowl then at her again. He seemed to smile before he rose and walked up the two sagging stairs to the porch. After sniffing at the bowl for a few seconds, he made short work of the food then turned around and sat back down on the ground. She smiled, happy to see someone enjoy a meal. “Guess you were hungry, huh? Are you lost, big guy?” She looked at his neck for tags but didn’t see a collar. “Did someone abandon you and the puppy out here? Probably better off without them if they did. Lots of sick people in the world, buddy.” She knew that for a fact.
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After her attack, her doctor had wanted to set her up with a psychiatrist who specialized in her particular trauma. But Tamra hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone. Not then. It’d been too close, too soon. She’d felt dirty. Hell, she still felt dirty sometimes, usually after the dreams. She’d wanted to get out, get away. Leave it all behind and start fresh. Somewhere no one knew her. Somewhere people didn’t look at her with guilt and sorrow and avid curiosity. Somewhere she could be alone to work through her issues. Somewhere John Ray Scott would never find her. Even though the police and his doctors swore he’d never wake from the coma. Or be released from prison if he did. For the past six months, she’d bounced from town to town in New York and New Jersey. Something she’d sworn she’d never do after the life she and her mom had lived. But she couldn’t seem to settle. She’d worked the kitchens or waitressed in diners and bars for money under the table. But with the economy the way it was, even those jobs were hard to come by lately. And if she took a real job, one where she had to fill out papers, she’d have to find somewhere permanent to live. And she didn’t want anyone to be able to find her. Even though she didn’t know anyone who would be looking. Her mom was gone, her grandparents couldn’t care less about her and she had no friends. It also meant she’d had no one to talk to. And after her first few days here, she’d discovered she finally needed to talk to someone. Then the puppy had shown up, all gangly limbs and doggy smile. And she’d found herself baring her soul to the little bundle of black fur. It’d been easier than talking to a human. And, Tamra thought, much more cathartic. The dog didn’t ask questions. After her nightmare last night, she’d been waiting for the puppy, because now, for some reason, Tam needed to talk. As if talking about it would finally banish the last of the shadows. But any port in a storm… Or dog, as the case may be. “So, I had another dream last night.” Hoping she didn’t scare the animal away, she eased down onto the porch, leaning back against the front door. The dog cocked his head to the right and continued to stare at her, his beautiful topaz gaze never leaving hers. “The doctor said I’d probably have them for months. I just didn’t think they’d be so…” Terrifying? Horrifying? Excruciating? “Painful,” she finally said. “I mean, I felt every punch, every kick, every time he—” She shook her head, forcing the image back. She didn’t need to relive that. She’d lived through it once and her mind had mercifully blanked it out at first. Then, about
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three months ago, the dreams had started and she’d been forced to relive the assault all over again. The sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed had taken care of the nightmares. Until she got scared she’d become dependent on them and had stopped using them. A week, no dreams. Then last night… Still, last night’s had been different. She’d spent most of it kicking Scott’s ass, not on his assault. She figured that was a step forward but it’d still rattled her. “Anyway, I didn’t get a lot of sleep. Don’t think I’ll get much tonight either.” She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on them, her gaze finding the almost-full moon just above the tree line. The bad muscle in her left leg bitched about the position but this was one of the exercises the physical therapist had told her to do. She needed to keep the muscle loose. “The moon’s gorgeous out here, isn’t it? So bright. You forget how the city lights block out the stars. When I was a kid, I used to sleep with the curtains open so the streetlights could shine in. I hated the dark. My mom worked the night shift a lot and I hated being alone in our apartment. She always locked the doors but I never got much sleep when she was gone. Amazing how you can think you’re safe during the day when it’s bright. And then someone comes along and rips that all away in a split second. “You know, I didn’t even know his name before. He was just some guy I’d see in the apartment complex. Someone I never paid much attention to.” She paused, thinking back to that last day of her old life. She shouldn’t have opened the door but she’d recognized his face. He’d been at her mother’s funeral, although he hadn’t approached her afterward. Just another face in the crowd. “He bided his time. Waited until he knew there’d be no one in the building, no danger of being caught. He just didn’t expect me to fight back after he raped me.” Kyle bit back the furious growl building in his chest. His growl terrified hardened killers. He didn’t want to scare this girl. But it took all of his control to keep it contained. It took even more to maintain his pelt and sit on the ground in front of her like the stupid animal she thought he was. He’d promised Cat he’d check on the girl but he’d only planned to sniff around the house, take a peek in the windows, see what it was about this eteri that’d captured his daughter’s interest. See if she posed a threat to him and his. After dinner, he’d told Cat to stay in the house then he’d walked out into the moonlight to call forth his pelt. As a lucani versipellis, born from a long line of Etruscan wolf skin-shifters, the magic rose easily on the night before the full moon, although the pain remained. After nineteen years of shifting his entire being into the body of a different species, you’d think you’d get used to the pain.
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He didn’t think he ever would. He often wondered if the Etruscan Gods, when they’d gifted the first lucani with their power to shift, had even considered the pain. Or if they’d thought it was a worthwhile price to pay for their amazing ability. An ability Kyle could use to tear the man who’d harmed this girl into little tiny pieces with his sharp teeth. He knew how to make it hurt, where to bite for maximum pain without killing, to draw out the punishment. He wanted to make the bastard pay but even more, he wanted to call back his skin, wrap her in his arms and against his chest and let her cry out all the anguish in her voice. Her furious emotion made his gut boil with rage. Overriding the violence, though, was the urge to comfort. He wanted to make her forget, to wipe that horrific experience from her mind and reassure her that not all men were animals. He snorted and shook his head. Okay, make that, not all men were brutal, sadistic sons-of-bitches who deserved to be fed their own nuts. “Hey, you okay, boy? Sounds like you’ve got a cold.” No, he didn’t have a cold. Didn’t feel cold at all. In fact, he felt pretty damn warm. And right there was where this was all going to shit. Because he’d be damned if he hadn’t fallen for this little eteri. Hard and fast and at first sight. Like a fucking teenager with raging hormones. It felt like a kick in the ass. Like a punch to the gut and a shot in the heart. Kyle had never been sentimental. He loved his daughter with his whole heart and he cared for Margie and Dan. They were his family as much as his three beautiful, headstrong younger sisters and his slowly aging parents who’d shown him what true love should be. And what he never wanted to find. He’d never been able to wrap his brain around the trust needed to give over so much of himself to a woman. And he hadn’t. This wasn’t love. He didn’t fall in love at first sight with a girl who couldn’t be more than twenty years old. Vaffanculo, he was almost forty. Fate wouldn’t fuck with him that badly. Right? Yeah, right. The girl in question sat on the porch, huddled in on herself as if she were cold. But it was mid-September in southeastern Pennsylvania and the daytime temperature had been in the nineties. Tonight, it was only supposed to drop into the mid-seventies. She had pale blonde hair the color of wheat, stick-straight and cut in uneven lengths around her face. The longest length reached only to the tip of her pointed chin. Hell, his was longer.
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Her features were all contradictions—sharp cheekbones and a button nose, full mouth and up-tilted ice-blue eyes. Eyes that held dark shadows. Again he fought the urge to shift back into his skin and take her in his arms. He’d terrify the hell out of her if he did. He smelled only a hint of magic in her, so faint he couldn’t even make out what kind. Not unusual. Many people actually had a trace of old magic in them, whether it was Egyptian, Norse, Celtic or any of the other ancient magical races. While most had died out or diffused into the general eteri population, the Etruscans had managed to keep their magic and their society from disappearing through the millennia by clinging, some might say stupidly and stubbornly, to the Old Ways. “So,” she said, resting that pointed chin on her knees, “what do I call you, big guy? I don’t think Lassie fits.” He snorted at the idea, shaking his head. Tinia’s teat, anything would be better than fucking Lassie. “Okay, how about Rex? You kind of look like a Rex, all regal and shiny.” Rex he could deal with, at least until he went home and came back tomorrow morning in his skin to meet her properly. Which was probably the stupidest thing he could do. He should be running the other way. This woman, this eteri would throw his life into turmoil. The pain in her eyes… “Hmm, what about Blackpaw? Midnight?” She smiled, a sad little quirk of her mouth that made his gut hurt. “Maybe I’ll just name you Kyle Reese. After the attack, I must have watched The Terminator a hundred times, I swear. Nice fantasy, having someone come through space and time to save you from the Big Bad Monster. Too bad it doesn’t happen in real life.” Stunned, Kyle could only sit there as he heard his name come out of her mouth. Her voice, a little husky, a lot sexy, made it sound like a caress and that ball of lust in the pit of his stomach exploded outward. Though he wore his animal body, he was still human. The man wanted her. The animal could only comfort her. Easing up onto his paws, he stepped onto the porch, taking it slow. He was big for a wolf, almost a hundred pounds in this form. She froze, drawing in a short breath, which she released slowly as he settled on the porch beside her and butted his head against her knee. For a few brief seconds, she didn’t do anything, just watched him. But finally, when he had his entire body pressed against her side, she unfolded. Straightening her legs, she set her hand on his back, gently. As if she didn’t want to scare him away. He was worried about exactly the same thing with her.
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She started to stroke his pelt, her slim, small fingers brushing through his fur, tentatively at first then with more confidence. And Kyle knew he’d just lost the skirmish, the battle and the whole frickin’ war. But damn, what a way to go.
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Chapter Two Tam woke around noon, surprised to realize she actually felt rested. The nightmares hadn’t been as bad last night, as if speaking her fears aloud to the dog had mellowed them out. Which was just stupid. Then again, talking about her problems to animals was pretty stupid so why the hell not. Staring up at the cracked plaster ceiling in the only bedroom in the house, she thought about staying in bed. What did she really have to get up for? But she knew she’d only feel more worthless than she did already. She forced herself into the tiny shower, thankful the miniscule water heater still worked. Even though the air temperature was in the seventies, she needed a hot shower to scrub away the aftereffects of the dreams. Afterward, she pulled on worn denim cutoffs and a tank top with no bra. What did it matter since she was going to sit in front of her laptop all day? And do nothing. “Yeah, that’ll really make you feel good. Another useless day.” She headed for the kitchen where she looked out the back door to see if either of the dogs was there. When they weren’t, she shook her head at the sense of loneliness that hit like a brick in the chest. “Damn, you really are pathetic. Maybe it’s time to head back to civilization. At least then you might actually have someone to talk to.” If she could work up the nerve to return to Drexell University in Philadelphia and actually finish her degree. She had to make up her mind in less than a week. Due to her “circumstances”, the university had allowed her to wipe out her last semester and was holding a spot for her in the spring semester starting in January. If she returned. That was the question she’d been struggling with for the past few weeks. She didn’t know if she was ready. Didn’t know if she’d ever be ready. And if she wasn’t, what the hell was she going to do with the rest of her life? After a glass of orange juice and a bowl of cereal, Tamra stood at the sink washing her few dishes when a strange sound caught her ear. By the time she figured out what it was, the souped-up engine was growling down her lane. Since she’d arrived, no one had driven past her house. The overgrown lane actually dead-ended into the corn field to the south of this house. So who the hell was using her lane?
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Hurrying to the double window in the living room, she peeked out and saw a bright yellow muscle car rumbling down the road. Fear slid through her in a wash of frigid cold but when her brain finally processed what she was seeing, her mouth curved in a smile. The car’s convertible top was down, revealing a young girl at the wheel and an older man in the passenger seat. Tam could see the girl’s smile from here, bright and sunny as she brought the car to a jerking stop. She heard the girl laugh then the low rumble of the man’s voice. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, and she couldn’t see the man’s face. But the girl’s expression was cheerful, easy. No shadows. Her bright red hair shone in the sun, the strands confined to a braid that hung over her shoulder. The man tugged on the braid before turning to stare at her house. Whoa. Tam bit back an involuntary gasp. Sweet heaven, the guy was…hot. Not pretty-boy cute. Not run-of-the-mill handsome. His features were a little too hard, a little too sharp for that. No, this was a woman’s wet dream. Masculine and confident. Experienced. Shaggy black hair fell almost to his broad shoulders, the bangs brushing his perfectly straight nose and gorgeous, high cheekbones before he shoved them back. His square jaw had a covering of black stubble and his eyes were narrowed against the sun. She couldn’t see what color they were. She wanted to get close enough to see. After the hell she’d gone through eight months ago, it shocked her to realize her libido still worked. She’d thought… What? That she’d never want to have sex again? No. She wouldn’t let the bastard take that from her. She’d enjoyed sex, what little of it she’d had. She knew she would again. What that monster had done to her had been an aberration. Not sex. Sex with this man would be amazing. Not that she was going to have sex with him. She didn’t know who he was or why they were here. But she was about to find out. He and the girl got out of the car and started walking to her door. She pulled away from the window as they got close, not wanting them to catch her watching, like some creepy old lady afraid of her own shadow. They weren’t talking now, almost as if they didn’t want to spook her. The knock, when it came, sounded almost muted. As if they knew… Idiot, of course they didn’t know. She’d never seen them before in her life. The knock came a second time and she automatically moved to answer it. Her heart began to pound but not in fear. She almost didn’t recognize the difference because she’d lived with the fear for so long.
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No, this was anticipation. Because of him. She ran her fingers through her longer-than-normal hair, thankful for once that the straight blonde strands never tangled. She eased open the door, trying not to give any hint of the emotions roiling in her gut. “Can I help you?” The girl stood in front of the man, smiling at her with a wide grin. The man’s bulk nearly overwhelmed her slight figure. “Hi. I’m Cat and this is my dad, Kyle. We live down the road and since we only just noticed that you moved in, we came to say hi. And invite you for dinner. We’re having a cookout tonight. Dad’s pretty good with the grill and—” The girl cut off as the man put his hands on her shoulders. “And my daughter tends to run at the mouth. Sorry about that.” He stuck one of those hands around the girl toward her. “Kyle Rossini.” She took his hand without thought and immediately lost herself in his warmth. When was the last time she’d let anyone touch her? A month? Two? God, the man had huge hands, tanned dark by the sun. As was the rest of his arm and probably his chest as well. She didn’t see any tan lines, including one on his ring finger. Minus a ring. “Tamra. Tamra…Johnson.” They didn’t need to know her real name. It wasn’t like they were going to become best buddies. She wasn’t going to be here long. This was only a brief stop before she moved on. Again. He nodded as they shook then released her before she could pull away. “So were you related to Old Man Johnson?” he asked. “Ah yes, distantly. I inherited the property. Did you know him?” She’d never met her great-grandfather. Her mom had told her the old man had died almost twenty years ago, leaving his property to his granddaughter, Tam’s mother. Tam hadn’t even known about the property until she’d gone through her mother’s legal papers last month and found the deed. And she’d decided it would be the perfect place to pull herself together before she continued her life. If she could. The man nodded. “Yeah, I met him a few times.” She couldn’t tell from Kyle’s expression what he thought of her great-grandfather. According to her mom, the man hadn’t been worth their time. “Do you remember him?” he continued. “No, I was only three when he died.” Kyle’s gaze dropped for a second and she swore she saw him wince. “Soooo,” the girl, Cat, spoke up as if she couldn’t keep her mouth shut any longer. “Can you come to dinner? We’d really love to have the company.”
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Tam hesitated. She hadn’t expected to interact with other people while she was here. Didn’t know if she had any small talk in her. But the fact that she’d been talking to the dogs every night probably meant she missed human contact. And she couldn’t honestly say she didn’t want to get to know this man. There was something about him, something that made her want to spend time with him. And the girl. She was…soothing, even with all the energy that seemed to crackle off her. Tam looked up, and up, at Kyle, and got caught in his topaz gaze. Strangely, they reminded her of the dog’s eyes from last night. How weird was that? Blinking, she shifted her gaze to the girl. They probably thought she was some kind of freak. A dinner invitation didn’t take this much deliberation. She tried out a smile, hoping she still remembered how. “Sure, I’d love to come.”
***** “Cat, it’s just a cookout. It’s not like I’m going on a date.” Cat’s sigh sounded so much like her mother’s Kyle almost checked behind him to make sure Margie hadn’t appeared. “Gee, Dad. Do you even know what that word means anymore? Just wear the clothes I picked out for you. And hurry up. She’ll be here soon.” Cat turned from the door of his bedroom and headed toward the kitchen, where she started banging bowls around and gathering ingredients out of the fridge, leaving Kyle to finish dressing. He had to admit he’d been stewing about what to wear as he took a shower. Which just pissed him off. This wasn’t a fricking date. Yeah, so why are you acting like a teenager going to a dance? Because he was an idiot, that’s why. Grabbing the t-shirt off the bed, he pulled it over his head. Plain black but not as loose as he normally wore. He turned toward the mirror and realized the tight fit emphasized his shoulders, chest and arms. Tinia’s teat, he looked like a hard-ass biker with the tattooed runes on his left arm and the muscles bulging. He’d probably scare the girl away. Except the shorts kind of balanced it out, made him look a little more normal. Yeah, like the reformed convict down the street doing his lawn. “And they have a pocket for your knife,” Cat had noted when she’d set them out. “So you can still be armed even while being fashionable.” Damn, he loved his kid. But he fucking hated that she knew he needed to carry a concealed weapon. “Dad, honestly. You’re worse than a girl,” Cat called from the kitchen. “I can hear you sighing all the way out here. Just put the clothes on and come help me. Jeez.” 20
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Yep, someone should just take his balls and hang ’em in a closet somewhere. Since his combat boots didn’t exactly go with the ensemble and Cat hadn’t bothered to put any shoes out for him, he went barefoot, which he preferred anyway. From his bedroom, he stepped into the main room. He’d built the one-story house in the traditional Etruscan style, one long, straight rectangle with a living room in the front of the house, dining room in the middle and kitchen at the back, no walls to separate them. Only the two bedrooms and bath flanking the dining room and kitchen were enclosed with doors. The open floor plan allowed him to see everything except the bedrooms and bathroom. Cat needed some privacy. Since he’d left the decorating to Margie and his sisters, he couldn’t take credit for the laid-back style of the rooms. The weathered gold walls, leather furniture and dark wood kitchen hinted at old-world elegance, which he loved. Left to his own devices, he’d have bought a couch, a recliner and a TV and been done with it. “Thought you had everything ready, Kitty Cat?” He’d taken care of marinating the steaks and shrimp, and the baked potatoes already sat on the hot grill. As soon as Tamra showed up, he’d throw on the meat. Cat had said she’d take care of everything else and luckily for him, his girl was a damn good cook. And she enjoyed it. She’d made a tomato-mozzarella salad, the scent of fresh basil hanging in the warm air. Fruit salad chilled in the fridge and a strawberry pie cooled on the island. Cat looked up as he approached, her wide grin making him smile in return. “Whoa, Dad, you clean up pretty good. Maybe we need to sign you up for one of those calendar deals. We could call it Bad Boys of Etruscan Magic.” He snorted as he fished a beer out of the fridge. “Sweetheart, I think the sun’s getting to you. Hey, did you talk to your mom today? I saw her number on caller ID.” “Yeah, just checking in. I told her about your date tonight.” Fuck. “Cat. You didn’t.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Of course not. Lighten up, Dad. And don’t frown at Tam like that. You’ll scare her away.” And maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing. She’d been in his head all morning. He’d tried to work on the car but he couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d told him last night. He’d finally abandoned the car for the computer. And battled an impotent rage when he’d Googled Tamra Johnson. It’d taken him a little while to dig up the stories, because her real name was Tamra McMillan. But once he had, he should’ve called her to cancel their not-a-date right then. He was worried that when she came into his house tonight with her shadowed eyes, he might go caveman on her. Wrap his body around hers, lock the bedroom door behind them and convince her she was meant to be his.
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Which would never happen because his bed was the last place Tam needed to be right now. Cat’s sigh ripped him out his thoughts. “You’re hopeless, you know that. I mean, I get why you’re all, like, ‘grr’,” she held up her hands like claws, “but she’s almost here—” The doorbell rang, cutting off whatever insight Cat was about to impart. Probably something he didn’t really want to hear. Cat gave him a look and pointed at him, her expression making it clear she was going to keep a close eye on him. He let his lips curl in a smile. His baby wasn’t much of a baby anymore. And the young woman she was becoming made him so damn proud, sometimes he thought he’d burst. He reached out to tug her hair but she sidestepped, throwing another warning glance over her shoulder as she headed for the door. As she opened it, Kyle’s entire body stiffened as he caught Tamra’s light clean scent on the warm September air. His muscles tightened, desire beginning a slow boil through his system. Gods be damned, why the fuck was this happening now? Wrong damn time. Wrong damn girl. She was too young, too damaged and too fucking eteri. Only the faintest trace of an old power lingered in her blood, so diluted it was almost impossible to detect. She had no magic. Hell, she probably had no idea magic existed and would run screaming if he told her what he was, what Cat was. But while his brain said no, his body burned for her. As a child, he’d been raised to believe he would mate another lucani, keep the blood lines pure, the magic strong. Then, as an adult, he’d decided the whole life partner thing wasn’t for him. He never wanted to give that much control of himself to another person. Never wanted another person to control his pelt… Of course, he’d never planned to have a child either but the Great Goddess Uni had seen fit to screw that up. Still, he’d never regret Cat. He’d never known how much joy a child would bring, how much light Cat brought to his otherwise dark world. Tamra had shadows in her wide eyes, shadows that made him want to howl. Cat ran at the mouth as she reached for Tamra’s arm and practically pulled her into the house. Cat ignored her flinch, smiling at Tamra as if she were a long-lost friend, as if Cat had been deprived of female companionship for years. When Cat stayed with him, miles from the lucani den and even farther from her home with her mom and Dan at the boschetta, she didn’t have another female around to talk to. It was just the two of them. Working on the car, going for runs, working on her hand-to-hand, watching movies at night. 22
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Vaffanculo, he was a clueless bastard. Of course Cat missed other females. Stuck out here with no one to talk to but him, getting grease under her fingernails working on the car and falling into bed by nine thirty because she was so damn tired. Back at the boschetta, she was surrounded by women. Her powerful arus, the magic inherent in all those of Etruscan descent, made her an integral part of the community. Here, he still treated her like she was ten. And as much as he wanted to pretend otherwise, she was almost sixteen. And mature for her age. He had no clue why she still agreed to spend these weeks with him but he was damn grateful she did. Why would he want to deny her the chance to interact with another woman? Even if he wanted the woman with a completely irrational need. Besides, Cat would be good for Tamra. His daughter had already coaxed a smile out of Tam, who looked as if she was relearning how to do it. The idea made him want to hit something. Shoving the rage back, he focused instead on her pretty face, which made his chest ache and his balls tighten. As Cat fawned over her, complimenting her clothes and her hair, her pale skin held a flush, as if embarrassed by the exuberant welcome. An inch or two shorter than Cat, and thin as a rail, she had small breasts and no hips at all. He knew from the news articles that she was twenty-three. Not as young as he’d first thought but still too damn young. Hell, she looked even more like a teenager than Cat, who’d filled out in the past year, more than any father would ever be comfortable with. And yet… Tamra’s eyes held an old soul. She looked at him at that moment, catching and holding his gaze as Cat led her through the living and dining areas to the kitchen. He tried to look as non-threatening as possible but he’d lost that battle with the first tattoos twenty-five years ago. Protective runes ran down the length of his left arm, the bold black figures menacing and alien. The others had come later—the stylized wolf paw, the symbol of his unit, on his right shoulder and the Etruscan moon symbol on his right pec with its uneven number of small round marks. His kills. He hadn’t had time to add the last two. Another set of protective runes marked the outside of his left thigh, now covered by his shorts. As Tamra came closer, he watched her gaze slip down his arm and keep going, dropping to his feet before starting their way back up. She paused for one heartstopping second at his groin before slowly raising her gaze back to his. He stood as still as he could, afraid to startle or scare her in any way. She’d looked ready to bolt when she’d walked through the door.
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Now those pale blue eyes caught and held his. Heat boiled up from his gut and through his body. Good thing she wasn’t looking at his crotch now because she’d have noticed the throb his cock made before he got himself under control. “So I hope you’re hungry, Tam.” Cat’s voice broke through the tension filling the air around them. “We’ve got so much food. And Dad’s gonna throw the steaks on now, aren’t you, Dad?” The command in his daughter’s tone made him smile and he gave her a military salute, right fist to his opposite shoulder. “As you wish, Princess.” And there went Cat’s eyes. “My dad thinks he’s a comedian.” “Yeah, but I know my place.” He glanced back at Tam then couldn’t look away. Her expression had softened, lost some of the hesitation she’d walked in with. Her ice-blue eyes warmed and her lips curved into a small smile. For one way-too-long second, he felt like he was free-falling. The loss of control didn’t feel as awful as he thought it would. Forcing himself to move, he walked forward, holding out his hand. This time he thought he was ready for the jolt when he touched her. He was ready. Maybe a little too ready. His hand swallowed her smaller one, her skin soft and warm against his. He resisted the urge to pull her against his body but he held on a little too long. Not that she seemed to mind. She kept smiling at him until finally he had to pull back or kiss her. And he didn’t think she’d appreciate that. At least, not in front of Cat. “Guess that’s my cue to get moving.” He tried to hold his smile to a friendly grin. “Hello again. Thanks for coming.” Tamra nodded, her lips curving up even more. “I appreciate the offer. I…haven’t gotten out much lately.” “We’re glad to have you.” And I’ll be happier when I have you in my bed. As if she’d read his mind, her smile got the tiniest bit warmer.
