Silver Moon Tempered Souls: Book Two Aislinn Kerry Published 2011 ISBN 978-1-59578-881-8 Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2011, Aislinn Kerry. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Manufactured in the United States of America Liquid Silver Books http://LSbooks.com Email:
[email protected] Editor Jean Cooper Cover Artist Anne Cain This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Blurb Fate Dobrzynski hates and fears werewolves more than anything else on earth. But when she finds out her vampire friends face starvation unless they can expand their feeding grounds, she's determined to do anything she can to help—even if it means making a deal with Gabriel Cardenas, the alpha of the local Were pack. Gabe hates vampires as much as any Were, but when Fate comes to him, he can't resist the opportunity to prove she has nothing to fear from his kind. Even if it comes at the cost of allowing bloodsuckers to feed in his territory. Fate and Gabe find unexpected fellowship with one another. As Gabe shows her Weres can be trusted, Fate introduces him to kink and a side of himself he never knew existed. But Gabe's wolves are none too pleased about having a human woman brought into their pack. With Gabe's focus on the vampire threat outside their doors, will he miss the danger lurking under his own roof?
Chapter One PURE used to be like a second home to her. Now it just felt like a lie. If Fate were honest with herself, she’d have to admit this had been coming on for months. Ever since the day she’d forged her unlikely friendship with Reina Campbell, who staunchly believed all creatures were created equal, whether mortal, immortal, Were, or otherwise. Fate had called them all monsters back then, but no longer. It was hard to put her heart into it when her best friend was a vampire. The group was dwindling now and she didn’t mind. She’d have disbanded it entirely if it hadn’t felt like a betrayal, to turn her back on something that had been such a large part of her life for so long. But the university’s summer break was just around the corner. People would be heading off to their homes and attendance would trickle to practically nothing. They usually didn’t bother meeting during the summer, and if the group died a natural death over those months, she wasn’t going to be the one to resuscitate it. Even now there was only a small group gathered, clustered in the front of the auditorium. Fate couldn’t bring herself to lead them in any sort of discussion, so she sat on the edge of the stage, gnawing the lipstick off the edge of her lip, while the others clumped into small groups and talked amongst themselves. She heard snippets of conversation but paid little attention to them. One group discussed reports of local pets being snatched and turning up days later completely exsanguinated. Fate knew those to be nothing more than rumor—she had a much closer ear to the ground for those sorts of things now, with the company she’d been keeping— but the people who had stuck around PURE this long were not the sort to listen to reason, or heed her pleas for caution. Fate looked at her watch. If she left now, she’d get to Reina’s earlier than they’d planned, but Reina had never been the sort to mind. The company at Logan’s house promised to be infinitely better than she found here. She slid off of the edge of the stage, down to the carpeted floor, and dug the key to the auditorium from her pocket. She tossed it to Kate on her way out. “Lock up when you’re done? I’m going home.” Kate gave her a startled look but nodded and tucked the key into her purse. Fate left them all behind her and strode out into the night. Outside, the sky was dark and cooling off quickly but the air still held a remnant of the day’s heat. Fate scrubbed damp tendrils of hair off the back of her neck as she strode to the parking lot. She’d never been more grateful that Reina lived so close to campus. Just a few miles, a five-minute drive at most, and Fate could leave this all behind her and be among friends again. If anyone had told her a year ago that she’d be taking comfort in the company of vampires, she’d have laughed herself sick. She didn’t particularly feel like laughing now. **** The lights blazed from a house on the side of the road, shining out in a comforting glow. Six months earlier, Fate never would have used the word comforting to describe the
home of a vampire brood. Six months earlier, she’d have called them monsters. Now, she called them friends—even Logan, the brood’s sire and Reina’s boyfriend, though there had been no love lost between them when they’d first met. Fate smiled as she jogged up the walk with her book bag slung over her shoulder. The jasmine beneath the window was blooming, filling the air with its scent. She gave a perfunctory knock before trying the door. The knob turned beneath her hand and she stepped inside. The living room was empty, which was unusual. In her experience, someone could almost always be found there, watching TV, or lounging on the couch, reading a book or having a conversation. Today, there was no one to greet her but the sounds of conversation lured her further within. She found the whole brood gathered in the kitchen, heads bent over a map spread out on the table. “Look, Mac,” Alex said as he traced a line on the map Fate couldn’t see. “We’ve got Arlais to our southwest, Donovan to the east. We’re stuck. There’s nowhere to expand.” Logan was shaking his head and looking grim. They all were, actually. Unusually so. “What’s going on?” Fate asked, stepping into the kitchen. They glanced up at her. Not a one seemed surprised to see her there. Sure, she thought. I’ve got blood coursing through my veins. They probably smelled me from the doorstep. For a moment, no one responded to her. Then Reina blew out her breath and said, “Hi. We weren’t expecting you until later, sorry. We’re just trying to figure out what to do for summer break.” “Vacay?” Fate asked, brows raised, grinning, but it was just a joke to defuse the tension she could feel boiling off of them. They were all much too strained to be discussing vacation. “I hear Cancún is the destination hotspot of the summer. Bright, sunny beaches…” Reina flashed her a grin that faded fast. “I wish. We’re trying to figure out how not to starve when everyone goes home for break.” The smile fell off of Fate’s face. She stepped in and the others shuffled closer together, making room for her around the table. The map on the table showed Bryson and the surrounding areas, all the way out to Harmony and Fairmount. They’d been writing on it, shading in areas. Territories, Fate assumed. At a glance, she could see what Alex had been talking about. Logan’s territory, centered squarely over Bryson and the university, was penned in neatly to the west, east, and south. Fate pointed to an unshaded area directly to the north. “What’s wrong with that?” The others shifted and said nothing. Reina rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “That’s what I said.” “No,” Logan said, his voice hard. “There are no hunting grounds there.” “Well, that’s not true.” Fate looked closer at the map. “I’ve been up there before. There are at least half a dozen bars and clubs you’d be able to find willing donors in, easy.” “No.” Logan’s voice hardened even further, cooled several degrees. Fate glanced up at him, startled, but it was Reina he was looking at. “We’ll get no succor there. It’s offlimits.” His tone left no room for discussion. Fate watched as Reina squared her shoulders. Her jaw lifted, her expression tightening with irritation and resolve. “You might at least tell me why. I may be the youngest but I’m not a child.” Her voice dropped. She leaned in toward him, murmuring,
“Logan, you can’t just tell me to jump and expect me to ask how high, you know that. I just want to know why, because you’re not making any sense. I assume the sun still sets there the same as it does everywhere else, so why couldn’t we—” “It’s Gabe’s territory,” Logan said quietly. Reina snapped her mouth shut. “It doesn’t matter how prime the feeding grounds are, we’re not welcome.” Fate looked back and forth between them. “Gabe. You mean Adri’s Gabe?” Adri had been Reina’s roommate and friend until she’d been killed by a rogue vampire this past winter. She had also been a werewolf and Gabe had been her alpha. Logan glanced at Fate briefly. “Yes. That one.” “But Gabe’s my friend,” Reina protested. “I’ve known him for years. I can talk to him, I can tell him that our brood’s grown and when the quarter ends we’re going to starve—” “No!” Even Fate jumped at the ferocity of Logan’s tone. “Reina, you will not set foot in his territory. I forbid it.” “Now, hold on just a minute.” Fate planted herself in front of Logan. It hadn’t been that long, only a few months, since she’d had to pick up the pieces left behind when Logan had gotten too overbearing for Reina to cope with. She was damned if she was going to let him hurt her like that again. Even before she began to speak, Reina was bristling and balling her hands at her side. “Forbid, hell,” she snarled. “Don’t you give me orders, Logan MacGregor, or I’ll kick your ass. You know better than that.” He shook his head. “Gabriel Cardenas is not your friend. Not anymore.” “You don’t get to tell me who my friends are.” His mouth gaped open. He snapped it shut and raised his hands in submission or placation. “Mo mhuirnin,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t dream of it. The last thing I want is to deny you your friends.” He glanced, almost involuntarily, at Fate. Fate nearly smirked. The last time Logan had tried to keep Reina from a friend for her own protection, that friend had been Fate. It hadn’t gone well. “This… This is not an order. It’s not even a request. It’s just fact, and it pains me, but I can’t change it. You are a vampire and he is a Were and their kind has no love for ours.” “I’m his friend,” she insisted, raising her chin. “I’m not some random vampire off the street. I can talk to him, tell him what’s happening. He’ll listen to me.” “No.” Logan straightened. Resolve settled over his face. “Reina, this isn’t just about you. If you enter his territory, he’ll kill you for it, and then he’ll hunt down the brood for good measure.” “Kill me?” She stared at him. “Don’t be absurd. You don’t know him, Logan.” “Neither do you,” he said softly. “Not as well as you think. Reina, as your sire, for your own safety, for the safety of the brood, I must forbid it.” She stiffened, her gaze snapping with anger. Fate put herself between the two of them before she could retort. “I’ll talk to him,” she said. Everyone turned to stare at her. “What? I’m not a vampire. He’s got no reason to kill me on sight.” He had no reason to hear her out, either, especially if he had the faintest idea about her involvement in PURE, but she’d burn that bridge when she came to it. “Let me go see how he really feels.” Reina chewed on her lip, looking uncertain. Logan just looked relieved Fate had
offered an alternative that didn’t involve Reina risking her neck. “It’s an idea,” Reina said at length. “But if he knows who you are, he’s not exactly going to be rolling out the welcome wagon.” Fate laughed. “No doubt. But I didn’t figure I’d open with, ‘Hi, I’m a reformed bigot, can you spare a few minutes to talk?’” Reina smiled. It was still a tense expression, but it lasted longer than the first. “All right.” She came around the table and took a magnetic notepad from the side of the fridge. It had a pen attached by a string, and she used it to scrawl something on the top sheet. She ripped it off and handed it to Fate. “This is his address. Tell him you’re my friend when you go see him, and that you helped find Adri’s killer. That’ll buy you at least a little bit of leeway.” Fate nodded and folded the note before slipping it in the pocket of her shoulder bag. When it was tucked safely away, she hefted the bag and gave Reina a pointed look. “Think I can drag you away from the thrilling world of vamp politics long enough to help me pass my calculus exam tomorrow?” Reina smiled again. This time, the expression was warm and heartfelt, and lasted. “Of course.” She turned back to the others and gestured at the map. “Mind if we commandeer the table for a couple hours?” Kynan was already trying to work out how to fold it up and everyone was looking relieved to have, if not a solution, then at least a temporary reprieve before they had to tackle such thorny issues again. **** A few hours of studying formulas and equations was enough to turn Fate’s brain to mush, so she declared a break and got up to brew a fresh pot of coffee. Reina rose from the table, stretched her back out and then followed Fate into the kitchen. “What are your plans for the summer?” she asked as Fate scooped grounds into the filter. “Going home, I suppose?” Her voice turned wistful. “It’ll be strange here without you.” Fate fumbled the scoop a little as she dropped it back into the canister of grounds. “No.” She turned to the sink to fill the pot, putting her back to Reina. “I’m not leaving Bryson.” Reina said nothing while the water ran into the pot. When Fate twisted the faucet off and turned to fill the coffeemaker’s reservoir, Reina asked, “What’s wrong?” Fate shut her eyes. “Damned empath,” she said, but there wasn’t any heat behind her words, just weariness. Of course this conversation had been coming. It always came up, sooner or later, with anyone she spent any amount of time with. She probably should count her blessings it hadn’t come up earlier. Reina’s empathy made it impossible to hide anything from her. She always knew when Fate was upset, and lying just fueled Reina’s determination. “I don’t have a home to go to.” She spoke quickly, forcing out the now too familiar words. “I don’t have parents waiting for me. They died when I was little and please don’t tell me you’re sorry.” Reina drew back, her eyes going wide. She’d been about to speak, but she shut her mouth without a sound. After a moment, she said, “All right. I just thought… You said you were packing and I assumed—” Fate took a deep breath to clear the bad air from her lungs. “My apartment lease only
lasts the school year. Once finals are over, I’m kicked out.” “Oh.” Reina’s expression clouded with uncertainty. “You’ve got a new place lined up?” Fate gave a quick jerk of her head. “In September. I’m just moving my stuff into storage for now and couch surfing until I can find a place to sublet.” “Fate!” Reina stared at her in sudden indignation. “You can stay here, of course.” Fate let a small, rueful smile curl the corner of her mouth. “You’ve got a full house, sweetie. You don’t need me adding to it.” “Don’t be absurd. If we can take in Brett and Faolan, we can certainly take in you, too.” Her smile strengthened at the certainty in Reina’s voice. “That’s very sweet. But are you sure Logan would echo the sentiment?” “Yes.” Reina crossed her arms over her chest. “He will.” Fate hit the button to start the coffee brewing and turned to face Reina. “Well, I’d feel better if you actually asked him before you get my hopes up.” “All right.” Reina smiled. The expression warmed her whole face. “I’ll ask him. You’ll see.” **** A long, narrow dirt road led to Gabriel Cardenas’s estate. Fate stopped her car just beyond the gate that marked the limit of his property and scrubbed a hand over her face. The house looked like any other one might find on a ranch or similar large estate. Dogs ran around in the grasses, leaping and growling and playing. It looked like a nice place, almost idyllic. Fate swallowed the stone in her throat and forced herself to get out and swing the gate open so she could pass through. By the time she’d climbed into the car, driven through, and climbed out again to shut the gate behind her, the dogs had come racing to greet her. She jumped when the first thrust his nose into her hand and licked her palm. Stupid, she thought violently as she tried not to flinch away from the pack. For the sake of her pride, she thrust her hand out and let him lick her again, and then scratched him briefly beneath his jaw. They’re werewolves, not weredogs. These are just the family pets. She got back into her car and carefully continued down the narrow lane to the house. The dogs swarmed around her as soon as she stepped out onto the grass again. Fate petted another behind his ears and eyed the house, grim with resignation. It was too late to turn back now. The dogs’ clamor of excited yips and barks would have already announced her arrival. They knew she was here. She couldn’t turn back now. You can’t turn back anyway, she reminded herself. Reina needs this. She squared her shoulders, drew a long, slow breath to calm her fluttering pulse and strode toward the house as though she wasn’t afraid at all. **** Gabe was back in the laundry room preparing a load of dog bed covers when the pack’s normal ambient noise changed, suddenly alert and strung with energy. The reason became clear soon enough—he heard the quiet roar of a car engine starting down the lane
toward the house. Visitors were rare on their property, but not unheard of. He paid it little mind. The others were elsewhere in the house and less likely to have their hands full. He kept one ear turned toward the conversation as he measured detergent into the washing machine and began to dump the bed covers into the basin. It was Lily who answered the door. He heard her greet the visitor and knew from the ice in her tone it must be a stranger to their household. “Is Gabriel home?” This was their visitor. A woman’s voice, but not one he knew. She didn’t sound like a solicitor, Gabe thought. Since she’d asked for him by name, he dusted the dog hair and dust from his hands and started out to see her. “He’s not available,” Lily told the woman. If her voice had been cool before, it was frigid now. Gabe’s steps faltered, his brow furrowing with confusion. Lily wasn’t the sort to be rude without just cause, but the woman hadn’t said anything that might have given her insult. “I’ll wait,” she was saying, her voice hard and stubborn, but it should have taken more than that to get Lily riled up. Gabe came out of the hall and rounded the corner. His steps faltered again, bringing him to a stop. Well, that certainly explained Lily’s hostility. The woman hadn’t said anything untoward, no, but even from where he stood Gabe could smell her fear. “He doesn’t have time,” Lily snapped, her hackles rising. Gabe pushed the screen door open and stepped out onto the porch with the two women. “I’ll speak with her,” he said quietly. All the tension drained out of Lily on a rush. She turned back to the house. Her gaze caught Gabe’s as she brushed past him. Thanks, it said. He inclined his head and held the door open for her. He was alpha, after all. It was his responsibility to deal with threats like these, not Lily’s. As the door shut behind him, he turned to face this woman. To look on them, anyone would have laughed at the thought that she posed a threat to them. She was slight, and though he could make out the contours of muscles suggesting she might be stronger than she looked, she wouldn’t have been any match to even a mortal man, never mind one graced with a Were’s strength. Her makeup was dark and dramatic, her skin ivory. He thought she’d have been stunning under better circumstances but right now, she put him in mind of nothing so much as a terrier, staring up at him with fierce bravado despite the fact that he had a hundred pounds on her easy, as well as the advantage of strength. And they both knew it. No, she didn’t look like she ought to have been a threat to any of them. But she wasn’t just afraid. The fear he’d smelled in the hall rolled off her in waves. She was terrified. And whether they were man or beast, creatures always did stupid, tragic things when they were terrified. “Welcome to our home,” he told her, careful to keep his tone more cordial than Lily’s. He stayed alert as he watched her, though. Just in case. “What did you wish to speak with me about?” She was quiet for a moment, staring up at him as though he was somehow the last thing she’d expected. “I’m Fate,” she said at last. Her words tumbled out in a rush. “I’m Reina’s friend. She said I should tell you that. And that I helped her find Adri’s killer.”
Gabe released a long, slow breath and with it, much of his tension. He gave her a more genuine smile. “A friend of Reina’s is always welcome here.” Thinking of Adri still sent a pang of grief through him, sharp as glass, but it was a comfort to know she had been avenged. “And for your part in seeing justice done, you have my gratitude.” Surprise flashed over Fate’s face. Gabe wondered what reaction she had expected of him, but whatever it was, she covered it up quickly. “I was happy to help. But that’s not why I’m here.” She still spoke too fast, her words running together. “Reina needs your help.” “Of course. Anything in my power. She knows that.” He glanced past Fate to her car, but it was empty. She’d come alone. “I’m surprised she didn’t come herself. Is something wrong?” Something sharp and unpleasant spiked through the fear coming off of her. She stared at him and suddenly seemed stricken. “Oh crap,” she breathed. “You don’t know.” Dread curled through his gut. God. Wasn’t Adri enough? What now? He was careful to keep his tone even when he said, “Don’t know what? Perhaps you’d best come inside.” Fate’s hands curled at her sides and she leaned back from him, as though he’d just suggested she’d make a lovely appetizer before supper. He expected her to refuse but she surprised him, straightening her spine and giving him a sharp nod. When he opened the door for her, she barely hesitated before stepping across the threshold. He led her into the kitchen and motioned for her to sit at the table. She remained standing, though, her hands resting on the chair’s back, watching him as he pulled glasses from the cupboard and poured iced tea for both of them. He set hers on the table before her and took a seat, waiting until she’d settled down uneasily across the table. She dragged her fingers through the condensation on the side of the cup and wouldn’t look at him. “Best tell me,” he said after a moment. “What’s happened? Please, if it’s to do with Reina, I want to know.” Her lips flattened into a thin line, her expression grim. She drew a deep breath and blurted, “Reina … she’s been turned.” Her throat worked for a moment. “I’m sorry.” Her words hit him like blows. He wasn’t strong enough to endure them. It felt as though she’d taken all the air from the room. When he managed to work his lungs and inhale, all it brought him was pain, searing, slicing. “She’s—Oh, God.” He pressed a hand to his face, shuddering. Adri, and now Reina, too? Surely this was too much grief for one person to bear. “That’s… You were her friend? I’m so sorry. That’s just awful.” An understatement if ever there was one, but he didn’t have the luxury of falling to pieces. “When did this happen? I haven’t heard from her in a few months, but I assumed school was keeping her busy.” The guilt of it was almost as sharp as the grief. “Oh, God, her parents. Has anyone told them?” “I … I don’t know,” Fate said, eyeing him from under furrowed brows. She looked uncertain. He wondered if she was concerned that he wasn’t hysterical in his grief, or afraid that he would be. “I don’t think she’s had that conversation with them yet, no.” “No, she wouldn’t, would she?” It wasn’t in a vampire’s nature to be merciful to the loved ones they left behind. He reached across the table and gripped Fate’s hand. She jumped and almost tried to pull free, but then seemed to stop herself and sat frozen, staring at him. “Someone has to tell them,” he insisted. “Those poor people. They deserve to know their daughter’s fate.” She sat as tense as a cornered rabbit, so he released her
hand and sat back. “Please tell them that if they plan on holding a service to honor her memory, I’d like to say a few words. She meant the world to Adri, and I thought she was a lovely woman.” “Was?” Fate slowly drew her hand back and set it on her lap. The intensity of her stare hardened. “She’s not dead, you know.” Pain and rage swept through him like a storm. “No,” he said roughly. “She is undead, when she ought to at least be allowed to rest in peace. For that alone, I’ll gladly kill the one responsible for her fate, should we ever cross paths.” Fate licked her lips and shifted in her chair. “Sorry. Reina beat you to that one. The vamp who turned her is long dead.” Gabriel released a breath. That, at least, was a relief. “I’m glad to hear that. But I meant the one who’s keeping her from the rest she’s earned.” Fate’s expression slowly transformed. She stared at him in what almost seemed to be horror. “Well.” She shot to her feet and headed straight for the door, her arms held close against her sides, her whole body stiff. “I guess that answers my question. Thank you very much for your time, but I’ll just be going now—” Gabe followed after her, alarmed. “Wait, please.” He caught her by the arm. He was sure to keep his touch careful, but she jumped all the same and then froze again. Fear came off of her, so strong it was overpowering. He released her and backed off a step, at a loss. “I’ve upset you.” Fate gave a choked laugh which held no humor at all. “Yeah. That you have.” Her skin was even paler than it had been, making her eyes stand out large and dark, emphasizing the tense set to her lips. She stared at him with a strange mix of resignation and fury. He lifted his hands, fingers spread, trying to calm her. “Please, tell me why. I thought you came here to tell me of her fate. Did I misunderstand?” “Why?” Fate echoed. Her brows furrowed, and her lip curled. “Reina didn’t choose what happened to her. It was forced upon her, and the only reason it happened in the first place is because she was doing your job, looking into the death of your pack member.” Guilt stabbed through Gabe, completely deserved. She was right about Adri. He had to take at least a little of the blame for what happened to Reina onto his own shoulders. He started to speak, to admit that it was so. But the timid, terrified Fate was gone now, and the woman who stood in her place was an Amazon, full of fury and righteousness. He rocked back on his heels, stunned by the transformation. She still smelled of fear, but she smelled of other emotions now, too. Strength, and power, and rage. She spoke over him, refusing to allow him even a word. “You’ve got a lot of gall turning your back on her now. And she’s got a hell of a lot more faith in you than you deserve.” Gabe scrubbed the heel of his hand against his brow. “Whatever she’s said,” he murmured, “she’s not who she was. You can’t take any of it to heart.” Fate stared at him as though he were an insect on her windshield. “Well, that’s just sad,” she spat. “I’ve only known her a few months and I know her better than you do.” She spun on her heel and made for the door again. Gabe stared after her, floored by her sudden strength and at a loss for how to counter her accusations. Clearly, she was one of those who viewed vampirism as a simple malady, no different than a cold or flu, and what could he say to that? How to explain that
the vampire she called Reina, who walked in Reina’s body, had nothing at all to do with the woman she had once been? He couldn’t. She wouldn’t want to hear it. Instead, he called out after her, “You said something about a question. What was it?” “Nothing,” she snapped back over her shoulder. “Trust me, I already know your answer.” His spine straightened. Amazon she might be, but she had come to him. She was in his home. “Ask it,” he said, just shy of a command. She stopped and stood with her back to him for a moment. When she did turn, it was to glare at him in a fury. Gabe waited. After a moment she gave a heavy sigh and dragged a hand through her neon-striped hair. “Logan’s taken in too many strays. His brood is too big for their territory, especially now that everyone’s heading home for summer. But the only direction he can expand his hunting grounds is north.” She didn’t need to point out that Logan’s territory was south of Gabe’s. “No,” he said, his voice like a whip. She flinched. He would frighten her again, but the thought of it, the mere thought of it, made his vision swim with the red haze of rage. “Absolutely not. She sent you to ask for permission?” His voice broke off with a furious snarl. Fate edged away from him, her eyes growing wide. She groped blindly for the door. But despite her fear, her voice remained strong. “Actually, she wanted to come ask you herself. I’m here because Logan told her you’d kill her on sight and she couldn’t believe you’d ever do that. Not to someone you’d called a friend.” Her words sent a fresh wave of grief surging up within Gabe, quenching the fires of his anger. “She was my friend.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I loved her as well as I love any of my pack. But she’s dead now.” “If that’s what you think, it’s your loss.” She turned again for the door. Gabe took a single step after her. As her fingers wrapped around the handle, he said quietly, “Don’t you think that’s just a little hypocritical of you, Fate?” She froze and then turned back to him, her face wan beneath her makeup. But she jerked her chin up all the same. “How do you figure that?” He closed the distance she’d put between them, and reached out. She stared at his hand with thinly-veiled horror but he didn’t touch her. He pressed his palm to the door, leaned in close as he spoke. “You’re going to tell me she’s not a monster, right? That she’s a victim, and the only thing that’s changed about her is her diet, and I’m a right bastard for turning my back on her for something she had no control over. Right?” He’d heard all the arguments before. He knew them by rote. She stared at him and said nothing, but the way her lips tightened at the corners was confirmation enough. “That’s a very nice speech,” he said. “But I’ve done nothing at all to you, and yet you’ve been terrified since the minute I opened the door.” She stiffened. Her glare bore into him. “I am not afraid of you.” “You can’t lie to me.” He leaned in a fraction closer, to drive his point home. “You reek of fear.” He watched her face from very close as she processed this. “I came anyway, didn’t I?” she said at last. “Some of us are capable of overcoming our prejudices.”
He rocked onto his heels, giving back the space he’d stolen. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath, as though she’d been holding it while he was near. He regarded her for a moment, arms crossed over his chest. Temper had put a flush of color back in her cheeks. After a pause, she lifted her gaze to his and held it while she waited for him. “Is that so?” he said at last. “Well. Come back into the kitchen, then, and let’s discuss your proposal.” He turned and strode away, expecting her to follow. He felt her stare on him with every step. He sat at the table and took up his iced tea, swirling the straw through it, waiting. She came around the corner glaring at him. But it was enough that she’d come. “It’s not my proposal.” She crossed her arms tight beneath her breasts. “Isn’t it?” He gestured to her chair and the glass of iced tea she, too, had abandoned. Condensation had dripped down its sides and made a ring on the wooden tabletop. “You’re the one sitting here, asking it of me.” She ran her tongue over her lip, leaving a sheen of moisture in its wake. “It wasn’t safe for them to come ask for themselves.” “Probably so,” he agreed. Undoubtedly so. No member of his pack would have tolerated a vampire setting foot on their territory, much less their own land. “But my point stands. You are the one requesting this of me, the one speaking to me. You’re the only one here to negotiate with.” “Negotiate?” She straightened, her hands spreading wide on the table. She stared at him. “That’s an awfully quick change of heart.” “Oh, it’s not that, Fate. Don’t imagine it is.” But he’d thought of something that might be worth the trade-off. He sat back and laced his fingers over his stomach, watching her. There was fire in her despite her fear, he’d seen it for himself. Even now it smoldered, waiting for an excuse to flare up. There was steel in her. He wondered how deep it ran. “Let’s make sure we’re on the same page. You want me to open my territory to Reina and her kin to hunt upon. For the summer, yes? Until classes start again.” She watched him like she suspected he might be setting her up for a cruel joke. “Yes, that’s pretty much it.” He nodded and let a moment pass, then said, “I’ll do it.” Her mouth fell open, her whole expression washed with surprise. But suspicion followed almost immediately after. Her eyes narrowed, and she waited. Smart woman, he thought, pleased. “It’s not a gift,” he told her. “I expect something from you in return.”
Chapter Two It occurred to Fate on the drive home that making a deal with a werewolf was only marginally better than making deals with the devil. But what was done was done. And it wasn’t an intolerable agreement they’d come to. An even exchange—that’s what he’d wanted. Any night Logan’s brood spent in his territory, she had to spend in his home, under his roof. As surety, and proof of what she’d told him. Proof that she wasn’t afraid. It was a small price to pay when the alternative was that Reina and the rest of the brood would starve, wasn’t it? So she spent a few nights in a bed in Gabriel’s home instead of her own. There was no good reason at all for the thought to make her stomach clench with dread. Yet it did, all the same. Her thoughts roiled with it until she thought she might scream. Just the idea of going home, sitting in her empty boxed-up apartment choking on the knowledge of what she’d agreed to, made her skin crawl. She ought to study for her finals but instead, she threw prudence to the wind and stopped by her apartment just long enough to dig her club gear out of the box she’d packed it in. She locked the apartment behind her and drove to her favorite local club. She dug her ID out of her wallet as she passed under the sign that spelled out Chains of Passion in neon blue links. She left the club hours later, buoyed by a glowing sense of contentment and satisfaction. It wouldn’t last, of course. She knew that. But it carried her along for now, and that was all she could ask for. She slid behind the wheel of her car and went back home to shower and change. It was well into the night by now and Logan’s brood would be anxious for her news, but she’d never hear the end of it if she strode into their house in full club gear. A loose pair of yoga pants and a light cotton shirt were much more suitable for hanging around the kitchen table while the vamps had breakfast, and more comfortable besides. The household had settled back into its normal rhythms and routines, it seemed, as she stepped inside. Quiet sounds of activity came from all corners as the brood woke and showered and began their day. Bella leaned out over the second-floor railing and waved when Fate shut the door behind her. Fate waved back and then went into the kitchen, where she could already smell the coffee brewing. Predictably enough, she found Kynan hovering over the pot with restless anticipation. “Morning,” she greeted him, smiling. Kynan glanced up and returned the smile. “If you want coffee, the line starts right here.” Laughing, she snagged a cup from the cupboard and came to stand next to him, leaning a hip against the counter. When she tilted her head to the side, Kynan’s brows climbed and he grinned. “Fun night, huh?” She blinked at him, startled at the sudden observation. He reached and touched her shoulder, where the tail end of a lash mark curled out from beneath the collar of her shirt.
She stiffened, but his eyes were warm and amused, so she just said, “Yep. That’s my brand of fun, anyway. Different strokes, right?” He laughed. “Not always.” He turned away from her and began to hike up his shirt. She didn’t have a clue what he was doing—until she realized what he wanted her to see were the broad, pink marks that cut across his back. She reached out and ran her thumb along one of the lines. Hers were still fresh, hot and inflamed, but his were older, fading, nearly healed. “Oh fuck.” She jerked her hand away and stared at Kynan’s back. Any wound would have had to be very bad for him not to have healed immediately. Very deep, or… “How long?” she asked him quietly. “Oh, just a couple days.” He tugged his shirt back down and faced her again. “It pulls a little, if I’m not careful, but I’m not exactly a stranger to pain.” His grin invited her to share in the joke, but she wasn’t amused. “That’s not what I mean.” She couldn’t care less about how long he’d carried the marks for—goodness knew, she’d worn her own for upwards of a week, at times, if a play session had been particularly rough. But these were a symptom of a much bigger problem. “Kynan, how long has it been since you’ve eaten?” “Oh.” The smile faded from his face, leaving him thoughtful. “Well, a few days longer than that. It’s no big deal, really, I just didn’t think before I went out.” She felt like she’d suddenly swallowed lead. It was one thing to be told her friends were hungry. It was another matter entirely to be confronted with the evidence of their starvation. “Christ,” she muttered, and scrubbed a hand over her face. “Let’s get the others in here, so I can say this to all of you.” Kynan looked curious but unconcerned. Together, they gathered the rest of the brood and ushered them into the kitchen. Fate snagged a cup of coffee for herself now that it had finished brewing, and then stole a chair at the table. Standing made her edgy and uncomfortable, too much like standing before a class giving a presentation or speech. They all knew their ability to feed themselves rested upon her shoulders. The weight of their attention on her only made the pressure worse. Sitting at the table with the others helped ease it somewhat. “I saw Gabriel earlier,” she said, because there really was no point in putting it off. Suddenly, everyone’s attention was focused on her. It was obvious enough to make her pulse pound, despite the way most of them schooled their expressions to mild curiosity, or pretended as though they were only half-listening as they swirled spoons through their cups. Reina watched her with undisguised interest, her eyes bright with hope. Logan came to stand behind her, one hand on her shoulder. Ready to console, if the news was bad. Fate sighed and wished it was better. “You’re both right, as it happens,” she said. “To a point.” “How’s that?” Reina wondered. “He agreed to let you hunt in his territory. All of you.” Astonishment washed across Logan’s face. Reina broke into a smile and Fate scrubbed a hand over her brow as she continued, “But Logan’s right. He’s not your friend. Not anymore.” It was agonizing to watch the relief and happiness in Reina’s expression fade to hurt and confused betrayal. “What do you mean? But if he agreed—”
“It’s complicated,” Fate said grimly. She reached across the table and gripped Reina’s hand in hers. “Sweetie, I was there. I talked to him. Trust me when I tell you to just let it be. No good will come of trying to force the issue on him.” “But…” She dragged her hands through her hair, frowning. “But why would he agree? If Logan’s right and he hates what we are, what I’ve become, why would he agree at all?” “Well, I’m very persuasive.” Fate leaned back in her seat, plastering a false, bright smile on her face. “He was no match for my feminine wiles.” Reina laughed reluctantly. She looked unconvinced. Fate braced for a protest, for demands for the whole story. But Reina shrugged, gave her a sad little smile, and said, “All right. Thanks for talking to him, Fate. We owe you one.” “Oh, honey.” Fate laughed and slumped forward, propping her chin on her fist. “You owe me a hell of a lot more than one.” Reina did press her for details, later after most of the others had wandered off to work or other pursuits. Fate just shook her head and said, “Drop it. Really. You don’t want to know.” Reina frowned and pressed her lips into a thin line. “The more you say that, the more I really do.” Fate offered her a lopsided smile. “Curiosity killed the cat, sweetie.” Reina laughed. “Death doesn’t intimidate me. I’ve faced it—it’s not so bad.” “How have your finals been going?” Fate asked before Reina could pursue the question. Reina seemed happy enough to let Fate direct the topic of conversation. She leaned back in her chair and brought her knee up against her chest, arms looped lightly around her calf. “Oh, they’ve been fine. Helps to be dating a professor,” she added, jerking her head toward the ceiling to indicate Logan. “He makes a great study partner.” “Ugh!” Fate shuddered and gave a melodramatic grimace. “You’re made of sterner stuff than I. Bad enough I have to deal with professors all day long. I’d go postal if I had to come home to one, too.” Reina grinned. “He’s not so bad.” Fate snorted, equal parts amusement and skepticism. She tore pieces of bread off of her sandwich. “Whatever floats your boat, sweetie. I prefer my men to not be the lecturing type.” “Fate, you take your men any way you can get them,” Reina protested, laughing. Fate feigned outrage. “Why, I’m positively insulted.” “Am I wrong?” Reina raised her brows and giving Fate a pointed look. “Well.” Fate sipped at her coffee to hide her grin. “Perhaps not.” “Then my point stands.” Fate threw a sugar packet at her, laughing, and soon the conversation turned to lighter subjects, of school and finals and how they planned to take advantage of three months free from the tyranny of homework. A short while later, they were interrupted by the quiet sound of someone clearing his throat nearby. They both turned. Logan stood in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the jamb, watching them with a faint smile. “Fate, may I speak with you a moment?” “Sure thing,” she said, surprised, and rose to her feet. She bumped her hip against Reina as she passed and teased, “Don’t worry, sweetie. He’s still not my type. Your
man’s safe with me.” “Take good care of him,” Reina quipped, deadpan. Fate was laughing as she followed Logan out to the living room, but he turned to her with a grave expression. She swallowed her humor. “What is it?” “I’ve spoken with Gabriel,” Logan said. “When we were looking for Reina. I know how he feels about our kind. He wouldn’t have agreed to this, not even for Reina.” Fate tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Well, I’ve got very potent wiles.” “Damn it, Fate,” he growled. “If you’ve made some bargain with him, I need to know. I need to know what you’ve promised him on our behalf.” Fate sobered abruptly. “Nothing,” she told him, no more jokes, just honest sincerity. “You owe him nothing, I swear it. All you have to do is let me know when you intend to hunt.” She let a hint of a crooked grin tug at her lips. “He’d rather not run out for an errand and bump into you by accident at the corner store, I’m sure you understand.” “Yes,” Logan said, but slowly, thoughtfully. It took a massive amount of will for Fate not to writhe under his intense scrutiny. “Fate… He wouldn’t do this for nothing.” “No,” she agreed, sighing. “But it’s not your price to pay.” Understanding dawned slowly over Logan’s face. “God,” he muttered. “Fate, that’s not what any of us expected of you—” She jerked her chin high and met his gaze with a stare. “Of course not. I want to help you, all of you. Don’t worry, I didn’t go and sell my soul to the devil. It’s nothing.” Nothing except a few nights spent in the lion’s den, shacked up with creatures she feared above all others. Nothing at all, by that reckoning. He remained reluctant, eyeing her uncertainly. Fate snapped, “Look, the alternative is starving, isn’t it?” Logan sighed. He brought a hand up to scrub over his face. “You’re right. Of course.” He dropped his hands and met her gaze. “Thank you, Fate, for whatever it is you’ve done.” She flashed him a smile, though all she felt within her was cold terror. “Don’t mention it.” It seemed like the end of the conversation. Fate nearly excused herself and returned to Reina, but Logan was looking thoughtful, like he had something on his mind. At last he said, “If he wants notice in advance, would you please let him know we’d like to do some reconnaissance soon, before we reach truly dire straits? Friday, I think, though I’ll have to check with the others and see what their schedules allow.” So soon? Fate’s stomach flipped. She’d thought she had at least a little bit more time than that to accustom herself to the idea. But then she thought of Kynan and the marks still fading across his back. They weren’t just hungry. If they were starving so badly they weren’t healing, they were all in danger. If someone took it into their heads to attack them while they were like this, they might be injured too badly to recover. She forced herself to smile, as bright as she could manage. “Of course. I’ll let him know. Just give me a shout if you need to reschedule.” He nodded, but his gaze stayed on her. His expression was troubled, thoughtful. Fate turned and walked back to where Reina was sitting at the kitchen table before he could work out whatever it was that was bothering him. “Don’t you have a French exam later this week?” she asked Reina as she strode into
the kitchen. “Do you need a study buddy? You helped me pass calc, the least I can do is return the favor.” **** Friday evening found Gabe out behind the house, working with the pound dogs in their kennel. He’d brought most of them to sit attentively before him, though Rosey, a young beagle he hadn’t had the chance to work with as much as some of the others, was struggling to keep focused. “Rose,” he said firmly when she stood and wandered over to sniff at the fence. “Sit.” She looked back at him with an expression that seemed wholly indignant. He met her gaze, waiting. She dropped her rump to the ground with obvious reluctance. He crouched. “All right, guys, that’s enough for now.” At his signal, they bounded to their feet, tails wagging, their expressions happy and expectant. Some of them startled wrestling with one another while others came to lick his face and be petted. Rosey returned to sniff at the spot on the fence, but after a moment she joined the others around him. He made a point of reaching out to scratch behind her ears, watching her expression transform with bliss. It wasn’t that long ago that she’d been too timid to allow him near her, much less trusting enough to obey his commands. Now she was calmer, happier, though still very easily distracted. But he was well pleased with her progress. She would be ready to adopt soon, and she’d make someone a wonderful companion. They all would, he thought, watching them play and tumble with one another. And when they left him for their new homes, there would be others to take their place, angry or frightened or abused and in need of rehabilitation. Almost as one, the dogs went on alert, standing stiff and staring out toward the house or running to the edge of the enclosure and sticking their noses through the links. Beyond the kennel, the pack of house dogs began to bay. The clamor of the dogs was underscored by the low, rumbling growl of an engine. Gabe gave the dogs who were paying attention to him a final pat and ducked out of the kennel. He let himself into the house through the back door and continued through to the front. Lily was in the kitchen making herself a cup of coffee. As he passed, he said, “Gather the others in the living room, will you?” She gave a sharp nod. “Sure, Gabe.” Her gaze followed him as he walked away from her. He stepped out onto the porch as Fate’s car made its way down the narrow road. He leaned back against the side of the house, watching her progress. The dogs barked and licked at her when she got out of the car and accompanied her all the way up onto the porch. She had a duffel bag slung over her arm and a tense set to her shoulders. She stopped in front of him and looked up. Her expression was smooth, carefully guarded. Waiting. He let the silence stretch between them just a little too long before he opened the screen door and stepped aside for her. “Welcome to our home, Fate. Please, come in. I’ll make the introductions.” Lily had gathered Matthew and Zach, and the three of them waited in the living room. Their gazes followed Fate as Gabe led her to stand before them. He sighed to see how their expressions hovered somewhere between reservation and outright hostility. But
he couldn’t blame them for resenting her presence in their home, or what her presence meant. They all knew that tonight there would be vampires walking their territory. He didn’t drag the introductions out, since his pack was obviously unhappy and Fate seemed edgy. He showed her to the guest bedroom so she could drop off her bag and waited for her while she ducked into the bathroom. He could hear through the door the sound of water running in the sink. When she came out her face was damp and streaks of wetness clumped strands of her hair together. She had streaks of color in it today, thick sections of fire-engine red that hadn’t been there when they’d first met. His lips curved as he took it in. When she saw, her brows furrowed with confusion. She came forward to stand before him and met his gaze with hers, level and direct. He waited, wondering if she would break away first, or if uncertainty would spark anger in her. But she just stood, looking at him, waiting. Her pulse beat a little fast, fear still tinged her scent, but it was still a tremendous improvement from their last meeting. He turned away, letting her off the hook. “Come with me. I could use your hands.” She started to say something, a question in her eyes. But she stopped herself, shut her mouth, and followed him out back. The dogs swarmed around them as soon as they stepped off of the steps and onto the ground. Gabe walked through them, enjoying their boisterous company, but Fate hesitated. She worked her way forward carefully, her attention focused on the dogs as she tried to make a path through them. She’d have had an easier time of it if she’d just strode forward and trusted them to make way for her, but he let her do it her own way. Her progress seemed to slow as they got further from the house. “Are you coming?” he asked her, unsure whether it was reluctance that slowed her steps or the growing excitement of the dogs as they approached the shed. She raised her head and looked toward him. “I’m working on it.” Her eyes were bright with wry amusement. He pulled the shed door open and turned on the bare electric bulb that hung from the ceiling. She stepped in with him, uncertain but curious. A plastic garbage bin full of dog food sat in the corner and the dog bowls stood in a tower next to it. Gabe took half for himself and then motioned her toward the rest. He pried the bin open and fished out one of the measuring cups inside, which he also handed to her. “One scoop each,” he told her. She didn’t question that he was putting her to work, just took up the scoop and began measuring out food, nudging dogs back with her hip when they got too excited and tried to jump up and sniff at the bowls. The dogs who waited before Gabe were better behaved, sitting at his feet, though their gazes followed the bowls eagerly. Of course, they didn’t know Fate and had no reason to give her their obedience. When all the bowls were filled, she helped him carry them outside. The dogs tumbled out of the shed with them, tails wagging so hard their bodies shook. Gabe laid all but one of his bowls down in a row on the ground and the dogs followed behind him, jockeying for position. They didn’t go for the food, though. They knew better than to eat before permission had been granted. When he’d finished, Fate followed suit, continuing the line. The dogs who sat before her bowls eyed her shrewdly, and Gabe prepared to intervene if they tried to step out of line. But she kept her eye on them as she bent to put the bowls on the ground. When one
stepped forward and sniffed at his bowl, she spun. “No. Sit.” He looked at Gabe as though affronted that some strange woman would dare to give him commands as though she were Gabe himself. Gabe gave him no cues, just tucked his hands in his pockets and watched Fate. At length the dog grumbled a complaint and dropped his rump to the ground. The others took his lead and settled down, waiting like they knew they were supposed to. It was a thing of beauty to watch them submit to her leadership. Gabe’s face broke into a grin. “Very good,” he told her. She’d been kind to the animals, but her brows lowered at his praise. “Did you bring me out here to teach me how to order around a pack of dogs?” “No. I brought you out here because I can’t quite manage to juggle all the bowls on my own.” She glanced back at him, clearly suspicious. After a moment, she bent to put down her last bowl and stepped back. Gabe waited a beat to ensure they were all sitting. “All right, guys, eat up.” They lunged for their bowls like racehorses from a starting gate. One tried to barrel straight through Fate to get to his, nearly throwing her off her feet. Laughing, she stepped out of his way, and tucked a strand of bright hair behind her ear as she watched the dogs. For this moment, she was happy. It was such a startling transformation that Gabe had to look away. “Come on,” he said quietly, reluctant to take this brief happiness from her. She turned to him, her expression settling back into the guarded one he’d come to expect. Her gaze flicked down to the bowl he still held in his hands and then back up to his face. “We’re not quite done.” They walked together to the other kennel, a little distance away from the one for the pound dogs. There was just one dog in this one, a mutt named Toby who paced the length of his run as they neared, slinking low with his head hung down as he watched their approach. Gabe dug his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the gate, but before he swung it open, he turned back to Fate and made sure she was paying attention to him. “No sudden movements or loud noises. They frighten him, and he’s had enough of that to last a lifetime.” She nodded slowly and followed him into the kennel. Her shoulders were tense, her movements choppy, but she seemed interested despite it. Toby backed himself into a corner and whined as Gabe shut and locked the door. He brought the bowl of food toward the dog, carefully to move slowly. Toby stared at him. The pitch of his whine slid, dropping to a growl as his lips drew back to bare his teeth. “Gabriel,” Fate breathed. She hung back a few steps behind him, staring at Toby. She was afraid again, though this time not of Gabe. He could smell it. “Just wait there,” he told her, keeping his voice to the same low, soothing pitch he’d used with the dog. “He’s not going to hurt you.” “You positive about that?” She edged backwards. Toby’s attention snapped to her, but Gabriel was closer, and the larger threat. He only stared at Fate a moment before he returned his attention to Gabe. “He sure looks like he wants to.” “I’m not going to let that happen.” Fate’s gaze slid from the dog to him. She looked almost appalled. At what? The
notion that he would protect her? Gabe repressed a sigh. He set the bowl of food down for Toby, and then retreated to the other end of the kennel, drawing her with him. Toby crept forward, pressed low to the ground, his ears folded back against his skull. He continued to stare at them as he ate. Beside Gabe, Fate shuddered. She slowly sank down until she was sitting on the kennel floor, her back against the chain link fence. Gabe crouched down at her side. “What’s this one’s problem?” she asked him, a faint whisper. “All your other dogs seem so … happy.” Gabe was quiet a moment before he allowed himself to answer her. “The only problem Toby can claim for his own is that he barks.” Despite himself, his voice still came out too sharp, too harsh. She flinched and leaned away. Gabe bit back his frustration and forced his tone light and gentle again. “His previous owner put a shock collar on him to keep him quiet, and when that didn’t work, he took to kicking him. Then he gave up on him when barking turned to biting.” He turned, giving her more of his attention, and asked softly, “What creature on this earth wouldn’t fight back when violence is done upon him?” She didn’t answer, though he hadn’t really expected her to. He sighed and looked out at Toby again. “He was a happy dog once, if a talkative one. Now he’s…” “Angry,” she said, grimacing. “Afraid. All he’s ever known from people is cruelty and violence. How is he supposed to know that when you and I come in here, we mean him no harm? It’s too much to expect of anyone.” Too much to expect of her, he reminded himself, lest he loose patience. “He must be shown, his trust earned.” Fate turned her face up to him. Her fear had settled. It wasn’t gone, not yet—that was a long way off—but it was at a low simmer now, and the stark tension in her had eased. Rehabilitation was a long process for dogs, he knew, and people were much more complex. Even so, he found himself wishing he knew what words to say to help her put aside the burden of her fear. He could pet a dog, if it would let him, and teach him through the comfort of touch that he could be trusted to provide safety and solace. Her hair had become disordered during the work she had done with him, no longer falling in straight perfection. A strand of the synthetic streaks she’d put in curved against her cheek and he could see, where it had caught at the corner of her mouth, that it was nearly the same shade as her lip gloss. He wanted to brush it aside and tuck it back to lie with the rest. He could run his fingers through the strands, putting her to rights and soothing her all at once. He had to remind himself she would not welcome his touch, and would be more likely to snap at his hand if he reached for her than to be comforted. “Are we still talking about the dog?” Gabe released a breath. He couldn’t help her if she didn’t want to be helped. “Of course,” he told her evenly. “What else might I have meant?” She was too canny for that. Her expression told him plain enough that she knew better. All she said was, “You tell me,” and then turned her attention back to Toby, who was licking crumbs up from the bottom of his bowl. When he had finished eating and assured himself there were no morsels left to be consumed, he lay down next to the bowl and laid his chin on his forelegs, staring at them. Gabe’s brows shot up. He set aside thoughts of taming Fate to take pride in the strides he
was making with Toby. “Well,” he said, quite pleased. “That’s progress.” And it was more than enough for one day. He wouldn’t do anything but harm if he tried to push the dog too far at once. He got to his feet, and reached a hand down to help Fate to hers. She hesitated with her hand half-extended to him, staring up into his face. Then, her features setting with resolve, she put her palm in his and let her pull her up. He kept his grip until he was sure she had her balance, and perhaps a moment longer than that, too. “Thanks,” she said, grudging and awkward. She stepped back from him, putting distance between them. “Are we done?” He held the gate open for her, and they both ducked outside. “For now.” Toby was not the only one who had made progress this night. But they both had a very long way to go.
