Mating Fever: A Shifter Romance Collection 6o4u63

Mating Fever

A Shifter Romance Collection

Susan Hayes

Contents

Mating Fever

Tiger Trap

1. Doyle

2. Tessa

3. Doyle

4. Tessa

5. Doyle

6. Tessa

7. Doyle

8. Tessa

9. Doyle

10. Tessa

Wolf Under Cover

1. Wolf Under Cover

2. Lily/Trina

3. Ramrod/Jack

4. Trina

5. Jack

6. Trina

7. Jack

8. Trina

Carnage

1. Carnage

2. Leta

3. Carnage

4. Leta

5. Carnage

6. Leta

7. Carnage

8. Leta

9. Carnage

10. Leta

11. Carnage

12. Leta

13. Carnage

14. Leta

15. Carnage

16. Leta

17. Carnage

Epilogue

About the Author

SUSAN HAYES WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER| FACEBOOK

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. It is fiction so facts and events may not be accurate except to the current world the book takes place in.

Copyright © 2021 Susan Hayes

Mating Fever

Published by: Black Scroll Publications Ltd.

Mating Fever

These sexy shifter heroes find their mates in a trio of short stories about love, fate, and plans that don’t survive with reality… Tiger Trap A snowy night, a mountain chalet, and two thieves after the same prize… Wolf Under Cover Secret identities, hidden agendas, and a wolf who will do anything to protect his unexpected mate. Carnage An assignment from the Devil, a half-angel on the run, and a bounty hunting hell hound who is about to meet his match. This collection includes previously some published content. The titles are the same.

Tiger Trap

A snowy night, a mountain chalet, and two thieves after the same prize…

1

Doyle

Doyle Frost was in a vile mood, and it was getting worse with every snowflake that fell outside. “Why is it that none of Rafe’s clients ever want something retrieved from Tahiti or Bora Bora, somewhere with blue water, women in bikinis and copious amounts of rum? Instead he sends me to the fucking arctic, where the people are blue with cold and there’s a copious amount of snow. Snow! I’m a tiger, not a fucking yeti.” “Dude, you’re a white tiger. You want to be sent to the tropics? Dye your fur.” Seth grinned at him from his seat behind the wheel of the cube van they had acquired for this job. Doyle was in the enger seat, watching the snow fall as they waited for sunset. Behind them, Seth’s twin brother, Sean was already tinkering with his surveillance set up, activating feeds and carefully tapping into the security systems they’d need to by to pull off their mission. The painting they were re-acquiring for their client was well guarded against theft, which was not a surprise given that the current owner had hired someone to steal it for him. Maya and Alan, Rafe’s other surveillance team, had done the preliminary setup already. They left town yesterday, leaving everything the second team would need at the drop point in Calgary. “You two pups are sure you’ve got this sussed out?” Doyle cocked a white-blond brow at Seth, who flicked a chunk of dark hair out of his eyes with his middle finger before answering him. “I’m insulted. We have this handled. It’s our job, ?” Sean chimed in, letting his wolf come out enough to add a rough growl to his words. “And who are you calling a pup? We’re only a few years younger than you.”

Doyle straightened his shoulders and slipped into the Irish brogue that he rarely let anyone hear. “Not even close, lad. I was a man grown before you two were more ‘n a gleam in your Da’s eyes. You should know better ‘n to judge a shifter’s age by his face. We don’t age the same as humans.” Both wolf shifters stared at him for a minute, and Doyle enjoyed the momentary silence. He knew it wouldn’t last. The twins had talked most of the flight north to Canada, filling the cabin of their private jet with incessant chatter. Then they’d proceeded to talk and bicker all the way from Calgary to Banff. If they tried that on the drive back, he might just kill them both and bury the bodies at the side of the road. It hadn’t been easy to drive by the elegant resorts, knowing that they wouldn’t be staying a single night. Banff was a world class playground for the rich, and Doyle would have liked to stay and play for a while in one of the luxurious hotels they ed. Safely out of the godforsaken snow and foul weather of course, preferably in a hot tub with room service, brandy and a willing woman to the time. Doyle’s boss, Rafe, had made it clear that there would be no time for indulgences. No wine, no women, and no gourmet meals. The lion shifter who owned F.K. Incorporated was loyal and devoted to his cause, but he absolutely had no appreciation for the finer things in life. “This is as dark as it’s going to get,” Sean said. Doyle glanced out the window and nodded in agreement. It was time to go. He stood and made his way to the back of the van, easing himself through the cramped space. “Everything you need is in the pack. The earpiece is in the front pocket, don’t forget to use it,” Sean’s expression was completely serious as he set the pack near the back doors. “We’ll be watching, and if anything comes up, we’ll let you know.” Doyle frowned. He’d forgotten that the twins weren’t old enough to have developed the talent for speaking mind-to-mind with shifters outside their immediate family. That meant he’d have to rely on technology to communicate. He preferred not to trust his freedom to gadgets. They had a tendency to fail at the worst possible moment.

Reg himself to the situation, Doyle removed his shoes and then stripped out of his clothing, carefully folding each piece. He set his shirt down atop his jeans and then looked to the pups. “That’s a four-hundred dollar shirt. If either of you so much as breathe on it I will break one of you in half and make the griefstricken survivor buy me a new one.” Seth’s eyes widened, but he nodded silently and reached out to grab a halfdevoured bag of chips, putting them down a safe distance from the neatly folded garments. Smart pup. Doyle stepped over to the doors and braced himself for the cold. “Good luck,” both twins spoke at the same time and he couldn’t help but smile a little. Not that he let them see it. “You make sure you keep a sharp eye out. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With that, he threw open the doors, letting the icy chill wash over him. Doyle jumped into the snow and swore in three different languages as his bare feet vanished into a drift that came up to his knees and his balls shriveled and tried to retreat back into his body where it was still warm. Fucking hell, it’s freezing out here! The sooner he got this over with, the faster he could be thawing out on the flight back home to Washington State. He summoned his tiger, and the shift brought with it the familiar flash of heat as bone and muscle reconfigured themselves from man to animal. He welcomed the warmth. The moment it was done his tiger expressed its joy at being free with a low roar that rumbled across the snow. He turned, gripped the bag in his teeth and set off toward the house. It was over a mile away, but his tiger would make the run in minutes. Once he was there, he would have to shift again, and then again on the way out. As Doyle bounded through the twilight, he started making a list of all the ways Rafe was going to make this up to him when he got home. Freezing his balls off four times in one day was not part of his fucking contract.

2

Tessa

The gods seemed to be smiling on her, and Tessa Banks wasn’t sure whether to be happy or nervous that things were going so well. All she knew was that when she’d forced open the front door and rushed to deactivate the alarm system, she’d discovered it was already in standby mode. It didn’t seem possible that the bastard who owned this place would be stupid enough to forget to set the alarm, but why else wouldn’t it be on? Well, there was one other possibility, but what were the odds that someone else was breaking in at the same time she was? Tessa dismissed the idea with a near soundless chuckle. I’m more likely to get attacked by a great white shark right here in the hallway. She’d met the owner of this house only once, the day he’d hired her to steal the painting she was now here to steal back. It was the only way she was ever going to see the money he owed her. The son of a bitch had happily paid her in cash, as per her request. She’d checked to confirm the money was ed for, but she hadn’t looked close enough, and she missed the fact that nearly half the payment was in counterfeit bills. When Tessa had tried to him, the bastard had simply dropped off the radar. It had taken some serious digging to track him down. It cost her dearly to gain the details of this place’s security setup and a basic blueprint, but now she had a decent chance of finding the Monet in this massive mansion. There was a void in the plans, a large space that took up the center of the second floor. There were no markings or notes as to what the room was intended for, and Tessa was betting that would be where she would find her painting, on display with the rest of Christophe’s most beloved, ill-gotten treasures. Tessa shook her blonde bangs out of her face and punched in the code that would deactivate the sensors that guarded the interior of the house. She watched as

more green lights appeared on the security . It looked like her luck was holding. Tessa slung her pack onto her shoulder and headed for the stairs at a jog. Fate was a fickle bitch, and Tessa had no intention of staying long enough for something to go wrong. Halfway up the stairs the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and a strange new sensation sent her senses into overdrive. Somewhere deep inside her, the leopard half of her soul stirred and chuffed softly as she drew in a mouthful of air and sampled it, looking for … what the fuck was she looking for anyway? Tessa shook her head and forced the leopard to the back of her mind. Whatever her cat was looking for, she was going to have to wait. The painting came first. By the time she reached the second floor, Tessa’s leopard was snarling and demanding her attention. Something was off, but Tessa couldn’t understand what it was. There was no danger that she could sense, no threat she could detect, and yet her leopard was yowling incessantly, demanding that she do something. When you figure it out, let me know, will you? Until then, shut up and let me focus. Three deep, cleansing breaths helped to quiet the noise inside her mind, and Tessa jogged down the main hallway, ignoring the fortune in paintings that lined the walls and the artfully lit recesses that contained relics and artifacts from every corner of the globe. Her footsteps were completely muffled by the deep pile carpet beneath her boots, the black and bronze pattern strangely hypnotic. The door at the end of the corridor was hammered bronze, framed on both sides by pillars of black marble that made it seem as if one was approaching a mythical treasure room. Her painting had to be locked away behind it. She dropped to a crouch in front of the door and began checking for alarms and other security measures. It would suck to get this close and then set off an alarm that wasn’t in the plans. Only when she was certain the door was clear did she stand up and slowly crack it open. Beyond it was an art lover’s idea of heaven.

3

Doyle

The first whiff of her scent hit him as he left the treeline. Doyle’s stride lengthened, going from an effortless lope to a sprint as he chased that elusive fragrance right up to the door of the estate. Mate. Of all the times to find his mate, it had to be now? Doyle raised his muzzle to the falling snow and snarled in frustration. Somewhere in that house was his mate, and the Monet he’d been sent to retrieve. For the first time in his career, Doyle was going off target. Nothing would stop him from finding his mate. Nothing, and no one. He wanted to charge in, to seek her out and claim her. His mate’s scent was rich, tantalizing enough to cloud his human mind and allow his tiger to dominate. It was only by sheer will that he reined the beast in, reminding it that there were still security measures in place. He had to speak to the wolves, get them to deactivate the barriers so he could find his mate. He shifted to human and the bitter chill helped him focus. Made him more human, but even then Doyle could feel the beast pacing just beneath the surface of his mind. In this form his sense of smell was lessened, but he could still taste her perfume lingering on the air. His cock surged to life despite the cold, hard enough he could have battered the door with it. Not that he needed to. Someone had left the goddamned door open. Doyle tore open the pack, the biting cold numbing his fingers and slowing him down as he fumbled for the Bluetooth style earpiece. He got it into his ear at last and flicked it on with a shaking hand. “I’m here. Deactivate everything, right fucking now!” he snarled, the tiger coming through in every word he uttered. His mate’s scent was everywhere. He needed to find her. Fuck her. Claim her for his own.

“Calm down, dude. We’re on it,” one of them replied, he couldn’t tell which one. “You don’t understand. My mate. She’s here. Now. I have to find her.” Doyle was hauling clothing out of the pack as he spoke, dressing as quickly as he could in the black jogging pants and T-shirt that he found inside. “Holy fuck. Did you say your mate is there?” “Did I stutter, pup? She’s here. Now get me the fuck inside.” “Uh, yeah. About that. Someone’s already deactivated the sensors from the main .” Fuck. So either his mate was another thief, or she was involved with the owner. After more than a hundred years, the gods had picked a hell of a day to go screwing with not only his sex life, but his career. He stamped his feet into the cheap shoes he’d found at the bottom of the bag and sprinted into the house. His mate’s scent was stronger here, saturating the air and showing him the way. Doyle took the stairs two at a time, then three, ignoring the twins’ questions as he tore through the ornately decorated house. He hit the landing at the top of the stairs and followed the alluring fragrance of his woman down the long corridor, fighting to keep his tiger in check with every step he took. He wanted to know her name and her taste. What she would sound like when she laughed? When she cried out his name in pleasure? He wanted to know everything about the woman he’d never expected to find. Above all else, though, he wanted to feel her body beneath his as he took her and claimed her for his own. Barely slowing, he ed the doorway to what his intel indicated would be the main display area for Christophe Heinz’s collection of stolen goods. Normally, Doyle would have paused to reflect on the beauty all around him, but not this time. This time he only had eyes for the captivating creature who was staring at him from the far side of the room. Fucking hell, she was gorgeous. Petite and curvy, with a tumbling mane of golden blonde hair that framed her face and set off the startling green of her eyes. Eyes that were currently wide with shock. Mate.