***** “So, you actually saw My Chemical Romance?” Cat asked after she finally put her fork down. “How cool was that concert?” “They were great.” Tam’s tone held real enthusiasm, her tone lighter than Kyle had heard it all evening. “They performed at a college close to mine.” They’d sat at the table for the past hour, eating, talking. Kyle hadn’t said much, hadn’t wanted to get in Cat’s way. His daughter had a gift for drawing people out, getting them to talk. If they could get a word in edgewise. Cat had inherited her mother’s gift for gab as well as her Goddess Gift. 24
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“What college did you go to?” “Drexell.” Tamra paused. “I still have a semester to finish but…I don’t know when I’m going to go back. So, where do you go to school, Cat?” “In my village. I live with my mom and my other dad there and we have our own school. It’s pretty specialized.” Kyle stilled. Cat knew better than to expose too much of their civilization to outsiders but his daughter had a huge soft spot for this wounded young woman. Who knew what she might reveal? “Like a charter school?” Cat nodded. “Yeah. I study horticulture mainly.” “Really? That sounds cool.” “It is. So what were you studying at college?” Tam paused and Kyle forced his expression to stay calm. He scented her hesitation, her anger and her pain over what she’d been forced to give up. Then he practically felt her force herself to relax. “Nursing. I plan to go back and finish my RN. I got my licensed practical degree as soon as I finished high school. My mom and I didn’t have a lot of money so I worked and put myself through the program. I finished in a year and a half and got a job right away. I always wanted to be a nurse, to be able to help people. By going for my LPN and then working on the registered nurse degree afterward, I could work as a nurse while I continued my studies.” She stopped and shrugged, as if embarrassed by her declaration. “I don’t just want to make money. When I was young, I wanted to be a writer but you can’t exactly make a living as a writer.” “What do you want to write?” Cat asked. Tamra’s soft laugh was at odds with her expression of equal parts yearning and embarrassment. “Romance. I love a story with a happy ending. Too bad real life isn’t more like that.” Tamra couldn’t believe she’d revealed her most secret desire to two people she’d only just met. But Cat was so easy to talk to. She had a way of making Tam feel safe enough to reveal at least a bit of herself. And Kyle… Kyle made her feel alive. As Cat and Kyle began to talk about books, Tam let herself really look at the man. She’d caught herself staring at him several times throughout dinner. And every time she’d had to tear her gaze away before he caught her.
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Her first impression of him as a hard-ass still held true. With the tattoos on his arms, the long dark hair and the hard features, he looked like a man a smart girl wouldn’t want to meet alone in a dark alley. Obviously, she wasn’t very smart because she wanted him in whatever dark corner she could find. Some of it had to do with the way he treated his daughter. When he looked at Cat, Tam saw his love for her in his eyes. Every word out of Cat’s mouth made him smile. He was proud of her. And he should be. The girl was amazing, able to hold an adult conversation without acting like a snot. And she was smart as hell. Tamra wanted to spend all night just sitting there, listening to them discuss everything from books and music to global warming. She joined in when she had something to say and they never made her feel like an outsider. She felt safe here. With them. Until Kyle looked at her. And he did. A lot. But not in any way that made her uncomfortable. No, he made her hot. She wanted him. Which was just so freaking amazing. “So Tam, do you want coffee with dessert?” Tam blinked up at Cat, who had started to clear the dishes from the table. Damn, she’d gotten caught this time, but the girl didn’t show any sign that she’d noticed Tam staring at her father like she wanted to jump him. “Oh sure. Just let me help you clear—” “No, no,” the girl waved her back into her seat. “You sit and talk to Dad for a few minutes. I’m just gonna throw these in the dishwasher.” Tam looked across the table at Kyle, who watched his daughter disappear back into the house with a rueful grin. What? Didn’t he want to be left alone with her? She knew that was so far from the truth the second he caught and held her gaze. He tried to hide it. He really did but he couldn’t completely submerge the heat in his eyes. Talk, stupid. Don’t just stare at him. “She’s great, you know. Cat. She’s so mature for her age.” The heat didn’t leave his eyes but his smile was all proud daddy. “Yeah, I think she’s pretty amazing.” “You get along well.” He nodded. “Also amazing because I can be a real pain in the ass.” Was he warning her away? Did he think she scared that easily?
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Well yeah. She did. Lately, she’d become afraid of her own shadow. So what was it about this man that made her feel so safe despite his rough appearance? “It doesn’t seem to have hurt your relationship with her.” He finally broke their gaze to look through the patio doors into the kitchen. “And for that I am eternally grateful. ’Course, she might not like me much the first time she brings a boy home.” Tam didn’t have any experience with that. It’d always just been her and her mom. She’d never met her father, another man her mom had said wasn’t worth their time. Her mom had said that a lot. This man was more than worth her time. She knew it in her heart and in her head. “Uh, hey, Dad,” Cat called from the kitchen. “We’ve got more company.” In the blink of an eye, Kyle’s entire demeanor transformed. His eyes narrowed and his expression turned hard. Predatory. As if ready to spring into action, his body tensed. Now here was the true hard-ass, the man she’d sensed lurking under the easy exterior. He should terrify her. He didn’t. Not at all. She’d love to sit and watch him for hours. He fascinated her. There was something…primal about him. Something so intrinsically male that drew her. Kyle caught her eye. And froze. She watched as he blinked and all that intensity bled back behind an impassive mask. He took a deep breath and the easygoing guy he’d been all during dinner made a reappearance. But she wasn’t buying it. Not for a minute. Had he done that for her benefit? Made himself be something he wasn’t? He smiled, slow and easy, but she knew now he was hiding a part of himself. Why? “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Cat, why don’t you come out and keep—” “Hey, Kyle,” a female voice called from the other room. “I hope you don’t mind us dropping by. Tivr wanted to go for a run and we thought we’d see if Cat wanted to come too.” The voice got louder until finally the screen opened and a blonde bombshell walked out onto the back porch. Kyle shot out of his chair to stand. He almost looked as if he wanted to bow at the woman’s feet but caught himself as he slid a glance at Tam. And who wouldn’t want to bow at this woman’s feet? She was a goddess. Curly blonde hair to her waist, a body to die for and blue eyes that put Cat’s to shame. And that was a feat. Not to mention her beauty made Tam feel as if she should have a bag over her head. “La— Nortia. We didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
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The blonde shrugged, her smile reaching out to encompass Tam in its glory. Wow, the woman really knew how to smile. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Hi there.” The woman held out her hand to Tam and she took it, a little dazzled by the woman’s smile. “I’m Nortia. I know, weird name but it’s mine so what are you gonna do. Anyway, sorry to interrupt but Tivr likes to run in Kyle’s forest so here we are.” The blonde turned back to Kyle. “You don’t mind if we steal Cat away for a little while, do you?” When Cat appeared in the doorway, her hand on the back of a sleek gray wolf, Tam couldn’t help her involuntary gasp. That was definitely a wolf. No mistaking it. He was huge but beautiful and he had a grin that reminded her of the dog she’d seen last night. “Oh don’t worry.” Nortia threw what looked like a mocking glance at the wolf. “He’s perfectly tame.” Was she mistaken or did the dog stick its tongue out at the woman? “Sure, Cat can go, if she wants.” Kyle slashed a look at Tam. “Will you stay? Have some coffee and dessert? Don’t want to let Cat’s pie go to waste.” “Oh please stay until I get back,” Cat practically begged. “We won’t be gone too long.” Cat looked torn between staying and going with her friends. And Tam was torn between wanting her to stay so she didn’t feel as if she had to leave, and wanting Cat to go so she could spend a little time alone Kyle. Which really was crazy. Besides the few smiles he’d given her, she had no idea how he felt about her. She could be reading him completely wrong. But she’d never find out if she didn’t stay. “Sure, I’d love pie.” Cat smiled, though she tried to hide it by kneeling down to pet the wolf. Nortia didn’t bother to hide her grin before she turned to give Cat a wink. “Did you make that strawberry pie I love, kiddo?” Cat nodded. “When we get back, I’ll make sure you get a huge piece. Can we go now?” “Sounds good.” Nortia glanced at Cat’s feet. “Ah, aren’t you forgetting something, kiddo?” “Oh. Yeah.” Cat sent her father an apologetic look. “I’ll just go get my sneakers.” As Cat hurried away with the wolf on her heels, Nortia turned that intense blue gaze on her. “So Tamra. Where are you from?” Beside her, Kyle stiffened.
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“Originally Florida. I was living and working in Philadelphia until recently, going to college at Drexell. I’m taking a semester off before I go back to finish my degree in the spring.” Now why had she said that? She still hadn’t made up her mind about going back but this woman looked like she had a plan, a job, a purpose and a life’s calling. And Tamra had a vague idea of what she might want to possibly do sometime in the future. She didn’t measure up in any way to this woman. Nortia smiled at her. “What are you studying?” “I’m going back for my registered nursing—” “I’m ready.” Cat bounded back into the room. “Can we go now?” Nortia transferred her smile to Cat as if she were a favorite niece. “Sure, babe. Nice to meet you, Tamra. We’ll see you in a little bit.” The girls and the wolf headed out the front door, Cat’s bright laughter and Nortia’s husky chuckle joined with the wolf’s short, excited barks. “Do you want some coffee?” Kyle’s raspy, sexy voice brushed against her skin, drawing her attention back to him. From across the table he watched her, his gaze steady. Her heart started to pound for no reason except the fact that they were alone. And that was more than enough. “Tamra?” “Yes?” Even though twilight had fallen, she could still see him plainly in the light of the full moon. Moonlight suited him. It softened his hard edges. She wanted to run her hands along that shadowed jaw and across that broad chest, sink her fingers into his hair. From the other side of the table, he walked around to her, holding out his hand. Without thought, she reached for him, watching his lips curl into a devastating smile as he drew her to her feet. Only inches separated them, inches she wanted to close. They stood like that for what had to be a full minute, staring into each other’s eyes like they were starring in a Lifetime TV movie. It should’ve embarrassed her. Or at the very least, made her self-conscious. At worst, she should be running in fear in the opposite direction. It emboldened her to know she wasn’t scared at all. Instead, she leaned a little closer, drawn by the warmth of his eyes, the heat of his body. “Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me” kept chanting through her brain. As if he’d heard her thoughts, his smile faded and desire turned to sharp, biting hunger in her gut. 29
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Then he blinked and began to pull back, shaking his head. “Tamra…” No, no, no. Fevered compulsion made her curve her hand around the back of his neck as she rose on her tiptoes. She shouldn’t have been able to reach his mouth, the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. But he met her halfway, his short groan cut off when their lips met. He pressed hard, his lips firm and hot on hers, his arms wrapping around her back and plastering her to his body. She moaned, wanting more, but he immediately eased his hold, ratcheted back some of his passion as he eased up and let her kiss him. Let her press against him, as if he was afraid of scaring her. But that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted him to kiss her. Really kiss her until she lost herself in him. So she forced him closer, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him harder. Letting her tongue lick at the seam of his lips, she teased until he opened his mouth. She would have thrust inside but he beat her to it, finally starting to loosen his hold on his leashed desire. His hands flattened on her back, each finger a brand through her thin t-shirt. His mouth began to demand, moving over hers with more purpose. His tongue slid along hers, heat flowing like warm honey through her veins. She let herself fall into that heat, let herself sink into him. Her hands smoothed along his shoulders, so broad, so strong. Those muscles flexed and shifted as his hands slid from her back to her hips and he lifted her off her feet. He held her there, feet dangling, the strain on her neck easing. But the ache between her legs became a need. Her hips pressed forward and the hard ridge behind his zipper nestled into the notch between her thighs. Oh God, she wanted more. Wanted to rub herself against that stiff rod and come. As if he’d read her mind, he kissed her harder, his mouth moving over hers with deepening passion. Everything but Kyle receded. She only smelled him, saw him, felt him. All the baggage she carried, all the angst fell away and for the first time in what felt like years, maybe ever, she knew what it was like to lose herself in another person. Kyle’s scent, his touch, the feel of his lips moving against hers made her remember what she’d been missing by cutting herself off from the world. By denying herself the touch of another person. It only took one kiss from this man to bring it all back and she put all her pent-up longing, all her relief, all of her into the kiss. And Kyle took it. He kissed her with heat and passion, making no concessions. And it freed her.
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Burning hot desire, so different from anything she’d ever felt, made her clutch at him, open her mouth wider to give him more access. Made her want more. Kyle groaned, the sound close to a growl as his mouth slanted even further over hers. He was so strong, he only needed one arm to hold her against him. He used his other hand to sweep down, over her ass to her thigh, urging her to bend and lift her leg so he could curve it around his waist. Her other leg followed, the bite of still-healing muscles only a faint ache, until she clung to him, wrapped around him. Their bodies so close she felt every movement of his lungs and the play of muscles in his chest as his hands pressed her even closer. She tightened her legs around him, arching into him— And he broke the kiss, so abruptly she gasped and her eyes flew open to stare into his, the burnished gold darkened with passion. He stared at her for endless seconds, before he put one hand on her nape and guided her head onto his shoulder. “Whoa, sweetheart. Just…give me a minute.” He released a long breath. “Holy shit.” With lust still burning in her veins like lava, she had to agree. Holy shit was right. The hand at her nape began a slow massage, as though he was trying to gentle her. His heart raced against hers, letting her know just how much he’d been into that kiss. So why had he pulled away? Hell, you threw yourself at him. What man wouldn’t be turned-on by that? True. Had she misread him? Had he only been responding to her desire and not his own? Did he think she’d acted like a slut? Her heart began to pound, anxiety spreading like ice water through her body. “Tam. Are you okay?” Shit. No, she wasn’t okay. She was an idiot. A fucked-up mess. She had to get out of there. Unwrapping her legs from his waist, she let them hang, silently asking him to put her down. Obviously, the man didn’t take hints because he swung her into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all and walked into the house. With her face buried in his neck, she couldn’t ever remember a man carrying her like this. Was she wrong to like it so much? In the kitchen, he set her on the breakfast bar, planted one hand next to her hip and put the other under her chin to lift her head so he could look into her eyes. His gaze held no censure, only concern. “Tamra. Are you all right?” No, she didn’t think she was. Emotions she hadn’t had to deal with for months rioted through her body. 31
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She wanted him, which was both exhilarating and confusing. She wanted to lose herself in him, but now he stared at her like he was worried about her mental state. And she really didn’t want him to worry about that. “Are you sorry you kissed me?” she asked. His eyebrows downshifted hard. “Hell no. I’m just…” He straightened and scraped a hand through his hair. “Damn it, Tamra. I don’t want to scare you.” He said that as if he knew she had reason to be scared. But he couldn’t know. “Do I look scared?” He continued to stare into her eyes and she began to worry that he could see all her secrets, all the darkness, all the chaos she tried to keep locked inside. All of which receded when he kissed her. God, when he kissed her… He sighed, his mouth flattening into a tight line. “No. You don’t. Still, I’m sorry. That was—” “Yeah, sorry is so not what I want to hear right now.” Kyle’s eyes narrowed and the lust he’d tried to stuff back into its dark corner started to fight him. No, she didn’t look scared. She looked turned-on. Hot. For him. After he’d practically devoured her. He’d never done that before. He’d never grabbed a woman and kissed her just because she made him hornier than he’d ever been in his life. Gods damn it, she was twenty-three, fifteen fucking years younger than him. He wasn’t supposed to be the one acting like a hormone-ridden teenager. He sighed. “Look, I don’t want you to think I attack every woman who comes into my house.” Shit. He hadn’t meant to say that, to use that word. Attack. Hadn’t meant to remind her… She stilled but then a sweet smile curved her lips and made his already hard dick throb. “You didn’t attack me,” she said so softly he barely heard her. “But I’m glad to hear this isn’t your normal greeting,” she said. “I have to admit this is a first for me too. I’m not normally…so forward.” No, she’d been emotionally stunted by a violent attack that he supposedly knew nothing about. He sighed and tried to smile back but it was tough. “Okay, let’s agree this is something new and different for both of us. I just…don’t want you to be worried about me coming on too strong.”
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Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted to the side, watching him with an intensity that made him burn. “But you want me, don’t you? I didn’t imagine that.” Vaffanculo, she was going to kill him. What the hell had happened to the lonely, scared girl he’d met last night? What the hell had changed between then and now? Was it just the fact of their mutual attraction? He’d never had that effect on anyone before. Why now? He ran a hand through his hair, ready to rip it out at the roots. “Yeah, I want you.” Her smile nearly singed him even though she quickly banked it. “Good. That’s good.” She lifted one hand to trail her fingers over the stubble on his jaw. “Because I want you too.” Kyle’s dick throbbed, pressing against the zipper of his shorts until he figured it’d leave an imprint. Vaffanculo, he couldn’t decide whether he hoped Tivr and Nortia didn’t keep Cat out too long or if they kept her out all night. “So,” she looked into his eyes, “are you going to kiss me again? Or are we going to have pie?” His smile caught him off guard. She sounded sexy, her tone light. Nothing like last night. She made him want to tease. And that was so out of character, he had to wonder if he’d temporarily lost his mind. Leaning closer, until mere centimeters separated their mouths, he held there, breathing in the scent of her arousal. It tasted like spun sugar on his tongue, meltingly sweet. Her breath caught and he wondered when, exactly, he’d be able to get her in his bed. He leaned back without touching her, watching her eyes widen and the heat build. Damn, he loved anticipation. “Pie first. Cat’ll wonder what we were up to if we don’t have any.” Tam’s eyes followed him as he dished up dessert and poured coffee. He swore he felt her gaze all over his body. And he really didn’t want pie. But who knew when Cat would return? With the Goddess of Fate and the God of the Moon. What would she think if he told her she was in presence of Etruscan deities, one of them in the body of a wolf? “So, is Nortia a friend of yours from work?” Now sitting at the breakfast bar, Kyle managed to swallow the last piece of pie in his mouth and squashed the desire to bang his head against the marble countertop in frustration. How the hell did he answer that one? And if he told her the truth, how fast would she run back to her little house and lock the doors against him?
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He’d never see her again. His gut gave a painful twist and his jaw ached from clenching it. “Yeah. We work in different divisions though. She’s in management.” Nortia would get a hell of a kick out of that. “I’m more of a grunt.” “What do you do?” “Private security.” She paused, working that one over. “Like a bodyguard?” Only if the body needed to be dead. “More like special projects.” Her head tilted to the side. “Are you in the army?” Yes, just not any branch of the U.S. military. He shook his head. “I work for a private contractor.” He watched her pick through his answers. He knew she could tell he was stonewalling her. And he fucking hated that he had to lie even though he’d spent most of his adult life telling them. When you killed people as a sanctioned assassin in the service of the lucani king, you didn’t go around announcing it. With a slightly defeated sigh, she changed the subject. “So is Tivr a wolf? He certainly looks like one.” Kyle nodded. “Yeah, actually, he is. He’s pretty tame though.” That would frost the Lord of the Silver Light to no end. “I’ve thought about getting a dog lately.” Tam pushed around the last bit of pie on her plate. “Living alone, it seems like a good idea. Hey, have you seen the two black dogs roaming around? I’ve been feeding them the past few nights. I thought…maybe I’d adopt them. They seem friendly.” The laughter rioting through his head made him feel the slightest bit out of control. And when she frowned at him, he realized he was must be grinning at her because all he could think was, Honey, let me show you just what you’d be getting. Gods be damned, Fate was a real bitch. And if he was feeling particularly daring, he’d say that to Nortia’s face. She’d probably laugh and agree. Then she’d tell him to man up and get with the program. This girl with her scarred heart, her abused body and mind and her total ignorance of the world he lived in was his. He didn’t have a rational explanation for how he knew it. He just did. And it wasn’t just lust. Lust he could control. This…was something different. So what the hell was he supposed to do with her? Yeah, he had a few ideas but— “Kyle! Kyle, we’ve got trouble!”
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Chapter Three Startled, Tam nearly slid off the stool as the raised male voice echoed through Kyle’s house. And when the front door burst open, she jumped to her feet, ready to run. Only the sudden press of Kyle’s strong body at her back held her in place before he stepped in front of her, as if to shield her, as a man walked through the door carrying Cat. No, not a man. A teenager. Maybe sixteen or seventeen, as tall as Kyle and almost as broad. He held Cat against his chest, her arms around his shoulders clinging tight. Kyle’s entire body tightened. “Tivr, what the hell—” “Two guys in the forest. They almost saw Norty before she got away. Cat and I led them away from this house before we ditched them and doubled back. We never heard them coming, never scented them. They were headed toward the Guliano place. We need to check them out. Now.” Check them out? What the hell did this kid mean? Why the high drama for a couple of men walking in the woods? Her head spinning, unable to made heads or tails of what was happening, Tam turned to look up at Kyle. “What’s going on?” For the two seconds he looked at her, his gaze burned. Regret and a blazing anger simmered in his eyes and she had the briefest hint of fear. Which made his mouth pull into a tight flat line. “Cat, take Tamra into the safe room with you and don’t come up until we get back. If Nortia returns with backup, tell them where we went.” Tam blinked, everything moving too fast for her to comprehend. “Kyle, what—” “I’m sorry, baby.” He shook his head. “I’ll explain when I get back. Just stay with Cat, okay? Please, just do it.” Then he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a short, hard kiss and started running for the front door. Shedding his clothes as he went. She watched his shirt fall to the floor and he was working on the button of his jeans when he disappeared out the door. The kid holding Cat set her on her feet and brushed a hand over her bright hair before he took after Kyle. Leaving Tam staring after them with her mouth hanging open. Until Cat grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the side wall in the kitchen. “Come on, Tam. We have to get in the safe room.”
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Safe room? Why would they need to get in a safe room because there were men in the forest? Why would they need a safe room at all? She looked at Cat, the girl’s expression showing a fear that didn’t sit right with Tam. “What’s going on?” Cat finally dragged her to the wall and kicked the baseboard. “I don’t know. I only know Ty nearly freaked when he caught the guy’s scent. Shit, that’s not what I meant. I meant caught sight of them.” No, Cat meant exactly what she’d said but Tam couldn’t focus on that right now because the wall slid open to reveal a set of steps doing down into darkness. And terror opened a huge black pit in her stomach. “No. I’m sorry. I’m not going in there, Cat.” Cat flipped a switch and a dim glow appeared near the bottom of the steps. Didn’t help. No way, no how. Not enough light. Not enough space, enough air. It reminded her— “Tam, please.” Cat tugged on her hand. “I won’t go without you. I know it’s dark and scary but I need you to come with me. I don’t like the dark either. Please, please come with me.” How did this girl know she didn’t like the dark? Had she said those words aloud? How could Cat know she’d been held hostage in a closet, tied up and gagged while the man who’d raped her slept in her dead mother’s bed? Tam forced herself to look at Cat and saw a reflection of her own fear on the girl’s face. That more than anything motivated her to move. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “All right, Cat. We’ll go down there. But I want to know what’s going on when we do.” Cat nodded, her unbound hair bouncing around her shoulders. “I’ll give you all the answers I can. Just please hurry.” Taking a deep breath, as if she were about to submerge herself in water, Cat started down the stairs. She didn’t know who held the other’s hand tighter but by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were both trembling. The stairs led to an open room almost as big as the upstairs, decorated like a basement play room. Only with more weapons. A lot more weapons. “Jesus, Cat,” she breathed as she drifted toward the center of the room. “What…” “It’s okay, they’re Dad’s.” Cat stopped at the bottom of the stairs and started to flip switches. “He told you he was in private security, right?” “Yeah, he just didn’t…mention weapons.” Which was stupid. Of course he’d have weapons. She had nothing against them. She’d just never seen so many in one place. Christ, he had an arsenal down there.
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Blades of every shape and size. But only two guns, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Blocky and matte black, like wrought iron. Weird. A whoosh of air brought Tam around to look at Cat. The door at the top of the stairs had closed, shutting them in. Now that she was down here, and since it wasn’t as cramped as she’d imagined it would be, Tam wasn’t as freaked out. But Cat wasn’t doing as well. “Hey, sweetie, are you okay?” Tam walked over to the girl and put her arm around her. Her body shook and the smile she turned to Tam was more like a grimace. “I’m fine. I just don’t like to be confined.” “Yeah, me either.” Though hopefully not for the same reason. “Why don’t we go sit over here and you can tell me what’s going on.” Cat shook her head as they sank onto the couch in the farthest corner of the room away from the door. “I honestly don’t know. Ty got all bent out of shape on our run.” “That’s the boy you were with?” Cat screwed up her face in something resembling an apologetic smile. “Yeah, we, uh, met him when Nortia and I were out running.” Tam sensed that was a lie but why would Cat lie about something so innocuous? “What happened to Nortia? Wait, did…did that boy say something about her leaving? What did he mean? She just left you?” Cat dropped her gaze to stare at her knees. “No, not really. Nortia tried to draw the men away and Ty brought me home.” Now, Tam wasn’t the greatest at spotting a liar. Hell, she’d allowed the man who’d attacked her into her apartment just because she’d recognized his face. But Cat was lying. And Tam had no idea why. “Cat—” “No, please don’t ask me any more questions.” Cat hung her head even further. “Blessed Goddess, I’m so sorry but I can’t answer them.” The teen sounded heartbroken and Tam stared at her in disbelief. The situation had turned surreal. So far tonight, Tam had nearly jumped a man who had to be almost twice her age and he’d devoured her as if she were his last meal. Then he’d rushed out of his home to confront two strangers on his land, with a teenager at his side, as if they were armed marauders. And now she was trapped in a basement safe room with a freaked-out girl who couldn’t stop shaking and looked ready to puke. No, not puke. Crawl out of her skin. “Cat, are you okay?” The girl shook her head. “No.” The tears in her voice tore at Tam’s heart. “I didn’t mean to yell. I’m sorry.”
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Tam reached for her shoulder, hoping to comfort. “Hey, it’s okay. Just talk to me. Tell me about the guy. Is he your boyfriend?” Cat’s laugh sounded more like a sob that she couldn’t hold back. “No, not my boyfriend. Although…” “You like him.” Tam tried for a teasing tone, hoping it would make Cat smile. No such luck. It actually made her look worse. Tam put her arm around the girl and drew back with a gasp before resting her hand on Cat’s forehead. “God, you’re burning up.” “I know. I can’t help it.” Now the girl looked at her with overflowing eyes. “I’m so sorry. I can’t hold it together. I hate being in here and the moon is full tonight. It’s too much. I don’t want to scare you. Please don’t be scared, Tam. Please don’t—” The girl tore herself off the couch and ran for the other side of the room, where she folded herself into the corner. Startled, Tam just sat there. “I’m sorry,” Cat cried. “I’m so sor—” Then the girl gasped and dropped to her knees on the floor. Tam shot to her feet, ready to run to her when her vision went fuzzy. Or Cat did. Tam froze, her mind unable to process what she was seeing as Cat disappeared right in front of her eyes. No, not disappeared. Changed. Between one blink and the next, the girl was gone. A shimmer of light, or sparks, remained in her place for a brief second, a shimmer that dissipated like summer fog. Then the little black dog she’d been feeding stood in the exact spot. The dog whined, looking up at her with Cat’s bright blue eyes. Tam opened her mouth to speak. Then closed it again. She blinked but the dog was still there. Still staring at her. No. Tam sat up slowly, wondering if she’d finally had that break with reality the doctors had warned her about. They’d told her if she continued to repress her feelings about her attack, she might experience some dissociation. Was that what this was? Had she gone crazy? The little dog cocked its head to the side and whimpered, as if she’d done something to be ashamed of. The sound made Tam’s heart hurt. Maybe the dog wasn’t real. Maybe if she tried to touch it, it would disappear. Forcing her feet to move, Tam walked to the dog, shivering by the wall where she’d seen Cat disappear. When she was close enough to touch, Tam forced her knees to bend and put her hand on the animal’s head.