Chapter Three As soon as they were back in the house, Fate excused herself and ducked into the bathroom. She ran cold water in the sink and thrust her hands under it, letting it flow over the pulse points in her wrists and soothe her. The thought of having to go back out again and face a meal with Gabriel and his pack was nearly too much for her to endure. Every bone in her body told her she didn’t belong here, sitting around a table with a pack of wolves. Reina, she reminded herself sternly as she lathered soap between her hands and began to scrub. I’m here for her. And she kept that thought in mind while she rinsed her face and dragged damp fingers through her hair to tame it back into some semblance of order. Like ripping off a Band-Aid, she told herself. She dried her hands on the towel and strode out to the kitchen before doubt could slow her steps. All I have to do is act like I’m not bothered by anything about this at all. If I can make them believe it, maybe I can convince myself, too. Though she braced for it as though she were walking onto a battlefield, dinner wasn’t as tense an affair as she’d feared. Gabriel had said when they met he could smell her fear on her. If he could, surely the others could as well. She expected to spend the meal with them growling and glaring at her like Toby had, and she’d reminded herself it wouldn’t be entirely unjustified. She’d certainly have bristled if forced to spend a meal with someone who hated her on principle. But despite her worries, the other Weres seemed pleasant enough, if not actually friendly. They gave most of their attention to one another, talking and chatting as though she wasn’t even there. Fate wasn’t accustomed to being a wallflower, but she wasn’t above making an exception, either. Not if it meant keeping the attention of the Weres off of her. When she’d finished eating, Fate excused herself and unloaded her toiletry bag in the bathroom. She ran the water in the shower as hot as she could stand it, and then stood under the spray and scrubbed herself from head to foot. Bubbles swirled around her feet and down the drain. Thick ribbons of wet hair dripped over her shoulder. She didn’t feel much better by the time she stepped out onto the floor mat, dripping and flushed, but at least she was clean. She wrapped herself in a towel and dashed down the hall to her room, where she changed into a nightgown. She’d brought some books, and she tried to read, but couldn’t keep focused. Finally, she admitted defeat and went to bed early. The sooner she slept, she figured, the sooner it would be morning. And once the sun was up, she could leave. **** Gabe paced the length of the front porch, restlessness crawling over his skin and gathering between his shoulder blades. Fate was in his house, sleeping even now, and he was painfully aware of the fact that she didn’t want to be there. He had been sure he was doing the right thing in bringing her here. He’d thought it was a perfect opportunity to right a wrong and ease her frantic mind, the same way he
soothed his rehab dogs, but doubts were beginning to creep in now. Rehabilitating abused dogs was no easy task, but at least it was easy to know when he succeeded and where he had failed. With Fate, he felt like the solid ground had suddenly become unstable and he couldn’t know when it was about to fall away beneath him. She didn’t seem inclined to tell him a damn thing, not if he had royally fucked up and not if he was helping, even a little. He hadn’t expected her to take him up on his deal, not really. He knew he’d had no right to ask this of her. It was a sign of her desperation that she’d agreed so readily, and that she hadn’t left yet despite her agitation. That, too, grated him, that she would do something so clearly unsettling, at the behest of a bunch of bloodsuckers. She trusted them, would make sacrifices for them, but she couldn’t even sleep under his roof without projecting her distaste. He couldn’t comprehend her devotion. If he hadn’t seen her strength for himself, he’d have suspected they had her in thrall. His whole point in asking her into his home had been to help her see the truth of what Weres were, what he was. If he could also open her eyes to the truth of these vampires… Well, all the better. She was here, which meant somewhere, the vampires were hunting his territory. He went back into the house and found Matthew. “I’m going out,” Gabe said. “She’s asleep, finally. Keep an eye on her, and let me know if she wakes.” Matthew glanced up and nodded once, just enough to acknowledge the order. Gabe went back through the house and toed off his shoes by the front door. He left his clothes folded in a neat pile there and walked out, bare, into the night. Standing on the lawn with the moonlight spilling over his skin, the shift from man to wolf was easier than it had ever been. It felt like a crawling sensation across his skin as fur grew in, a whole-body shiver that brought him down to all fours. In moments it was done. Fur wrapped him like a blanket, protecting him from the chill bite of the air. Every breath brought a hundred different scents to him, and his property spread out before his gaze as though illuminated by the glow of a full moon, not the faint rays of a waning crescent. He bounded off toward the road and the nearby city. There were only a handful of places in his territory the vampires might hope to find enough prey to sustain their whole brood. He would find them soon enough. **** They got a late start, so to keep the whole outing from taking until dawn, only Kynan and Reina accompanied Logan to the Were’s territory, to scope out likely hunting grounds. It was a warm night, holding the promise of summer’s heat. Kynan walked along with the others, thoughtful, until Reina dropped back to his side and hooked her arm through his. “If you don’t stop looking so broody, I might mistake you for my boyfriend,” she said lightly, smiling up at him. Kynan laughed and reached over to tousle her hair. “Well, we can’t have that. I’m not brooding, anyway. Just thinking.” She gave him a doubtful look. “Oh, sure, you can scoff. You’re still going to bed with the same guy. It’s been a very long time since I had a roommate, you know.”
She laughed and leaned in against Kynan’s side. “Perks of dating the man of the house.” “So what’s my excuse?” “You’re just too accommodating for your own good, that’s all.” Logan stopped on the sidewalk, letting them catch up. He turned a thoughtful look on Kynan. “If you object so much, we can try to make other arrangements—” “Oh no, you don’t. If I don’t have a roommate, that means someone else has to have two.” Kynan rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, Mac, honest. I’m just giving your girl a hard time, that’s all.” “Oh, help,” Reina chimed in, deadpan. “The mean old vampire is teasing me. Whatever shall I do?” Logan looked on them with fond bemusement. Kynan hooked his arm through Reina’s and they continued walking. The club Fate had recommended to them was just down the road, filling the street with the heavy thump of music. Logan looked stoic and Reina reluctant, but Kynan grinned as they grew closer. He could feel the beat in his bones. “These places are supposed to be fun, you know,” he said to her. “You might look a little less like you’re being dragged to your own funeral.” She laughed up at him. “This is so not my idea of a good time.” “Fake it,” he suggested. She stuck her tongue out at him. They paid the cover charge and entered the club, where the music was so loud it became a part of them. Hearts pulsed in time to the beat as people crowded the floor and danced, by themselves or with partners. It was a Friday night, and the club was crowded, packed dense with people who were all working up a sweat and getting their blood racing. The smell of it, pressing in around them, made Kynan keenly aware of how hungry he was, how long it had been since he’d last fed. Ahead of him, Logan smoothly wrapped his hand around Reina’s arm. To anyone else, it would look like a courtesy gesture, a man escorting his woman through a crowd. Kynan knew him well enough to recognize the tension that held his spine straight, and he knew Logan was ready to grab and hold Reina if it became too much for her. Of course, he would have sensed it, too. Someone bumped into him from behind, sending him stumbling forward a step. “Whoops—sorry! Are you okay?” Kynan turned to see a woman smiling up at him. She was slightly out of breath, as though she’d just come from the dance floor, and her cheeks were flushed and pink. She didn’t look remotely sorry as her gaze dragged over him. A slow grin spread over her face. “Let me buy you a drink to make it up to you.” He’d have thanked her, demurred, and rejoined Logan and Reina if they hadn’t been there for the express purpose of scoping out the hunting grounds, and if he hadn’t been so hungry. Instead, he smiled at her. “They don’t sell my kind of drink here.” She pursed her lips and looked him over again. Was she wondering if his comment meant he had snobbish, expensive tastes in liquor, or something else? “They sell everything here,” she said at last, thrown out like a gauntlet. He laughed beneath his breath. “Oh, not quite.” Something changed in her eyes, a hint of warning. He might be treading dangerous ground. This might be the sort of place where all someone had to do was scream, Vamp!
and suddenly everyone had crosses in their hands. Or she might have been losing interest for any number of perfectly mundane reasons. Girls turned men down in clubs all the time. Someone brushed against him from behind. He felt Reina’s familiar presence. She continued past him as though she were a stranger, just trying to squeeze through the press of a crowded club. “She suspects,” she murmured in Kynan’s ear as she slid by. “And she likes you. She’s not unwilling.” Kynan turned to look at her, startled, but she just smiled and shook her head and kept on going until she was standing a few paces away—in front of him, which put her behind the woman, where she wouldn’t see. He took a moment to process what Reina had said, and he nearly protested. If any of them needed to eat, it was Reina, not him. She was younger, her hunger came on her sooner. But even as he thought it, she shot him a look he could read clearly, even without the benefit of her empathy. Don’t be an idiot, it said. Of course, she was right. He could turn away what this woman might be willing to offer and starve himself but it wouldn’t give Reina what she needed. He let out his breath and looked down at the woman. She was looking curious and a little uncertain. He’d let the silence stretch too long. “If you want to make it up to me,” he said with an easy smile, “how about you tell me your name and let me buy you a drink?” Her expression eased. She smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder, head angled to the side in a flirtatious manner. “It’s Jess,” she said over the thump of the music. “And that hardly seems fair.” “Five minutes in the company of a pretty girl?” He scoffed. “I get the better end of this deal.” Her smile spread, brightening her whole face. “Very well. I’ll allow you to buy me a cosmo, Mister…?” “Pritchard.” He guided her toward the bar. “But please call me Kynan.” “All right. I will.” She leaned against the bar, coming in close. They were almost touching. “Kynan.” Hunger twisted in his gut. It was all he could do not to confess the truth and put himself at her mercy. Logan came up beside them and ordered a beer, ignoring them as a stranger would. When he had his drink, he lingered at the bar. Kynan felt better knowing he had backup nearby, in case things went pear-shaped. He flirted with Jess, and when she’d finished her cosmo he bought her another. But before long, he had to face the fact that there was nothing to do but take the leap of faith and entrust her with the truth. “So Jess…” He stole some of the distance between them, moving in. She looked up at him. Her eyes were dark, swallowed by her pupils. “Is that offer of a drink still on the table?” “Absolutely.” Her smile spread, slow and sly. “What do you like?” “Nothing on the menu.” He slid his arm through hers and guided her away from the bar, into one of the club’s darker, more private corners. He stole a glance at her as they walked, trying to divine her expression. She seemed curious and maybe a little speculative, but she didn’t seem concerned. He didn’t want to frighten her. “If you’re
willing to help me out with that—” She stopped suddenly and turned back to him, lifting her chin. “Yes,” she said, quite deliberately. “If you are what I think you are—yes. You can have it.” Relief swept through him like a storm. “Where?” he asked her quietly. “The throat? The wrist? If you’ll need to cover the marks—” She laughed, a high, bright sound, and leaned in against him. “Are those my only options?” There was one other place to feed, the femoral artery, high on the thigh where it curved to join the hip. He shook his head. “This isn’t the place. And… I’m afraid you’re not my type.” She drew back and furrowed her brows at him. Kynan smiled to ease the sting and slid his thumb up her arm. “Don’t take it personally. I bat for the other team.” Her irritation eased. She swept him over with a glance. When she met his gaze again, hers seemed to say, It figures. “But you’re still interested in—” “If you are.” She snaked her arms around his neck and leaned in against him. “The throat,” she told him, and tipped her head back. He bent, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her, perfume and sweat and the hint of blood running beneath her skin. “Hey!” Fear spiked through Kynan. He lifted his head and turned, braced for the worst. The bartender stared at them in frank disapproval. “Take it somewhere private. We don’t allow that here.” Jess shot him a brilliant smile over Kynan’s shoulder and pulled him out of the club. They ducked down the side of the building, into a close, dark space. She put her back to the wall and pulled him in against her, shaking her hair back off her throat. She arched her neck up, offering it to him. Hunger made him curl his hand in her hair, holding her head tilted back. But he hesitated, and held himself at enough of a distance to look her in the eye. “Are you sure?” “Oh yes.” She laughed and pulled him down to her. “You aren’t my first, you know.” Well. That was pretty definitive. He closed his mouth over her throat and felt for the vein with his tongue. Her arms came around him, hands clenching in the back of his shirt. He found the vein, pinned it in place, and sank his fangs down with a sure, swift stroke. It was always different. Sometimes when he fed, the donor stiffened and cried out and Kynan knew it hurt them, for the few moments before endorphins flooded their system and they relaxed. Sometimes all they did was gasp, and he never knew quite what that meant. Occasionally, his bite brought them nothing but pain, and all he could do was apologize desperately and seek another donor. With Jess, were it not for the visceral ecstasy of blood hitting his tongue, he might not have known he’d bit her at all. As he bit, she gave a low, throaty moan and cinched her arms tight around him. Her body rose up against him, pressing close. He knew the motions of attempted escape well enough to recognize the difference. Jess, he knew for sure, did not want him to stop. She slid a hand down to the small of his back and wrenched him closer. He drank as much as she could safely give, enough to take the edge off his appetite. When he raised his head, she looked up on him with dazed eyes.
“That was barely a sip,” she murmured. She strained against his strength, trying to draw him in again. “Don’t you want more?” “Very much,” he told her softly. “But I’ll have to take a rain check.” She held on to him. She was no match to his strength and she couldn’t stop him from moving back, but it did mean that when he tried, she went with him. Her gaze smoldered up at him. “The other team, huh? That’s a crying shame.” She sighed and let go of Kynan to dig through her purse. He stepped back, letting her have room. But when she raised her head, she smiled and closed the distance between them again. “Here.” She handed him a receipt slip with a phone number scrawled on the back. “The next time you’re looking for a drink, give me a call.” Kynan laughed softly, more surprised than anything else. “I’ll do that,” he assured her and tucked the number into his pocket. She gave him a slow smile, slung her purse over her shoulder, and turned away without another word. Kynan watched her leave. A moment after she’d disappeared back into the club, he followed her out of the alley. Logan and Reina waited for him on the other side of the street. Logan’s expression was mild and unreadable, but Reina was grinning fit to split her face in two. “Idiot!” she called cheerfully. “You should have gone with her.” “And left you two to twiddle your thumbs until I felt like going home?” He crossed the street to join them. “I’ve better manners than that.” “Idiot,” she said again, and they all started for the lot a few blocks away where they’d parked the car. Kynan caught Logan’s arm as they walked. He fell back to Kynan’s side, letting Reina walk in the lead, her head tilted back to look up at the stars. “Mac,” he said quietly, so the still night air wouldn’t carry his words. “There’s a wolf following us.” He had caught a whiff of the scent while he’d been with Jess, but now that the distraction was gone, it was unmistakable. “Yes.” Logan seemed unalarmed. “He was waiting before you and the girl came out. We’ve been keeping an eye on him. He doesn’t seem to be interested in doing anything but keep an eye on us.” Kynan blew out a breath. “Gabe’s sending his pack to babysit us?” His brows drew together with indignation. “What does he think we’re going to do, go on a bender and leave a string of drained corpses in our wake?” Logan shook his head slowly. “He wasn’t happy when you fed from her, but he didn’t move to stop you. I don’t think he came to do anything but watch.” And report, of course. Logan would have done the same if he’d granted anyone else feeding rights on their own territory. Any sire—or alpha—worthy of the title would have done the same. Of course, it didn’t make it any less grating not to be trusted. “Well, I hope his report is favorable.” “Don’t worry,” Reina said from ahead of them. “He can’t help but say you were a perfect gentleman.” She turned to them, walking backwards as she grinned. “He’ll probably say you were an idiot, too.” **** Fate knew she was dreaming because her mother was there. She was young and
beautiful and towered above her, the same way Fate remembered her, and in the dream she stood at the kitchen counter, chopping herbs and filling the house with her scent. Fate stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and watched her. Even though she knew it had to be a dream, that her mother wasn’t really there, the sight of her made Fate’s throat close up. “Hi, Mommy,” she said in a little girl’s voice. Her mother turned, saw her, and smiled. “Hello, darling.” She crouched down and scooped Fate up into her arms. “How was school?” “It’s over,” Fate said, choking. “Everyone else gets to go home, but not me. I want to go home.” Her mother set her down and took a step back. Fate just wanted to cry, but she looked bemused. “Where do you think you are, silly?” Fate looked around. But it wasn’t her home, not the one she’d grown up in. This place was tall and dark and choked by shadows, with strange doors and hallways. There were wolves everywhere, flowing about their legs like water in a river, yipping and snapping their teeth. Fate covered her face with her hands so she wouldn’t cry, but her mother didn’t look concerned. “It’s all wrong,” Fate said. “It’s not supposed to be like this.” “Oh, sweetie.” Her mother smiled at her indulgently. “You’ll get used to it.” “I don’t want to get used to it,” Fate cried, her hands balled into fists, her whole body tense with fury. “I want things back the way they were. I want it to be right.” Her mother just kept smiling, as though Fate’s pain and fear were nothing more than any child’s tantrum. “I know what will make you feel better,” she said brightly. “You wait right here.” She turned and walked out of the kitchen. Fate stayed where she was, waiting like she’d been told. She listened to her mother’s footsteps fade and then stop. She waited and waited, but her mother never came back. Slowly, Fate eased toward the doorway. She peeked around it and saw her mother sprawled on the floor, her whole body a mass of wet red, the carpet stained bright as lipstick beneath her. One of the wolves stood over her, the fur around his muzzle dripping with Fate’s mother’s blood. She drew a breath, so long and deep it filled her up like a balloon. And then she screamed. Screamed and screamed, until she dropped to her knees on the floor, breathless, dizzy, and there was nothing at all left inside her anymore. Nothing but a hollow husk of a child and the image, seared upon her, of her mother and the wolf. Something hit her, knocking her onto her back. The wolves had turned on her, they were gripping her tight, their claws digging into her shoulders. They were barking her name, over and over again—Fate! Fate! Fate!—they were shaking her, snarling and swearing. She fought them off, hysterical with fear and grief, gasping for breath and choking on her tears. The wolves pinned her wrists down, gripping them tight with hands like a man’s. She thrashed against them until the wolf on top of her snapped, “Damn it, Fate, wake up.” Darkness fell over her vision, shrouding everything before her. The fingers wrapped around her wrists were a man’s after all. The body angled over hers, pinning her in place, was definitely a man’s. She was so relieved for the comfort of human touch that she gave a choked sob and pressed in against him. He faltered and the grip on her wrists loosened.
She pulled free and clutched at him. He was warm and strong against her and he curved over her as though to protect her. His warmth stole through her, chasing away the chills that crawled over her skin. “Gabriel?” she whispered, a faint thread of sound against his shirt. “You were screaming,” he said apologetically. “Yes.” Because of the wolf. The Were. She shivered and shied away from him, memory stealing in unpleasantly. Gabriel rolled off of her as soon as she moved. He sat next to her on the bed, looking concerned. She shoved the blankets off with hands that shook. She swung her legs over, reached down until her foot found the floor. She was halfway to the door before she even realized she was moving. Gabriel’s steps sounded on the hardwood floors as he followed after her, quietly calling her name. By the time she reached the end of the hallway she was nearly running. He still hadn’t caught up to her when she burst through the front door, out into the night, where the air was bracing cold and the wind tugged at her hair. She kept going, treading barefoot through dirt and grass, until Gabriel grabbed her by the arm. She whirled and threw herself at him, fists beating on his chest, a ragged scream tearing itself from her throat. “Let me go! Don’t touch me. Damn it, let me go.” Instead of releasing her, he caught her other arm and forced her still before him. He bent over and looked into her eyes, though with only the glitter of stars overhead for light, she could hardly see him at all. “If screaming’s what you need to get this out of you,” he said quietly, “then by all means, scream yourself raw. But don’t misplace your fear onto me, Fate. I haven’t threatened you.” She shook his hands off of her and spun away, pressing her lips together, pressing a hand to her brow. “Don’t touch me,” she said again, lower, her voice shaking. There was a beat of silence. Behind her, Gabriel said, “All right.” She heard the grasses rustle and looked over her shoulder to see that he’d taken half a step back, putting just enough distance between them so he couldn’t easily reach her. “Will you tell me?” She flinched away from him as though he’d struck her. “No.” His quiet sigh sounded an awful lot like disappointment. “It was just a dream, Fate.” She rounded on him, furious again, shaking. “You have no idea what it was,” she snarled. “Don’t you dare say that.” He took another step back, lifting up his hands in surrender. His gaze swept over her and his brows furrowed. “Fate,” he said, low, soothing. “Come back inside. It’s freezing out here and you’re hardly wearing anything. You’ll catch your death. Come back in. I’ll make some tea—” “No.” She spun away and continued on, climbing up the gentle rise of a hill but gasping as though she were hiking a steep grading. She could hear him following after her, preserving the distance between them. She wished he would just leave her alone so she could cry and be done with it. The winds were stronger at the crown of the hill, without the bulk of the house to protect her. They whipped around her, throwing strands of hair in her face, tugging at the hem of her nightgown. She didn’t care. If storm clouds had rolled in and the skies opened up above her, she still would have stayed outside where there were no walls to pen her, where she could see clear to the horizon. Where there weren’t wolves lurking in every
room, around every corner. The night wasn’t over yet and the terms of their deal had been clear, but Fate didn’t know how she was supposed to go back in there and not lose her mind. “Fate…” “Damn it.” She dragged her hands through her hair, shoving it out of her face, and spun to face Gabriel. “Just leave me alone.” He shook his head slowly. “You’re distressed.” “No shit,” she snarled. “But I don’t need you to help me.” “I’d like to,” he said. “If you’ll let me.” “No.” She turned her back on him and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. He was quiet a moment. “You said you weren’t afraid.” “It was a nightmare, asshole. You can hardly hold it against me.” “I know you have reason to be afraid—” “Do you?” She spun back to him. “Do you really think you know anything about me?” He ran his tongue over his lip before he answered her. “I know you are Ana Corwin’s daughter.” She jerked back, as breathless and stunned as if he’d punched her. She stared at him, shaking again. “Shut up.” “Fate—” “Shut up! You have no right to talk about her.” She watched his expression transform, startled. She drew a deep breath. “Just go back inside, Gabriel. I’ll be fine once it’s out of my system.” He didn’t move. He had at least a hundred pounds on her, and it was only that—and the knowledge that her blows would probably do about as much damage as mosquito bites—that kept her from swinging at him. “I want to help you, Fate.” “No.” She set her jaw and stared him down. “The only help I want from you is what you’re doing for Reina. I wasn’t part of the bargain.” Gabriel tilted his head back, gazing up at the sky overhead. “Is it really so bad?” he asked at last. Fate just crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him, refusing to rise to his bait. He dropped his gaze back down to earth, to her. And though she hadn’t asked what he meant, he kept speaking as if she had. “Us. This.” He made a vague gesture that might have meant anything. “You’d rather suffer nightmares that leave you so terrified you’re hysterical, than to endure the help of one of my kind?” She swallowed down the stone in her throat. “I don’t need help.” “Oh, no, of course not,” he said softly. “Debilitating fear is perfectly normal in a well-adjusted individual.” “And you think, what, you can pat me on the head, act nice for a day, and cure me of something I’ve carried with me my whole life? I’m not one of your dogs, Gabriel. It doesn’t work like that.” “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I don’t know anything about fear, Fate,” he said, a low warning to his voice, though it was still pitched gently. “And this? Avoidance, denial, and repression? Trust me. It doesn’t work like that, either.” He paused, as though waiting for a response. Fate could feel the weight of his gaze on her but she crossed her
arms and said nothing. After a moment, he continued. “How can you hope to overcome this when you won’t even acknowledge it exists?” She jerked her chin up, dragged her shoulders back. Met his gaze with hers, hard and cold. “What makes you think I harbor such ambitions?” His smile was slow, kind, and sad. “No one likes to be afraid, Fate. It’s human nature.” “You know so very much about human nature, then, do you?” she demanded, putting venom in her voice. “Could have fooled me.” She knew even as she spoke the words that it was cruel. Even through the dark she could see the way Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, the way he pressed his lips together into a thin line. His shoulders tensed, turning his stance to one of anger and hurt. “Come back to the house, Fate,” he said at last. It was no longer a suggestion. “If you catch a cold, I won’t have you saying it was my fault.” It would have been childish to refuse, and the chills the nightmare had given her were fading enough for her to grow aware of just how cold it truly was out there, with bare feet and only a flimsy nightshirt to cover her. Gabriel turned back to the house without waiting to see if she’d follow, but she did anyway, arms wrapped tight around her ribs. He walked straight through into the kitchen and set a kettle on the stove. Fate lingered inside the doorway, still hugging herself tight and watching as Gabriel moved around the room. When the kettle was filled and the burner beneath it glowing bright, he turned and saw her and sighed. He pulled a hand through his hair. “Sit down,” he said gruffly and stalked past her, out of the kitchen and into the living room. She rolled her eyes at the ceiling and dropped down into one of the chairs pulled around the kitchen table. On the stove, the water in the kettle hissed and crackled as it began to heat. “Here.” Gabriel spoke from behind her. She turned, startled, and saw he had a large fleece blanket in his hands. He draped it around her shoulders. She curled her fingers into the fabric, pulling it close around herself, thrown too far off balance by the gesture to risk looking at him. He didn’t seem to be waiting for one. He continued past her and moved around the kitchen, opening cupboards. He pulled down a mug with a cartoon dog on it, a square metal tin, and a tiny mesh strainer. Gabriel pried the lid off the tin and spooned tea leaves into the strainer, dropped it into the cup. When the kettle whistled, he poured steaming water into the mug, grabbed a spoon from one of the drawers, and carried everything back to Fate. She curled her hands around the cup, grateful for the warmth. Broad, brown leaves floated within the amber liquid, swirling, half-obscured by steam. The fragrance rising from the tea smelled heavenly. “Thank you,” she said softly, still not looking at him. “Fate…” He pulled the chair out and sat down opposite her. “What do you hope to accomplish here?” She traced her finger around the lip of the cup. Condensation collected on her fingertip. “Food for my friend,” she said. “A chance for her not to starve. That’s it.” “Really.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. “That’s all.”
Anger made her lift her head, made her meet his gaze. “What, you don’t think it was something more, do you? Some, what, subconscious desire to make peace with you and your kind?” She gave a harsh laugh. “If you know of my mother, you ought to know better.” “I do know about your mother,” he told her. “Which is why I can’t fathom why you would come here, to one of us, of all the options available to you. Why, if you weren’t seeking something more than feeding rights for Reina?” “All the options?” She stared at him, disbelieving. “You’re the only option. The only one. It was this or watch her starve. And that’s not something I’ll let her do, not for all the fear in the world. So if you really want to help me, you might spare me your pity and just let me go home.” He drummed his fingers against his arms, and then finally shook his head. “You can leave at dawn. That was the deal.” “Great.” She stood up and carried her cup into the kitchen, dumped the tea leaves from the strainer into the trash. “Good night, then. Thanks bunches for the tea.” He called her name out after her, but she didn’t turn back and he didn’t get up to follow her. She shut the bedroom door firmly behind her and crawled up onto the bed. Thirty minutes before, she’d have sworn she wouldn’t be able to even think of sleep for hours. Now, she was just exhausted. She sat with her back propped against the headboard and sipped at her tea. The cup was half empty when she heard the floor in the hall creak as someone walked by. She held her breath and glared at the door but whoever it was only paused outside, then continued on. She put the cup on the nightstand and turned the lights off. Starlight shone in through the bedroom’s window, casting a faint light over the room. She punched the pillow up under her head and stared out at the night sky until sleep claimed her.
Chapter Four There was another message on her phone the next morning and another missed call from Logan. Fate listened to it as she gathered up her things and packed them in the duffel. But halfway through the voicemail, she stopped, dropped down onto the bed, and leaned her head in her hands. “We’ve made some good progress, but something’s come up. Tell Gabriel we’ll need to be back again tonight.” “Of course,” she muttered, snapping her phone shut. “I’ll just do that.” She slid the phone and her keys into the pocket of her jeans and carried the halfempty cup of tea from the night out to the kitchen. Gabriel was standing at the stove, cooking eggs in a large skillet. He turned at the sound of her footsteps and offered her a smile. “Good morning, Fate.” “Morning.” She dumped the cold tea down the sink rinsed the cup out. “I’m just going to leave my stuff in the room, if that’s all right with you.” He turned from the stove, looking surprised. “Are you? Why?” She bent over to put the cup into the dishwasher, so she didn’t have to look at him as she said, “Because I have to come back again tonight.” “Ah,” Gabriel said after a lengthy pause. Fate couldn’t make anything out from that one word to give her a clue as to how he felt about the news. He turned back to stir the eggs. “You don’t have to leave, you know, Fate. You’re welcome to stay, if you like. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes and there’s more than enough for you.” Fate swung the dishwasher door shut and sidled past Gabriel and out of the kitchen before he could try to stop her. “No, thanks,” she said, heading for the door. “I’ve got shit to do. I’ve got an apartment to pack.” To her surprise, he didn’t try to convince her. He just wiped his hands on a towel, shifted the skillet of eggs to a cool burner, and followed her out to the porch. Her heart thudded beneath her breast as she wondered if he planned to escort her all the way to her car, but he stopped on the edge of the porch, just before the steps. “Good-bye, Fate,” he told her as she dug her keys out of her pocket and headed toward the car. She waved back at him over her shoulder, bemused. “See you tonight.” She’d expected the drive home to feel like an escape, like a weight had been taken off her chest and she could finally breathe, but it wasn’t anything like that. She just felt tired. The thought of having to come back again that night exhausted her beyond reason. She went home and began packing. She had half of her bedroom filled with boxes by the time her stomach reminded her she’d turned down her first meal of the day and it was well past time for the second. She picked her way through the maze of boxes and drove to campus. She bought a grilled chicken sandwich and a soda from the cafe and ate as she walked the deserted campus paths, through the buildings devoted to chemistry, history, and the arts, to the social sciences where the Preternatural Studies building stood, newest and tallest of the lot. As a preternatural studies major, Reina had been here many times during her studies, but Fate hadn’t done any more than pass by it until this quarter, and the class Reina had
talked her into enrolling in. She’d never before seen it this empty. The seventh floor was mostly offices, and most of those were locked and dark. She made her way through the twisting corridors and was relieved to see a light on within her destination. The door stood open and the sound of typing came from within. Fate leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed over her chest. “Hey.” Logan looked up from his computer screen. Fate was more than a little pleased to see she’d startled him. “Fate. Hello.” He closed the lid of his laptop and turned toward her. “What brings you here?” “Well, I figured if I’m going to act as middleman, I ought to have some idea of what I’m talking about.” She pushed away from the doorway and strode into the room, dropped down into the chair opposite his desk. “So how’d it go last night?” His brows rose, but his expression remained mild. “I thought he just wanted to know when we were going to be in town. Now he’s expecting progress reports from you? He’s keeping you on a short leash, isn’t he?” Fate laughed without any sort of humor at all. “You have no idea.” “You’re right.” He eyed her shrewdly. “And you’ve been remarkably tight-lipped on the subject.” “Oh no, you don’t, big boy.” She rocked her chair forward and leaned her elbows on the edge of the desk, getting close and looking him in the eye. “You butt out. I’m not part of your brood. You don’t get to know the intimate details of my life unless I feel like sharing them.” He sighed and spread his hands on the top of the desk, like a man demonstrating to an adversary that he’d come unarmed. She snorted in quiet amusement, but let him speak his piece. “You are not part of my brood, this is true. But you have involved yourself with us and in our affairs, and that makes you responsible to us, at least a little bit. And we to you, in turn. And I, especially. Whatever you’ve done or agreed to in order to convince Gabriel to grant us his aid, you need to tell me.” “Logan.” She exhaled sharply through her nose, struggling to contain her impatience. “I love Reina, and I like the rest of you well enough. If there were anything at all to tell you, anything that might affect you, Reina, or the others in any way at all, you would already know about it. You have to trust me.” Logan’s expression softened. “It’s not just for our sake that I ask,” he said gently. “I know the look a person gets when they’re backed against a wall. I see it in you now. I worry for you, Fate, no less than I do them.” “For me?” She rocked back, dropping the chair down onto all four legs again. “Oh boy, are you out of your jurisdiction. Don’t think for a minute that just because I’m helping you out means you have any right to stick your nose into my business. I like you, Logan, but seriously, back off.” He lifted the hands he’d spread upon the desk, fingers splayed, a show of surrender. “All right.” He pitched his voice low and soothing, the same way Gabriel had after her nightmare, the same way he’d talked to the frightened dog in the kennel. Perversely, it just made her want to smash things more. “I’ll drop it. Tell me what it is you want of me. What did you come here for?” She let out her breath, releasing the tension that had been building up inside her. “Just tell me about last night. You said something came up?” “Oh.” He blew out a breath and leaned back in his seat, dragging a hand through his
hair. “That. It’s nothing to do with the hunting grounds. I paid a visit to a neighbor’s brood and… Well, our brood has grown a little more, at least for a while. It was seeing to that matter which kept us from having as much time in Gabe’s territory as I’d hoped.” “Jesus Christ.” Fate stared at him. “You’ve taken in more orphans? What, are you running a shelter now?” He frowned, his spine straightening. “I did what I had to. Marek gave me and mine aid when we needed it most, and I couldn’t repay him by abandoning his brood to being destroyed by our neighbors’ ambitions.” “No, of course not. Inviting every vampire in a fifty-mile radius to come live under your roof and drain your resources is a much better idea.” And damn it, she was going to be adding her own number to their ranks soon enough, just as soon as she was packed. She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers over her brow. “Do you at least get hunting rights in their territory, in exchange for taking them in?” “Yes,” he snapped. He didn’t seem to be taking too kindly to her inserting her opinion into his affairs. Well, tough. “But we’ve more mouths to feed all the same. We’ll still need Gabe’s territory to survive the summer.” “So beyond the unexpected addition to the family, how’d it go? You said things went well?” He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Well enough. We looked into that club you mentioned, up on Jefferson.” “Yeah?” She let herself smile. “How’d you like it?” “It seems a likely place to find willing donors, you’re right. If we can’t, though— Well, it’s not much use as a hunting ground. Too crowded, too well lit. They’ve got good security.” Fate laughed sharply. “So you’re looking for a seedy bar? All you’re going to find in those sorts of places are alcoholics and junkies. And the really, truly desperate.” He shot her a wry look. “I’m not looking for a date, Fate.” She flashed a smile at him. “I should hope not. You’ve got quite enough on your hands as it is.” He made a quiet sound of amusement. “Yes, that’s certainly true.” “Well, they’re not the sort of place I frequent,” she said. “But I’ll see if I can’t throw together a list of some spots for you.” The corners of his eyes creased as he smiled. “Thank you, Fate.” She shrugged. “Don’t mention it.” Jotting down a list of addresses was the least of what she was doing to help the brood. “Is that all?” She hesitated, and then asked with soft sincerity, “How is she?” Logan’s brows lowered. “Reina?” Fate nodded, watching his face. She didn’t really trust him to tell the truth, not if he thought it would be unpleasant, but she’d see it in his face if he lied to her. He gave a sigh and leaned back in his chair, rubbing a knuckle along the center of his brow. “She’s hungry,” he said quietly. “As all of us are. But she is in good spirits, all the same.” Fate frowned. “I thought you vampires were getting all progressive nowadays, buying your blood in bags from blood banks. I know I’ve seen transfusion bags in your fridge.”
Logan grimaced and looked down at his hands, folded neatly in his lap. “Yes, well. The bank won’t work with us anymore, not after that mob of yours got everyone all in an uproar. We have to make do.” “They weren’t my mob,” Fate protested, sitting up straight. But Logan sent her a look that said, Really, don’t be an idiot, and she bit back the rest of what she’d meant to say. It hadn’t been her mob, that was true. She’d done her best to stop them. But it was her fault. It had all started in PURE, at one of her meetings. It was her responsibility. She knew that, had known it from the start. But she hadn’t realized how far-reaching the repercussions would be. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, staring, stricken, at Logan. He waved a hand as though it was something trivial and easily dismissed. “It’s over, Fate. It’s done.” It was. The mob was long gone, and PURE too disorganized to create another. Logan and his brood had survived. But Logan carried with him the scar he had earned that night, burned over his heart by someone intent on killing him. And now—now they were starving. All of it was on her head. “I’ll get you that list,” she said, bending down to pick up her book bag from the floor. “And I’ll tell Gabriel you’ll be back tonight.” She left his office grim, but resolved. Logan would never be so bold as to say so, but she knew the truth. She’d brought this mess upon them, at least in part. If a few nights under Gabriel’s roof was the price she had to pay to make up for it, then so be it. She would stay, and she wouldn’t speak another word of complaint. **** Gabe stopped halfway up the porch steps. Matthew, Lily, and Zach all stood there waiting for him, none of them pleased. He climbed the last of the steps so they were on an equal footing. He looked over them all. Zach shied away from his glance and Lily looked reluctant but resolved. Matthew met his gaze with the full brunt of his anger. “What are you playing at?” he demanded when the silence had stretched between them. “Inviting this girl—this human—into our home?” “I’m doing what I can,” Gabe said. “That’s all.” Matthew laughed, a choked sound of disbelief. “You don’t think we haven’t heard the things she’s said, do you? She is not an ally.” She could be, Gabe thought. Just look at how ferociously she defended her new vampire friends. If he could earn her trust, loyalty would follow. “She’s not your concern, Matthew.” “She’s in our house. It concerns all of us.” Gabe’s brows lowered. He stared at Matthew until the other Were broke his gaze away. But his shoulders were still set with anger, his jaw clenched and defiant. “This is my house,” Gabe told them, a low, warning snarl. “And I will not have a guest of mine made to feel unwelcome in my own home.” “It’s not exactly like she wants to be here,” Lily pointed out, quieter. “That’s obvious.” “So you’ll give her more reason to want to leave?” “You let bloodsuckers on our land for her,” Matthew cried. “What on earth would
make you do that? For a human woman, no less?” Gabe’s gut clenched, with anger and something else he didn’t much wish to identify. “This is my pack,” he growled. “And my territory, and I will do with it what I please. If it suits my purposes to allow vampires to hunt on my land, I expect you to honor that. I may tolerate vampires, for my own reasons, but I will not tolerate insubordination.” Matthew still looked furious. Lily looked unhappy. Zach was trying very hard not to look like anything at all. “Will you challenge me?” Gabe asked, piercing straight to the point. “No.” Matthew dropped his gaze in submission. Lily and Zach both hunkered smaller and said nothing. “Then go about your business and I’ll hear no more of this matter.” They returned to the house without another word. But Gabe caught Matthew’s glance as he passed by, and it was dark with resentment. **** She didn’t think her nerves would take another family dinner with Gabriel’s Weres, so she dragged her heels, packed a few more boxes, and pulled through the gate onto his property just as the sun touched the horizon. There was no canine escort for her this time, but off beyond the house she could make out a writhing blur that must have been the dogs eating their supper. She hopped out of her car and turned her steps toward the shed, rather than the house. As she’d suspected, Gabriel was still in Toby’s pen, sitting against the fence and watching him eat. She came up behind him and crouched down on the other side of the fence, fingers hooked through the links. “How’s he doing?” Gabriel turned slightly and smiled at her over his shoulder. “It’s a long process. He’s not going to recover overnight. But it’s going just fine and thank you for asking. He’ll be part of the pack like any other in due time.” She leaned her brow against the fence and watched through it as the dog hunched defensively over his bowl of food, as though he feared they’d come snatch it away from him, despite all the patience and gentleness Gabriel had showed him. The growling and bared teeth still made her anxious, but she could see now what Gabriel had been talking about the day before, the bone-deep fear that made Toby so distrustful in the face of kindness. “Poor guy,” she murmured, watching the way he quivered from head to toe with tension. “Your master did a number on you, didn’t he?” Gabriel turned, looking at her thoughtfully through the fence. She frowned at him briefly, bewildered by his sudden attention, and then turned her gaze back to the dog. Gabriel pushed himself to his feet and stepped out of the kennel. “Come with me, Fate.” She bristled instinctively at the command, given so casually and carelessly. He was already walking away from her, sure in his confidence that he would be obeyed. That alone made her want to dig in her heels and refuse. She had to force herself to remember this wasn’t about her pride, and she’d resolved to endure her time here without complaint. So she sighed, stood, and followed him down the hill, wondering what it was he wanted of her.
He led her back to the shed and the dog bowls that now sat, empty and abandoned, against its wall. Fate shook her head, bemused. She bent to begin picking them up without waiting for him to ask for her help. He gave her a surprised glance when he noticed. His face broke into a warm smile. “Thank you, Fate.” She shrugged and carried her armful into the shed. “Don’t mention it.” She put the bowls back in the shed like they had the night before. When she turned, Gabriel was standing just inside the doorway, half-blocking it and silhouetted by the light coming through behind him. His arms were crossed over his chest, and she couldn’t make out his expression. “Fate,” he murmured, a low rumble that might have meant anything at all. Trepidation twisted low in her belly. She tried to sidle out past him, expecting him to stop her, but he let her go and followed out after her. She was climbing the steps onto the porch when he spoke her name again. This time he touched her arm, just above the elbow. She jumped, stiffening, and he gave a quiet sigh. “Will you come with me, please?” She bit down on her lip, wanting to say no, to escape to her room and bide her time until morning came and she could go home. But she wouldn’t do Reina any favors by being obstinate. “All right, sure.” She followed him down the hall and into one of the many rooms that branched off of it. She’d thought they were bedrooms for the various members of the pack but this one was completely empty, just bare walls and a hardwood floor. She hesitated just inside, bewildered, and turned to Gabriel for some sort of explanation. When he swung the door shut behind them, she jumped, and her heart began to flutter. “What is this?” she asked him, edging away. “What do you want?” “Truth,” he said quietly. “That’s all I want of you, Fate. Just honesty.” She shook her head, bewildered. “Truth? About what? You’re talking in circles.” He pulled at the collar of his shirt, loosening the top two buttons so it didn’t hug so closely against his throat. “What do you see when you look at me, Fate?” he asked her. Her gaze snapped from the open throat of his shirt up to his face. “Excuse me? What the hell kind of question is that?” “A sincere one.” He stretched his arms out before him, one at a time, and unbuttoned the cuffs at his wrists. He rolled the sleeves up to the middles of his forearms, giving her time to answer. She sighed and made a frustrated, futile gesture. “I don’t know. A man. Just a man. Are you looking for flattery or something?” “No, Fate. I told you. Just the truth.” The last of his words were muffled as he dragged his shirt off over his head. Fate jumped back, staring at him. “What the hell are you doing?” He folded the shirt carefully and set it down on the floor. Fate stared at him all the while, unable to make sense of any of it. When his hands dropped to his belt, she jolted forward, grabbing for the door. “Oh, the hell with this. I’m out of here. I don’t know what you think you’re up to—” He slapped a hand on the door, holding it shut and bringing them in close together.
Fate jerked her head back, glaring up at him in defiance. “Let me out.” “An answer, Fate. That’s all I ask of you.” “I told you. You’re just a man, and one who’s going to get his ass kicked six ways from Sunday if you don’t get the hell out of my way.” The corner of his mouth curved up, but he didn’t move. “That’s what you see in me? Just a man?” He stepped toward her. She backed away, edging sideways, trying to get around him so she could reach the door. He pushed his pants down off his hips and stepped out of them, only in boxers now. “And what do you see now?” “A pervert,” she snapped, anger rising in her as he advanced, “who really needs a refresher on the meaning of ‘no.’” He stopped, raised his hands. Looked her in the eye, from much too close. “You misunderstand me, Fate.” She started to snap a response at him, to shove him back or twist away, anything to put distance between them. But before she could speak, a shadow rippled out across his skin. She stared, frozen, as it darkened and spread, until she realized it wasn’t a shadow but fur, thick and slate-grey, sprouting from his skin as though through time-lapse photography. It cascaded down his shoulders and arms, wrapped around his waist and spilled down his legs until it covered him completely. He fell. Fate scrambled back out of his way, putting distance between them and her back against the wall. His hands slapped against the hardwood floor, curled into tight fists. Fate brought a hand to cover her mouth, staring in horrified fascination as Gabriel’s skin rippled and stretched, bones twisting and shortening beneath the surface, joints rearranging themselves so that, when he closed the distance between them, he moved as easily on four legs as he had on two. She slid away from his advance until she came up against the corner and had nowhere left to go. He continued his approach, a slow, measured pace, his eyes on her steadily. She sank down onto the floor, shaking, panic rising like gorge to choke her. He stopped only inches from her, close enough that she could watch his fingers shrink and curve into claws against the floorboards. His face was still mostly human. He brought it in close to hers and demanded, “What do you see now, Fate?” The end of his question trailed off into a low growl as his nose and mouth elongated into a muzzle. The bones beneath his face flowed like ripples upon water, transforming him until the creature who stood before her no longer resembled a man in the slightest. “A wolf,” she gasped, scrambling to press her back into the corner, as though she might somehow be able to escape. “A-a Were. Gabriel, please—” His lips rose, baring a mouthful of pointed teeth and wicked fangs. His growl made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. The eyes were the worst. They watched her, as human as they’d ever been. Human intelligence and cunning combined with the animal ability to rip and tear. She could hardly think of anything more frightening. He leaned in closer to her, his growl deepening to a frightful rumble, his bared teeth scant millimeters from her face. Truth, he had demanded. She was desperate enough that she blurted it out. “A monster,” she cried, bracing her hands on his shoulders and shoving him back. “That’s what I see. A killer.”