The word bounced around the inside of his skull as lust seared his veins. He snarled, baring his fangs. She curled her lip in answer, her eyes widening as her nostrils flared and understanding dawned in those beautiful eyes. “No!” Well, that wasn’t a word Doyle heard very often. His beautiful mate hurriedly crammed something into a bag and set it down by her feet. A quick scan of the walls showed him exactly what was in the bag, one of a series of paintings of water lilies. His mate was a thief, and she was stealing the same damned thing he was here to retrieve. As far as he was concerned, there was only one possible explanation for this state of affairs. Fate was a fickle bitch with a wicked sense of humor. “My name is Doyle Frost, and I believe you have two things that belong to me, love.” His brogue was back, proof that his control was slipping, badly. “And what might that be?” she asked, her voice somehow managing to be both sensual and full of challenge at the same time. “Well, for one thing, that’s my client’s painting you have in your bag. I’ll be having it back, if you don’t mind.” Her eyes darkened and she shook her head in denial. “It’s mine. You can’t have it. Not the painting, and not anything else you might be thinking to claim.” “Is that so?” he challenged and prowled across the room, doing his best to ignore the steel rod that had replaced his cock and the demanding roar of his tiger who wanted nothing but to take what was his. She held her ground until he was only two feet in front of her, but then her gaze lowered to his very obvious erection and she took a step back. “No.” “You keep saying that word as if it’s going to change anything, my beauty. It won’t.” He lunged for her, grabbing her and hauling her roughly into his arms. He couldn’t wait any longer. “You’re mine.”

4

Tessa

“Like hell I am!” Tessa summoned her claws and raked them down Doyle’s chest, which merely shredded the fabric to reveal his muscled torso. What god had she pissed off that they would present her mate to her now? She was in the middle of a job … and apparently so was he. The same job. She snarled again, but the scent of her mate was making it hard to hold onto her anger. All she wanted was to rub up against him, lick him, bite him and fuck him hard. Shit. Her leopard was completely enthralled, the traitorous cat howling inside her head, insisting she accept her mate. Doyle gripped her hair, tugging her head back sharply so that she was looking up into his face. Holy shit, he’s gorgeous. He had ice-blue eyes and the chiselled features of a model, masked by a close cropped beard that was only a few shades darker than his hair. He was tall and powerfully built, like most cat shifters, but she couldn’t tell what species he was. Not that she’d had a lot of experience with her own kind. “Your name, mate. Tell me your name.” “Tessa. I’m Tessa Banks.” “Hello, Tessa.” The way he whispered her name made her heart do a slow somersault in her chest. She opened her mouth to answer, but his lips crashed

down her hers, fierce, feral, and demanding. Her resistance crumbled in an instant as the full force of the mating fever hit her. There was no fighting it. No stopping the inevitable. This was her mate, and she needed him to claim her. Here. Now. His scent filled her lungs, saturated her very cells, imprinting itself on her psyche forever. She climbed his body, lips still mated to his, mouth open, tongues dancing. His hands manifested claws, tearing away her clothing. Tessa responded in kind, wrapping her legs around his hips to steady herself as she tore away the rest of his shirt. He growled into her mouth loud enough that the vibrations reverberated down to her very soul, eliciting a soft rumble of response from her leopard. He held her tight as he dropped to his knees and then eased her back onto the floor. Her legs were still tight around his hips, and the hard ridge of his cock was now pressed to the seam of her slick pussy. Every touch made her wetter, and she could taste her own arousal perfuming the air around them, blending with the tantalizing scent of spice that belonged was all his. As if sharing the same thought, he lifted his mouth from hers and drew in a lungful of air, his eyes glittering with lust as he stared down at her. “You smell amazing.” He dipped his head to run his tongue along the line of her jaw. “You taste even better, and I’ll bet that fucking you is going to be the best thing I’ve ever experienced. I need to fuck you, Tessa. Need to feel your hot little cunt around my cock.” “Yes, need you, too,” she moaned, lifting her hips off the floor to grind her pussy along his dick. “Say my name,” he demanded, his voice barely human now. He pushed up and away from her and she untangled her legs from his hips, freeing him. “Doyle.” He tore away his pants with a swipe of his claws and she lifted her head to stare at his incredible length of his cock. He was gorgeous and ridiculously wellendowed. Maybe the gods didn’t hate her. “Tell me you need me again, and say my name, woman.”

On second thought, maybe the gods hated her after all. “You did not just say that.” The snarl that filled the air was pure animal. “Yes, I did.” Tessa’s human side wanted to roll her eyes, but her leopard wanted nothing more than to roll over and offer herself to the pushy bastard kneeling between her legs. “Get over yourself.” “I’d rather get inside you,” he said as his claws raked across the front of her pants, reducing them to scraps. A few more swipes and she damned near naked, with only a few tattered shreds left of her jeans. Doyle moved slowly back up her body, pausing to nuzzle and suckle at her breasts until she arched up off the floor and moaned. Gods, she wanted him. Every arrogant, sexy inch of him. Damn fate right to Hell for choosing this bastard to be her soul mate. Doyle covered her body with his, rubbing the thick crown of his cock against her swollen folds. “Say… My… Name.” Her leopard clawed her way to dominance and Tessa heard herself speak, her words a half-snarl that came straight from the animal that shared her soul. “I want you, Doyle. Take me. Claim me.” He growled in response, a primal sound that fired her blood and sent a fresh flood of cream to her pussy. His mouth slanted over hers and her lips parted, inviting him into the depths of her mouth. He reached between them, talented fingers pressing into her soaking wet folds to toy with the delicate pearl of her clit. Doyle’s touch sent her into another fevered frenzy, her hips rising to grind herself against his hand. “Please, Doyle.” A shudder coursed through him at the sound of his name. He withdrew his hand and rocked his hips, angling his cock so that it slipped into the needy depths of her pussy. She tangled the fingers of one hand into his hair and kissed him back, the nails of one hand shifting to talons as she clawed at his back, wanting to

force him deeper. The mating fever dragged her deeper into a lustful fog as the scent of his blood mingled with the smell of their mutual need. Her fangs lengthened and her pussy clamped tight around the driving thrusts of his cock. Every stroke was harder than the one before it, and he tore his mouth from hers to bury his face in the crook of her neck. Tessa turned her head, offering him her throat. It was an act of submission she had never performed for anyone. One she would have never considered, not until him. Her fangs dropped and the urge to sink her teeth into him and seal their mating grew as she neared the moment of orgasm. She knew he was driven by the same need, because she could feel the prick of his teeth pressing to her throat. The mating fever made it nearly impossible to resist the urge to claim a mate, and once it was done they would be bound together for the rest of their lives. It should have terrified her, but Tessa didn’t care. She couldn’t. Not when all she could think about was the incredible pleasure coursing through her. “Tessa…” he growled her name in an inhuman voice that was a blend of man and animal. Her toes curled as his breath caught and she knew they were on the verge, so close to release she could feel the first tremors that heralded the moment he would claim her. That was when a tinny voice started squawking, and Doyle froze. Something was wrong.

5

Doyle

“The alarms are resetting! Get out! Get out now!” The twins were yelling into his earpiece, but Doyle couldn’t respond. Not now. Not with Tessa’s legs wrapped around him and his dick buried deep inside her tight pussy. He had to finish this, had to brand her body with his mark so that she could never leave him. She tasted as sweet as wild honey and her body fit him like a living glove. She was perfect, and he would make her his. Nothing else mattered. Claws raked his back, leaving his skin burning. Doyle knew what she wanted, what they both needed. He started moving again, surging into her slick channel as they both raced toward rapture. Tessa came first, her pussy gripping him like a fist. Her inner walls milked his cock as she cried out before sinking her fangs into his shoulder. The exquisite blend of pleasure and pain made his balls tighten and his cock swell. Doyle pounded into her with all the pent-up need of more than a hundred years of loneliness. As the first jets of cum poured into her, he bit down on the tender flesh of her throat. Blood coated his mouth and he absorbed her life’s essence, making it a part of himself. She is mine. The mating fever faded enough for him to be able to think again, and the twins shouts finally ed. They were in trouble. His mate was in danger. Doyle released his grip on Tessa’s throat and pushed himself up and away from him. Confusion and hurt flashed in his beauty’s eyes at his sudden withdrawal, and regret sliced through his heart. “Sorry, love. I’ll make this up to you later. Right now, we need to run.” “What?”

He surged to his feet, drawing her up with him. “The alarms are resetting, grab your bag and get out of here, now!” “Why didn’t you mention that earlier? Fuck, fuck, fuck!” she cursed and tore herself out of his arms. “I was distracted,” he said and she snorted with laughter. “I’ll say you were. When we get out of here we really need to talk about—” The electronic screech of an alarm cut her off mid-sentence. They were out of time. He grabbed his bag in one hand, taking her hand with the other. They raced for the door at inhuman speed. Before they had crossed half the distance, he could see they weren’t going to make it. A barred gate was rapidly dropping into place, cutting off the only exit. He knew in an instant what he needed to do. When they were close enough, Doyle came to a sudden halt and used all his strength to hurtle Tessa past him and through the narrowing gap between the descending gate and the floor. She shifted forms as she flew beneath the bars, her naked body transforming to a blur of gold and black fur that landed gracefully on the far side of the barrier, her bag landing in a heap at her paws. The gate slammed shut behind her, cutting off his escape. He felt nothing but relief that she’d made it out. “Doyle, what the hell is going on in there? Talk to us!” He’d almost forgotten about the twins, and the incessant alarm made it nearly impossible to hear them over the din. “I’m trapped, Tessa’s not. She has the painting. Get her out of here or I’ll have two more wolf pelts to hang on my wall.” “The sex kitten you were just banging has the painting? What the fuck?” “Call her that again and I’ll strip your hide off your useless ass while you’re still breathing, pup!” “Sorry.” Doyle tugged the transmitter off his ear and threw it through the bars to Tessa, yelling to be heard over the wails that were threatening to deafen him. “My team will get you out of here. You’ll need this to find them, now go!” She snarled and shook her head, swiping at the bars with one paw.

Fuck, she’s beautiful in either form. “Don’t argue, go!” He pointed down the hallway and she growled again, but she carefully picked up transmitter between her jaws and dropped it into her bag. She grabbed the bag with her mouth, gave him one last look and bounded down the hall, taking his heart with him. He could face being caught, if only she were safe. If she made it out before the house locked down. If she could find the twins. He snarled in frustration, placing his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out some of the noise. There was too much outside of his control right now, and he didn’t like it one fucking bit. He paced the walls of his temporary prison, iring and checking every painting displayed on the walls as he went. He wasn’t really thinking of stealing them, but it gave him something to do, and there was a small chance he’d find a hidden that would allow him to escape. There had to be one somewhere, and he had nothing but time. Well, not really. He had until the police arrived, which wouldn’t be more than another eight to ten minutes. Whatever catastrophic fuck-up the twins had made, he hoped Rafe took it out of their hides. More importantly, he hoped the idiots managed to find Tessa and get her safely back home. Once they were there, his best friend, Flynn, would take care of her, and Rafe would see to it she had everything she needed. Well, not everything. She wouldn’t have her mate, and Doyle could already feel the mating fever surging again. If they couldn’t be together, both of them would suffer. His tiger roared, tearing at the walls that caged him inside Doyle’s mind. The beast wanted its mate. So did Doyle, but by now she would be long gone. He turned and slammed his fist into the wall in frustration. He was trapped.