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Silky fur, black as midnight, slid under her hand as she began to pet the dog. It felt real. So very real. Tam opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. After a deep breath, she tried again. “Cat?” The dog smiled and its fluffy tail began to wag. Tam felt like a hundred-pound weight dropped on her chest. She drew in a ragged breath, nearly choked on it but forced her hand to continue to pet the dog. Her head began to spin, questions repeating in ever-increasing circles. Had she really seen Cat disappear? Was this Cat now sitting in front of her? In the form of a dog? “No.” The dog whimpered, its little head and shoulders sagging as if she’d kicked it. “I’m crazy, right? It finally happened. None of this is real.” The dog huffed, as if exasperated. Could dogs be exasperated? Or was this just another manifestation of her madness? The dog rubbed her head against Tam’s hand, her cool wet nose brushing against her leg, shocking her back to reality. No, the dog was real. Lifting the hand that wasn’t petting the dog to her thigh, she pinched. Hard. And gasped in pain. Tensing, the dog stared up at her with wide eyes. “Holy shit.” She could barely hear her own voice, almost like an echo of sound. But she heard the dog’s whine clearly. As if asking a question. It took all her courage to look the dog in those light blue eyes and say, “Cat?” The doggy smile appeared again and the tail started to thump. “Holy shit.” Magic. The word flitted around in her head as she tried to grasp the concept. She didn’t believe in magic. Her mom had never read her fairy tales at bedtime. Her mom had barely been around at bedtime because she’d been working a second job so they wouldn’t starve. Tam hadn’t grown up with dreams of falling in love with a man and having him whisk her away from her drab life. That just never happened. At least not to people like her and her mom. Her mom had scrimped and saved and worked, sometimes seven days a week. She’d ingrained in Tam the necessity of taking care of herself. Of believing in herself. Of trusting what she saw with her own eyes.
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Her mom had raised her to be practical. And that training had gotten Tam through the worst weeks after her attack, with her sanity intact. Sure, she had issues. Who wouldn’t? But Tam knew she’d seen Cat disappear and this dog reappear in the exact same spot. So either she’d finally lost it…or her eyes hadn’t lied. Cat had become this little dog. No, not a dog. Wolf. “Werewolf.” She said the word aloud and when she didn’t hear maniacal laughter, she took a deep breath and said it again. The dog barked, startling Tam, but the dog’s happy grin and tail wagging didn’t seem at all menacing. In fact, she got up and licked Tam’s face. “Cat, it is you, isn’t it?” The dog barked again and did an entire body wiggle, those blue eyes gleaming. Tam started to grin, shaking her head and let her butt hit the floor before she just toppled over. “Holy shit.”
***** Kyle refused to think about the situation he’d left at home. He knew if he didn’t put it out of his mind, he’d never be able to leave Cat and Tam. The look in Tam’s eyes… No. A growl rose up but he swallowed it. They needed silence. Already shifted into his wolf, he ran low to the ground and fast, Tivr at his heels. Rage flowed like lava through his veins. Someone had invaded his space. Someone who didn’t belong here. He didn’t tolerate trespassers. He couldn’t. He had too much to hide. And too much to lose. It didn’t take them long to reach Tam’s house but it wasn’t soon enough. The two men Tivr had seen earlier were already inside. As he raced for the front, Tivr cut off behind him, heading for the rear. Even though he now wore his wolf’s pelt, he thought like a man. And the man knew he didn’t want to rush in there and start ripping out throats. This wasn’t a kill mission. They needed information. So he slowed, keeping to the shadows where his black pelt made him invisible as he made his way to the porch. He smelled Tam’s scent all over it, now mixed with two other men. He’d make them pay for that.
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As he got closer, he heard voices, though he couldn’t make out what they were saying. By the time he got to the window, though, he heard them clearly. And he didn’t like what he heard. “Fuck, where the hell is she?” “She’s supposed to be here. She never fucking goes out.” “I don’t think she’s gone for good. Her stuff’s still here.” “We’re gonna have to wait her out. Shit.” Kyle fought back a growl. They were here for Tamra. But why the hell would they want her? Something related to the rape? She’d testified against the man who’d hurt her. Were these men here for retribution? “She wants us to bring the girl back tonight.” “Yeah, I don’t wanna go back empty-handed.” She? They were working for someone? Who? He needed to know. Slipping around the back, he found Tivr sitting at the back door, head cocked to the side as he listened. Since he needed to be able to talk, Kyle had to retake his human body, and that little hitch in his chest forced him to take a deep breath. He was a man and his body knew its true form. But there were tales, told to scare young children, of how some versipelli became trapped in their animal form, never to be human again. After so many years, they became feral, losing their humanity forever. As an assassin, Kyle sometimes thought he had to submerge his humanity to do his job. That each kill chipped away another piece of his soul. As a soldier, he had a duty to his king and people. He kept them safe from those who would maliciously expose their secrets or seek to use their powers for evil. Many of his kills had been Malandante, a sect of Etruscan descendents who chose to use their magic against their fellow Etruscans or for monetary gain and power. A year ago, there’d been an increase in Mal violence, an attack against a hidden enclave of Etruscan Fata, elemental beings of Etruscan descent. Though successfully thwarted, it had been a wakeup call. Then last month, someone had kidnapped one of the streghe in Margie and Cat’s boschetta. Not everyone was convinced that had been a Mal attack. The kidnapper had possessed power, but once the boschetta had examined the body, they’d discovered the man’s magic had a mishmash of origins. Not just Etruscan or Celtic, but some of both, with a little Norse and Egyptian thrown in, as well. He’d been killed before anyone could question him. But Kyle knew the man had said something about a “she” who wouldn’t stop. “All I can say is good luck,” were his last words.
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Against what? No one had been able to find out and there’d been no other attacks on the boschetta since then. Were these men working for the same woman who’d organized the kidnapping? And what would they want with Tam? They needed answers. “Shift.” Tivr’s voice was barely audible and never failed to freak Kyle out, coming as it did out of a wolf’s mouth. No other versipelli could do that. But when you were the son of a powerful goddess and a god in your own right, the rules didn’t apply. Kyle obeyed, more because he’d already planned to than because Tivr had ordered him to. Biting down on his tongue to stop himself from making a sound, Kyle began to call back his pelt. This process didn’t take as long as calling it forth, because his body knew its natural shape. The wolf was only one aspect of the man, and to bring it out, he had to submerge the rest of him. In seconds, he felt his body re-forming, the pelt disappearing back into skin, his bones re-forming and repositioning. To anyone watching, his transformation took only seconds. Then he knelt on the ground, naked. Rising to his feet, he noticed his combat boots, a black t-shirt and a pair of black military tactical pants lying on the porch step. His knife rested on top of the clothes. Good to have a god around when you needed one. Kyle preferred not to fight naked. After dressing, he slid back around to the front of the house, Tivr at his side. The god hadn’t shifted. They might need his teeth. Since they had the element of surprise on their side, Kyle figured he’d go through the door, knock out one and keep the other for questioning. He waited until the men were both in the front room before he kicked the door in. One of the men froze and Tivr streaked through the open door, straight for him. The god would keep him immobile while Kyle ran at the guy who pulled a gun. Tall and lanky but quick, the man got a shot off before Kyle reached him. The bullet burned across his upper arm without penetrating. Kyle pushed the pain out of his mind and used his forearm to knock the gun out of his hand. It took the guy a second to bring his fist into play, but by that time Kyle had his hand wrapped around his throat and slammed him up against the wall. Behind him Tivr growled, the sound menacing and deadly. Kyle could smell the stench of fear rolling off the two men, although the one he held had a healthy dose of
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anger. He fought Kyle’s hold, his fists rising to reach for his face, fast becoming flushed from lack of oxygen. Kyle took a few punches before he squeezed tighter, depriving the man of all air until his struggles grew weaker. Then he knocked the man’s head against the wall hard enough to make him lose consciousness. When Kyle was sure the man was truly out, he turned to the one Tivr had pinned in a corner. “You need to start talking,” Kyle said. “Now.”
***** By the time Kyle got back to his house, his gut ached so badly, he could barely breathe. Tivr hunched behind him, his body and face that of a gangly teen not yet a man. As with all deities, even though he was several millennia old, his appearance never changed. The Bullet for My Valentine t-shirt and faded jeans fit the image. No bloodstains marred his clothes. Kyle had had to ditch his t-shirt in the garbage can outside so he didn’t scare the girls. Neither man in Tam’s house had been able to tell them who they worked for. Petty criminals, they’d been sent to retrieve Tamra and deliver her unharmed to the man who’d hired them for the job. They only knew a woman was pulling the strings because their contact had used the word “her” once during the conversation. They didn’t know why the woman wanted Tamra, only that they’d been given a list of places to look for her and told not to come back empty-handed. The man who’d hired them had apparently given them a taste of exactly what would happen to them if they failed. Something extraordinarily painful and apparently magical, if their terrified ravings were anything to go by. This had been the last place on their list. After they’d spilled all the information they had, Kyle had taken them outside and killed them. No great loss to society there. Now, standing with his hand on the hidden latch to the entrance into the safe room, he saw tiny specks of blood dotting the skin. He hadn’t cleaned his hands well enough. Without a word to Tivr, Kyle turned and headed for the kitchen sink, ran the hot water and scrubbed his hands until they retained no trace of blood. Then he forced himself to walk back to the hidden door and open it. “Catene, Tamra,” he called down the stairs. “We’re back.” Then he held his breath and didn’t move. Seconds later, he heard Tam say, “Kyle?”
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A gut-twisting mix of relief and dread settled in his stomach. “Yeah, it’s me. We’re coming down, okay?” The soft sound he heard could have been a laugh, could have been a sigh. He had no idea. He took the stairs as slowly as he could, not wanting to scare her by barreling down like a bull. He couldn’t imagine what she’d been thinking while he was gone, what Cat had said. Or what Tam would do when he told her what needed to happen. He hadn’t let himself imagine the scenario that greeted him when he reached the bottom. His breath caught and held in his chest as he froze. Tam sat on the floor, the half-grown black wolf on her lap sound asleep. Tam’s fingers slid through the silky fur on his daughter’s neck, petting in a rhythmic motion. “She fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago.” Tam’s voice sounded calm, cool. Almost inaudible. As if she didn’t want to wake Cat. “Please don’t be angry with her. I think she worried herself into exhaustion waiting for you to get back.” Tam continued to pet Cat as if she’d been doing it for a while now, her fingers gentle against Cat’s pelt. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was, “Tam.” Behind him, he heard Tivr draw in a strangled breath. The god’s body tensed, as if ready to fly across the room and grab Cat away from Tam. Kyle planted himself in front of the god. Cat didn’t appear hurt. In fact, it looked as if Tam was trying to soothe his daughter. He drew in a deep breath. “Tam, are you all right? Is Cat okay?” Tam’s mouth curved in a rueful grin. “Are you asking if I was a little freaked out when Cat changed into a wolf right in front of me? Yeah, you could say that.” “Did you hurt Catene?” Tivr’s voice held a deadly menace that made Kyle’s hair stand on end but Tam’s face screwed up into an angry frown. “Of course not,” she huffed. “Why would you even think that?” Kyle released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He hadn’t even considered the idea. Not with the way Tam looked so comfortable with Cat on her lap. But he’d been terrified that Tam’s already damaged mental health had been affected. She’d watched Cat shift into a wolf. That had to have made her question her sanity. Obviously, Tam was stronger than he’d given her credit for. He started to move closer, needed to look into her eyes. “Tamra.” Shit, where the hell did he start? Neither of them looked injured and Tam’s eyes were clear, not dull or cloudy as if she were in shock. She stared straight into his. “Are you a werewolf too?”
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His heart started to pound so hard he thought his veins might burst. Everything he’d ever been taught by his parents, every internal safeguard he’d had pounded into his brain rose up to tie his tongue in knots. How did he answer that question? What could he tell her? She wasn’t part of his world. She was almost completely eteri, despite the minute trace of arus in her blood. She was also his. Hadn’t he already decided that? Hadn’t he already made the decision to keep her? Or at least try to keep her? Hadn’t he worried all last night about what he would do, how he would explain his life to her? Well, he still had a lot of explanations to give but she’d already asked the milliondollar question. “Kyle?” Cat chose that moment to stir. She snuffled, lifted her head and stared straight at him. Her whimper nearly cut his heart out. “Shh, Cat. He’s not angry.” Tam leaned down and rubbed her cheek against Cat’s silky head, rubbing her hand down his daughter’s quivering back. “It’s okay.” Cat looked up at Tam then back at Kyle and finally at Tivr, still behind him. His attention focused on Cat, Kyle walked to within a foot of the girls then knelt, not wanting to tower over them. He smiled at Cat. “The moon’s full, isn’t it? I forgot. Not as smart as I think I am, huh? I’m sorry, baby. This isn’t your fault.” With one final look at Tam, his daughter stood, careful not to scratch Tam with her sharp nails, and walked over to him. Those bright blue eyes he loved so much stared at him as he ran one hand down her back. “It’s gonna be fine, honey.” “Kyle, let me take her upstairs.” Tivr walked up behind him, his voice hard. Cat shifted her gaze to Tivr for one brief second then back to Kyle. She shook her head. He knew that look. Determination was his daughter’s other middle name. She didn’t want Tivr’s unspoken help to shift back into her skin. She wanted to do it herself. But the moon still hung in the sky. And she’d only been shifting for a couple of years. She still didn’t have as much control over the moon’s power as she would when she was older. He didn’t say anything, just let her come to her own decision. Finally, she snorted, shaking her head, and walked over to Tivr. Reaching down, the god put his hand on her head and in an instant, his daughter stood before him in all her beauty, naked as the day she was born. Kyle reached for his shirt…and realized he didn’t have one. Tivr had already whipped his over his head and dropped it down over Cat.
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For several seconds, his daughter locked her gaze with Tivr’s and something passed between them, something Kyle couldn’t decipher. He couldn’t tell if Cat was miffed that she’d needed help or if she was silently thanking him. But when she turned to face him, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Her lips quivered before she could firm them and she blinked back tears. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in close. “Daddy—” “No, Cat. It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay.” He figured if he kept saying it, it would be. Hell, something had to go his way sometime, right? When Cat pulled back, he let her, knowing exactly what she was about to do. His daughter drew in a deep breath, her mouth set in a quivering line, and turned back to Tam. But before she could open her mouth, Tam shook her head and stood, reaching for Cat’s clenched fist. “Please don’t apologize. I’ve never seen anything so amazing in my life.” Cat bit her lip, indecision clear on her expression. “You’re not afraid of me? Of…what I did?” Tam’s answering smile loosened Kyle’s lungs. She didn’t look like she was in shock. “I’ll admit I was…amazed. Watching someone turn into a wolf isn’t something you see every day.” Tam looked over Cat’s shoulder at Kyle, her smile disappearing. “You were at my house last night, weren’t you?” He knew where this was going, knew she’d make that connection. He’d been hoping she’d at least give him a few hours to prepare. Apparently, she really was thinking clearly. And he saw she wanted answers. Now. Without looking away, he said, “Cat, you and Tivr go upstairs. Tam and I need to talk.” “Dad—” “No, Cat.” Tam’s smile returned for a brief second just for Cat. “It’s okay. Your dad’s right. I’ll be fine.” He stiffened as if she’d hit him. Did Tam actually think he’d hurt her? Cat hesitated another few seconds before she finally sighed and headed up the stairs, Tivr at her heels. Leaving Kyle and Tam staring at each other. Finally, she crossed her arms over her chest as if preparing for a battle. “You know everything, don’t you? I gave you enough information last night that all you had to do was Google my attacker’s name and ‘rape’ and it was all there for you to read.” Her expressionless voice made him flinch but the increasing despair in her eyes cut into him like silver blades.
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He didn’t want her to be hurt. He’d much prefer she get angry. Scream and yell at him so they could move on. So he wouldn’t have the urge to grab her and hold onto her so she wouldn’t shatter. But as much as he wanted to skip this part, he knew it’d be better if they got it over with. So they could move on. “Yes, I know everything.” Her chin lifted, almost as if he’d hit her with an uppercut. “Cat does too, right? I talked to her for two nights before you showed up.” She shook her head, her mouth twisting into a grimace. “You know, the hospital shrink told me I should find someone to talk to. Someone I trusted. She suggested a professional but I wasn’t ready. Not then. It’d only been a few weeks after the attack and I could barely look at myself in a mirror much less talk about what happened.” “Tam—” “No!” She slashed one hand between them, finally starting to show a little bit of the anger he’d wanted to see. “I thought I was talking to a dog. That I was pouring my heart out to an animal that couldn’t understand me. That my feelings would be safe.” Her fist rose to pound against her chest in the exact motion he and his fellow soldiers used. But her action wasn’t a salute. “I’ve been carrying this weight with me for months. Then I finally decide to spill my guts, to actually open my mouth and speak about what happened, thinking my confession was safe. So tonight, when Cat changed into that little black wolf, I honestly thought I’d lost my mind. But then I knew, I know I’m not that damaged.” She pointed a finger at him. “What I saw was magic. I know it even though I never believed there was anything like it in the world. I’ve seen the bad stuff. This…” She shook her head, “this was amazing. And I handled it. So don’t you dare look at me like I can’t handle whatever else happens.” Tam finally stopped to draw in a deep breath as she continued to stare at him. Waiting. Vaffanculo, she was going to give him a heart attack. He’d never gone from fear to arousal so fast in his life. He wanted to grab her and kiss her because she stood before him strong and proud. But she might just hit him. And he might like that a little too much. Her ice-blue eyes burned and that heat called up his own. But first, he had to tell her what was going on. Had to explain why she couldn’t return to her house. Why she had to stay with him. Even if she didn’t want to. And because he wanted her to understand exactly why she had to stay, he didn’t temper his words. “The men in the forest were looking for you. They’d been sent to kidnap you. They didn’t know who’d sent them. They didn’t know why this person wanted you.” He moved closer, breathing a little easier when she didn’t pull away from him, just stared at him with utter confusion.
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“But…why would someone want to kidnap me?” “I don’t have any idea. But I want you to stay with me until I find out.” Her mouth dropped open in shock seconds before she started to frown. “What? Why?” “Because…” I want you where I can watch over you. I want you in my bed even though I know you’re not ready for any kind of physical relationship. Because I can’t breathe at the thought of you out in the world somewhere I can’t protect you. Which of those explanations didn’t sound completely irrational? Which of those wouldn’t have her running for the nearest door? “Because I can protect you better if you’re close while I try to find out who those men were working for and why they want you.” There, that sounded rational enough. But Tamra was shaking her head. “No. I need to go to the police, tell them—” “You don’t have to worry about the men.” She drew in a sharp breath. “What do you mean?” “I took care of them. They won’t be able to hurt you again.” She paused, her eyes widening. “You killed them?” He didn’t answer, didn’t want to lie to her. But he also didn’t want her to get a false impression of him right from the start. He was what he was, damn it. She’d have to know that sooner or later, though he hoped the entire truth wouldn’t need to come out until later. Yes, he was an assassin. But for now all she needed to know was that he was a soldier. And he didn’t take prisoners. He got answers, then he disposed of the problem. “They couldn’t be released. They knew you were living in the house.” The color drained from her face and he realized he might have pushed her too far. “I don’t understand.” Before he realized what he’d meant to do, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him, surrounding her smaller body with his much larger one. She didn’t soften against him and her hands came up to press against his chest. But she didn’t push him away and he considered that a win. “Neither do I.” He spoke directly into her ear. “But I will. I have resources. I’ll find out who they were working for and what that person wants with you.” “But why?” “They didn’t know—” “No, not the men you— Not them. Why would you do this for me? You don’t even know me.” She looked up at him, confusion dulling the brightness of her eyes.
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He wanted to kiss her, to replace the confusion with heat. And he was so damn worried he’d scare her away, he froze. Until he remembered her earlier declaration. She’d stood up to him. So he leaned down and put his mouth on hers. Not hard. Hell, he didn’t even really kiss her, not like last time. He just pressed his lips to the warm silk of hers. And pulled back before he lost his mind and slipped his tongue into her mouth. He hadn’t closed his eyes so he’d watched every stunned emotion flit through her gaze. And the one emotion he’d dreaded never showed. Fear. She wasn’t afraid of him. He drew in an easier breath. “I don’t want you to be hurt, Tam.” She shook her head, her eyes huge. “I don’t understand.” “You don’t have to. At least not now. Just agree to stay here tonight. Get some sleep. In the morning, we can start looking for some answers. Just stay. Please.” Tam stared into Kyle’s eyes and knew she’d agree to anything he asked. That kiss had had the power to shut off her brain for the few seconds it’d lasted. And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing right now. She’d begun to feel dizzy, a little nauseous and confused. So far she thought she’d held up pretty well. This morning for the first time since her attack, she’d been attracted to a man. She’d taken it as a sign that she was finally beginning to come out of the fog she’d been drifting in. A good sign. Then she’d kissed Kyle. If you could call that a kiss. More like devoured him. And then she’d witnessed actual magic, the kind she never would have believed if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. But she had. And she’d survived without curling into a ball in a corner and whimpering. If that wasn’t enough, she’d learned someone had sent men to kidnap her. Someone who’d been able to track her to a house even she hadn’t known about until just a few months ago. Any normal person would have been justified in having a slight nervous breakdown, right? But she’d managed to hold it together. So why had Kyle’s brief press of his lips against hers just now made her nearly swoon? Why did she want to wrap her arms around his shoulders and let him take over her life?
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Probably because she was an idiot. No. No, that wasn’t acceptable. She knew it had more to do with the strength she saw in this man. The love he had for his daughter. The sense she had that he would do whatever it took to keep his loved ones safe. And for whatever reason, that list now included her. She didn’t fool herself. The man wasn’t in love with her. Yes, he wanted her but more than likely he saw a scared, damaged woman and he was the kind of man who wouldn’t leave her to fend for herself. But how do you explain that kiss? And the feeling that he wants you just as much as you want him? Wishful thinking? His eyes narrowed as the silence stretched on, tiny worry lines radiating from his narrowed eyes. God, the man had the ability to make her heart pound just by looking at her. “I’ll stay.” He closed his eyes for a brief second then released a heavy sigh. From the way he looked at her, she thought he might kiss her again. And when he didn’t, when he took her hand and pulled her after him up the stairs, disappointment made her shake her head. Back in the living room, Kyle headed for the couch where Cat sat with the teen she’d called Ty. Still wearing the boy’s t-shirt, Cat had also donned a pair of gray gym shorts. With her legs hugged to her chest, Cat rested her chin on a knee and stared at Tam with those beautiful aquamarine eyes. Then her gaze dipped to her hand still linked to Kyle’s. Tam gave an experimental tug but Kyle refused to release her. And she had to admit she liked having his larger hand wrapped around hers. Kyle nodded at Cat. “I’m going to call Dan and you’re going back to the boschetta tonight.” He held up his free hand as Cat opened her mouth. “No, it’s not punishment, Cat. Just a precaution. We don’t know what’s going on and I’m not willing to risk your safety. Dan and your mom would agree. Tivr, will you stay with them while I go get some of Tam’s things from her house?” Tivr nodded, running a hand through his short hair, scrubbing until it stood on end. It made him look like a rock star. “Of course. Do you want me to call Margorie?” “No, I’ll do it.” Kyle sighed and shoved his hand through his own hair, pushing back the dark mass. Tam’s fingers itched to do the same. “She’ll worry if I don’t and, according to Cat, she’s already worried.” “And a worried Margorie is a force to be reckoned with, I know.” Ty sighed, sounding much older than he looked. “I’ll cruise the forest tonight, make sure no one else shows up.” 50
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“Thank you, Lo—” Kyle broke off again, as if he were going to call Ty another name. “Thanks.” Then Kyle turned to her again. “I’m gonna make that call and then I’ll go get your stuff. I won’t be gone long. Why don’t you and Cat watch a movie or something?” “Sure.” Tam smiled at Cat, who still looked heartsick. “I’m sure we’ll be able to amuse ourselves for a little while.” Kyle hesitated, his hand tightening on hers for a few brief seconds before releasing. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Then he turned and disappeared into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. To make the call to Cat’s mom, she assumed. “Tam, do you want to sit down?” With a guilty start, Tam realized she was staring at Kyle’s door. Turning, she walked over to the couch and dropped onto the cushion next to Cat’s, letting her head fall back. Trying to think of something to say. She felt the couch shift as Ty rose. Turning her head, Tam watched Cat track the boy through the house to the front door and out of the house. “Is he your boyfriend?” Cat’s short laugh accompanied the shaking of her head. “No, he’s not.” “But you like him?” Cat turned to stare back at Tam. “It’s complicated.” “Complicated by you being a werewolf?” Cat’s gaze narrowed. “We call ourselves lucani versipelli.” Tam thought for a second. “Wolf skin-shifters.” Cat smiled, her expression easing just a bit. “That’s right. Not many people would know that.” “Six semesters of Latin turned out to be good for something.” “Are you…afraid of me?” Tam shook her head. “I’m amazed. I never imagined seeing anything like that in my life. But I’m not scared. I’m actually a little more worried about what I told you the past few nights. Cat…” What could she say? She’d given the girl such graphic details because she’d thought talking about it would help purge the ordeal. She’d probably given Cat nightmares. Tears popped into the girl’s eyes. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” The very real sorrow in the girl’s voice made tears threaten Tam’s eyes as well. But she’d shed enough of them and she blinked them back. “Me too. But I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. Just like you don’t want me to be afraid of you. Okay? I’m still here. I lived through it and I’m still here so that’s a win for me. Do you understand?” Cat nodded. “Yes. Okay.” She took a deep breath. “So you’re going to let Dad help you?” 51
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“Yeah, I am.” “He’s good.” Her voice dropped until it was almost inaudible. “He doesn’t think I know what he does. What he is. But I’ve known for years.” Tam frowned, confused. “What do you mean? I know he’s a…a werewolf. Like you.” What could be weirder than that? Cat’s teeth lodged in her bottom lip before she sighed. And was saved from answering by Kyle’s bedroom door opening. “Cat, Dan and your mom’ll be here in about half an hour.” Kyle walked out, those topaz eyes glowing. “I should be back before they get here but if I’m not…” He switched his attention to Tam. “Hell, if I’m not, I’m gonna apologize for Margie now. And don’t feel like you have to answer any questions you don’t want to, Tam.” Cat snorted. “Yeah, when did that ever stop Mom? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she behaves. But you know Mom.” Cat slid an apologetic smile at Tam. “She doesn’t know the meaning of the word boundaries.” Tam suddenly realized she was about to meet the woman who’d been involved with Kyle, was still involved with him because of Cat. She was obviously in a relationship with someone else, this Dan whom Cat also referred to as her father. Shit. Did Kyle still have feelings for Cat’s mom? Well, that was stupid. Of course he did. They had to get along. Cat was too well-adjusted for them to be at each other’s throats. Jesus, there was just so much she didn’t know about this man. A man she’d taken one look at and decided she wanted. And who seemed to return her feelings. “Tamra.” Kyle bent at the knees until his eyes were on a level with hers. “Do you want me to wait?” She looked into his eyes, saw his uncertainty at leaving her, his uncertainty in her. And wondered if he’d always think of her as damaged? No. She’d make sure he didn’t. She shook her head. “I’ve been living out of my bags so they’re pretty much packed. The duffel bag has my dirty laundry. I’ll need my toiletries from the bathroom. The bag for those is on the vanity. I need that bag, please.” It held her sleeping pills. And if she couldn’t sleep, she’d take one tonight. But she hoped, after everyone left, that she wouldn’t be sleeping alone. Yeah, like you’re in any shape for that. Damn that little voice in her head. The doubt demon she couldn’t seem to vanquish. “All right.” Standing, Kyle reached out and ran one finger along her jaw before tilting her head up. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Then he sighed and rubbed his thumb over her lips in a brief caress before he tugged a strand of Cat’s hair and headed out the front door. Her lips tingled where he’d touched her and she pressed her own fingers against them before she realized Cat was probably watching her.