Slowly, his lip lowered over his teeth and the growl faded. The barren room echoed with the sudden silence. Fate could hardly stand to look at him except from the very edges of her vision, but when he took a step toward her, she flinched. He brushed his nose over her shoulder, his breath warm and damp on her skin. Fate shivered hard and pressed her shoulder blades into the wall, but he had her pinned. She shut her eyes and let him sniff at her skin, terrified of the teeth that were so close to her vulnerable flesh and all too aware of the damage they could do if she gave him cause. His breath washed over her as he sniffed at her collar and throat. She remembered what he’d said, that he could smell her fear. She tried to force it down, but that was a losing battle from the start. The warm wash of his breath over her skin made shudders steal through her. She opened her eyes and stared straight into his, trying to find Gabriel in them, searching for the man whose face they belonged to, but all she could see were fangs and fur. “Please,” she whispered, hating that he had reduced her to begging so easily. “I don’t understand. What do you want from me? I answered your stupid question.” He dropped down onto his haunches and blew out a breath that almost sounded like a sigh. He cocked his head to the side, expression curious and speculative. There was a question in his eyes, but Fate didn’t answer it. She took advantage of the slight space he’d put between them to draw her knees up against her chest. She wrapped her arms tight around her thighs and stared at him, waiting, her heart in her throat. He bent and bumped his nose against her knee. It might have been a wordless command to stop, to stretch her legs out and stop cowering from him, but if it was, she decided she’d rather play the fool and claim she hadn’t understood. He could be mad at her later, when he was a man again. He blew out his breath again in another sigh and stood. She shrank back, but rather than approach her, he turned and walked to the door. He swiped at the handle with his paw until it turned and the door swung open, just enough of a gap that he could nose it open and slip through. Slowly, Fate relaxed the curled, tense position she’d tightened into, staring in confusion at the door that gaped ajar, wondering why he’d so abruptly left her alone. Did he mean to come back? Or had he finally given up and decided to leave her in peace? She was just rolling up onto her knees, intent on slipping out before he came back for her—if indeed he meant to—when she heard the rhythmic click of claws on the hall floor. Gabriel slipped back into the room, and one of the dogs from the pack followed in after him. He was a yellow Labrador, one of the ones who’d been most friendly and forward with her. He gave a happy yip when he saw her kneeling on the other side of the room. He came over to her and leaned in against her, happily licking her ear. Fate wrapped her arms around the dog and held him close, grateful more than she’d ever admit for his easy comfort. She pressed her face into the sleek golden fur, inhaling the scents of sunlight and grass that clung to him. Gabriel watched her as she stroked her hand over the dog’s throat. She knew his keen gaze wouldn’t have missed the way the dog was positioned before her like a shield, her body hidden behind the bulk of his. Bolstered by his presence and the quiet, rushing sound of his breath as he panted happily up at her, she lifted her head enough to look over
the dog’s withers at Gabriel. He was rippling again, fur shedding off of him in great clumps. The transformation was even more gruesome to watch without his fur to conceal it, skin bulging and stretching like something out of a horror film. She shuddered and clutched the dog tighter against her chest, but continued to watch Gabriel through the fringe of his fur. She drew a great breath when he was finally a man again, though she hadn’t realized she’d been holding it until then. He’d lost even his boxers during the shift to wolf and back. Now he stood before her entirely bare, but he didn’t even seem to notice it as he came over to them and knelt before Fate. He ran his hand over the dog’s back, but his gaze was on her. “And now?” he asked quietly. “Do you see something in me now that you didn’t see before?” “Yes,” she whispered into the dog’s coat, because he’d asked for truth from her. “What is it you see, Fate?” “What you were.” She strengthened her voice through sheer force of will, straightened her spine so she wasn’t curled around the dog anymore. So she could meet his gaze with her own, strong and sure, even if it was all a façade. “What you are. The wolf.” Gabriel’s gaze turned thoughtful again. He scratched behind the dog’s ears until his expression turned dreamy and blissful. His tail thumped hard against the floor. “Nodens here is little different than the wolf I was. Yet you don’t fear him.” “He’s tame,” Fate said, raising her brows. Gabriel’s grin flashed. “So am I.” Fate scanned him with a look of quiet skepticism. “Hardly.” He laughed and settled down onto the floor, near enough it would have made Fate edgy under any other circumstances. But with Nodens between them, the distance seemed greater. Gabriel stroked the dog’s head, his smile slowly fading. “You feared me earlier,” he said. Not a question. It would have been pointless to deny it. They both knew the truth. But that didn’t make admitting it any easier. She lifted her chin and met his gaze over the dog’s back, letting her silence imply whatever he liked. “And now? I am the same as I was five minutes ago, as I was an hour ago, as I was yesterday. And yet you fear me less now than five minutes ago, and more than yesterday.” “You’re just a man now,” she told him, hoping that it stung. But if it did, he hid it well, his expression as mild as ever. “You’re wrong, Fate. I’m not a man.” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, but he continued before she could speak. “Nor a wolf. All I am, all I ever am, is a Were. And that doesn’t change, no matter what form I take.” “Maybe,” she said, her throat tight. “But you’re less armed now.” “Do you think so?” It sounded like genuine curiosity, not a rhetorical question. He rose and led Nodens away with a quiet command. The dog followed him, and trotted out through the door without a worry in the world when Gabriel asked him to. Fate drew her knees up to her chest, but her arms were draped around them now, loose, not clasped tight. Her gaze followed Gabriel as he returned to sit before her. “I can’t make sense of your logic, Fate. Men have been killing one another for as long as we’ve been on this
planet. Why would you fear a man less than a wolf?” “Well,” she said, twisting a loose thread on the knees of her jeans between her fingers. “It’s easier to kick a man in the family jewels, if he gets out of line.” Gabriel chuckled. With his head tilted to the side and his eyes bright with amusement, he might have been any guy. Any normal, friendly guy, sharing her company and laughing at her jokes. A lump formed in her throat. She had to look away. “Fate,” he said. “Don’t.” His lips curved, but his expression was wry now, not amused. “Don’t what?” She drew a shuddering breath. “Just don’t. Just stop.” He lifted his brows and rocked back, bracing his hands on the floor behind him so there was a little bit more space between them. “All I want is to show you we’re more than you see in us, Fate. We’re more than teeth and claw. Is that so terrible?” “I’m just fine,” she snapped. “I don’t need your help. Thanks anyway.” “Oh, you are, are you?” His brows climbed higher. He watched her with open skepticism. “Is that why you’re so terrified of me, when I’ve offered you nothing but kindness?” “You stripped naked, turned into a wolf, and backed me into a corner. That’s a little bit more than just kindness, Gabriel.” She climbed to her feet and strode for the door. Gabriel’s gaze followed her. He stood and walked after her, unhurried, but somehow he still managed to catch her before she reached the door. His fingers brushed her arm and she spun, glaring up at him, strung as tight as a wire. “Back off!” He stilled and sought out her gaze. He wasn’t holding her, his fingers just resting on her arm, but he didn’t drop his hand away and she couldn’t bring herself to tear free. “Are you happy?” he asked her softly. “My happiness is really none of your business.” Despite the hardness of her voice, beneath her breast, her heart raced. He didn’t respond, just continued to watch her with quiet sympathy that made her spine stiffen and her pulse pound even harder. Panic fluttered within her, nothing at all like the happiness Gabriel wanted of her. She shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she looked into his gaze and held it. He let her, for a moment, and then he said, “What? Fate, what is it?” “Hush,” she snapped, frowning. She searched his gaze for the hint she’d glimpsed earlier, the humor and warmth that had washed away her ever-present awareness of what he was and allowed him to seem, just for a moment, to be a man like any other.
Chapter Five Fate stared up at him, something not-quite-angry in her gaze, and Gabe waited to see what would come of it. She was breathing hard, slightly out of breath, though she hadn’t done anything to exert herself. It was fear, of course. But when he tried to put distance between them and give her back some sense of security, she said, “Wait,” and reached out. She put her hand to his chest, warm, pressing firm and steady. Gabe looked down at it, spread wide above his heart, pale fingers like stripes across his tanned skin. He couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d hugged him. He glanced up at her, seeking an answer. “What—” “Hush,” she said again, exasperated. He shut his mouth and waited to see what she meant to do. Her gaze was very intent on him, her expression determined. She flexed her hand, fingertips pressing into his skin. Her other came up and spread across his waist and ribs. His heart gave a hard thunk as her touch sent ripples through him, and then picked up speed. He knew this feeling, tense and waiting, poised on the brink of excitement as he watched his rehabilitation finally take and one of his animals make a sudden step forward in improvement. He felt like he was in such a moment again. If touch was what Fate needed to begin exploring the path to recovery, he wouldn’t protest. And if he were honest, it didn’t truly surprise him. She struck him as the sort of woman who, once she made up her mind to do something, didn’t do it by halves. She seemed the sort to tackle any problem directly, with force of will and fierce determination to carry her through. He held still beneath her touch, allowing her to meet and fight this battle, if she was prepared to do so. He was not prepared at all when she leaned in and pressed her mouth to his. He grabbed her by the arms and tried to move back. She followed after him, her lips soft and coaxing, her body melting to fit against his despite his resistance. Her hand came up and curled on his shoulder. He lost his breath at the feel of her kiss. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of effort to turn his face to the side. Her lips grazed his cheek. “Fate,” he choked. She gave a sharp sigh and tried to jerk him back to her, her face set with resolve. He held her back, though his heart was galloping. “No.” He tried to make his rejection gentle. “This isn’t what I asked you here for. This isn’t what I want from you.” Oh, that was a lie. He wanted it. Her body was warm against his and she was so fierce, even when she was frightened. Even now, when he held her back and told her no, she stood strong and sent him a scathing look as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Don’t flatter yourself. You don’t think I’d throw myself in your arms just because I thought you expected it, do you?” He couldn’t help but smile. “No. I don’t imagine you would.” She’d take a swing at him first, he was certain. “Then you’re going to have to come up with a better excuse than that,” she said, and drew him in again. He tried to grab her again, to stop her. But instead of curling around her arms and
pushing her back, his hands found their way to her face, cupping her cheeks. His lips parted for her and they were kissing, truly kissing. She tasted bright and clean and beautiful. Her arms curled around his shoulders, drawing him in against her. He was still naked from his transformation and very aware of the soft curves she pressed to him. She kissed him unlike any Were woman ever had. There was an openness to her touches, a simple honesty in the way she responded to him. Were mating was always meshed up with politics, especially for an alpha. If he mated with a Were woman, it gave her status and prestige within the pack. He’d turned down propositions from many because they’d only been attracted to the position he could give them. Even if they weren’t after him for his status, he always had to wonder if they might be. But Fate—Fate was human, and she kissed him with a wholehearted intensity that left no room for concerns about pack, status, or politics. He could lose himself in her, he thought, even as he tried. There was a small part of him, whispering in the recesses of his mind, that warned against taking advantage. She was frightened and vulnerable. This might do more damage than good. He held her back, just a breath, the most he could manage. “Fate—” “I can make my own decisions, Gabe. You’d better make yours because I’m not going to offer a third time.” He tried to speak—to say what, he didn’t know—but he couldn’t keep a thought in his head long enough for it to formulate properly. Her mouth was pink, her lips slightly parted. He should have stopped her, but he wanted to kiss her again. She might have been the one to move first, or it could have been him. All he knew was that she was in his arms again, her mouth hot and hungry on his, and his arms were around her, crushing her to his chest. Her breath hitched and she twisted her hands in his hair. She moved backwards, pulling him with her until she’d pinned herself against the wall. Her tongue slid over his lips as she arched her body up against his. The thin layers of her clothing between them were suddenly too much to bear, the texture of woven cloth infuriating when what he wanted was hot, soft flesh beneath his hands. He pulled her shirt up and spread his hands over her stomach, fingers following the curve of her ribs. Her mouth nipped at his, biting and hungry. She stroked her hands down his back. Her fingers spread wide over his ass. She jerked his hips against hers, trapping his stiff cock between them. Her mouth curved against his as he groaned. He dragged the shirt off over her head and looked down at her. Her bra was lacy, pretty, though she couldn’t have known something like this would happen between them when she’d put it on. It delighted him to think she chose it to please herself and no one else. He brushed his fingers over the swell of her flesh above the lace’s edge. She took a swift breath and the movement fit her breast into his palm. He stroked her nipple through the bra’s thin material and watched color bloom across her cheeks. She reached her arms up behind her back. A moment later her bra slipped down off her arms. Her nipples were dusky and already drawn tight. He brushed one with his finger and then couldn’t resist the temptation. He bent and took it into his mouth, laved his tongue over it. Fate hissed out her breath and curled her fingers in his hair.
Gabe sank slowly to his knees before her, licking and sucking at her nipple until she was writhing, her teeth sunk into her lower lip. When he bit at her nipple, she gave a sharp cry and grabbed at the back of his head, holding him to her. Heat shot through him at her response. He had to do it again. She thrust her hips up toward him in wordless demand. He caressed her stomach, and then released the button and zipper of her fly and tugged her jeans off her hips. Her panties matched her bra, dark and sexy. He sat back while she stepped out of the pants and kicked them aside; then he braced her hips against the wall and leaned in. She squirmed as his breath brushed over her. When he dragged his tongue over her through the lacy garment, her breath came from her like an explosion. “Christ. Gabriel—” He followed the line of the waist, riding low over her hipbones, kissing and exploring her flesh through the flimsy barrier. She fisted her hands on the air and strained up against him. When he hooked a finger in the elastic and eased her panties down her thighs, she said, “God. About time,” and pulled his mouth back to her bare skin. Familiar scents clung to her, the smells of his home, his cooking, and the dust from outside. But here, here she smelled like woman, soft and entrancing. When he dragged his tongue over the line where her thigh joined her hip, she moaned softly and shifted her stance, planting her feet wider. He slid his hands from her knees up the inside of her thighs. She gave a quick, hard shudder. He parted her with his thumbs and leaned in. Her scent was not soft or subtle here, but overwhelmingly heady. Her moisture slicked his fingers. He swallowed a moan and leaned in, sealing his mouth on her flesh. Her hips jerked, pressing against his mouth. He dragged his tongue over the hard knot of her clitoris, flicked its tip over the bundle of nerves. Fate gave a low cry that became a gasp as he began to lick and suck. The taste of her on his tongue was a kind of madness. The thrill of her response was a thing of beauty, made even sweeter with the knowledge that it was earned solely by the pleasure he gave her, not by virtue of his position in the pack. She had no reason to fake a response. The idea she might do so to protect his ego was laughable and that was a comfort. She hissed out her breath when he dragged the flat of his tongue over her. He slid his hand up, pressing into her with his thumb while his mouth worked at her clit. Her heat washed over him, muscles shivering around him. He rocked his thumb into her, a steady rhythm, and she punctuated each stroke with hungry, needy sounds that went to his head faster than hard liquor. He flicked the tip of his tongue over her clit, listening to the way her cries suddenly rose in pitch and the muscles in her thighs jumped and twitched. She tugged at his hair and he’d have pulled her hands free and stopped her but for the tension he could feel mounting within her, the renewed urgency in her groans that compelled him to provide the release she needed. He sucked and kissed her flesh, and replaced his thumb with a longer finger. He stroked inside her, seeking… Her cry was loud, wanton, unrestrained. Her muscles clenched tight around him, holding him inside her where he could feel the rippling convulsions. Her knees sagged. She pressed a hand blindly to the wall to steady herself. He eased her down to the floor with him, kept his mouth on her and his touch within her until she gave a shuddering sigh and seemed to soften beneath him.
He kissed up her body, lingering at her navel, her ribs, her breasts. She curled her hands loosely around the back of his neck and murmured her appreciation. He kissed her collar and throat, took her earlobe between his lips and sucked at it. She let him stretch his body out above hers, covering her, and only arched up into him with a smile that said plain as day she was enjoying herself. With one hand, he tilted her face up and lost himself in kissing her. She moaned against his mouth and met his hunger, opened beneath it so he swept into her mouth and claimed her completely. Quiet, half-voiced sounds caught in her throat and her body moved beneath his, begging to be touched. He braced a hand on the floor and used his other to pull her leg up, opening her to him. The need to be inside her, to feel her heat and strength closing around him, was doing his head in. When she spread a hand over his stomach and held him back, he could only stare down at her in incomprehension. “Condom?” she said, brows lifting. He blinked once, startled. “Good thing I believe in being prepared. There’s one in my wallet. In my pocket.” She twisted beneath him, stretching for her discarded jeans. He held her down so she couldn’t wriggle away and retrieved them himself. He pulled her wallet from the back pocket and opened it. It only took a moment to find the small, foil packet. He set jeans and wallet aside and looked down at it, trying to clear his mind at least enough for sense to return to him. “Not a word,” she said, and he was startled again. But she was smiling up at him. She took the packet from his hand and tore it open. “I’ve heard all the protests before, and I won’t hear any of them from you. I don’t negotiate.” She held up the condom so there could be no mistaking her meaning. “Not about this.” He sat up and took long, slow breaths so that the feel of her hands sliding over his cock, smoothing the condom on, wouldn’t do him in prematurely. Her head would have fit almost perfectly tucked beneath his chin, her body curved against his as it was now while she bent to roll the latex over him. He longed to pull her in and hold her there, safe and secure and his. But the strength in her now, the steadiness of her hands and sureness of her voice when she’d spoken to him so boldly, made him hesitate. When the condom covered him, she curled her fist around him and stroked. She hooked her other arm around his neck as she sank down onto her back on the floor, drawing him with her. He kissed her. This time, when he opened her to him and notched the head of his cock at her entrance, she didn’t stop him. He sank into her, as deep as she would take him. Her muscles fluttered around him and her fingers clawed at the floor. Her gaze remained steady on his, eyes open, even when he withdrew and drove into her again. On the third stroke, she arched up off the floor and shut her eyes. Her hands came up to grab at his shoulders. She vised her legs around his hips. He drove into her again, keeping the faster, harder rhythm she urged him to. She rewarded him with a moan and a shudder. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on to him hard. Her fingers pressed into his back, pulling him to her with each stroke. He groaned and pressed his face to her throat as he moved in her. He kissed her skin, licked the salt from it, nipped it between his teeth. She met each with louder cries and the twist of her fingers in his hair, holding his mouth against her.
Her skin flushed hot and red beneath his attentions. He trailed down her chest, followed around the curve of her breast until he slowly centered on her nipple, licking and biting. When he caught the flesh between the sharp edges of his teeth and dragged his tongue over it, her whole body shuddered beneath him. She curved her hands around the back of his head and arched, pressing her breast to his mouth. The heat of her surrounded him, taking him in with each stroke, and each stroke he made was harder than the last. He couldn’t help himself, not when she was spread out beneath him, her hair like a wild fan around her head, her pale skin showing red where his mouth had been on her. She was beautiful and unreserved and nothing at all like he’d have expected her to be. She dragged him back to her mouth and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her with the full brunt of his hunger, too needy for patience or care. When she scraped his lip between her teeth, he nipped back, hard enough to sting. She just smiled and kissed him harder, and he was lost. His hips slapped against hers as he fucked her, pounding, driving, every muscle in his body straining. Her breath frayed and grew ragged, her body rising to meet each thrust. He wrapped his arms around her back and held her tight against him as his hips pistoned into her. His fingers dug into her back, dragging her to him, and her breath hitched. The tension was building again, drawing her muscles tight, her body straining against his. Her breath was a harsh rasp against his ear, broken by moans and gasps. When he reared up and looked at her, her eyes were glazed, her lips swollen from his careless kisses. He pinched her nipple between his fingers and tugged at it, watching how her mouth fell open and her head tipped back. Her response was glorious, her body tightening like a bow, her legs clamping around his waist. Her muscles clenched around his cock and the added friction was almost too much for him. He reached down between their bodies and drew quick, hard circles around her clit. She cried out as though surprised. She shook beneath him, hands grasping, body straining, her face awash with the shock of climax. He pounded into her, blindly seeking his own release, too close and too hungry to slow himself or temper his touches. She held him tight even once her climax released her from its grip and she melted against him. He was so close, and the only thought that could stick in his whirling mind was the need for completion. It built up in him like a tangible pressure, like a balloon stretched too tight. She stroked her hands through his hair and kissed his mouth. And that, at last, was too much. The pressure broke. He gasped and drove into her with a final thrust, and the tension spilled from him in a sudden, rushing wave, leaving him spent in its absence. He dropped down on top of her, barely mindful enough to keep his weight on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her. He slid off her, once he managed to summon the strength to do so, then lay at her side with an arm still stretched across her stomach, both of them sprawled and sweaty and slowly recovering their breath. Her hair was soft and smelled of her shampoo, a faint, fruity scent he couldn’t bother
to identify. He inhaled deeply of it and stroked his hand over her side. She murmured, wordless, but didn’t move. She looked limp and sated, more content than he’d seen her before. He drew his fingers through her hair, startled at how much it pleased him. She pushed herself up so she was sitting. He rolled over onto his back for the opportunity to watch her a little longer. Her hair curled in gentle waves against her back. His gaze followed the elegant curve of her spine, but the warmth of his pleasure died beneath a chilling wave of shock. There were lines on her back, marks, pink and red, crisscrossing her skin from her shoulders down to her waist. “Christ!” The epithet burst from him like an explosion. He sat up and reached for her, horrified. “God, I hurt you.” She looked back at him over her shoulder, her brows furrowed. “No, you didn’t.” He pressed his lips together and traced one of the brighter lines. He remembered holding on to her, fingers digging deep, but he hadn’t thought… “I can see well enough I have,” he said. “You should have said something.” She twisted harder, straining to see what he saw, the evidence of what he’d done. Then she started to laugh. “There’s no need to get all chivalrous on me. You didn’t do that.” “Don’t be absurd—” “No, Gabe. You didn’t.” She reached an arm up behind herself, ran her fingers over one of the welts. “They’ve been healing for a couple days, now.” He looked over the lines and marks again, horror dawning anew for an entirely different reason. “Someone else did this to you?” She nodded and pulled her hair forward over her shoulder, running her fingers through to tame it. He could see now that the marks went all the way up and over her shoulders. “I’ll kill him for doing this to you,” he muttered, tracing another line. She shivered, but didn’t seem to mind it. “Just give me his name.” “Now you are being absurd,” she snapped, her voice hardening. “He was very nice, and I’m certainly not going to send you off to harass him.” “He hurt you,” Gabe growled. “Yes.” She turned to face him. “I asked him to.” He stared at her. It made no sense at all. “Why on earth would you—” “Because I like it. Because it feels good.” She separated her hair into segments and began to braid it. Her gaze was slightly puzzled as she looked on him. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of a masochist before.” He had, of course, though he hadn’t been able to comprehend it then, and he was no closer to understanding now. “This man you slept with,” Gabe began. Just a few days before, she’d said, and there was no reason at all for his gut to churn with jealousy the way it did. “Oh, I didn’t sleep with him.” She rolled up onto her knees and started to sort out her discarded clothes. “Don’t be pedantic. You know what I mean.” She shot him an arch look over her shoulder. “I do. And I didn’t fuck him, either. It was purely a platonic exchange.” He stared at her, trying to make sense of the woman before him and what she was saying. Even if he couldn’t understand what drove a person to want to be injured, he’d
felt confident in his grasp of the concept. But it was a sex game, wasn’t it? A kind of foreplay. Or so he’d thought. “Why?” The question burst from him, too pressing to contain. Fate slipped her bra on and bent her head as she fastened the hooks. “I’d had a rough day. I needed to get my mind off of it.” Her tone was suddenly reserved and distant. He wondered what nerve he’d struck. But she was keeping her back turned to him as she dressed, unsubtly avoiding his gaze, so he let it be and went down the hall to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He came back out into the hall just in time to see her duck into the guest bedroom and shut the door firmly behind her. Only his clothes and drifts of shed fur were left in the changing room. **** It was not the smartest thing she’d ever done, Fate reflected later, as she sat in the center of the bed and brushed the knots out of her hair. And she had no excuse, except he’d been pushing her all night and she’d had enough. Kissing may not have been the wisest approach, but it had been the first thing she’d thought of to get him to shut up for a few minutes and give her room to breathe. It had worked, and they’d had a bit of fun, to boot. But that didn’t mean it had been smart. He’s a Were, she reminded herself sternly, pulling the brush through the more stubborn tangles. What on earth were you thinking, tangling things up with him? I hope getting out of a few awkward questions was worth the hassle this is going to be. She didn’t have any answers and she was not so easily dissuaded as Gabriel was from the unpleasant questions. Fate set the brush on the nightstand and turned off the light. She shut her eyes with firm deliberation, resolved to go to sleep and think nothing more of it until the morning. But sleep eluded her, and the night was a long and unpleasant one. **** Gabe woke before the rest of the household and padded out to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee brewing while the first watery rays of sunlight stretched over the horizon. Through the kitchen window he could see most of the dogs were already awake. A handful of them wrestled in the grass, barking playfully. A cool breeze twisted through the window screen. It lured him out onto the back porch. He was shedding clothes by the time he reached the steps and half-shifted before his feet hit the ground. The dogs held back while he shifted. He never got the sense the transformation alarmed them, but they didn’t seem to know what to make of it. Once he was wolf, they gathered around him to lick his muzzle or roll over onto their backs. He greeted them each in turn, then gathered himself up and ran toward the trees at the edge of the property. He thrilled at the easy strength of this form, and the cool caress of the breeze through his fur as he ran. The dog pack followed after him, barking, tongues lolling. He ran the perimeter of the property, the dogs trailing after him like a ribbon, until the sun had climbed above the horizon and the morning was beginning to warm up. He
turned for the house and trotted back, his mind cleared and peaceful, at least temporarily. Matthew waited for him on the porch when he returned, in his wolf form as well. He came down the steps and stood before Gabe as he neared. The fur along his ruff bristled. Gabe sighed as the peace of the morning escaped him. He walked up to stand before Matthew, his ears pulled forward, his lip rising to bare his teeth. The dogs scampered away or flattened to their bellies as he gave a low, warning growl, but Matthew didn’t move. The tension built between them, so thick it was palpable, as Gabe waited to see if Matthew would back down. It stretched out, long enough that Gabe knew Matthew wouldn’t. It was too late for either of them to break the tension without admitting some kind of defeat. Gabe reached out and cuffed him on the side of the head with his paw. Matthew growled and jumped at him. Gabe met his attack and used his weight to throw Matthew to the ground. Then they were wrestling, scrabbling for the upper hand, growling and snapping. Gabe forced Matthew onto his back and stood over him. He bent and closed his teeth on the other Were’s throat, not hard enough to even leave a scratch through the thick layers of fur, but enough to make Matthew stop struggling beneath him. Slowly, Matthew tilted his jaw back, baring his throat. He curled his tail up between his hind legs. Satisfied, Gabe stepped off of him and began to shift back. Matthew rolled to his feet but kept his belly low to the ground. After a moment, he shifted as well, fur shedding off of him in clumps. Gabe climbed the steps to the porch to retrieve his clothes and dress while Matthew finished changing. He returned to stand before the other man. Matthew rolled up onto his knees but didn’t rise, kneeling naked in the earth before Gabe. “Care to tell me what that was all about?” Gabe asked dryly. Matthew’s gaze flicked sideways to the house. “You know what it’s about.” Fate, of course. Fate and the vampires. Gabe turned and strode back into the house without gracing him with a response. Matthew joined him a few minutes later, clothed now and wiping dust from his hands. “You owe us an explanation at least, Gabe.” “Oh, I owe you, do I?” Gabe shot him an acidic look. Matthew hesitated but didn’t relent. “You’ve forced her into all of our lives. This may be your house, but it’s our home, too. You can’t just ignore that.” “She’s a guest. Do you offer the rest of us explanation for any companion you bring by?” “She’s a human,” Matthew snarled, and if said human hadn’t been sleeping just down the hall, Gabe suspected he’d have shouted it. “And this isn’t just a one-night stand. Don’t pretend it is. You’ve opened our land to bloodsuckers for that woman.” “I slept with her,” he said, low. Of course, they’d all know it by now. “I didn’t propose.” “It’s not that simple and you know it.” Matthew drew a deep breath. His hands curled at his sides. “Gabe, it’s been years, and none of us have said a word—” Gabe squared his shoulders and set his jaw. “Said a word about what, exactly?” he
asked, his voice soft, his gaze hard. That, at last, was enough to make Matthew hesitate. It was a long moment before he spoke, muttering, “You know what,” and slanting his gaze away. Not submission this time, just plain old avoidance. “Do you trust me to run this pack or not?” Matthew said nothing. That was as good as a condemnation. “Then challenge me,” Gabe snapped. “And get it out of your system.” For a moment, Gabe thought he might after all, and his pack would suffer another loss. Matthew’s lips thinned, his face set with rebellion. He didn’t back down—but he didn’t issue a challenge, either. “You fucked her, Gabe. This woman. You can’t tell me it doesn’t mean anything.” “I can tell you what I like,” he snapped. “Not everything I do is pack business.” “This is,” Matthew said quietly. “Whether you like it or not.” “No.” The sound of a door opening and an unfamiliar gait coming down the hall warned them both Fate had woken. Gabe lowered his tone so it allowed no room for further debate. “Stop this, Matt. It’s none of your business. She is none of your business.” Matthew’s brows climbed. Fate’s steps were getting closer, almost close enough that even her dulled, mortal senses would be able to hear the conversation. Matthew began to turn away, but he leaned in as he passed Gabe and murmured, “Would you get so defensive about a woman you didn’t care about?” Fate came out of the hall and Gabe couldn’t say anything else, as Matthew had intended of course. He could fume at letting the other Were maneuver the conversation so Matthew had the last word, but there was little point in it, so he turned his back on Matt and gave Fate a warm smile. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.” She chuckled. Her hair was still braided but a few strands had come loose during the night. She looked bleary, sleep-rumpled and more appealing than Gabe could have expected. “Oh, I slept just fine. You saw to that.” She strode past him, making a beeline for the kitchen. “I hope there’s coffee.” There was nothing to be done but leave the tensions behind for another time. “Of course there is,” he said, smiling for her, and followed her into the kitchen. “How do you take it?”
Chapter Six “You look … better,” Fate said, eyeing Reina critically. She’d been pale ever since she’d been turned, that was par for the course, but it seemed a healthier sort of pale. Less like she stood on death’s door and more like a woman who hadn’t seen the sun in a few months. Reina grinned and patted her stomach. “I’m positively stuffed.” “I’m glad.” Fate leaned back against the arm of her couch, legs crossed before her. “Let’s keep it that way, shall we? You had me worried for a while there, sweetie.” “Yeah?” Reina bent forward and snagged the pint of rocky road ice cream from her hands before Fate could pull it out of her reach. She looked down into the melting contents of the carton, and then up at Fate. One eyebrow climbed high. “You’re not the only one who’s getting worried.” “What? About me?” Fate tried to look surprised, but the only emotion she could sum up was weary resignation. “Because of this?” She grabbed the ice cream back, shoved a spoonful in her mouth to buy time, and then gave Reina a crooked smirk. “What’s the point of being grown-up if you can’t have junk food for dinner every once in a while?” “Rocky road isn’t dinner, Fate,” Reina said, unsmiling. “Rocky road is boy trouble. And it’s not just because of that. You’ve got cascades of uncertainty coming off of you.” “Damned empath,” Fate said, meaning it more than she let on. She kept her expression light. “I don’t have a boy. You know that.” “Yep.” Reina gave her a no-nonsense look. “Thus the worry.” Fate took another bite, sucking it slowly off the spoon. “God, honey, you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about me.” “I know.” Reina rolled up onto her knees and caught both Fate’s wrists, stilling her. Reluctantly, Fate met her eye. There was no hint of surrender in her gaze. “So ease my mind, why don’t you?” Fate shook her head slowly, watching determination wash over Reina’s face. She sighed in resignation. “Did Logan put you up to this? Is that why you stopped by?” She wouldn’t put it past the vampire to send Reina to pursue his concerns in hope she would find success where he had failed. But Reina’s expression clouded with confusion. She sat back a little. “Logan? No. Why would he have anything to do with it? I came by because I was starting to feel like a sardine in that house, with so many crashing there now.” Fate shut her eyes. She’d have been irritated with Logan for sending Reina to nag at her, naturally. But it was worse that he hadn’t. That Reina had come to the same conclusion he had, all on her own. Fate was trying like hell to convince herself that, outside of the time she had to spend at Gabriel’s, everything was just fine and perfectly normal. Clearly, she was a terrible liar, except when she lied to herself. “Is it that bad?” she asked Reina. “Oh, it’s worse.” Reina snagged a bite of ice cream from the carton. Mortal food wouldn’t do anything to sustain a vampire, but Reina said just because her diet had changed didn’t mean her taste buds had. They could still eat small amounts for pleasure,
if not sustenance. “Thank God I’m dating the guy who pays the mortgage, or it would be freshman year all over again.” “Eugh. God.” Fate grimaced and excavated a marshmallow from the ice cream. “I should look for somewhere else to stay until fall, then.” “Don’t be absurd.” Reina’s eyes went large, looking alarmed. “We have room for you.” “Honey, I appreciate it, but I’m not any more interested in reliving my freshman dorm room experience than you are.” “All right, but you’re the one who has to break it to Kynan. He’s already claimed you for his roomie.” “Ah fuck,” Fate said, laughing. Reina grinned, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “He’s going to be just crushed when you tell him you’d rather spend the summer rooming with a stranger than with him.” “Fine. I give.” Fate raised her hands in surrender. “I’ll stay with you guys. For God’s sake, just call off the guilt trip.” Reina slowly sobered, her expression turning serious once again. “I’m just worried about you.” “Oh, for Heaven’s sake. People room with strangers all the time. There’s no reason to worry.” “That’s not why and you know it.” Fate took another bite of ice cream so she didn’t have to confirm that, yes, she knew it. Reina climbed off of the couch and came over to kneel on the floor in front of Fate, very close, staring up at Fate’s face intently. “Just tell me you’re all right,” she said quietly. “I thought I already did that.” “Tell me again.” Fate covered Reina’s hands with her own. “I’m all right.” She met Reina’s gaze, as sincere as she could manage. “I really am.” Reina nodded and swallowed something—a response, perhaps, or a protest. Fate couldn’t know, but she was relieved beyond reason when Reina moved away and sat down on the other end of the couch again. Bad enough to have Gabriel badgering her every time she stepped through the door, she thought bitterly. Now she had to endure the same from her friends, when all she wanted was a reprieve. “So tell me about the hunt,” Fate said brightly, uncaring that it would have been painfully obvious to anyone with half a brain, much less Reina’s empathy, that it was a blatant attempt to change the topic. “Did you guys look into those clubs I gave Logan?” “A couple of them,” Reina said, settling back against the cushions. Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “Do you really go to those places? For fun?” Fate laughed and shook her head. “Not the seedy ones, no. But I’ve had to rescue many a desperate friend, in my time.” “Well, I’ll try not to need rescuing,” Reina said with a grin. The band of pressure on Fate’s chest loosened at the return of easy, joking friendship between them. “Good.” She bent her head over the ice cream, trying to work the spoon down to dig out another bite. “If I have to drive halfway across the county in the middle
of the night to bail your ass out…” Reina laughed and threw a pillow at her. “If you had to, you would, and you know it.” “Yeah,” Fate agreed, sobering. That’s exactly what she was doing, wasn’t it? Over and over again. Hauling her ass out to Gabriel’s place, spending the night under his roof, all because her friend was in trouble and needed her help. “I’m just a big old softy at heart.” The trouble was, even though she was joking, they both knew it was the truth. Reina, at least, was kind enough not to say so. “So you guys are all set, then?” Fate asked. Another blatant topic change. “Nice full bellies all around?” “Not quite.” Reina blew out her breath with an aggravated sigh. “We’ve got more bellies to fill now, of course. And Logan wants to be cautious, for Gabe. It’s a big favor we’ve asked of him. He knows that, and if we all go in there en masse, hunting and trawling for donors…” She shook her head. “It would make a royal mess for him to clean up.” She dredged up a smile and turned it on Fate. “We’re trying to be good houseguests and just go out one or two at a time.” Fate swallowed down the cry of dismay that rose in her unbidden. She gave Reina what she hoped was a look of appropriate surprise as she ran through this new information in her head. Logan’s brood had nearly doubled in the past few months. There were over half a dozen of them now, plus the most recent additions that had the house so crowded. One or two a night meant… “Jeez,” she exclaimed. “By the time everyone’s had their turn, it’ll be time to start back again at the front of the line.” “Oh, I know.” Reina rolled her eyes with such exaggeration that it seemed to Fate this was a conversation she’d already had her fill of with someone else. Fate would have put her money on it being Logan, if she’d had to guess. “It’s going to make it a bitch to maintain our hold on what territory we do have if we’re constantly running off to Gabe’s, but there’s really nothing to be done for it. It’s just for the summer,” she added firmly. Fate wondered whether which one of them she was trying to convince. Fate’s stomach twinged with shame. Her first thought at the news was that it would mean she’d be practically living at Gabe’s. She hadn’t even stopped to consider the strain it would put on Logan’s brood, who were already strung so tight it was a wonder they didn’t all have ulcers. “I’m sorry,” she told Reina earnestly. Reina shot her a startled look. “Well, it’s not your fault.” “No,” Fate said, biting back, That’s not what I meant. She was only slightly less reluctant to confess the nature of her bargain with Reina than she had been with Logan. It was her bargain, hers to uphold. She knew Reina would go into problem-solving mode trying to help her fix it if she breathed a word. Besides which, if she did start talking about it, Fate didn’t know if she’d be able to stop herself until she’d spilled every single thing, and she hadn’t the faintest idea how Reina might react to the news that Fate had slept with her old, dear friend. She wouldn’t understand. Fate gave a quiet, melancholy sigh. Reina would probably be delighted, once she’d gotten over her surprise, imagining it signified some new leaf Fate had turned over, evidence she’d overcome this last, most tenacious prejudice and embraced preternaturals as wholly and completely as Reina herself did. Her disappointment would be crushing when she realized the truth was just the opposite.
She hadn’t slept with Gabriel because she accepted him, or even because she liked him and found him attractive, though he certainly was, and she’d slept with other guys for less. She’d thrown herself at Gabriel in desperation, a fact for which she wasn’t proud, because it had been the only way her panicked mind could think of to distract herself from her fear. “Well, I’d better cut myself off before I go into sugar shock,” Fate said, smiling too bright and gesturing with the ice-cream pint. She went into the kitchen to put the carton back in the freezer. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with holding down the fort, right?” “Don’t be silly. You’ve done enough already,” Reina told her as she came back to the living room. Fate stopped dead and stared at her, wondering if she’d figured out for herself exactly how much Fate had done—was doing—for them, without having to be told. Her heart gave an unsteady thump beneath her breast, but Reina rose, brushed at her shirt, and gave Fate a guileless smile as she slung her bag over her shoulder. Fate forced herself to breathe again. It was just an off-hand comment, of course. If Reina really had known, she wouldn’t have beaten around the bush about it. “I’ll let you get some sleep,” Reina was saying, moving toward the front door. “But you’ll let me know if you need any help packing, right?” “Of course,” Fate told her automatically, though it never would have occurred to her to do so. Reina might have superhuman strength now, but she had her fair share of troubles and worries. Fate wasn’t about to add her own burdens to the ones she already carried. “Say hi to everyone for me. And remind Logan he owes me a phone call, will you?” “Sure,” Reina said with only a slightly puzzled glance back over her shoulder. Fate walked with her to the door and waved good-bye as she headed out to the parking lot, her face aching from the smile she kept pinned in place until Reina was out of sight. With a sigh, Fate stepped back inside, locked the door, and went back to the freezer to dig the ice cream out again. **** Reina must have relayed the message, because Logan did call later. He told Fate pretty much what Reina had. Fate gave him a little grief over it, admonished him to keep her more firmly in the loop the next time anything else came up, and excused herself to sleep in her own bed while she still could. The next morning, she called Gabriel and left a message on his voicemail to expect her again that evening. Then she hung up the phone and looked around at her apartment, which seemed suddenly small and dark with the cityscape of boxes crowding in around her. There was much more left to do, but the thought of staying in there and closing the walls in around her further made her feel nauseous and claustrophobic. Unbidden, the memory of that small, barren room in Gabriel’s house rose within her, the sense of being trapped, the panicked racing of her heart as Gabriel had shifted and cornered her. She grabbed her purse from the kitchen table and burst out of the apartment before she had a chance to think about what she was doing. It was early enough that the air still had a cool bite to it, the sunlight washing over everything still watery and uncertain. It would warm up soon enough, but for now Fate strode out into it, taking fierce pleasure in the bite of the chill air on her bare skin.