6

Tessa

That arrogant, pushy, sexy, bastard had actually thrown her out into the hall! Tessa couldn’t believe it. He’d tossed her under the gate, saved her ass and then ordered her to go. When she got hold of him again, she was going to tear his head off … or fuck him again. Maybe both. Every step took her further from her mate, and her stomach was twisting itself into painful knots as the distance between them grew. She didn’t want to leave him behind. He might be a stranger, but he was still her mate. She could still taste his blood on her tongue and her pussy ached from the incredible pounding he’d given it only minutes ago. This was insane. There was no way she was going anywhere without him. He could order her to go until he turned blue in the face, she wasn’t about to be bossed around by anyone, not even her mate. Tessa had dealt with enough of that in her life already. Please, don’t let him be like my father. Her sire had been an angry, violent man who abused his mate and their only child at every opportunity. Tessa was only nine when he’d finally gone too far and killed her mother in a drunken rage. He’d shifted to his leopard form, chasing his mate from room to room before finally tearing her apart. The police had called it a freak animal attack, and Tessa had never said anything to counter that belief. In fact, she hadn’t said anything at all for nearly a year. If Doyle turned out to be anything like her father, she’d leave and never look back. She was stronger than her mother. She’d had to be to survive. Tessa had learned to rely on herself and no one else, at least, not until today. Today Doyle had sacrificed himself for her.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Tessa glanced down them to where the front door still sat ajar. She could be outside in seconds, free and clear. Instead, she turned around and headed back down the hall, stopping at an open doorway. She charged into the room and looked around. Yes. This just might work. Large windows lined the outer wall of this room, while statues carved of granite, marble and gleaming woods filling much of the space. Alcoves were built into the walls at regular intervals, each of them containing yet another statue or figurine. Dropping the bag near the door, Tessa eyed several of the alcoves, settling on one with a four foot high figurine that looked to be made of brass or bronze. She ran to the far side of the room, lined up with her chosen target, and launched herself straight at it. Two strides out she leaped into the air, striking the figurine in the chest and sending it toppling backward into the wall. The plaster crumbled away around the impact point, and she inwardly cheered. A long time ago one of her mentors had mentioned that many times someone paid huge sums of money to secure doors and windows, but then neglected to do anything to the surrounding walls. In this case, he’d been right. The walls to Christophe’s treasure room were the same as in a typical house, and that meant she could tear through them. Claws bared, she started ripping through the wall where the figurine had punched through. Dust clogged her nose and filled her mouth, but she ignored it. The shrill tones of the alarm bored into her skull, but she couldn’t do anything about it so she ignored that, too. There wasn’t time to do anything else. Not if she wanted to get Doyle out of here. As the hole grew bigger she paused to muscle the statue out of her way. It fell to the ground with a crash that made the floor shake, and Tessa briefly wondered if Doyle had heard it. Doyle Frost. Her mate. The word had always terrified her, conjuring specters of violence, pain and fear. Not anymore. Here she was, risking her freedom to rescue a man she didn’t know, but was bound to for life. She hoped that whatever gods had arranged this,

they were enjoying the show. Wood splintered beneath her paws, tearing at her skin and slowing down her frantic pace. Desperate, she focused all her thoughts on Doyle, painting an image of him in her mind one detail at a time. Pale blond hair with a hint of curl and ice-blue eyes that gleamed with arrogance and humor. She recalled the heat of his mouth when he kissed her and the feel of his powerful body as he moved over her, their limbs entwined. “Doyle, I’m coming for you!” She sent the message with all the force she could muster, unsure if it would do any good. She’d never linked with anyone but her parents. After her mother died, Tessa had avoided her kind. She knew almost nothing about shifters, except that they were dangerous and rarely welcomed outsiders like herself. “Tessa?” Doyle’s voice was in her head a second later, but it was more than just his voice, it was him. His thoughts and feelings, fleeting but real, flashed through her mind. “I couldn’t leave you behind. I’m tearing through the west wall, but I’m not going to be fast enough. You have to help!” The roar of his reply assaulted her ears and her mind. Whatever the hell Doyle was in his animal form, he was big. “Tiger, love. I’m a tiger. And you are the most beautiful leopard I’ve ever seen. Which isn’t going to save you from the spanking you’re going to get for coming back for me. Now, what part of this wall needs to come down?” His thoughts were rife with humor and more than a little annoyance that she hadn’t listened to him, but there wasn’t a whisper of rage or darkness in his mind. “About ten feet in from the hallway.” Seconds later the wall shook and light began to pour in from the other side. It didn’t take Doyle long to tear down the plaster enough for her to be able to see him in his animal form. At first she thought he was covered in plaster dust, but then she realized that was his true color. Her mate was a white tiger, and a breathtaking one at that. He tore through the wooden frame like it was made of tissue paper, sending debris flying in all directions as he used his much larger frame to break through. They were going to get out of here. Together.

7

Doyle

Doyle didn’t know whether to throttle her or thank her for coming back for him. She should have been long gone. He needed her to be safe, but gods help him, he needed her with him too. So this was what being mated felt like? She was already making him fucking insane and it hadn’t been an hour yet. How the hell was he going to survive a lifetime? When the gap was big enough he withdrew briefly to blow the dust from his nose and snatched his pack off the floor. Not that there was much in it, but he didn’t feel like leaving any more evidence behind than he had to. Let Christophe try to figure out what had happened to his painting from the scraps of cloth on the floor and the massive hole in his wall. Since the slimy bastard had no idea shifters even existed, he’d never know the truth. Doyle leaped through the hole he and Tessa had made, catching a faint whiff of blood as he crossed into the next room. Not just blood, Tessa’s blood. “You’re hurt.” He directed his thoughts to her, including a strong sense of concern. He still couldn’t believe they’d made a telepathic connection so quickly. Then again, everything else about their mating had been rushed, why would that be the exception? “Only a few splinters in my paws, that’s all,” she shot back and indicated the window with a twist of her elegant head. “Can you handle a two storey drop, or should we go out the front door?” The alarm went silent at that moment, and Doyle knew the decision had been made for them. Either the police were here, or Christophe was. It was past time for them to go. “Window, now!” “On it. Try to keep up, big boy.” With that, Tessa charged the window, springing through the opening before he could reach it. The glass shattered outward,

sending dangerous shards flying through the air to mix with the falling snow outside. Doyle could see her blood gleaming on several jagged pieces that had not broken cleanly and it tore at his already aching heart. He’d see to every one of her injuries. Injuries she’d gotten saving his ass. He didn’t like the idea one bit. Not wanting to land on top of Tessa, he hesitated several seconds before launching himself out the window, taking the rest of the glass with him. He landed hard, the snow softening his fall, but making it more difficult to keep his feet. He staggered forward, his muzzle grazing a bloodstained drift. “Tessa?” “Over here.” Her mental voice was softer than it had been moments before, and he could feel her pain being transmitted over their link. He followed her bloodied tracks through the snow and found her limping toward the treeline. Blood streaked her beautiful coat, and there was a shard of glass lodged into her shoulder, slowing her to a painful crawl. The heavy snow was covering their tracks quickly, but there was no way they’d make it to the van in time to avoid discovery. Not with Tessa limping. Doyle transformed back to human and spat out his backpack, biting back an oath as the cold sank its claws into his bare skin. He crouched beside her, stroking her head softly as he took the bag from her mouth and rummaged until he found the transmitter. He could hear one of the twins shouting into it before he even got it to his ear. “Stop yelling, I’m here now.” He barked into the device and the squawking stopped. “Doyle? What the hell is going on? Where are you? We got the alarm shut down again, but the police are on their way. Are you out of there yet? We can’t find your girlfriend, either.” “We’re out. She’s with me, and she’s hurt. I need you to bring the van to the secondary pickup spot. It’ll be closer and I’m going to have to carry her.” There was a pause. “Is she going to be okay?”

“Yes, but she’s cut pretty badly. I don’t want to take out the glass until we’re safe, and she can’t shift until it’s removed. Get to the location and I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.” Doyle smoothed his hand over Tessa’s fur, marveling at her beauty even as he sent thoughts of comfort to her through their still strengthening bond. “You got it. Hey, Doyle? We’re sorry she got hurt.” “You can apologize to her in person when I get to you. Right after you explain what the fucking hell went wrong tonight. How did the alarms get reset? And which of you am I talking to you? I can’t fucking well tell you apart.” “This is Sean. And uh, it looks like Christophe had a remote access app,” Sean said, sounding sheepish. “You have got to be joking. I was nearly arrested because of a fucking app?” he snarled and Tess lifted her head to lick his fingers. Doyle let his anger go and focused on Tessa. She needed him more than he needed to vent his anger at what had happened. “Just get to the pickup point. We’ll talk about the rest later.” He carefully drew Tessa into his arms, making sure to take both their bags with him as he lifted his precious burden. Tessa stiffened in pain, but then relaxed and let her head settle on his shoulder. “I can walk, you know.” her thoughts were tinged with pain, but there was amusement there, too. “We’ll get there faster if I carry you, so shut up and let me. You saved my ass back there and I don’t like knowing you got hurt doing it.” Doyle started jogging toward the pickup location, doing his best not to jar her. “I can smell your blood, too, macho tiger-man. You’d be warmer in your furry form right now. I can’t believe you’re standing in snow, bare-assed naked.” “Please, don’t remind me. Rafe owes me big time for this. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s sending us to Tahiti for our honeymoon.” “Tahiti sounds nice, but who said anything getting married?” “I did. You’re my mate. We’re getting married, and that’s final.” What the hell

was she talking about? Of course they were getting married. She was his, damn it. He wanted a marriage certificate and a ring on her finger to tell everyone she was taken. A ring might not be enough. Maybe he needed a sign to hang around her neck warning everyone to approach on pain of death.

8

Tessa

It was a shame she couldn’t laugh while in this form. Tessa could use the relief of a good giggle right now, and Doyle’s possessive declaration was the funniest thing she’d heard in days. “You haven’t even proposed yet.” “Add it to the list of things I need to do once I get you safely on the plane.” They were moving through the trees now, and the snow was falling so fast that she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of them, yet somehow Doyle kept moving. Despite the cold and the dark and the storm, he kept pushing on. He was as strong as the tiger that dwelled inside him, but he’d touched her so tenderly, with such care… Tessa was back to thinking that maybe, just maybe, the gods didn’t hate her. “What plane?” she asked. “The people I work for make sure we have the best tools. That includes a private jet. It’s waiting for us in Calgary.” His arms tightened around her and he dipped his head to brush his cheek against the top of her head. “It’ll take us home.” “So, where’s home? And what else is on this list you said you have?” It was getting harder to think through the pain, and she could feel herself getting woozy. Blood loss, probably. If she could sleep for a while, it would be okay. Shifters healed fast if they had a safe place to rest and recover. “Home is Washington State, and the list … we’ll get to that later. Let’s just say that in the rush to make you mine, I skipped over quite a few things I really want to do to you, and with you.” “I don’t have my port with me.”

“I’ll send the twins to get it. You have to be staying in a hotel room around here somewhere, right? Give me the room number and the name you’re ed under, and we’ll take care of the rest.” “Why are you being so good to me?” Tessa hadn’t meant to ask that question, but she was tired and cold, and it was too hard to keep her thoughts to herself. Powerful emotions surged through their link and filled her mind. Worry, confusion, affection and even humor flowed from Doyle into her. “Because you’re my mate. You’re hurt, and I don’t like it. I don’t know much about being mated, my beauty, but I know that it means that you’re mine to protect and cherish.” She could sense the faint ripple of embarrassment that came with his last words, and it warmed her heart. “I don’t know anything about being mated. I guess you’re going to have to teach me.” “Nothing?” “My mother was human before my father claimed her and made her into a shifter. We lived alone. No clan. No pack. After he killed her, I was raised by my mother’s family. They had no idea what I was. I haven’t been around many of my kind. I guess that’s going to change now, huh?” Tessa hadn’t intended to tell him any of that. She’d never told her story to another soul, not in all the years she’d been alone. She was a child of two worlds, and didn’t belong to either one. That’s why she’d become a thief. “You could say that. You’re mine now, and that means you just became a part of the F.K. Incorporated clan. Don’t worry, they’re batshit crazy, but they take care of their own, and that includes you.” “Sounds nice. Crazy works for me. What’s F.K. stand for?” Doyle’s soft chuckle echoed through her mind. “The company I work for was started by a lion shifter named Rafe Sterns. He’s got a weird sense of humor. The initials stand for ‘finders, keepers.’ We retrieve things. Like, oh, someone’s stolen Monet painting.” Tessa laughed a little, but she just couldn’t stay awake any longer. Her body hurt and she wanted to sleep.