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But when she turned, Cat was staring at the door. “He likes you, but I guess you already figured that out, huh?” Cat’s voice was barely above a whisper but Tam heard her clearly enough to question the inflection. Did that bother her? “Cat, we just met—” “But you like him too, right?” The girl turned back to her, her gaze intense. Yeah, she did. More than she should based on the time they’d known each other. If she allowed herself to really think about it, she’d actually believe he was the kind of man she’d been searching for all her life. Strong, passionate, caring. Gorgeous. But how much did she say to his teenage daughter? She couldn’t exactly tell Cat she’d lusted after the man from the first time she’d seen him. That she wanted him like she’d never wanted another man in her entire life. That she wasn’t sure she’d be able to have sex with him because of her attack. That she wanted to throw herself at him and let him protect her from whatever dangers the world threw at her. What the hell did she say? As if Cat had read her mind, the girl smiled and grabbed her hand. “All right then. Here’s what you need to know about my family before my mom and dad get here. My dads have been best friends forever, and when they met my mom, well, let’s just say they all, uh, played well together.” Tam’s mouth dropped open but Cat didn’t even blush. “The place I grew up is really liberal, so this has never been an issue. The streghe don’t—” “Wait, streghe? What’s a streghe?” Cat shook her head. “Jeez, I keep forgetting you don’t have a clue about all this. My mom’s a strega, a witch. I am too, at least half. The streghe have our own village, which is where my mom and Daddy Dan live. “So when my mom got pregnant, she decided I’d have two dads even after Daddy Dan and my mom decided they were getting mated. You’d call it married but anyway I’ve always had two dads and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love them both and would never choose between them. “But Dad doesn’t love my mom the way Daddy Dan does. I mean, I know he cares about her and I know he loves me, but Dad doesn’t…trust easily. You’re actually the first woman I’ve ever seen him touch like that.” Tam didn’t have a clue how to respond to anything Cat had said. Now in addition to werewolves, there were witches too, and probably so much more she didn’t know about. And even though the family dynamics were interesting, that last bit about Kyle not touching a woman made her heart beat a little faster. “My mom and Daddy Dan are really in love, so much so it’s a little overwhelming at times, but they both love my dad. And my mom’s going to take one look at you and want to know if you’re good enough for Dad. I apologize for that now because she doesn’t mean any harm.” 53
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Cat finally paused for a breath, looking at Tam as if she expected questions. And Tam had only one. “So Kyle and your mom, they aren’t a couple anymore?” Cat’s smile nearly split her face. “Haven’t been since before I was born. And Dad’s never had a woman here that I know about. I mean, I’m sure—” “Uh, Cat,” Tam held up one hand. “Let’s not go there.” “Oh. Okay, but I do have a point. Part of the reason I don’t think Dad’s ever really dated has been his job.” “He told me he works for a private security company.” Cat’s nose scrunched. “Yeah, not really. The lucani, we have our own army. Dad’s a soldier, but he’s a special kind.” Cat’s expression turned serious, her bright eyes intense. “You have to ask him about that, Tam. Make him tell you. Mom and Dad have been worried about him. They don’t really talk to me about it, I guess because they don’t want me to worry. But I’ve noticed he’s been…different lately. Like he doesn’t really know what to do with himself anymore. “But he’s different with you. And that’s a good thing.” Cat smiled. “A really good thing.”
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Chapter Four Kyle wanted to be back before Dan and Margie got to the house but as soon as he saw the mess at Tam’s, he knew he wasn’t going to make it. Most of it he could leave until tomorrow but he didn’t want to leave the blood trail from the living room to the front door. It would draw animals and bugs. And possibly human predators. After he’d gotten rid of that, he packed her stuff. The two bags combined didn’t weigh as much as his gear bag. And that just fucking pissed him off. Almost as much as the half-empty bottle of sleeping pills in her toiletry bag made him want to hit something. By the time he’d gotten within visual distance of his house, he knew he had to calm down before he stormed inside and wrapped himself around her like a blanket. Or a bullet-proof vest. So he headed for the back porch and a little bit of sanity before he went to her. “She’s eteri.” Dan’s voice came from the dark shadows of the garden and the double swing under the weeping birch. He’d built the swing for Cat years ago. Dan sat there now, still and almost invisible, which was a pretty good trick because in the light, the guy drew attention like magnets drew steel. Movie stars had nothing on him, with his curly brown hair, dark eyes and perpetual smile. But anyone who knew him learned fast that he was just as much a hard-ass as Kyle. Dan just hid it better. Kyle set Tam’s too-light bags on the patio and headed for the swing. “Don’t you think I fucking know that?” “She’s a beauty.” Kyle bit back a string of obscenities that had nothing to do with Tam’s looks. Sinking onto the swing, he reached out for the bottle of Jim Beam in Dan’s hand. He took a swig before answering. “I know that too.” “She’s been hurt.” Another swig. “Uh huh.” “Recently.” And another. “Yeah.” “Bad.” “Yeah.” Dan sighed. “If we’re going to play this game, we’re gonna need another bottle.”
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“It’s not a game.” “Not the end of the world either.” Kyle snorted. And drank. “Wanna tell me what happened to her?” He took another healthy swig. “Six months ago, she was raped, beaten and imprisoned before she got free and kicked the shit out of the guy. He’s in a coma, never expected to regain consciousness.” Dan fell silent for a few seconds. “Shit. Give me the bottle.” Kyle took another swallow before passing it over. “The men Tivr and I caught tonight were paid to retrieve Tamra. They didn’t know why or by whom.” “Vaffanculo. That’s scary.” Yeah, it was. He held out his hand for the bottle. Too bad versipelli metabolism worked alcohol out of the system so fast. The buzz was good but didn’t last nearly long enough. “Cat knows everything. She’s pretty attached to the girl.” “I don’t think calling her a girl’s gonna work, buddy.” “Yeah, ya think?” Dan didn’t rise to his sarcasm. He knew Kyle was itching to hit something and Dan wasn’t in the mood to play punching bag. Which meant at least one of them was thinking clearly. “You want me to stay?” Dan asked. “I know Tivr’s out in the forest but I can send Margie and Cat home, patrol with Ty. That help any?” Kyle finally turned to look at the man who’d been his best friend his entire life. They were closer than brothers, didn’t need to speak to know what the other was thinking and, before he’d taken a training position, Dan had been the only partner Kyle had ever trusted with his back. They’d shared a woman many years ago and now they shared a daughter they both loved. Kyle would give his life for Margie, not because he loved her like Dan did but because she was Dan’s mate. Dan was offering the same. “Thanks. No, but thanks.” Dan nodded. “Then I’m going to get two of the women out of your hair. What you do with the third, that’s up to you. Bottle’s all yours. But I don’t think it’s gonna give you any answers.”
***** Cat’s mother, Margie, must have been a carbon copy of her daughter at the same age.
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Today, Margie’s hair was dark auburn instead of strawberry gold and she carried a few more pounds in all the right places. But otherwise, the resemblance was amazing. Right down to the aquamarine eyes brimming with compassion. When they’d arrived, Margie had hugged her daughter, introduced herself to Tam with a firm handshake and proceeded to make Tam feel like she’d been a lifelong friend. Dan had smiled at her but he’d let Margie do all the talking. Which was probably a good choice because Dan was flat-out, movie-star handsome. And he made her uncomfortable as all get-out. It made no sense at all, but Margie must have caught on right away. She sent Dan outside to “check the perimeter”. Now sitting at the breakfast bar separating the kitchen from the dining area, Tam sipped the herbal tea Margie had made her, wondering if it had some magical property she didn’t know about. And trying not to think about how badly she wanted Kyle to return. Margie and Cat sat on the other side, talking about normal mom and daughter stuff. At least, normal for two streghe. The TV show they’d watched last night, the weeding they needed to do in their garden, which herbs were ready for harvesting. The spells Cat needed to work on. Okay, maybe not so normal mother-daughter stuff. They didn’t exclude her from the conversation but they didn’t pressure her to engage either. As if they knew she wouldn’t be able to string two coherent words together. She wanted Kyle to come back, needed to talk to him. She had this weird sense that if he put his arms around her and held onto her, maybe some of this would start to make sense. Like why anyone would be after her. How exactly a human girl became a small black wolf. What army Kyle belonged to. And a rational explanation for the seemingly irrational attraction she had for him. “Tamra.” Kyle’s voice made her shiver and she turned to find him standing in the French doors between the kitchen and the patio. She hadn’t heard him return. Immediately, the sense of doom weighing on her lightened, just a little, as those topaz eyes bored into hers. “Are you okay?” he asked. When she didn’t answer right away, because she wasn’t quite sure what she should say, Margie huffed as she stood. “Of course she’s okay. But I’m sure she’s tired so we’re gonna get going. Come on, Catene. Say good night to Tam.”
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Cat gave her a hug, which she returned, maybe holding on a little too long. When she finally forced herself to release the girl, Margie gave her a pat on the shoulder and a smile. “You need anything, hon, Kyle knows where to find me.” Tam had never had many friends. She didn’t make them easily, probably due to the fact she and her mom had moved around so much when she was a kid. She hadn’t stayed anywhere long enough to maintain lasting friendships. Even in college, she’d kept to herself. Margie and Cat made her feel like a friend. She smiled, not at all forced, and thanked them. And then they were gone. Leaving her alone with Kyle. Warmth began to filter through her body. She didn’t say anything as he walked over to the stool next to hers and eased onto the seat. Almost as if he were afraid to scare her if he moved to fast. She didn’t want him to treat her like she was going to break. She wanted more of that kiss they’d shared earlier. Wanted more of him. And she was going to stay here tonight. She realized she should be scared or, at the very least, nervous. This man transformed his body into a wolf. That alone should have made her run screaming to the nearest city, where the roads were paved, streetlights blazed and people ignored you when they passed you on the streets. Out here in the country someone had trashed her home looking for her. She’d met werewolves. And for the first time since her attack, she wanted to have sex with a man. This man. At the rate they were moving now, though, she’d be lucky if he kissed her again. So what should she do? “I like Margie,” she said. “She’s very kind. She explained what the streghe are and how they help people.” Kyle nodded, his gaze somber. “Luckily, Cat takes after Margie more than her fathers.” Okay, maybe not a good idea to talk about his former lover. Time to shake things up. “What about the men in my house, Kyle? What do I do about them?” His mouth tightened as if he didn’t want to answer her question. “I’ll handle that.” His non-answer rankled and her gaze narrowed. “They were in my house, looking for me. I want to know why.” “I’ll find that information. I’ll find out who they were working for. You don’t have to worry about—” “Yes, actually, I do. A few kisses do not give you the right to control my life, Kyle.”
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He opened his mouth and wisely shut it again before he said whatever he was thinking, which probably would have been more along the lines of “I’ll take care of it”. Then he took a deep breath. “I don’t want to control your life.” “Glad to hear it.” “I want you to be safe.” And that was where she was having trouble coming to grips with everything that had happened. She’d taken one look at him and fallen in lust. Had the same thing happened to him? Was that why he’d suddenly become a caveman? Well, if that kiss was anything to go by then, yeah, the man was seriously hot for her. But now, she couldn’t read him. And that really pissed her off. “Why?” He wanted to say something, she saw it in his eyes. Something he thought she wouldn’t want to hear. He was treating her like a child and it was time to clear up that misconception. “You know, I’ve had kind of a difficult day,” she said. “I didn’t sleep well last night. Then this guy drives up to my house this morning and I think, ‘Holy shit, he’s hot’.” She slid off the bar stool and closed the few feet separating them. She put her hands on his knees and leaned closer until all she could see were his eyes, narrowed down to slits of bright gold. “And then I think, ‘Holy shit, my libido still works.’ How awesome is that?” “Tamra—” “But here you sit, looking at me like I’m broken.” His mouth pulled into a grimace as he shook his head. “That’s not what I’m thinking.” “Then tell me. I hate guessing games. I’m not a child. I’m a grown woman and I can handle whatever you have to say.” “Tam—” “Look, if I’m reading you wrong and you don’t want to have anything to do with me, fine. No harm, no foul. I’ll sleep in Cat’s room. You can lock your door so you don’t have to worry about me slipping into your bed tonight. Just don’t—” He moved then, rising to his feet faster than she could track him. He grabbed her arms and dragged her against his upper body. Her breasts smashed against his hard chest, their lips separated by centimeters. “You think I don’t want you?” His voice rumbled like the engine of his muscle car. “You think I’ve got a hard-on only because I’m worried about you? That I…what? Get off on the danger? Do you really want me to show you just how much I want you? Because if I do, I’m afraid I’ll scare you and that would fucking cut my heart out.” The depth of emotion in his voice made her shiver. She’d never heard that tone in anyone’s voice directed at her. To say it made her hot would be an understatement. “I’m not afraid of you.” She looked straight into his eyes. “How many times do I have to say it? I want you to kiss me. I’m not going to break.” 59
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He took her at her word. His lips fell on hers like a man starved, like he’d longed for her for years. And this time, he didn’t hold back. He overloaded her system like an invading virus and made her shudder with desire. When he released her to wrap his arms around her, she practically threw herself against him, sliding her hands across his shoulders and locking him to her. They generated so much heat, she was surprised the kitchen didn’t catch fire around them. Grabbing her beneath her arms, Kyle lifted her off her feet until her toes dangled several inches above the floor. Now her mouth was level with his and when she arched against him, she felt the hard ridge of his erection press against her mound. Hot and hard, he felt huge. And she didn’t have so much as a twinge of fear. Probably due to the fact that her brain had short-circuited with lust. The little voice of reason had a brief burst of sanity, questioning why she wasn’t freaking out. But just as fast, it was gone and she couldn’t care less. All she could do was feel. And be thankful for it. Heat sizzled in her blood, pooled low in her belly and between her legs. More sensation than she’d ever experienced made her lightheaded. Her hips tilted into him, seeking the relief promised by that hard rod. Kyle responded with a groan and eased back on the intensity of the kiss. After a few seconds, he pulled back completely and set her back on her feet, staring down at her. He raised one hand and wrapped his fingers around her neck, his thumb brushing against the hollow where her pulse beat out of control. His gaze, molten gold visible in the darkening shadows, pinned her in place as his hand slid around to massage her nape. Her muscles felt like liquid as she relaxed beneath his hand. Her eyes began to drift closed but his thumb tapped her chin. “Don’t look away, Tamra. I need to see your eyes. I need to make sure you’re with me here.” She had no desire to disobey the command in his voice. And the sentiment behind his words made her heart flutter. “Then don’t treat me like a porcelain doll.” His eyes narrowed. “You reminded me of one, the first time I saw you.” His voice brushed against her, raising goose bumps. “So pretty, so pale. So breakable.” Sliding her hands from his shoulders into his hair, she scraped her nails against his nape then tugged, hard. “I’m not fragile.” His smile reminded her of a predatory animal’s, one ready to take a bite out of her. “And you can’t hurt me, hon. I want to devour you, but any time you want to stop, you say the word.” Instead of answering, she tugged on his hair again. “Shut up and kiss me again.” “I want more than your mouth, Tam.”
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And so did she. “Then take it. I won’t break.” When his mouth descended this time, she tasted the difference. In the heat of his mouth, in the way his hand cupped her head and forced her to bend to his will. She followed his every lead, more than happy to give herself over to him because he made her feel alive. With his mouth still on hers, he picked her up again and began to move as her legs wrapped around his waist. The house fell into shadow the farther away from the kitchen they got, and when he opened the door to what she assumed was his bedroom then closed it behind him, darkness settled around them. Kyle set her on the bed and moved away, making her draw in a sharp breath when she realized she couldn’t see a thing. “Hey, babe, it’s okay,” His voice soothed from the dark. “Just give me a sec.” A rustle sounded and then moonlight spilled into the room, revealing Kyle’s outline on the other side of the bed. He looked tall and broad and he should have been menacing. But all Tam felt was a fierce and raging desire. Rising onto her knees, she moved across the bed to him, grabbed his t-shirt by the hem and began pulling it up and off his body. He had to bend slightly for her to pull it over his head and when she did, he stole a quick kiss before straightening. Her lips curved in a smile at the electric pleasure of that small touch. But her heart raced at her first glance at his hard, muscled chest, lightly covered with dark hair. Her hands lifted to his pecs and rested there, drawing in the extreme heat of his body. She felt his chest rise and fall in an ever-increasing pattern. She loved knowing she affected him just as much as he affected her. And wondered how much it was going to take to push him away from the restraint she felt in his tight muscles. She didn’t want him thinking about what had happened to her before. She wanted him to want her so badly he couldn’t help but surrender to her. Leaning closer, she put her lips around one flat male nipple, just below the stylized tattoo of a sun, and drew the little nub into her mouth. Kyle sucked in a deep breath as she flicked her tongue against his flesh before lightly scraping it between her teeth. One of his hands threaded through her hair, holding her to him and she felt a slight burn on her scalp when she moved her lips to work the other nipple. Her hands slid down his hot, silky skin to his waist where her fingers slid along his waistband before forcing the button through its hole and releasing the zipper. His cock practically fought free of his shorts and she felt the heat coming off that thick stalk of flesh against her stomach. As his shorts fell to the floor, her hands hesitated for seconds before finally wrapping around him. Tam had been with a couple other guys before but none had been as impressively built as Kyle.
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His cock wasn’t obscenely large but felt thicker than she’d ever had. She pulled away from her ministrations to his nipples so she could look down and see it. Beautiful was the first word that came to mind. In the moonlight, she couldn’t truly see color but the shape of him was gorgeous. Her fingers didn’t meet around the base and the tip bulged, the thick vein on the underside pulsing. Cupping one hand around his tight balls, she stroked his cock with the other. His skin stretched tight over the core, sleek hot silk over iron. She lost herself in the feel of him as she smoothed her hand up and down, from root to tip. Moving closer, she bent until she could brush the burning hot tip against her tight nipple. The sensation jolted through her, making her gasp. She’d never had a man’s cock rubbed against her breasts before, had never known how arousing it could be. The silky heat scrambled her thoughts, made her forget what she’d been aiming to do. Oh yeah. She’d been going down on him. But she’d never given a man a blowjob before either. She didn’t want to do anything wrong. As if he’d read her mind, Kyle’s voice rasped out a harsh plea. “Will you suck me, baby? Please. I want your mouth on me.” She swore all the air in the room evaporated and her chest tightened but not in pain. Leaning even farther, she let her lips brush across the tip, Kyle’s strangled breaths teasing her ears. On the next pass, she let her tongue swipe across that hot flesh, his taste exploding on her tongue like spice. Her pussy began to throb. She wanted him to thrust into her sex, hard and deep, but first she wanted to suck him. Opening her mouth wide, she enveloped the tip, so soft and yet so hard. Then she let her mouth sink down his shaft until he hit her throat. Not really knowing what to do, she let instinct guide her into a rhythm of pulling back and taking him in. With every suck on his flesh, she felt powerful. She felt almost whole. Like she hadn’t in months. Maybe ever. She pulled back to the tip and sucked hard, having realized he liked that. His hard gasp made her smile around him. With one more lick at the tiny slit on the top, she released him and tilted her head so she could see his face. Her pussy clenched at the hard desire stamped into his features even as her mouth pulled into a seductive smile. Which didn’t last long when he grabbed her and not so gently tossed her onto her back on the bed before he fell to his knees and put his mouth over her wet core. He didn’t take it slow and easy, the way she thought he would. It was almost as if he’d finally taken her at her word that she was okay. She was more than okay. She was burning up.
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And when his teeth raked her clit as his fingers spread her labia, she nearly screamed when he plunged his tongue into her sheath. Electricity flared and heat burst as her body gave itself over to him. His free hand latched onto her left breast, teasing the nipple into a tight point before switching to the other and doing the same. All the while his tongue alternated between tormenting her clit and fucking her sheath. She felt an orgasm building, felt the clenching need. She reached for it, arching off the bed, pushing herself closer to his mouth, wanting him to push her over the edge. And he pulled away. Gasping, she pushed herself onto her elbows, ready to demand he continue. She opened her mouth only to have the words die on her tongue as she watched him rise to his feet, looking for all the world like a conquering god. His eyes burned as he stared down at her, his features set in stone as he sheathed his erection in a condom he’d gotten God knows when, then grabbed her hips and lifted her to him with one hand. With the other, he pointed his cock toward her opening and began sinking into her body. She melted back onto the bed with an indrawn breath as he pushed into her tight channel, slowly but inexorably. “Wrap your legs around me, Tamra. And don’t let go.” His harsh tone inflamed her further and she could only obey. “Tamra, I want you to watch me, baby. See me.” Looking up into his eyes, she then followed them down as he lowered his gaze to watch his cock sink deeper and deeper into her body. She’d never seen anything more erotic in her life. And the way it made her feel, she thought she might honestly pass out. Her legs spread wide and locked around him, his hands locked onto her hips, they moved together in perfect synchronization. Showers of sparks flared low in her body as her sheath clamped onto him. The friction of each thrust pushed her closer to the edge of orgasm. But she didn’t want to fall over that cliff yet. She wanted to hold onto this feeling, the sensation of being totally and utterly submerged by Kyle’s desire for her and by her own for him. She’d never experienced anything like this before and she wanted to make it last. But Kyle began to thrust harder, the tip of his cock at just the right angle to hit that spot inside, the one that made her gasp each time. The one that cranked her higher and made it impossible to hold on. Finally, she fell, her body erupting in decadent fire, and she cried out his name, her hands clutching at his on her hips.
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He groaned and seated himself deep only seconds later, her sheath rippling again with his pulsing cock. Lost in all-consuming orgasm, Kyle knew only Tamra. Her pussy wrapped around his cock, her legs around his waist. The look of utter bliss on her face as she lay spread out before him, her body completely open before him. He’d watched her come, held off his own orgasm until he’d seen her lose herself in the pleasure. Only then did he let himself implode in the most devastating climax he’d ever experienced. Hell, it’d felt almost as magical as when he called forth his pelt. Shit. He froze, his mind beginning to spin. He’d heard others talk about finding their mates. He’d listened to Dan explain how it’d felt to him one drunken night. How he’d connected so deeply with Margie that she actually had control to some degree over his wolf. “It’s a total loss of control, man. Scary as hell at first, to know someone has that power over you. But it’s kind of like a safeguard. You know you’ll never hurt her, could never hurt her.” Kyle hadn’t understood then. Hadn’t ever wanted to understand or give anyone that much power over his body. Over his being. He’d never imagined one tiny blonde eteri would rip it out of his hands. Or that he’d let it go without a fight. Tam sighed, drawing his attention. Reluctantly, he pulled out of her body and immediately wanted to get back in. Next time, he wanted her on top, riding him. Letting her control. “Kyle?” Tam smiled up at him, her eyes barely open, sleep already pulling at her. Shoving all thoughts but her comfort out of his mind, he leaned down to press a kiss on her lips. Before he could get lost in her taste, he straightened, picked her up in his arms and repositioned her more comfortably on the bed. Since the night was still warm, he didn’t cover her with the sheet. He planned to do that with his body. “I’ll be right back, hon.” After a quick trip to the bathroom, he returned to find she’d moved so she could see him. Still awake, she watched him walk back to bed, her eyes traveling all over his body. It made him hard in seconds. Sliding onto the bed next to her, he placed his arm around her waist and drew her closer until their lips were separated by mere centimeters. “Go to sleep, Tam.” “Are you okay?” she asked after a brief pause.
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Hell no. “I’m fine. You need to rest.” Her eyes drifted shut. “Don’t go anywhere.” “Not on your life.” Her lips curled up in a smile. And he wondered if she realized he’d meant every word.