She had a laundry list of errands that had been neglected for much too long, put off in favor of studying, packing, and getting herself tangled up in Reina’s problems. No time like the present, she told herself, and set out to start taking care of what she’d been avoiding. She hadn’t managed to complete all of her errands by the time evening came and offices started closing, but she’d made a significant dent. She stopped by a local Thai restaurant for takeout and then sat in the parking lot with her car idling, wondering where she should take it. She didn’t have to spend the whole night at Gabriel’s, provided she slept under his roof—that had been a point she’d insisted upon when negotiating their arrangement. She had hours yet before he’d even start to wonder if she intended to show. But the thought of going home and eating her meal tucked between mountains of boxes didn’t hold any greater appeal. She ended up eating cross-legged on the hood of her car, the bowl of curry balanced carefully on her lap, so she could feel the chill return to the air as the sun set and night descended. Reina would just be waking up, she thought, craning her head back to watch clouds scud across the darkened sky. The older vampires might have been up for hours already, if they were feeling particularly industrious, but Reina was young, and still subject to the sun. It wouldn’t be Reina whom Logan would be taking out to hunt this night, though. For that, Fate was relieved. Gabriel had granted the vamps permission, but that wasn’t anything remotely like protection, and hunting was a dangerous business under the best circumstances. Everyone, nowadays, went around armed with gold and crosses, especially after the panic PURE had spread a few months earlier, when people were dying and they’d been desperate for a scapegoat on which to cast their anger and fear. The city was calmer now. No one had died since… No one except Reina, Fate thought bitterly. She hadn’t forgotten it was in her apartment complex where Reina had been attacked. Reina had come to her for help, as angry and scared as anyone else, and Fate had turned her away. Somewhere between Fate’s door and her car, she’d disappeared, and by the time Logan found her the damage had already been done. She’d been turned. Fate still didn’t have a firm grasp of exactly what had happened. It had been a complicated tale, something to do with Logan’s wife, who had died in Scotland in the nineteenth century, and the vampire who had turned him. But she knew enough to know she was at least partially responsible for Reina’s fate. If she’d been more patient, if she’d given Reina the information she’d come for, if she’d let her stay and talk… She roused herself with a swift mental shake. Regret was well and good, but she couldn’t change anything. Not what she’d done and not what had happened to Reina because of it. All she could do was try to be a better friend, now and in the future. And right now, that meant doing her time at Gabriel’s so Reina and her kin could hunt and feed. She closed up her containers and replaced them in their brown paper take-out bag, then climbed behind the wheel of her car and headed back out to Gabriel’s place. The lights inside the house were all blazing when she got there, sending out a warm, golden glow into the night. Fate stopped her car and sighed as she looked at it from a distance. It looked very cozy, very welcoming, like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. But suddenly her barren apartment crowded with piles of boxes seemed like the only
place in the world she wanted to be. She climbed out, dread settling in her stomach, and walked up to rap on the door. After a minute with no answer, she tried the handle and found it unlocked. Shaking her head at the unthinkable luxury of not having to worry about locked doors or unexpected intruders, she stepped into the house and swung the door shut behind her. There was the sound of conversation and running water coming from the kitchen. Fate made her way back there and found Gabriel with one of the men of his pack—Zach, if she recalled correctly, though she wasn’t sure enough to bet on it. Zach was up to his elbows in soap and dishwater, and the two men chatted easily as he scrubbed dishes and passed them over to Gabriel to dry. Fate lingered just outside the doorway until Gabriel glanced up and saw her. His face broke into a warm smile. He set down the bowl in his hands as he came over to greet her. “And how was your day?” he asked her once the pleasantries were out of the way, as he ushered her into the kitchen. “Er, just fine,” she said, half-turning to give him a perplexed look over her shoulder. “You’ve missed supper, but we’ve just put away leftovers if you’d like to make yourself a plate. We had lasagna tonight.” “Thanks,” she said, “but I’ve already eaten.” She lifted the take-out bag as evidence. “Mind if I throw it in the fridge?” “Of course, go right ahead.” He returned to Zach’s side and picked up his towel to resume drying dishes, but as Fate bent over and searched for a spot for her food, she was intensely aware that the easy conversation between them had died with her arrival. She dusted her hands off as she nudged the fridge door shut with her hip and said quickly, “I’m just going to go take a shower.” She hurried out of the kitchen, set on edge both by Gabriel’s unnerving warmth and Zach’s sudden withdrawal. She turned the water in the shower as hot as she could stand it and let it beat down on her shoulders, melting the tension out of her. Her shampoo smelled of coconut. She shut her eyes as the scent wrapped around her, relaxing in its familiarity. She’d almost begun to think that she’d gotten off easy and all she’d have to endure this time was a night spent in a strange bed, but she’d barely even stepped out of the bathroom when she heard Gabriel speak her name from behind her. She stopped, cringing, and then schooled her expression before she turned. “Yes?” He was at the other end of the hall. He closed the distance between them until he stood just before her, looking down at her with his head tilted to an angle. “Are you turning in for the night?” “That was the plan.” She was dripping wet and clad in nothing more than a towel, so she turned on her heel and headed for the bedroom. Her stomach knotted at the sound of his footfalls following after her. Shit, she thought, wrapping her fingers around the edge of the towel. He doesn’t expect just because I fucked him once that I want him to join me in bed, does he? Crap. She kept walking, though her shoulders stiffened at the awareness that he was just behind her. But when he followed her into the bedroom, she stopped and spun around to face him. “What do you want?” He seemed taken aback for a moment. “When I insisted upon this bargain, it wasn’t simply because I wished my guest bedroom to see some use.” “I’ve stuck to the terms.” She turned her back to him and walked to the bedside,
tugging the towel from her hair and shaking the strands out to fall around her face. “If you wanted something else, you should have brought it up while we were negotiating.” She unwrapped the towel that sheathed her body and draped both over the end of the bed. He didn’t say anything, but she heard him take a long, slow breath. She ignored his reaction and crouched to rifle through her overnight bag, balanced carefully on the balls of her feet. “Fate.” She looked over her shoulder at him. Her lips curled with sardonic humor as she noticed his rigid stance, the hand at his side that had curled into a fist. “Hm?” “What are you doing?” “Looking for my pajamas.” She pulled a thin nightshirt from the bag and showed it to him. His gaze shuttered, hiding his reaction from her. But she didn’t miss the way his fist tightened. She straightened and pulled the shirt on over her head. It was a simple T-shirt style, not intended to be deliberately alluring. But the thin material clung to her damp skin, and the hem hit her just above mid-thigh. Gabriel’s gaze skimmed over her. Heat bloomed across her skin beneath his attention. “Fate.” He pitched his voice low enough that it was nearly a growl. “Put some clothes on.” She arched a brow at him. “Why?” Never mind that she just had. “Because I want to speak with you. And it’s very distracting.” She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed. If you want to talk, we can do it in the morning.” “No.” His voice whipped out, suddenly fierce. She raised her brows, startled. “You’re just going to run out the minute the sun rises again, without giving me a chance to get two words in edgewise.” “I see,” she said slowly. “So you want to have your say while I’m still a captive audience.” He flinched, but didn’t deny it. Fate sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs. “All right, then.” She wasn’t unaware of how the posture made her shirt ride up her thighs, but she didn’t bother to adjust it. “Have at it.” “What happened the other night, Fate… It cannot happen again.” The air rushed out of him all once and he slumped like a deflated balloon. “I’m sorry.” “You’re sorry?” She rocked back and stared at him, nonplussed. “Where’s this coming from? It was just sex. And I know you liked it, so it’s not that.” “It’s not that. I did.” He grimaced and rubbed the heel of his hand over his brow. “Don’t take it as an insult. I did enjoy it, but that doesn’t matter. It’s bad for the pack, and their needs have to come first, before my own desires. Anyway, it’s not what I asked you here for, and I don’t think it’s a good idea besides. Not while you’re still working on your issues—” “Oh, fuck off, Gabe. My issues are none of your business.” He cringed. “You’re angry—” “Just mistaken, apparently. Here I was under the impression you were the alpha.” “Damn it, Fate, you don’t understand—”
“Well, I don’t give a rat’s ass about your pack or their needs, so you’re gonna have to do a better job explaining it to me. ’Cause all I’m hearing is the pack doesn’t like me and that’s that.” “That’s not what I said,” he growled. “It’s not good for the pack.” “It’s sex! They don’t have anything to do with it.” Stubbornness turned his expression unyielding. “It doesn’t matter what you think of my reasons. It can’t happen again.” “Is that so?” She advanced on him with slow, deliberate steps. He edged back from her, but there wasn’t anywhere for him to go. “Then tell me you’re not interested.” When he started to speak, she reached and put a hand on his chest. He broke off and stared at her. “Well?” She smiled up at him and slid her hand to the bare skin of his throat, just above his collar. “It’s a simple thing to say … if it’s the truth.” When he still didn’t speak, she curved her hands around the back of his neck, braced her thumbs against the edge of his jaw, and pulled him down into her kiss. He stiffened and pushed at her, but she kept her grip tight, kissing him fast and needy. His body responded against hers, giving away the truth. When she bit at his lip, he groaned and fisted a hand in her damp hair. “Damn it, Fate,” he snarled, breaking away. She leaned in and sucked at the skin on the side of his throat. She hooked her fingers in the waist of his slacks and drew him with her as she walked backwards toward the bed. He let her, but when she embraced him and kissed him again, he grabbed her arms and held her back. “Fate! Damn it, stop—” His fingers dug into her arms, gripping tight. Her breath hitched at the feel of it. “Stop me,” she told him, thrown out like a challenge. “You’ve got at least a hundred pounds on me, and twice as many muscles. You could stop me easy.” She dragged her tongue along the edge of his jaw. “If you wanted.” He groaned and his hands tightened on her. She followed the line of his jaw all the way up to his ear, and scraped the shell of his ear between her teeth. His grip was on her upper arms, holding them against her sides but not completely restricting her movement. She slid her hands over his stomach and pulled his shirt from his slacks. He hissed a breath out through his teeth. The muscles of his stomach leapt beneath her fingers, but she only had the chance to enjoy it for a moment before he released her arms and caught her wrists, dragging her hands away. Fate jerked against his grip, struggling until he tightened the circle of his fingers, holding her tightly to control her. She laughed quietly, shivering at the frisson of pain that curled down into her gut and started a warm glow there. Gabriel’s expression made a slight shift from irritated to confused. She laughed again and stretched her arms behind her so she could lean in, pressing her body to his. She sealed her mouth on the tender skin of his throat and sucked at it. “Haven’t figured it out yet?” She clucked her tongue. “I already told you the answer.” She scraped her teeth over the spot where her mouth had been, where his skin was already flushed and sensitive. “I like it.” He made a wordless sound of frustration and tried to force her back. She let him, and gave a pointed look at his groin, where his slacks strained around his erection. “And
clearly, you do too.” He recoiled as if she’d slapped him, and snatched his hands away from her. She slid in and curved her hands at the back of his head, pulled his mouth down to hers in the brief moment she had before he realized what he’d done and grabbed her again. He lingered in the kiss for a few moments even after he’d pulled her hands away, then tore his mouth away and glared down at her. “Stop that,” he growled, stern and severe. She jerked her chin up and met his gaze levelly. “Make me.” He did nothing, just stared at her, fuming. When she jerked on his hands this time, he tightened his grip again. She bit back a quiet moan and smiled at him. His hands sprang open, his expression twisted with consternation. She grinned, delighted at how easily he fell for her bait, and grabbed the waist of his slacks. She stepped backwards and he followed her again. When the bed hit her at the backs of her knees, she fell down onto it and dragged him down with her. He was startled enough she was able to press the advantage and roll him beneath her. Straddling his waist, she pushed his shirt up. When he reached to stop her, she jerked it up and over his head. He swore as he struggled to disentangle himself from it. In the brief moment he was preoccupied, she slid back and bent, and dragged her tongue over his cock through the material of his slacks. He made a choked sound, half gasp and half groan. His whole body tensed, hard as steel beneath her. She grinned and licked him again, slow and deliberate. “Fate. God damn it.” He flipped her onto her back and his weight came down on her, his hands braced on her shoulders. She gasped at the sudden force of it, and he looked momentarily horror-struck. She pulled open his fly and slid a hand inside his boxers before he recovered himself. He grabbed her hand and dragged it out, pinned it to the bed. “Will you stop trying to get into my pants for one minute?” “Why?” she demanded. “I told you—” “Your pack’s not here, Gabe. It’s just you and me.” She hooked a leg over his hip and ground her hips against his. “I don’t want to hear about them.” He shoved her hips down and pinned them to the bed. It took his weight off of her shoulders, so she reared up and wrapped her free arm around his neck. He rocked back, growling, when she tried to kiss him, but she followed after him, kissing and licking at his mouth. He only lasted a moment before he groaned and opened to her. Between one breath and the next, he took charge of the kiss, pushing into her mouth, biting at her lips. The scrape of her flesh through his teeth made her shiver and arch up against him. He fisted a hand in her hair and bent her head to the onslaught of his kiss. His fingers pulled at the strands, tugging at her scalp. She didn’t protest, just smiled and murmured and turned her head, so that her hair was pulled tighter. She shivered harder. He pulled back from the kiss and stared down at her. With his fingers twisted in her hair, she couldn’t pursue him. His expression was fierce as he looked on her. It made her pulse race, made excitement course through her until she felt like a live wire. “Don’t stop,” she whispered, breathless with excitement and anticipation. Sudden heat flared in his eyes. His hands spasmed tighter on her. “God,” he groaned, and dragged her mouth back to his. She pushed his pants down off his hips. His boxers followed, and then she could take
him in her hand without anything between them, just the feel of his flesh against hers. She curved her fingers around his shaft and stroked him. His chest vibrated with a moan and he answered her with a sharp thrust into her fist. He shifted his weight to one arm and used the other to drag her nightshirt up. She broke away from the kiss and stretched her arms up so he could pull it off. His gaze skimmed over her, dark and hot. Heat bloomed across her skin everywhere his gaze landed. He bent over her again and closed his mouth on her breast. She let out a hissing breath and buried her hands in his hair. He sucked at her nipple, drawing it to a tight nub that ached at every touch. He left her dizzy with contrasts, the harsh scrape of his teeth over sensitive flesh and then the gentle glide of the flat of his tongue. He brought his hand up to cup her other breast, kneading and stroking. He rolled her nipple between his fingers, twisted and tugged until every touch had her arching up off the bed, pulled as though by puppet strings. “Christ,” she breathed, and swept her thumb over the head of his cock. He bit her, his teeth catching flesh between them so that the sensation shot through her. Her gut clenched, muscles tightening. If he’d been inside her, she’d have been clamped around him, but instead it only highlighted her emptiness. She tried to push him back, but he growled and latched harder onto her flesh. When she twisted, shifting beneath him to try to turn around on the bed, he growled and grabbed her hard, shoved her back down beneath him. His mouth dragged down her stomach. His hands curved around her waist, holding her still as he settled between her legs. She laughed breathlessly and opened herself to him. “Are you going to kiss me all night, Gabe?” “I’ve been considering the possibility.” He bent and dragged his tongue over her clit. “I’ve yet to come up with a compelling reason why I shouldn’t.” He bent again, lingered. Heat shot through Fate. For a moment, speech failed her. She forgot what she’d meant to say. “I’ve got a better idea,” she managed to gasp. She almost protested when he took his mouth from her. He raised his head and looked up at her, one brow arched in inquiry. “Let me go and I’ll show you.” He released her grudgingly. His obvious reluctance made her want to slide back into his arms and hold him tight. But she flipped over and scrambled to the edge of the bed, and leaned down to drag at her overnight bag. She found the condoms she’d packed to replace the one they’d used from her wallet, ripped one off, and rolled back onto the mattress. She showed it to Gabe, grinning. “Strawberry-flavored. How’s that for a compelling argument?” His brows climbed. “That’ll do.” She pushed at him and he eased back so he was kneeling. She sat up and tore the packet open. Gabriel’s gaze was like a tangible weight on her as she leaned forward and fitted the condom over the head of his cock. She rolled it over him slowly, fingertips dragging over the thin latex, then bent and followed her fingers with her mouth. He made a hoarse sound. The backs of his fingers brushed along her jaw as she worked her lips down the length of his shaft. When he was fully sheathed in the condom and she’d taken as much of him into her
mouth as she could manage, she drew back until only her lips were pressed to the head. He made a noise of protest, reaching for her. Before he could speak or grab, she took him in again, a single swift motion that took him deep, until he grazed the back of her throat and she couldn’t take any more. She sucked at him and dragged her tongue over him. Her fingers stroked his stomach and slipped down to caress his testicles. He hissed out an unsteady breath and brought his hands up to the back of her head. She curled her hand in the bedspread and shivered at the feel of it, his hands gripping her, his cock filling her mouth, the undeniable awareness of his strength of presence above her. She was on her knees before him, back bowed. He rose up tall and strong over her. There was something intrinsic to the position that made excitement course through her. When he spread his hands over her scalp, holding her still as his hips twitched, thrusting into her mouth, she moaned around his flesh and relaxed her jaw so he could take his pleasure. He thrust into her, hard, sharp motions, fucking her mouth. She caressed him with her lips and tongue, until he swore and pushed her back to arm’s length suddenly. “What—” He bore her down onto her back in answer. He dragged her legs up, circling his hips, opening her to him. She caught his face in her hands and stared up at him, looking him in the eye as he drove into her. The low timbre of his groan made a harmony with her higher, sharper cry. He sheathed himself in her to the hilt with one swift stroke, and then withdrew almost completely to sink into her again. Her fingers clawed at his back, dragging him to her, trying to force him deeper, harder. She didn’t have to ask, but he braced his arms on the bed and slammed his hips against hers, forcing a wild cry from her throat. “God,” she cried out as he drove into her, his flesh slapping on hers, sweat making their skin stick and cling. “Like that, Gabe. Just like that.” She slid her hands down his back to grip his ass and haul him against her, but he growled and dragged her hands away. He gripped her wrists, pinning them to the bed above her head. His fingers bit deep. She gasped beneath him, her chest heaving. His strokes into her were becoming shorter, sharper, more frantic. She shut her eyes and shuddered hard. “Fate,” he growled. She forced her eyes opened, forced them to focus on him. He was still holding himself above her, still staring down at her with a staggering intensity, even as his flesh slid into hers and she tightened around him, trying to hold him deep in her, craving the fleeting sensation of fullness. She wanted to shut her eyes again, to arch, to lose herself in the rising tide of incredible pleasure until it caught her up and washed her away, but his gaze commanded her attention and she couldn’t look away. “Look at me,” he demanded, and she did. “I want to see you,” and she nodded. There was something incredible about looking into his eyes while his flesh slid through hers. They both strained toward completion together, shaking and gasping. Fate twisted her wrists in Gabe’s grasp so that she could curl her fingers over the backs of his hands, so that they were holding on to one another, dragging each other to the brink. Each breath she took was searing hot. The air felt too thin. Her body shook beneath
Gabe’s, and her gasps sounded like sobs. She was so close, so close. Her whole body tensed and shuddered, straining toward climax, aching for it. But she couldn’t tumble off the edge of this precipice on her own. “Gabe,” she gasped, pulling against his hold on her wrists to get his attention. “Gabe. Hurt me. Please.” His rhythm faltered, slowed. She cried out in shock and loss and drove herself up against him in mindless need. “What? No. Fate, no. I won’t do that to you.” “Please!” she cried, desperate, and wrenched at his grip. “I want it. I told you, I like it. Damn it, Gabe!” “No,” he groaned, pressing his face to her throat. His hips drove against her, pushing her back towards the edge of climax, but not hard enough or fast enough. “I won’t hurt you. I promised you no harm would come to you here.” “It’s not harm. It’s not that.” She reared up and kissed him, fast and greedy. She took his lower lip between her teeth and bit at it, until he groaned and gasped and slammed into her. “That,” she whispered, looking up at him, into his gaze. “That’s what I need.” Her body arched and shuddered beneath his. “I trust you. You have to do the same. Please, Gabe.” He groaned again. This time it sounded like surrender. He dropped his head to her shoulder and kissed her collarbone. His tongue slid over her skin and he sucked at it, gently first, and then harder. When his teeth grazed over it, she pressed up hard against him. His teeth grazed her again, then nipped. She gave a low cry. He nipped again, a little harder. “Yes,” she breathed. “Like that. More.” He bit her again, harder, his teeth catching skin and holding it, digging in. Sharp, bright pain shivered through her. Fate cried out, shaking, gasping too hard to speak. Without her having to ask him to, he bit her again, harder, hard enough to leave dents, and he drove into her deep. The coiled spring of need within her burst free, sending her jolting up against him, crying out as the white-hot fire of her orgasm exploded within her. It consumed her, blinding, deafening, so all she knew was the ferocious pleasure, the impossible heat, the low rumble of his growl as he moved within her with short, powerful thrusts. He released her wrists moments before his own climax sent him surging against her. She wrapped her arms tight around his back, holding him close, dragging him down to lie on top of her. She shut her eyes and listened to the rasp of his breathing, close against her ear. Her pulse was thundering, gradually slowing. She drew her fingertips down his back, enjoying the sensory pleasure of warm, smooth skin beneath her hands and the glowing sense of lethargy. Gabe shifted above her, sending cool drafts of air swirling against her skin. She murmured a protest and pulled him back. He resisted for an instant, and then sank back down on top of her. “I’m not hurting you?” She laughed and shook her head. “No. I’m good.” The weight of him on top of her was delicious, comforting. She could already feel herself drifting. “Stay a while?” He didn’t answer for a moment. She thought maybe it was surprise that silenced him,
but she’d have had to open her eyes to know, and she couldn’t be bothered. Not when she was so warm and limp and comfortable, and the promise of a deep, blissful sleep was growing closer with every moment. “If you want,” he said at last. His lips pressed against her collarbone, just where he had bitten her. “I’ll stay with you until you’re sleeping.” She nodded and fit herself in closer against him. There was a simple, hedonistic pleasure in having a warm body to curl up against, someone strong and close and friendly to wrap her arms around as she slid off to an oblivious sleep. Dimly, she sensed the bed shifting beneath her, Gabe gently extricating himself from her arms. She curled in on herself, peaceful and warm beneath the blanket he drew over her, and let sleep wash everything else away.
Chapter Seven She woke to the familiar, pleasant ache that usually came after a night of particularly enthusiastic sex. She felt worn, stretched, bruised—wonderful. She stretched out her sore muscles before rising, and then went down the hall to the bathroom and let the shower spray beat down on her. The heat of the water eased the last of the kinks from her system and washed away the smell of sweat and sex, so when she stepped out onto the floor rug and wrapped her dripping hair in a towel, she felt renewed. She couldn’t wash away all evidence of what they’d done, though. Bruises circled her wrists from Gabe’s grip, and when she looked at herself in the mirror, she could see the red mark of his bite on her collarbone. He’d been careful not to break the skin, but the mark would take a few days to fade, at least. She went back to the bedroom to comb her hair and dress. When she went out to the kitchen, Gabe was already there, turned to face the hall with his hands spread on the countertop. He looked like he was waiting for her, and braced for it. Damned Were senses. “Morning,” she said cautiously. His expression was flat and hard. She couldn’t tell what he might be thinking about what they’d done together. She had seduced him, after all, when he’d been trying to accomplish just the opposite. “Fate,” he said, his voice was strained almost to the limit. She stopped halfway across the carpet and watched him. She didn’t speak or move but everything within her was scrambling, bracing. Something bad was coming. Nothing good was ever said in a tone like that. “When you leave today, please pack your things and take them with you.” “Sure,” she said, wary. “You need the guest room or something?” “No, I need—” His hands curled on the countertop. “I just need you to go. Please. Just go.” She rocked back on her heels, stunned. “What about tonight? The agreement?” “No.” His voice grew deeper, harsher. His expression wasn’t flat anymore, but fierce with tension. “Forget the agreement.” She felt like he’d dropped a bowling ball into the pit of her stomach. Her hands fisted at her sides as she stared at him. “That’s easy for you to say. It’s my friends who are going to starve without the freedom to feed in this territory. Damn it, Gabe, what the hell is this about?” “Forget the agreement,” he growled, bringing a fist up to his brow. “They may feed if they like. Please, just go.” She started to answer, rage bubbling up inside her. She wanted to rail at him, to demand to know what the hell was going on, and what might have caused him to change his mind so drastically in the course of one night. But there wasn’t any point to it. She snapped her mouth shut and spun on her heel. “Fine. I’m gone.” “Fate,” he called after her, his voice heavy with reluctance. She threw a hand up, waving him off without looking back. “Thanks for everything,” she snapped, and turned down the hall, leaving him behind, only his gaze following after. It only took a minute to shove her belongings back into her bag. She dug her keys out, shoved them in her pocket for easy access, and slung the bag over her shoulder as
she headed out. Gabe was still in the kitchen. He called her name as soon as she stepped into sight. “Forget it. I don’t know what’s got your panties in a twist, but you want me gone? You’ve got it.” “You’re angry with me,” he called after her, almost an accusation. She stopped in the middle of the living room. “Well, I don’t have any right to be, now do I?” Her voice sounded hard and cold to her ears, though she was trying to keep it light, unconcerned. “You’ve held up your end of the deal and released me from mine. What’s to be angry about?” She left before he could come up with an answer for her. He didn’t walk her out to her car this time, and her gratitude for that left her almost dizzy. She didn’t see him watching her through a window. For all she knew, he was still in the kitchen, listening to her leave. She fumed the whole drive home, not because he’d sent her away. It was what she’d wanted from the start, wasn’t it? An escape from the deal he’d forced her into, the chance to leave him behind her and resume her normal life, without jeopardizing the brood’s wellbeing to do so. What got her hackles up wasn’t that she was being allowed to leave. It was the way it felt like a dismissal, and that he thought she’d just go when told, obedient as one of his pups, without even the courtesy of an explanation. By the time she reached her apartment, her anger had burned itself down to a smolder she could push aside and ignore. She had a few days left before she had to turn in her keys to the landlord, but she didn’t think Reina or Logan would complain if she moved in a day or two early. She didn’t relish the idea of spending any more nights in this barren shell of her apartment. She needed friends and companionship, not solitude. She packed up the last vital items that had been left for the end, the toothbrush and toothpaste on her counter, the single setting of dishes that sat, lonely, in her empty cupboards. Then she started hauling boxes down, to shove as many as she could into the trunk and backseat of her car. **** “So what’s new and exciting in the world of Fate Dobrzynski?” Kynan asked her as they headed up the stairs to her apartment. They’d already maneuvered the various disassembled parts of her bed down to her car. Only the bookshelves were left, aside from the boxes that would accompany them back to Logan’s house. Well, that’s a simple question with a complicated answer, she thought with a grimace, and was glad he had preceded her up the staircase. On the other hand, Gabe had made the answer simple, too. “Not much, I’m afraid.” She passed Kynan the keys so he could unlock the apartment door. “Not exactly living a life of excitement and intrigue here. Just trying to make it through grad school.” He swung the door open and threw the keys back to her over his shoulder. “Mac would say the two aren’t mutually exclusive.” “He’s a professor. Of course he’d think so.” Kynan grinned at her. “You’re probably right.” He hefted one end of the bookcase as though it weighed no more than a paperback. “Help me out here?” She laughed as she bent to pick up the end that rested on the floor. “I bet you could
take this down yourself one-handed, you big fraud.” “Yeah?” He raised his brows. “What’s your wager?” She snickered and backed toward the doorway. “I’m not that stupid. You’d have me buying you lattes for a year.” Kynan put on an overly-dramatic, dreamy expression at the thought. “Hey. Focus, Bub. If you slip and drop this thing, it’s my neck on the line.” He shifted his grip on the bookcase and lifted it straight out of her hands, carrying it down the stairs all by himself. Startled, she scrambled down to the landing and out of the way. He continued down past her and set the bookcase down on the sidewalk. “That so doesn’t count,” she called down after him. “We never agreed to terms.” He laughed and went back up to get the second one. This time, Fate stayed out of his way and let him do it himself. She would probably just be more of a hindrance than a help, anyway. With Kynan’s strength, they were able to get her car loaded up and the last of her things transferred to the storage unit faster even than she’d expected. They drove back to take a final look through the empty apartment, and then she turned in her keys and walked out to her car. “You know what this means, don’t you?” Kynan asked as they climbed into their seats. “What’s that?” His grin was brilliant and infectious. “For at least the next three months, you’re one of us now.” Fate twisted to look over her shoulder as she backed out of the parking space, grateful for the excuse to look away. She wasn’t sure what he’d have seen on her face if he looked then, but she doubted he’d like it. “I wasn’t aware vampirism could be spread through eviction notices.” “Don’t be silly.” He settled down in his seat, slumped casually, one arm stretched along the window. “You know what I mean. Part of the family.” She glanced at him, her expression softening. “I hear you claimed me for your own right off the bat.” “Of course I did.” He scoffed. “Why would I want to share with one of the new guys, when I could have your delightful company all summer long?” “I snore,” she said, deadpan, and he laughed. “Well, I sleep like the dead, so we’ll get along fine.” **** The rest of the brood was awake by the time she and Kynan got back to the house. Logan made the introductions with the newly-adopted members. There were four of them, looking as gaunt and fierce as starving wolves, sitting in a knot on the couch surrounded by Logan’s brood. Fate smiled and greeted them as he gave her their names— Guy, Derek, Sophie, and Mira—but instinct made her want to edge backwards. None of them looked particularly thrilled to have been brought into Logan’s household. “Christ,” she muttered to Kynan later as he was helping her unpack her things. “Those four are going to kill you all in your sleep if you’re not careful.” Kynan looked back at her over his shoulder, his brows furrowed thoughtfully. “Of course not. We’re helping them. They’d have starved if we’d left them. Or been
slaughtered for their territory.” “Well, some people would rather let their pride drag them into the ground than give it up.” She sat on the edge of the bed and hefted up a box filled with books. “They didn’t exactly look grateful down there.” “I imagine we’d seethe, if the roles were reversed. No one likes needing help.” He finished shuffling around the contents of his dresser, and stepped back to show her the top two drawers, open and empty. “There. All yours.” She swapped places with him, going to the dresser to start unpacking her socks and underthings while Kynan dropped down onto the bed and browsed through her novels. “Stop coveting my books and go clear some space for me in the closet,” she snapped at him playfully over her shoulder. He threw her a salute and a cheeky grin as he obeyed. It was strange not to be spending the night under Gabe’s roof, and the fact that she felt that way at all was no less bizarre. It had only been a couple of nights, and it wasn’t as though the quality of her stay had been five-star. She’d been aggravated, put to work, and scared out of her mind. The sex had been good, but that wasn’t justification for feeling so dispossessed now. When Logan left with the two women from the adopted brood, Fate pulled him aside. “Be careful, okay?” Gabe had said the brood could still feed on his territory, but he hadn’t exactly been rational when he’d sent her away. She wasn’t willing to bet her friends’ lives that he hadn’t changed his mind. Logan looked at her, grave. “Is there a reason I should be?” “Probably not. But do it anyway.” He nodded slowly, and smiled at her as he ran his keys through his fingers. “I will. Thank you.” Logan left and took the women with him. Even with the three of them gone the house was still so crowded as to be claustrophobic. Bella and Alex, the other two original members of Logan’s brood, left for work. Reina came down, dripping from a shower and beaming with surprise when she saw Fate. Elsewhere in the house, the others moved around—Brett and Faolan, who’d been adopted into the brood around when Reina had, and the other two newcomers. Of them all, Fate only really knew Reina and Kynan. She hadn’t done much more than exchange passing greetings with the others. It made her feel antsy and awkward, to suddenly be practically alone among so many people who may as well have been strangers. She retired back to Kynan’s bedroom, using the excuse of finishing her unpacking to justify the escape. It was growing late and she was physically exhausted from moving. She was just beginning to think fondly of a bed, a mattress, and warm blankets when Kynan came into the room to root around on the shelves of his closet. “You haven’t seen my watch, have you? I swear I had it…” “Sorry,” she said, “I haven’t exactly gone exploring in here. Hey, do I at least merit an air mattress and a spare pillow?” He turned and looked at her, blank. “What?” She pointed at the bedroom floor. “I know it’s bright and early for you, but it’s my bedtime.” “Oh God, Fate.” His expression transformed, appalled. “You thought I was going to make you sleep on the floor? For three months? Don’t be silly, you can have the bed.” She looked at him dubiously. “And make you sleep on the floor for three months?”
“Hey, I’m a vampire, remember? We can sleep in coffins and wake up fresh as a daisy.” “Liar.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s an urban legend and I know it.” “Well.” He winked. “We don’t sleep in coffins. I only said we could.” The teasing expression fell off his face. “Seriously, Fate, take the bed. I insist.” She frowned at him for a moment longer, just to make her protest clear, and then relented. “All right. Thank you. I appreciate it.” “Don’t mention it.” He smiled at her. “Just don’t step on me when you wake up, okay?” “Deal.” **** A noise woke her. Her heart leaped up into her throat before she was even fully conscious. She lay in the dark, listening. She could hear faint sounds, quiet steps and the whisper of rustling fabric. Slowly, memory returned. She wasn’t at home, or at Gabe’s. “Kynan?” she whispered into the darkness. The sounds stopped. Then, a chagrined answer. “Sorry. I was trying to be quiet.” “It’s all right.” She rolled over and scrubbed at her face. She felt like she had a whole playground’s-worth of sand in her eyes. “What time is it?” The room was pitch black but that meant nothing. Every bedroom in the house had blackout curtains, to defend the vampires from the sun’s rays while they slept. “Almost six.” She listened to him walk across the room and then back. “Christ Almighty.” She scrubbed at her eyes, disgusted. “I thought I was done with waking up at dark o’clock when the quarter ended.” “Sorry,” he said again. She couldn’t see him, but she could imagine his expression, the chagrinned little grimace he’d give. “I’m nearly done.” “You can turn the light on.” She brought her arm up over her eyes in case he took her up on the offer. He hesitated. “You sure? I thought you might want to go back to sleep for a while.” “If it means you won’t trip on the carpet and land on top of me,” she said, “it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” He turned the light on low. Fate left her arm over her eyes until they’d adjusted, and then rolled over on her side to face Kynan. He’d made a little bed on the ground, blanket spread out and pillow sitting at the head, with enough room on either side to walk around without stepping on it. It didn’t look at all comfortable. Fate grimaced, but didn’t say so, not while she was the reason for it. Kynan rifled in one of the lower drawers in his dresser and pulled out what looked to be pajamas. He grabbed his shirt at the back of the collar and pulled it off over his head. His back was turned to Fate, and it was crisscrossed with sharp red lines. Some of them were still scabbed over. “Christ.” She bolted upright. “Kynan! I thought you had fed.” He stilled, halfway to balling up his shirt and throwing it in the hamper, and turned to look at her. “I did.” “The hell you have. You’re not healing any better than you were before.” She scrambled out of bed, sleep forgotten, and shoved on his shoulder until he turned his back
to her and let her see. “There are a lot of us, Fate,” he said quietly. “We each have to take our turn. One meal a week is sufficient for any full-grown vampire, under normal circumstances.” She understood what he left unsaid. “But not if you’re regularly getting yourself beaten bloody.” She caught her breath. “You’re having to heal more than you ought to. More than you can sustain with a once-a-week feeding.” “I’m not putting myself in any danger.” He pulled his pajama shirt on, covering the marks that had betrayed him. “It’s just a little discomfort. It’s worth it.” “But why not just tell Logan?” she demanded. “I’m sure he could change the damn schedule to accommodate you.” “If I did,” he said quietly, “then I’d have to tell him why I’m in need of so much healing. And he wouldn’t understand.” “Well, that’s true enough,” she conceded. She watched him as he walked over to the hamper and dropped the shirt into it, instead of throwing it. He turned back toward her. “Not that I care if you look, but if you’d rather not catch an eyeful, I feel it only fair to warn you I’m about to take my pants off.” “Kynan,” she said. “I’ll feed you.” His brows climbed. A slow grin pulled his smile lopsided. “Well,” he said. “Offer to drop your trousers and suddenly the girls start flinging themselves at you. Who’d have thought?” “I mean it.” He sobered and shook his head. “You don’t have to do that.” “I know. And you didn’t have to offer up your room or your bed to me, either, so let me just do it because I want to.” He gave her a skeptical look, which she supposed was no less than she deserved. She jerked up the sleeve of her shirt and stretched her arm out toward him. “Look,” she told him. “You’re hurting. I know why you’re doing it and I understand completely. But it’s hurting you, and I don’t want to see that happen. So just shut up and bite me, all right?” He chuckled again, but took her hand and sat down on the edge of the bed. She sat next to him. He looked at her with an expression brimming with concern. “You’re sure? This really isn’t necessary. I told you, I’m happy to share my room with you—” “You won’t be if you keep this up.” His grin widened, but he finally shut up and took her at her word. He held her hand in his so that her arm stretched before him, wrist turned up. He bent over her, his loose hair falling to conceal his face. Fate felt his lips on her skin, warm and damp, his breath brushing over her. She wondered dizzily how she, of all people, had ended up here in a house full to the brim with vampires, offering herself up for dinner. His fangs felt like pinpricks against her skin, like an insect bite. Then he sank them into her and it was like fire, but not how she’d expected. It was charged, electrifying, like a good beating before sex. She gasped, a ragged sound, and curled in on herself, heels on the edge of the mattress and her brow pressed to her knees. It didn’t feel like a bite. It felt like foreplay. Heat burst through her, centered low in her stomach. She bit down on her knuckle and tried to hold still for him. But the feel of it throbbing through her made it difficult. It made her very aware of other things, like how
gently he held her hand and the warmth of his lips on her skin, like a kiss. When he released her, carefully licking up the drops of blood that welled from the two punctures in her wrist, she drew a deep breath and filled her lungs, feeling like a diver who’d been submerged for too long. “God,” she muttered, looking down at those small, innocuous wounds. “I think I’m beginning to see the appeal.” Kynan chuckled quietly. “Thank you, Fate.” “Let’s see your back.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Jeez, you make one comment about taking your pants off and suddenly the girl’s trying to get you naked.” “Don’t tease me, you cad.” She rubbed the faint ache that throbbed through his bite, in time with her pulse. “It’s a crying shame you bat for the wrong team, you know that?” “Wrong team?” His eyes crinkled, bright with laughter. “That’s up for debate.” She waved her hand at him. “Take it off, tough guy.” He turned his back to her and pulled his shirt up, baring it. His skin was smooth and nearly unblemished. Only a few faint marks remained, and those were vanishing even as she watched. “Looks good,” she said. He pulled his shirt back down and laughed when she put on an expression of crushed disappointment. “Oh, yeah, go ahead and complain.” He sat next to her on the bed and flopped down onto his back. “I bet I could sweet-talk my way up off of the floor if I didn’t bat for the wrong team.” “Sweet-talk, hell.” She grinned at him. “Offer to drop your pants for me again and I’d be all over you.” Kynan laughed. “Plus, clearly, we both have the same kinks. I could keep my own bed, have some pleasant company and get a nice beating every once in a while, if I could just manage a little thing like completely reversing my sexual orientation.” Fate nudged him in the ribs. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m really much happier being the one being beaten than the one holding the paddle.” He shot her a heartbroken look, but it only lasted a moment before a grin broke through. “Well, I can’t exactly fault you for that, now can I?” He rolled over onto his side so he was facing her better. “We subs get all the fun.” “No arguments here.” She started to stretch back out on the bed. Kynan moved to sit up, but she caught his arm. “Hey, look… You’re all full up, right?” He nodded, looking curious. “And it’s not like you’re going to cop a feel or anything while my defenses are down.” “Doubtful,” he agreed, straight-faced. “You’re lacking all the best parts.” “Right. So. It is way too ridiculously early for me, and I’d like to get a few more hours of sleep in. But then I’ll be up and about and there’s really no reason at all for you to spend the entire day on the floor. If you’re not going to bite me or make the moves on me, we might as well just share the damn bed.” He looked startled. “It’s all right, Fate, really—” “No. It’s pure stubbornness on your part, that’s what it is.” She climbed out of the bed and pointed at it. “You sleep on the far side, so I don’t have to climb over you to get out when I wake up.”
He seemed bemused by it all, but he did as she said. She turned the lamp off, casting the room into impenetrable darkness, and felt her way back to the bedside. He shifted out of her way as she climbed up with him. She rolled on her side and tucked the pillow under her cheek. She could feel him behind her, not touching but still there. It was nice to fall asleep with company, she thought. Even if he wasn’t interested in the sorts of activities she usually preferred in her bedfellows.
Chapter Eight Gabe gripped the car’s wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He stared grimly out at the road. A river of taillights swept out before him, glowing like brands and leading him inexorably to Bryson. It had taken him two weeks to get to this point, two weeks in which the ghost of Fate’s memory haunted him. Her absence was like a physical void, a hollow in his gut waiting to be filled. The longer it persisted, the more it rankled him. She was just a woman. Just a human woman, as Matthew had pointed out time and again. Their arrangement had never been anything but temporary. And even then, it had developed into something more than he’d anticipated, more than he’d wanted. Now she was gone and he felt like she’d taken something with her. His peace of mind, certainly, as well as the harmony of the pack. Matthew had been on edge and snappish for two weeks and Gabe began to think the other Were really would challenge him for the pack. But all he did was glare, snap, and spend inordinate amounts of time shifted to his wolf shape, rough-housing with the dogs or running around their property until he was exhausted. Neither Lily nor Zach would confront him as boldly as Matthew did, but it was painfully clear they were both unsettled and dissatisfied with him. Matthew accused him of being short-tempered and heavy-handed, and it only set Gabe’s teeth on edge. None of them had been like this before Fate had come. For two weeks he’d tried to set his pack back to rights, but he hadn’t even begun to succeed. Now, desperate, he could think of nothing else but to track down the source of the problem herself. Somehow, when he saw her, when he could speak to her, he would figure out how to sort this mess out and get things back the way they had been. If that meant he had to drive into a vampire’s territory, well, he was desperate enough to do so. His heart was thundering in his chest by the time he reached the house and walked up to the brick front porch. He rang the doorbell and waited, pacing, every nerve buzzing with anxious energy. What on earth would he say to her, when she answered the door? He didn’t know. But staying away had done him no good at all. Footsteps approached on the other side of the door. He turned to face it, shoulders squared, gathering himself to face her. The lock rasped and the door swung open. He’d known Fate hadn’t been happy with him when he sent her away. He had no pretenses she might be pleased to see him now. The whole long drive over, he’d run her possible reactions through his mind over and over. Would she shout at him, hurl accusations? Would she slam the door in his face? Was he being absurd to even think she’d care at all? He’d steeled himself for anything Fate might possibly have said when she opened the door. But he hadn’t stopped to consider that, in a house full of vampires, she might not be the one to answer. It hadn’t occurred to him who else might be there, shortly after sunset. It was Reina who stood there on the other side of the doorway, her face awash with surprise and delight. She looked exactly like she always had, bright and pretty, so
familiar it made his heart ache. “Gabe,” she breathed, beaming, and threw herself at him. He stumbled back, wrenched her off of him and snarled. She backed away from him, shocked. Hurt transformed her expression, painful to see in the face of a woman he’d counted part of his family for so long. The scent of vampire filled his lungs, acrid and wrong, reminding him she was not the girl who had had sleepovers in his living room and taught his dogs how to play hide and seek just to amuse her friend’s pack. The violence of his reaction had drawn attention. Reina now stood with a crowd backing her up. Most of them Gabe didn’t recognize, for he’d never taken pains to get to know the vampires who were his neighbors, but Logan he knew. He’d positioned himself at Reina’s side, cold and unhappy as he stared out at Gabe. Logan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close against him. “What do you want?” he demanded. There was no warmth or friendliness in his voice at all. “Gabe, what’s the matter with you?” Reina asked, though Logan tried to quiet her. Her voice trembled. Gabe had to look away. “It’s me.” “I just came to speak with Fate,” he said hoarsely. “That’s all. I didn’t mean—” He trailed off, unsure how to complete the thought. Didn’t mean to react with horror and defensiveness when a vampire threw herself at him? It wasn’t true, and if he said it, it would only be a lie to appease their wounded pride. He couldn’t bring himself to do that. “Reina.” Logan didn’t look away from Gabe as he spoke. “Why don’t you go ask Fate if she wishes to speak with him?” “No.” Reina bristled, getting angry. “I want to talk to him. I want to know why—” “Go on,” he said, gentle but firm, and guided her back into the house. The press of vampires parted, letting her through, and then closed behind her. Logan faced Gabe again. If he’d been cold before, now that Reina was safely back in the house and out of Gabe’s reach, he was frigid. “What do you want here?” Gabe squared off with him. “Is that how it’s going to be? You traipse all over my land, feeding from those who are under my protection, but I’m not allowed to set foot on your territory?” “You were welcome in my territory, Gabriel,” Logan said slowly, “until you threatened one of my own.” Gabe’s spine straightened. “I’ve threatened no one.” The vampires behind Logan grumbled, but he silenced them with a raised hand. “I know enough about wolves to know what a growl like that meant. We all heard it. If we hadn’t been here for her, would you have let her go?” Reina. Gabe’s breath hissed through his teeth. “I came to speak with Fate, that’s all.” “I’ll not make her speak to you if she doesn’t wish to.” “Of course not,” he agreed automatically, though inwardly, he raged at the thought. If she wouldn’t speak to him and he couldn’t get the resolution that would bring stability back to his pack… He firmly turned his thoughts from that track. He would make it right. Whatever happened, they were his pack. He’d never had trouble ruling them before. He wouldn’t now, either. She had only been in his home a few days. She couldn’t have changed things irrevocably so quickly as that.
Footsteps on the stairs brought his attention back to the present. He caught a glimpse of Fate over the vampires’ heads, looking troubled. A moment later she came forward, waving the vampires away. “All right, guys, party’s over.” She looked at Gabe. “What is it?” Every response he had planned for, everything he’d intended to say, disappeared. He wanted to crush her to him. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her until she fixed whatever it was she’d done to his pack. She stared at him for a moment, waiting. He tried to formulate something to say, some way to explain why he’d come, but she lost patience before he managed it and blew out her breath. She turned away. “Wait!” He lurched after her in desperation. She looked up at Logan. “Mind if I invite him in?” Logan raised a brow and glanced between the two of them. His brows lowered, “If you must,” he said at last, unhappily. “If you’ll see that he behaves himself.” “Don’t worry. I’ll keep him at heel.” She turned back to Gabe, her expression challenging. Waiting for him to protest, he realized. He gritted his teeth and said nothing. If it meant sorting out the chaos that had descended on his pack in her absence, he could suffer the ego blow. She smiled after a moment, like he’d passed a test. “Come on in, then.” She turned back to the house. “Kynan, I’m going to commandeer your room for a minute, ’kay?” One of the vampires ruffled her hair as she passed. Gabe stiffened at the casual, easy show of affection. “Commandeer away. It’s your room as much as mine for as long as you’re here.” She smiled thanks up at him, her face radiant. A steel band squeezed around Gabe’s chest. He followed Fate like a toy pulled on a string, unable to do anything else. His skin crawled as she led him into the vampires’ house. He felt cornered, trapped. Instinct urged him to run, to slash and bite at any who’d try to get between him and escape. He had to consciously remind himself he’d chosen to come here and done so willingly. It looked like any other nice, suburban house, with art on the walls and little knickknacks clustered strategically on end tables. A dramatic black-and-white cityscape of Paris hung on the wall up the stairs and lamps with colorful shades glowed happily throughout the house. Fate led him into a bedroom on the second floor, flicked the light on and swung the door closed so there was at least the pretense of privacy. She sat down on the edge of the bed. “All right. Spill.” He gestured helplessly. He’d had a solid grasp of what he wanted to say and how he meant to do so when he’d started here, but now, surrounded by the smell of vampire, he could hardly think straight. “I just had to talk with you, Fate.” Her brows climbed. She settled back, arms crossing over her chest. “All right, we’re talking. What’s on your mind?” “You,” he blurted. He could have throttled himself. She straightened, her expression going blank. “Sorry?” Gabe groaned and fisted his hands in his hair. “You’re driving me crazy.” “How flattering,” she said drolly. Then, more seriously, “We haven’t spoken in weeks.”
“I know.” Not since he’d told her to leave, abruptly and without any sort of explanation. He was brutally aware of it. She hid it now, but he’d seen her hurt and bewilderment then. There had been at least a dozen times in the intervening weeks he’d wanted to call her and apologize. Now she was sitting here, waiting for it, so close one stride would bring him to her. And he could hardly bring himself to speak. “I don’t know what to tell you.” It was the truth, but it seemed far more complex than it should have. “It’s been two weeks and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Not once. You’re all I see, all I hear—” “Whoa.” She leaned back, bracing her hands behind her on the bed, and blinked at him. “That’s, uh. Well.” She cleared her throat. “How very romantic.” “Damn it, Fate.” He strode forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. “This isn’t a laughing matter. My pack’s in an uproar because of you.” “I get that,” she said, frowning. “And I’m not laughing.” She twisted, pulling against his grip. “But I barely spoke two words to your pack, so if they’ve got a problem, don’t blame it on me.” His breath hissed out of him. He spun away. “You came,” he said. “And then you left—” “You sent me away.” “—And now no one is happy. All any of us do is snarl and snap.” “Yeah, I get that, too.” He looked back at her and she was rubbing her shoulder, giving him a pointed look. “Have you been like this the whole time?” “Like … what?” “Oh, I don’t know.” Her brows climbed, her expression eloquent of skepticism. “Testy, irritable, snappish. My God, it’s no wonder they’re upset, if you’ve been like this for two weeks. You’ve been here five minutes and I already want to take a swing at you.” He took a step back from her, instinctively. “I didn’t come here to upset you.” “Well, why did you come?” she demanded, sliding off the bed and standing up to face him. “To rub my nose in it?” “No! Christ. I came…” He stared at her. “I came because I couldn’t think of what else to do.” “And what exactly did you expect me to do?” “I had no idea,” he confessed, shaking his head slowly. “I didn’t even know if you’d speak to me. But I had to try.” “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Gabe.” She turned away, picking up discarded clothes scattered across the room. “Is this about the sex? I thought we were clear that it wasn’t anything more than a fun way to pass the time.” “It’s not about that,” he growled. “It’s about—” She straightened, turned. Watched him, waiting. “Do you remember what you told me?” he demanded. “I told you a number of things.” The corner of her mouth curled up. “Could you be more specific?” “The last night. You asked me to hurt you.” Her lashes fluttered briefly. Her gaze warmed. “Oh yes, I certainly remember that.” “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I…” He gripped at his hair, so frustrated it felt like it would tear him apart. “I don’t—” “You liked it,” she said slowly, her eyes widening at the revelation. “Is that the
problem?” “I hurt you.” He spun on her, glaring at her. “I bit you.” “I asked you to, Gabe,” she said quietly. “I wanted it and I enjoyed it. And look.” She hooked a finger in the collar of her shirt and pulled it down, showing him her collarbone. The skin over it was smooth and pale, unblemished. “I’m just fine.” He shook his head, furrowing his fingers deep into his hair. “I hurt you, Fate. I shouldn’t have.” “Shouldn’t have done it?” She took a step toward him. “Or shouldn’t have liked it?” He met her gaze. Hers was light, curious. He just felt bleak. “Both.” “Why? If I liked it, why’s it a problem?” “Because it’s all I can think about,” he said with a long sigh. His fingers loosened on his hair, his arms falling to hang at his sides. “I didn’t even know it was something I wanted. I’d never have thought… But now I know, and you’re gone, and—” “And your pack’s not as masochistic as I am,” she finished for him, dryly. “Well, news flash, buddy. That’s not a terribly brilliant way to make friends.” “What am I supposed to do?” he demanded. “No Were woman strong enough to be alpha would submit to abuse like that.” “So find someone who will,” she said, laughing. Gabe looked at her. “I did.” And then, like an idiot, he’d told her to leave. “Oh, is that what this is?” She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. “What, you want me to come back with you because you need someone you can beat on, who won’t just turn wolfy and snap fangs in your face? Be still my heart.” She turned away, reaching for the door. “Find a club, Gabe. There are plenty of them around. I’ll give you an address.” “That’s not what I want.” He strode forward and grabbed her before she could open the door. “Damn it, Fate, it’s not that. It’s you.” He caught her face in his hands and dragged her mouth to his. He kissed her, desperate, grasping. She struggled against him, twisting and beating at his shoulders with her fists. When he ended it, she shoved him back and stared up at him, panting. “Go to hell, Gabe. I’m not at your beck and call, and you can’t just drag me back because you missed me. Ever heard of a telephone? If you’d missed me so bad, you could have done what every other guy on the planet does, and called.” “Would you have taken my calls?” “Well, I’m sure as hell not going to take them now.” “Fate—” Someone knocked on the bedroom door. They both turned toward it, but it swung open before Fate gave an answer. Logan stepped into the bedroom, arms crossed over his chest, his expression stony with rage. “What is going on in here?” he demanded, glaring at Gabe. Gabe drew a breath to answer, but Fate stepped between the two of them. “None of your damned business, that’s what. We’re having a conversation.” Logan dragged his gaze away from Gabe with obvious reticence. He looked down at Fate. “Conversation?” One brow lifted with a dark expression. “It sounds like an argument, Fate.” “Well, that’s your mistake. Why don’t you leave us to it, and I’ll thank you very much for not eavesdropping this time.” She blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. “I can
handle my own damn problems, Logan.” He hesitated, troubled. He cast Gabe an unfriendly look, then bent toward her, dropping his voice to a hush. “Fate, you know I’m concerned for you. Whatever it is you’ve done on our behalf—” She jerked away from him. “This doesn’t have a thing to do with you and your brood, Logan. It’s none of your business at all. Now butt out and let us have a little privacy here.” He held her gaze for a moment, then nodded slowly and stepped back. “Very well.” He looked incredibly unhappy to be moving toward the door. “If you insist. If you need help—” “Yeah, I know. All I’ll have to do is whisper a protest, I’m sure, and you’ll all be kicking the door in. Out, Logan.” She pointed to the door imperiously. He left. When he shut the door behind himself, Fate strode over to it and locked it. She turned back to Gabe. He stared at her, his chest aching. He felt breathless, like he’d had the wind knocked out of him. He stared at the door, the lock she had turned, and then at her. She was still scowling, still standing tall and strong, braced for a fight. Her expression was softer when she turned it on him than the fierce glare she’d given Logan, but not by much. She was beautiful, stunning, a vision of strength and surety. “Please,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry. That’s not how I meant.” Fate took a long, slow breath and let it out just as deliberately. “Then tell me what you did mean.” “I…” He shook his head, unable to look away from her. “I don’t know that I can. It’s this knot inside me and I didn’t even know it was there before. But with you … it loosens, and I can breathe, and I sent you away because I was so confounded by it all I couldn’t think straight. But all it’s been doing for the past two weeks is pulling tighter and I can’t bear it. It’s not just that I liked hurting you, Fate. It’s you. Please. Tell me what I can do to prove it to you.” Fate dropped her head forward, letting her hair obscure her face. She scrubbed a hand over her brow. “All right,” she said quietly. He stared at her, stunned again. “Really?” She took his face between her hands and pressed a kiss against his mouth. “Yeah. We can give it a shot.” When he tried to deepen the kiss, she turned away. He didn’t dare follow her, not without invitation. She crossed the room and grabbed a duffel bag that had been propped against the corner. She carried it back and placed it on the bed, unzipped it. “Take a look in here. Tell me what you think.” He moved over to her and looked into the bag. It held a dizzying array of items: a broad, flat paddle with a contoured grip, fur-lined cuffs, soft, supple rope, and floggers with long, leather tails. He reached into the bag and drew out a slender chain. Funny little clips hung from both ends, swinging from his fingers. “What is this for?” A slow smile spread across her face. She sat on the edge of the bed, the duffle at her side. “Shall I show you?” The wicked gleam in her eye made his blood surge. “Please.” She took the chain from him and set it beside her on top of the bed. He watched her, his pulse pounding, as she caught the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head.
The sight of her, pale skin and lacy black bra, was nearly enough to undo him. How many times had he thought of her like this in the past weeks? How many times had he wanted to be here, with her, just like this? He curled his hands at his sides, resisting the urge to reach for her until she’d shown him what she meant to. She reached her arms around her back and unclasped her bra, shrugged it off and set it aside with her shirt. He watched in awe as she fingered open the clasp at the end of the chain, cupped her breast in her hand and coaxed her nipple to a peak with her own touch. Her breath shuddered as her fingers moved over herself. Gabe thought it was the most erotically charged sight he’d ever witnessed until she fitted the clamp over her nipple and locked it tight. She gave a quiet cry, half awe and half ecstasy. When her gaze fluttered open, it locked on his. She handed him the other end of the chain, and the other clip. “Your turn.” He gave a gentle tug on the chain, testing. She lost her breath on a rush and shuddered, her spine bowing. “Christ, Gabe.” Her fingers curled in the sheet. “Hurry up.” He took her breast in his hand, watching her face as his thumb swept over her nipple. Her eyes shut and she listed toward him. He tugged her flesh between his fingers, enjoying her choked, strangled sounds. When he opened the clamp and fitted it carefully over her erect nipple, she threw her head back and moaned. “God.” She blinked her eyes open and gazed up at him, dazed and dreamy. “It’s been a while since I’ve used these. I forgot.” He dropped to one knee before the bed and spread his hands on her back, guiding her toward him. She leaned forward at his direction. He bent and drew his tongue over the captured flesh of a nipple, savoring the way her whole body reacted to the touch. “Fate,” he murmured, drawing back. He waited until she looked at him. “Does it hurt?” Her breath hissed out through her teeth. “Yes.” He brushed the backs of his fingers over he curve of her breast. “Do you like it?” She dropped her gaze, but not quick enough to mask the heat that leapt into her eyes. “God, yes.” “Do you want me to dominate you?” A slow, brilliant smile spread across her face. “Are you familiar with safe words?” “I’m aware of the concept.” She nodded once. “I like mine nice and straightforward. Green light means go, red means stop.” “Red light,” he murmured in acknowledgment and drew a circle around her nipple. “You didn’t answer my question, Fate.” “Yes.” Her smile faded. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lip and leaned forward, pressing her breast into Gabe’s palm. “Yes, I want you to.” He dragged his fingers over her nipple. She shuddered and sucked air through her teeth. When he caught it between two fingers and tugged, she cried out, sharp and clear. Gabe curved a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to him. She grabbed handfuls of his hair and kissed him hard, her lips hungry, making small, frantic sounds against his mouth. When he drew away, she gazed at him from dark, dazed eyes, panting. “Your friends are going to be very upset with me if you keep going on like this,” he whispered, smiling as he stripped his clothes off.