“Tessa?” Doyle’s voice sounded so far away. She barely felt his grip tighten around her, but then he was shaking her and shouting. “Don’t you go to sleep on me, Tessa. Don’t you fucking dare! You stay awake, God dammit!” His voice snapped her out of the fugue, at least for now. “It hurts. “We’re nearly there. You just need to hang on a little while longer and we’ll both be warm and safe soon. You can sleep then, but not until I tell you it’s okay. Do you hear me? You stay awake until I tell you it’s time to sleep.” “Anyone tell you that you’re a bossy bastard?” He laughed. “All the time, beauty. It’s one of my many charms.” Tessa rubbed her muzzle against his neck, drawing the scent of him into her lungs. “I’m kind of fond of your charms. I hope none of them are frozen off before we get to this meeting place.” “You and me both, love. Not much farther now. Then we can both rest.” He stumbled a few steps later, dropping to his knees but somehow managing to keep hold of her. It jarred the glass still embedded in her shoulder, and she nearly ed out from the pain. He got to his feet again, but he was struggling. Tessa opened her eyes to find that Doyle was up past his knees in a heavy drift of snow, heading for a pair of headlights that were barely visible through the snow. “Can you see us, Sean? We can see the headlights. We’ll be there in a minute or two.” For a moment Tessa couldn’t figure out who he was talking to, but then she ed his teammates. The tinny voice sounded again. “We have you. Seth is coming out to give you a hand.” “I don’t need help from you two pups, I can manage,” Doyle snapped. “Rafe’s orders. He called for an update two minutes ago. We have orders to get you and your mate secured and haul ass for Calgary. The jet’s on standby. Rafe

outranks you, so Seth’s on his way.” “Fuck,” Doyle snarled, staggering through another drift. “You saved me, then I saved you. Let the pups have their moment, too.” Tessa whispered to him via their link. He relaxed slightly, then laughed. “That’s the worst poem I’ve ever heard,” he told her and nuzzled his face to her fur again. “I’m blaming the blood loss.” She sent the thought with what she hoped was the telepathic equivalent of a smile. This was all so new to her, she wasn’t really sure what she was doing. A new voice called through the snow. “Doyle?” “Over here. Come and make yourself useful and I’ll consider not beating you and your mongrel twin to death.” “Hey! It’s not our fault! The advanced team didn’t figure out he had a remote app, either!” “That’s not what I’m talking about. It occurred to me that you two heard everything that went on while I was in the house and I’m betting it’s recorded somewhere, too. I want it gone before we get to the plane, or I’ll be giving my condolences to your father when we get home.” They’d been listening? Oh, hell no. Tessa lifted her head and turned to look at the dark-haired man who now stood in front of Doyle. The scent of wolf filled her nostrils and she curled her lips back in a snarl. “Tessa feels the same way.” “Consider it gone. Fuck, you cats are so pushy. Wolves get all the crap for being alpha, but you guys are way worse. When he found out what was going on, Rafe roared so loud my ears are still ringing.” “Suck it up, puppy. And for fuck’s sake, get moving. Some of my mate’s favorite bits of my anatomy are getting frostbitten here.”

9

Doyle

The only thing keeping him on his feet by the end was sheer stubbornness and his innate healing abilities. Doyle knew he was suffering from hypothermia and possibly the first stages of frostbite on his feet, but none of that mattered right now. He had to see to Tessa. She needed him. His brave, beautiful mate had stayed awake until they’d reached the van, but as Seth had helped them both inside her body had gone limp and heavy in his arms. For a second his heart had simply stopped beating. It wasn’t until Doyle reached through their link and confirmed that she was still alive that he started breathing again. Fucking hell. They’d only been mated a matter of hours and she was already the center of his entire world. What would it be like in a week? In a year? He didn’t want to think about it. The twins had gotten things ready inside the van. Blankets and jackets had been put down to create a makeshift bed for the two of them, and the second the doors were closed Seth draped another over Doyle’s bare shoulders. Sean had them on the road and heading out of town the moment they were settled, and Doyle finally started to relax. He reached for the first aid kit, but his hands were shaking from the cold and his fingers wouldn’t work right. Seth took the kit from him and opened it, laying out everything they might need while Doyle carefully settled Tessa across his lap. It was probably best she was unconscious for this next bit anyway. Having glass shards pulled out of your body wasn’t a memory anyone would cherish. When it was done, Tessa settled into a deeper sleep, shifting to her human form without ever waking. Doyle curled himself around her naked body and drew the last of the blankets over them both. Seth had found her hotel key card in the bag, along with the painting they’d been sent to recover. They’d pick up her stuff on the way to the airport. Doyle had been impressed by the way the twins had

handled the details, reorganizing the plan on the fly, and it gave him enough confidence to finally give in to his body’s demands for sleep. “Wake me up when we get to the plane. Hopefully by then, we’ll both be healed up enough to make it to the jet without looking like we just escaped from a war zone.”

After an hour or so he woke again, sufficiently healed enough that other, more urgent needs were making themselves known. Doyle spent the rest of the journey with a raging hard on and an irritable tiger pacing within the confines of his mind. His tiger didn’t care that there were others present, or that Tessa needed to rest and heal. All it wanted was to lay claim to her again, deepening their bond and slaking the mating fever that built inside him. Every bump in the road rubbed his naked body against the lush curves of his mate’s body, and he had to grit his teeth and hang on. It was the longest trip of his goddamned life. They’d driven up to where the jet was waiting, and then the twins had made themselves scarce. It was probably the smartest thing they’d done all day. “Tessa, love. It’s time to wake up.” She screwed up her face into an adorable pout at his words, and Doyle gave in to the temptation to kiss her. The featherlight touch of his lips triggered something in his mate, who woke with a feral growl that made his cock grow even harder. Her lips parted beneath his and her tongue flicked out to taste his lips. “Mate,” she said, the words buried in another growl of need. “Yes, love. I’m here.” “Need you … Doyle?” Her lashes fluttered open to reveal the green and gold of her eyes, staring up at him with slowly fading confusion. “Hello, beautiful.” He grinned at her. “Oh, shit. You weren’t a dream.” She glanced down at their naked bodies and then met his gaze again. “Why are we naked?” “You had glass in your shoulder and couldn’t shift. I carried you through the snow to the van and we got you fixed up. You shifted afterward.” “And that still doesn’t answer my question. Why are we naked.” “Because, lover. I wasn’t letting go of you for something as mundane as getting dressed, and I didn’t think you’d want to wake up with a few hundred pounds of

tiger hogging what little space there was back here.” He nuzzled her neck, happy to see the spark back in her eyes. She gave him a half-smile that made his heart beat a little faster. “That’s actually a reasonable answer.” “Glad you approve. How are you feeling? You up to getting dressed and heading over to the jet? I’ve been told that there’s a meal waiting for us.” Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and she nodded, lifting herself up onto one shoulder to glance around the crowded van. “Where are the others? You said you had a team, and I vaguely one of them coming out to help us. He smelled like wet dog.” She wrinkled her nose at the recollection, and Doyle burst out laughing. “Wet wolf, actually. Seth and Sean have gone off to give us a minute of privacy. I think they know I’d tear their heads off if I caught them looking at you while you got dressed.” “Seriously? I don’t know much about shifters, but I do know that they aren’t much for worrying about nudity.” She glanced down at him as if making a point, but he couldn’t help but see the flash of emerald fire as she responded to the sight of his body. Fuck. At this rate he was going to skip eating and move straight to devouring her, here and now. “No one sees you naked but me. Not now. Not ever.” He leaned in and slanted a hard kiss to her sweet mouth. “You’re mine, Tessa. And I don’t share. At all.”

10

Tessa

Tessa ached where she’d been injured, but not enough to stop her from wrapping her arms around Doyle and kissing him back. ‘That goes double for me.” They dressed in a hurry, barely able to keep their hands off of each other. In the end Doyle simply tugged on his pants and shoes and handed her a shirt that had his scent still clinging to it. She put it on and laughed when it hung nearly to her knees. He wrapped her in his jacket next, then threw open the back of the van. The snow had stopped, but it was still cold enough to make her gasp. Doyle didn’t hesitate, he scooped her into his powerful arms and jumped to the tarmac. He carried her up the stairway to an impressive looking private jet. Her face heated as they entered and she realized there were other people present. “Guys, this is Tessa. Tessa, this is my team. Seth and Sean. The two behind them are the flight crew, I’ll do proper introductions later. Right now, Tessa needs to rest.” “Oh sure,” one of the two identical men present muttered to the other one as Doyle stalked past them. “We can’t so much as breathe on his goddamned shirt, but she can wear it like a dress. Please, God, let me stay sane when it’s my turn to find a mate.” “Bite your tongue, bro. If we’re lucky, we’ll never find them and we can enjoy being single and sane forever.” Tessa peeked over Doyle’s shoulder. “Just for that, I hope you find yours soon. And thank you for your help today.” Doyle growled softly near her ear. “Stop teasing the pups.”

“You’re right, I think I’d rather tease you.” She turned her head to plant an openmouthed kiss to the side of his neck, lapping at the skin with the tip of her tongue. “I hope you realize that move just cost you dinner.” Doyle half jogged the length of the jet, only stopping when he reached a doorway too narrow for them to fit through easily. As he set her down inside the door, Tessa looked around her and blinked. Holy shit. The jet has a bedroom. The walls were the same soft cream as the rest of the interior, but the carpet in here was a paler shade of gray. There was a bed that took up most of the available space, and she caught a glimpse of a small vanity and sink set into the wall beside the door. There was probably more to look at, but Tessa found herself whisked off her feet again before she could take it all in. The door slammed shut behind them, but not before she heard one of the twins groan. “Oh hell, he’s taking her to the bedroom. Is there any room up in the cockpit, guys? I don’t need to hear them going at it again.” “Please tell me this room has soundproof walls,” she whispered as Doyle carried her to the bed and lowered her until she was enveloped by the soft grey duvet and a mountain of pillows. “It does. Now, tell me you’re healed enough for me to have you again,” he whispered between heated kisses, his hands already tearing away the shirt he’d given her to wear. It was impossible to think anymore. The fever had her in its grip again, and this time she knew it wouldn’t fade until they had worn each other out with lovemaking. “I’m all yours, mate.” “You were mine from the second I caught your scent.” Show me.” He stopped her mouth with another brutal kiss, his tongue tangling with hers as he rolled her onto her back and wedged a knee between her thighs. The hairs on

his chest rubbed against her tender nipples, making them hard as diamonds. He kissed his way down her body, nipping and nuzzling until he reached her aching breasts. His mouth closed over one taut nub and he sucked hard, drawing her deep into the heat of his mouth. His fingers closed over her other nipple, tugging and stroking it until she arched beneath him and moaned with pleasure. He was rough enough to please her without causing her pain, and Tessa knew that was how it would always be. He would push her, but never hurt her. He’d shown her that as he’d carried her through the snow tonight. Naked. She definitely wanted to see him naked again. Right now, in fact. The button on his pants wouldn’t come free, so she tore them open, earning a sharp nip from Doyle. He lifted his head, freeing her breast with a soft pop before giving her a wicked grin. “That was my last pair of pants, beauty. And you were wearing my last shirt.” “I like you better naked, anyway.” “Then naked, I shall be.” He moved off the bed to shed the last of his ruined clothing, and Tessa never took her eyes off him. He was beautiful. His body was powerful without being overlarge, as if whatever god that made him had wanted his human form to echo the tiger that was part of his soul. Pale blond hair fell in disarray around his face, and she wanted to feel it between her fingers again. His blue eyes were as bright as lasers as he met her gaze. “Will I do, then?” “Fate might have a really lousy sense of timing, but I definitely have no complaints about your looks, mate of mine.” “I’ve no complaints either, my beauty.” Doyle moved with the same prowling grace as his tiger, closing the distance between them in a few short steps. He stretched out beside her, drawing her into his arms for a slow, torrid kiss that sent her senses reeling. Tessa buried her hands in his hair and turned to her side, throwing a leg over his to draw their bodies together. She craved his touch, and

the mating fever flared hotter with every caress. “Will it always be like this?” she asked. “You mean this driving need to get naked and tangled up with each other every chance we get? From what I’m told, the fever fades, but it never goes away completely.” “So you’re my new addiction?” Tessa kissed her way along the line of his jaw, feeling the rasp of stubble against her lips as she worked her way to his ear and blew gently across it. Doyle groaned low in his throat. “Do that again and all my plans for going slowly are going to get tossed out the window. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, Tessa. It’s fucking madness.” “It’s the same for me. So fuck me all ready.” She blew in his ear again, squealing with laughter as he snarled and rolled her onto her back, his big body moving to cover hers, her leg still wrapped around his muscular thigh. “Not this time. This time, we’re going to go slow. Even if it kills me.” “It might kill both of us,” she complained, but Tessa wanted slow, too. Wanted to learn her lover’s body and find the secret places that would make him crazy with need. He kissed her again, tongue sliding between her lips to dance in the depths of her mouth, but when she deepened the kiss he pulled away, ignoring her soft moan of protest as he kissed his way back to her breasts. His tongue teased and swirled around one tender nipple while his fingers worked her other one, and before long Tessa was squirming and breathless beneath him. “I need to touch you, Doyle.” The words tumbled out of her mouth and he lifted his head to look at her. He winked and then moved off her, and she let him go, knowing he wouldn’t be far. Doyle turned himself around and then moved behind her, kneeling above her head so that his knees were at her ears. Before she could ask what he was doing, he was on his hands and knees, his cock suspended only a few inches above her mouth. She angled her head so that she could lick the tip and was rewarded by a rumbling growl.