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Chapter Five Barely awake, Tam opened her eyes to hazy, dawn-pink light. And a wonderfully relaxed feeling in her body. “How’d you sleep?” Until that voice made every muscle in her body tense in expectation of pleasure. God, the man made her heart pound. Stretching her entire body like a cat, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him. Kyle sat on the chair next to the bed in jeans and nothing else, elbows on his knees, staring at her. Starting at his waistband, her gaze traveled from the six-pack abs to the tattoo she’d noticed last night, a beautifully stylized depiction of a sun with tiny dots ringing an inner circle. She’d already seen the alien-looking markings on his arm but hadn’t realized the harsh, coal-black symbols went all the way to his shoulder. She wanted to ask what they meant but when her gaze met his, she got lost in that glittering topaz gaze, though his expression was set in stone. She smiled at him, feeling lighter than she had in years. She’d had the best sex of her life last night. She hadn’t freaked out. And Kyle… Kyle made her feel alive again. “I slept fine. Thank you. And you?” He didn’t answer right away, just watched her with those eyes. Finally he sat up only to slouch back into the chair. She’d never seen anything as sexy in her entire life. The man was a work of art, from the ripped abs and broad shoulders to the chiseled cheeks and muscled arms. Those arms could have terrified her, reminded her of the attack. Instead she’d felt safe. Protected. Had anchored her even when she was flying from the first orgasm she’d ever had with a man. And his smile, when his mouth finally loosened enough for it to curve, was a revelation. “Probably better than I should have.” Then he sighed and the smile disappeared. “We need to talk, Tam. We need to figure some stuff out and we need to go talk to someone.” The real world tried to intrude but she wasn’t ready for it. Not yet. Instead, she let her gaze drop to his lap, where she saw the bulge of his erection pressing against his zipper. She did that to him. God, she loved knowing she affected him like that. “And we need to do that right now?”
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His gaze darkened as he held hers, heat beginning to build between her legs. Her lungs felt heavy and the air in the room thickened. She wanted him again. Wanted him to take her and make everything else go away again. Then he shook his head. “You have time for a shower and breakfast. Then we gotta get going. I want to get started tracking down who those men were working for.” She wanted to groan but bit her tongue. Now that he’d mentioned the men, reality burst through her bubble of arousal. Last night had been an oasis, almost a dream. But the languor in her body and the slight ache between her thighs let her know it wasn’t. If she could hold on to those sensations throughout the day, maybe that would make everything else feel less surreal too. “Where do we have to go?” Her resigned tone made his mouth twitch into a half-assed grin. Unfolding from the chair, he eased onto the side of the bed, finally close enough to touch. Her fingers itched to stroke over that heated skin, but he beat her to it, lifting his hand to cup her jaw and rubbing his thumb across her lips. “To talk to someone who may be able to help us find who those men were working for.” “And who’s that?” “One of the strega in Margie’s boschetta has the Gift of praenuntio. She can see the future. I want her to read you, maybe find out if and when this woman will try for you again.” “You think she will?” “I think whoever it is went to a hell of a lot of trouble to find you. And I want to know why.” Before she knew what he was doing, he leaned forward and kissed her. Closed mouth, hard contact and only for a second. But enough to rattle her brain. Then he pulled away and ran finger across her cheek, making her shiver. “Now. Get up and get a shower before I crawl back into bed and we don’t leave.” She licked his taste off her lips and smiled at the heat in his eyes. “Would that be such a bad thing?” She shrugged and felt the sheet slip away from her hold to pool in her lap. Naked from the waist up, she didn’t bother to cover herself. She wanted him to look, wanted him to see her. To want her. And he did. He let his gaze drop to devour her, his predatory gaze skimming her over her breasts, nipples peaked and sensitive. Please touch me. Couldn’t he hear her? Didn’t he know she wanted him to reach for her? To cup her breasts in his hands and lift them to his mouth? Lick the sensitive buds with his tongue and pull them into his mouth?
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Her breath froze as he stared, his hands clenching and unclenching on his legs. Then the air left her lungs in a rush when he shook his head and looked away. As if to avoid temptation. “No. Another time, I’m gonna take you up on that. But not now.” Disappointment made her shoulders droop as he sighed, pushed to his feet and headed for the door. Of course, she watched his particularly fine ass all the way until he turned out of sight. Flopping back onto the bed, she pressed her cheek against the pillow next to hers and drew in a deep breath. It smelled like Kyle, musky and male and sexy. She wanted to curl around the pillow and just sniff it but he’d think she was deranged if he caught her. And just what does he think of you? That little bitch voice in her head spoke up, but she couldn’t fault it. The man had the hots for her. No doubt about that. But what she couldn’t figure out was why. She’d never been the kind of girl who turned heads. She and her mom had never stayed in one place long enough for her to have a steady boyfriend, and she wasn’t interested in casual relationships. Hell, she hadn’t been interested in long-term relationships at all. The men she’d dated in the past had never stuck around for more than a month. So what are you doing with Kyle, who happens to be a freaking werewolf? Since she didn’t want to think about that, she flung herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. But the lingering thought wouldn’t leave her as she took a quick shower and dressed in a light sundress. She’d had shorts in her hand but had decided at the last minute to wear a dress. She wanted to be feminine and sexy. For him. When she walked out into the kitchen, she saw Kyle sitting at the breakfast bar, the small television on the counter tuned to CNN but too low for her to hear it. Could he? Was his hearing that good because he was part wolf? Was he part wolf? What actually happened when he changed? Was his brain still human? So many mind-blowing questions. So few answers. She wanted—no, she needed answers. And only he could give them to her. “Kyle, tell me how it works. Is it really magic?” Kyle had wondered how long it would take her to ask that question. Last night she hadn’t really had time to think anything through. And he was kicking himself this morning for disregarding the tiny rational part of his brain and giving in to his much larger desire for her.
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Did she regret last night? Did she wake up this morning and think, “Holy shit, I slept with an animal last night”? Did she even still believe what she’d seen? Some people, after a little time had passed, were able to make themselves believe anything they wanted. Had she convinced herself she really hadn’t seen Cat’s transformation last night? What would happen when she saw him do the same? Would it make her run all the way back to Philadelphia? “Do you want something to eat? I’ve got blueberry muffins or cereal or I could make you some eggs.” She didn’t answer right away, just slid onto the stool next to his. “Are you going to ignore my questions?” He sighed and took a second look at her. The timid girl who’d shown up for dinner had vanished sometime during the night. He couldn’t say he didn’t like this new Tam. He liked her a hell of a lot better than he did the scared girl spilling out her bruised heart to what she thought was a dog. But he didn’t handle questions well, especially not about himself. He had too much to hide. Still, if he had any chance in hell of keeping her with him until he found out who had orchestrated the botched kidnapping last night, he better find answers. “I’ll answer your question but you still need to eat.” She rolled her eyes, reminding him for a split second of Cat. They weren’t that far apart in age and— That was really not what he wanted to think about now. She huffed. “Fine. I’ll have a muffin and coffee. And I’ll get them myself. You,” she looked straight into his eyes, “start talking.” His lips quirked up in a smile. Yeah, he liked this Tam a lot better than the frightened girl. “Where do you want me to start?” “At the beginning.” Ah. History. He could do that. It was detached. And not specifically about him. “The lucani are descended from the ancient Etruscans, who taught the Romans everything they knew so they could go out and conquer the world. Our civilization has been around for millennia. What the history books don’t tell you is that the Etruscans controlled a powerful magic and still do. “There are two races. The Fata and the Enu. The Fata are the elemental beings, folletti and linchetti. The Enu are humans, streghe and the versipelli being the two biggest groups.” She turned from the counter where she was pouring coffee from the pot, her face screwed up in a slight frown. “What are folletti and linchetti?”
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“Fairies and elves.” As her mouth dropped open in amazement, his lips curved in a grin. “But if you ever meet a folletta, don’t call her a fairy. They don’t take too kindly to it.” “So…you’re human, right?” He nodded as she returned to her stool with a steaming mug. “And when you’re a wolf…” “I’m still human, just with a fur coat. I won’t hurt or attack you, Tam.” She grimaced. “That’s not what I was thinking about. Although…can you make someone into a versipelli?” “Yes, but it’s difficult and as good as forbidden. It’s like being infected with a virus except you’re infected with magic. The body undergoes a violent change and most people don’t survive.” “But you were born like this. And so was Cat.” “Yeah. We’re taught how to control ourselves and our bodies at a young age. Even before we transform for the first time somewhere around puberty. Some don’t make it through. And the streghe, the witches like Cat and her mom, Margorie, they’re born with their powers.” “So there really is magic.” “Yeah, and it’s something some people would kill to get their hands on.” She paused as she thought that over. “Do you think someone is trying to use me to get to you? We didn’t even know each other until yesterday.” “No, that’s not what I think.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Then… Wait, do you think… Are you trying to say I have magic?” Tricky going here. “How much do you know about your great-grandfather?” Her eyes widened. “Are you going to tell me he was an Etruscan, like you?” Kyle nodded. “Yeah, he was. Did you know he changed his name from Guliano to Johnson when he emigrated here?” Her frown looked almost painful. “No, I never knew. But…but I don’t have powers. I don’t have any magic.” “That’s not exactly true. I can detect the faintest trace of arus in your blood. That’s not unusual. A lot of people have it and don’t even know. But your great-grandfather knew.” Her mouth dropped open before she quickly shut it. “Get out.” “I think whoever set up last night’s attempted kidnapping knows too.” “And that’s why those men were after me? But I can’t do anything. Why would they want me?” “I don’t know. That’s what I’m hoping we can find out from Tira.”
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***** By the time they reached the boundaries of New Tarquin, the boschetta’s village, Kyle wondered if Tamra was worried or stunned. She hadn’t said much on the ride over. Then again, he’d had the music on, thinking it might give them both a reprieve from conversation. Queen’s Greatest Hits. Who didn’t love Queen? And he didn’t want to keep asking her if she was okay. But the longer they drove, the more tense she got. He could smell it. And since it was ratcheting up his stress level, he could only think of one possible solution. Just after turning off the rural two-lane road onto the unmarked lane leading to the village, he pulled his Wrangler onto the shoulder of the road. As the car bumped to a stop, Tam blinked and turned to him. “Is this it? Are we here?” He didn’t answer. Turning off the engine but letting the music continue, he got out and walked around to her side of the car. Queen’s “Somebody to Love” began to blare from the speakers. “Kyle?” Opening her door, he reached for her as she turned to him, a question in the wrinkle of her nose. Which he wiped off when he lifted her out of the car and against him. Dropping his mouth on hers, he kissed her. He’d had only the vaguest notion that he wanted her to relax. Hell, last night, after sex, she’d practically gone boneless and passed out. So he kissed her. He just didn’t expect to lose himself in the sensation of her lips against his. At least not this fast. Which just showed how much of a fool he was. Because the second she opened her mouth to him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and her fingers winding into his hair, he lost all control of the situation. His cock hardened instantly and painfully. And when she lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist, she arched into him, rubbing against his erection until he throbbed. He hadn’t been ready for her complete participation. He’d expected to have to coax her into the kiss. He hadn’t expected her to devour him. But by that point, he didn’t care. Didn’t give a shit that they were standing on an open road. That someone could drive by and see them. He didn’t think he’d notice if someone stopped to take pictures. All that mattered was getting his hand under the skirt of her pretty blue-and-white sundress and sinking his fingers into her warm, wet pussy. 71
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Vaffanculo, she wasn’t wearing underwear. He swore his body temperature rose two hundred degrees at the thought. With her legs around his waist, she was held open for him. Her moan when he slicked his fingers through her labia blew a few more brain cells as all the blood in his body rushed south. By sheer luck, he managed to get her propped against the side of the car as his fingers continued to tease her. Her clit hardened and he mercilessly played the tiny bundle of nerves until his fingers were coated in her juices. He wished he had the time to lay her back on the hood and put his mouth over her pussy, lap at her until she came against his mouth, but that would expose her too much. Instead, he played with her, let his fingers glide through her wet folds. Slick moisture coated his skin as he stroked her until she was just on the brink, her body trembling and so close to orgasm he could smell it. Setting her on the bumper, he pulled a condom from his back pocket, then unhooked his jeans and released the zipper. He pushed them over his hips and released his cock, also bare of underwear. Ripping open the packet, he covered himself then pulled her back into his arms. Hers wound around his neck as her lips settled somewhere near his collarbone before kissing a heated trail to his left ear. “Kyle,” she whispered. “Hurry.” Her husky voice had his blood chugging through his veins like heated honey. He had to have her. Shoving her skirt out of the way, he lowered her onto his cock and seated himself in one motion. Her head fell back on a gasp and burning lust shivered through him like liquid silver. He paused, holding her, watching pleasure overtake her until he couldn’t stay still any longer. His hips pulled back then thrust, her grip around him exquisite. Like a fucking glove. “Gods, Tam, you are so damn tight.” Her pussy tightened around him even further. “And you’re so hard. Kyle, please.” He pulled out again, the friction making his balls pull up in toe-curling need. “Please what, baby?” He slid back in a half-inch at a time, her sheath milking him every step. He’d intended for this to be a quickie but now that he was in her, he didn’t want to come so fast. He wanted to stay there for hours. She lifted her head and stared straight into his eyes. “Make me scream.” Those ice-blue eyes proved his undoing. So straightforward, so blue with desire. So his. He thrust hard, pinning her hips against the car. Her fingers yanked at his hair, the slight pain adding to his pleasure. Using his free hand to yank the stretchy top of her
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sundress down, he bent to take one nipple in his mouth and bit the hard tip, just enough to make her cry out his name. Licking away the hurt as he pumped into her, he kissed his way to her neck, bit the soft skin just under her ear. Her scent exploded in his brain and he wound his fingers through her hair to pull her head back. He ground his lips onto hers and thrust his tongue into her mouth, feeling his balls tighten to the point of pain. His cock throbbed, aching and on fire until finally he came. He pumped hot and hard, hoping, praying… Yes. She shuddered around him, her head falling back as she came, moist heat flooding over his sheathed cock. Damn condom. For at least a minute, he stood there, just holding her, his forehead pressed against the smooth skin of her shoulder. Every breath drew more of her scent into his lungs, that spicy-sweet essence that made him want to pound his chest. Finally, she stirred, fingers kneading his scalp like a kitten with a blanket. He didn’t want to pull out but they were already late. And, not that he cared, but they were standing along the road. He eased back, not enough to slip from her body but just enough to see the look on her face. Relaxed. Sated. So damn beautiful. And about to meet the entire boschetta, so probably not going to want to do it looking like he’d just banged her brains out against the car. Damn, he really was an idiot. He sighed. “Tam—” She put her fingers over his mouth. Warm, a little moist. He wanted to suck her fingers into his mouth. They’d taste like sweat and sex and Tam. His cock twitched and she smiled. “If you ask me if I’m okay, I’m going to have to show you just how okay I am and I don’t think you want the police to find us while I’m giving you a blowjob.” The image of her on her knees, sucking his cock, made blood rush to the organ in question. She clenched around him and he groaned, knowing he’d be ready to go again in minutes. “That’s not much of a deterrent, babe. The boschetta owns one hundred fifty acres, including all the homes and the surrounding forest and fields. The police don’t patrol here. The roads are listed as private.” But the wards around the property had alerted the streghe to their presence the second the car crossed through them. So when they didn’t show up when expected, the streghe would wonder. When they got a look at Tam, they’d know exactly what they’d been up to.
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The streghe weren’t exactly known for their tact. They’d want to grill Tam but they’d also see her haunted eyes and her youth. Then they’d want to coddle her, pet her. Take care of her. And Tam wouldn’t want that. Shit, maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have brought Tira to Tam. Would Tam be able to handle all the stares, all the women asking questions? Or would it make her clam up? And pull away from him? With a sigh, he bent until he could rub his nose against her sun-warmed cheek. And pulled his softening cock from her body. At least the condom kept her from getting messy, he thought as he disposed of it and cleaned himself off with wipes he kept in the glove box. “Kyle?” “Yeah, sweetheart?” He turned to throw the wipes in the trash bag he kept in the car and when he looked back at her, she wore a bemused smile. “Hey, what’s wrong?” She shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong. I just… Are you sure you want to do this?” He frowned. “Do what?” She rearranged her dress and he caught sight of her naked pussy for just a second. Heat flashed again, and he buttoned his jeans before he got any more brilliant ideas. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed it. He just didn’t want her to be uncomfortable talking to the streghe. “I’m not really sure.” She shrugged her shoulders, her gaze confused. “Introduce me to the rest of your world, maybe? I mean, I’m not like you. Your…people probably have rules about who knows what, right?” Not quite sure where she was going with this, he crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “Yeah, we do. But you don’t have anything to worry about. None of this will fall on your head.” She smiled but it was a little sad. “I have no doubt you won’t let anything happen to me, Kyle.” The pride he felt at her dead-serious tone made him want to puff out his chest. Which also made him feel like an idiot. Then she sighed. “But aren’t you worried about what happens when I…leave?” No. Because she wasn’t leaving him. Not ever. She just didn’t know it yet. Gods be damned, he was a complete idiot for even thinking along those lines. For years he’d told himself he wasn’t about to give over control of his life to another person and now he was ready to roll onto his back at her feet so she could rub his stomach? Vaffanculo, he needed to get a grip. Even as he knew he’d do everything he could to keep her with him. “Do you have any plans on selling our story to the tabloids? Do you think anyone would believe you?”
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She flinched and he mentally kicked his own ass. He knew what had happened when she’d gone to the police and told her story. Even bruised and battered, there were people who had come to the defense of the rapist, who had called her a liar and a whore. Those people better hope he never came across them. “Vaffanculo. That’s not… Shit, just forget I said that.” “No, you’re right.” The wry twist of her lips made him want to grab her but he stayed where he was. “It is a pretty strange story, isn’t it?” “Yeah, it is.” And she didn’t know everything yet. Probably past time he remembered that. Fate really was a bitch. “Come on, sweetheart. We gotta get moving.”
***** Tam couldn’t believe how much more relaxed she felt. Which should worry her. A little sex—no, great sex—with Kyle and her stress levels deflated like a pinpricked balloon. Still, she couldn’t say she didn’t like it. Maybe a little too much. But she’d rather focus on that than on the nervousness gathering like a lead ball in her stomach, because as they crested a small hill, she got her first glimpse of the village in the valley below. The small cluster of homes looked straight out of some history show on ancient Italy, sitting in a clearing surrounded by forest. As they got closer, she saw they were all one-story buildings. Most were plastered, painted white and roofed with terracotta tiles. A few were made of beautiful natural stone, their roofs also made of tile. Each house sat back from the road, equidistant from each other. Like soldiers at roll call. The road continued through the houses until it dead-ended at the forest at the far end of the village. A large two-story barn sat there, its doors open while a few cows grazed the field to the left. And a large building that reminded Tam of a lodge house at summer camp rambled right up to the forest to the right of the barn. She saw no other cars as they passed through the village but several women worked in huge gardens behind a few of the houses. Not every house had a garden but they were all beautifully landscaped. “Better Homes and Gardens would have a field day here.” She shook her head. “This is beautiful.”
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“The village itself is about a hundred and fifty years old.” Kyle’s voice set off little warning tingles in her belly as he pulled to a stop in front of the lodge. “The houses are passed down from mother to daughter.” “Do any men live here?” “Not usually, no. Only Dan lives here now.” “You’re kidding?” “The boschetta is strictly female.” He turned off the car and turned to look at her. “The streghe usually have only one child. A daughter.” “Can they actually control that? What happens if they have a boy?” “They raise him until he’s old enough to live with his father if the father doesn’t live here. But none of the streghe living here now have had a son. Many of the women don’t take mates. Only Margie and two others have partners. And up until a couple months ago, all of the streghe lived here in the village.” “So what changed?” He shook his head. “That one’s a little complicated. If Nica’s here, you can ask her yourself.” His gaze slid past her shoulder toward the lodge behind them. “Cavalry’s arrived. You ready?” Glancing over her shoulder, Tam saw Margie and Cat standing only a few feet away from the car. Behind them another woman stood in the doorway of the building. Ready? Probably not. “Sure.” She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
***** A half hour later, Tam wanted to eat her words. The blonde bombshell sitting across from her wore a sympathetic expression, her warm blue eyes kind. And Tam couldn’t decide if she was glad Tira hadn’t allowed Kyle in the room while she did her reading or whatever the hell she’d called looking into Tam’s future by holding her hands and falling into some kind of trance…or if she wanted Kyle sitting there telling her everything was going to be okay. “Tamra, I really think you need to talk to Kyle,” Tira said. Tam shook her head, but not in denial. More like trying to get her brain to function in some kind of rational manner. But the fear she thought she’d conquered was making a comeback. Tira sighed. “Tamra—” “So you’re saying Kyle’s in danger because of me?” Tira grimaced. “That’s not exactly what I said.”
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Tam held Tira’s gaze. “But that’s the bottom line? The person who’s after me is going to hurt Kyle trying to get to me?” Tira sighed again, biting at her bottom lip. “Look, sometimes foretelling is like trying to see through fog. You can make out shapes but what you thought was a person might really be a tree. Or a bear.” “But you saw Kyle get shot standing in front of me. How can you mistake that?” Tira’s grimace made Tam’s heart race. “Well, yes, but that may not have anything at all to do with you. You may just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Tam’s gaze narrowed on the other woman. Tam might not have known this woman longer than a half hour but she could read people. It was part of what made her a good nurse. “You don’t believe that.” Tira frowned then shook her head. “You’re right. I don’t. Fine, no more bullshit, Tamra.” Tira sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s going to take a bullet for you.” “Will he…” She had to take a deep breath or risk throwing up. “Will he be okay?” Tira shook her head, her gaze locked on Tam’s. “I don’t know. I only saw him get shot. That’s the problem with foretelling, especially at my level. I usually only get bits and pieces. I rarely ever get the full picture. Yes, it’s frustrating. No, there’s nothing I can do about it.” Tam opened her mouth to ask more questions, to find the answer she needed. The one where Kyle wasn’t hurt because of her. But she closed it again when she realized Tira was near tears. And that wasn’t fair. This wasn’t Tira’s problem. This was Tam’s problem. And she knew what she had to do. But, Jesus, she didn’t want to. “Tamra?” Tira’s voice sounded so very far away. “Tamra, are you okay?” She nodded and lied through her teeth, though she couldn’t quite control the rolls and dips her stomach was taking. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” At least, she would be. When she’d had time to process. But she needed all the facts before she could start. “So the reason this woman wants me is because my great-grandfather had power like yours? But he married someone who didn’t and the magic just kind of dissipated through the generations?” Tira nodded, her expression rueful. “That’s the simple version, yes. But dissipated isn’t exactly the right word. The magic is still there in your blood, it’s just more of a latent gene.” “Like I’m a carrier but I don’t have the disease.” “Again, simplistic but basically true.” “And you think whoever was behind your kidnapping a few months ago is now after me? Because of the trace of magic in my blood?” “Yes, that’s exactly what I think. But I don’t have any idea why she’d go from trying to kidnap a full-blooded strega to taking someone with almost no power at all.” 77
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Tira was right. It didn’t make any sense. Tam took a deep breath, trying not to wish Kyle was there holding her hand. Tira had sent everyone out of the room before she began so she could concentrate on seeing Tam’s future. Which didn’t seem as weird now as it would have yesterday morning. What Tira had seen had been pieces of her past and that one brief glimpse into her future. “So now what?” Tira shrugged. “So now you let Kyle figure out what’s going on.” Yeah, that really didn’t sit right with Tam. She’d been raised to take care of herself, to solve her own problems. She wasn’t about to give up control over her life to someone else. Especially not to the man who might die for her. But she wasn’t going to tell that to this chesty, blue-eyed blonde who looked like she didn’t know the meaning of self-sufficiency. Shaking her head, Tam rose, trying not to let her knees shake. “Thank you for… Well, just thanks, I guess.” Tira rose too, reaching out but not quite touching Tam. “The man who came after me had power. He was strong enough to hurt my friend Nica’s mate with a spell. Yes, there are other magical races out there like the Etruscans but only one or two have managed to keep bloodlines as pure as we have. “That man’s bloodline wasn’t pure and we still don’t know how he acquired that much power. Tamra, I can see you’re used to your independence, but you’re not equipped to handle this situation.” True, but if she stayed, Kyle would be hurt. He could die. And she couldn’t live with that on her hands. Tam forced a smile, knowing Tira probably saw right through it. “I know that. Thanks, really. I just…need to talk to Kyle.” She turned and headed for the door, trying to compose her expression even though her brain spun like a top. She didn’t want Kyle to even suspect what she planned to do. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the knob. Before she even had the door halfway open, Kyle stepped into her field of vision, those gorgeous topaz eyes laser-sharp on hers. She started to reach for him but pulled back, biting down on her bottom lip. And those eyes narrowed down to slits. “Tam. Are you—” He cut off what she was sure was going to be “Are you okay?” and she blinked back the quick tears that spring to her eyes. “What happened?” Damn it, what the hell did she tell him? If she told him everything, she feared he’d never let her out of his sight. And she’d never be able to run.