She responded slowly, her gaze lingering on his mouth. “You want me to be quiet? When you’re doing that?” She grasped his hand and pressed it hard against her breast. Her eyes drifted shut. Her lips parted on a gasp. “Let’s put them on you and see how quiet you are.” He rose and climbed over her, bearing her down, onto her back. “You will be quiet.” He pressed a thumb to her lips, bent, and kissed her. “Not a sound.” She shivered beneath him and caught her lip in her teeth. Slowly, her gaze steady on his, she nodded. He kissed her again, lingering. When he tugged at her nipple, she shuddered beneath him and thrust her hips up in silence. He kneaded and pulled at her breast until she nipped at his lips, her breath coming quick and hard. Holding himself up on one arm, his fingers still pressed firmly to the back of her neck, he slid his other hand down, over her stomach and beneath the waist of her jeans. She clenched her fingers in his hair, tugging hard enough to make him wince. Her hips moved against his hand, arching up, urging him on. She wrapped her legs around his hips and shuddered. She was so beautiful and unrestrained. Her reaction destroyed his control, all the more powerful because it was completely silent. He slid a finger through her flesh, sinking into her molten heat up to his last knuckle and lost his breath. Her muscles clenched around him. Her fingers speared deep, nails scraping across his scalp. With a muffled oath, he broke from the kiss and slid down, stripping off her jeans and panties. He couldn’t resist her temptation. Naked, spread before him, her gaze was hot as a brand. He nudged her knees apart and lowered himself down onto his stomach. He slid his thumb through the moisture gathered between her thighs and spread her open to his gaze. She shivered, pulling at him insistently. He freed her hands from his hair, bent and kissed her sex. Her taste was sharp and heady on his tongue. She jerked when he lapped over her flesh, her hands fisting on the sheets. Her knuckles turned white, her fingers straining. He sucked at her clit as he sank two fingers into her heat. With an unsteady breath, she hooked her legs over his shoulders and pulled his mouth against her. Her hips thrust up, driving him into her and pressing eagerly against his tongue. She didn’t speak, but she didn’t have to. He could almost hear her voice, throbbing with needing. Fuck me. For God’s sake, fuck me. He moved back and fumbled for the duffle bag. He knew he’d seen condoms amongst the rest of its contents. He found them, ripped a packet open and rolled the condom on with unsteady hands. She pushed herself upright and reached for him. One hand grasped the back of his neck and wrenched him toward her. The other she wrapped tight around his waist. Her kiss was insistent, verging on desperate. He laid her back and fitted their hips together, rocked his weight against hers. She gasped against his mouth, small, broken whimpers catching in her throat. He broke away from the kiss and skimmed his thumb along her lower lip. “Quiet, Fate,” he reminded her with a low murmur.
Her brows knit with frustration. She grabbed both sides of his face and pulled him back, kissed him hard. He groaned and rocked against her again, sliding through her heat. A shudder ran through her, arching her back off the bed. The last of control slipped through his fingers. He wrapped his hand in her hair and tipped her head back, watched her face as he sank into her. Her eyes fluttered shut and she drew a sharp breath, then lost it when he nudged deeper. She worked her lip between her teeth. His every movement reflected across her face, the subtle twitch of her brows, a sideways pull of her mouth. When he reached between them, tangled his fingers in the chain and tugged, her breath exploded from her. Her mouth moved but she made no sound. Her lips formed the shape of his name. He bent and kissed it away, tugged again and swallowed her breath. He moved in her slowly, rocking out and sinking back in. Her heat surrounded him, tight, impossibly hot. He leaned his brow against her shoulder and fucked her, overwhelmed with need, with the scent of her, with her silent passion. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and drove her hips up to meet his thrusts. He had to see her fall apart. He needed it like breath and blood. His next stroke was harder, faster. She shuddered beneath him and pressed her lips to the side of his throat. Another stroke. And another. More. Now. She pulled him against her. Her nails bit into the small of his back, as though she couldn’t have him deep enough. With his next stroke, her hands tightened. Her breath frayed. He rose up over her and brushed away a strand of hair that clung to her sweat-damp cheek. She turned her face in against his hand, kissed his palm. Her brows knotted on his next stroke. Her eyes squeezed shut. She shuddered beneath him, gasping, the muscles in her stomach jumping. He buried himself in her and her mouth gaped open with a silent cry. She fell apart beneath him without making a sound. Gabe lost it. He drove into her, half a dozen desperate strokes as electricity crawled up his spine. He pressed his face to her throat and groaned, emptying himself inside her. Slowly, the rush of his pulse in his ears faded. Fate’s breathing eased, but she kept her fingers curled tight on him. He stroked a hand through her hair and held her close. “Gabe,” she breathed. “Jesus Christ.” He didn’t want to let her go. Not yet. But there was something pulling him back from blissful lethargy, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “Fate…” “Hm?” She raised her brows at him in query. “Why do you smell like a vampire?” She stiffened beneath him. “Well, you’re quite the Romeo, aren’t you? I’m positively flattered.” He braced an arm across her stomach to keep her in place and bent over her, inhaling the scent on her skin. It was unmistakable, now that he was paying attention to it. He recoiled. “You’ve been sharing a bed with one of them?” He remembered what she’d said downstairs to one of the vampires, about bringing Gabe up to his room. “Christ, Fate.” She frowned up at him. “I haven’t slept with any of them, as a matter of fact. Not that it’s any of your business if I did. I figured I’d heard the last of you when you sent me packing. How was I supposed to know you’d come chase me down two weeks later? “They’re vampires,” he said unhappily. And there was something else, something
lurking, hard to identify because he couldn’t get past the smell of her and another in the same bed. When he realized what it was, he stared down at her, horrified. “Fate, I smell blood.” “Oh, for Heaven’s sake.” She pushed against his weight, shoving him back enough that she could sit up. She released the clamps from her nipples and sucked air through her teeth. “Yes, I fed him, though that’s not any of your business, either.” “You … fed him?” The thought made his whole body clench with the instinct to protect. “He bit you?” “So did you. I liked that, didn’t I?” “That’s not the same at all.” His mind reeled. The thought of Fate with a vampire’s fangs in her, allowing him to take from her… He growled and grabbed her by the shoulders, pressing her down into the bed before he even realized what he’d done. “Look,” she said. “You can stop with the jealous, possessive act, all right? We slept in the same bed, that’s all. Trust me, there is no chance at all that he did, or ever would, make a move on me. “I find that hard to believe,” he murmured. He drew his fingertips along the outer curve of her breast, watching the way his touch made her chest rise and fall, the way her nipple gathered to a peak. “Who wouldn’t want you?” She gave a light laugh. “I’m lacking the requisite parts. Gabe, he’s gay.” She twisted, knocking her shoulder against his. “Now let me up.” He moved back reluctantly. She sat up and drew her legs out from under him, then slid off the bed. He watched her move across the room, gathering her clothes, as graceful as a dancer. The way she wriggled her hips as she tugged up her jeans made him want to tumble her back onto the bed and strip them off of her all over again. “What happens now?” he asked her as she gathered her hair up and secured it in a ponytail. She turned to look at him. “I don’t know.” She sounded surprised. “What did you expect to happen? That you would scoop me up onto the back of your white horse and take me back to your castle?” “No. Not if you don’t want to come.” She blew out her breath and jerked hard on the ends of her ponytail to tighten it. “Christ, Gabe, we barely know each other. Now you want me to move in? Newsflash—I wasn’t exactly happy to be there last time.” He groaned. “I know. Look, you need a place to stay—” “I have a place to stay.” “You have half a bed. In an overcrowded house.” She squared off with him and pulled her shoulders back. She may have claimed they didn’t know one another, but he knew her well enough to know it meant she was gearing up for a fight. “I’m surrounded by friends here. Not a pack who dislikes me, headed by a man who caves to their pressure. Who’s to say you’re not going to send me packing the next time they raise a stink?” “Fate, I’m sorry. How many times do you want me to apologize?” She made an impatient gesture and spun away. “I don’t want you to grovel. Get dressed. I’m going to go downstairs and make sure the guys have put their pitchforks away.” And then she would send him away and he would have accomplished … what? All
she’d done was give him another taste of what he craved, but couldn’t have. He let her go because she wouldn’t have tolerated anything else. He pulled his clothes on, listening to her go downstairs, the sudden burst of voices as she presumably found the others. They all sounded upset, ranging from unhappy to flat-out enraged. All but her and one other. He sounded resigned. She just sounded amused. It galled him that he couldn’t make out the words of their conversation, only the tone. But that was enough to get the gist of how the conversation went. She met and countered every burst of anger and indignation, cool and sure, though not exactly calm. He could tell they were angering her. Her tone grew tense, her voice louder. It took every ounce of will Gabe possessed to stay in the bedroom and not go to stand at her defense. He stood at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, climbing up to the second floor. It sounded like Fate’s gait, but with so many people in the house, he wasn’t confident in that. He braced himself for an attack, or at least a tirade, as the door swung open. Fate stood in the doorway, watching him with one brow arched high. “What are you waiting for, an invitation?” she said at last, laughter in her voice. He followed her out, chagrined. The vampires waited for them at the first-floor landing. If not the entire household, certainly the majority of it. Gabe eyed them warily as he stepped down off the last stair, but kept himself congenial for Fate’s sake. They stared back at him with cold, unhappy gazes, all but one. The one she’d called Kynan earlier, whose room she shared. He looked like he couldn’t decide between being exasperated or amused. “Bye,” he called out after Gabe as Fate pulled open the front door and a gust of cool night air swept through the entryway. “Nice meeting you.” Fate laughed and pushed Gabe out before her and quickly shut the door behind them. It was just an ordinary door, nothing special, certainly not soundproofed, so Gabe could hear well enough the commotion that erupted inside the minute the door latched shut. “What’s the matter with them?” he asked as they walked down the flagstone path to the sidewalk. Fate shrugged. The moon overhead cast silver highlights over her features as she turned her face up to the night sky. “They like me. You hurt me, last time. They’re afraid it’s going to happen again.” Gabe grunted and shoved his hands into his pockets. “They bit you. They’re hardly ones to judge.” “Kynan bit me,” she corrected swiftly. “And that’s neither here nor there.” “Isn’t it?” he demanded. “What did I grant them feeding rights for if they’re just going to stay home and drain you?” She stopped and turned, looking up at him. The moment stretched until it was uncomfortable. He knew whatever she said when she finally spoke, it was going to be even worse. “There’s rather a lot of them, if you hadn’t noticed. And you weren’t exactly hospitable in agreeing to give them those feeding rights. They’re rationing themselves because they don’t want to cause any trouble in your territory, or give you a reason to regret allowing them on it.” He turned away, staring out over the dark street. “And Kynan?” “He needs a little bit more than he’s been rationed. I offered to help make up the
difference.” Gabe blew his breath out all at once. “So this is my fault.” She was silent for a beat longer than was natural. “I suppose you could choose to look at it that way.” “Don’t patronize me, Fate.” He rounded on her. “That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it? This is my fault.” “It’s not what I’m saying at all, actually. I don’t mind feeding him, so I’m not terribly interested in assigning blame to anyone. Clearly you are, though.” He backed up, holding his hands up in surrender. “I don’t want to blame anyone, Fate. I just want to understand.” “It’s simple. He’s my friend. He was hungry. I had the means to feed him. Where’s the confusion? Don’t tell me you’d let a friend starve if you were able to prevent it.” I’d let a vampire, he thought grimly, but kept it to himself. Because it wasn’t entirely true. He’d let a vampire starve while he had the means to feed them—he’d nearly done it with these vampires, even. But would he let them go hungry, when it meant they’d take what they needed from Fate? They walked the last of the way to his car in a silence that was anything but companionable. When they’d reached it, Fate turned sharply and tilted her head back to look up at him. “Look,” she said quietly. “Go home. Let me go in there and make sure they’re not on the warpath. I’ll come by your place in a couple days, and then … we’ll see.” He nodded once and fought the urge to reach for her. “Fate, tell them that when I granted them feeding rights, it was to prevent something like this. I don’t want them starving themselves for my sake. Tell them they can feed as they like, as much as they need.” A smile bloomed across her face. “I think you’re just saying that for my sake,” she told him. “But thank you all the same. I’ll tell them.”
Chapter Nine Fate went back in the house and was immediately confronted with a wall of stern, disapproving faces. “Oh, come off it, guys,” she snapped, scowling. “I don’t want to hear it. You don’t get to dictate who I fuck or how I do it. I know you mean well, and thanks, but cool it.” There was a stretch of silence. Logan looked furious. Kynan looked frustrated and apologetic. The rest of the brood ranged between the two, from indignation to shock. The newcomers seemed puzzled by the whole affair and kept themselves to the side. “What are you going to do?” Logan asked at length. “What, you didn’t eavesdrop on that, too?” He at least had the decency to look embarrassed. She sighed and scratched at the base of her neck. “Right now, I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.” She glanced at Kynan. “If you don’t mind.” He made a face, waving away her concerns. “Then I’m going to give us both a few days to settle, and I’ll go talk to him.” “About what, exactly?” Bella wondered. Fate looked at her in surprise. If Logan had asked the question, she’d have bristled, but she’d never known the other woman to be anything but kind and patient. Because it was Bella, she answered honestly. “I really don’t know. About us? I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it.” “He’s going to want you to stay with him,” Reina said quietly. She had her arms wrapped around her middle, and she looked disturbed. Small wonder, considering his reaction to her greeting at the door. “Is that empathy talking?” Fate asked her. “Or speculation based on how well you know him?” “A little of both. He likes you, Fate.” Her mouth flattened. “The fact that he came here, to us, is evidence of that.” “He didn’t exactly behave himself,” Fate said dryly. Reina drew a deep breath. “Well, I’m not going to make excuses for him. He was an ass. I’d never have expected that from him, not with me.” She glanced over her shoulder at Logan. “Not even after you warned me. But he does like you.” “And he hates you,” Fate pointed out, indicating all of them. Reina gave a quick, sharp nod. “Which is why he’s going to try to convince you to stay with him.” “Well.” Fate leaned back against the stair’s banister. “You guys could use the room.” “We are not in such dire straits as that,” Logan snapped. “You are welcome in our home, Fate, no matter what our numbers. We will always have room for you. You know this.” “That’s nice in theory,” she told him gently. “But in practice, it means Kynan and I are playing musical chairs with the bed every night.” Kynan shifted where he stood and spoke up. “I’m not trying to talk you out of going to talk to Gabe, but you know I’ve no problems at all with having you as a roommate. It’s been nice to have you around.”
Logan straightened and looked down on her in satisfaction, as though to say, There. You see? All your arguments are vanquished. “All right, enough with the Inquisition,” she snapped before he had a chance to voice it. “I’m taking a shower and then I’m going to bed, and the next person who has the nerve to disapprove of what I’m doing with my own life is going to get my foot up their ass.” She spun and stalked up the stairs. The hot water and solitude did her mood a world of good. By the time she left the shower it had washed away the hard knot of anger lodged beneath her breast. She returned to Kynan’s room, wrapped in one towel and using another to dry her hair. She stopped when she saw Reina was already there, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking uncertain. “Oh, sweetie.” Fate sighed. “You know I meant it about the ass-kicking, right?” “I’m not here to disapprove,” Reina told her. “I just want to make sure you’re happy.” “Happy?” Fate grimaced. “I don’t know about all that.” She tossed the towel from her hair into Kynan’s hamper and came to sit next to Reina. She took Reina’s hand and turned her so they faced one another. “Now you use your sixth sense, or whatever it is, and you look at me, and tell me if I’m lying about wanting Gabe to do what he did to me.” Reina looked at her, but she didn’t look anything like reassured. “I know you did,” she said. “But I also know you’re torn about going back to him.” Fate straightened and started tugging knots out of her hair. “Well, that’s because he made an ass of himself,” she said lightly. “But that’s rather endemic to the species, don’t you think?” “I just don’t want you to be hurt,” Reina said unhappily. Fate didn’t take the opportunity to point out the irony in that wish, this time. “I know, honey. I don’t either. You really needn’t worry.” She sent Reina a twisted grin. “Do I seem like the sort to you to go endlessly running back to a guy who doesn’t treat me right?” “No,” Reina admitted with a laugh. “I suppose you’re right.” “Of course I am.” Fate hugged her and gently nudged at her with her shoulder until Reina got to her feet. “Now let me put on my pajamas and get some sleep. I’m worn out.” Reina laughed again, more sincerely. “Yeah, I just bet you are.” **** She meant to wait until the weekend, to give them both a chance to get their heads on straight. But after three days of constant scrutiny from the brood, she’d had enough. At least Gabe had been forthright about his concerns when she’d been there. He hadn’t made her feel like she was walking on eggshells, just waiting for someone to decide to speak their mind. She called him from the kitchen while everyone else was sleeping. When he answered, she said, “Let’s get some coffee.” There was a moment of startled silence. “Fate?” She propped her hip against the cabinet and pinned the phone to her ear with her shoulder. “Gee, Gabe, how many chicks do you have randomly calling you up and asking you out for coffee?”
A hint of a smile crept into his voice. “Just one, but the day’s still young.” “Oh, well, if I’m going to have to compete for your affections—” He laughed quietly. “Where do you want to meet?” “Got a coffee shop near you? I’d kill for a cup that I didn’t have to wrestle out of anyone else’s hands first.” He gave her directions and they agreed to meet there in a few hours. She crept into the bedroom, wary of disturbing Kynan, and packed an overnight bag—just in case—then left him a note propped up on the dresser. Gone to talk to Gabe, she wrote. Don’t wait up. And don’t let L worry too much. Love, Fate Traffic was light and she gave herself extra time in case she had trouble finding the place, so she arrived at the coffee shop fifteen minutes before they’d agreed to. Gabe was already there, sitting in the sunshine at one of the tables out front and chewing on the end of a plastic coffee stirrer. He rose and tossed the stirrer into the trash, smiling at her as she neared. “Hey.” She returned his smile and they headed into the coffee shop. She gave him a bemused look when he insisted on opening the door for her. “Really?” she said in surprise. “Is that necessary?” “No.” He stepped in after her and let the door swing shut behind. “It’s just nice.” “Well, I can’t argue with that.” They took their place in line, and she studied the pastry display. Her stomach vocally reminded her that it was well past lunch. “Hungry?” Gabe asked her. “Starved.” She eyed the last lemon-raspberry muffin in the display and wondered what the chances were someone else would order it before they reached the front of the line. “Take your pick.” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a twenty. “My treat. Or we could grab lunch—” “Gabe. No.” She turned to face him. “This isn’t a date. You’re not paying my way.” Her esteem for him went up considerably when he put wallet and money away without trying to argue the point with her. “Very well,” he said when his hands were empty. “What is it?” “It’s a conversation,” she said definitively. And then the last person ahead of them took his change and it was her turn to order. She bought the muffin and a mocha, paid, and stepped aside so Gabe could order. He ordered a drip coffee. Fate laughed at him as they moved aside to wait for her drink. “That’s it? Why pay an arm and a leg for coffee you can make at home?” He slanted her a sideways glance and smiled. “I didn’t come for the coffee, Fate.” “Ooh, well.” She fanned herself dramatically. “Catch me. I may swoon.” Fate put cinnamon in her mocha when it arrived, and then they carried their drinks back outside to one of the tables. Fate took the chair in the sun, so she could feel the warmth of it on the back of her neck. “All right.” Gabe put his coffee down on the table and looked at her. “So what’s this conversation about, then?” “You and me, buddy.” She swirled her straw through her coffee. “And you trying to convince me to move in with you.” “It was an invitation, Fate. Nothing more. You’re free to do what you like, of
course.” She flashed him a smile. “Well, thanks for permission for that. Actually, I’m inclined to accept.” He sat up, brows lifting with surprise. But she lifted a hand to forestall him before he could speak. “We’re going to have to set some ground rules, though.” Gabe settled back and sipped at his coffee. “More negotiations?” “Darn right.” She sent him a glittering smile. “First things first. I get my own room.” He inclined his head. “Of course.” “And this is a roommate sort of arrangement. We barely even have a relationship, it is way too soon to be moving in together. I’ll pay you rent, if you want.” Gabe’s expression clouded with outrage. “I am not going to charge you rent.” “No?” The corner of her mouth turned up. “Well, if you’re going to twist my arm about it, I suppose I’ll relent. But I’m serious about the rest of it. This doesn’t reflect in any way on what you and I have between us.” “What do we have between us, Fate?” he asked her quietly. His gaze was dark and serious, his fingers denting the side of his paper cup. She drummed her nails against the tabletop, lips pursed. “I haven’t a clue, really. It’s a little soon to tell, don’t you think?” On impulse, she leaned across the table and pressed her mouth to his. He stiffened, making a sound of surprise against her lips, then relaxed and brought a hand up to the back of her neck as he kissed her. When she eased back down into her seat, her face was flushed with warmth. “You’re not half bad for a Were, Gabe,” she told him softly. “And I certainly like fucking you. You’re looking to explore your dominant side, and I am more than happy to teach you, especially if it means more nights like that last one. That’s not a bad place to start, is it?” **** This time, Gabe did not lead Fate into his home. She bounced in ahead of him, chatting back over her shoulder, and made her own way down the hall to the guest room she’d stayed in before. She hefted the two bags she’d brought up onto the bed and turned as Gabe stepped into the room with her. “Hold it.” She threw up her hand. “Roommates, buddy. This isn’t like last time. You don’t get to charge in here whenever you feel like it.” He blinked at her, too startled to speak. “Knock,” she suggested, and smiled at him brightly. He backed out until he was on the other side of the threshold, standing in the hallway. But he’d be damned if he was going to knock like an idiot when the door was open and she was standing right there, three long strides away. “Fate. May I come in?” Her grin spread. “That works, too. Sure, come on in.” She pointed at the larger bag as she began to pull piles of shirts and pants and socks out of the other. “Shut the door and go pick out something fun, will you?” He obeyed. The bag was the same one as before, holding all her various toys and implements. The nipple clamps still lay in a coil from when they’d used them. He brushed his fingers over the chain, a slight smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. But they’d already done that, and he wanted to explore more of this newfound territory she’d brought him to.
He selected the paddle, wrapping his fingers around the contoured grip. It fit as though it had been made for his hand. “Do you really like this?” he asked, his brows furrowing. It was hard to believe, hard to trust. But when she saw what he had, her gaze pinned to him like he held everything worthwhile in the world. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and grinned. “Are you going to punish me, Gabe?” His brows climbed. “Have you done something to deserve it?” “I’m sure I must have. At some point.” He laughed and picked up a pair of wrist cuffs from the bag. They were wide bands of leather lined with soft black fur, joined together by a clasp that could be released to separate them. He opened the clasp and unbuckled the first cuff. Fate stretched her arm toward him without needing to be asked, her gaze eager. He wrapped it around her wrist and fastened it. Fate tugged at his hold and said, “No. Tighter. It slips.” She grinned up at him. “I might be able to get free if I struggled hard enough, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?” “Would you?” he wondered as he tightened the cuff another notch. “Struggle?” “Would you want me to?” she asked with a sultry purr. “There’s not much point in it otherwise.” He nodded understanding. If she really wanted to escape, all she had to do was speak her safe word. There was no profit in struggling, except for play. “I might,” he murmured. He lifted her other hand and pressed a kiss to her wrist before he wrapped the second cuff around it. When it was secure, Fate stretched both arms out before her so he could clip them together. But Gabe shook his head and stepped back, guiding her with him so that she stood. He turned her around and brought her wrists behind her back. Her breath hitched. She turned her head, looking back at him over her shoulder from the corner of his gaze as he secured them behind her. When he was finished, he stepped in so he pressed against her back, and slid his hand around to glide low across her stomach, beneath the waist of her jeans. “How many strokes?” she asked breathlessly. He curved a hand over her ass, though the denim. The other on her stomach dipped down to slide through the liquid heat between her thighs. “As many as it takes,” he answered her. “Until I feel you’ve shown proper penitence.” She shivered beneath his hand and climbed up to kneel on the bed. He helped her stretch out on her belly, her head turned to the side and her cheek cushioned against the pillow. A lock of hair had fallen over her gaze, so Gabe brushed it aside for her, then lingered, his fingers brushing along her cheek. She smiled at him and wiggled, settling down onto the bed. “You’re never going to get penitence out of me at this rate, Gabe.” “No?” He slid a hand beneath her stomach. She lifted her hips from the bed so he could release the button and zipper of her jeans, and push them down off her hips. He straddled her legs and bent over her, kissing her hip, his hands kneading her ass. She murmured and pressed back into his touch. He nipped gently, his teeth scraping her skin, and noted the way her breath caught and the muscles in her back tensed. He climbed off of the bed and retrieved the paddle. Her arms were relaxed, her cuffed wrists resting low against the base of her spine. He guided her hands up until they
rested on the middle of her back, just beneath her shoulder blades, where they would not be endangered by a wayward blow. Then he took up the paddle, gazed down at her, and delivered the first blow across her buttocks. His blood surged when she began to count, even though they hadn’t decided upon a number. He lashed her again, near the first. And again. She kept her count with each strike, even when they landed hard enough to drive the breath from her and she had to wait a moment to catch it before she could speak. Her cheeks turned pink, and then red with the marks of his punishment. He could hover a hand above her skin and feel the heat coming off of her. He struck two consecutive blows in the same place. Fate jerked beneath them and turned her face into the pillow to muffle her cry. He dropped the paddle and stepped back from the bed. Fate’s head snapped around to look at him. “Gabe,” she gasped, her eyes wide with alarm. “Fuck. Don’t stop now.” “I won’t. It’s not that.” He bent to search through the bag until he found what he wanted: a ball gag, jumbled amidst the rest of her collection. He returned to her side and pressed the gag against her lips. She struggled away from him. “Wait—” “No,” he said, almost a growl, and carefully opened her mouth to the gag. “I don’t have the nerve to listen to you scream like that again.” “Red light!” she snapped. “Wait.” He stepped back immediately, his heart hammering too hard within his chest. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head and rolled onto her side, then sat up. “It’s all right. Gabe, it’s fine. But I can’t say my safe word if I’m gagged.” “Oh.” The bottom dropped out of his stomach. He stared at her in chagrined horror. “I didn’t realize—” “I didn’t figure you did.” She turned half away from him, so she was in profile, and stretched her bound hands toward him. “Give me something to hold on to. I’ll drop it, if I want to say my safe word.” She smiled at him as he bent to look through the bag again. “And don’t worry so much. You’re doing great.” He brought her one of the silk scarves, which she bunched up in her fist. When he pressed the gag to her lips, she opened her mouth without protest and let him secure it in place. She stretched out on her stomach again. Gabe traced the leather straps where they stretched across her cheeks, around the back of her neck. He followed the line of her spine down to where leather bound her hands at her back. He bent and kissed the centers of her palms, and then the brightest of the marks across her backside. She made a sound against the gag as his tongue traced over her skin. He didn’t bother to count when he took up the paddle and brought it down across her flesh. It wasn’t about the number. It was about the way she muffled her cries against the gag and rocked against the bed as each blow fell. It was in the way her hand stayed fisted on the silk scarf, so tight her knuckles turned white, as though she feared the slightest gesture might mislead him to think she wanted to stop. At some point, she began to flex her arms against the cuffs as each strike fell, straining. He’d have worried, but her grip on the scarf never loosened. Besides, she may
have been bound, but she wasn’t tied down. If she wanted to leave, all she had to do was sit up and walk away. He struck her again, a solid blow that had another scream pressing against the gag. By the time he was satisfied, she hadn’t any breath left to scream at all. She lay slumped on the bed, a shiver coursing over her skin and quiet sounds working their way from her throat. Gabe traced the marks he’d laid upon her. Carefully, he took the scarf from her and helped her up so she sat at the bed’s edge. He reached back and released the straps of the gag. Fate leaned in against him, her stomach and breasts pressed enticingly to him. Her lips skimmed his throat, her breath hot and sweet against his skin. “Release my hands,” she whispered, her voice low and throbbing with need. “Let me touch you. You still have clothes on. Why do you still have clothes on?” He stepped back and pushed his pants and underwear down off his hips, then dragged his shirt over his head. Her gaze skimmed over him, warm with appreciation. He closed the space between them and curved his hands around her waist. His thumbs swept circles on her skin. She leaned in close, her lips pressed to his shoulder, his neck. Her breasts crushed against his chest. He breathed the scent of her hair and guided her hips in against his. She moaned against his throat and shifted her knees wider on the mattress, so he fit perfectly between her thighs. He groaned as her heat washed over him. “Gabe.” She turned her head, her mouth seeking his. “Gabe, my hands.” He slid his touch around her waist to the small of her back, where her hands were bound. He twined his fingers through hers and held onto her as he flexed his hips, his cock sliding through her slick heat. She cried out against his mouth and tightened her fingers on his. “Gabe—” “Hush,” he murmured, trailing kisses along her shoulder. He thrust against her again. Her head tilted back, baring the line of her throat. He felt a shudder course along the length of her spine. She tilted her hips and ground down against him. “Ah fuck, Gabe,” she groaned and surged against him. She gasped with every breath, her body gathering tighter as he moved against her. “Kiss me, for God’s sake,” she said, pressing her mouth to his. He kissed her with the true force of his hunger, one hand on her cheek and the other on her waist, guiding her as he moved against her, his flesh sliding on hers. She cried out against his mouth, soft sounds that neatly stripped away his control. His movements grew sharper, more demanding. His fingers dug into her waist and pulled her against him. He wanted to make her cry out louder, shudder harder. He wanted to hear her cries fray into meaningless, hungry noises. Every time she growled against his mouth, he groaned and stroked again, driving them both harder. He felt the tremors build in her, starting deep and rippling out until she was shaking against him, straining toward him, her chest pressed tight to his as her mouth claimed him in a fiercely greedy kiss. She rocked against him, her legs clamping tight around his waist. He held her and kissed her until she’d stopped shivering. She pushed back. Her gaze sought his, wide and dark and dazed.
“Christ,” he muttered as he stared at her. A flush colored her cheeks and spilled down to stain her throat. He reached blindly into the bag, found the condoms by touch and tore one off. Fate’s gaze heated as she watched him rip it open. He rolled the latex down over his cock with hasty motions, fighting to outlast his weakening self-control. When he was covered, he wrapped his arms around her and fumbled at the clip that secured the cuffs behind her back. They separated and Fate brought her arms up, wrapping them around him as he rolled her onto her back and sank into her, as deep as she would take him, surrounded by her heat. He had no thoughts of self-control left. It was all need, heat and hunger. He drove into her, pounding into her, barely aware of the way her nails scraped over her back or the ragged rasp of her breath against his ear. Her legs came up to wrap his waist, holding on to him hard. Her body was already straining and shuddering beneath his again, her muscles grasping him. His hands fisted on the sheets as he fucked her, heat and pressure gathering within him, driving him on. He thrust harder into her, deeper. She gave a sharp cry with every stroke, her back arching up off the bed, her lips swollen from the way she bit at them. He speared his fingers through her hair and dragged her mouth to his, swallowing her cries and muffling his groans in the kiss. She nipped at his lips, swept into his mouth and teased at him, luring him into hers. His chest ached and burned, his lungs straining. The air seemed too thick, and breath an inconsequential necessity in the face of his passion. The heat was still gathering, building, pulsing through him. Fate moved beneath him, dragging her hands down his chest, then sliding them up to fist in his hair and angle his mouth against hers. She tightened around him and moaned, beginning to quake, and he was lost. His hips locked against hers, driving deep as he spent himself, shuddering deliciously. His mouth was still pressed to hers, their breath mingling as they both gasped and held on to one another. Slowly, by small increments, she softened and relaxed beneath him, her legs sliding off of his hips, her fingers loosening in his hair. He rolled off of her, but wrapped an arm about her waist so she stayed with him. They lay on their sides, heads cushioned on the same pillow. He held her close while aftershocks rippled through him. He could feel them do the same in her, the faint shivers rippling beneath the palm he’d spread across her back. She pressed her lips to his throat, just beneath his jaw, and gave a long sigh, humming with pleasure. When he shifted, she tightened her arms around his back and made a low, displeased sound. “Don’t go,” she murmured against his skin without opening her eyes. “Not yet.” “I’m not,” he assured her softly. He reached down between their bodies and pulled the condom off, dropped it into the wastebasket next to the bed, then wrapped his arm around her again and drew her close. For a while, it was nice just to lie close with her, feeling the warmth of her breath on his skin as his pulse slowly settled. Eventually, she moved back, putting just a little distance between them so she could bring her hands up. She worked at the buckles that secured the cuffs around her wrists. Gabe took her hands in his, stilling them, and then removed the cuffs for her. He
dropped them over the side of the bed into her bag and leaned back to look at her. Her face was still flushed, her hair clinging to her cheeks in sweat-damp strands. He pressed a kiss to the pulse point just beneath her jaw, feeling the heat of her blood just beneath the surface. “You’re amazing.” The slow spread of her smile was brilliant, achingly beautiful. “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself, you know.” She drew her hands up his back, lightly scraping her nails across his skin. He slid back, and pushed himself up onto an elbow. “Turn over.” She raised one eyebrow at him in amused inquiry, but did as he asked. She rolled onto her stomach and watched him over her shoulder as he delicately traced the marks he had made on her flesh. “I want to make sure I didn’t break the skin,” he said quietly. “They’ll need antiseptic, or—” Her quiet laughter interrupted him. “I know how to tend my wounds, Gabe. Trust me, I’ve had practice.” “I caused them.” He bent over her and touched the tip of his tongue to one of the brighter marks, tasting of sweat-salt. “Let me tend to them.” She shifted beneath him as he continued his gentle inventory of the marks he’d left upon her. Her breath caught, and then released on a sigh. “Gabe,” she murmured. “You shouldn’t do that if you’re not up for a second round.” He pressed a deliberate kiss to another wound. “Who says I’m not?” Her gaze turned sharp and amused. “You think you’ve got that kind of endurance, big boy?” He kissed the curve where her buttocks joined her thigh, then lower to her knee and over the curve of her calf, though she had no marks there. “Wolves have incredible stamina, you know,” he murmured against her skin. “They can exert themselves for hours without tiring.” “Is that so?” She rolled over and sat up, smiling at him. “That sounds like a tall tale to me. I think I’m going to need some proof here.” He knelt between her knees and kissed up the inside of her thigh. She settled back and brushed her fingers through his hair, until he gently parted her flesh for another kiss and her breath fragmented. She knotted her fingers in the strands of his hair. “Don’t stop,” she murmured. He didn’t until much later, when she finally pushed him away with a choked laugh. “Christ! You weren’t kidding.” He grinned up at her and scraped his teeth over her stomach. “I told you. Wolf stamina—” “I know, I know.” She rolled onto her side and drew her knees to her chest as though to protect herself from his attentions and smiled at him. “But this lowly human needs time to recuperate.” “Well, then.” He crawled up her body and pulled her in against him. Slowly, she stretched her legs out and relaxed into his embrace. “We’ll have to work on your endurance.” She laughed until she was breathless from it. “Oh, yes, let’s.” She laid her head on his arm and let her eyes drift shut. “Later. I think I need a nap, right now.”
Chapter Ten She woke from her nap sore and utterly satisfied, with the golden light of afternoon streaming in through the bedroom window. Gabe had left at some point. She dug her bathrobe out of her bag and slipped it on, gathered up her toiletries, and ducked down the hall into the bathroom. There was space on the bathroom counter for her toiletries, she saw with relief. There was an empty slot in the toothbrush holder where hers could sit, and space in the medicine cabinet for her toothpaste and face wash. There was a caddy in the shower that hung from the shower head and held bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body scrub, and loofahs. It was stuffed full, with no spare room for hers, so she put her bottles down on the floor, tucked out of the way in a corner of the shower. The water in the shower ran hot after only a few minutes, pounding down hard enough to make her abused flesh sting and protest. She ducked under the spray and let it beat on her, washing away sweat and stickiness and leaving her almost as limp and relaxed as Gabe’s beating had. When her skin was flushed red where the water poured down on it and the air in the bathroom was thick with steam, she shut the water off and stepped out, reluctant to leave the blissful warmth for the chill currents of air that swept through the bathroom. She toweled herself dry and returned to her room to dress quickly. She scrubbed the towel through her hair, returned it to the bathroom and went out to the rest of the house to see who was around and what they were up to. There was a movie playing on the TV in the living room, something with lots of running and elaborate explosions. She didn’t see Gabe, but the other Weres were in the kitchen, laughing and bickering playfully with one another. The smell of popcorn made Fate’s mouth water. She skirted around the couch and chairs in the family room and leaned against the long counter that separated it from the kitchen. “Hello,” she greeted them. They glanced at her, a brief acknowledgment, then turned back to one another and picked up their conversation as though she hadn’t interrupted it. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Any idea what Gabe’s up to?” They glanced at her again. This time they seemed unhappier about it, their expressions darker. Finally, Zach let out a soft breath and answered her. “Gone to the shelter, most likely. He’ll be back for dinner.” Fate smiled at him in thanks. “What are you guys watching?” She gestured over her shoulder at the TV. “Mind if I join?” Lily made a rude noise in the back of her throat, which Fate chose to ignore. Zach glanced at the others, silent. At length, Matthew gave a heavy sigh and said, “Oh, by all means. Make yourself comfortable.” “Thanks,” she said uncertainly and went and sat down on one end of the couch. The foot chase had taken to the road on motorcycles, the suspenseful music punctuated by squealing tires and the shrieks of pedestrians as they leapt out of the way. She drew her legs in to her chest, arms looped around her knees, so she didn’t take up much space and there would be room for the others.
Despite the fact that she was curled into the corner, as compact as she could make herself, when Matthew came into the living room with the big bowl of popcorn, he stopped and looked down at her, his brows furrowing. “That’s my spot.” “Oh—” She bristled at the rudeness of his tone. If any other circumstance, she’d have pointed out that there was plenty of room available on the rest of the couch and weren’t they all a bit too old to throw temper tantrums over lost seats? But this was Gabe’s family and if she was going to be living with them for the summer, she would do well to play nice. She slid down to the center of the couch, freeing plenty of room for him. “Sorry. My mistake.” Matthew settled down in his seat, the bowl of popcorn on his lap. Fate started to settle back into the couch, but Lily was still standing, staring down at her. “What?” Fate finally snapped. “I was sitting next to him.” Lily jerked her chin toward Matthew. Oh, for fuck’s sake. Fate bit her tongue and stood. She stepped and Lily sat, leaning up against Matthew’s side. Before Fate could sit back down next to Lily, at the opposite from which she’d started, Lily curled her legs up onto the couch with her, so they stretched across both cushions and left no room for either Fate or Zach. The other Were settled down on the floor with his back against the edge of the couch and seemed perfectly content to be there. Matthew lowered the bowl so Zach could grab a handful of popcorn. Zach smiled up in thanks that seemed sincere and well-meant. Fate dug her teeth in hard on the edge of her lip. There was nowhere left to sit but on the floor with Zach, not if she wanted to join in with them and make nice. There was a vacant armchair by the end of the couch, but she’d be too far away to join in any conversation if she sat there. She didn’t think the floor was an option, though, not until she healed up a little more from Gabe’s beating. She was sore just standing and moving around—sitting on the hard floor would be well beyond the limits of comfort. Unhappily, feeling like the misfit kid kicked to the back of the bus, she moved toward the armchair to take her seat. She’d barely reached it when Matthew snatched up the remote control and paused the movie, his expression distant, but intent. “Gabe’s home,” he said—to the others, not to her—and there was a sudden scramble to set aside the popcorn and get to their feet to go out to greet him. They were all out the door and long gone before Fate could even begin to hear the rumble of his car, heralding his return. She crossed to the long counter and snagged a handful of popcorn for herself while it was available, listening to his engine idle and then die, to be replaced by bursts of conversation. She popped a final bite of popcorn into her mouth as she heard the voices and started toward the door. Gabe came through first, the others on his heels. He saw her and smiled. “Sleep well?” “Like the dead.” He came over and kissed her while Matthew retrieved the remote and started the movie again, chattering on about what Gabe had missed. The others took their old seats. Fate started toward the armchair to take hers, reassured that the other Weres would mind their manners while Gabe was there with them. Somehow, Gabe made it there first and dropped down into the armchair before her, leaving her with nowhere at all to sit but on top of Lily’s legs or down on the floor with
Zach. “You have got to be kidding me.” She stared down at Gabe in consternation. The others she might have expected such rudeness from, but not him. He smiled up at her as though she hadn’t said anything, and he didn’t realize he’d done anything amiss. He reached a hand toward her. She wanted to snatch hers back, out of his reach, purely on principle. “Come sit with me,” he said softly, and she relented, blowing a breath out through her nose. She put her hand in his, but resisted when he tried to draw her down. “You’re not very soft, Gabe,” she said with a pointed look. His eyes creased with amusement. “I don’t suppose I am.” He turned from her, looking at the others. “Matthew. Throw that pillow here, would you.” It wasn’t just a request. There was something strange lurking in his tone, in the sudden sharpness of his gaze as he looked at the other Were, but Fate didn’t know enough to be able to identify it. She felt lost, floundering, and—once again—pushed off to the side. Matthew returned Gabe’s stare for a moment, but then, for no reason Fate could see, he broke away and shrugged, as easily as if it had never happened. “Sure.” He scooped up a throw pillow and tossed it to Gabe. “Can we watch the movie now?” Gabe dropped the pillow onto the floor in front of the armchair and gestured to it. “Here. Sit on that.” He reached up to her and twisted a strand of her damp hair around his finger, scattering droplets. “I’ll help you braid your hair up, if you like.” Fate sank down to sit at his feet reluctantly, but she twisted and looked up at him, bemused. “You know how to braid hair?” He smiled and twisted his fingers in the strands at her temple, tugging until she turned her head straight. “I grew up with an older sister,” he told her. “She taught me well.” Fate laughed and leaned back against the edge of the chair. Her eyes closed with pleasure as he slid his fingers through her hair. “Well, you’re quite the surprise, aren’t you?” He murmured wordless agreement and slid his fingers through her hair again. She shut her eyes as the familiar, rhythmic tug-and-release of braiding began. It might have been relaxing if it weren’t for the sounds of fighting and gunfire coming from the television speakers, and the pervasive sense that the other Weres’ gazes rested on her, even while she sat here at Gabe’s feet minding her own business. When he’d finished, she still didn’t feel any more at ease. A silent tension ran through the room that she was aware of but could do nothing about, and she’d missed half the movie, besides. It wasn’t making enough sense to keep her attention. She sighed and shifted her weight, starting to rise, but Gabe caught at a braid and tugged on it, not even hard enough to make her flinch, just so that she sought out his gaze. “Stay,” he murmured. She pressed her lips together and looked at him for a moment. “Is that a request or a demand?” He opened his mouth, began to say something. Then he stopped and looked down at her in consternation. Fate waited. He bent over, leaning down, and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. His arm slid around her shoulders, embracing her. “Matthew,” he said, only raising his head a little and keeping his arms around Fate.