She drew the thick crown of his cock deeper into her mouth, savoring the smell and taste of him. His scent was spicy and warm, and she finally recognized it. He smelled like fresh baked gingerbread. It was one of her favorite aromas in all the world and Tessa couldn’t tell if he truly smelled like that, or if the fact he was her mate simply meant her senses assigned him a scent she adored. Before she could think about it too much, Doyle’s mouth brushed over the lips of her pussy and she stopped thinking about anything but his touch. Stubble rasped along her inner thighs as he pressed his face into her folds and devoured her like a starving man. His tongue lashed across her throbbing clit and she moaned. His thighs tensed as the vibration traveled through his cock, and Tessa licked the tip of his cock again, this time reaching up to stroke a finger over the sensitive skin tucked away behind his scrotum. He groaned and licked her clitoris harder before sucking the delicate pearl into his mouth and biting it down on it just enough to make her see stars. Doyle worked her relentlessly, driving her further into the realms of pleasure than she’d ever been before. Pre-cum gathered at the tip of his cock and she licked it off before taking him deeper into her mouth, teasing every inch of his shaft with lips and tongue. His balls tightened when she caressed them, his dick growing impossibly thicker. Doyle growled again, his ministrations growing more intense by the second. Tessa was so close to orgasm that she could barely think, but she did her best to keep up, wanting to take him with her when her release hit. He didn’t give her the chance. Without warning Doyle shifted his weight, and then somehow she felt his fingers plunge deep into her pussy, pushing her past the breaking point. Her cries were muffled by his cock as she gave voice to her pleasure. When her cries stopped, he pulled out of her mouth before she could finish him off. “No fair,” she huffed in frustration. Doyle moved back so that he was kneeling by her head again and then dropped his head so she could see his face. “I want to come inside you. I need to know you’re marked by me, inside and out. So, up on your hands and knees, beauty.” “I won’t be able to bite you … and I’m going to want to.” Tessa saw lust flare in his eyes as he met her gaze.

“Trust me, when the time comes, we’ll both have what we need.” His words were rich with dark, sensual, promise, and Tessa’s pussy flooded with fresh evidence of her arousal. As she got to her hands and knees she could feel it trickle down her leg. Fingers stroked up her thigh, gathering the wetness as it went, and Doyle chuckled softly. “My mate wants me as much as I want her.” “I do,” Tessa said, surprised by the emotions that swirled through her at that simple confession. “I’m glad.” He paused, his hand still on her thigh and his cock brushing lightly against the back of her leg. “I never expected it to be like this. It’s … more than I could have hoped for.” She turned her head to look back at him and her heart did a double beat as she saw the yearning in his eyes. More than lust. More than need, there was a spark of something far deeper shimmering in the ice-blue depths. He held her gaze for a long moment, and then fingers brushed between her legs as he guided himself to her entrance. “Take me, mate. Claim me again,” she whispered, and deep in her soul her leopard rumbled in agreement. “Mine,” Doyle uttered the single word with a growl as he thrust into her body, his hands settling on her hips as he claimed her in one long, steady stroke that didn’t end until he was buried balls deep inside her. “I am,” she whispered. A full-throated roar filled the cabin and then he was pounding into her with powerful strokes. The sound of fabric tearing reached her ears and she realized her hands had transformed to claws, shredding the bedding beneath her. Her fangs dropped and she felt the mating fever burn brighter, parching her with a thirst that only Doyle’s blood could slake. He moved over her, chest pressed to her back as he fucked her, hips pumping and his breath coming in ragged gasps as he pushed them both toward the moment of bliss they both craved. Tessa couldn’t stop the cries that rose from her throat, urging him on. She felt his teeth graze the side of her throat and she

tipped her head, offering herself to him. Just as his teeth broke skin, Doyle reached forward, pressing his wrist to her mouth. She bit down, and the taste of his blood sent her skyrocketing into a soulshattering orgasm. Time slowed, allowing her to experience her pleasure one heartbeat at a time. She savored his blood, feeling the way her body absorbed it, making it a part of herself. Doyle’s cock thickened and jerked deep in her body, and then he was marking her again, spilling his seed in her womb. Her body absorbed that too, increasing the bond between them. Emotions poured through their link, their thoughts and feelings blending until they were one. Two hearts, two minds, two souls, forever ed to each other. The mating was complete, and now nothing could part them. Time returned to normal, and they both tumbled to the bed. Doyle lay on his side, his cock still inside her as he gathered her into his arms and spooned with her. “I think I love you, Tessa Banks,” he murmured dazedly. “I can still sense your thoughts, lover. I know you do.” She snuggled into his arms with a sigh of contentment that could hardly express the joy that suffused her soul. “And I love you too.”

Thank you for reading! Next up - Wolf Under Cover

Wolf Under Cover

Secret identities, hidden agendas, and a wolf who will do anything to protect his unexpected mate…

1

Wolf Under Cover

The rumble of bike engines wasn’t quite loud enough to drown out the sound of thunder, but the storm was still some way off. The heat was oppressive and the asphalt shimmered in the heat as the miles ticked by. Off in the distance the horizon was marred by a wall of black clouds headed their way, and the storm looked like it would hit before they got to their destination. Ramrod flipped open the visor of his helmet and sampled the air. All he could smell was dust and the baking road under his wheels. He called on his wolf, cracking the door of the beast’s cage open just enough for it to boost his senses. The storm was closer than it looked. The wind carried the scent of wet asphalt and ozone. He dropped his visor and took a moment to make sure his wolf was secure again. The others had no idea what he was, and he needed to keep it that way. Shifters might have come out of the shadows, but most humans still reacted badly to the discovery that someone they knew could sport fangs and fur at any moment. He preferred to leave some things until the big reveal… and he wasn’t ready for that yet. His train of thought got derailed when one of the other riders let out a whoop, gunned his engine and broke ranks to all but the lead bike. He didn’t have to look to know it was Freak. the shit-for-brains kid the Club’s president had sent along on this run because he thought it would be a learning experience. As far as Rod was concerned, Freak needed to learn how to control his bike and his mouth before he learned anything else. God fucking help them if they had to ride any distance in the rain. The idiot was the best prospect the club had, which was fucking pathetic. Then again, most of what Rod had seen during his time with this club had been a shit show of violence, sex, and incompetence. Why should their recruiting be any better?

The club should be pulling out all the stops to make sure he saw nothing but their best. The newly named president of the Legion’s mother chapter had sent him to assess their club. If he didn’t like what he saw, then these assholes were in deep shit. Maybe enough to get them cut from the Legion MC club completely. Another mile ed and Rod still couldn’t see anything but sun-baked dirt and open road. Where the fuck did this asshole live? They’d left what little there was to the town of Cummingford miles back. He glanced over to the other riders but Ogre and Mutt wore blank expressions, and Freak was cackling like a lunatic as he wove his bike back and forth across the road. No help there. No brains either. Rod put a few more feet of distance between his bike and Freak’s. When the fucktard prospect lost control and kissed asphalt, he had no intention of getting caught in the wreckage. Ogre dropped back, too, which put the big, ugly, enforcer within shouting distance. Rod flipped up his visor again and called out, “Where the fuck are we going, man? I got no plans to drive all the way to the coast today,” Ogre grinned back at him, revealing the mouthful of twisted teeth that had given him his road name. “Not far. This guy likes his privacy, stays out here with the rocks and jackrabbits.” Ogre’s smile vanished. “Works to our advantage this time. No one to see or hear what we gotta do to him if he doesn’t have the product and the cash.” “He’s the cook who fucked you guys over, right?” Ogre nodded. “Stupid fuck. He better have it.” Rod wondered if the meth cook knew how much shit he was in if they got there and he didn’t have what they’d come for. He didn’t have all the details, he didn’t need them. The cook had used too much of his own product and started beaking off to the wrong people. The cops tracked down a shipment that was in transit, busts were made, and now several of Ogre’s club brothers were waiting for their day in court for trafficking meth. It was a

three-ring fucking circus, and from what Rod had seen so far, everyone in the club was a goddamned clown. They left the main road a mile later, following a rock-pitted track until they came to a clearing with a decrepit looking barn and couple of RV’s that had seen better days. Dust-smeared windows and rusting walls. Every tire flat and half-rotten. A scrawny mutt started yapping as they parked their bikes and took off their brain buckets, but the moment Ogre barked back at him the dog got smart and took off, dragging his chain behind him as he took cover under the nearest RV. The barn door opened, and a caricature of every junkie stereotype Rod knew shambled into view. Ghost pale, sunken eyes, and open sores on his face and hands. With all that going on, he looked like an extra from a low budget zombie movie. He had to be their cook. “Hey, guys. Good to see you,” the cook muttered, looking less than happy to have guests. “Stow the small talk, ya fucking tweaker. Do you have our shit or not?” Mutt demanded, while Ogre took up a threatening pose a few feet away. “Yeah, Dwayne! Where’s our shit?” Freak added, then immediately clammed up when Rod shot him a dirty look. The kid needed to learn to shut his mouth. “I got some of it…” Dwayne said, his fingers starting to twitch as he picked at his threadbare T-shirt. “Not good enough. You fuckin’ know better. Snarl sent us out here to get what you owe us, or…” Mutt didn’t finish, he just shrugged and looked back at Ogre. “Fuck, I did the best I could! You know I did! I cooked up a couple batches quick as I could, and I got a little money, but I don’t got all of it. But I got something better. A trade.” Dwayne’s teeth were clicking together he was nodding so hard. “What the fuck could you possibly have to trade in this shit hole?” Mutt asked, gesturing around them. “My sister. Half-sister, actually. She showed up a few days ago, looking to reconnect with family,” Dwayne said.

“And what, she’s rich? She going to pay your way?” “No man, she’s broke. No job, no place to go. She’s crashing with me. You think Snarl would cut me a deal? You take her off my hands, and we call it even? I don’t need to be ing some bitch I can’t even fuck.” Rod’s gut twisted in revulsion. Was the little sleaze really asking if the president of the club wanted to take his sister in trade? Some things were supposed to be sacred, and at the top of the list was family. You didn’t fuck with your family, and you sure as hell didn’t trade them to a bastard like Snarl. He waited for Mutt to tell this asshole to fuck off. “She hot? She better be fucking hot, man.” Mutt asked. Son of a bitch. He couldn’t let this happen, but his options were limited. Very fucking limited. “If she wasn’t my sister, I’d be doing her,” Dwayne said. Freak cackled. “You’d do a chain-link fence, man. All you need is a fucking hole.” “Where is she?” Mutt demanded. “Making me a sammich. Want me to get her?” “Not yet. Show me what else you got for us while I call Snarl. See if he’s even interested in this fucked-up horse trade.” Mutt ran a hand over his tattooed scalp and looked at Ogre. “You, come with us. You want to us, Ramrod?” Rod rolled his shoulders and nodded. “Beats standing around here watching the dust devils.” He followed them into the smothering heat of the dimly lit barn and immediately regretted his decision. He didn’t leave though. This was what he was here for. He needed eyes on the goods and confirmation that this was the local club’s source. Once he had that, he could call in the cavalry and get the fuck away from these assholes. The thought of being done with it all soon kept him from walking out of the

hellish sweatbox of a barn. By the time his eyes had adjusted to the light, sweat tricked down his back and made his shirt cling to his body. Mutt was on the phone, filling his president in on the situation in terse, clipped tones that didn’t bode well for Dwayne’s long-term survival. There wasn’t much in the barn apart from a few bales of moldy hay and a trestle table with a couple of dozen baggies strewn across it, each one full of white crystals. Crystal meth. “See? I’ve been cooking. Good stuff, too.” Dwayne said, ing a shaking hand over the bags with an almost obscene tenderness. “What I see ain’t enough to save your pathetic ass. We lost a shitload more than this in the raid.” “I’ve got cash too. Tell Snarl I’m good for the rest. You know I am.” Ogre started packing up the baggies, stuffing them into a backpack Rod had no fucking intention of carrying on the trip home. Not that he expected them to ask. If they had any brains at all, they’d make Freak play mule. It had to be the real reason the fool was here at all. He was the patsy if shit went sideways. Where the fuck is the little shit, anyway? He’d barely formed the thought when a woman started screaming. “Don’t touch me! Get your hands off! No!” Rod turned around and ran out of the barn. Drugs, violence, and all manner of fuckery he could deal with, but rape wasn’t on the list. The sunlight had faded as the storm got close, but it was still bright enough to make Rod blink a few times before he could see what Freak was up to. Sure enough, the scrawny bastard had a woman pressed up against the side of one of the RV’s, grinding his hips against her as he laughed. “Let her go, asshole!” Rod was across the dusty yard in seconds. He grabbed Freak by the back of his leathers, tossing him a few feet away. The next thing Rod knew, he had a curvy bundle of trembling female wrapped around him. Normally he’d be all for this plan, but it was going to be a problem if Freak decided to continue being a fucking idiot. Things only got worse when his new attachment lifted her head to look at him.