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She had to get away, go somewhere and hide. Away from all of this. Away from the people who could get hurt if she stayed and let them take care of her. She refused to be the cause of Kyle’s death. “Tamra!” Blinking, she snapped out of her haze when Kyle’s hands landed on her shoulders and lifted her gaze. His expression held a tinge of fear that looked so out of place on his strong face and she hated that she’d put it there. “I’m fine, Kyle. Can we just…go somewhere and talk? Please. I just need—” He grabbed her hand. “Come on.” He led her down the hall, heading toward the back of the building. She barely noticed her surroundings, so completely lost in her own thoughts. She allowed him to lead her into a room, heard him shut the door behind them. Looking up, she spotted a couch to the right of the door and headed for it, sinking into as he made a motion forward then stopped and grabbed the wooden chair from the desk next to the couch. Flipping it around, he sat on it backward directly in front of her. Her gaze unable to connect with his, she let it roam his body. He really should scare her, with those tattoos and the bulging muscles, the sense of leashed power simmering just below his outward calm. Finally she lifted her gaze to his and got caught in the intensity of it. “Are you going to tell me what she said?” he asked. She nodded. “I just needed…a few minutes.” “Is it that bad?” Seeing him shot in front of her would be awful, yes. And he deserved to be forewarned. But if she left, he’d be safe. She had to go, somewhere no one knew her. Somewhere the woman who was after her wouldn’t think to look. And she had to get as far away from Kyle as she could. “Tira saw you get shot standing in front of me.” His eyes narrowed. “Is that all she saw?” “No. She saw pieces of my past. You knew about my great-grandfather. You knew he had power.” He raked a hand through his hair, pushing the strands away from his eyes. “I also knew he was a righteous bastard. You didn’t miss a thing not knowing him. Probably better off for not. He wasn’t lucani. He was Etruscan descended and he had enough power to classify him stregone, a male witch. But the reason he moved out here away from everyone was because no one could stand him and he couldn’t stand anyone else. I knew your great-grandmother was an eteri he accidentally made pregnant and when
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his son was born with no powers, he never bothered with them again. At least, that’s what he told my dad.” “My grandfather wasn’t much more compassionate. He kicked my mom out at eighteen when she got pregnant with me, and I never knew my grandparents. Mom always said we were better off without them.” “Then you were.” He reached out to run a finger along her chin. “You turned out just fine.” She smiled as a shiver ran through her body from his touch. Why the hell was she even thinking about running away when she should be throwing herself at him? But there were other considerations here than just how she felt about him. His life was more important. His secret. Her secret too, apparently. “What are you thinking?” Kyle’s low-pitched rumble revved her slowly simmering libido. Which just went to prove how completely off-kilter she was because almost overwhelming exhaustion crept over her. She wanted to lie on the couch, close her eyes and take a nap. Just let it all go away, just for a little while. “I’m trying to figure out when my life became a runaway train.” His expression hardened as he withdrew his hand and wrapped it around the top of his chair. “Are you going to tell me what else Tira had to say?” A yawn caught her off guard and she raised her hand to cover her mouth. “I told you. Tira saw you get shot in front of me, Kyle. In the chest from only a few feet away.” Tears welled but she closed her eyes against them. “There’s no way you could live through that. I don’t want you to have to live through that.” He didn’t say anything at first, as if he were trying to come up with a response that would be acceptable to her. “Sweetheart, I’m a lot tougher than I look.” She yawned again, shaking her head. “You’re not Superman.” He barely lifted his left eyebrow, giving him the look of a pirate. “Says who? Besides, I’m not stupid enough to get shot in the chest.” Her smile was almost too hard to pull off, she was so tired. “I didn’t say you were stupid, Kyle. I’d never say that about you.” That wiped away the almost-smirk he had going. Suddenly, he rose, towering over her so she had to bend her neck at an uncomfortable angle to look up at him. “Lie down, babe. Take a nap. You’re practically falling asleep on your feet.” “Where are you going?” He reached behind her to grab the blue blanket on the back of the couch. She hadn’t even noticed it there. Rolling it into a log, he snugged it into the crease between the
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cushion and the arm. “To talk to Dan. You look ready to pass out and I don’t think you’d appreciate any more of my brand of stress relief.” She had to smile at the memory of their bout against his car. “Kyle?” “Hmm?” “Don’t go far.” He nodded but didn’t say anything as she put her head on the makeshift pillow and shut her eyes just as his hand brushed her hair just before he walked out.
***** Kyle had lied to her. He didn’t go to Dan. “Tira. Can I talk to you?” The little blonde turned a pained expression toward him when he finally caught up with her at the home she shared with her mother. “Did you talk to Tamra?” she asked. “Yeah, she told me what you said about me taking a bullet for her.” Her pained expression changed to one of relief as she sighed. “Thank the Blessed Goddess. I thought I was going to have to break my own rule about readings and tell you myself.” “I want to talk to you about the vision. Can we sit for a few minutes?” Tira glanced at the door to her home then back at him. “Mom’s not doing real well right now.” Which was probably an understatement. Tira’s mom hadn’t been “doing well” for the past year but she’d been managing her increasing psychosis until about a month ago. From what Kyle had heard from Margie and Cat, Tira’s mom Suvera had pretty much lost the battle for her sanity. It happened to seers occasionally, when the visions overwhelmed them. When they could no longer control when and what they saw. “How about if we go for a walk?” She smiled at him gratefully. The girl was a beauty, all blonde hair, blue eyes and stacked body. She had the air of a seer, not quite all there. You’d think she was a classic dumb blonde if you didn’t know her. But that far-off look she sometimes got had nothing to do with a deficiency in her mental capacity. As they started down the lane, he had a brief second to wonder about the fact that he’d never even considered asking her out. Too young. Tam was three years younger. Vaffanculo. In his head, he heard mocking laughter and silently told himself to shut the fuck up. “Can you describe the vision for me?” He waited until they were out of hearing distance of her home. “In detail? Anything at all you remember, no matter how insignificant.” 81
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Tira cocked her head to the side, her gaze turning inward. Kyle took her elbow, knowing she wasn’t watching where she was walking. “Well, I don’t recognize the room you’re in but it looks like a living room. Blue couch, white walls, small television on a table. No paintings on the wall, no pictures.” Tira shook her head as if coming out of a trance and Kyle released her when she looked up at him, her grimace apologetic. “That’s all the detail I saw. I was so focused on Tamra and you, I didn’t really take notice of anything else.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “That rules out my place and any place I know. I’m guessing you didn’t see the shooter.” She shook her head. “Not at all. I don’t think it’s that far in the future though. Neither of you look any older. I’m sorry, Kyle. Tamra’s fear almost overwhelmed me. I did get the sense that she was surprised to see you but I could be mistaking that with her shock at seeing you shot. I’m just not sure.” Which basically told him nothing except he was going to take a bullet for Tam. That didn’t surprise him. He’d stand in front of her no matter what. And his body’s natural defenses would protect him from any regular bullet unless it was a direct shot to the heart or the brain. And even then a lucani could survive if they got treatment fast enough. Now, a silver bullet could do lasting damage. But most people didn’t carry silver bullets. So when did Tira’s vision happen? And where? “Kyle?” Dragging himself out of his thoughts, he forced himself to focus on Tira. “What?” “There was one piece I didn’t tell Tamra because it didn’t have anything to do with her. It was only a flash, just a few seconds. I saw Cat crying. I assume she’s crying because you were shot but I couldn’t tell if this was before or after that happened.” Kyle nodded, his mouth tightening. He hated to think of his daughter crying over him but he wasn’t going to die so her tears would dry. “Thanks again. Tira.” Tira’s mouth tipped in a half-hearted smile. “You don’t have to thank me for telling you you’re going to be shot. I just wish…” She sighed, shaking her head. “Never mind. Just take care, Kyle.”
***** Tam woke when the door to the room opened and closed. She sat up, running her fingers through her hair before she caught Kyle’s topaz gaze and frowned. “What’s wrong?” He paused for a moment, his hand still on the doorknob. “What do you mean?” “The look on your face. What happened?”
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He shook his head as he leaned back against the door. His hair fell around his face in midnight shadows, his eyes laser-sharp on hers. His chest rose and fell, his t-shirt loose but not loose enough to hide his muscular pecs. With his arms crossed, his biceps bulged and she knew her hands couldn’t encompass it. And those jeans… Low on his hips, tight on his thighs and way too explicitly cupped around his impressive package. He was everything she never thought she’d want. She’d never had the white-dress fantasy, not even as a kid. Never dreamed of meeting Prince Charming, walking down the aisle and moving to a little house with a picket fence. No, she’d dreamed about a good job, a small apartment and a car that didn’t break down every other week. Guys hadn’t figured into her plans. After her attack, she hadn’t dreamed at all. She’d been too preoccupied with holding onto her sanity and getting through each day. Now, this man made her shiver with his touch. He made her want that happilyever-after. And he was a werewolf. Maybe she needed to buy herself a red cape. His gaze narrowed. “Tam, are you okay?” She couldn’t contain her smile at the image in her head—her in a red cape and nothing else and Kyle chasing after her. Not as a wolf though. No, he was all man. And naked. Damn, the man looked like a god naked. She continued to smile up at him as she considered telling him to lock the door and strip. Would he do it? Or would he think she only wanted him for sex? Her smiling fading, she swung her legs over the side of the couch and planted her feet on the floor. Back to reality. The reality where she had to leave. Run somewhere whoever was after her wouldn’t find her. Apparently, those men had been searching for her for months and had only just caught up to her. Now that they were dead, it’d make sense that the woman who’d sent them would need to find new bloodhounds to sniff her out. She could take an alias, go somewhere no one would expect her to go. The Midwest, maybe. She could disappear. Kyle would be safe. And she’d be alone. Again. “Tam, what are you thinking?” If she was going to disappear, she wanted one more memory of him. 83
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Meeting his gaze again, she held out her hand to him and waited with bated breath for him to take it. He didn’t make her wait long. He pushed away from the door and took her hand, lacing their fingers together as he stood in front of her. “You sleep okay?” His husky voice made her nipples tighten and burn, her thighs clench. Her gaze level with his stomach, she let it drop just a few inches to his crotch. She swore she saw his cock twitch against his zipper. “Tamra?” His voice had dropped at least an octave, sexy and arousing. She wanted him, the desire so strong, it nearly made her breathless. Lifting her free hand, she slid it under his shirt to his waistband, letting her fingers trace the button. He wasn’t wearing a belt so she wouldn’t have to contend with that. “Tam.” His voice sounded distinctly strangled now as his fingers tightened around hers. She lifted her gaze to his. “Can I touch you?” His jaw clenched and his eyes darkened to burnished gold as he stared at her. “You can have anything you want, sweetheart. Haven’t you realized that yet?” Her heart began to beat in a furious rhythm and all the air vanished from the room. No one had ever said that to her before and she’d never imagined how freeing it could be to hear. Anything she wanted? She wanted him. Only him. Brushing her fingers against the skin of his waist, she watched him suck in a breath, as if she’d burned him. But he didn’t move. Releasing his hand, she slid both of hers under his shirt and stroked her fingers up his sides, feeling his silky, hot skin beneath hers. “Will you take your shirt off for me?” He didn’t hesitate, just reached over his shoulders and pulled the shirt over his head. And took her breath away. He truly was a work of art, honed to male perfection. From the broad shoulders to his six-pack abs to the trim waist, all that naked skin beckoned. Lifting her hand, she traced the hard ridge of each abdominal with her fingers, working her way up to his nipples. She loved how his chest rose and fell so rapidly, obviously aroused by her touch. The dark hair on his pecs tickled her palms as she tweaked his already hard nipples between her fingers. He must’ve liked it because his hands clenched into fists at his side as he sucked in a deep breath and didn’t move. 84
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She certainly enjoyed it, the wiry soft curls intensifying the heat bubbling in her gut. Leaning closer, she rubbed the tip of her nose against the flat plane of his stomach just above his bellybutton, breathing in his scent. Musky male and a hint of the herbal soap he’d used earlier in the shower. Her eyes wanted to flicker closed, her mouth wanted to bite into that hard flesh then lick away the hurt. To take his taste inside her body. Her gaze dropped from his chest past his stomach back to the button on his jeans. Her hands followed, brushing down his torso to his jeans. The warm material made her fingers curl into the waistband, almost but not quite touching the button. His harsh breathing sounded like music to her ears, egging her on. She wanted him to beg her to rip open his jeans and take him in her mouth. Her tongue peeked out to lick her lips and he groaned, low and deep. “Tam, baby.” He didn’t say anything else but she heard the plea in those words. She let her fingers graze the button again before beginning to work it through the little hole. Her knuckles rubbed against the erect cock confined behind the zipper and she couldn’t resist pressing against that hard flesh. Anticipation made her mouth dry and her pussy clench with need. As if he couldn’t take not touching her any longer, he slid his fingers into her hair and cupped her head. She felt his desire to pull her closer in the tension in his arms. He didn’t. His fingers started a seductive massage, making her body want to melt into him. Instead, she forced the button free and eased down the zipper. His cock sprang out of the gap, erect and tempting. The head gleamed, the skin taut and dark. Her mouth watered as she stared at it, perfectly positioned to take in her mouth. She drew in a deep breath, releasing it in a rush that made Kyle groan. “Damn, baby. Suck me. Please. I can’t seem to get enough of your mouth.” The harsh sound of his voice shivered through her. Leaning closer, her hands on his hips, she parted her lips and let his cock slip inside. Her eyes closed and she inhaled his scent as his taste coated her tongue. Hot, a little salty and so, so smooth. Her mouth sank farther, enclosing more of his flesh. Her tongue flattened around him as she took him deeper, then curled around the tip as she pulled back. Intoxicated with him, she sucked on him like he was her favorite candy. On the next downward glide, she scraped her teeth lightly along the skin, making him groan deep in his chest. The vibration actually echoed in his cock and it pulsed against the roof of her mouth. “Tam.”
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She sucked him harder, deeper. Didn’t want to stop. She wanted him to lose his control. To give him pleasure. “Tamra, baby, I’m gonna come in your mouth if you don’t stop. And I’d rather come with your pussy wrapped around me.” The explicit words made her moan. Yes. God yes, she wanted that too. She drew on him one last time, her cheeks hollowing before she pulled back to the tip and released him. But not before giving one last swirl of her tongue around the tip. As soon as she’d released him, his hands slid from her hair and he pushed her back into the couch cushions, his gaze fixed on hers. Shoving his jeans down his legs with one hand, he gathered her skirt and pooled it on her belly, exposing her. His gaze dropped then to stare at her pussy. Just his stare made wetness seep from her. Exposed and so horny she hurt, she stretched out to touch him but couldn’t reach. “Kyle…” He wrapped one hand around his cock and gave a slow pump. Her mouth dried as her sex convulsed with need. “Your mouth felt amazing, baby. But your pussy is going to make me feel like I’m in fucking heaven.” “Then do me, Kyle. Please.” “I will, honey, I will. But first I want to see you touch yourself. Come on, Tam. Use your fingers on your clit.” All sense of modesty gone, she did exactly what he wanted because she was so turned-on, she had to come no matter what. Spreading her legs wider, she slid her fingers between her legs, stroking over the hard, sensitive clit and down to the wet, hot lips of her sex. Letting her fingers play in the moisture for a few seconds, she drew back to her clit and let her fingers manipulate the tiny bundle of nerves. Zings of electricity shot through her body and her eyes drifted shut as she rubbed herself. Her sheath tightened, yearning for him to fill her. “Kyle, I need you inside. Now.” “Whatever you want, sweetheart.” She opened her eyes in time to see the raw lust in Kyle’s expression harden his features even further. As he sank to his knees, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off the couch. He’d already sheathed himself in a condom, she realized, as he lay back on the floor and positioned her directly over his cock. Settling herself on her knees above him, dress held at her waist, she watched him take his cock in one hand and point it up, rubbing it back and forth between her pussy lips, coating the head in her moisture. “So hot, so wet.” His voice made her lower body seize in what felt like the beginning of an orgasm. Could she come just from the sound of his voice? With Kyle, anything was possible. “Tinia’s teat, babe. You’re so fucking beautiful.”
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Her eyes widened at the complete sincerity in his voice but she didn’t have time to take it in because he pushed his cock into her and sank deep. She cried out in ecstasy at the friction of his penetration. Already close to orgasm, her body sucked him in as he lifted her off his cock with his strong arms then let her slide back down. Each hard thrust made it that much harder to breathe, made her body tighten in expectation. Since he was going way too slowly, she started to move on her own, planting her hands on his stomach and riding him, each time the base of his cock hitting her clit at just the right angle to send her closer to her climax. As she set a faster pace, Kyle’s expression hardened and his breaths became pants. She heard her own tortured breathing but pushed her body onto his faster and faster. She wanted to come, needed to come, but her orgasm flitted just beyond her reach. Until Kyle pressed one finger to her clit. As if he’d flicked a switch, she spasmed around him, crying out as she sank onto him one last time, feeling his cock twitch inside her, prolonging her climax. Leaning forward, Kyle’s hands on her shoulders guiding her, she cuddled onto his chest as his arms wrapped around her. Several minutes later, when she could breathe again, she opened her eyes and propped her head on her hand to stare up at Kyle. He still had his eyes closed, the look on his face blissful. She never wanted to leave him. But she couldn’t bear it if he was hurt because of her. His eyes shot open, as if he could hear what she was thinking. But instead of scowling at her, his lips curved in a smile that stole her breath. Then he leaned forward and kissed her, feather-light but lingering. Rolling her to the side and pulling free, he hiked his jeans up but didn’t zip them as he stood. “Hang tight, babe. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the attached bathroom and reemerged with a wet towel. After he cleaned her up, she headed for the bathroom to use the facilities. She came out to find him sitting on the couch. He held out his hand and she took it, letting him pull her down onto his lap. With his arms around her and his chin on her head, she felt safe. Protected. “So now what?” She asked the question that wouldn’t stop echoing in her mind and leaned back in his arms so she could see his face. His expression went deadly serious. “Now we try to figure out who’s after you and stop her before she gets close.” “Do you have a plan?”
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“Working on it, babe. Working on it.”
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Chapter Six When they left the boschetta, they headed northwest into Rockland Township. Kyle still wasn’t sure this was the right move but he couldn’t think of anywhere safer. Lost in the hills northeast of the city, the lucani den had started life as an exclusive health resort back in the mid-1800s when the Philadelphia and New York blue bloods had traveled to the wilds of Berks County to enjoy the cooler temperatures and clean waters. Today, close to five hundred acres of heavily forested hills belonged to the lucani legion. Kyle considered it paradise. While the main resort building operated like an apartment complex for singles or newly mated couples, families and officers lived in the cottages scattered throughout the dense forest. Only one road led in and out and that was carefully camouflaged, nearly invisible if you didn’t know what you were looking for. The road was private so police didn’t patrol here and the township never plowed in the winter. “I want you to stick close to me while we’re here, Tam,” he said as they got closer to the den. “We don’t bring in many outsiders.” More like none, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. Hell, Cole could sentence him to death for driving her over the boundary, and he was pretty sure there’d be a welcoming committee waiting for them when they drove up. But he was counting on a pardon after he explained. “Are you going to get in trouble?” Tam asked. Shit, what the hell did he say? He didn’t want to lie but he didn’t want her to worry either. “Maybe, but after I explain the circumstances, everything will be okay.” She fell silent and he glanced over to see her chewing her lip. Thinking. “So this is the lucani headquarters?” Kyle nodded. “It’s the army base, yes. My people were in danger of extinction in the early 1800s so to keep from splintering into even smaller groups that wouldn’t have survived, we pulled together and structured our society on the old Roman legions. In ancient times, the lucani had made up a secret legion of the Roman army, their existence known only to the reigning praefect. We did the dirty work, the wet work.” “Like special forces?”
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He laughed, more like a short exhalation of air. “Yeah, pretty much. Today, we maintain our army but the focus is on protecting the Etruscans from threats like discovery by the eteri or capture by the Mal. Or from the Zuhno, a group of humans who’ve made it their life’s work to hunt versipelli. They’re basically the KKK but they hunt werewolves.” “Your life sounds dangerous.” It was. More than he ever wanted her to know. But lying would come back to bite him in more ways than one. And she needed to know what she was up against if he had any hope of tying her to him forever. “It can be, yes. And I… Tam, look. I have to tell you, I’m not just another soldier. I have a specialized position in the legion. One not a lot of people know about.” She turned, her gaze glued to him. Waiting. “My official rank is sicarius. That means—” “Assassin.” A chill ran through him at the hollow tone of her voice but he couldn’t stop now. He’d picked a stupid-ass time to lay this on her but now that he’d started he couldn’t stop. His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Yes. I’m the king’s assassin. I do the work no one wants to know about, the jobs no one else should know about. Only Dan and Margie know what I am. I operate outside the ranks of the legion. My commanding officer doesn’t even know what I do.” “But…you kill people.” “No.” He shook his head. “The men I kill aren’t people. They’re monsters. Men who murder innocents for their own pleasure or because they want to see how many bones they can break and reheal before their magic is drained. Men who steal our children and force them to become sexual slaves to depraved psychopaths who force them to change into wolves during sex. These men deserve to die for their crimes.” “That’s awful.” The tears in her voice tugged at gut. “Yes, it is. But I make sure those men can’t hurt anyone else when I find them.” For years, his life had been about serving justice on those who preyed on innocents. It defined him. He got a sense of purpose from it. And now he’d give it up for her. Should he just throw that out there? At this point, would she even care? He glanced her way again and sucked in a deep breath at the look on her face. She didn’t look terrified of him, as he feared she might. She looked sad. “I understand the need for your job, Kyle. I do.” He heard a huge “but” coming and started talking to make sure she couldn’t.
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“For a while now, I’ve been considering giving it up, taking a training position. I have other people I need to think about.” He slid another look her way and couldn’t decide if her expression was happy, sad, worried, hopeful or terrified. Maybe a little of everything. Did she understand that if she decided to stay with him, he’d give it up? Or did she only see him now as a killer? Maybe she just needed time to absorb what he’d told her. Work it through. Blessed Goddess, guide her through her doubts and back to me. As he turned onto the unmarked road leading to the den, the silence lengthened and the forest began to close in around them. The sun was still high enough to be visible through the treetops, though the thick stands of oak, pine and maple limited visibility beyond the road. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her take a deep breath and sit straighter in the seat. Her worry scented the air, her hand clenched around the armrest. He laid his hand over hers and squeezed. “You don’t have anything to fear here, Tam. No one will be able to find you and no one will hurt you.” “I’m not afraid.” She sighed and he glanced at her long enough to see her shaking her head. “All right, maybe I’m a little worried. Are there a lot of lucani here right now?” Good question. “Not if we’re lucky.” They drove the next mile in silence as Kyle concentrated on keeping the Jeep on the pitted, unpaved road. By the time the lane leveled out, the den lodge sprawled in front of them. “Oh wow, that’s beautiful.” Tam’s hushed voice made him smile but he understood her awe. “Yeah, it is.” The wood and stone structure of the lodge had stood for more than one hundred years and had weathered beautifully. A modified A-frame, the building’s straight lines and sharp angles blended into the forest, almost an extension of the trees. The lane circled in front of the building and headed back the way they’d come in. Only footpaths led to the smaller homes on the property and none of those could be seen from the small clearing in front of the lodge. Kyle saw no one but he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Almost as soon as he had the thought, two men stepped onto the porch through the front door. One he’d been expecting. The other… Well, it could be worse but Kyle couldn’t think how. Stopping the car in front of the steps, he waited for her to turn and look at him. “Give me a minute, hon. Don’t leave the car.”
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Leaning over, he pressed a hard kiss on her lips. Yes, he knew the men on the porch were watching and would understand what that kiss meant. But he also wanted to make Tam think about anything other than her rising anxiety. Just as her lips began to soften, he pulled back and got out then headed for the porch. Not stopping at the bottom of the stairs, which would have meant looking up at the men, he climbed the steps to the porch. “Varro. Nic.” The younger men saluted him as a higher-ranking officer, right fist to left shoulder, but the second that formality had been given, Varro Ducate’s gaze sliced back to the car. “Vaffanculo, have you finally lost your mind, old man? Cole’s not gonna give a shit about seniority. He’s gonna have your ass kicked from here to Vegas. Why the fuck did you bring an eteri here?” Nicodemo Rocca didn’t even bother to look at this fellow centurion. “Shut the fuck up, Duke. Don’t be an ass. Hey, Kyle.” He stuck his hand out for Kyle to shake. “I think I may have a lead for you. Why don’t you bring her in?” “What are you, fucking nuts?” Duke looked at Nic like he’d just pulled a gun and shot him. “You’re gonna bring an eteri in here?” Now or never, Kyle decided. “Yeah, I am. She’s my mate, scazzacasso, so I don’t want to hear another fucking word about it. Shut the fuck up or I’ll tear your tongue out.” Duke’s eyes widened as his mouth shut. He was not a stupid man though he’d never taken his education past high school. He was a dedicated soldier and the scar running across his hard features from left temple to right cheek was a testament to that dedication. His dark hair was not quite as long as Kyle’s, and he stood a few inches shorter than Kyle but broader across the chest. The guy was a powerhouse in the boxing ring, where he cleaned up on the amateur tours…when he wasn’t serving as a soldier in the lucani army. He and Nic had just turned twenty-nine and next year they would have to choose whether they wanted to re-up or leave to pursue another career, either with the lucani or not. Kyle had never considered leaving the legion. He didn’t think Duke had either. Kyle had given some thought to Duke filling Kyle’s shoes as sicarius. Nic, on the other hand, was a brilliant soldier who couldn’t wait to leave the legion. Auburn-haired, freckled and “way too cute” according to Cat, Nic wanted more out of life. But for some reason, the guy wouldn’t leave Duke behind. They weren’t lovers. They’d both had girlfriends over the years, but their friendship came first in everything. Kyle should’ve known when he’d contacted Nic to look into Tam’s attempted kidnapping that he’d enlist Duke’s help.
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Kyle turned his attention back to Nic, who looked like he was choking back a laugh. Whether at Duke or him, Kyle couldn’t tell. “Yeah, maybe you want to let her out of the car and bring her inside,” Nic said. “Lodge’s empty at the moment. Everyone’s either at the training field or off site.” Kyle nodded, knowing they wouldn’t have much time before people started heading there for dinner. And then the shit would really hit the fan. Back at the car, he opened the door and reached in for Tam. She met him halfway, putting her hand in his and letting him help her out. He didn’t release her hand when she tried to pull away, and the look she sent him made him smile. Good, he wanted her just the least bit fed up with him. If she concentrated on him, she couldn’t get too worked up about anything else. Including the two men, one scowling and one smiling at her. When they reached the top of the stairs, he said, “Varro Ducate, Nic Rocca. Tamra McMillan. Nic said he has some information.” His smile widening, Nic stepped in front of Duke to offer Tam his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tamra. Come on inside to the office. We can talk there.” Waving them into the house in front of him, Nic let Kyle lead the way, silence prevailing until they were all shut into the office, Kyle and Tam in chairs in front of the desk, Nic leaning a hip against the desk and Duke by the window behind them, keeping an eye out for anyone approaching. Kyle nodded at Nic, impatient now to hear what they’d found out. “So what do you have?” Nic picked up a file from the desk and flipped it open. “The men you took care of the other night aren’t in the Mal database so I decided to ask a few people outside lucani channels. I didn’t give them Tamra’s name or what had happened but I relayed enough information to get the general picture. I hit pay dirt with Antonin de Feo.” Kyle frowned, trying to place the name. “Is that one of Cam de Feo’s brothers?” “Yeah,” Nic said. “Antonin’s mate was kidnapped by a Mal businessman named Daniel Bonnini last year. When he went to rescue her, he got a look at a list of names in Bonnini’s possession. He said he recognized a few of them as having traces of Etruscan blood, though none of them retained any kind of power. But just the fact that the guy had that list made him worry there may be another list with full-blooded Etruscans on it. “Bonnini was killed a few months later and the de Feos never recovered those papers, but it’s possible Tamra’s name was on that list. De Feo also thinks whoever kidnapped Tira a couple months ago and sent the men after Tamra might have gotten their hands on that list.”