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to leave?” Matthew turned toward Gabe, his expression blank with confusion. “It is your turn to keep an eye on our vampire guests. Isn’t it?” His voice was mild, but steel hid beneath his words. Fate shivered and tried to slide away. Gabe let her slip out of his embrace, but his hand slid down her arm as she moved aside. He twined his fingers with hers, keeping her there with him. Confusion turned to indignation on Matthew’s face. “But—” He looked around at the others, sitting near him. When he looked back at Gabe, he swallowed his protest and shut his mouth. Gabe rose and drew Fate to her feet with him. She stood stiff at his side, her hand wrapped in his, steadfastly avoiding looking at him. His hand brushed her shoulder, and then began to rub in soothing circles. “Of course,” Matthew muttered. He shifted Lily off of him and rose. “I must have forgotten.” Fate let out her breath slowly as Matthew edged past Lily and skirted around the coffee table. He went over to the closet and pulled out a light jacket, shrugged into it, pulled his keys out of his pocket. He left without another word, and no one else said anything until he’d gone. When the door shut behind him, Gabe moved over toward the couch, drawing Fate with him. Lily glanced up at him and promptly handed him the remote, then slid off of the couch onto the floor with Zach. Fate balked. “Gabe, no—” “Don’t be silly,” he murmured, and drew her down onto the couch with him. “Come sit with me, Fate.” She sat down on the edge, uncomfortably aware of the two Weres at their feet. There was more than enough room for Lily on the couch with them, and they could have fit Zach, too, if they didn’t mind being cozy. Kicking Lily off the couch in reparation for having done the same to her didn’t satisfy Fate at all. All it did was make things worse. Gabe’s palms slid over her shoulders again and down her arms so both his hands covered hers and his chest was pressed against her back. “Just sit with me,” he murmured, urging her to relax and lean in against him with gentle touches. Fate sighed and gave in for the sake of peace, leaning against his shoulder. Kicking Lily off the couch didn’t do anything to make up for her earlier rudeness, and raising a fuss now over what Gabe had done would be similarly pointless. Lily didn’t seem the least bit resentful, besides. Fate could just keep her opinion to herself, for now. The movie was still playing, and had been through the interruption. Gabe picked up the remote and paused it. He reached down to touch Lily’s shoulder and get her attention. “We wouldn’t want to finish the movie without Matthew. Why don’t you put in 50 First Dates? We have that, don’t we?” “I think so.” Lily rolled up onto her feet and walked over to the shelves that stored their DVD collection. Her finger skimmed the line of spines for a moment, and then she made a sound of triumph and pulled one out. She crouched and removed the DVD from the player, replaced it with the new one, and returned to the couch. As the menu came up and the movie’s theme music began to play, Fate leaned in more against Gabe, letting her cheek rest against his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a brief squeeze. She wouldn’t have pegged it as the sort of movie
Gabe would like. But it was the sort she liked, and she wondered if maybe that wasn’t a coincidence. **** Gabe ordered in pizza for dinner while they watched the movie, and they ate from paper plates balanced on their laps as it played. The pizza boxes were spread and open on the coffee table and there was the usual laughter and teasing that was to be expected from such an informal family gathering. It should have put Fate at ease, but she couldn’t help but remember the strange conflict earlier. What other undercurrents might be going on that she was missing out on entirely? The sky was a blaze of fiery sunset as the movie ended. Fate slipped out from beneath Gabe’s arm, trying not to seem abrupt about it. “I’m going to head out,” she told him as she got to her feet and went to grab her car keys from the hook by the entryway. “Wait,” Gabe said. She stiffened and turned back to him slowly, braced for the worst, a return to the first nights she’d spent here and the curfew Gabe had forced upon her. They’d talked about it, before she’d agreed to stay the summer with him, and she thought they’d been clear. But worry lurked all the same, and he must have seen it. He came over to where she stood. His hand brushed her back as he passed her, a quick attempt at comfort or reassurance. He grabbed his key ring from its hook and began to work it open. “Take my key,” he told her, as he took it off the ring. He held it out to her. “In case you’re out late.” His smile softened all the lines of his face. Fate took the key from him and wrapped her hand around his to give it a brief squeeze. “We wouldn’t want you to get locked out.” “Thank you.” On impulse, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. When he brushed his hand over her braids, it seemed like a quiet request for more. She pressed her next kiss to his mouth. “I’ll see you later.” He nodded and stepped back, turning to speak to Lily and Zach. Fate clipped his key in with the rest of hers and crouched to tug on her shoes. He was in the kitchen helping them clean up the pizza boxes and paper plates as she left, so she waved good-bye to him and swung the door shut behind her. She rolled her window down as she drove toward Bryson, enjoying the whip of the cooling air against her face and the chance to clear her head. Halfway to town, she dialed Reina’s cell on her phone. “Make your excuses and put your shoes on,” she said when Reina answered. “This is a kidnapping.” Reina laughed on the other end of the line. There was more background noise than Fate was used to on the other end of the line, but she supposed that was to be expected, considering how many people they’d packed into the house. “You’re the worst kidnapper ever, Fate.” “Maybe,” Fate conceded as her headlights swept across the road in front of her. “But I’ve got a one-hundred-percent success rate.” “You have a point.” The rustle of movement came over the connection. “Give me five minutes. Do I at least get a hint about where you’re dragging me off to?” “I haven’t decided yet. Got an opinion?” “Not particularly.” The sounds coming over the line suddenly muffled, as though
Reina had covered the receiver with her hand. Fate heard her distant shout, “Logan! I’m going out with Fate,” and then the ambient noises were back and Reina was talking into the phone again. “As long as it’s less crowded than this place, I’m game for pretty much anything.” They ended up driving downtown to the shopping distract and wandering around, ducking into shops as the mood struck them and chatting about nothing of consequence, until Reina finally stopped her in the middle of the block and gave her a level look. “Are you going to get around to telling me sometime tonight? Or are we just going to amble until the sun rises?” Fate stepped back from her, her brows drawing together. “I don’t know what—” “Yes, you do.” Reina said it levelly, not a question, not even an accusation, just a fact. Of course, with her empathy, she’d be able to tell that Fate knew exactly what she meant. “You’re a real pain in my ass, you know that?” Fate made her tone light, made her lips curve, so that she wouldn’t take it too much to heart. “Oh, I know.” Reina raised a brow at her. “And yet it’s my company you asked for.” Fate laughed. “Don’t let it go to your head. You’re just the only one I’ve got on speed dial, and I’m lazy.” She turned and they continued down the street, but they hadn’t even reached the street corner when Reina stopped, her feet planted firmly and her expression immovable. “Fate. Talk to me.” “For God’s sake.” Fate fisted her hands on her braids and tugged at them in frustration. “It’s nothing. It’s just those damned werewolves.” Surprise washed over Reina’s face. “Gabe?” she asked, softer. “The whole lot of them. They’re all insufferable. I don’t know how you get on with them so well.” “Well.” She was suddenly quiet. “I don’t anymore, I suppose.” Fate bit her lip and wished she could take back the words and swallow them, if only to prevent the weary resignation and buried pain on Reina’s face now. “That’s not what I mean. I haven’t even been back a day and I want to kick all their asses.” Reina made a visible effort to perk up and focus her attention back on Fate. “How come?” Fate told her reluctantly about the incident that afternoon, and then she blurted out all the other little things that had been building up and contributing to her sense of irritation. Reina nodded and seemed to take it all in as they walked along. “And they’re just bastards,” Fate growled as she finished her summary and her attention looped back to her most recent cause for complaint. “I mean, I was trying to make friends. What the hell was that? They didn’t have to kick me across the room.” Reina stopped and turned to face Fate. Her face was thoughtful and ever-so-slightly amused in the harsh glare of the streetlights. “That was a pecking order,” she said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And I’m sorry. It sucks to be at the bottom of one.” “Pecking order, hell.” Fate growled and tried again to drag her hands through her hair. Her fingers caught on the braids, and she bit back impatience. “I was just trying to hang out with them.” Reina’s mouth twisted. After a moment, she gestured down the street. “Let’s keep
walking, and I’ll try to explain.” Fate nodded and they resumed walking. Reina let out a long sigh and tilted her head back, looking up at the dark sky above them. “They’re not just a group of people, you have to understand. They’re not even a family. They’re a pack, and what they did… They were defending their territory.” “I’m not trying to invade,” Fate snapped, stung. “I just wanted to watch a movie with them.” Reina shook her head. “There’s a lot going on you’re not going to be aware of. They’re not just being assholes for the hell of it. Gabe’s brought you there, into their home, into their pack, and it changes things. They’re just trying to hold on to their place in the pack hierarchy.” “I’m not even a Were,” Fate grumbled. “I don’t care about their damned hierarchy. Why can’t they just leave me out of it?” “Gabe cares about you,” Reina said softly. “If you were a Were, and an alpha, they’d defer to you as his mate. Fate stopped and looked at her, alarmed. “We’re not exactly picking out wallpaper. I’m not his mate. We’re just fucking.” “Do you think so?” Reina wondered. She continued before Fate could answer. “Well, it doesn’t really matter what you see in it. Gabe’s put a human in a position they’re meant to submit to, and I don’t imagine any of them are pleased by it.” “I don’t want to be dominant,” Fate said with a little laugh. “I just wanted to be friends.” “Oh, that’ll follow, if you can find a place in the pack. I told you, they’re not being assholes. They’re just being Weres.” “Could have fooled me,” she muttered beneath her breath. Reina cast her a sideways glance, wry and amused. “You might try talking to Gabe about this, you know. He can help.” Fate scoffed and picked at a loose thread hanging from the hem of her shirt. “Like he did today? I don’t want that kind of help. I don’t want to be a jerk back to them, just because they’re jerks to me.” “Let Gabe help you,” Reina repeated, soft but insistent. “They won’t take it very kindly if you try to assert yourself without his support.” Fate turned her head to look at Reina, frowning. “You’re human,” Reina said. “And it sucks as much as any other pointless bigotry, but the fact remains that in their eyes, that’s a mark against you. If you stand up to them and Gabe doesn’t back you, you’re just an upstart who needs to be put in her place.” Fate grunted, noncommittal but not pleased by any of it. “What do you do when a dog growls and snaps and won’t stay off the bed?” Reina asked her, brows raised. “You scold it and discipline it until it learns the rules of the house.” Fate reared back, staring at Reina, appalled. “They’re trying to discipline me?” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “They could at least buy me dinner first.” Reina laughed and ducked into a shop whose window display was filled with all sorts of trinkets and knick-knacks, most of them in appalling pastel shades. Fate followed after her, resigned. “You know what I mean,” Reina said as she picked up novelty mugs from a shelf and looked them over. “You’re low man on the totem pole in that house, as
far as they’re concerned.” “Now I remember why I like you,” Fate said. “It’s the way you stroke my ego. Such flattery, it’s bound to do my head in.” Reina glanced back at Fate over her shoulder, her expression sharp and amused. “Hey, you wanted to know why the pack was behaving the way it was. I never said you’d like the answer.” “Actually, I’m pretty sure you forced me into this conversation,” Fate said with a pointed look. “Oh, well. Suck it up, it’s good for you.” “If I’d wanted a lecture, I’d have talked to Logan,” she protested. “And if you’d wanted a pat on the back, you’d have called Kynan. Now you’re stuck with me.” She turned, holding a coffee mug inscribed with overwrought sentimentalism and a floral palette. “What do you think?” Fate stared at it, at a loss. “It’s kind of awful, sweetie.” Reina rolled her eyes. “That’s the point. Kynan’s got a birthday coming up, I want to get him a gag gift.” “You’re going to inflict that on Kynan?” Fate eyed her. “What did that poor man ever do to you?” “Do you think he’d hate it? I’m going for funny-awful, not awful-awful.” “I don’t think he’d ever tell you how dreadful it is. He’d drink out of it every day for the rest of eternity just so you’d know he appreciated it.” Fate took the mug out of her hands and put it back on the shelf. “Friends don’t let friends buy kitsch. Come on, I’ll help you find something he won’t have to spare your feelings over.” She dragged Reina out of the shop, laughing, and down the street a block. “Here,” she said. “This is more like it.” She pulled Reina inside. Reina just laughed harder as she looked around the shop. “Fate, I can’t give him any of this stuff.” “Why not?” Fate picked up a pair of narrow cuffs lined with an explosion of purple fuzz that didn’t look like they’d be strong enough to restrain her, much less a vampire. She tossed them, and Reina caught them out of reflex. “Trust me, he’ll think it’s hysterical.” “And I’ll blush so hard I’ll spontaneously combust.” Reina set the cuffs down on their shelf and backed away, watching Fate with chagrin. “It’s not my style.” “No?” Fate picked them up again and gave a testing tug against the chain that connected the two cuffs. Any decent struggle would probably snap a link open, but at least the price reflected that. “I’ll get it for him, then.” She looped the cuffs around her wrist like a bracelet and continued deeper into the novelty shop. “But we still need to find you something.” “Fate,” Reina protested, but she followed after of her own accord. “You can’t just ignore the problem and expect it to resolve itself.” Fate glanced back at her. “I’m not ignoring it. You want me to talk to Gabe, fine, I give. But he’s not here right now, is he? And Kynan’s in need of birthday presents.” This store had coffee mugs, too, but they were the sort that had Farside cartoons on them, not sappy phrases. She picked up one with a drawing of a wrinkled, grey-haired man with a crabby expression and said, Getting old bites, but it beats the alternative. “Vanilla enough for you?”
Reina laughed, her face brightening with delight. She took the mug from Fate and turned it around, looking at it. “Now that he’d love.” “We’ll take a poll, see which one he likes better,” Fate suggested with a wink. They took their gifts up to the front. Fate slid the cuffs off her wrist and plopped them down on the counter with a grin at the guy who was working the register. He grinned back when he saw what she was buying. “Hey, can I ask you a favor?” Reina asked as he was giving Fate her total. Fate shot her an amused look, one brow raised. “Since when do kidnapping victims get favors?” “Since now.” Reina made a face at her. “Look, you’ll like it. It’s my turn to feed this weekend, and dance clubs are so not my scene—” Fate slapped her card down on the counter and turned to face Reina. “Sweetie. Are you asking me to come with you?” Reina’s grin was a little sheepish. “You wouldn’t mind?” Fate whooped with laughter. “Are you kidding me? You couldn’t keep me away. Oh my God, we’re going to have a blast. Do you need me to loan you club gear? Crap, my best stuff’s in storage. What the hell was I thinking?” She took her receipt and her bag without sparing half a thought to it, and moved aside so Reina could pay for her cup. Her mind was already whirling with ideas. “Which club is he taking you to?” “Hell if I know.” Reina’s brows drew together. “They all sound the same to me.” “I’ll call Logan and see what he’s got in mind. I’ll have to make sure we’re going to a good one.” Reina laughed at her excitement, her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m going to regret asking you this, aren’t I?” “Sweetie, you are going to have the time of your life. I’ll see to it.”
Chapter Eleven Fate’s good mood carried all the way over to the next morning. The golden morning sun slanting through the window woke her. She dressed, pulled her hair up into a ponytail high on her head, and went out to the kitchen to see who else was up. There was no one in the living room or kitchen, and the coffee pot still held the cold dregs of yesterday’s last pot. She grimaced in distaste as she dumped them down the drain and rinsed the pot out. She dropped a filter into the machine and scooped grounds into it, filled the water reservoir and started a fresh pot brewing. While it did, she stepped out onto the porch to enjoy the brisk morning air before the day’s heat stole it away. A few dogs bounded up to join her when she came outside. She reached down to pet them and leaned against the rail, watching the rising sun color the hills that surrounded the house. The dogs licked her hand and crowded around her legs, each vying to be the next recipient of her attention. Their excited whining attracted the attention of others, who came trotting over in ones and twos to investigate. Soon there wasn’t enough room on the porch for all of them. Fate descended the steps, sat down on the lowest one, and was near swamped. Laughing as the wriggling mass of furry bodies pressed in around her, Fate lifted her arms in defense as they tried to lick at her face. Abruptly, the frenetic energy stopped. The dogs fell away from her. She dropped her arms so she could see what had caused the change. Another furry body moved through the pack, striding toward her. But as it grew closer and the dogs slunk out of his way, it was obvious this was no more a dog than a house cat was a mountain lion. The dense coat, narrow muzzle, and pointed ears were all wolf. There was no mistaking this creature, whose every movement evoked wilderness and the hunt, for a domesticated pet. It wasn’t Gabe. She remembered him as all silver and black, when she’d seen him shift. This wolf was tawny, with brindled grey across his back. She started to scramble to her feet as he approached, feeling suddenly vulnerable sitting as she was, nearly on the ground. But his head swung toward her when she moved, and the low rumble of a growl made the hair on her arms stand on end. A thrill coursed down her spine as she sank reluctantly back onto her step. The wolf was as tall as she while she was sitting, and undoubtedly had her outclassed in terms of strength. He approached slowly, taking deliberate steps up the stairs where she sat. She could feel the heat of his breath as he stopped in front of her, staring at her with golden eyes. She shivered and leaned back, trying to regain the personal space he’d stolen from her. His lip drew back, baring his fangs in a clear threat, and they were right there, inches from her face, all he had to do was snap— She couldn’t sit there and hold her ground any longer, not while he was crowding in on her like that. She sidled out past him. She felt unsteady as she put distance between them. “Look, fine, take the high ground. It’s yours. I don’t want it.” She threw up her hands. “I don’t even care.” She strode out across the ground, away from the house. The wolf didn’t follow her.
A few of the dogs did, a short ways, but the wolf’s presence subdued them. As she kept walking, they began to turn back and return to the house. When she had a good distance between her and it, she circled around the house. The terrain out there began to grow hilly, full of rises and falls. The physical strain of it was pleasing, a welcome distraction to keep herself occupied. She came around behind the house, where the dog runs were. She went over to Toby’s. He dropped his belly low to the ground and slunk away to the far corner as she approached, his ears pinned down against his head. She dropped into a crouch at one end of the run and hooked her fingers through the chain link. She leaned her brow against the fence and watched him through it. He stared at her balefully. She felt sympathy for him, more than she’d expected she’d ever feel that first day, when Gabe had brought her into the run and Toby had growled and snapped at them, all bristling and fierce to hide his fear. After a few minutes, it didn’t look like he was going to calm down this time, like he had for them before. But then, Gabe had always been with her before, and the poor dog had only ever seen her twice. It was too much to expect him to settle down for her, when he had no reason at all to even begin to trust her. She left him alone, so he could relax and stop fretting about her, and continued walking, deeper into Gabe’s land. The grasses were starting to dry out in the heat of summer and they crunched beneath her shoes as she stepped through them. It didn’t take long before the hills rose up and swallowed her, so she couldn’t see the house anymore, couldn’t see anything but the land around her, earth and rocks and grasses and the occasional tree. She dropped down onto a flat stone in her path and leaned over so her forearms were braced against her knees and her ponytail swung forward to brush against her cheek. “I never should have come here,” she muttered, dragging her fingers through her hair. All those rules she’d set, before she’d agreed to stay the summer here, and she’d thought that would make things different than they’d been. It didn’t change any of it. She was still miles out of her depth. She didn’t belong here at all. Reina could accept the pack structure and the intimidation that went along with preserving it, perhaps, but Reina seemed capable of accepting just about anything, when it came to preternatural cultures. Fate didn’t know that she could be so blithe. Not when there were wolves staring her down and baring their fangs in her face. It was too much. As the sun rose and the morning brightened, its rays began to warm her. Sweat beaded and dripped down her spine. It would be hot soon, but for now, it was a comforting warmth. The occasional caress of a breeze kept it from being too hot, and the whisper of the grasses helped soothe her. She drew a long breath and felt a little steadier. Something, some small sound maybe, made her raise her head. A wolf loped toward her with a long, easy stride. “For fuck’s sake,” she muttered and got to her feet. But as it neared, she could see this wolf was silver and black, not tawny. Some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. She stayed where she was as he approached. He came right up to her and dropped down onto his haunches so he was sitting before her. She reached out to him tentatively. He licked her fingers. “You had better be Gabe,” she told him, stern, to hide the fact that she couldn’t help but think of fangs and the ease with which he could tear through her, even though he hadn’t shown her any aggression. She’d let the dogs lick her as they pleased and hadn’t
once felt threatened by it. But they were dogs, and he was a wolf. It wasn’t the same. He stood again and took one step back from her. She watched, curious what he was up to despite herself. His fur rippled as though he’d shuddered, but then it kept rippling. When it began to shed off of him, she realized what he was doing. “Oh, God,” she groaned and spun, clapping a hand over her eyes. She couldn’t bear to witness his unsettling transformation. Not now. It was bad enough to have to listen to the awful sounds of the change. She didn’t move until she felt a touch at her shoulder and Gabe’s quiet voice murmured her name. She dropped her hand and turned to face him. He was naked, which she should have expected, but it was just one more thing to knock her off-kilter. She threw her hands up and stalked away from him. “Jesus Christ, I’m starting to understand why you lot live out here in the middle of nowhere. You’re all a bunch of nudists, aren’t you?” She heard the sounds of the grasses crunching under his feet as he followed after her. “Not particularly,” he told her. “But it’s difficult to cling to modesty when you’re one of our kind.” “So I gathered.” She yanked at her ponytail, tightening it roughly. Gabe caught her by the shoulder, stopping her and turning her about to face him. “Fate, talk to me. What’s wrong?” “God.” She wrenched out of his grip. “Do I have a sign plastered on my forehead or something? Can’t you guys just leave well enough alone?” His expression clouded with confusion. “Who?” “You and Reina! The both of you. You’re too meddlesome for your own good. I’m fine.” He let her stalk away from him, just a few steps. His brows gathered into a perplexed frown as he watched her. “Yes,” he said dryly. “I can see that.” “Shut up,” she muttered. “It’s none of your business.” He closed the space she’d put between them. He curved his hands around her arms and looked down at her. “Isn’t it?” he asked softly. “Am I not allowed to care?” She sighed and it seemed to sap all the strength from her. She scrubbed her hands over her face. “Care all you like.” He slid his hands up over his shoulders, up to her neck. His thumbs brushed against her jaw, tilting her head back so he could brush his mouth over hers. “Whatever it is, won’t you let me help?” She let out a long breath and remembered Reina’s admonishment to talk to Gabe, to do just that—let him help. She pressed her lips together as she stared up at him, and then gave a sharp sigh. “All right.” She waved a hand at him. “Step back. You’re in my bubble. Give me room to breathe.” He moved back, half-turning, and took her hand in his so that they walked side-byside. She watched where she was placing her feet as they went and began to speak. She told him of the night before, about what he’d missed before he got home, and she told him as honestly as she could manage, though it went against everything she was to bare her emotions so completely. Gabe walked silently at her side, his hand warm on hers, as she let it spill out of her. She told him what had happened that morning with the wolf and how unsettled she was by all of it. When she confessed her doubts, he made a low, unhappy sound. When it was all out of her, she stopped and faced him, squaring her shoulders.
“Reina said I had to tell you,” she said. “That I can’t do this without you. So, there it is. I need your help.” He brought his hand up, brushed his fingers gently over her hair. “Reina said that, did she?” “She did.” Fate tilted her face up to him. “You might like her, if you gave her a chance.” He glanced down, shuttering his gaze from her. When he looked up at her again, all he said was, “You have my help, of course, Fate. Whatever you need.” “I need—” She blew out her breath. What she wanted to say was, I need your pack to mind their manners, but that seemed like a losing battle. What was it Reina had said? “I need you to support me. And if it’s at all possible, you might explain to the rest of them that I don’t want to upset their stupid pecking order. But you know me well enough by now that you ought to know I’m not going to stand for these stupid middle-school power trips.” A faint smile curved up the corners of his mouth. “Is that what it is?” She gave him a level look. “You know it is. We’re all adults here. We can use our words.” He bent and leaned his brow against hers, his hands cupping the sides of her face. “I will talk with them, Fate,” he murmured. “I’ll try to make it easier for you.” He tilted his head so their mouths met and breathed against her lips, “I don’t want you to be unhappy.” “Me either,” she whispered, and kissed him. His hands tightened as he slanted his mouth over hers. She slid her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, letting his passion lift her up and sweep away her fears. His skin was sun-warm, his touch sure and comforting. She leaned into him, then broke away, laughing, when his obvious arousal became too insistent to ignore. “All right, bucko, let’s get you back and in some clothes.” He eased back and grinned down at her. “Must we?” Fate snorted and turned for the house. She reached her hand out for his. “I’m not fucking you out here,” she said primly. “I’d be picking grass out of my hair for a week.” He pulled on her hand, drawing her back against him, and wrapped an arm around her stomach. His lips brushed the side of her neck just behind her ear, making her shiver. “And when we’re back at the house?” “I need coffee,” she said firmly. “Or I may fall asleep on you in the middle of the act and bruise your ego irreparably.” His low chuckle slid down her spine like a physical touch. “Do you think you could?” “Bruise your ego?” She raised her brows. “I could devastate you with a word, buddy.” “That’s not what I meant.” His hand spread wide on her stomach, stroked slowly. His lips brushed the edge of her ear. “Do you think you could fall asleep while I had you tied down?” She twisted in his arms and looked up at him, her mouth curving. His palm pressed against her back, drawing her hips in against his. “Let’s find out, shall we?” The house smelled tantalizingly of fresh coffee as they stepped inside. Fate veered for the kitchen on instinct, but Gabe laughed and caught her by the arm, drawing her with him down the hall.
“You are cruel,” she said, stepping ahead of him and turning around so she was walking backwards and could give him a wounded look. “It’s not kind to deprive a poor, helpless addict of her fix.” “It’s tough love,” he said, straight-faced. She laughed. “Liar. You just want to get to it before I do.” He smiled, slow and warm, and reached to touch her. “No. I have much more interesting things in mind.” “More interesting than coffee, first thing in the morning?” She tsked and shook her head. “My, you do think highly of yourself.” The corners of his eyes creased with amusement. She turned forward, intent on dragging him into her room and not letting him out until at least lunch time. There was a Were standing in front of her, in wolf form, no more than a stride away. Another moment and she’d have tripped over it. She yelped in surprise and jumped back, but Gabe was right there behind her and she just ran into him. His hands settled on her shoulders, steadying her, but he couldn’t steady the way her heart leapt into her throat and began to race, so hard it felt like her chest would explode. “Fate?” Gabe’s voice was low and concerned. He rubbed his thumbs along the back of her neck. “I’m sorry. I just—” She sounded breathless, as frantic as she felt, and she hated it. She moved to the side, putting her back to the wall, so the Were could walk past. It spared her a brief glance, and then continued by in a swish of white and silver fur, its claws clicking on the hardwood floor. Fate dragged her attention back to Gabe. His brows were furrowed as he watched the wolf leave, his expression no longer light or amorous. When he turned to her, she edged away almost instinctively. He sighed, but it trailed off into a rough sound. “Is she the one who growled at you this morning?” he demanded. Fate licked her lip and shook her head. “No. It wasn’t that one.” He relaxed, but his expression was still dark and unhappy. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her against his side. They continued down the hall together. Fate leaned in against him, trying to let the warmth of his body chase away her edginess. He pushed the door to her room open and urged her in ahead of him. When she was in the room, she turned and took a deep breath to clear away the last of the tension and prepared to get back onto the much more pleasant prospect of dragging him into bed. Gabe still looked unhappy as he shut the door behind them, though. “Fate,” he said quietly. “If Lily’s not the one you had trouble with this morning, why did you react the way you did just now?” Fate crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged one shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting to turn around and practically trip over a wolf, Gabe. It startled me, that’s all.” “Startled?” He closed the distance between them. He curved a hand around the back of her neck and rested his thumb lightly above the hollow of her throat. “Your pulse is still racing.” She’d have stepped back if he hadn’t been touching her. That would have made it too obvious, too direct. “Adrenaline does that, I’m told.” His brows lowered. “Tell me. The truth, Fate.”
“Christ.” She rolled her eyes. “I turned around and found myself face-to-face with a wolf, Gabe. Fangs and claws and all. It’s just instinct. Fight or flight. Don’t read too much into it.” “I think I haven’t been reading enough into it,” he said with a sigh. He guided her back until the bed hit the backs of her legs and she sat down on the mattress. He crouched before her so they were on the same level and stared into her eyes. “What on earth makes you think there’s any need for fight or flight?” “I didn’t think,” she snapped. She tried to push him back, but he was like stone. “It was just instinct.” “Instinct,” he echoed. “That when you come across a Were, your life is in danger?” She leaned back from him, his tone suddenly making her wary. “Gabe—” “I have not helped you at all, have I?” He sought out her gaze. He looked weighted down by crushing disappointment. “You are still as afraid of us as ever.” “They could kill me if they wanted to!” she snapped, anger making her spine stiffen. “And they’ve given me no reason to think they like me any.” “No,” he growled. “It’s not that. They’ve never threatened you.” His gaze softened a little as he searched hers. “Unless you have not told me the whole truth?” She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “No. I told you everything.” “So there is no basis for this fear.” His words were filled with disappointment, his tone with unhappiness, but the touch of his hands on her shoulders was still gentle. “You know there is.” His mouth flattened. “No basis beyond what we are.” “Gabe.” Her breath tore through her chest. “You know why I feel this way. You know why. I know Weres are dangerous.” “You think we are,” he countered. His expression darkened and he turned his gaze away. “And perhaps it’s understandable. You were young, after all, and a survivor of trauma. Toby fears all people, because of the abuse he suffered at the hands of a few.” He looked back at her. “Just as you fear all Weres.” Fate released her breath. “Not all,” she told him quietly. His lips twitched, hardly enough to credit as a smile. “You were afraid of me, when I found you out there this morning.” “I thought you were—” “It doesn’t matter.” He straightened. “Come here,” he said, as he moved back. Fate stood and followed him. He crouched to pick up the bag that held her toys, then took her hand and led her from the room. She balked in the hallway, pulling at his hold and frowning. “Gabe, what—” He led her along, gentle but insistent. “Come with me, Fate.” He paused and turned back to look at her. “I want you to trust me.” She sighed and scrubbed her other hand over her face. When he resumed walking again, she let him lead her without protest. He took her into what surely must have been his room. It was much larger than the guest room he’d given her, and through an open doorway she thought she could see an adjoining bathroom. The bed was big enough for two, with plenty of room to spare. Gabe shut the door. “Take your clothes off,” he said quietly, and crossed to put her bag on the bed while she obeyed. Fate hung her clothes over the foot of the bed as she shed them. Gabe glanced at her
once, his gaze warm and appreciative, but only for a moment before he turned his attention back to rifling through the bag’s contents. “Looking for something in particular?” she asked him as she tugged off her socks and tucked them into her shoes. “Yes,” he said, terse. “I’ll find it.” He gestured over his shoulder. “Go stand in the middle of the room and shut your eyes.” She raised a brow, murmured, “Yes, sir,” and moved to stand in the center of the room. She closed her eyes. “Gee, Gabe, and it’s not even my birthday yet.” When he didn’t answer her, she shifted uncertainly. She could hear the faint rustle and clink as he continued to look through the bag, and she began to wonder what it was he wanted. After a moment, he made a pleased sound and the noises of his search stopped. Faint sounds that might have been steps neared her, circled around. Her brows drew together, but she waited. Something touched her face. She flinched back, but he steadied her with a hand between her shoulder blades. A blindfold, she realized as he tied it at the back of her head. Her pulse quickened. “Ooh, Gabe. Kinky.” He gave a breath of reluctant laughter. He was hardly touching her, but she was focused on his presence, acutely aware of it. She felt him come around to stand in front of her again. “Can you see?” he asked her. “Tell me the truth.” She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Her lashes brushed against the blindfold, and she shook her head. “Nope. It’s lights out.” “Good.” His hand slid over her shoulder, down her arm. “Give me your hands.” She lifted them and held them out to him. His fingers circled her wrists, and he drew them around, behind her back. He turned her and held them together with one hand while the other wound a length of nylon rope around them. She made a low sound as he bound her wrists with the rope, securing them behind her back. She didn’t need to look to know he’d done a good job. There was no slack or weak knot that might allow escape. She blindly turned her face toward where she thought he was. “Kneel down,” he instructed her with a light touch on her shoulder. She laughed breathlessly as she sank down onto her knees, careful to remain balanced since she would not be able to use her hands to catch herself if she fell. He helped guide her, and her knees landed on something soft and cushioning. “I think I like where this is going,” she told him, grinning despite the fact that she couldn’t see him. “Hush, Fate.” His warmth was close against her, his hands strong where they rested on her arms. His voice came from right in front of her—he must be kneeling as well. “That’s not what I want from you.” “Well, you ought to clue me in,” she teased, letting her grin tug lopsided. He was quiet a moment, and then he sighed. “I want you to trust me.” Her brows climbed. She gave a jerk against the ropes binding her hands. “You think this isn’t trust?” “Do you think it is?” he countered. She sat back on her haunches, wishing she could see him and have some small sense of what he was thinking. “I wouldn’t let you tie me up or beat me or fuck me if I didn’t
trust you, Gabe.” His hands slid up her arms. One curved under her jaw, tilting her chin up. She forced down the urge to squirm. It was unsettling not to know what he was doing, where he was looking. “What trust do you put in me, exactly?” he asked her quietly. “You trust me to stop if you ask me to, to honor your safe word. Is that supposed to mean something?” She ran her tongue over the edge of her lip. If he hadn’t bound her hands, she’d have yanked the blindfold off so she could see. She felt like she was trying to navigate treacherous waters without a chart, when she couldn’t see his expression. Was he angry? He sounded like he might be. “It means everything,” she whispered. “No.” He smoothed his hand over her hair. His fingers caught on the edge of the blindfold, but it was too much to hope he’d release it. “It means nothing. You trust this word to keep you safe, but you do not trust me. If you did, you would not have panicked when I nearly gagged you without first arranging some other signal.” She rocked back, stung. “I didn’t panic—” “You could not say your word fast enough.” “It wasn’t safe,” she snapped. The backs of his fingers brushed her cheeks. His brow pressed against hers. He gave a soft sigh. “Because without the protection of your word, who knows what I might have done to you?” “Gabe—” Her voice broke. “Stop it. I trust you.” “Will you?” he asked, suddenly insistent. “Will you trust me?” She didn’t see a difference between the two, but clearly there was one. “Yes,” she said slowly. “If that’s what you want.” He shifted in front of her. Doing what, she couldn’t know. “I want to try something. I think it may frighten you. It’s all right if it does, but yes, I want you to trust me.” His hands brushed her face, stroking. She let out her breath unsteadily, wanting to reach for him and return the caresses. He was so gentle. “I want you to talk to me, if it does,” he murmured, so close his breath brushed her face. “Just talk. Tell me … whatever you like. What’s frightening you. What you’re thinking. Anything.” He pressed a light kiss to her mouth. “There’s no shame in admitting your fear.” He paused then. The silence stretched until she realized that he was waiting for her answer. She frowned and readjusted her position to lessen some of the strain on her knees. “I don’t really know what you’re talking about,” she said at last. “But yes. I’ll do it.” He nodded once—his cheek brushed hers, which was the only way she knew it at all—and eased back so there was space between them again. He reached around her and slid his hands into hers, a brief moment of comfort. “Stay here,” he told her. “Don’t move. I’ll be back in a moment. I want you to wait for me.” She nodded, too. “I can do that.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and the sound of his footsteps faded away. Time seemed endless, sitting and waiting for him. The sounds of the house and the world outside seemed magnified. She could hear water rushing and pipes clanging. Somewhere distant in the house, someone was either running a load of laundry or had started the dishwasher. A draft made the edge of the venetian blinds that shaded Gabe’s window bump against the glass. She heard footsteps approaching, but the beat was all wrong. She half-turned, a
question on her lips. But by then the sound was closer and marked by the unmistakable click of claws on the hardwood floor. She froze, feeling as though someone had dropped a bucket of ice water into the pit of her stomach. Dread surged up, threatening to choke her. “Gabe?” It was barely a whisper. “Is that—” A cold, wet nose bumped into the palm of her hand, curled loosely at the small of her back. She nearly jumped out of her skin. “Christ.” The epithet exploded from her. “You might have told me this is what you had in mind.” The steady, rhythmic click of his steps circled around her while her heart throbbed in her throat. She turned her head, trying to follow him, as her brain scrambled to make sense of it. What was he doing? What was the point of it? He brushed against her on his next circuit, soft fur skimming along her shoulder. She gasped, and her throat was so tight it almost sounded like a sob. She shivered and fought the urge to lean away. He bumped his nose against her hand again, lingered this time, so the warm dampness of his breath rushed over her fingers. She shut her eyes, quivering, trying hard not to imagine what he must look like now, like this. “Right.” Her voice shivered. But he’d asked her to talk, and she’d told him she would. “Desensitization. Scare me out of my wits bad enough and little things like tripping over a wolf in the middle of the hall will suddenly seem like small potatoes. I think—” When he brushed against her this time it was a firm touch, forcing her to lean back into him to counter his weight, or he’d have toppled her over completely. Her mind stuttered, tripping over panic, and her train of thought fled her completely. With his next circuit, Gabe stopped in front of her, his shoulder pressed to hers. Fur brushed her cheek, and then the cold touch of his nose. She jumped, swallowing a cry. Even though the fabric over her eyes blinded her completely, she squeezed her eyes shut and fought to hold still as his breath washed over her face. “I—This—” Her breath hitched. “This is getting a little full-contact for my tastes. Could you—” She shifted, twisting herself away. He just pressed in closer and sniffed across her face. “Okay, look, desensitization is one thing, but personal space is another, and you’re kind of invading mine.” He moved down her throat, his breath warming her skin. It was still too much, but at least he wasn’t in her face anymore. She let out a slow, unsteady breath. He moved away, withdrawing from her completely. She sat down on her heels as she listened to him walk across the room, wondering if she dared to hope he was finished. It was only a moment before the click of claws warned he was returning. Even that brief minute was enough that she’d managed to steady herself somewhat. She’d gotten her breathing under control, at least, though her pulse sped as he neared. “This really sucks, you know,” she said as he walked around her again. “There must be a better way.” There has to be, she thought as he thrust his nose in against her throat and she flinched back, pure instinct. She shut her eyes again and forced herself to keep talking. If nothing else, at least it was something to focus on that wasn’t Gabe, pacing around her and keeping her off balance with his little touches. “You can’t just force this, you know,” she said, squeezing the words through her throat. “You can’t just tie someone up and force them over their
fear. I went out to see Toby this morning. That poor dog. All he did was glare and snarl at me until I left. I thought it would be okay. He’d seemed to be doing well the last time we went out there. But I guess it was because of you. He didn’t trust me because you’d given me your blessing. He just trusted that you’d keep him safe, while I was around. And I don’t suppose this means anything, really, except I’m really trying hard not to hyperventilate here, and you asked me to talk.” His breath brushed her face again. She broke off, too tense to speak. He licked her cheek, his tongue warm and rough. Fate made a low sound and held herself still. He leaned his chin on her shoulder. It brought his body in close to hers, his whole side pressed against her chest, one of his legs touching hers. She could feel his sides rise and fall as he breathed. She made a sound again and turned toward him, pressing her face into his fur. She tried to remember it was still Gabe in there under the fur and claws, and that she did trust him, despite his misgivings. “I’m going to have to thank you for this, eventually, I suppose,” she murmured into his fur. “It may take me some time to work myself up to it.” He drew back, moving away again. A shiver stole over her in the absence of his warmth. He wandered away again, and then returned and bumped her arm with his nose. She jumped a little, despite herself. He walked around her, sniffing her fingers and blowing his breath over her. She turned her head as he moved, following him. After a few circuits, he nosed her shoulder, and then up to her throat again. He rubbed against her shoulder forcefully, abrupt enough that he caught her off guard. She had to shift suddenly to keep her balance. “Damn it, Gabe, what the hell—” He made a low, rumbling sound, not quite a growl, but still enough to make the hair on her arms stand on end. She stilled, her heart pounding like a jackhammer, tense again as the air vibrated. He bumped her again and she jerked back. She’d have scowled at him if there’d been any point, but it would have just been hidden behind the blindfold. He came in close, his body pressing into hers again, and thrust his nose beneath her chin. The sudden cold made her flinch away and twist, putting her shoulder between them. This time he did growl, a deep rumble that made her shudder and gasp. She tried to move back, no longer thinking about trust or desensitization, thinking only that there was a wolf growling in her face and she was full of soft, vulnerable bits she couldn’t hope to defend. She tried to bring her hands up, jerking against the ropes. Her breath frayed, sawing through her throat. “Gabe…” “That’s enough, Matthew,” he said quietly, from close by on her other side. “Leave us now.” Fate whipped around toward the sound of his voice. “What—” A tail brushed against her arm as the clicking sound of claws on the floor receded. Realization dawned. It wasn’t Gabe. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t have shifted from wolf to man and back again so quickly. And he’d said—Panic erupted in her stomach. She threw herself away from the wolf so violently she toppled over. Hands caught her, human hands, steadying her and lifting her up. “You bastard.” The minute her legs were under her, she wrenched away from him. “You son of a bitch.” “Fate.” “Get these off of me.” She struggled against the rope that bound her, wrenching at
her wrists, heedless of the damage she might do. “Get them off!” He put his hands on her shoulders again, holding her down. She couldn’t match his strength. She settled, stopped struggling, but her blood pounded in her ears and shivers coursed over her skin. His hands moved up to the back of her head. The blindfold shifted as he worked at the knot, enough that she could see a thin line of light. It was a torment to hold still and wait. When at last he drew it away and she could see, she drew great, gasping breaths, swamped by relief. Gabe knelt before her, his expression serious and concerned. She jerked at the ropes again. “Untie me, damn it.” “No,” he said quietly. She sat back, stunned by his refusal. “Red light,” she snapped. “I’m through with this. Damn it, Gabe, untie me now or I swear to God—” He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. “No,” he said again. “Not yet.” She stared at him. Everything grew very still within her. If he wouldn’t honor her safe word, she had nothing. No recourse but to wait, at his mercy. “You asshole,” she snarled. “You’re really going to do this?” “I am going to speak,” he told her. “And I want you to listen. And then I’ll untie you.” “I’m not interested in anything you have to say right now.” His expression turned wry. “If I thought you were, I’d untie you first.” “There are better ways to get a girl to listen to you than to tie her up and force her.” His lips thinned. “And how should I convince you to listen to me, then?” “You might have tried not lying and deceiving me.” She struggled against the ropes again. “What the hell is the point of trust if you go and break it like that?” He looked at her for a moment, his brows lowered. “If you’d known it was the others, not me, you’d never have tolerated it.” “You’re damn right.” She glared at him, the only real defense she had. “Because you would not have trusted them with your safety.” “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” He reached out to her slowly, giving her a chance to draw back. She just scowled at him, unwilling to give that satisfaction. His fingers brushed her cheek. “And yet you were not harmed,” he murmured. “Bound, blind, helpless, at the mercy of these creatures you fear. If they wished to harm you, they had the opportunity.” He stroked his fingers through her hair. “And yet, you are unharmed.” “Fuck you,” she snarled at him. “It was an awful thing to do. I’m not a dog, Gabe. You can’t just fix me, like Toby, by locking me up or tying me down. It’s cruel, and you’re either a right bastard, or a complete idiot for thinking it would actually work.” He was quiet for a moment. The corners of his mouth turned up in a faint smile, and he shook his head. “You do not even realize what you’ve done, do you?” “I’m pretty sure it’s called a panic attack, and thanks ever so much for that. It was a real treat.” “No, Fate.” He looked at her, and he seemed happy. Almost … proud. “You submitted to the pack.” She dropped down onto her heels and stared at him.
“Completely. Without protest. Without sarcasm or backtalk. You sat here and let them greet you, let them assert their place.” “I thought it was you.” “It doesn’t matter. You submitted. It’s what they needed from you.” She pressed her lips together. “Gabe. Untie me. Now. I’m done playing games, I’m done listening, I’m just done.” His head dropped forward and he pushed himself to his feet with a sigh. He walked around and knelt behind her. His fingers brushed her hands as he worked at the rope. After a moment they loosened enough that she was able to free her right wrist. She pulled it out, and then brought her hands around in front of her and tore the ropes off the rest of the way. She threw them to the floor and shoved herself to her feet. Gabe’s gaze followed her as she stalked across the room and snatched her clothes from the end of the bed. He got to his feet and moved over to stand near her. When he reached for her, she jerked back. “No. Don’t touch me.” He stilled, his gaze seeking hers. She stared back at him until he lowered his hand to his side again. “I’m sorry for upsetting you.” She jerked her clothes on without answering. When she was covered enough for decency, she snatched up what was left and stalked out of the room. She felt him watching her as she left, but he didn’t call out or try to stop her. She strode down the hall to her room, shoved the door open and swung it shut behind her. She dropped her shoes down onto the floor and threw the lock on the door. As she leaned back against it, she finally felt as though she could breathe, and as though she might someday be able to stop shaking. She finished dressing, more carefully this time, and tied her hair up at the crown of her head. Feeling infinitely more prepared to handle anything when she was dressed and groomed, she grabbed her first-aid kit from the nightstand and sat down on the center of the bed, spreading the contents of the kit out before her. She’d scraped her wrists raw on the rope when she’d fought. Her skin was torn and pink, and where the rope had covered the boney protrusions of her wrists, there were flecks of blood. She tore open an alcohol swab and cleaned the abrasions, hissing at the sting. When the alcohol had evaporated, she rubbed antibiotic ointment over the wounds, wrapped them in gauze, and taped them in place. When she was finished, she threw out the swabs and repacked the kit, then sat with her back against the headboard, looking at her wrists with their twin white bandages wrapped around. Between Kynan and Gabe, she’d spent more time slathering herself in ointment and wrapped in bandages than she’d have imagined possible. The thought of Gabe made her sigh and tunnel her fingers through her hair. Nerves shivered in her stomach. She curled over, leaning her brow on her knees. Her hair fell forward, creating a curtain around her face, shutting everything else out. She shut her eyes and tried to clear her mind, to think of anything but what he’d done. What the wolves had done and he’d put her through. The urge to climb out the bedroom window and escape to her car was ridiculous, but appealing. She didn’t want to have to face any of them. She didn’t know that she’d be able to keep herself under control if she did.
Gradually, her stomach unclenched and the tension that held her taut and quivering eased, and all she felt was exhausted. There was no point hiding in her room like a child, and she wouldn’t let it be thought that she was doing so. She straightened and climbed off the bed, straightened her clothes and hair, and then strode out as though nothing at all had happened. The TV was on again, playing another movie. Fate glanced briefly at the screen. It looked like some romantic film, a chick flick, lighthearted and fun. Lily was stretched out on the couch, laughing at some joke Fate must have just missed. She veered away to circle around the couch into the kitchen, but Lily saw her and leaned back over the arm of the couch. “I made brownies,” she said, reaching out toward Fate with the plate in her hand. She must have just made them, because the smell caught Fate half a step away, rich and decadent. She stopped and looked at the plate and then at Lily. “Help yourself,” the Were said, gesturing with the plate. Fate carefully took one of the brownies. She was right—it was still warm, soft and oozing with melted chocolate chips. She balanced it on her palm and looked down at it in dismay. “Crap,” she said on a sigh. Lily’s brows lifted. She put the plate back on the coffee table and waited. “I am completely incapable of holding a grudge with a belly full of chocolate.” Lily’s grin flashed. “Well, if you don’t want it, I’ll take it back.” Fate pulled her hand away, held it and the brownie behind her back protectively. “I am also completely incapable of turning down chocolate in any form. But especially brownies.” “I guess your grudge will have to take a hit, then.” Lily sucked a bit of melted chocolate from her finger. “So it seems.” Fate broke a corner off of the brownie and moved toward the armchair to sit and enjoy it. “Don’t be silly,” Lily said. “There’s room over here.” She curled her legs up to make space. Fate stared at her, feeling like she was being set up for a joke. “And the brownies are over here.” “You make an excellent point.” She changed course and came around the table to sit on the other end of the couch. Lily handed her a small stack of napkins and picked up the DVD remote control. “It just started. I’ll start it over for you.” Fate glanced at her sideways. “You don’t have to do that. I’m a quick study, I’ll catch up.” “Oh, no.” Lily grinned and shook her head as she returned the movie to the main menu. “You can’t miss the opening scene. Everything else depends on it.” Fate broke off another piece of her brownie and popped it in her mouth as the title sequence played on the screen. She made it all the way until the first meeting between the romantic leads before she couldn’t contain herself any longer. “You lot are very strange,” she said, with great feeling. Lily glanced at her, clearly startled. “What, the pack?” “All of you.” Fate caught a bit of melted chocolate that was starting to drip. “I mean, you offer me brownies—”
“I thought you might enjoy one,” Lily said simply. “But you don’t like me.” Lily’s brows climbed. “Why would you think that?” “Why wouldn’t I?” Fate turned, staring at her. “You were all complete jerks to me.” Lily’s mouth twisted thoughtfully. “Well, you weren’t terribly polite when you first got here, were you? And I didn’t know you, and first impressions and all.” She relaxed back into an easy smile. “But you seem like a decent, forthright sort, so I thought I’d give you a chance.” She gestured at the plate. “So it’s a peace offering,” Fate mused. “It’s a brownie. Isn’t that enough?” She smiled at Lily and took another bite. “Oh yes. It’s just fine with me.” They went back to watching the movie and ate half the plate between them. Zach came by at one point and snagged one of the ones that remained, and then made a horrified face at the movie, shuddered dramatically, and hurried away with his pilfered brownie. As the screen went black and the end credits began to roll, Fate straightened and stretched. When she turned, Gabe was standing at the end of the hallway, watching them with a slight smile. When he saw Fate, it started to fade, replaced by uncertainty and hope. He came toward them, out of the hallway. “I’m glad to see you’re making friends,” he told her quietly, and the brownie may have just been a brownie, but this was definitely some attempt at a peace treaty. Fate tugged at the end of her ponytail. “Yes, well, it’s not exactly a novelty. There are one or two I’ve managed to obtain all by my lonesome.” He grimaced and frowned. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.” He looked so unhappy that she couldn’t find it in herself to cling to her hurt. Not with a belly full of the best brownies she’d had in recent memory. “You’re lucky your girl here plied me with chocolate.” As Gabe came around behind the couch, she knelt backwards on it and leaned against the back, looking up at him. “But all things considered, I’d rather not be pissed at you.” He cupped her face in his hands and slid one down beneath her jaw to gently tilt her face up to his. “Are you?” She took a moment to respond. “I’m working on it.” His gaze shuttered. “I’m glad you’re still speaking to me. I wasn’t sure you would.” She blew out a breath in frustration. “Look, bygones, all right? Hey—” An idea struck her. She brightened and began to grin. “In the interest of burying the hatchet… Would you like to come clubbing with me this weekend?”