He found himself staring into a pair of big blue eyes framed by lashes the color of honey. He sucked in a breath to clear his head, but that only made it worse. All the blood in his body drained into his cock, leaving him with a hard-on and a head rush. She’s fucking perfect. “And she’s ours.” His wolf growled, prowling the back of his mind. He tore his gaze away from those pretty eyes just as Freak was getting to his feet. The smaller man had blood on his face and murder in his mud-brown eyes. Rod managed to peel the girl off and shove her behind him before Freak made his move. He wasn’t in any real danger. Even if he’d been an average human he could have handled this asshole, and he wasn’t either of those things. Still, carelessness killed more of his kind than anything else, and he wasn’t ready to check out of this life just yet. Especially not until he got another whiff of the woman standing behind him. His wolf had to be mistaken. “Fuck you.” Freak screeched. “She’s going to be coming back with us, so what if I wanted first go instead of waiting at the back of the line?” The smaller man came at him, fists raised, and his thumbs tucked inside his fingers just waiting to get broken the first time he hit anything. The fucking idiot didn’t even know how to fight decently. Why the hell were they letting this waste of space hang around the club? Rod threw a haymaker and sent Freak sprawling. Then he planted a booted foot on his sternum and leaned in until the little asshole started to gasp and whimper. “No patch, no snatch, you fucking know that. Snarl hasn’t even agreed to the deal yet, and even if he did, you’re a fuckin’ prospect, you haven’t earned the right to claim club property. Keep your dick in your pants and your mouth shut, asswipe.” Rod heard a squeak of fear come from the woman currently cowering behind him. Yeah, this was going really fucking well. He knew what she was going to

do now, and the idea of running after a scared woman in this fucking heat was not appealing to him. Of course, his wolf thought it was the best idea ever. Fuck. She was gone before he could grab her. She took off down the driveway, giving him an eyeful of long, blonde hair and a nicely rounded ass wrapped in a pair of faded jeans as she bolted for the road. He went after her, cursing as his rock-hard dick took a beating with every step he took and his wolf howled inside his head. Thankfully the chase didn’t last long. She lost one cheap, plastic shoe and the other fell apart as he ran after her. She tripped over it and tumbled face-first into the dirt. He was on her before she could get up again, and his dick got even harder as she fought and twisted beneath him, grinding her plush ass against his crotch until he was seeing stars. “If you don’t stop wriggling, sweet cheeks, you and me are going to end up intimately acquainted right here and now.” She froze, her next words coming out in a terse whisper. “You wouldn’t dare.” “Fuck you right here? Yes, I would.” “But you made the other guy stop….” He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn’t. He’d have to settle for scaring her into behaving until he could get her somewhere safe. “If you think that makes me some kind of hero, you’re wrong. I’m a bad man, sweet cheeks. A very bad man who wants to do very bad things to you. I’d just rather do them without an audience.” “I’d rather not do them at all,” she muttered, but at least she quit struggling. “That ship sailed the second your scum of a half-brother offered to trade you to save his own ass.” She whimpered and turned her head, letting him take his first good look at her face. Feelings he’d thought long dead and gone surged through him. Protective

feelings and desires far beyond a fast fuck with a warm body. She had petal-pink lips, high cheekbones and golden skin softer than silk. There was a streak of dust on her cheek, and he found himself brushing it away with his fingers, enjoying the brief more than he should. “I’m not going with you,” she declared. There were tears shimmering in her eyes, and Rod knew he was fucked six ways from Sunday. There was no way he was leaving an innocent like her here with Dwayne, and if he let the others take her… No. That wasn’t happening either. His wolf was in full agreement. All he was getting from the damned creature was lust, protectiveness, and a word he was not ready to deal with until he had liquor in his hand. Mate. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ignoring his wolf, his hard-on, and the intoxicating scent pouring off the woman, he pushed himself up and stood. Then he reached down and pulled her back on her feet, one hand still locked around her wrist. “You don’t have a choice. So, sweet cheeks, you got a name?” He started walking back to the others but stopped when he realized she wasn’t following him. With a sigh, he jerked her into his arms and hoisted her over one shoulder in a fireman’s carry, her ass in the air and her feet kicking in protest. “Put me down!” “Nope. You had your chance to play nice, you lost it. Now, we do this my way.” He slapped her on the ass and headed back to where everyone else was waiting, mind racing as he tried to figure out what the hell to do next. He didn’t get three steps before the skies opened and a deluge of rain came pouring down. This day kept getting better and better. He grunted and shifted her on his shoulders as they walked. “Let’s try this again. What’s your name?” “Lily. My name is Lily White, and I think I hate you.”

2

Lily/Trina

Fuck my life. It was a good thing she wasn’t armed right now. Special Agent Trina Thorn was seconds away from shooting everyone and calling it a day, which would have blown any chance she had of taking down these assholes once and for all. They’d been trying to take down the Legion club for what felt like forever, but they’d never managed to get someone on the inside. Their break had come when more than half the club’s leadership got themselves slaughtered by a rival club. The massacre had been so big it made headlines across the country. In the power vacuum that came afterward, shitty decisions were made. The wrong people took over, and now factions were tearing the club apart, leaving cracks big enough to drive a tank through. Trina had been sent to take advantage of one of those cracks. Getting traded to the club like a pack of baseball cards hadn’t been her idea. No, the plan had come from her asshole of a supervising agent, Max Patterson. He tried to get her to sleep with him. When she’d laughed and told him to pound sand, he’d taken it badly. Working for someone who had it in for you was never fun, and in her line of work it was a fast way to an early grave. She’d requested a transfer, but the son of a bitch had dropped her into this op before the paperwork had gone through. So here she was, dangling over the shoulder of some unwashed barbarian biker, soaking wet and madder than hell. When she saw Max again, she was going to feed him his spleen. To add to her fury, the arrogant son of a bitch with his hand on her ass was laughing at her, or more likely, laughing at her name. Fuck knows she couldn’t blame him for it, she’d laughed, too until she’d discovered it wasn’t a joke.

Another gift from her asshole supervisor. Lily White… yeah. Max was a dead man. “Lily, if you want to hate me, that’s just fine. Most people do. But right now I’m the only one standing between you and getting fucked by every patched member of this club, so I’d suggest you be nice to me from now on.” Her hulk-sized captor set her on her feet again, and she finally got a decent look at him. He didn’t look at all familiar, which meant he hadn’t been in any of the intel she’d been given. Wonderful, an unknown player, just what I fucking needed. She took a closer look and felt her temperature rise a few degrees. Fuck a duck, when did the Legion start recruiting sex gods? He was big all over, from the width of his shoulders to the still-hard cock nicely outlined by the snug fit of his jeans. The rain had soaked his shirt, and it clung to every muscle of his sculpted chest and tattooed arms. His dark hair was long enough he had it pulled back in a ponytail, which only emphasized his chiseled features and smoldering brown eyes. All her indignation at the way he manhandled her evaporated as a flood of liquid heat drenched her pussy and drenched her panties. Holy hell, the man was hot. An arrogant bastard who had threatened to do unspeakable things to her in the middle of the driveway, but still… hot. I need my head examined. He wrapped one massive, tattooed arm around her waist and tucked her into his side before scowling at everyone else present. “This one’s mine while I’m here. No one touches her or I’ll break off whatever body part they touched her with. We clear?” “Snarl’s not gonna’ like it,” the biggest of the bikers said with a frown. “Snarl can have her after I’m gone, Ogre. Call it a loan. I haven’t got an old lady, and the skanks you have at your clubhouse are so nasty not even Freak will touch ‘em. I’ll break her in, and when I hit the road, she belongs to the club.” Lightning streaked across the sky and the thunder cracked loud enough to stop all conversation for a few seconds, adding a dramatic pause to an already surreal moment. This was not how the deal was supposed to go. Nowhere in her briefing

had anyone mentioned sending her in as a fucking sex slave. Dwayne was supposed to introduce her as his half-sister and see if any of them took an interest in her. If they did, she’d go with them, and if they didn’t, she’d work her way in slowly, using Dwayne’s connections. Someone had changed the plan, and she wasn’t fucking happy about it. She let her head sag until her bangs fell over her eyes. Now her face was partially hidden. She started looking around for Dwayne. He was standing a few feet away, twitching so badly she half expected him to shake apart at any second. He caught her looking his way and ducked his head, his feet shuffling in the rapidly forming mud. When this operation was over, she was coming back here to kick his skinny ass for this. But all that would have to wait until later. Right now, she had a bigger problem… one standing about six-foot-three and had delusions that she somehow belonged to him just because he said so. Her mission was to gather enough evidence to link the mother chapter of the Legion to the drugs and weapons being transported out of the Cummingford area. This change in plans meant she was going to have to find a way to do her job while avoiding the asshole Adonis who wanted a playmate. This wasn’t going to be fun. While she was coming to grips with her new reality, the guys seemed to have come to an understanding. “… if you say so, Ramrod, but you’ll be the one explaining shit to Snarl when we get back.” The guy holding her just shook his head. “I don’t have to explain myself to anyone in your fucking club, Ogre. I report to Rocket, not Snarl. You want me to send word you’re dicking me around?” Ogre winced. “Not really.” “I didn’t think so. Stop fucking with me and keep that shit-for-brains potential away from me and my property. I see Freak’s ugly face again once we’re back at the clubhouse and he’s going to bleed. We clear?”

So, the big guy had a name, Ramrod. Awesome, another biker with a road name screaming “overcompensation.” Then again, having been up close and personal with this particular biker’s equipment, maybe it was less bragging and more a statement of fact. She had no interest in finding out. Hot or not, he was a criminal, and there was nothing sexy about a man who made a living from other people’s pain and suffering. “You ride with me, sweet cheeks,” her new irer murmured in her ear. “I need my stuff. It’s in the trailer,” Trina said, forcing herself to keep her voice to a soft, terrified, whisper. Her momma had always told her she could get more flies with honey than with vinegar, and it turned out it was true even when she was undercover. It didn’t hurt that she was blonde, curvy, and looked like the sweet girl-next-door and not a fully trained ATF agent. Her looks were why she ended up with assignments like this time after fucking time. “Dwayne, get your sister’s shit and bring it out here. Now.” “I don’t even know who you are, asshole, I don’t have to do what you tell me.” Ramrod snarled in frustration. “I’m the man who is going to tear your head off and use it for a toilet if you say one more fucking word.” Dwayne opened his mouth, then closed it again and scampered off to the nearest RV. “Good choice,” Ramrod rumbled, and Trina had to fight the urge to laugh. Despite the dire circumstances—or maybe because of them—she was actually enjoying this madness. She really needed to get her head examined. If she survived this mess, she’d book time with a shrink. Right after she filed a lengthy report against her supervisor for putting her in this fucked-up position. Another boom of thunder sounded right overhead. She jumped, but the noise snapped her focus back to the here and now. “We could go back into the barn,” one of the others suggested, but Ramrod cut his hand through the air, negating the suggestion. “We get the shit we came for and Lily’s things, and we get out of here. We’re already soaked to the bone, a little more water won’t hurt us.” He leaned in

close, his chest pressed against her back as he dropped his gaze. “Matter of fact, I think this rain is improving the view.” She glanced down and immediately crossed her arms over her chest. The thin, white, cotton crop-top she wore was soaked through and was more or less transparent now, revealing the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra. The others laughed. Then the big jerk did something surprising. He took off his leather vest and dropped it over her shoulders, making sure she was decently covered. Maybe there was a vestige of decency in this guy, after all. “Get your eyes off my property, assholes.” She sighed. Or he could just be another arrogant, possessive caveman.