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“Tira was kidnapped?” Tam looked at Kyle, her eyes wide and worried. “She never said anything.” Nic shook his head, his features tightening. “Yeah, we didn’t know about it either. She didn’t… Anyway, de Feo doesn’t have a clue how someone else might have gotten the list. The de Feos have been trying to track it but haven’t had any luck so far.” “Did de Feo actually see Tam’s name?” Kyle asked. Nic shook his head. “No, but he said there were several pages and he only saw the top one.” “How would someone be able to put together a list like that?” Duke asked, anger and shock in his voice. “That hits a little too fucking close to home.” Nic shook his head. “No idea, unless someone got their hands on an old family genealogy, but no one’s reported anything like that missing. And someone would.” Kyle sighed. “And he didn’t have any clue where that list ended up?” “No. The de Feos were able to search Bonnini’s home and several of his offices last year, but the lists just disappeared.” “What would someone want with someone like me?” Tam’s expression showed complete confusion. “I mean, I’ve never had déjà vu much less any woowoo powers. I can see why they’d want Tira but…” Nic shrugged. “Actually, the men didn’t want Tira. They wanted another woman but they took Tira as leverage.” His expression turned almost savage and Tam felt herself still, as if in the presence of a dangerous predator. Nic wanted to hurt whoever had taken Tira, and Tam didn’t want to be anywhere close when that happened. “We have no idea why someone who’d tried to kidnap a strega would now want to go after you. But it stands to reason that if they sent someone after you once, they’ll do it again.” And that would put Kyle in the crossfire. Tam knew instinctively that Kyle getting shot in Tira’s premonition had everything to do with her. If he was hurt, or worse, it’d be her fault. “Tam, hey. Are you—” Kyle broke off as she turned widened eyes at him, daring him to continue. After a breath, he said, “You drifted off for a sec. Still with us?” The low pitch of Kyle’s voice rubbed against her nerves, throwing off sparks that made her sigh. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.” She flashed a distracted smile at the handsome Nic and another, more tentative one over her shoulder at the silent Duke. He didn’t even notice. He stared out the window, his hard mouth pulled into a scowl. That one, she had to admit, frightened her a little. While Kyle looked like a bad-ass, she knew in her gut he’d never hurt her. She sensed Duke would take out anyone who posed a threat. And he saw her as a threat, whether to the lucani in general or to Kyle in particular, she didn’t know.
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He hadn’t said one word to her and hadn’t looked at her either. But she knew he’d listened to everything Nic had said. “All right, guys, thanks for the info.” It was a clear dismissal and both men knew it. Kyle stood and opened the door. Duke practically ran out of the room without a word or a glance. Nic stopped at her chair and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tamra.” His smile made her mouth curve in an answering grin then she watched him as he headed out the door. Tam wondered if Duke’s animosity was for her in particular or if he treated all eteri that way? And would the rest of the lucani be more like Duke or Nic, who had at least not ignored her completely? What does it matter? It’s not like you’re going to marry the guy. But isn’t that what you want? God, what the hell was she thinking? She’d known the guy two days. Two days filled with revelations she’d never have believed if she hadn’t experienced them herself. Things that shouldn’t be possible. Magical things. But none more magical than what she felt for Kyle. She fixed her gaze on the closed door and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the dizziness threatening to spin her out of control. “Tam.” Kyle stood behind her now so she couldn’t see his face. She heard movement then Kyle’s hands landed on her shoulders, beginning to massage the tight muscles there. She hadn’t realized she’d been so tense until her body started to loosen under his touch. “Duke doesn’t like me,” she said. Kyle snorted. “Duke doesn’t like anyone. Don’t take it personally.” “Are they a couple?” Kyle’s muted laughter rumbled through his chest and into her back. “No. But I see where you might get that vibe. They’re pretty much a team in everything they do, have been since they were kids. We used to call them the Terrible Twosome. Now they’re known as the Dynamic Duo.” “Bet they’re a hot item with the women.” Kyle’s hands paused for one brief second. “Do you think they are?” Something in the tone of his voice made her glance over her shoulder at him. With his gaze narrowed, he looked almost… “Are you jealous?” The thought made her all warm and fuzzy inside. He snorted, but it was tinged with self-disgust. “Honey, I’m thirty-six years old. I don’t do jealous anymore.”
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She tsked, starting to lose the sense of dread that had been weighing her down. She wanted him to lighten up just a little, as well. “Wow, you’re so ancient. I had no idea.” He didn’t rise to her tease. Instead he released her and walked around to sit across from her again, those amber eyes narrowed to slits. “Does that bother you? The age difference?” She rolled her eyes. “Do you really think the fact that you’re thirteen years older than me makes me think you’re decrepit? Hello, we had sex twice today already. And I’m sure if I want more, you’ll be able to perform.” The stunned look on his face made her smile widen and his expression shifted to lustful and predatory. He reached out to run one finger down her cheek, sending shivers through her. “So brave now,” he murmured. “But you’re playing with fire, sweetheart. Don’t tempt me because you’ll find yourself flat on your back and naked in no time.” And she wouldn’t mind it at all. Still, a question popped into her head. “Why aren’t you married or mated or whatever you call it already, Kyle? Cat told me a little bit about you and Dan and her mom. Do you still want her?” His expression lightened the tiniest bit. “I never found a woman I wanted to give that much control of my life to. When a lucani finds his mate, they give up some part of their control over their pelt to that person. In some cases, a mate can control your change, can control a part of your magic. I’ve never met anyone I’d be willing to give that much power to.” Yes, she could understand how that would be a problem with Kyle. She opened her mouth to say just that but Kyle’s head swung toward the door. Automatically, she turned as well but didn’t hear anything but his resigned sigh. “Shit. The second wave’s about to descend.” Kyle brushed his thumb across her lips, his gaze holding hers steady even as she wanted to bolt. Everything was coming at her so fast. Tam wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere and just sit. Alone. She needed to process information, something she could only do by herself. She felt the walls closing in around her, not threatening, just…confining. Through the ordeal of the rape and its aftermath, talking to so many people about herself and what had happened had given her the first panic attacks of her life. She’d actually felt like she was dying. Her heart had raced and she couldn’t breathe. Every other second, she felt like she was either going to pass out or puke. She felt the symptoms now, the shortness of breath, the slight dizziness. If she didn’t get a handle on it soon, she’d have a full-blown attack in minutes. “Tam.” She blinked, refocusing on Kyle’s narrowed eyes.
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She felt her heart beginning to pick up speed and knew he’d be able to tell. She didn’t want him to think she couldn’t handle this, to think she wasn’t strong enough. She hated feeling like she wasn’t strong enough. But the air in here was getting thin and her lungs felt starved for air. As if he knew exactly what was happening, Kyle stood and grabbed her hand, pulling her off the chair and heading toward the door. “Come on, babe. We’re going for a walk.” In silence, they left the building through the back door. She heard other voices in the distance now, though she had no idea from which direction they were coming. The thick forest of trees into which they walked seemed to distort sound. What she heard most clearly was the call of birds in the treetops as Kyle led her along a barely visible path that led deeper into the forest, away from the lodge. Tam followed Kyle, who had no problem picking his way along the trail. She stumbled a few times on the rocks poking through the dirt but Kyle’s firm grip on her hand never let her fall. As the air cooled and the sunlight dimmed due to the treetops, she let herself do nothing but take in the beauty of the trees and the birdsong. And in a few minutes, she heard the soft trickle of water. When Kyle finally stopped, they stood before a huge rock that looked like someone had slammed it into the ground from far above. A trickle of water bubbled out of a tiny fissure at the top and ran down into a pool of water that couldn’t really be called a pond. It was too small. Ferns crowded around the moss-coated rock and tiny pink flowers covered the surface of the water as if someone had sprinkled confetti. “I used to come out here after training when I needed to get away from everybody.” Kyle pointed to one of the rocks by the pond that had been worn smooth, so she plopped her butt there and watched him settle onto the ground at the base of the nearest tree. “It’s quiet.” “And beautiful,” she said, taking a deep breath and feeling the tightness around her chest ease a little more. “It looks like a scene out of a fairy tale. Like Tinkerbell should be flitting around.” “If you’re out here at twilight, you might actually see some candela,” he said. “They’re fata, not exactly human-looking. They glow and have wings, kind of like fireflies. They’re hard to describe.” As Kyle proceeded to tell her about other kinds of fata, Tam just sat and breathed, pushing everything but the sound of his voice out of her mind. Her body began to relax until, finally, she felt in control again. “Kyle, will you show me how you change?” He didn’t say anything right away, just watched her for several seconds. Then he stood and began to remove his clothes. 97
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Her body began to burn with desire as he uncovered every inch of his gorgeous body. Her gaze traced the breadth of his shoulders and chest, the powerful muscles of his arms and the menacing black ink of his tattoos. Her gaze caught on the ridges of his abs as he pulled his shirt over his head, then fell to watch as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down his strong legs, watching the tattoos there flex and dance. When he was naked, he knelt on the ground, planted his hands in the forest floor and closed his eyes. Drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on her forearm, she watched as fuzzy, colored light enveloped him, almost as if he glowed from within. She didn’t want to blink, tried to watch as Kyle began to transform, his human shape vibrating, almost like she was watching bad reception on a television. She must have blinked though because she missed the moment Kyle went from man to wolf. Or maybe it just happened that fast because between one second and the next, the huge, beautiful black wolf she remembered from the other night at her cabin sat on his haunches on the other side of the pond, watching her with Kyle’s amber eyes. She’d seen Cat change into her wolf and back into her human body. Cat’s small, black body and pointed, whiskered face had been adorable. Kyle’s animal was deadly beautiful though not at all frightening. His sleek fur shone blue-black in the sunlight, the wolf’s haughty expression somehow comforting. And familiar. She wondered if he objected to being petted. The other night on the porch he hadn’t seemed to mind. He didn’t move and she wondered if he thought she was scared. “It doesn’t freak me out,” she said. “The magic. I’m actually thrilled to know there’s real magic in the world, that it’s not all darkness and gloom. It doesn’t even freak me out that you can turn yourself into a wolf. Does that mean I’m not normal to start?” Kyle yipped and shook his entire body, his tail hitting the ground in an angry thump. She held up one hand. “No, just listen.” His head tilted again and she knew if he had eyebrows, they’d be arched. Warmth filled her at the thought that she knew him so well in so short a time. Could you really fall in love with someone at first sight? Or even over the course of a day? And did it matter since she had to leave so he wouldn’t be hurt? She still hadn’t figured out how she was going to sneak away. Not without bawling her eyes out. Cat would be so hurt if Tam left without saying goodbye but she’d still have her father.
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“I’ll never betray your secrets, Kyle. Not to anyone. I don’t really have any friends. My family is gone. I’ve never blabbed to other people about my life or my problems. I just wasn’t raised that way.” The wolf huffed, rose to his paws then walked over to her and rubbed against her legs. His fur felt like rough velvet on her skin, sending shivers of sensation through her. His snout bumped against her arm then nuzzled her cheek, his whiskers tickling. “You really are beautiful, but you know that, don’t you?” He shook his head, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t a denial. He seemed to be preening. She smiled as he let her pet him, just sat there with his snout pointed up as she ran her hands down his back. After several minutes, he gave a full-body shake, took several steps away from her then threw his head back and howled. And between one blink and the next, the outline of his body grew hazy again. His transformation seemed to go slower this time, or maybe her eyes were becoming accustomed to what they were seeing. She thought she actually caught the moments when his body passed from wolf to man and the expression of agony on Kyle’s face as he changed. Then Kyle sat there again, naked and beautiful and staring at her with blazing amber eyes. He didn’t move right away, just watched her, as if waiting for her to run screaming. Instead, she rose and closed the few feet between them. Reaching out, she ran her hand through his silky hair, almost as if she were petting him again. He tilted his head back, his eyes half closed as she scraped her nails on his scalp. She wanted him, wanted to have him right here and now. She didn’t think he’d object. Sinking down onto her knees, she combed her other hand into his hair and pulled him to her, molding her lips on his and kissing him. Surprisingly, he let her, didn’t try to take over. He let her brush her lips against his before settling against them and sliding her tongue into his mouth. She licked at his teeth, wrapped her tongue around his and felt him groan deep in his chest. His hands came up to settle on her waist, tightening on her hips before reaching down to slide under her skirt to get to her skin. His hands had nearly reached her cleft when she pulled away and looked into his eyes. He froze. Her hands had settled on his shoulders but now they slid down his arms en route to his cock. She could feel the heat of it through the thin material of her dress, a branding iron against her stomach. She wrapped one hand around the rigid length while the other cupped his heavy sac. He groaned again, his hands splaying over her hips, fingers tightening as if she might try to get away. 99
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Pumping her hands up and down his shaft, she showed him without words that she was going nowhere. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his chest. His musky male scent inflamed her desire, making her hunger for him a beast clawing to get out. Bending farther, her lips reached his navel and she flicked out her tongue to taste the bead of sweat she found there. “Tam.” Kyle’s voice sounded rough, almost wild, but she ignored him as she bent farther, scooting back an inch so she could get her mouth where she wanted it. Positioned over the tip of his cock. She swore he was holding his breath, his hands almost painful on her hips. Before he could speak, she parted her lips and took him inside. He tasted salty, the skin stretched tight and oh so hot. She wanted more and slid down until his cock hit the back of her throat, then retreated back to the tip. He started breathing again in a rush and pulled his hands from beneath her dress to cup her head. She wanted to make him crazy, wanted him to feel as out of control as she felt when he made love to her. She flattened her tongue along the shaft when she took him deep then swirled around the tip as she pulled back. His cock hardened even more and moisture seeped from the tip, tasting uniquely like Kyle. “Tam.” She knew what he wanted to tell her, and she tightened her hands on his hips so he couldn’t pull away. Letting him know her intentions. He’d given her so much, she wanted to give him this in return. Wanted it for herself. Wanted to make him cry out her name as she brought him to orgasm. And he did, as his cock jerked in her mouth and warm salty liquid spurted from him. She swallowed it all, not releasing his cock until he’d spent completely. When she finally raised her head, she had only a glimpse of the carnal pleasure on his face before he grabbed her, laid her flat on the soft mossy patch and threw her skirt up over her belly. Lifting her hips off the ground, he bent until he could put his mouth over her pussy, giving her only one, long slow lick before plunging his tongue into her sheath and fucking her with it. Wicked flicks of his tongue against her clit alternated with the plunges. She reached for his shoulders, needing to touch his skin, to make sure he didn’t stop. This man made her feel so much more alive than she ever had. Before her attack, she’d only been living half a life. Afterward, she hadn’t even had that. Now, here with him, she burned with desire.
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Closing her eyes, she saw flashes of light, almost like the magic that surrounded Kyle when he shifted. Her body tightened to the point of pain then shuddered and broke apart as she climaxed. Practically panting, she let her hands flop to the ground as Kyle stretched out beside her on his back then lifted her so she sprawled over his body. “I know you’d never betray us, Tam.” Quiet confidence filled his voice and she couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “Everything’ll be okay, hon. We’ll do this together. I won’t let anything happen to you.” She knew that. She knew he’d take a bullet for her if he needed to. Which was why she was leaving. Tears formed and she blinked them back before they could escape and Kyle would notice. And wonder what was wrong. Leaving him is wrong. But leaving him would ensure his safety. And that was more important to her than anything. She’d managed to keep out of the clutches of whoever had been searching for her, even before she knew they’d been looking for her. Surely she’d be able to keep one step ahead of them until Kyle caught them. And he would catch them. She just hoped he’d forgive her for running when this was all over.
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Chapter Seven “Is your fucking phone off?” Kyle’s head snapped up as Dan stormed out of the lodge the second he and Tam hit the steps. “What are you do— What’s wrong?” Dan’s face tightened into a tight mask that made Kyle’s balls want to crawl up into his stomach. “We’ve got trouble.” Dan slid one, quick glance at Tam. “Tamra, would you please give us a minute?” Kyle’s hand tightened on her arm as she started to pull away. “What kind of trouble? What the fuck—” “Something I can’t talk about in front of her.” Dan shook his head. “That kind of trouble.” Kyle felt a growl start low in this throat. “She goes nowhere—” “This isn’t my call. Vaffanculo, Kyle. You don’t know what’s going on.” Dan’s raised voice, almost as much as the look on his face, made Kyle realize whatever was going on was legion business. “Dan, stop shouting.” Margie stepped out onto the porch, her worried expression shutting Kyle up faster than Dan’s raised voice. “Cat can hear you and she’s already scared enough.” Why the hell was Margie here? And Cat? Kyle caught and held Dan’s gaze. And smelled his best friend’s rising anxiety. No, not anxiety. Fear. He and Dan didn’t feel fear. It’d been bred out of them long ago. Shit. Whatever was going on was big. And bad. He slipped into soldier mode without a second thought. “Tam, go with Margie. Now. You can’t be here.” He made it an order and knew the second the words left his mouth, he never should have spoken to her like that. Tam wasn’t fast enough to cover her expression of shocked hurt. Hadn’t he just promised her they’d deal with whatever happened together? And now he was sending her away. “I can’t leave.” Margie shook her head. “Neither can Cat. Maybe Tam could wait out here on the porch for a little.”
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Margie tried to smile but it didn’t reach her eyes. And he knew that whatever had happened wasn’t just bad. It was catastrophic. He looked at Tam. “I need you to go to the room we were in earlier and stay there. Don’t come out. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He tried to soften his tone this time but the damage had already been done. He watched her expression go blank as she nodded. He could feel her pulling away. He wanted to howl but Dan’s anxiety made his skin crawl. He wanted to pull Tam into his arms but was afraid she’d pull away, and he knew if she tried to, he’d hold on. And that would make her pull away harder. Torn, he did the only thing he could. He bent and kissed her, hard, trying to convey what he couldn’t put into words. “Go now. And don’t come out until I come for you.” He watched her hesitate for a brief second then felt a small measure of relief when she walked up the stairs and into the room to the right of the front door. “I know what you’re gonna say.” Kyle held up one hand as Dan opened his mouth as soon as she closed the door. “I know I shouldn’t have brought her here. I know how much fucking trouble this could cause. And I don’t fucking care. She’s safer here with me. I’ll deal with the other shit later. Just tell me what the fuck’s going on.” Dan took a deep breath and shook his head. “Cole took a silver bullet to the leg. He was nearly dead by the time he got here. Doc was hit too. Margie, Cat and Nica are here. Nica’s got the bleeding controlled and Margie and Cat can deal with any infection.” Holy shit. Cole and Doc. Catastrophic might be too tame. Still, Nica Donato was the boschetta’s healer. Cole should be safe in her hands. Kyle followed Dan and Margie into the house. “Where the hell were his praetorians?” Cole never went anywhere without the praetorian guard. Dan shook his head, taking the stairs to the second floor two at a time. “No idea. We need to talk to Doc. He’s conscious and he won’t let Nica put him under until he talks to you.” “Then let’s go talk to him. Fast.”
***** Now or never. Tam had the keys to Kyle’s Jeep in her hand. He’d left them on the desk, in plain sight. Practically taunting her with their accessibility. But her feet felt like ten-ton weights and the tears she’d held back outside began to stream down her cheeks. Now. You have to go now.
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She had no idea how long Kyle would be. She didn’t want to face him if he caught her, couldn’t bear to look in his eyes and see the hurt, the disappointment. He’d never understand that she was doing this for him. He’d think she was being foolish. She’d left him a note, told him she’d be careful. She trusted him to find whoever was chasing her and that she would stay out of sight until whoever was after her was caught. She’d left her email address so he could contact her when it was safe, when they’d caught the person who was after her. He had to realize how much trust she was putting in him and his people to take care of this. And if he didn’t understand, if he washed his hands of her… Well, people survived with broken hearts all the time. And now that she had a plan and the opportunity, she wanted to get this over with. Turning the knob, she opened the door just enough to be able see the surrounding hall and the stairs leading up. No one there. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out and headed for the front door. She never looked back, just opened it, closed it and sprinted for the Jeep. She was nearly there when someone fell out of the tree above the Jeep and landed on his feet as if he’d jumped from only a few feet above the ground. Instead of twenty. Tam drew in a deep breath and caught herself just before she screamed. Her heart knocked against her ribs like a bird trying to escape a cage, and she froze as the boy—no, not a boy. A girl. She looked to be around Tam’s age and physically, she was average size, average height and weight. As the girl came closer, Tam saw bright green eyes, and hair a stunning mixture of black, gray and auburn that couldn’t be natural, no matter how very natural it looked. The girl took her measure in seconds and must have found her unworthy of anything other than her disdain. “Kyle’s gonna be pissed if you take his car.” She shrugged and leaned against the front driver’s side bumper. “But that’s no skin off my back.” If Tam wanted to take the car, she’d have to get closer to the girl. And Tam wasn’t sure she wouldn’t get bitten, whether this girl was lucani or not. Still, she couldn’t stop. “I left him a note. And you can tell him I’ll leave the car for him at the Reading bus station.” The girl shook her head slowly, looking at her as if she had three heads and snakes for hair. “It’s your funeral. I just don’t understand why the hell you’d want to leave him. I’ve never seen him with another woman, much less an eteri.”
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That last word sounded like such a slur, Tam felt her back stiffen even as her heart broke just a little more. “Then I guess you should be happy I’m leaving.” “Like I said, no skin off my teeth. I’ll let him know where to pick up the car. But,” she paused, almost as if she didn’t want to say any more but couldn’t help herself, “you’re an idiot to leave him. Kyle’s tough as nails and one of a kind.” The girl walked off into the woods then, disappearing from sight as if she’d never been there. She’d probably never even tell Kyle she’d caught Tam leaving. Climbing into the Jeep, she started the engine and took off like a shot, not knowing if Kyle would hear the engine. When she got to the bus station, she’d call his cell, leave a message about where to pick up his car, just in case the girl didn’t relay her message. Then she’d disappear. She’d done it after her ordeal. She was actually pretty good at it, having learned from her mom. Kyle wouldn’t find her. Maybe he wouldn’t even want to. But she was doing this for him. She couldn’t get the image of being sprayed with Kyle’s blood out of her head. And she let that image give her strength as she started the Jeep and tore off down the road.
***** Three Weeks Later “So are you going to tell me what’s eating at you?” Cole sat in his bed at the lodge, playing cards flipping through his fingers like he was performing a magic trick. He’d been playing poker with Cat for the past hour until Kyle had stopped to give a status update. Cat had taken one look at Kyle’s face, said goodbye to Cole and headed out the door after a brief hug for Kyle. “We still don’t have a clue who ordered the hit. I’ve had Nic and Duke working round the clock.” Cole nodded, his dark gaze locked onto Kyle’s. The lucani king wasn’t much older than Tam but wise beyond his years. Like Tam. “That’s not what’s eating you.” Kyle tried not to want to hit his king but the guy saw too much. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.” “Kaine told me about the eteri who took off in your Jeep. Have you found her yet?” Kyle gritted his teeth but kept his expression blank. And ignored Cole’s question. “We’re continuing to pursue the angle that the Mal are involved in your shooting, due to family history.” 105
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The lucani had lost their king and queen and their oldest son when Cole was seventeen. They’d been executed by Mal assassins, who in turn had been killed by a stregone who happened to be in the area. That stregone had saved Cole and his younger sister, Arabella. And saved the precarious civility of the lucani. For centuries, the lucani had run wild in Italy, their numbers dwindling as more and more were killed by eteri. When they’d immigrated to the United States in the early 1800s, they’d almost rampaged themselves to extinction. Until Cole’s great-grandfather had given up his Sicilian kingdom to unite the American pack. He’d instilled purpose, direction and a civility the lucani had needed to survive. He’d reinstated the legion structure, given the lucani a common enemy—the Mal—and generally saved them from extinction. The killing of Cole’s family had been aimed at throwing the legion into turmoil. They’d almost gotten their wish. Half the legion had wanted to declare war but cooler heads had prevailed. Instead, Dan and Kyle had been dispatched to send the Mal a message. Three powerful, seemingly untouchable Mal had been executed, shot the exact same way as the Luporeale family. The Mal had taken the hint and there’d been no other attempts on Cole, his sister or the lucani since then. If the Mal were behind Cole’s shooting, the unspoken truce was dead. And the lucani were much more organized, much more determined to keep their young king safe. And if it wasn’t the Mal… Well, that could prove more disturbing than anything. “Probably good not to let that angle go cold. And you’re sure your little eteri’s disappearance doesn’t have anything to do with it?” Kyle practically bit off his tongue trying to hold back the blistering words that wanted to escape, and settled for, “I’m positive.” “But you haven’t found her yet.” “No.” And it was eating him alive. The first week after she’d run had been hell. He honestly thought he’d go crazy, torn between investigating Cole’s shooting and finding Tam. Images of her kidnapped, terrified, broken and bleeding tormented him night and day. Only sheer force of will had kept him focused enough to maintain his sanity. “And her disappearance isn’t affecting your judgment at all?” Kyle’s gaze shot to Cole’s. “I’m fine.”
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“Then I guess you don’t want to know I’ve had Kaine looking for her for the past week. She found her this morning.” Kyle froze, his hands clenching into fists as he forced himself not to lunge at Cole and strangle him. “Is she sure it’s Tam?” Cole nodded. “Positive ID. She’s dyed her hair but it’s her. And Kaine said she’s hidden herself pretty well. Took her awhile to find her and you know how good Kaine is.” Kaine was one of their best trackers. Better than Kyle. Almost as good as her father had been. Though it frosted his ass, Kyle said, “Thanks,” and turned for the door. “I’m relieving you of duty for the next twenty-four hours,” Cole called to him just as he stepped into the hall. “Go, make sure she’s safe. Bring her back ’cause I want to meet the woman who brought down the mighty Kyle Rossini.” Kyle froze, biting back a snarl. “You know I’d kick your ass if you weren’t still injured, right?” Cole snorted. “You could try, old man.” Kyle left to talk to Kaine without responding to that jab. He didn’t have a decent response and he didn’t want to tell his recently almostdeceased king to shut the fuck up.
***** An hour later, he sat outside the Shillington building where Tam had taken an apartment under the name Amy Jacoby. When she’d left two weeks ago, she’d headed for the bus station in Reading and bought a ticket for Philadelphia with her credit card. But she hadn’t used the ticket. Instead, she’d disappeared for a few days before renting this apartment. She hadn’t gone far. She hadn’t used her own name and she’d paid cash. All smart choices for someone who wanted to lose herself. She didn’t have a job, rarely left her apartment and wouldn’t have made a blip on Kaine’s radar except for the fact that the tracker was extraordinarily thorough. She’d meticulously culled through apartment and hotel registrations in an ever-widening circle, checking out every single one since Tam had left and continuing to check at the beginning of every week. Kyle owed Kaine big time. Tam probably wouldn’t agree. Which was why he was still sitting in the Jeep. He’d already made a sweep of the area and had seen nothing and no one to set off his internal danger meter.