Chapter Twelve Gabe had work to do on Friday, and Fate had errands she needed to run, so they agreed to meet at the club. He called her as he left work, and she answered the phone breathless and exuberant. “I’ll be on my way, as soon as I go home and change,” he told her. “Great! Meet you there in an hour?” There was a burst of laughter in the background. Fate muffled the phone and answered with something he couldn’t make out. Then she was back. “Sorry. An hour? Yes?” “Sure,” he agreed, smiling as he pulled his car keys from his pocket. “What exactly is the dress code at this place, anyway?” “Oh, you know. Sexy. Fun.” His brows climbed. He laughed softly. “That’s very precise, Fate. Thank you, it’s very helpful.” She made a sound of amusement. “Dressier than a T-shirt, less stuffy than a threepiece suit. Does that help?” “Yes.” He let his smile warm his voice. “Thank you. I’ll see you in an hour.” Showered and changed into slacks and a button-up shirt, he drove to the address she’d given him, and wondered how he was meant to find her. He was just beginning to look when a hand caught him by the elbow, pulled him around. “There you are. I thought I was going to have to spend my whole evening out here getting stared at while I looked for you.” She was certainly worth staring at. She’d done her hair up in dozens of little braids, plaited through with streaks of color and gathered into two ponytails high on her head. She wore a corset-style top that left her shoulders bare and a skirt that revealed the long lines of her legs. He dragged his gaze over her, taking in the sight. “Christ, Fate,” he breathed. She laughed and looped her arms around his neck. “Well, thank you. That’s the nicest compliment I’ve received all night.” His hands settled on the small of her back. He couldn’t help but stroke, fingers pressing in slightly, urging her closer against him. “How do you move in that thing?” It seemed the slightest twist or bend ought to reveal far too much for decency’s sake. She laughed again, lower, pleased, and stepped back. “Oh, I move just fine. Come on, I’ll show you.” She led him into the club, where the pulse of the music seemed to fill the air. She swayed her hips in time with the beat as she walked, and he couldn’t take his eyes from her. Halfway across the crowded floor, she glanced back at him. Her face lit. She turned back, coming in to press full-length against him. Her mouth brushed his ear, and she whispered, “Pick your jaw up off the floor, buddy. I haven’t even gotten started yet.” “I’m working on it,” he murmured. His hands curved around her waist. He could feel the heat of her skin through the fabric. “You look amazing.” She drew back and smiled up at him. “Well, thank you.” Her hands curled on the collar of his shirt, drawing him down to her. She pressed her mouth to his. “You don’t
look half bad yourself.” Her lips curved. “You clean up nice for a big, bad wolf.” He dug his fingers into her waist, jerked her more firmly against him, just to hear her breath hitch and watch her teasing smile fade beneath a wave of heat. He chuckled quietly and bent to kiss her. She kissed him back for a moment, her fingers sliding up to curl in his hair. Then she broke away and danced back out of his reach. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for kissing. But we could do that at home.” He raised a brow and followed after her. “You don’t look like this at home.” She echoed his expression with hers, brow arched, smile teasing. “I could, if you asked nice.” “Please?” “Such a charmer!” She laughed, still moving backwards across the floor. “How could I resist?” Her smile turned wicked. “What’ll you do to me if I say no?” He caught her hand and drew her back to him. She only put up a token protest, then leaned in against him and curved her arm up around his shoulder. Her cheek pressed against his, and her body swayed with the music and the rhythm of the dancers around them. He slid his hand down her side, over her hip, until his palm spread on the warm, bare flesh of her thigh. “Oh, many awful things,” he said against her ear. She shivered against him. “Until you caved and agreed to my demands.” She lifted her head, just enough to look at him. The club was dimly lit and her pupils were wide and dark. “And if I say yes?” “Even more awful things, I’m sure.” He slid his palm up her thigh. She reached down and grabbed him by the wrist before he reached the edge of her skirt. “I don’t think I’d be able to help myself.” “Sounds like a win-win for me.” She slid out of his arms again. “Come on. You’re very distracting, but I won’t be diverted.” “Where are we going?” he asked as she led him through the press of bodies. She cast him an enigmatic glance over her shoulder. “You’ll see.” She led him over toward the bar. A few steps away, she squealed and let go of his hand to rush forward. “Oh my God, you look amazing!” There was a couple at the bar. Fate threw her arms around the woman and squeezed her. “I’m shocked he let you out of the house like that.” The woman returned Fate’s embrace, and then they broke apart. Fate turned to find him, and Gabe got his first clear look at the other woman. For a moment, his heart stopped. It was Reina—Reina as he’d known her, bright and smiling and happy, so full of life and joy that it was infectious. Fate came back to Gabe and pulled at his hand, urging him forward. He moved mindlessly and they were standing in front of Reina, she was tilting her head back to look up at him, her smile still bright but with a guarded question in her eyes. He tore his gaze away from her long enough to confirm Logan was with her, standing behind her, quiet and watchful. He looked back at Fate. Her hand was tight on his, her face tense and hopeful. He couldn’t bear to disappoint her. He couldn’t bear to say something that would kill that sofamiliar light in Reina’s face. “Hello,” he said, quiet and awkward, because there was nothing else in him to say
that wouldn’t cause a scene. “Hi, Gabe.” She stepped toward him, hesitant. Her gaze searched his. Fate’s grip on his hand kept him in place as Reina took another step forward. She slowly slid her arms around his back and hugged him. She looked like Reina, but she smelled like a vampire. Gabe shut his eyes and tried not to flinch. She released him and put a little space between them. “How are you? How’s the pack?” “We’re fine. I’m fine.” He tried to reach up, nervous habit, to run his hand over his face or through his hair. But Fate still had his hand in hers, and she kept it down at his side, even as her expression remained mild and pleasant. “I—There’s been—The dogs are good.” Fate coughed to hide a laugh, and Reina looked up at him in bemusement. But all she said was, “I’m glad. They’re very sweet.” He nodded, jerky, and looked to Fate. She caught his eye. Without looking away, she said to Reina, “Excuse us a minute. I adore this song. It would be a shame not to dance to it.” And she dragged Gabe away from them, back onto the dance floor. When they were fully surrounded by the press of the other dancers, she turned back to him and slid into his arms, moving against him as she spoke against his ear, “She invited me here, and I invited you. We are their guests, so you’d better play nice.” He stilled and straightened, looking down at her. “You planned this,” he said unhappily. “What? A fun night out on the town? Sure I did, and it’s going to be a blast.” He shook his head and tried to move back. But there were people behind him, and nowhere to move to. “Fate, I can’t—” “What?” She stopped even the pretense of dancing and just stood, staring at him. “You can’t be civil for one evening?” “What am I supposed to do?” “Talk to her. Be nice. It’s not that difficult.” He shook his head slowly. “How do you expect me to do that? What she is—” Fate’s look silenced him. “What she is, is a kind woman who was killed by something horrible. You are damn lucky that he turned her, that you didn’t lose your friend for good. And yet, you’re squandering it.” “She’s a vampire.” He dropped his voice. “She’s a monster.” Fate closed the distance between them, took his hands in hers and began dancing with him again. “Newsflash, Gabe,” she murmured. “So are you.” He jerked back, stared at her. “Fate.” “Oh, come on, Gabe.” She turned around, pressed her back against him, and spoke over her shoulder as she moved. “You get furry and fanged with the full moon. Don’t tell me that’s not a little bit monstrous.” He stiffened, insulted. His hands tightened on her arms. “I’ve never hurt anyone.” “Neither has she, as a matter of fact.” “You can’t say that.” He scoffed. “How can you say that? Don’t tell me she’s here for dancing. There are clubs in Bryson.” “You know what? Come with me.” She reached back and grabbed his hands. “I’m going to show you something.” He sighed and let her lead him again. “Fate, this is pointless—”
“No.” Her voice was suddenly sharp and unyielding. “Look, I gave you a pass on that asshole stunt you pulled the other day. If you don’t want to dredge that up and rehash it, you’re going to do as I tell you while we’re here.” “Is that what this is?” he demanded. But he followed her all the same. “Punishment?” She stopped. For a moment, she just stood there. Then she looked at him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her brows lowered. “No, Gabe. I’m not interested in punishing you. And if I were, I’d be upfront about it. Now come on.” They returned to Logan and Reina, standing together at the bar. “You guys go do your thing,” Fate told them as she slid onto a stool. “We’ll keep your seats warm for you.” Reina smiled thanks at Fate, and then glanced at Gabe. He tensed, but she turned away without saying anything. Logan draped an arm around her shoulder and bent to speak to her as they walked off to the edge of the dance floor. Gabe’s gaze followed after them, drawn as though pulled on a leash. Reina turned slightly towards Logan, and he gestured to someone or something he saw. They talked for a moment and then she slipped into the crowd. A moment after, Logan followed behind. “Fate.” Gabe’s voice rumbled low with his displeasure. “He’s taking her to feed.” “You don’t say.” She flagged the bartender down and ordered a cocktail. When he returned with her drink, Gabe pulled out his wallet. Fate’s gaze flashed to him. Her spine straightened. “Put that away.” She fished around behind her, shifting on the stool, and pulled out a slim leather billfold that she brandished at him. “I can pay my own tab.” “God Almighty,” Gabe said, staring at the wallet. “Where on earth do you keep that?” Just considering it was enough to derail his thoughts completely. She broke into a grin. Her expression warmed. “Behave yourself tonight and I’ll let you play hide-and-seek and find out.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” “Oh, do.” She watched him as he put his wallet away again. His expression must have given away more than he intended, because when he’d finished, she told him, “If you want to buy me a drink, you can do it the way every other guy here does.” “You want me to sit on the other side of the bar admiring you, until I finally work up the courage to send the bartender over with something I pray you’ll actually want to drink, and sit with my heart in my throat while I wait to see if you’ll accept my offering or not?” She laughed. The sound was high, bright, and beautiful. “Well, maybe not.” She tipped forward on her stool to kiss him. “Admiring, though. I like the sound of that.” He curved a hand around the back of her neck, but she rocked back before he could deepen the kiss. “Not just now, though. You’ve got a different show to watch.” She gestured past him. Gabe turned, looking where she’d indicated. He could see Reina and Logan toward the edge of the dance floor. Reina was standing too close to another man, and Logan was keeping his distance, so as not to give the impression she was unavailable. Gabe knew how vampires worked their tricks, when they needed to feed. “What is this meant to prove?” he demanded of Fate. “The Reina I knew never would have done this. Never. Flirting with that man, misleading him, just to get him to
agree to let her bite him?” He shook his head hard. “She’s being nice,” Fate murmured. Her gaze was fixed on what was happening on the dance floor. “And telling him what she is, and asking if he’s interested in being a donor. She’s not misleading.” “How would you know?” The man’s body language changed suddenly, everything focusing on Reina. He raked her with an appraising look and leaned in, but she ducked away, shaking her head. “I can’t even hear what they’re saying.” “Because unlike you, I’ve actually talked to her about it, Einstein. I asked her how she goes about finding donors. It seems a tricky proposition. There are just as many out there who hate what she is as who are excited by it.” She gave him a cutting sideways glance to punctuate her words. Gabe started to glance at Fate, but sudden movement from the direction of the dance floor drew his eye back. The man had caught Reina’s wrist and pulled at her while she strained away, looking unhappy and shaking her head again, harder. There was distress on her face, and he was starting to look angry. It was so easy for everything else to fall away. Her lips parted on a cry Gabe couldn’t hear over the throb of the music, and suddenly all he could think was that he was hurting her, and he was so much bigger than she, and that she needed help. He was off his chair and moving toward the floor without a thought, shouldering through the crowd. His blood burned with anger, his mind with single-minded focus. He was two short strides away, his hand already curling into a fist, when Logan stepped in front of him, a hand raised to ward him off. “Leave her be,” he warned, his voice low. “You gave your permission.” Gabe drew breath to protest, trying to skirt around Logan. Before he could do either, Reina stopped pulling away and turned back to the man, her expression set with resolve. For just an instant, Gabe could see on his face that he thought he’d won. His expression transformed completely when Reina grabbed him by the shoulders and brought her knee up, swift and sure. Gabe didn’t hear him cry out over the sound of the music, but he did see him crumple to the ground. Reina stepped back as he fell and wiped her hands on her hips as though she’d touched something noxious. She looked exasperated until she turned and saw Gabe, standing there like an idiot. “Gabe, did you come to rescue me?” Her face broke into a radiant smile. “My hero.” He pulled back, looking down at the man, then up at her. “You don’t seem to have needed it.” “Oh, he’s just a jerk. I’ve dealt with my fair share.” She rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” He’d have excused himself and gone back to Fate’s side, where he didn’t have to feel so awkward and unsure of himself. But Fate was running up to join them, her face bright. “Look at you go!” she cried out to Reina. “Sweetie, that was a thing of beauty.” Reina scrubbed her hands again, looking chagrined. “Thanks.” She looked back at Gabe, and her expression eased. “We’ll still need to find you a donor,” Logan said, coming up to join the rest of them. He cast Gabe a sideways glance, and Gabe tensed, waiting for a cutting remark. It never came. “Do you still think you’ll be able to find one here?” Reina glanced back. The other man was picking himself up off the floor and
staggering away. He glared back at them for a moment. “Yeah.” She faced forward again. “He just got overpowered by a girl. I don’t think he’s going to be keen to spread the story. We’re still good.” “Good.” Logan nodded, looking pleased. “Let’s go find you someone, then.” Reina blew out a breath and tugged her dress straight. “Everyone thinks being a vampire is all glamour and good looks, from here to eternity,” she said to Fate. “I tell you, I’ve never had to work harder for a meal in my life.” “Well, at least the bennies are good,” Fate answered with a grin. She hooked her arm through Gabe’s and leaned in against his side. Reina waved over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd. Gabe looked down at Fate. She was smiling up at him. Her eyes were dark and very close. “Wow,” she murmured. “All that and not one snide comment. I do believe you’re improving.” He frowned and turned, heading back to the bar. He suddenly felt the need for a beer, or a dozen of them. “Don’t rub it in, Fate.” “I’m being sincere, in point of fact.” She held up her hand like she was making a pledge. “Scout’s honor.” He just shook his head and walked back to the bar. Fate eyed him as he ordered a beer. “All right, Broody,” she said at last. “Talk to me. What’s on your mind?” “It’s nothing, Fate.” He took a swig from the bottle. “Now that’s a lie if ever I’ve heard one.” She came sideways around him and slid onto his lap, her arm hooked around his neck to keep her steady. “Is this because you had the audacity to treat Reina like she was a decent human being for a moment?” He frowned and tried to push her off of him. “I said, don’t rub it in. She’s not a human being, you know.” Fate pressed her lips together. She plucked the bottle from his hand and took a sip. When she handed it back, there was lipstick on the rim. “So what’s the problem, exactly? The blood? Because you already gave your blessing on that.” “I didn’t—” He wiped at the lipstick with a napkin. “I didn’t give my blessing. I gave permission. I can keep an eye on the vampires better if they’re hunting in my territory. I can keep them from crossing the line.” She leaned her cheek against his shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair. “What line?” He turned his head, frowning down at her. “Taking from the unwilling. Doing harm, or killing their victims.” “Has Reina crossed that line?” He sighed and drank again, long and deep. “No,” he admitted at last. “Not that I know.” “So, she only takes from the willing, she doesn’t harm her donors, she only knees guys in the crotch when they really deserve it, and she hasn’t left any corpses in her wake. I ask again, what is the problem?” “Forget it.” He wrapped his hands around her waist and shifted her off of him. “No.” Fate braced her hands on his shoulders and shoved him back down into his seat. He stared at her, blinking. “Answer me. What exactly has she done?” “Nothing,” he said quietly, knowing it was the wrong answer. But it was the only
one he had. “She’s done nothing. She didn’t have to. What she is—” “A woman,” Fate said, glaring at him, daring him to refute her. “A woman who was dealt a horrible hand and is playing it as best she can. What should she do that she isn’t already? Would you have her starve herself? Should she go walk off into the sunrise and let herself burn to dust, rather than take from those who are willing to give? What exactly would make you happy, Gabe?” He shook his head and looked away from her, so she wouldn’t see his temper flare. “She was my friend. She’s not any longer. I don’t have to like what she’s become.” “You don’t have to be an ass about it, either.” Fate made a sudden noise in the back of her throat. She pulled at his hand. “Come on. Come with me.” Reluctant, he let her draw him to his feet. “Where are we going?” “To talk to her.” She glanced back over her shoulder at him. “You’re doing as I say while we’re here, remember. We’re guests, and I, for one, would like to be invited out clubbing with them again sometime.” He nodded once, perhaps not as gracious as he could have been, and let her lead. She found Reina in the crowd, grabbed her arm and leaned in close to say something in her ear over the music. Reina glanced quickly at Gabe, not long enough to notice the way he stiffened, and then nodded. They worked their way off the floor, where it was less crowded. Fate drew Gabe along with them. They found a corner far enough away from the floor and the music that they could hear one another, if they raised their voices. “You get your grades back yet?” Fate asked Reina as they huddled together. “Most of them.” Reina smiled happily. “I got a B in Chem, but that was pretty much expected. I’m still waiting on French, but I’ve been solid all year in that, so I think I’m good. How about you?” “I’m waiting on Calc,” Fate said with a grimace. “He’s positively glacial about grading.” Reina scoffed and nudged Fate with her shoulder, grinning. “What are you worried about? You had the best tutor on campus. He’s probably just stunned by your brilliance.” Fate laughed and shook her head. “Your faith is touching, but I’m not going to hold my breath. Any word yet on when the schedule of classes is coming out for fall quarter?” “Oh, that’s months out, I’m sure.” Reina rolled her eyes. “Logan says Brown is planning on offering a class in shifter sociology next quarter, though, which sucks. I’ve been waiting for that class for ages, but he’s already got a night class planned, and I doubt he’ll want to stick around campus into the wee hours of the morning just for me.” It was painful for Gabe to listen to their lively discussion. How many times had he listened to Reina and Adri have this same conversation, sprawled out on his living-room floor poring over that quarter’s class catalog as they pieced together their schedules? Too many to count, and it was just the same as it had always been. Reina’s face was bright with the topic, fairly bouncing with excitement, even as she encountered setbacks and plotted how to get around them. Even now, she and Fate were discussing if the Student Disabilities Center might count vampirism as a legitimate disability and provide her video tapes of Brown’s lectures so she could attend the class no matter what time of day it was offered. “Oh! Did I tell you?” Reina suddenly bounced on the balls of her feet, brimming with excitement. “Professor Leyton emailed me the other day. You know the presentation
I was sweating over for Gender and Class in Were Hierarchy a couple months back? He wants to know if I’d present it to his freshman seminar next quarter! Holy shit, right?” Gabe’s attention snapped to her. Fate’s mouth fell open, and she squeaked. “You’re darn right, holy shit! Wow, sweetie.” “Gender and class in Were hierarchy?” Gabe said softly. “I didn’t know you were taking that.” Reina looked at him for a moment. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth, and then released it all on a rush and said, “Well, you didn’t ask.” “I thought…” He dropped his gaze. “I thought you were taking all those classes because you wanted to sit in with Adri.” Reina sucked in air through her teeth. She let it out slowly. “That’s what you thought?” she breathed. “Christ, Gabe. All this time… Don’t you know me at all?” Gabe couldn’t answer. He just shook his head, feeling miserable. “Oh, Gabe, you have to see her presentation,” Fate said. “You’d love it. She’s got all this awesome research … Reina, honey, you’ll show him, won’t you?” Reina nodded slowly, her gaze on Gabe. She chewed on the edge of her lip. “Yeah,” she said softly, so Gabe had to strain to hear it. “Yeah, if he wants to see it. I’d love to show you,” she said directly to him. They were both looking at him now, waiting for his answer. The pressure of their expectations was too much. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Sure,” he managed. He probably sounded ungracious, but it was all he could do just to force the words out. “Sure. I’d like to see it.” Reina’s face brightened, flooded with happiness, and that was painful to see, too. He looked away, but a gentle touch on his arm made him lift his head. Fate looked up at him, her dark eyes shining. She didn’t say a word, just curved her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down, pressing her mouth to his. “What was that for?” he wondered softly when she sank back down onto her heels. “Oh, you know. Just because.” She eased back and turned to look toward the dance floor. “God, we left poor Logan out there to fend for himself, didn’t we? I’d better go check up on him, keep him company.” She slipped away before Gabe could protest, leaving him and Reina alone together. Gabe eyed Reina uncertainly, and she looked back at him, clearly apprehensive. The moment stretched, became unbearable. He dragged his hands through his hair and asked, before he could talk himself out of having anything to do with her, “Should we go dance, then?” Anything was better than standing here awkwardly with nothing to say. “Okay. I’d like that,” she said, smiling at him. They returned to the dance floor. She turned to him when they’d made a space for themselves. Gabe suddenly felt like an awkward, gangly teenager again, unsure what to do with himself, feeling all elbows and wayward limbs. Fate had plastered herself all over him and all he’d had to do was put his hands on her and let them roam. It was no help at all here, with Reina. The longer it took him to sort out what to do with himself, the more uncomfortable she looked. Finally, it seemed only a matter of moments before she started looking around for escape. “I’m sorry!” he said. Her gaze flew up to his, startled. He shook his head and made a helpless gesture. “I’m no good at this. It’s not my scene. I’m sorry I’m so awkward.”
Her expression lightened, and her whole body seemed to relax. “No, it’s okay. I’m not much of a fan of clubs either.” She grimaced, clearly frustrated. “But Logan says there aren’t any better alternatives out there. God…” She groaned and ran a hand over her face. “It’s such a pain in the ass.” He looked down at her, startled by the sudden strain in her voice. “What is?” “This whole thing.” She flapped her hand. “Being a vampire. I’d kill to be able to just stop by a McDonald’s and pick up dinner once in a while, you know? Instead of all this.” She sighed and looked around her. She suddenly looked very young, lost and overwhelmed and unhappy. Gabe swept her up in an impulsive hug. She was stiff for a moment, startled, then wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said again, against her ear where he knew she’d hear it. She nodded and held on tight and said something against his shirt that might have been, “I miss you.” He held on to her, wordless, until he felt Reina shift and raise her head. He did too, and saw Fate standing near them. “Christ,” she said lightly, but her gaze slid back and forth between them. “I like you both, but it must be said. You two are painful to watch. Don’t either of you know how to get your groove on?” She shook her head, and looked at Reina. “Mind if I cut in here, sweetie? Logan’s getting bored, and clearly…” She cast an amused glance at Gabe. “…I need to teach my man the proper use of a dance floor.” Reina stepped back, letting Fate in, and went off to find Logan. Gabe had barely turned his attention back to Fate when she was suddenly pressed in against him, her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely. His arms came around her automatically. When the kiss ended, she hugged him tight and pressed her cheek to his. “Oh, Gabe,” she whispered. “I’m so proud of you.” He looked down at her. “What for?” She was moving, tiny little steps, and somehow they were swaying in time to the music, dancing, as naturally as breathing. “Don’t tell me you don’t know.” She looked up at him. Her whole face was radiant with happiness. He brushed his fingers through her braids and murmured, “You did that on purpose.” “Only a little.” She kissed his lips lightly. “I didn’t expect you to pick it up and run with it like that.” She fit her body more closely against his. “You can punish me for it later, if you like.” She looked so carefree and happy, her face tilted up to him, her lips curved and eyes bright, her body matched easily to his as they moved together. It was such a marked contrast to the way she’d been, that first day in his home. Tense, frightened, angry. He’d thought he’d never get through to her. He bent and kissed her, slowly, deliberately. She cupped the back of his head and met him equally in the kiss. Her lips were soft, her tongue eager. There was a faint, lingering taste of alcohol and fruit from the cocktail she’d had earlier. He angled her mouth against his and deepened the kiss, seeking the taste that was uniquely her own. She was the one who broke away, and not for many minutes. She gave a husky laugh and smiled up at him. “I said later, buddy. You kiss me like that here, I’m going to get annoyed with you for making promises you can’t keep.” “Me?” he muttered. He slid his hands along her sides, tracing her curves. His fingers brushed along her thigh. “Everything you do in an outfit like this is just one big tease.”
Her smile spread. “Do you like it?” “I can’t bear it.” He swept his thumbs over the narrowest part of her waist. “I’ve been thinking about taking it off of you all night. If I have to wait another minute—” “What?” She laughed, beaming up at him. “What will you do?” She leaned in, skimming her lips along his jaw, all the way up to his ear. Her tongue flicked out over his earlobe. “Tell me,” she breathed. “Fate…” He groaned, his hands clenching on her. “You’re playing with fire.” “Am I?” The tip of her tongue traced the shell of his ear. “Maybe I like it hot.” “God!” He broke away, holding her back. Even that distance was too small. He stared at her, the blood rushing in his ears. “You’re awful.” “Well, I am trying to be,” she said with a lopsided grin. “You’re not rising to my bait.” “Do you think?” he muttered, and she laughed with delight. “So do something about it.” She moved in closer. Her head tipped to the side, and her smile glittered in the dim light. “Or you could let me.” He frowned at her. “I don’t think anything you intended to do about it would be fit for public.” “Oh, not in the least.” She stepped back. “I’ll go make our excuses to Reina and Logan, shall I?” She slipped away before he could answer, which was just as well. When she returned, a few minutes later, she hooked her arm through his and headed for the door. “I brought my car,” she reminded him as they stepped out into the night. The cold air was a shock after the heated press of the club. “We’ll have to drive back separately. Probably not the worst idea ever.” She sent him a sideways glance, a crooked smile. “The things I’d like to do with you aren’t at all appropriate for a moving vehicle, either.” She pulled away from him and palmed her keys. “Meet you there.” He watched her walk away. She put a swagger to her walk that made her hips sway and his mouth run dry. He took deep breaths as he walked the other direction, toward his car, and started home. She was right about one thing. It was good they had to take separate cars. Even alone behind the wheel, she was all he could think about. Her wicked, teasing smile, the way her eyes shone, the warm rasp of her whisper in his ear, telling him she was proud of him. He groaned and set cruise control, to keep his speedometer at a safe speed. He didn’t trust himself to pay adequate attention to it, not when Fate was running through his brain. The gate was already open when he reached the turnoff, as though in invitation. She was sitting on the balcony rail, legs swinging, smiling at him as he got out of the car and closed the distance between them. “I win,” she said with an impish grin. “What do I get?” The slight elevation of the balcony brought her level with him. He didn’t stop, didn’t answer her, just strode up to her and dragged her mouth to his. She laughed against his lips, wrapped arms and legs around him. “You’re a horrible tease,” he muttered between kisses. He couldn’t let go of her, not even long enough to draw breath. He never wanted to stop kissing her. “I am,” she murmured in agreement. “I’m just awful. Completely unrepentant.” He pulled her toward him, off the edge of the rail and into his arms. She grinned and held onto him tighter so he was carrying her. He climbed the stairs with her in his arms, pressed her back against the wall beside the door while he sorted through his keys blind,
looking for the one to the house. She did her best to distract him, pulling her hands through his hair and taking the kiss deeper when he would have backed away. After long, glorious minutes, he finally got the door open. He stumbled inside with her and kicked it shut behind them, Fate’s laughter ringing in his ears.
Chapter Thirteen Gabe carried her down the hall and into his bedroom, his hands gripping her urgently. When they finally had their privacy, he pinned her back against the wall and kissed her long, deep, and hard. Desire fluttered in the pit of her belly. She dragged her hands down his chest and pulled at his button-up shirt. “Stop,” he growled, batting her hands away. He lifted his head and stared down at her. His expression was intense. “Just stop.” She stilled and let her hands fall away. “Okay. What do you want me to do?” He groaned and shook his head. “Where should I begin?” He pressed his mouth to the curve of her shoulder. She let her head fall back as he kissed up her throat and then down again to her collar. His tongue delved into the hollow at the base of her throat. Then he kissed lower, down her sternum, until his lips grazed the corset’s edge. She expected him to reach for it, to unfasten it and cast it aside. Instead, he moved his hand down to the inside of her knee. She stilled, taut and waiting as he trailed his fingers up her thigh. He pushed her skirt up and her panties aside as though she wasn’t wearing anything at all. “God.” The word exploded from her when his fingers found her clit, stroked circles around it in the slickness of her own fluids. “Fuck, Gabe.” He pinned her in place, one hand twisted in her hair, his face close to hers. She couldn’t look away from him, not even when he slid his fingers into her and found a place that made her body tremble against his. Slowly, he let her legs slide down from around his waist, off his hips, until she was standing. His hand slipped around, curved over her ass and pulled her against him. She could feel his cock, stiff and straining against his slacks. “Gabe,” she murmured, reaching down to cup him in her hands. “I really was terrible tonight. I put this outfit on knowing it would drive you mad. I’ve been—” He caught her mouth with his, and for a moment she let the kiss consume her. But then she broke away, gasping. “I’ve been testing your patience all night. You should let me show you how sorry I am.” His gaze searched hers, and then he took one step back. Fate lowered herself to her knees before him. He slid his fingers up and down the back of her neck, a light touch, while she worked open his belt and drew down his zipper. She took him in her hand and carefully worked him free of the fabric encumbering him. His cock thrust out toward her, begging for her touch. She slid her fingers along his shaft and angled him up so she could take him into her mouth. He groaned at the first touch of her lips. His fingers clenched in her hair, but it was a thrilling pressure. She wet her lips so they glided over him smoothly, and let her tongue tease across his skin. He moaned as she slowly dragged her tongue over him. She took him a little deeper, fitting her lips over the flared base of his head, and lapped over him so there was no place that hadn’t been licked or sucked thoroughly. She stroked her hand over his shaft as she sucked at him, fingers testing his hardness, exploring the smooth warmth of his skin.
He made a choked sound when she worked the tip of her tongue along the edge of his glans, followed it around and up to the tiny slit at its tip, where he already tasted of salt. His hips bucked as she explored the opening, searching for another taste of him. “God,” he breathed, curving his hands around the back of her skull. He gave a choked half-laugh. “Be careful with that, Fate.” “What, this?” She gave him an ingenuous smile and bent to lick at him again. He sucked air through his teeth, and a bead of fluid rose at its tip. She lapped it up eagerly. “Yes,” he growled. “That.” His fingers twisted around her braids. “Jesus. You’re much too good at that.” “I could try to be awkward and fumbling,” she murmured, pressing his cock up against his stomach so she could kiss her way down its length. “If you wanted.” “Do you think you could?” He laughed softly. It broke off with a gasp when she closed her lips over the skin of his scrotum. “I don’t think it’s possible,” he murmured. When she glanced up at him, his eyes were shut, his lip caught between his teeth. “Not even if you tried.” “Well, I’m sure you are wrong,” she answered. “But I’m trying to show that I’m sorry, not turn you off me entirely. So I’ll concede the point.” She circled her tongue around his skin again, and carefully drew his testicle into her mouth. He made a ragged sound as she sucked at it, and his hips bucked again. “Fate,” he murmured again. “God.” “What do you want?” she asked him, lapping at his skin. He looked down at her, his eyes opening. His gaze blazed with heat and passion. She shivered in response to it, an answering warmth spreading through her. “You know what I want.” He used his hands in her hair to draw her away. She licked his taste from her lips and nearly protested. But he slid one hand from her hair and circled it around the base of his cock, used it to position himself so he brushed her lips, and she forgot she’d been about to say anything at all. She parted her lips and took him into her mouth, took him all the way, no teasing or delaying, until she’d swallowed as much of him as she could take and he filled her mouth. When she drew back, letting him slide out, he made an impatient sound and thrust forward, pressing back in. She reached up carefully and freed his hands from her hair, so he wouldn’t grip or pull. His fingers clenched on air as she set a slow, gliding rhythm, rocking out and then back in, each time working him a little deeper. He groaned in wordless, mindless protest every time she drew back, sucked his breath in on a ragged gasp when she took him in again. “Stop,” he said at last, gasped out between groans. She ignored him and tried to take him into her mouth again, but he closed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back. “God. Fate. Stop.” Reluctantly, she sat back on her haunches and looked up at him. He kept his hand in her hair, stroking tenderly. “Problem?” she asked with a small smile. “You might say that.” He slid his hand to her cheek, cupped it in his palm. “Don’t you listen?” “Sometimes.” She turned her head, pressed a kiss to his palm. She looked up at him with her lips on his skin and murmured, “You’re not going to let me get away with that, are you? Flagrant disobedience?” She flicked her tongue over his palm. “It’d set such a
bad example.” He stilled for a moment, his fingers brushing her cheek. “Is that what you want?” he asked her softly. “Well, I don’t know, Gabe.” She smiled up at him. “I was an awful tease, all night long. And I don’t listen very well. I think maybe you’re gonna have to punish me, or I’ll never learn my lesson.” He nodded once, slowly, and stepped back with a deep breath. She rose to her feet and reached for the hooks holding her bodice closed. His gaze followed her hands, warming her with its touch, as the corset gaped and opened and she set it aside. She drew down the zipper of her skirt and let it slide off her hips. Gabe drew an audible breath when she hooked her thumbs in the waist of her panties and wiggled them down too. He reached hastily for his own clothes, though his gaze never left her. Fate stepped forward and touched his hands, stilling them. She was close enough that her breasts brushed his chest, pressed against it each time she took a breath. She looked up at him, caught his gaze. “Let me do that?” she whispered. He nodded and let his hands fall to his sides. She reached up to the button at his throat. She worked quickly, releasing the buttons and letting the shirt gape open, revealing his chest underneath. When the last came free, she slid her hands up, over his shoulders and down his arms, pushing the shirt off of him. She let her gaze roam over him, and let him see her admiring him. Her hands slid slowly down his chest, brushing over his nipples so he drew a swift breath, and then down over his stomach. His muscles trembled beneath her touch. She pushed his slacks and underwear down, knelt again to help him work his shoes off and free his feet. And then she rose, slowly, letting her gaze and her touch linger over every inch of him. When she was standing, he caught her face and kissed her. Her breath raveled. He was standing still and quiet, but his kiss was like being caught in a storm. It took her breath away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him sweep her up in the kiss, until there was nothing else at all but him, his touch, his taste. His body was hot against hers, his erection pressing against her stomach like a promise. When he dragged his hands down to the backs of her thighs and pressed his fingers into her flesh, she tightened her arm around his neck and helped him hitch her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, held on tight, without breaking the kiss. His lips pulled at hers as he carried her to the bed and dropped down onto its edge so he was sitting and she was kneeling astride him. “Gabe.” She laughed and ran her hands through the thick weight of his hair. “I’d have expected an alpha to be better at discipline. As punishments go, this is hardly convincing.” “Discipline?” He raised his head and gave her a dark, heated look. “Is that what you want?” “Among other things.” She had whips and floggers that would have given her the jolt she wanted, but they were back in her room, which seemed miles away when Gabe was so close and felt so good. And they were too impersonal for her mood this night. She didn’t want the sting of a leather lash. She wanted his touch, his hands. She broke the kiss and shifted her weight before he could drag her back, so she was
kneeling next to him rather than astride. He frowned and started to reach for her, but stilled when she stretched out crosswise over his lap. His hand settled lightly on her, curved over her ass. She looked back at him over her shoulder and he met her gaze. “That’s what you have in mind?” She smiled and let her head drop forward, resting it on her arms, crossed beneath her cheek. “Come on, Gabe,” she murmured. “Haven’t I been naughty?” She pressed back into his palm. He stroked her slowly, his gaze thoughtful. “Quite,” he muttered. “Don’t you want to spank me?” She felt the tremor run through him. His hand pressed down against her. “Yes,” he said quietly. “Oh good.” She shifted, settling herself more securely across his lap. “I was really hoping you would. He spread his hand over her ass and kneaded the muscles for a moment. Fate shut her eyes. Warmth spread through her at his touch, filling her. When he took his hand away, she caught her breath and braced. He struck her directly on the fullest part of one cheek, and he didn’t hold anything back. The force of the blow rocked her forward, driving her pelvis against his thigh. She gasped and grabbed fistfuls of the bedspread. The heat that had filled her until now was a spark compared to this. She whispered, “One,” because she liked to count, and she thought he liked it when she did, then dug her teeth into her lip. The next strike fell on her other cheek. She moaned, biting down harder on her lip to restrain her cries, and only whispered, “Two,” when she knew she could speak. He alternated the blows like that, so each time the sting had a chance to burn and fade before he hit the same place again. She throbbed, excruciatingly aware of the pulse of blood between her thighs and the unfading presence of Gabe’s erection against her side. Soon the force of her desire overpowered the strength of her determination. She cried out each time his hand slapped down on her flesh, twisted and writhed on his lap as she burned for more. He stroked the fingers of his other hand along her spine, light, gentle touches that made the strength of his strikes shocking with their contrast. Once, he paused, and the next spank didn’t come. She waited for it, tense and shivering, and jerked in reflex when he laid his fingertips lightly on her cheek. He slid his touch down, down between her cheeks, to the slick core where her heat pooled, and she burned fiercely for him. When he slid his fingers over her aching flesh, she cried out and bucked so hard she nearly slid off his lap. He returned her to her position with gentle, steady touches. She lay slumped across his lap, panting, undone by need. When he resumed spanking her, she moaned without any thought for restraining her noises, and forgot to count entirely. He didn’t wait for her to do so, or scold her for having not. His blows fell faster now, hardly giving her a chance to draw breath before the next one came and stole it from her again. She rocked her hips against the pressure of his thigh, gasping for air and aching for any sensation at all, even the smallest taste of relief. When one blow fell and another didn’t follow it, she lay slumped upon him, tense and shivering, waiting for it.
He slid his finger through her again, slowly, testing. She cried out and strained toward him, but the moment she moved he drew his hand away and left her with nothing. “God! Gabe. Fuck.” She couldn’t catch her breath long enough to speak in more than single, gasping syllables. She wanted to beg him to touch her, to fuck her, to do anything but hold her there stretched across his lap, aching so much it seemed like it would surely twist her apart. He spread his hands wide over her cheeks, massaged her with slow, steady motions. Even that was too much, and made her cry out for more. She twisted on his lap, rolling over, pushing herself up. His brows started to draw down, but she grabbed him and kissed him, desperately, and he didn’t protest after all. He rolled her down onto her back and she wrapped her legs around him, so his pelvis pressed down against hers, between her thighs, almost right where she needed him. “Gabe,” she murmured against his mouth, arching up into him as he skimmed his hand up her side. “Please tell me you have a condom in that nightstand.” “A condom?” He stilled and pushed up on his elbows, looking down at her. “No. I don’t.” “Seriously?” She raised a brow. “I’d have taken you for the Boy Scout type. Be prepared, and all that.” “Prepared?” The corner of his mouth pulled up, turning his smile lopsided. He slid his hand over her breast while they spoke. “That’s not anything I’ve ever needed to be prepared for.” “I have trouble believing that.” Her breath hitched as his fingers worked over her. “You definitely don’t strike me as the celibate type.” “No, not that,” he murmured. He bent and closed his mouth on her nipple, sucking at it. She gasped and arched up tight beneath him. “But the women I’ve had have been Weres, and not terribly concerned about pregnancy.” He moved his attentions to her other breast, but she stopped him with a look. “It would have given them status, to carry the child of an alpha,” he explained. “How wonderfully patriarchal.” She patted his hip. “Go get my wallet. I’ve got one.” He climbed off of her and crossed the room to her discarded clothes. She watched him walk and said after him, “And next time you go to the store, you’d better stock up.” He tore the wrapper open and rolled the condom on as he walked back, smiling warmly at her. “Had I?” “Oh yeah.” She reached for him, took him in her arms, and drew him down on top of her again. “You might want to consider buying in bulk.” “I’ll make a point of it,” he said, smiling down. The head of his cock nudged at her, urging her open. She wrapped her arms around him and moaned as he sank into her. “God, Gabe, you feel so good.” “Not half as good as you do.” He brushed his thumb across her lip, bent, and followed its path with his mouth as he stroked into her again. She caught his lip between her teeth, luring him into a deeper kiss. She dragged her hands down his back, fingers digging for purchase on his skin, as he set a rhythm that made her breath gather in her throat and ribbons of heat curl tighter within her. She skimmed her lips along his cheek, feeling the faint scratch of stubble, and gripped him tight as he moved in her. She slid one hand back up, over his side. She circled her thumb around his nipple,
then caught it between her fingers and tugged. His breath hissed against her throat and he gave a sharper thrust. Fate gave a husky laugh and arched up against him. “Yes,” she breathed. “Like that.” He spread his hands on the bed and pushed himself up for leverage as he shifted the tempo of his movements. She moaned at the feel of him driving into her, the impact of his pelvis against hers every time he drove deep. She thrust her fingers through the hair at his temples to push it back off his face. His eyes met hers, locked with hers. She caught her breath and couldn’t look away from him. There was an unusual intensity in his gaze, a single-mindedness, as though there were no thought at all beyond this moment here with her. She tugged him down until she could kiss him, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and refused to let him go. He murmured against her lips, a wordless sound, and cupped her breast in his hand again. “Ah, God, Gabe,” she groaned, breaking away from the kiss and pressing her cheek to his as he pulled and twisted her nipple between his fingers. She tightened around him. He groaned and gave another thrust. “Please.” He turned his head to look at her, very close. “What?” he asked on a breath. She closed her eyes and shuddered. “More.” She could hear the warmth of a smile in his voice when he answered, “Whatever you like.” He gave a final, tender caress to her nipple and slid his hand down between their bodies. His palm pressed against her stomach for a moment, holding her hips to the bed as he worked in her, but she growled and twisted against the restraint until he released her. He pressed his thumb to her clit. The pressure made her gasp and swear, pulling at him. When he began to rub slow, maddening circles, she groaned wildly. “Gabe! Fuck me. Please.” He drove into her and covered her mouth with his, swallowing her words. She dug her fingers into the muscles of his shoulder, shuddering with each stroke, gasping for air. He kept up the small, electrifying movements of his finger on her flesh, driving her higher. Heat flushed her skin, and the sounds he was making, the groans and growls, were everything she needed. It burst through her all at once, shaking her. She wrapped around Gabe and held him tight, crying out against his mouth as the blinding heat of it consumed her. His movements in her took on a new sense of urgency. The muscles stood out in his arms as he held himself above her, driving into her. She stroked his face as she eased back onto the bed and watched it transform with wonder the moment before he buried himself in her and crushed her against his chest, shuddering. “God,” he breathed as he eased down on top of her. She shifted onto her side and curled in against him. He drew her back against his chest, one strong arm wrapped around her stomach. His breath teased through her hair, warm and comforting. She spread her hand over his, her palm pressed to its back, and smiled as she listened to the rhythm of Gabe’s breathing turn slow and deep. **** The next morning, Gabe allowed himself the luxury of sleeping in, dozing lightly
with Fate in his arms. When he did finally rise, feeling indulgent, lethargic, and wonderful about it, the rest of the pack had already been up and about for hours. The smell of coffee drifting down the hall made him salivate. He could see Lily curled up in the armchair with a cup already, her back to him. Noises came from the kitchen, and Lily was speaking in between sips. “Watch out for Matt today,” she said, which meant it must have been Zach in the kitchen. “He’s in a hell of a mood.” Zach gave a grunt of acknowledgment and no more. Gabe hesitated, and then came around to where Lily could see him. She smiled and waved a greeting at him. “Why is Matthew upset?” he asked her. She lifted one shoulder. “Hell if I know. He’s been pissy since he got back last night.” Gabe sighed and scratched a hand through his hair. He veered into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, and then took it out front to sip as he leaned against the porch rail. They hadn’t had enough rain that spring, and the heat of summer was turning the grasses brown, but in the glow of the morning sun, the hills looked like they were woven of gold. The wind shifted and carried to him the scent of wolf, of Matthew. Gabe stepped down off the porch and followed it. If Matt was upset, he’d have gone for a run. Gabe walked out to meet him, cupping the warmth of the coffee mug in his hands. He’d only been walking a few minutes when he saw Matthew, flying over the terrain, his long legs eating up the distance. Gabe stopped and waited, sipping at his coffee. He knew when Matthew saw him: the Were’s gait hitched, and he slowed to a lope. As he neared Gabe, his pace slowed to a walk, and then he stopped altogether and stood a few strides away, his ears pressed flat against his skull, his lip raised. “I see Lily was right,” Gabe said mildly. He turned the cup in his hands. “You are in a mood.” Matthew growled and took a step forward, crouched as though to leap. “Stop that,” Gabe snapped. “We will have this conversation as men, not beasts.” Matthew’s growl deepened in pitch. His eyes narrowed, glaring up at Gabe. Gabe set his cup down on a flat stretch of earth by his feet and turned to face Matthew, standing at the full of his height. “You will not like the way I choose to deal with this conflict, if you insist on doing this as wolves.” Matthew’s lip lowered fractionally. His growl quieted. He stared up at Gabe, and Gabe stared back at him, waiting. At length, Matthew gave a great sigh and dropped his haunches down to the ground, sitting. He began to shift. Gabe retrieved his coffee cup and sipped at it while he waited for the transformation to complete. When Matthew was human again, he rose to his feet, brushing clumps of shed fur from his skin. He didn’t snarl now that he was a man, but his glare was no less fierce. “Now, then. What is the matter?” Gabe asked. “Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Matthew snarled. His hands were balled into fists at his side, his shoulders hunched as though bracing for a fight. Gabe sighed. “I really don’t, Matt. Why don’t you tell me?” “Did you think I wouldn’t see you?”
Gabe raised a brow. “See me do what, exactly?” “You were dancing.” The words burst from Matthew as though he’d been struggling to contain them. “With the bloodsuckers!” Gabe rocked back on his heels and took another sip of coffee to mask his surprise. Of course, he should have known, and it was no small wonder Matthew expected that he did. It was Matthew’s week to watch the vampires while they fed on Gabe’s territory. Of course he would have been where they were. But Gabe hadn’t known they were meeting Reina and Logan at the club, and once they did, he’d been much more preoccupied with other things to spare a thought for his Weres. “What I do is really none of your concern, Matthew,” he said quietly. “No?” Matthew laughed harshly and spun away, dragging a hand through his hair. “It’s our home, too, Gabe! Bad enough you have invited them onto our land and allowed them to hunt. Are we now expected to be friends with them?” “Have I ever expected you to befriend everyone I do?” Gabe crossed his arms over his chest and watched Matthew levelly. “My friends are my own, and they’re no business of yours.” Matthew threw him a disgusted look. “It’s not the same and you know it. They’re vampires. How can you be kind to them?” Gabe swallowed the storm of emotion that rose in him. He ducked his head to look into the depths of his coffee until he had mastered it. “I would thank you not to make assumptions. You know nothing of what happened last night, and I am not accountable to you.” “Aren’t you?” Matthew asked. He suddenly sounded breathless. Gabe glanced up. Matthew looked shocked, wounded. “I’m your pack.” “And I’m your alpha.” Gabe dumped the last dregs of coffee out onto the grass, let the cup dangle from his fingers. “And I expect you to have faith in me.” “You ask too much,” Matthew said. “Too much. First you bring that woman into our midst—” “This is not about Fate.” Gabe’s voice lashed out with sudden violence. Matthew stiffened, startled by it. “It’s about everything, Gabe. All of it. What are you doing to us?” “The best I can,” Gabe said quietly. “As always.” Matthew stared at him, stony-faced. Gabe sighed and turned, heading back the way he’d come. “Come back to the house,” he said. “Once you’ve cooled off.” There was no response as he walked off, neither an answer nor the sound of Matthew moving. After a few minutes, he heard the quiet patter of running steps behind him. Matthew blew past him, a wolf again, racing ahead of him toward the house. Gabe kept his pace leisurely and even, enjoying the morning. When he stepped into the living room again, Lily and Zach were still there, chatting over coffee, and Matthew was not. They both looked intrigued, but neither of them particularly aggrieved or upset, which was as much as Gabe could ask for.