3

Ramrod/Jack

The hot little blonde was going to be a big fucking problem. After a year of living undercover, Agent Jack Noble was used to being surrounded by criminals and darkness every day. He’d damned near forgotten who he’d been before becoming Rodney ‘Ramrod’ Steele, but what little humanity was left to him would not allow an innocent like Lily to fall into the hands of a group of bastards like the Legion. They’d break her body and shatter her spirit until there was nothing beautiful about her, inside or out. And that was before he considered the fact that his wolf was convinced she was theirs. If his furry side was right then this operation, and his life, just got a lot more complicated. He’d have to make the call. Once he got her safely to his motel room, he’d make and tell his people he was ready to come in. He had one more meeting to attend before that could happen. With any luck it would give him enough to put away the few remaining big players left after a massacre had killed off most of their leadership. He’d been ready to end this op weeks ago, but Rocket, the new president of the mother chapter of the Legion, had sent him on a fact-finding trip to some of the other chapters. The trip had produced evidence linking several more clubs to the drug and weapons trading going on. It was too good an opportunity to up, so Jack had extended his time as Ramrod. Now things were different. Now he had to protect the blonde. Lily was a complication he didn’t need, not to mention a serious distraction. He hadn’t gotten laid in months, and her smoking curves and big blue eyes were making him painfully aware of exactly how long it had been since he’d fucked

anything but his hand. At least the rain had dampened her scent a little. Putting his jacket on her helped, too. It muted her scent enough he could think clearly. The storm was easing by the time he got Lily settled on the back of his bike. He and the others pulled out and started the drive back to Cummingford. The air was fresher now, but he couldn’t enjoy it. There was nothing on his mind but the way Lily’s sweet body was plastered to the back of him, her arms locked tight around his rib cage. Judging by the squeak of fright she uttered when he first drove off, she hadn’t spent much time on the back of a bike. Every bump and pothole in the road had their bodies bumping and rubbing together, shredding his concentration and putting him in a constant state of arousal. The flat, boring scenery did nothing to distract him from the X-rated thoughts flashing through his head. By the time they got back to the clubhouse, Jack was hard, horny, and in a foul mood. He helped Lily off the bike and clamped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her in tight to his side. If she got scared and bolted, she wouldn’t like what happened next. Hell, she wasn’t going to enjoy anything about the next few hours, but he needed to be at this meeting, which meant the only safe place for her was at his side. “I’ve had time to think about it and I definitely hate you,” she muttered, but there was a tremor in her voice despite her defiant words. “I have that effect on women. You’ll be singing a different song once you get to know me.” She reached up to sweep a wind-tangled lock of blonde hair out of her eyes and gave him a dubious look. “I doubt it.” He leered and cupped a hand over his half-hard dick. “Trust me, it’ll happen. One night with me and you’ll be singing my name to the heavens.” For a brief second Jack could have sworn her wide-eyed expression turned stormy, but before he could be sure of what he’d seen, tears were spilling down her soft cheeks and she was shaking her head so hard he feared she was going to hurt herself. “No, please. This all has to be some kind of nightmare and I want to wake up

now.” “Afraid not, sweet cheeks. This is as real as it gets.” Lily whimpered and tried to twist out of his hold. He stopped her easily enough, but he knew he was going to have to do something drastic to put an end to this bullshit. Once they went inside, he was going to be the only thing standing between her and a lifetime’s worth of nightmares. He turned and backed her into the wall of the clubhouse, ignoring her soft gasps and frightened eyes. He pinned her against the sun-warmed bricks, leaning in hard enough to keep her in place. Letting him feel every curve of her hot body. Setting a hand flat against the wall on either side of her head, he caged her in close enough she couldn’t turn away from him when he lowered his head until they were only a few inches apart. “You don’t have a fucking clue how much shit you’re in, do you?” he asked. She tried to shake her head and bumped her cheek against his forearm. “I just want to go home.” “Not happening. Your bottom-feeding scum of a half-brother offered you up as payment on a debt he owed, ? As far as anyone here is concerned, you are now club property.” He moved in even closer, so his lips hovered just over hers. “Here’s how I see it, sweet cheeks. If you belong to me, then I’ll protect you. You don’t fuck anyone but me, and I make sure you’re taken care of. If you keep fighting me, then the others are going to think I can’t control my woman. If that happens, either you’re going to end up across my knees getting spanked in front of everyone, or I decide you’re not worth my time and I let them have you. All of them.” “You already said you’d let them have me when you leave,” she pointed out, her voice barely above a whisper. He had to give her credit. She’d been paying attention. “I did say I’d leave you here, didn’t I? Doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind. Give me a good reason to take you with me, Lily, and I’ll consider it. Piss me off and I’ll cut you loose.” He’d never do it, but there was no way to reassure her without risking his cover and both their lives. She blew out a tiny puff of breath. “Some choice.”

“Better than no choice at all. I’m a bastard, but I’m not a complete bastard. You could do worse.” He lifted a hand from the wall to brush away her tears, ignoring the way she flinched from his touch. “For fuck’s sake, man, at least take her inside before screwing her,” Mutt called out as he walked past. “Just setting some ground rules for my new bed warmer,” Jack replied. A half second later, Lily opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off with a kiss that set his entire world ablaze. He’d only intended to silence her, but once his lips touched hers, all bets were off. She tasted like cinnamon candy, sweet and spicy at the same time, and he plundered her mouth with his tongue, craving more. He buried his fingers in the silken tangle of her blonde hair, wrapping it around his hands as he ground his aching cock against her flat stomach. He wanted her naked and under him, and he wanted it right fucking now… which was going to be a problem, given he was supposed to be one of the good guys. Fuck.

4

Trina

Trina knew the second he kissed her that she was hip deep in a whole new kind of trouble. Her pulse raced and her pussy creamed as he slammed her up against the wall and fucked her mouth with his tongue. Sweet baby Jane, the man could kiss. She’d known going in there was a chance she was going to have to get physical with one of the club . She’d done it before, but never once had it felt this damned good. It wasn’t enough she was undercover and on her own, surrounded by men who would kill her if they found out who and what she really was. No, the universe had to fuck with her by throwing a sexy, musclebound distraction into the mix. She never went for the bad boy types, even as a teenager she’d known there was nothing redeemable about them. Her girlfriends had all twittered and swooned over the rebels and hard cases, but not her. Years later, when those same friends had to deal with their deadbeat baby daddies or tried to hide the bruises their abusive husbands gave them, she’d been grateful not to have made the same mistake. Now here she was—hot, wet, and aching for a man who probably already had a reservation at the devil’s dinner table. After this op, she was going on a long vacation somewhere tropical, where the rum flowed in a river and the men were all from another country or at least another state. She clearly needed to get laid and get her head on straight. It was the only explanation for why she had her fingers fisted in Ramrod’s shirt, pulling him closer so she could kiss him back. He growled, the deep sound rumbling up from his chest as he claimed her mouth. His unshaven jaw rasped against her skin, and every breath she took carried his scent. It was a mixture of leather, road dust, and musk. She wanted him with a ferocity bordering on madness, but Trina was a trained agent, and

there was no way she was going to let her libido interfere with the mission or her survival. She’d use this insane attraction, channel it to make sure she got what she needed to close this case, then walk away and find a lover who didn’t have blood on his hands. “Kiss me like that again and I’m going to think you’re starting to like me,” Ramrod murmured as he lifted his head and ended their kiss. She didn’t have to fake the blush on her cheeks as she dropped her gaze to his chest, trying her best to look like the shy, uncertain woman she was pretending to be. “You said I had to make a choice, so I made it.” He chuckled, tugged at a lock of her hair, and then moved away from her. “Keep making smart choices and I promise you won’t regret it. I protect what’s mine.” A calloused hand cupped her cheek and when she glanced up, he was looking down at her with an oddly gentle expression on his face. “I am not gonna’ leave you here, Lily. I wouldn’t leave my lying, cheating ex-wife with these bastards, never mind an innocent like you. Just don’t go telling anyone, okay? You say anything and neither of us will enjoy what happens next.” She nodded once, already trying to figure out if this new facet of his personality was an act, or something she could use to her advantage. “Okay. So… uh, what do I call you?” He grinned at her, looking the slightest bit sheepish. “I guess I forgot to introduce myself. Name’s Rod Steele. You can call me Rod, master, or Ramrod, I’ll answer to all three.” “Okay, Rod,” she answered, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at him. “I guess master was too much to hope for, huh? All right, sweet cheeks, let’s go inside. Whatever happens, stay quiet, stick close, and don’t try to run.” He wrapped an arm around her waist before heading for the door to the clubhouse. She managed to keep up with his long strides despite being barefoot, but it wasn’t easy. Now she could see it properly, she realized the clubhouse wasn’t much of a

house at all. It was more of a ramshackle shed that had been extended a few times and wasn’t up to any building code known to man. Whatever money these guys were making, it wasn’t going into property upkeep. Inside, things were different. The whole space was more like a dive bar than anything else. Flat screen televisions on the walls, a pool table in one corner, and a bar covered in bottles, most of them only half full. It was cooler too, which was a pleasant surprise, but even the air conditioning couldn’t take away the reek of stale booze and cigarette smoke. There were about a dozen men inside, all of them wearing Legion colors. There were a few women, too, and it only took a few seconds for Trina to figure out which were the old ladies. They were softer looking and stuck close to their men, while the others were hard-edged, with jaded eyes and a lifetime’s worth of bad decisions poorly hidden beneath the layers of make-up plastered on their faces. The old ladies looked at her with curiosity, while the others glared with open hostility. Trina hunched her shoulders, dropped her head, and stuck close to Rod’s side. “Who the fuck is she?” one of the unclaimed ones asked, disdain dripping from every word and her eyes gleaming with spite. Her hair was dyed black and there was too much makeup plastered onto what must have once been a pretty face. “Mine. That’s all you need to know, Trixi,” Rod snapped. Trina made sure not to meet the woman’s gaze. She was supposed to be a meek, gentle soul caught up in something she didn’t understand. Her job was to look totally nonthreatening and entirely dismissible. Rod was willing to protect her because he thought she couldn’t protect herself, and she needed to keep him believing it. She needed everyone to believe it. “She ain’t yours yet, Ramrod. You want her, we need to talk about it,” a new voice spoke out, ringing with cold authority. “That’s why I’m here, Snarl. Otherwise, I’d be home already, showing my girl just how lucky she is I took an interest in her instead of leaving her to Freak’s tiny dick and performance issues.” There was a round of laughter and a path cleared ahead of them. At the far end

of the clubhouse, seated behind a heavy wooden table, was a greasy-haired, heavy-set man with gray in his beard and a brutal scar that slashed across his face, twisting one side of his mouth into a perpetual snarl. “Bring her up here and tell me why you think I should let you have her.” Trina found herself standing across the table from one of the vilest scumbags in the state. The way he was looking at her made her skin crawl. This was the club’s president, Sam Wolfe, the one everybody called Snarl. “She’s too fucking pretty to be related to Dwayne. You see any resemblance, Mutt?” The club’s second in command shrugged. “They’re both blonde and scream like little girls when they’re scared. I can’t blame her, though. Freak’s face is so ugly he makes his own momma scream.” “Did Freak scare you, little girl?” Lily nodded. “Y—yes sir.” “Ain’t that sweet? She called me sir. I like it.” He glanced around at the men closest to him. “I think you should all do it from now on. Yes, sir. No, sir. Three bags full of meth, sir! What do you think, Ogre?” “I think it suits you, sir.” Snarl grinned and the next thing she knew he was slamming a large skinningknife point down into the tabletop. “Done!” Some of the good humor faded from his eyes as he looked at her again. “So, Freak scared you, your shit-stain brother sold you to us, and now you’re club property… unless I let Ramrod have you. Freak was out of line, he’s not patched and he knows better than to fuck with club property without my permission, but you… what the fuck am I going to do with you?” Rod tightened his hold on her. “You’re going to give her to me, Snarl. I’ll make sure she’s nicely broken in for your boys by the time I head out again.” “And why should I give her to you?”