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Her apartment was on the second floor of a building along the small town’s main street. He’d already checked out the area. Quiet, settled and practically deserted at around seven in the evening. Traffic on Lancaster Avenue was light and the only people he saw were a few kids riding their bikes along the sidewalk. The entrance on the side of the building opened into a stairway leading to the second- and third-floor apartments. A small shoe shop occupied the first floor of the older building. The plaque on the outside wall said the building had formerly been a hotel. The lock on the outside door wouldn’t take much to jimmy, which pissed him off. Anyone could walk right in. He wanted to storm up the stairs, throw her over his shoulder and take her back to his house. She’d want his head on a stick if he did. So here he sat, watching her door. After she’d left, it’d taken him two weeks, but he’d finally, grudgingly realized that Tam had had an understandable reason for running. Just as he had his own for tracking her down. She was meant to be his. Every sense he had tied him to her in knots. If that gave her the power to control his wolf, he was willing to give that up to her. Willingly. Because he wanted her safe. And if Kaine had finally found her, the woman who was after Tam would eventually find her too. Kyle would not wait around for that to happen. After picking the outside lock, he took the stairs two at a time. He didn’t give himself any more time to think, just knocked on the door. He heard her approach, caught her sweet scent tinged with fear, then heard her lean in close to the door and check the peephole. She was being careful. Good. Still, if he was here to hurt her, it wouldn’t take much for someone to kick in the door. Hands clenched at his sides, he forced himself to keep his mouth shut, to not demand she open the door. When he finally heard the deadbolt slide free, he released the breath he’d been holding. And when she opened the door, her pale blue eyes filling with tears, he reached for her before he considered his options. Actually, there were no other options. He needed to hold her, feel her warmth and the rise and fall of her chest against his. Her arms wound around his neck as he lifted her off her feet, her face pressing into the curve of his neck. Pushing through the door, he closed and locked it behind him with one hand while the other held onto her.
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Tinia’s teat, she’d lost weight. Her slight frame felt even tinier against him now, more fragile. He wanted to hold her tighter but was literally afraid to hurt her. She didn’t seem to have any qualms, though, as her arms tightened around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. Standing there with her clinging to him, he slid his fingers into her hair and tugged until she lifted her face from his neck. The tears now running down her neck made him groan and he sealed their mouths together and kissed her. She tasted hot and salty, her tears slicking their lips. He got lost in her kiss, forgot what he wanted to say, what he needed to say. Emotion roared up, hot as a solar flare, threatening to incinerate his good sense. His mouth opened over hers, his tongue pressing past her lips. Her tongue slid along his as she started to devour him. Her bare legs felt like a heated vise around his waist, the warmth of her sex burned through her denim shorts against his lower stomach. Wrapped tight to him, she didn’t fall when he released her waist to cup her ass, his fingers grazing the back of one smooth thigh. She moaned at the brush of his fingers and tilted her pelvis until the seam of her shorts brushed against the tip of his hard, aching cock. He wanted a bed, needed to have her spread out beneath him, completely covered by his body. Safe. His. With a gasp, she pulled away. Her eyes wide, she shook her head, as if trying to clear her head. “Did you catch whoever’s after me?” He shook his head and tightened his hold on her when he felt her loosen her legs. “No, we haven’t, but running isn’t the answer. You need to be with me. I can’t protect you if you’re not with me.” She kept shaking her head, her eyes closing in denial. “I can’t be with you until you catch whoever’s after me. I don’t want you to get hurt. Don’t you understand? If you’re with me, you’re going to be shot.” He wanted to shake her until she saw her error, until she agreed to what he wanted. Didn’t want to admire her willingness to do what she thought was right to keep him safe. Even if she was off the mark. Putting one hand on her chin, he forced her to look up at him. “And don’t you understand that no matter what, you’re safer with me? Gods damn it, Tam, I love you. If anything happens to you, it’ll kill me.” Her expression went completely slack with shock, her lips parting to draw in a short gasp. Shit, not exactly the response he’d expected when he told her he loved her. Something he’d never said to a woman before. And wouldn’t again. He didn’t know what he’d expected her to say or do. Wasn’t sure how to interpret the renewed rush of tears in her eyes, the blush on her cheeks.
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But when she started to flat-out cry and dropped her forehead to his shoulder, he panicked like a pansy-assed kid. Vaffanculo, he’d take it back if she’d just stop crying. “Hey, sweetheart. Don’t cry. It’s okay. Forget I said it—” Her head popped back up and her expression shut him up faster than a blow to the head. “Don’t you dare take it back.” She reared back and punched him hard on the chest. “I’m not crying because I didn’t want to hear it. I’m crying because I didn’t think I’d ever hear it.” Her lips curved in a wavering smile and her gaze softened. “I never thought I’d find a man who’d take me as I am. Never thought I’d find someone I’d want to spend my life with.” Relief spilled through his body like adrenaline, making his heart pump as if he’d run a marathon. He moved to kiss her again and found her already leaning into him. This time, he didn’t devour her. He took the time to savor her, the thrill of knowing she returned his feelings making him feel like a goddamn kid. And he didn’t fucking care. They still had issues to sort out, her attempted kidnapping to solve, the fact that he was lucani and she was eteri. Those two last facts could prove more difficult than any of the others to overcome. There were some lucani who’d want him to let her go, to mate another lucani. And he’d tell them all to fuck off. Tam was his. Weaving his fingers into her now dark brown hair, he let the baby-fine strands slide against his skin like satin as his tongue tangled with hers. His other hand splayed over her ass, thinking again that she’d lost weight. Whether out of worry or fear, that wouldn’t happen again. He’d keep her safe. He’d— A noise outside the door made him freeze. His eyes opened and he stared straight into Tam’s. Just before she voiced the question he saw in her gaze, he put one finger over her lips, silencing her. Her eyes widened but she nodded and released her legs so he could set her on her feet. It could be nothing. It was probably nothing. Another neighbor getting home or leaving. But he wasn’t taking any chances. Not now. Moving her away from the door, he turned to check the peephole. And the door exploded inward.
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Chapter Eight Kyle managed to push Tam out of the way with one arm and get the other in front of his face as wood shrapnel flew like bullets. His forearm burned as splinters lodged in his flesh while fear for Tam and fury at being caught off guard fueled his rage. So when the man in the hall stepped through the pulverized door, Kyle was ready for him. He reached for the man’s arm, the one holding the gun, and dragged him forward. Kyle wanted him to lose his footing to stumble as he entered, but the guy surprised him, using his forward momentum to shove his shoulder into Kyle’s stomach, taking them both to the floor. Kyle fell on his back, all the air in his lungs rushing out, leaving him winded. Still, he managed to hold on to the guy, who was both heavier and not as nimble. Using his head as a battering ram, Kyle smashed his forehead into the guy’s nose, which crunched and bled like hell. Kyle took a split second to turn and yell at Tam. “Run! Get the hell out!” He didn’t wait to see if she obeyed because a second man walked through the door. Kyle’s only fear was for Tam. But he knew he couldn’t let it overpower him. With a burst of strength, he shoved the man with the broken nose off him and toward the second guy. The second guy stumbled as the other man hit his legs and Kyle shot to his feet. As the gun went off. Kyle had a second to recognize the muted pop of a silencer before the bullet hit his shoulder. The quick blaze of pain made him stumble back a few steps before he regained his footing. He shook off the pain as fast as it’d hit him. Not excruciating, which meant not silver. That meant manageable. He charged both men, surprising the gunman who didn’t have time to get off another shot. But Broken Nose rolled at the last second so Kyle only caught the gunman. As he took the man down, Kyle caught sight of Tam out of the corner of his eye. She hadn’t moved and her expression… Fuck. She looked stunned. Then he saw the blood, splattered on her chest and arms. Fear threatened to consume his sanity. It stole his breath. And hard on its heels was the urge to kill whoever had hurt her. With an inhuman snarl, he smashed the gunman’s head into the plaster wall so hard the guy lost consciousness immediately.
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But it had given the other man the opportunity to get closer to Tam, still frozen against the wall, hands raised in front of her chest. She looked ready to scream but no sound emerged until the man grabbed for her. Then she did scream. Enraged, his wolf burst from its metaphysical cage in his chest, transforming his body with a wicked speed. His bones morphed and re-formed with blinding speed and pain that was over in seconds. “Holy fuck!” The guy holding Tam took one look at Kyle and turned paper-white. Kyle had already launched himself at Tam’s attacker, ready to rip his throat out when Tam wrenched herself away from the guy and reached for the lamp on the nearest table. Swinging it like she was going for a home run, Tam smacked the guy in the chest, nearly hitting Kyle in the process. At the last second, Kyle managed to avoid her swing by rolling to the side, banging his gun-shot shoulder on the wall and slumping to the ground as pain blasted through his body. He fought against the blackness on the edges of his vision, fighting the yawning darkness that wanted to swallow him. He refused to leave Tam undefended. He growled and forced himself back onto his paws. Every step hurt but he made his way to her, his head butting against her leg. Her trembling hand settled on his head. The man she’d smashed with the lamp didn’t move. Out cold. Turning his head, he looked up at her. For a second, he thought she was in shock. He nudged her leg with his snout and she shifted her gaze to his before she dropped to her knees to throw her arms around his neck. Her fingers sank into his fur and he wanted her to stroke him. Needed to breathe her in and make sure the blood wasn’t hers. It wasn’t. It was his. Relief made him huff into her shoulder as she petted him, the motion soothing. Still, he needed to hold her. As he made a move to step away from her, she clutched him tighter. “Please don’t die, Kyle. Please. I love you too. I don’t want to live without you.” Relief, joy and a burning lust surged through him at the emotion in her voice. He needed to be able to talk to her. To tell her he was going to be okay and get rid of the fear in her voice. He stepped back, out of her arms. The tears running down her cheeks as she stared wide-eyed at him made him rush the process from wolf to man, tearing open the shoulder wound that had already begun to heal as his body shifted. Small price to pay, he figured. The last shivers of magic coursed through him until finally he knelt on the floor. He tried to stand but couldn’t get off his knees. 112
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Maybe he’d lost a little more blood than he’d thought. And if the pounding in his head was any indication— No, the pounding wasn’t in his head. It was in the stairwell. With a burst of strength, he flew to his feet, shoving Tam between him and the wall. He nearly didn’t recognize Nic and Duke, who skidded to a stop at the sight of him. “Whoa! Kyle, it’s us. Don’t pounce, man.” Nic held up his hands in surrender, realizing how close Kyle was to mauling him. “Well shit.” Duke’s mouth curled in disappointment as he caught sight of the men on the floor. “Looks like you didn’t leave any fun for us.” Kyle shook his head, trying to get rid of the fuzziness. “What the hell are you two doing here?” “Cole sent us.” They spoke in perfect unison then flipped an identical finger at each other. Kyle’s gaze narrowed. “And why did Cole send you?” “Backup,” Nic said. “In case Kaine’s search triggered the bad guys.” Nic nodded at the unconscious men. “Guess that’s why he’s king, huh?” Gods damn Cole. “Fine. Be useful. Take these two back to the den. Tam and I will follow in a few minutes.” While Nic and Duke figured out how they were going to get the two unconscious men down the stairs and into their car without arousing suspicion, Kyle took Tam’s arm and led her into the small bedroom at the back. Closing the door, he turned to face Tam, who stared back at him with her arms crossed over her chest. “You’re shot.” Her voice trembled and tears ran down her cheeks but he could smell her anger. And it confused the hell out of him. “I’m fine.” “No, you’re not. You’re shot. You’re bleeding.” “And I’m still breathing and in no danger of dying. You could have been killed.” She shook her head. “They wouldn’t have found me if you hadn’t had someone looking for me. I was trusting you to find them first then come for me. Not the other way around.” He stepped closer, shaking his head. He wanted to reach for her but didn’t know if she’d brush him off. Then he decided he didn’t care. He wouldn’t let her. He put his hands on her shoulders and drew her closer, grateful that she didn’t resist. Much. “I love that you trust me enough to keep you safe,” he spoke straight into her ear. “But from now on, I want you by my side. I want you bound to me. I don’t give a shit what anyone else says. This is the way it’s supposed to be.”
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She blinked and the stubborn set of her mouth started to soften. “What about your magic, Kyle? Will I be able control your magic?” His hands lifted to cup her face, to draw her closer. “I will gladly give control of my life and my heart and my pelt to you if you’ll have them.” Her eyes widened in shock and he thought he’d pushed her too far, too soon before she started to laugh and cry at the same time. He had a brief second to think, “Shit, you’re an idiot,” before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him so hard he thought she might’ve split his lip. “I love you too,” she said between kisses. “But I want your word that you’ll take a partner from now on.” “I won’t need a partner, sweetheart. I’ll have a team. No more solo missions.” Her bright smile was his reward. “Come home with me, Tam. Everything else will work itself out.”
***** “So you want Nic, Duke and Kaine?” “Yeah. I think they’re the best suited for what I want to create.” “A surgical strike team,” Cole said. Kyle nodded. “I’ve worked on my own too long.” Cole’s editorial snort let Kyle know exactly what he thought about that. “And you want to keep your eteri?” Kyle didn’t let the sneer in Cole’s tone get to him. He knew the king was only trying to get under his skin. “Actually, I want her to keep me.” Still in bed at the den lodge, Cole grinned and held out his arm for Kyle to grasp at the forearm. “Never thought I’d see the day, old man. Happy to know I was wrong.” “Never thought I would either.” “So,” Cole’s expression hardened, “what have you learned from the men you captured yesterday? They give you any leads?” “Only one. A phone number they were using to contact whoever hired them. We might’ve caught a break there. It’s actually registered to a real person. We’re tracking it down now. And we’re going to bring Tira in to read them before we dispose of them.” Cole’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t want them killed. Just wipe their memories. Have the streghe spell them then put a couple of men on them. Maybe they’ll lead us back to their employer.” Kyle had considered that but hadn’t wanted to release the men to possibly threaten Tam or Cat again. He thought about arguing with Cole but knew it was the right decision.
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“Fine. I’ll have Margie arrange the wipe.” Cole’s smile was all teeth as Kyle turned to head for the door. “Good luck, old man. You’re gonna need it to keep up with Tamra, I think. And Kyle…” Cole waited until he turned back to look at him, his expression deadly serious. “Congratulations. I think new blood is a good thing.”
***** “So this isn’t really a marriage ceremony?” Cat chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated Tam’s dress and her question two days later. “Well, since I’ve never been to a church wedding, I can’t really say. I think it’s more like Dad’s laying claim to you and you’re agreeing to let him.” Margie choked out a laugh as she watched from a chair in the corner. “Ah, yeah, that’s not exactly how I’d describe it. What my daughter is trying to say is that the ceremony is more like an exchange of vows. You’re pledging yourself to Kyle as much as to the lucani today. It’s actually been a while since they’ve had one of these ceremonies. The last was mine and Dan’s.” Tam caught Margie’s warm gaze in the mirror. “Thanks again for the dress.” She brushed a hand down the bright blue silk of the slip dress Margie had brought with her today. “I didn’t exactly come prepared for a…a ceremony.” “Tam, honey,” Margie said. “Kyle wouldn’t notice if you were wearing a burlap bag and fuzzy slippers. The man is head over heels for you. He loves you.” Tam smiled. She knew that, but it was nice to hear someone else say it. Even if it was the mother of his only child. Still, Margie had become a good friend in the past few days as they prepared for the ceremony. She’d introduced Tam to the women of the pack and to Kyle’s family in a way Kyle couldn’t have. Apparently Margie’s seal of approval went a long way toward getting the lucani to accept her. And she wanted to be accepted. For Kyle’s sake. He was a well-respected, wellliked member of the small lucani community. And apparently he’d been a highly prized bachelor among the women. She’d caught a few jealous glances tossed her way even though everyone had been nice to her face. “You look beautiful.” She smiled at the sound of his voice and turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway, staring at her with those beautiful topaz eyes. He didn’t smile but she knew exactly what he was thinking when his gaze slid down her body then back to her eyes, caressing every inch of her along the way. Her smile widened. “Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself.” Actually he looked edible but she couldn’t say that with Cat right here. Honestly though, the man couldn’t look any more gorgeous unless he was naked.
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Barefoot and dressed in black slacks and a white silk shirt, Kyle looked devastating. Her heart began to pound and her mouth dried. If he wasn’t hers so completely, she’d go to battle for him. No wonder all those women had been giving her the evil eye behind her back. She’d have to fight them off with sticks. And she’d win. It didn’t matter to her that they had claws. He was hers. She walked toward him, taking the hand he held out to her. Everything else fell away when he wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her close. He bent and kissed her, his lips warm and firm against her. When his arm wrapped around her shoulders, she pressed against him, her breasts crushed against the hard planes of his chest. Her nipples tightened and peaked, and her stomach took that freefall that always happened when he kissed her. After long seconds, he pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Are you ready?” “Absolutely.” He waved her out the door and waited until Margie and Cat exited. Dan met them on the path, newly covered in leaves that cushioned her bare feet, and took Margie’s hand while Cat practically skipped ahead to the sanctuary. When they arrived, Tam smiled to see so many people crammed into the small space. She recognized several. Kyle’s parents and sisters, Kaine with her multicolored hair, and Nic and Duke. Nic was staring across the crowd, where Tam saw Tira, smiling at her with tears in her eyes. Duke stared at the ground, hands in the pockets of his tan linen pants. Everyone was dressed with casual elegance. No jeans or t-shirts. But they were all barefoot. Kyle had told her it connected them to the earth, which is where lucani drew the power for their magic. At the center of the small clearing in front of the small waterfall stood Tivr. The Moon God. Tam automatically shook her head, still not quite able to wrap her head around the fact that this teenager was actually several millennia old and the son of the Moon Goddess Lusna. Tivr’s intense dark gaze fastened on her as she and Kyle walked forward to stand before him. He didn’t smile but his expression softened the slightest bit when his gaze shifted to Cat for a split second. When he looked back at her, his lips kept that faint smile. “So, Tamra, you want to pledge your life to Kyle. To live as his mate, to keep his secrets and forgive his faults, of which there are many.” The soft laughter from the crowd made her smile up at Kyle, who gazed back at her with breathtaking emotion in his eyes. “And Kyle, you vow to pledge your life to a woman who may actually be too good for you. Since I can’t see any reason to fault either of you for your choices, I’ll just ask
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the Great Mother Goddess Uni to give her blessing to you both and welcome Tamra into the family.” Tivr closed his eyes and muttered in a language she’d never heard, that sounded nothing like any language she’d ever heard. The tone reverberated deep in her body, as if it connected to her soul. Kyle’s hand tightened on hers, an electricity racing between them, better even than the buzz after sex. She drew in a sharp breath, just as Kyle did. And when Tivr uttered the last words and reopened his eyes, he finally smiled at them. “Congrats and let’s party, people.”
***** Kyle’s mouth slid from her neck to her shoulder as his hands dragged the tiny strap of her dress down her arm. Sensation fizzed along her nerve endings like the champagne she’d consumed throughout the night. But it wasn’t the alcohol making her drunk. It was Kyle. His touch, his scent, his love. His lips stopped at the edge of her shoulder then he switched sides as he coaxed the other strap to fall as well. The dress gave up the battle and she stood naked but for her lacy thong underwear in Kyle’s bedroom in his home. They’d left the party a half hour ago. Kyle had carried her over the threshold but she was pretty sure that had more to do with his hurry to get to the bedroom than with any human tradition. But once he’d gotten them there, he’d slowed down to the speed of molasses in winter. He kissed her with unhurried ease, let his mouth and tongue push her over the edge into blissful arousal. His hand cupped her breasts from behind as he nestled his erection against her ass. “Kyle?” He licked a path from shoulder blade to shoulder blade, making her shiver and her sheath clench. “What is it, sweetheart?” “I love you.” He nuzzled his nose into her neck and tweaked her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers before sliding his hands down her sides to push her thong down her legs. “I know.”
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Behind her, she felt him unbutton his pants, felt the silky material brush the backs of her thighs as they fell to the ground. His bare cock felt like a branding iron on her ass cheek and she gave a little wiggle that made him grab her hips and hold her still. “Turn around, sweetheart.” She did as he asked, automatically circling her arms around his shoulders as their gazes met and held. His burned with passion as he stared down at her, his hands on her hips, lifting her off the floor with those powerful arms. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she arched as she felt his cock nudge the lips of her sex then plunge into her wet depths and hold there. Walking forward two steps, he had her back against the wall. She clenched around him, watching his expression tighten with lust. His cock throbbed inside her as she leaned forward to kiss him. Love fueled her desire, made it hard for her to breathe as she slid her tongue into his mouth, teasingly slow. She felt the tension in his body, the leashed power. Felt everything so much more powerfully now. Because he loved her. Because he was hers. And she belonged to him. Her orgasm started the second he began to pull out until only the tip of his cock remained in her body. She ached for him to thrust back in, needed him to make her come. Or she would simply hang on the edge. “Kyle.” He thrust back in, a little harder this time before pulling back and holding. “Yes, Tam. Come.” And she did as he pulled her back down onto his cock, burying himself to the balls as she cried out and shuddered around him. Her body arched into him to take more and his hips powered into her, thrusting until she felt him pump his seed deep inside her. No condom, just a fiery wetness that took her breath away. After minutes just absorbing his heat into her body, she let her body relax into him, knowing he’d hold her there as long as she needed or wanted. “I love you too, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear. She smiled. “I know.”
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Epilogue Nic watched from across the room as Dan led Tira away from the party and through the back door of the lodge. He let them get a head start, because he was pretty sure he knew where Dan was taking her, then headed for the door himself. He stopped on the edge of the back porch, his jaw set as he watched Dan and Tira disappear down the path into the woods. Headed toward the cabin where they were holding the two men who’d tried to kidnap Tamra three days ago. Fuck. He was right. “You should go be with her.” Duke’s voice came from behind, so low Nic knew no one but him would hear it. “You know I can’t.” Nic looked over his shoulder at his best friend. “But you can.” Duke shook his head. “No. She won’t want me there.” “Bullshit.” “Yeah, fuck you too.” Nic sighed, knowing neither of them would give an inch. Knowing Tira wouldn’t want either one of them to be there with her. She’d made that perfectly clear the last time they’d seen her. “I can’t be with you again. Either of you. It’s too much. Please, don’t push this.” He and Duke had agreed to let her go. She’d been so devastated. In so much pain. Now, though, he had to make sure she was…what? Safe? He knew Dan wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Still… Nic stepped off the porch and headed for the cabin. No, she wouldn’t want him there but then she didn’t have to know he was there. About halfway down the path, Duke caught up. Knowing each other as well as they did, they didn’t need to speak to know what the other was doing. They reached the windowless cabin in minutes, but instead of going through the front door, they went around back to the hidden exit. Nodding to the guard on duty, they slipped into the back room of the three-room cabin.
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There was no furniture in the observation area, only a small window of one-way glass that looked into the middle room of the cabin. The one where two men sat chained to iron chairs. One remained unconscious. The other stared straight up into Tira’s eyes as she stood in front of him, touching the bare skin of his arm. Her beautiful face held that slack expression that meant she was reading the man, looking into his future, trying to see who he was working for. He’d seen her do it before. Up close and personal. The memory was enough to shred his guts. Behind him, Duke stiffened like a board, almost like he was straining against some unseen force holding him in place. God, they were fucked up—Duke, Tira and him. Nic wanted to go in there and grab her away from that eteri who she willingly put her hands on. Something she wouldn’t do with Nic. The one time she had, her vision of his future had made her break down into a sobbing mess. Nic still cringed to remember the sound of her weeping after more than seven years. And Duke refused to touch her, because Duke thought it would cut out Nic’s heart to know he could have her and Nic couldn’t. Duke didn’t know as much as he thought he did but Duke refused to talk about Tira. He refused to even consider— Tira started to scream, so loudly they could hear it through the walls. Without thought, they ran through the short hall to the door that led into that small room and burst through. The man she’d read had slumped over in his chair, passed out. Tira lay on the floor, curled into a ball in her red silk dress, her sobs tearing out his heart. Dan knelt beside her, calling her name. But Nic knew she didn’t hear him. She was locked inside whatever vision she’d seen of that man’s future. Heart pounding in his ears, Nic skidded to a stop, wanting to pick her up and hold her. Enraged to know he couldn’t. “Duke! Get her the hell out of here.” Dan jumped up to start CPR on the prisoner. Nic turned to see his best friend hesitate for two seconds before stepping forward and scooping Tira into his arms. They ran back to the lodge, burst through the back door and headed for the suite they shared on the second floor. Nic threw open the door a second before Duke ran through, headed for his bedroom. There, Nic watched Duke lay the woman they both loved on the comforter. 120
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Tira’s head thrashed back and forth, as if she were trying to escape some horrifying image, and she muttered words Nic had to lean closer to hear. “Dead. Gone. Blessed Goddess, please. No.” “Shit, Nic—” “Snap her out of it, Duke. Now.” Again, Duke hesitated before he grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Tira, come on, sweetheart. Come out of it. Come back, baby. We’re right here. Don’t do this to us again.” As if Duke’s voice had triggered something, Tira’s eyes flew open and she stared straight into Duke’s eyes. “Tira, wha—” She started to sob.
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About the Author Stephanie Julian is an avid reader who used to have a book-a-day habit. Then she realized she not only wanted to read books but write them too. Romance has always been her first love, the sexier the better. Hot men, strong women and a heaping helping of magic dominate (and she does mean dominate) her blazing hot stories. When she’s not writing, she’s, well…she’s certainly not cleaning. And she only cooks when her guys complain that they’re hungry (ain’t cereal grand!). Otherwise, she’s got her fingers on a keyboard, her butt in a chair and her head in the stars. Stephanie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Stephanie Julian Magical Seduction 1: Seduced by Magic Magical Seduction 2: Seduced in Shadow Magical Seduction 3: Seduced and Ensnared Magical Seduction 4: Seduced and Enchanted Magical Seduction 5: Seduced by Chaos Magical Seduction 6: Seduced by Danger Magical Seduction 7: Seduced by Two
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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