Chapter Fourteen “All right, what’s it say next?” Fate asked, peering down at the cookbook next to her. “This must be done by now. I think my arm’s about to fall off.” She was sitting on the counter in Gabe’s kitchen, a large mixing bowl on her lap, beating sugar, butter, and eggs together into a gooey, unappetizing mixture with a wooden spoon. There was a smudge of flour on the page, obscuring the instructions, but she had butter and egg on her hands and couldn’t wipe it away. Lily came over with her bowl of dry ingredients and brushed the flour away, but didn’t bother to glance at the page. “Here, work this in,” she said, shaking half of the flour mixture into Fate’s bowl, and turned away to dig through the pantry. Fate groaned and shifted the bowl on her lap, straining against burning muscles as the dough began to stiffen. “I am so not cut out to be a baker,” she muttered. She was covered in white smudges of flour, and she imagined there were probably more she couldn’t see, on her face or who-knew-where-else. But Lily had asked her if she’d wanted to help make cookies, and it seemed like such a deliberate attempt to try to include her that Fate couldn’t bear to turn her down. She mixed the last of the flour in, and then swiped her finger through the dough and licked it clean. “Hey!” Lily said, laughing, as she looked up from the bag of chocolate chips she was trying to wrestle open. “Stop that. Didn’t your mother ever teach you raw egg is bad for you?” Fate stilled, cold unhappiness washing through her. Lily looked suddenly stricken. Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh,” she breathed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think—” Fate looked down at the bowl on her lap. She grabbed another bit of dough and rolled it into a smooth ball between her palms. “She did, actually,” she said quietly. She looked up at Lily and gave her a small smile. “But I believe in the ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ philosophy.” She popped the second bite of dough into her mouth. “It seems to be working. I haven’t gotten salmonella yet.” “Well, you’re lucky.” Lily still looked upset, but she made a visible effort to bolster herself and came over to pour the chips into the bowl. “But you still can’t eat the dough, or we’ll have nothing left to bake.” “Spoilsport.” Fate handed her the bowl and hopped off the counter to look for baking sheets. When the first batch was in the oven, Lily set the timer on the stove and said, “All right. Meet you back here in twelve minutes.” They’d spilled flour on the rug as well as the counter and themselves, in the process of making the cookies. Fate gathered it up and took it out back to shake it out. The air filled with choking white dust as she shook the flour out of the rug. Eyes watering and covering her mouth with her arm, she moved out further from the house, away from the storm she’d raised, so she could try to beat the flour smudges out of her clothes. The wind blew the cloud of flour particles away quickly enough, but there was no hope for her clothes. She sighed and swiped at it again in futile frustration, and turned to
go back inside. As she turned, though, she saw Matthew, standing just a few feet away, staring at her. The look in his eyes made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. She took a step back instinctively. He hadn’t warmed to her or been anything like friendly, like Lily and Zach had. He’d kept his distance, but they hadn’t had any more confrontations like the first in the days since Gabe had blindfolded her and had her submit to them, and she’d considered that the closest to a victory she was likely to get with him. Because of all that, she gave him a careful smile and said, “Hello,” and turned deliberately for the house. But his voice lashed out behind her, snarling with anger. “You don’t belong here.” She faced him again. She wanted to snap out a retort, that it was none of his business or he could keep his opinions to himself. But she was trying to get along with the pack, and the marked improvement of the situation with Lily and Zach had helped to convince her it might actually be possible. So she held her tongue and said instead, “I’m sorry if I upset you. I don’t mean to.” If anything, he only looked more furious. “You’re not part of the pack,” he snapped. She took another step back, away from his rage. “You’re not one of us. You’re trying to fit in here, and you can’t.” “I’m not,” she told him quietly. “I just need a place to stay for the summer. I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.” “No.” He moved toward her. “It’s not enough. Gabe’s taken you for his mate, and I can’t imagine what he’s thinking.” She stiffened. “That’s really none of your business—” He talked over her as though she hadn’t spoken at all. “He can’t have a human for a mate. It’ll never work. You’re not part of the pack, I don’t know how he expects you to be able to stand at his side.” She couldn’t help the anger surging in her. She set her shoulders and stiffened her spine. “Look, it is none of your goddamned business if he wants to fuck me or not, so I’m sorry you’ve got your panties in a twist, but just butt out. I’m not trying to mess with your pecking order, I just needed somewhere to stay.” “You don’t understand,” he said. “Any Were would know.” He drew a deep breath. “There’s only one thing to be done to set this right. Gabe doesn’t have the guts to do it, so I’ll have to.” He lowered himself, squatting, one hand planted on the ground. “What—” The words died in her throat as fur erupted over his skin. It seemed to take no time at all, certainly not enough to take a breath or cry out or move. And then the man Matthew was gone and there was only a wolf left, snarling with animal fury. She stumbled backwards, unable to tear her gaze away from him. “Matthew.” She fought to keep her voice steady. “I didn’t mean to upset you. There’s no need to—” He lunged at her with an awful growl. She spun and ran, but hardly managed a step when his weight slammed into her, throwing her from her feet. She scrambled onto her back, tried to drag herself away. Her heart pounded, choking her, racing so hard she felt like it would split her apart. Matthew’s paws landed on her shoulder, forcing her down as he snapped at her, teeth grazing a hairsbreadth from her face. She threw her arms up as a shield. His jaw closed on her forearm. Teeth pierced, tore deep. She couldn’t even breathe,
much less scream, but she beat at him with her free hand, trying to gouge his eyes, claw at his ears, anything vulnerable, anything to get him off her. She didn’t know what she’d done, but just as quickly as he’d attacked, he backed away. His muzzle was red and wet with blood. It dripped down her arm, into her sleeve, onto the earth. Slowly, she pushed herself up so she was sitting, staring at Matthew, shaking. Her arm throbbed as though she’d thrust it over a flame. She held it cradled on her lap, bleeding on her shirt and jeans. Matthew made a quiet sound, a little whuff, hardly enough to call a bark. Then he turned and ran off, disappearing over the rise of a hill. Fate sat all alone in the middle of the grass, shaking, bleeding. Her face was wet, and she didn’t know if it was blood or tears. Slowly, trembling so hard she didn’t trust herself, she rocked forward onto her knees and then managed to get her feet beneath her. She gripped the rail of the stairs with white fingers as she climbed, one step at a time, like a child. The kitchen was still empty, but filled with the aroma of cookies and warmth and home. She stared around her at the signs of baking, the cookbook still open on the counter, the broken eggshells in the sink, the memory of fun and laughter with Lily just minutes before, and all the strength went out of her. She made it to the sink, slumped forward against the edge of the counter, and grabbed the hand towel from its hook to press to the wound. Its edges turned red with blood, crimson crawling through the weave as the wound kept bleeding. The sudden scream of the oven timer made her jump, a cry tangling in her throat. She swore and turned, but with her only good hand needed to press the towels to the bite, she was helpless to stop it. Its howl grated at her ears, too much to deal with on top of everything else. She stumbled across the living room toward the door. She heard Lily in the hall before reached it. “Fate, did the cookies burn?” she called out, her voice growing louder as she neared. “They smell a little—” She came out, saw Fate standing there, glanced down at her arm and the bloody towel pressed to it. Her face went white. “Fate?” She lurched back when Lily stepped toward her. “Don’t. Leave me alone. The cookies—I’m fine—” “Don’t be absurd. You’re not fine, you look like you’ve been mauled.” Lily followed after her, concern shining in her eyes. Fate spun and fled. She grabbed her keys from the hooks by the entryway and threw the door open, stumbled out and down the stairs and left everything behind her as she rushed for her car, feeling like she was tripping over herself with every step in her desperation to get there. Lily followed her out and stood on the porch, staring after her as Fate threw herself into her car and slammed it into gear. “Fate!” she called out after her. Fate stomped her foot on the gas and sped away. She couldn’t even bear to look in the rearview mirror and watch everything—the house and the Weres and all her possessions she’d left—fade away behind her. Every mile that passed made her arm hurt worse. The bleeding stopped, eventually, but the towel was soaked and she was little better. She drove too fast, too recklessly, and hadn’t a clue what she’d say if she got pulled over.
There was nowhere else to go but Logan’s. She parked on the side of the street and left the doors unlocked behind her. It took longer than it should have to find the spare key Reina had given her on her key ring, and she thought she might crumble to a wreck before she ever managed it. But finally she found the right one, let herself inside, and shut herself up in the bathroom. Kynan found her like that, sitting on the toilet pouring rubbing alcohol over her arm into the tub, gasping and shaking and crying. “Fate … A Dduw!” His eyes flew wide as he looked from her to the tub, where the alcohol was pink as it ran down the drain. “What happened?” He rushed over to kneel by her side, but she flinched away when he reached for her. He stilled without touching her and let his hands fall back to his sides. “I’m fine,” she whispered. Her hand shook as she splashed more alcohol on the bite. The burn as it ran into the wound had ceased to mean anything. “I’m fine.” “No,” he said slowly. “You’re not.” He took her hand in his. This time, he didn’t let her pull away. He turned her wrist so he could see the bite. “What bit you?” he asked her. “A dog?” No, she thought, shutting her eyes. A wolf. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her throat was hoarse, scratchy. “I didn’t think anyone would be up. It’s not dark out yet.” “I was dozing,” he said. “But I smelled blood.” He paused, took a breath before continuing. “Fate, the house reeks of it.” “I’m sorry,” she said again and shook her head as tears burned her eyes. “My clothes—I’ve made a mess.” “How badly are you hurt?” His voice was suddenly sharp, urgent. “How much have you bled?” “I don’t know. A lot.” She shuddered. “It got everywhere.” He was quiet a moment, his hand gentle on hers. She looked down at him. For some reason his steady support made her feel like she was going to fall to pieces. She pulled her hand from his. “We have gauze in the bathroom downstairs,” he told her. “You should let me wrap that for you.” “No.” She shook her head and slid back. “It needs to be cleaned. I need to—” “Fate. Trust me, I know how to treat a bite.” She slumped in defeat and nodded. He helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the bathroom. The rest of the household seemed to be up, too, waiting outside the bathroom or wandering from their rooms with uncertain expressions. When Kynan led Fate out, there was an eruption of noise, everyone trying to speak at once. “I smelled blood—” “What’s going on?” “Oh, Fate’s here—” “Oh my God—” Fate shied back from the sudden clamor, but Kynan tightened his arm around her, and it seemed both encouraging and defensive. “Excuse me,” he said to the others, with quiet forcefulness. “We need to get downstairs.” They parted before them, but Fate had barely made it down two steps when a strange stillness came over the vampires and they turned toward the entryway. She heard it a
moment later: the slam of a car door, just outside. Her stomach leapt with nerves. Moments later, there was the sound of a man running, and then pounding on the door that sounded like thunder. Kynan stared at the door with a frightening expression, but he didn’t move from Fate’s side. Logan worked his way through the brood to answer it, but Reina was right on his heels, and she stood at his side with her arms crossed when Logan opened the door. He didn’t open it wide, only cracked it enough for both of them to fill. Fate couldn’t see who stood on the other side, but it didn’t matter. She knew his voice well enough. “Where is Fate?” Gabe demanded. His voice was unsteady, his words coming so fast they tripped over on another and ran together. “Let me in! I have to see her.” “She’s not here,” Logan said, as cold as ice. “Bullshit. Her car’s out front. Let me see her!” “You dare to come here?” Logan’s voice shook with rage and repressed fury. Gabe said nothing and in the silence Reina stepped forward and demanded, “Gabe, how could you?” “What?” Gabe sounded breathless, as though they’d struck him a physical blow. “Me? I didn’t hurt her!” Kynan shifted around to stand in front of Fate. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She shook her head. “No,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t him.” There was a breath of silence, and then a sudden scuffle outside. “Fate? Fate!” Judging by the noise and the way the door shuddered in Logan’s hand, Fate guessed Gabe had thrown himself at it. “Fate, please, talk to me!” She shut her eyes, turned on her heel, and returned upstairs, leaving all but Kynan behind her. She heard Logan speak, and Reina, and Gabe’s voice rising above them all, climbing with outrage. But she didn’t care what any of them were saying. Kynan led her into his room. She sat on his bed, wrapped in the blanket he’d draped around her, feeling small and bewildered. He stepped out a moment, to get the gauze from downstairs. She was shaking when he returned. His eyes were full of sympathy as he knelt before her. She reached out toward him and watched as though from a distance as he wrapped her arm, covering the ugly bite with layers of soft, white bandage. “Will you tell me what happened?” he asked her when he was done. She ran her tongue over her lip. “I was bitten,” she said at last. “That rather covers the pertinent information, don’t you think?” Her tone was biting, but inexplicably, it made Kynan smile. “That’s my girl.” He pressed a kiss to her brow. “As long as that scathing wit’s still intact, you can’t be too badly off, can you?” “I am much worse off than I would like to be,” she said softly. Kynan looked pained. He swept her into a hug, and squeezed her tightly. “Don’t you talk like that,” he said roughly. “You’re going to be just fine. It’s just a little bite.” She laughed without much humor at all and stretched her arm out to look at the bandages. “It’s not the bite, Kynan.” “I know,” he said. It wasn’t the bite. It was what had bit her. A werewolf. That was how people got turned.
Her eyes were burning again. She swiped at them with the back of her wrist. She refused to cry, not any more than she already had. Kynan saw the gesture but let it pass without comment. “Do you want to go back downstairs?” he asked her. “Is he still here?” Kynan was quiet a moment, his gaze going distant—listening. “He’s here,” he said. “But I think they’ve still got him out front.” He brought his focus in on Fate again. “You don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to.” “I know that,” she snapped. She wanted to say no. She wanted to curl up in Kynan’s bed, buried under the mountain of his blankets, and sleep for years. She wanted to hide in here, away from everything, and never have to come out. But what she said was, “Okay. I’ll go down.” Kynan kept his arm around her as they made their way downstairs. Any other day, she’d have shrugged him off and joked it wasn’t her leg that was injured, she could walk perfectly fine. But his touch was the comfort of a friend, and she needed it now. The others turned their faces up to her as she descended. Neither Logan nor Reina were there, but the sounds of raised voices came from beyond the front door, and it wasn’t hard to guess they were out front, talking—or arguing—with Gabe. Fate turned for the kitchen and fumbled for the empty coffee pot. Kynan reached to take it from her. “I’ll make some for you—” “No.” She curled her fingers tight around the pot’s handle. “I need—I want something to do with my hands. To keep them busy.” So they would stop shaking. “Oh, of course.” He nodded and dropped his hand to his side, returned his other to rest on her back, just between her shoulder blades. She made the coffee with single-minded focus, determined to think of nothing else. And when the pot was brewing and there was nothing else for her to do with it but wait, she kept herself busy getting cups down from the cupboard, sugar from the pantry and cream from the fridge. She got a cup for Kynan, too. She knew him well enough to guess he’d insist she take the first cup, but also to know that as soon as she had, he’d claim the second for his own, before any of the other vampires she’d woken prematurely had a chance to wander in and drain the pot. That thought reminded her of the reason why she’d woken them up—because her clothes were soaked with blood, and beginning to stiffen from it. “Ugh.” She sighed, looking down at herself. “I need a shower. And a change of clothes.” She’d left all hers back at Gabe’s. Kynan nodded slowly. “Yes, you will, eventually. Don’t worry about it.” He pressed her coffee cup into her hands. “Get your feet steady under you first.” She gave him a small, thankful smile and sipped at the coffee. It tasted wonderful, such a familiar part of her routine that it did calm and steady her. Its warmth spread through her, chasing away the chill that had seized her. When her cup was empty, she rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher and took a deep breath. She could still hear the muffled sounds of heated conversation coming from out front. She squared her shoulders and walked around to the front door, pulled it open. “Let him in,” she told Logan and Reina. “I’ll hear what he has to say.” Reina looked uncertain and angry. Logan looked grim, but he searched her gaze for a
moment and then nodded. “All right. If that’s what you want.” He ushered Reina in before him and followed behind her. Fate didn’t look at Gabe at all until they were all in the house. Somehow, the vampires had arranged themselves so they were all standing just behind her, a line of stony faces and wordless, scathing disapproval, and it gave her the strength to face him. He looked haggard, worn. “Fate,” he breathed, staring at her, hope and relief dawning in his eyes. He rushed toward her. “My God, please, tell me—” She jerked back and stopped him in his tracks. “Tell you what, Gabe?” she demanded, her voice as hard as steel. He stopped, swallowed. “Tell me you’re all right.” “Do I look all right to you?” she demanded, and was horrified when her voice cracked. “No,” he whispered. He dragged his hands through his hair. “God, I’m sorry. Please, let me help you.” “I don’t want your help,” she said coldly. “Just go home.” He shook his head. “I’m not leaving here without you.” “No.” Her voice lashed out, rising over the vampires’ protests. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” He rocked back, his face washed with shock. “Fate … Fate, you have to. It’s not safe for you here—” “Safe?” She stalked toward him. His eyes widened, and he took a startled step back. “You have the nerve to tell me it’s not safe here? God!” Tears stung her eyes again, but this time they were borne of fury. “You can’t even see. No one here has ever hurt me! Never. The only one who’s hurt me is your wolf. But you’re so goddamned busy worrying about them”—she threw her hand out to indicate the brood—“ that it never once occurred to you one of your precious Weres might ever touch me. Damn it, Gabe, I told you I was worried. And you ignored me. And now—now—” Her voice broke at last, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands. When Kynan slid his arms around her, she clutched at him and pressed her face to his shirt and cried against him. “Fate—” “Go away,” she sobbed into Kynan’s shirt. “Just go.” “I’m not leaving you,” he protested. Logan spoke over him. “You’re not staying here, nonetheless. Haven’t you distressed her enough?” The silence that followed his question was deafening. “All right,” Gabe said at last, faintly. “I don’t… I don’t want to upset you, Fate.” She shut her eyes and pressed in tighter against Kynan. She heard him walking, heard the door open and shut and the vampires around her breath identical sighs of relief. She also heard him pacing, just outside the door, and knew that he’d meant it. He wasn’t going to leave. When she stepped back, Kynan let his arms drop, but she reached and grabbed his hand. “About that shower—” He nodded and let her draw him up the stairs with her. “You can use the bath upstairs. I’ll get towels.”
She ran the water in the tub as hot as she could stand it. She couldn’t really shower, not without getting her bandages wet, but she could soak in the tub, and that sounded almost as wonderful. She ripped her clothes off and left them on the tile floor. Her skin was a patchwork of brown splotches where blood had soaked through her clothes and dried on her skin. She shuddered as she lowered herself into the bath water, but the prickling heat felt like the best thing she could have asked for. She kept her bandaged arm propped on the edge of the tub and tried to wash herself one-handed. Outside of the bathroom, she could hear cupboards banging closed as Kynan searched for towels. The water turned dingy around her as she washed the dried blood off. She opened the drain and let it run out, then refilled it. Kynan came in while she was holding the bottle of shower gel, trying to figure out how to work up a lather one-handed. He hung the towels on the rack near the tub and smiled at her. “Need help?” “That or a third arm.” He took the shower gel from her and squirted it into his palm, scooped up some water from the bath to work it into suds. Fate slid closer so he could reach her and drew her thighs up to her chest, leaning her cheek on her knees as Kynan washed her back. “If you liked girls at all, I’d snatch you up in an instant,” she murmured. He chuckled. “No, you wouldn’t. We’d fight every night over whose turn it was to be beaten.” “Well, that’s a shame. You’re a sweetheart.” Kynan was quiet a moment. He took her arm and lathered it with soap. “I’m not the guy for you, Fate.” It should have been a joke, teasing, but it sounded too serious. “You know that.” She shut her eyes and ignored what she knew he was talking about.
Chapter Fifteen She woke in Reina and Logan’s bed, where Reina had insisted she spend the night. “Don’t be silly,” she’d said when Fate had assured her she would clear out come dawn. “Logan can share Kynan’s bed for one night. It won’t kill him.” And Fate had been too grateful to argue further. There was a light on in the room when she woke, a dim one, though Reina was already sleeping beside her. With it, she was able to see that her clothes had been put on a chair by the bed, washed and dried and folded. She dressed quickly and shut the light off as she slipped out of the room, not wanting to disturb Reina. When she went downstairs to make coffee, she discovered that someone had already prepared everything for her, filter and grounds and water, so all she had to do was turn it on. There was a small mountain of chocolate next to the coffeemaker, as many flavors and kinds as she could have asked for, and also a stack of chick-flick DVDs. On top of it all was an envelope with her name on it. She drew out the card within and read the sentiment printed on it, but it was all the signatures and we love you’s and sorry we can’t be there’s that made her feel like her heart was too big for her chest. She took it all into the living room. When the coffee was done she brought it too, and curled up with a blanket on the couch to watch her movies. She’d barely made it through the previews when she heard footsteps behind her, where the stairs were. She twisted and saw it was Logan. “You’re up awfully late,” she told him. “Were you waiting for your own bed? It’s all yours now, if you want it.” He smiled at her and shook his head. “No, I was waiting for you, not the bed.” He came around the couch. She swung her legs off the cushion so he had a place to sit. “I wouldn’t stay up simply to avoid a night spent sharing a bed with Kynan. It wouldn’t be the first time I found myself there.” “Oh, I bet not.” Fate laughed, and then sobered slowly. “Thank you for all this, by the way.” She gestured indistinctly. “It’s very kind.” “You should thank Reina, when she wakes. She organized it all for you.” “Of course she did.” Fate smiled. It was just like her. “I’ll make a point of telling her. The card was adorable.” “Oh, the card.” He gave her a bemused look. “Well, you may thank me for that if you like, I suppose. And Kynan. He helped me pick it out. It’s not one of my strong suits.” Fate got up onto her knees and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Logan.” He sat through half the movie with her, and then she noticed his eyes were drooping and he was growing restless, so she sent him off to bed and finished the rest on her own. Someone had stocked the freezer with a selection of frozen dinners for her, as well as tacked a few menus for local restaurants that delivered onto the fridge door, so she didn’t even have to wonder about what she was going to do for food. As evening came on, sounds of activity began to stir from behind the bedroom doors. She got up and started a fresh pot of coffee for the waking vampires. When Kynan came
down, sniffed the air, and realized there was already coffee waiting for him, he stared at her. He looked awestruck. “You can’t breathe a word of this to Reina,” he said. “But we totally have to elope.” She grinned at him. “I thought we were a star-crossed couple, doomed to never get a proper beating from one another.” “You made coffee. We’ll work it out.” “Go get a cup,” she suggested, grinning. “Before someone else wanders in and steals both me and my coffee for himself.” Upstairs, a door opened on squeaky hinges. Kynan threw Fate an alarmed look and hurried into the kitchen to claim his cup. When Reina came down, Fate extricated herself from the blankets and movie cases and got up to give her a hug. Reina laughed a little and embraced her back. “How are you?” “I’ve got a belly full of chocolate,” Fate answered. “I can’t be too bad.” Reina smiled and nodded, but after only a moment, her smile began to fade at the edges. Fate moved a step back and braced herself. “Logan said Gabe’s still outside.” Fate stared at Reina, her smile fading. “He is? Christ.” A line appeared between Reina’s brows. She sat on the couch and patted the cushion until Fate sat, too. “You really ought to go talk to him, sweetie.” Fate slid back, ice crystallizing in her belly. “Why should I do that? He’ll give up and leave soon enough.” “It’s not that.” Reina reached out and took her hand. Fate stared down at their clasped fingers, feeling like she was about to be given some horrible news. But what was worse than what had already happened to her? “Look,” Reina said quietly. “You’re smart. You’ve been bit, and you know what that means.” Nerves skittered through her like electricity. “I’ve got time.” “The full moon is this weekend.” “Fuck.” Fate tore her hand from Reina’s and scrubbed both over her face. Her bandaged arm twinged, as though to remind her what had happened. As though she could forget. “Reina.” That was Logan’s voice, low and concerned from behind them. Fate dropped her hands as he came around to sit with them. “You don’t mean to suggest she should go with that man?” “That’s exactly what I mean to suggest.” Reina kept her voice quiet, but her tone was sharp-edged nonetheless. She drew a breath and when she spoke again, it was gentler. “We are not equipped to handle a newly turned Were.” Logan scoffed. “There are a dozen of us here. Surely we can control one wolf—” “Stop it,” Fate cried, shoving to her feet and stalking across the room, just so she had space enough that she felt like she could breathe. “I’m not a damn Were!” “You don’t know that,” Reina said quietly. “I’m not,” she snapped. “Maybe I will be, but I’m not right now, so stop talking about it like it’s a foregone conclusion. You don’t know.” “Fate.” Logan cleared his throat. “Whatever happens, you know we’ll support you.” Slowly, she relaxed. “Yes. I know that.” Reina sighed and covered her mouth with her hands for a moment, looking strained. She looked at Logan. “How many Weres have you coaxed through their first cycle?”
His brows raised as he glanced at her. “I haven’t.” “How many Weres have you known?” “Including Gabe?” He ran his tongue over his teeth. “One.” She let out her breath slowly and looked back at Fate. “I don’t know what happens the first time a Were changes,” she told her. “I don’t think it’s pleasant. Adri would never talk to me about it. Never.” Fate rubbed her hands over her thighs anxiously. “I trust you guys.” “You don’t trust Gabe?” “I don’t much like Gabe at the moment.” “But you trust him.” This time, it wasn’t a question. “I don’t want to go out there and talk to him.” She dragged her hands through her hair. “What am I supposed to say? That I’m scared out of my wits, and would he please pat me on the head and make it all better?” Reina chewed on the edge of her lip. “If it’s the truth.” She met Fate’s gaze levelly. “I can’t tell you what you might be in for, Fate. He can. Wouldn’t you rather know what you may be facing?” No, she thought, tinged with desperation. I’d rather none of this was happening at all. She couldn’t say that, though, even if it was the truth. Reina would just give her a sympathetic smile and tell her what she already knew. That wishes weren’t going to do her a lick of good and burying her head in the sand would have absolutely no effect on what happened to her when the full moon rose. “He’s here for you, Fate,” Reina said softly. “Because he wants to help you.” “Christ! Fine.” She grabbed a blanket off the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders, to ward off the night’s chill. “I’ll go talk, you nag. But I’m not going anywhere with him.” She stalked down the front walk. Gabe’s car was parked on the curb. The streetlights cast just enough light that she could see his profile, reclined in the driver’s seat. Sleeping? She walked up to the car and pulled on the handle for the passenger-side door. It swung open, unlocked. Gabe jolted upright as the interior lights came on. She climbed in, shut the door behind her, and the lights went off again, leaving them both in darkness. “Fate?” he whispered. His voice was hoarse. “You look awful,” she told him. “Have you really been here all night?” He reached for the dashboard and flipped a switch that turned the interior lights back on, so they could see one another. The harsh light didn’t do him any favors. His hair was in disarray, and she wondered if it was from sleep, or because he’d been pulling his fingers through it like he did when he was agitated. “I told you. I’m not leaving here without you.” She looked down at her lap so she didn’t have to meet his gaze. “What if I don’t want to go?” “Fate…” His tone made her chest hurt. He sounded like she’d just punched him in the gut, and he couldn’t quite believe it. “Fate, please. This weekend—” “The full moon. I know.” There was a loose thread on the knee of her pants. She pulled at it, though she knew it’d probably do more harm than good. She’d probably put a hole in the damn things. But she couldn’t bear to look at Gabe. She barely had the
strength to stay and listen to him, when with every word he sounded like his heart was breaking. She couldn’t bear to watch. “I still don’t want to go.” “Because of me.” His voice was low, wooden. “Because I let you get bit. Fate, I’m sorry.” “Not because of you, Gabe.” She groaned and covered her face with her hands. “It’s all of it. It’s too much. I can’t do this.” She dropped her hands and stared straight ahead. With the lights on inside, she couldn’t see the street, only her reflection off the windshield. “You asked me to tell you what happened to my mom, before.” His reflection snapped around, staring at her. “I know what happened to your mom,” he said after a long moment, a rough edge to his voice. “I wanted to hear your experience of it.” “Do you still want to know?” “Yes. Please.” “I was seven.” She dropped her gaze down to her knees. She couldn’t do this while she was looking at him, not even his reflection. “She always picked me up after school, but that day she never showed up. It was a long walk, and I was so angry with her when I got home…” Even now, she could feel the memory of it, burning in her like a fierce little sun. “The window in the front of the house was broken. I thought one of the neighbors’ kids had hit a baseball through it, and I knew Mom was going to be so mad. I thought maybe if I could sneak into my room without her noticing me, I’d be able to hide there and avoid her until she’d cooled off. It was the only thing that saved me, because he was still there. He was still with her, and if I’d gone looking for her…” Pain formed a knot in her throat, too thick to speak around. Gabe’s gaze weighed on her like a touch, but she still couldn’t look at him. Not yet. She knew what she’d see there, if she did. Horror and pain and sympathy. He’d be looking at her the same way everyone did when they found out her mother was dead, and she couldn’t bear it. Movement at the edge of her vision made her flinch away from him. “Don’t. Don’t touch me. Just let me finish.” The movement stopped. He didn’t touch her. She cleared her throat and forced herself to continue. “I hid in my room. I thought my mother’s wrath was the worst that would find me, if I was discovered. And when I heard her scream, I told myself it was because she was angry, because she’d seen the window. But even then, I knew. I knew it was all wrong. And when Dad came home he thought the Were had gotten both of us because there was so much blood and I was nowhere to be found. I hid under my bed for hours, too frightened to come out even when I heard him calling for me.” He muttered an obscenity beneath his breath and made a movement like he was going to reach for her again, but she threw a hand up and he froze, trembling like a hound only barely held at heel. “I will not go where I’m not wanted,” she said slowly, deliberately, fighting to keep herself under control. “And your pack has made no bones about the fact that they don’t want me there since the very beginning. They don’t want me there.” “That’s not true. Lily and Zach are worried sick about you—” “And Matthew?” She spun to face him. “He’s probably dancing through the halls with glee. He got what he wanted, after all. He ran me off. Damn it, Gabe, he fucking bit me!” She thrust her arm out toward him, showing him the bandage wrapped from wrist to elbow.
He stared down at it. Gingerly, he brought his hands up to cradle hers. He brushed his fingers along the edge of the wrappings. “Will you let me see?” he asked her quietly. She blew out her breath and rolled her eyes. “Go ahead. I ought to change the dressing anyway.” His touch was unbearably tender as he unwrapped the bandages from her arm, revealing the bite beneath. It looked worse now that it was clean, she thought, the marks of Matthew’s teeth clearly delineated and dark with clotted blood. Seeing it made her gut clench and her arm throb anew. “God,” Gabe breathed, staring at her mauled arm. He hovered his hand above the wound, not touching. “God, Fate, I’m so sorry. This never should have happened.” “No. It shouldn’t have.” She pulled her arm from his grip and laid it in her lap. “I don’t belong in your pack, Gabe. Matthew made that very clear. I’m done fighting to hold my ground amongst people who don’t want me there.” “I want you there,” Gabe said very quietly. She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t belong. I’m not like you. Any of you.” He was quiet for a very long time. They sat together in the car, the cold leeching in and making her toes ache. Finally, he said, “You might be. When the moon rises.” “No.” The word lashed out, made him flinch. “You think a fur coat is going to change who I am? It doesn’t matter. It’s not going to make me cruel or ruthless or any of it.” “Is that you what you think we are?” he asked her. “Is that what you think I am?” Tears spilled down her cheeks. She turned her face to the window and let them fall, because if she wiped them away he would know. “I think you’re wonderful,” she whispered. “But I’m never going to survive your family.” Gabe made a low sound, wounded, and suddenly reached for her, pulling her half out of her seat and into his arms. She gasped and curled her hands in the back of his shirt, holding on to him tightly. The tears came faster, too much to hide. He cradled her face in his hands and swept his thumbs over her cheeks, brushing her tears away as they fell. “Don’t cry,” he begged her. “Please don’t. I only want you to be happy.” “I was,” she said. “For a minute.” He shifted his hold, slid his hands around to the back of her neck, drew her towards him. When he began to dust her cheeks with kisses, she wedged her arms up between them, holding herself away from him. “Stop. Don’t do that.” He eased back and looked at her. She wanted to shut her eyes or turn away from what she saw in his gaze. Pain, hope, fear, rage. Everything that was twisted up within her, laid bare there in the openness of his expression as he looked at her and said, “I’ll do what you want. Whatever it is. Just tell me what I can do to make this better.” She ran her tongue over her lip. “And if what I want is for you to leave?” she asked, though it was painful to speak the words and worse to watch the agony bloom in his eyes. “I’ll go,” he said roughly. “If it’s what you want. But I’m coming back this weekend. I can’t leave you to face this alone, Fate. Not even if you ask it of me.” The last thing in the world she wanted was to be alone. She leaned in against his chest, pressing her face against the side of his throat. “Is it that bad?” she asked, lips moving against his skin. “The first time? Reina said Adri wouldn’t even talk about it.” Gabe made a low sound. He circled his arms around her waist almost hesitantly, as
though afraid she would scold him as she had for the kisses. She didn’t say anything. It felt nice to have his arms around her, chasing away the chill. “It’s … It’s not awful, no. It doesn’t hurt. It’s unsettling.” He hesitated, and then shook his head. “Everything changes. Who you are. What you are. Your bones, your body. Sometimes it’s traumatic, for the one doing the changing.” “Is it… Do people go … wolfy?” “Sometimes,” he said again. “If they are very distressed by it.” She shut her eyes and tried to repress the way she shivered against him. But he tightened his arms around her, and she thought he’d felt it. “Logan thinks I ought to be okay if I stay here,” she whispered, testing his reaction to the idea. “That even if I … go wolfy … even if I’m wild and insensible, a brood full of vampires ought to be strong enough to restrain me.” Gabe said nothing for several minutes. When he did speak, his voice was soft, thoughtful, not scornful or irate the way she’d expected. “It’s true that a Were’s strength couldn’t match an entire brood of vampires,” he told her. “They could hold you down, if they needed to. But it would be an awful thing to do to you.” She rocked back and looked at him, curious. “If you took a wolf, a wild wolf, and put him in a room full of men, all crowding around him and trying to pen him in, what do you think he’d do?” “Try to escape, I suppose,” she murmured. “If there were too many of them.” He murmured agreement. His fingers traced softly over the small of her back, and it was such a mindless, comforting touch. She held herself still. She didn’t want to make a movement he might take as discouragement. “And if they let him go, he would run until he felt safe, and then he would calm. If they didn’t, if they penned him in or held him down, even if it was for his own good? They would only make him more angry, more afraid. He could hurt himself, trying to get free.” He slid his hands up her back, between her shoulders. “I’m sure Logan means only the best for you, Fate. But it would be a disaster.” She nodded and curled her arms around him, let herself take solace in the simple comfort of being held. He sighed and slid his arms up around her shoulders, drawing her in closer against his chest. It was easy, sitting here alone in the car with him, surrounded by the empty night, to forget about everything else that loomed before her. When she drew back, drying her cheeks and sitting up so that she could look at him, he loosened his hold so his arms remained looped lightly around her waist. “I’m going to go back inside,” she told him quietly. He shut his eyes, not quick enough to keep her from seeing the pain that flashed through them. She put her hand on his jaw and turned his face up to hers, until he opened his eyes and looked at her again. “Go home, Gabe,” she whispered, brushing her fingers through the hair at his temple. “Take a shower. Get some rest. I’ll see you this weekend.” That, at last, made some faint semblance of hope kindle in his gaze. “Will you?” he wondered. There was still doubt there, much stronger than the hope. “You want me to come back for you?” “Yes.” She leaned in and pressed her lips to his briefly. His breath was warm on her skin. “I don’t want to be alone, and I don’t want to be frightened. I don’t want to hurt my friends. If you can help… Yes. Please come back.”
“I will,” he said, and it felt like a promise. **** Leaving Fate was the hardest thing Gabe had ever done. But she hadn’t sent him away entirely—there was that, at least, to comfort him. She wanted him to come back. By the time he was home, the knot of emotions boiling within him had clarified itself into a pure, burning anger. He got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him, a meaningless gesture that at least gave him a sharp, visceral sense of satisfaction. He didn’t even make it to the house. Matthew stood on the front step as though he’d been waiting for Gabe—and perhaps he had. He rose to his feet as Gabe approached him and waited, looking apprehensive. Gabe didn’t stop, didn’t even slow. He curled his hand into a fist, let his momentum carry him. Matthew’s eyes widened with alarm in the moment before Gabe swung and hit him square on the jaw. The blow threw Matthew off his feet. “Gabe!” He tried to scramble up, but Gabe was on him, each punch sending shocks up his arm. “You coward!” Gabe’s fist struck Matthew’s cheek, splitting it open. “You complete and utter shit.” Matthew threw his arm up, blocking Gabe’s next swing. His eyes were frantic, bewildered. It only fueled Gabe’s fury. “Wait. Stop.” Gabe grabbed him by the collar and shook him violently. “You bit her!” he raged. “She’s done nothing to you. She submitted to you! What the hell more do you want from her?” “Nothing.” Matthew curled his arms over his head. He didn’t even try to stop the punches that landed on his chest and torso. “I don’t want anything.” “No, I suppose you’ve done enough now, haven’t you?” Gabe growled. This close to the full moon, control was tenuous at the best of times. Now, fury boiled beneath his skin, and the urge to shift and bite and rend was almost too much to be denied. He grabbed Matthew by the shoulders and slammed him back against the ground. “This is my pack! If you’ve got a problem you take it up with me. Christ. Biting a human woman. I ought to kill you.” “I was trying to make things right.” Even now, flat on his back, bleeding and bruised, he shot Gabe a stubborn, defiant look. “You made the mess. I was just trying to clean it up.” “Go to hell,” Gabe snarled, a growl rumbling in his throat. “If you want to run a pack you can either go find your own, or you stand up and fight me, goddamn it.” He almost hoped Matthew would choose to fight him for position as alpha. Matthew didn’t rise to his challenge, though. He stayed as he was, on his back, not even curled up to protect his stomach. It was a submissive position, but it wasn’t what Gabe wanted. He wanted an excuse to keep hitting him. “Did you even think about what you were doing?” he demanded. He dragged Matthew up by his collar. “Did you think you would just run her off and be rid of her? I will not forsake her! If she’s turned, she will be part of this pack—” “Good!” Matthew snapped, glaring up at him. “I hope she’s turned.” “What?” Gabe stumbled back, staring down at him. The pounding rush of his blood drowned out everything else. Cold fury settled in the pit of his stomach. “Get out. Get off
my property. Right now.” Matthew scrambled to his feet, but he didn’t leave. “She’s human, Gabe. How can you expect to take a human for a mate? But if she’s turned, if she’s Were—it solves everything.” “Get out,” Gabe roared, advancing on him. Matthew stumbled back. He shifted mid-stride, and turned and fled, a streak of brown and grey disappearing over the rise of the hill. Gabe fell to his knees, his head in his hands, and tried not to think of what the full moon might bring.
Chapter Sixteen “You have to call me,” Reina said sternly and wrapped her arms around Fate, squeezing tight. “The minute you know anything about … anything. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the night.” “Absolutely,” Fate assured her, returning the embrace. “You’ll be the first to know.” “I better be.” Reina gave her a mock glare, then sighed heavily and stepped back. “You take good care of her, Gabe,” she said, raising her voice so it would reach down to the street, where Gabe waited with his car while they said good-bye. “I will,” he promised. Fate turned and found his gaze on her. A shiver slid down her spine, something she couldn’t name, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. “We should be going.” Reina wrapped her arms around her stomach and watched them from the front step. “Would it be weird to wish you good luck?” “No.” Fate shook her head and smiled, even as her throat choked up. “It would be very much appreciated.” “Good luck, then. See you tomorrow night?” “Count on it.” Fate gave her another hug, then turned away and went down the walk to join Gabe before she could lose her nerve. They were mostly quiet during the drive. Gabe explained there was some unused property near his they’d used for such things before. It was isolated and far from the main road, so she’d be safe. Whatever happened. She nodded acknowledgment and stared out the window as they swept through the city, and then left it behind them. Electric lights and parking lots gave way to wire fences and the silver glow of starlight. Gabe said little, though she could feel his gaze on her, undemanding. She leaned her brow against the glass and let the miles pass in silence. Eventually, Gabe turned off the road onto a small dirt lane that wound through the hills and brought them to a flat stretch of land. There was another car there already and two people standing, waiting for them. Gabe’s headlights swept over them, illuminating Lily and Zach. No Matthew, for which Fate was more grateful than she could express. Gabe parked next to the others’ car, and Fate walked over to them. Lily looked her over as she neared. Her gaze lingered on her bandaged arm. Of course, they’d have all known what happened by now, and why she was here. Even so, she asked, “Are you okay?” Her voice was low and concerned. “We’ll see, won’t we?” Gabe came up to join them. He wrapped his arm around Fate’s shoulders and drew her close against his side. She leaned in against him, grateful for the warmth as well as the comfort. “How long?” she asked him quietly. “Ten or fifteen minutes until the moon starts to rise.” He moved her in front of him so her back pressed against his chest. He wrapped both arms around her and leaned his chin on the top of her head. She shut her eyes. She felt warm and safe, standing there with him like that. “A bit longer, until it’s cleared the horizon. That’s when the worst of it
hits.” His choice of words didn’t do anything to help ease her mind. To fill the silence, she asked, “So what’s the deal with the full moon, anyway? I mean, clearly it’s not the only time you guys can shift.” “No.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “We can shift at will. As the full moon nears, it becomes easier, until it is not shifting that requires an effort.” “So you don’t have to shift, during the full moon?” “Mmm.” He shook his head. The motion made his cheek brush over her hair. “No, but it’s uncomfortable. Like trying not to scratch an itch.” “So I could—” “It takes control,” he said quietly. “And that requires practice. No, if the bite took, you’ll change tonight. You won’t be able to stop it.” It was the answer she’d expected, but she still made a face. She leaned back into Gabe’s embrace and gave him a tense smile when he pulled the edges of his coat around her to keep her warm. Soon, she could see the crest of the moon peeking up over the edge of the horizon, its silver light as bright as a polished coin. Lily and Zach glanced at it and began to shuffle restlessly, until Gabe said, “You don’t need to stay for this. You may go, if you like.” They wasted little time undressing and throwing their clothes into the car. “Oh, Christ,” Fate said, and buried her face in her hands. “Am I going to have to do that, too?” Gabe chuckled. She could feel it rumble in his chest, against her back. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want. But shifting with clothes on tends to destroy them. You’d have nothing to change back into, afterwards.” The noises around her changed, hard to put her finger on. She opened her eyes and saw Lily and Zach had shifted and stood now as wolves before them. She was sure she didn’t move, didn’t flinch, and she was proud of herself, but Gabe tightened his arms around her anyway. She looked away and tried to think about anything except her pounding heart when they approached. Their steps were slow and measured, their heads held low. She watched them sidelong as they neared, and they watched her. Gabe was with her, she reminded herself. He wouldn’t let her get hurt. And she had no reason to think either of them would threaten her, besides. It was Matthew who had bitten her, not either of them. She held very still as they came up to stand next to them. Gabe shifted his hold around her, dropping one arm. They licked his fingers, eyes shining in the moonlight. He scratched them behind the ears, and then they both spun and ran off, racing through the grasses. Fate watched them go. They looked happy, carefree, if it were possible to tell such things in a wolf. Perhaps she was just seeing what she hoped. Gabe leaned his cheek on her head and murmured, “I’m very proud of you.” She twisted, looking up at him. “What, for not wigging out?” When he nodded, she gave a sharp sigh. “Well, I’ve got no reason to be afraid of them.” He ran his hands down her arms. “That wouldn’t have stopped you before.” She made a face. He was probably right. She let it drop. “Is it normal, to feel like I’ve got a nest of bugs crawling around in my stomach?” Gabe was quiet a moment. His hands found hers. His thumbs stroked over her
knuckles. “Yes,” he said at last. “It’s normal.” “Oh,” she murmured and shut her eyes. “Okay.” He moved, stepping back from her so the chill air washed over her again. He came around in front of her and crouched, looking her in the eye. His hands squeezed hers. “It’s also a completely normal symptom of being worried and frightened,” he told her firmly. “So it might mean anything at all. Please stop worrying yourself this way. There’s no need for guessing games. Trust me, if you’re going to change, you’ll know it.” She nodded and pressed her lips together. He made a gruff sound and pulled her into his arms. She held on to him, her hands sliding up under his jacket to press against the flat of his back. She watched over his shoulder as the moon crept up, higher and higher. When it was half-risen, a great arch rising over the horizon, the writhing in her stomach grew so strong it felt like it might twist her into knots. She broke away from Gabe and started pacing, dragging her hands through her hair. His gaze followed her, quiet and concerned. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this,” she breathed, mostly to herself. But of course, Gabe heard. “I’m here for you, Fate,” he murmured. “I’ll help you. It’s not so bad.” “I know you will. It’s not that.” She stopped and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. A shudder coursed through her. “I just can’t believe, after everything, that I’m standing here waiting to find out if I’m a damn werewolf. What the hell has happened to my life?” She dropped her hands and stared at him, her heart pounding. There was something inside of her struggling to get out, something that had nothing at all to do with the moon. “It’s you,” she muttered. “It’s all been you. My life was sane before I knocked on your door.” His eyes went wide, and then narrowed with hurt. “Fate, I’m sorry. You know I am. If there were anything else I could do—” “Wait,” she said, waving him to silence. “Stop. Just let me talk. Let me say this.” She crossed the space between them and took his face in her hands, stared up into it intently. “This is all crazy. All of it, from the very start. I can’t believe any of it’s happened.” She pressed her thumbs to his lips so he wouldn’t speak. “I’m here right now because of you,” she said firmly. “But I don’t blame you for this. I’m here because … because I’m terrified and completely out of my depth and I have no idea what’s going to happen in the next fifteen minutes. Because I know whatever may happen—if I am a Were—I know you’ll help me get through it. I know it can’t be that bad, if I’ve got you to lean on. I know I trust you.” And there it was, the thing inside her struggling for freedom, terrifying, wondrous, and unexpected. She took a deep breath. “And I think I love you.” Gabe’s eyes flew wide again, and even the pressure of her thumb on his lip wouldn’t keep him silent. “What? Fate…my God…” She pulled him down to her swiftly and pressed her mouth to his, muffling whatever he’d meant to say with her kiss. He pushed at her, just once, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and then he was dragging her against him, his arms wrapping her tight, kissing her frantically. His arms tightened, lifting her off her feet. The heat of his kiss swept her away, to somewhere where the moon didn’t matter, where everything beyond the limits of their embrace fell away. When he eased her back down onto her feet, her stomach had settled and her mind was clear. And over his shoulder, the moon hung in the sky, well above the
horizon. She pulled away. Gabe turned to follow her gaze, and his hands tightened on hers. “Does that mean … am I … I’m okay?” When he turned back to her, his gaze was bright as the moon. “You are exactly the same as you’ve always been,” he told her. “And quite a lot better than okay.” “But I’m not turned? I’m not a Were?” “No.” He smiled down at her. “You’re not.” “Oh God.” She threw herself at him, hugged him so hard her arms ached. His arms circled around her, not as tight as they’d been before, but he held her all the same. She held on to him until she’d stopped shaking. Then he eased her back and curved his hands around her shoulders, looking at her directly. “Fate,” he said. “Don’t think I’m not happy for you, because I am. But could we please talk about what you just told me?” “Oh,” she breathed, distracted by how serious he seemed, when she was filled with such joy and relief. “Well, no, I suppose you must be at least a little disappointed. It’s all right. It would have made this all a lot simpler if I was a Were. That’s what Matthew said, after all.” He rocked back and stared at her. “For God’s sake. I don’t care about that. You said you love me!” “I suppose I do.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I just thought you’d like to know, before—” She pulled one out again, waved it around. “—all this happened.” “I did. I do.” He gave her a quick shake. “Why won’t you let me say it back?” She stared up at him, feeling suddenly very still, very tense. “Do you want to?” she asked softly. “God.” He dragged her in again, forced her mouth open beneath his. She made a startled sound but opened for him, kissed him back. She’d barely done so when he groaned and tore away. “Are you insane? Of course I do.” He crushed her against him. His breath was ragged against her ear. “God, Fate. I love you. How can you think I’d be disappointed? I love you. Just as you are. Human, Were, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I love you.” Her heart spun in giddy circles. She pressed her lips to his throat and held on tight. “Promise?” she whispered against his skin. “Absolutely. Always.” He guided her mouth to his again. When they finally parted, she was breathless and warm, despite the night. “I should call Reina soon,” she murmured, reluctant to let go of him. “I promised.” Gabe smiled. His voice was warm. “Well, we can’t have her worrying.” She’d tucked her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. Gabe slid his arms around her and fished it out. She laughed and swatted at his arm when he lingered longer than necessary. Reina answered on the first ring. “Fate?” Her voice was rushed, worried. “Are you all right.” Fate leaned her brow against Gabe’s broad chest. “Hey, sweetie. I’m golden.” Reina gasped so quickly she squeaked. “Oh, thank God. We’re on our way. I need to give you a hug.” Fate laughed and let her go. She slid the phone back into her pocket, caught Gabe by the wrist when he tried to slide his hand in with it again. “They’re on their way,” she told him. She looked up at the sky, at the moon, hanging high above their heads. She
remembered what Gabe had said, about feeling restless when the full moon rose, and it being easier to shift than to not. “Do you want to go?” she asked him, waving her hand in the direction Lily and Zach had disappeared. “You should go, run around and enjoy it. They’ll be here soon. I don’t mind.” “No,” Gabe said firmly and tightened his arms around her. “No, Fate. I don’t want to go anywhere at all.” The End About the Author: Aislinn Kerry wrote her first romance on a whim and hasn’t been able to stop since. She has always been fascinated with the misfits, the misunderstood, and things that go bump in the night. She blames it on an unnatural obsession with Beauty and the Beast at an impressionable age. You can drop her an email at
[email protected], or visit her at www.aislinnkerry.com. Aislinn currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with two cats who think they own the place.