“Because I’m the guy who is going to tell Rocket if you and your pack of fuckups are still worthy of wearing our colors. The raid cost us a goddamned fortune and brought down heat none of us needed. It’s a fucking gong show out there, and we’re closing ranks. When that happens, what side of the door do you want to be on?” Snarl yanked the knife out of the table and pointed it at Ramrod. “Rocket needs our . Things are too unstable. He wouldn’t cut us loose.” “He needs the of the clubs who have their shit together. I’m here to decide if you and your crew meet the new standard, and so far I ain’t seen nothing to make me think you’re anything but a liability. Impress me, Snarl. Give me the girl and explain how your club is going to make up what was lost. Do that, and I can go home and leave you alone to run your club.” Everyone watched in silence as the two men stared at each other, the tension increasing by the second. Any moment she expected the two of them to whip out their dicks and start measuring. To the time she worked on figuring out her best escape route if things went sideways. If these two went at it, she had no intention of getting caught between them. Just as she was thinking things were going to go to hell, Snarl nodded. “She’s yours.” “If she’s his, he has to mark her, club rules,” Freak’s grating voice chimed in from somewhere behind her. “Son of a bitch, I warned you to stay out of my sight you little shit!” Rod spun around, looking for Freak, but the grate of a chair being pushed across the floor pulled his attention back to Snarl, who was standing now, the point of his knife directed at Trina. “He’s right. Club rules. You want to claim her then you’re going to need to mark your property.” Trina stiffened. What the fuck did that mean? “Club rules?” Rod’s arm locked around her waist as if he was expecting her to

bolt at any second, which wasn’t a bad bet. If there were fewer bikers between her and the door, she’d be seriously considering it. “In this club, yes,” Snarl answered. Before she could so much as draw breath to protest, Trina found herself face down on the table with Rod’s hand planted between her shoulder blades. She tried to struggle and got a stinging slap to the ass for her trouble. “Don’t fucking move Lily or I’ll tan your sweet little ass right here and now.” Her heart was slamming against her ribs and there was enough adrenaline in her system to keep a narcoleptic elephant awake for a week, but she managed to hold still. Not because the arrogant bastard had ordered her to, but because no matter what came next, it would be a hell of a lot easier to cope with than what would happen if she openly defied him and refused to obey the rules. Whatever it was, she’d just have to make sure she ed on the pain and suffering to Max later… with interest. Rod leaned over her until his lips were right beside her ear. “I told you I’d protect you. Trust me.” Yeah, because trusting a criminal who had more or less kidnapped her as a sex slave was such an easy thing to do. She swallowed her sarcastic retort and nodded before forcing herself to relax a little. “Good girl.” “Nice trick, Ramrod. What are you, the pussy whisperer?” someone joked. “I had to learn to calm the ladies down once they got a glimpse of my massive dick. Have to convince them it’ll fit without tearing ‘em open. Not a problem I expect you’ve ever had, Mutt.” “I’ve never had any complaints.” “Enough. We’ve got business to discuss. Get this over with, Ramrod, or I’ll do it for you.” Snarl punctuated his words by slamming his hand down on the table only a few inches in front of her nose. Rod’s hand left her back, freeing her, but she knew there was no point in

running. She wouldn’t get three steps. He took off the leather vest she’d been wearing, leaving her in just a thin cotton T-shirt still damp from the rainstorm. She had just enough time to wonder what the fuck would happen next before he grabbed her shirt and tore it from the bottom up to the collar, baring her back. There were catcalls and hoots from all around, and Trina gritted her teeth. She expected pain, but instead she felt something cool and wet glide across her skin. There was a whiff of a vaguely familiar, chemical odor, and then she was being helped to her feet. What the hell did he do to me? The answer to her silent question came when she looked up and spotted the black felt pen dangling from Rod’s fingers. “You wrote on me?” “Yup.” He smirked at her and she had a nearly overwhelming urge to smack the smug look right off his face. “Do I get to know what it says?” “Property of Ramrod. Hands off.” Laughter erupted all around them, and Trina made herself drop her head and slump her shoulders in apparent defeat. The asshole looked far too happy with himself, but he had kept his promise. He’d protected her. Rod wrapped her in his vest again, covering her torn shirt. “Now we’ve got that little formality out of the way, can we please get on to the business at hand? I want to take my new toy home and show her what it means to belong to a member of Legion.” Snarl set his knife down on the table and took a seat. “Pull up a chair, Ramrod, and I’ll explain to you exactly how this club is going to make up for what was lost in the raid.” Trina let herself be pulled into Rod’s lap as he settled at the table, and she found herself nestled in his arms, perfectly positioned to hear and record every second of their incriminating conversation.

5

Jack

Jack had managed to get enough information in the last hour to ensure his mission was a success. He’d captured the entire conversation on video, thanks to the recording devices implanted in his watch. The thing would nearly be out of power by the time he got back to the motel, but he had what he needed. The op was over. Despite marking her as his, Jack didn’t believe for a minute Lily would be safe if he were to let her out of his sight. Not that his wolf would let that happen. As far as it was concerned there was only one acceptable way to mark Lily, and it wasn’t with a felt pen. He needed to sink his fangs into her neck as she came around his cock. And he needed to do it soon. His damned wolf had to be right. Lily was his mate… and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about it right now except keep her as close as possible. The patched should leave her alone, but he didn’t trust Freak as far as he could kick the little shit. He’d half expected her to protest being in his lap for the whole meeting, but she had curled up in his arms like a sleepy kitten and stayed quiet. Thank fuck for that. It was a pleasant distraction having a beautiful woman in his arms while he talked, but her presence seemed to distract Snarl, too, leading the club’s president to say more than he should have. Was he boasting in hopes of impressing Lily? That had to be it. Jack would have to try to use that knowledge for future ops… if he could find a female agent willing to do long term undercover work with a group of sexist bastards who didn’t have much use for women outside the bedroom.

When the meeting ended, Jack didn’t bother putting his sexy package down. He simply gathered Lily into his arms and stood, taking her with him. She didn’t say a word on the way out, and when he helped her onto the bike she did exactly what he told her to. It was almost too easy. Her hands were on his waist, but she wasn’t holding on tight enough to prevent herself from coming off the first time he took a corner or hit a pothole. Without a word he reached down, grabbed her wrists and tugged, pulling her snug against his back and crossing her arms over his stomach. That was when he finally noticed her watch. It was thicker than it needed to be, and too expensive for someone who claimed to be broke. The band was pink instead of black, and the hand ticking away the seconds had a ridiculous butterfly perched on the tip, but he knew exactly what he was looking at. She was wearing surveillance gear nearly identical to his. Government-issue spyware. Son of a fucking bitch, the little innocent he was trying to protect was a goddamned cop of some kind. I’m going to fucking kill her when we get to the motel. Jack started the bike and took off, not bothering to give his enger any warning before he opened the throttle. He wove through the evening traffic, ignoring the horns and curses following him as he sped down the main road. They were at the motel in minutes, the short drive having done nothing to calm his fury. He parked the bike and grabbed Lily by the wrist, hauling her behind him for a couple of feet before he ed she was still barefoot. Without a word he turned and threw her over his shoulder, ignoring her squawk of protest. He needed to get her behind closed doors so he could find out what the fuck was going on. “Rod, what’s wrong?” she asked as he fumbled for his keys at the door to his room. “Shut up, Lily. Not one fucking word until we’re inside.” He finally got the door open, then kicked it shut again the second he was through it. He dumped her ass on the bed, then turned and locked the door. The curtains were already closed, leaving them in near darkness save for the single lamp he’d left on in one corner.

“Why are you mad at me?” she asked, giving him a look so compelling it could have melted Lucifer’s heart. “Because you’ve been lying to me, Lily… or whatever the fuck your real name is.” “What?” her eyes went wide, and she shook her head. “What are you talking about? I told you my name, It’s Lily.” “Like hell it is!” he roared and stomped over to the bed, grabbing her wrist and pointing to the watch she wore, then at the similar one on his own wrist. “I know what that is, sweet cheeks, and I know who issues them. So, let’s try this again. Who the fuck are you, and who do you report to?” “Let go of me!” She swatted at his hand ineffectively. “Not happening.” She huffed in frustration and slapped at him again, only this time when her hand connected there was a jolt of pain and suddenly his fingers were completely numb. She wrenched free and scrambled backward across the bed, out of his reach. “What the hell did you do to me?” he demanded. “Nerve strike. You’ll be fine. Are you done yelling at me now?” “Not by a long shot. You still need to tell me who you are and who you’re working for. It’s not the DEA, so it’s got to be…what? Local police? FBI? ATF?” “I told you who I am, and hello, do I look like a cop? Really?” She gestured to her cropped T-shirt and faded jeans. “Do you think I’d let you haul me off on the back of your bike if I was a TFA, FAT? What was the word you used?” “ATF, and yes, I do.” Jack put himself between her and the door and folded his arms across his chest. “You’re good, but the game’s over.” “It’s not a game, and if you think I’m a cop, why wouldn’t I be with the DEA?” she finally asked.

“Because I’m with the DEA, sweet cheeks, and I know they wouldn’t send in another agent to fuck up their own op. Therefore, you’re from somewhere else.” Her jaw dropped. “You’re trying to tell me you’re a cop? You threatened to rape me in the middle of the road. You… you kissed me and drew your name all over my back! What the hell kind of cop…agent… whatever you are even does stuff like that? And I want to see a badge, too, big guy.” “Do I look suicidal to you? I don’t have a badge on me or I’d be a dead man by now. As for what kind of agent I am, I’m the kind who knows better than to break his cover without a damned good reason. Not to mention I saved your cute little ass today. You’re welcome, by the way.” She glared at him, then shrugged and let the facade melt away. Over the course of several seconds, the timid, scared little virgin vanished and in her place stood a steely-eyed law enforcement agent with a body made for sin. Her anger just made her scent intensify, too, and his wolf perked up again, eager to make friends with her. He shoved the beast back down, but something told him that wasn’t going to work much longer. . “I didn’t need your help, agent….” “Special Agent Jake Noble, and I’m calling bullshit. When I came out of the barn Freak was about to do very bad things to you.” “Agent Trina Thorn, ATF, and I had it handled.” “Uh, huh. Sure you did,” he drawled. “And while we’re on the topic, who decided trading you to a bunch of homicidal criminals as a sex slave was a good idea?” She frowned. “That wasn’t part of the plan. At least not the one I was read into.” “Unbelievable. You could have been hurt. Hell, you would have been hurt if I hadn’t stepped in.” “Maybe, maybe not. Instead of lecturing me on the dangers of my profession, you want to share your thoughts on what happens now?”

“What comes next depends on you,” He set his gun down on the closest flat surface and then closed the distance between them. He caught the flare of heat in her eyes as he moved closer. Oh yeah. Lily—no Trina wet her lower lip and then asked, “What are you thinking, Jack?” “I’m thinking about our kiss outside the clubhouse, and how much I want to do it again.” Her lush lips turned up into a wicked grin. “You shouldn’t have kissed me at all, Agent Noble. It wasn’t very… noble of you.” “I told you once already, sweet cheeks. I’m a very bad man, and I want to do very bad things to you.” He fisted his hands in the leather vest she wore and pulled her into his arms, slanting his mouth across hers and cutting off the soft trill of her laughter. The joyful sound pierced the darkest parts of his soul and filled them with warmth and light. Holy shit. Now he understood why the universe had sent her to him. He'd saved her, but she was here to save him, too. She was his lifeline, leading him back to the man he’d been before he became Ramrod Steele. A man he’d almost forgotten how to be.

6

Trina

He’s an agent, not a criminal. Trina was equal parts relieved and amused by the revelation. Her instincts were still good, and there was no doubt in her mind Rod—no—Jack, was exactly who he said he was. She didn’t need her head examined because she hadn’t fallen for a criminal, but gods above, how much paperwork were they going to end up filing over this clusterfuck? Two agents, two agencies, and zero communication. Heads were going to roll before this was over. She really hoped Max was the first one to get axed. She had a thousand questions for Jack, but once his mouth touched hers she forgot every last one of them. She wasn’t Lily anymore, or Agent Thorn. She was just Trina, held fast in the arms of a man she’d desired from the first moment they met. For now, it was all she cared about. Everything else could wait. Jack’s tongue slid along the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth, inviting him in. He growled in approval as he took the kiss deeper, tongues dueling for dominance as they kissed, both of them keeping a tight hold on the other. Mouths open, tongues tangled, his kisses grew harder and more demanding with every ing second. Her clit throbbed and her breasts ached, every part of her craving his touch. Unable to hold back, Trina ground her denim-covered pussy on one wellmuscled thigh, pressing the seam of her jeans against her clitoris in a desperate attempt to get relief. Jack groaned into her mouth, his hands busy tearing at her clothes. Her fingers found the waistband of his jeans and she slipped a hand inside, humming with pleasure when she found the tip of his cock resting against the hard lines of his washboard stomach. She stroked a finger over his slit, teasing out a drop of pre-cum. He growled and bucked his hips against her hand.

“Fuck, that’s good. I love having your hands on me.” “You’re going to get a lot more than just my hands on you once I get you out of these jeans,” she vowed. “Thank Christ.” His vest was already on the floor, and now he tugged the tattered remains of her T-shirt over her head and dropped it on the growing pile of their clothes. “You owe me a new shirt, too.” “You can have any of mine you want. And I volunteer to wash your back for as long as it takes to get those felt pen marks off your wet, naked, body.” He cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbing the calloused pads of his thumbs across her taut nipples. “Deal.” Trina was too turned on to talk right now. She dropped to her knees in front of Jack and opened his jeans the rest of the way. His newly freed cock was only a few inches from her mouth, and she leaned in to nibble her way along the thick shaft. Jack groaned and jerked his pants down to his thighs, giving her full access to his cock and balls. “Suck me. I’ve been imagining your hot little mouth wrapped around my dick for hours.” Trina swirled her tongue around the head of his dick, teasing and tasting. She curled her fingers around the base of his shaft and started stroking him in time with the movements of her tongue, and within seconds he was pumping his hips against her hand. He was easily the biggest man she’d ever been with, and the thought of having his nine-inch cock slamming into her from behind made her pussy quiver and grow slick with cream. Humming softly, she took the broad head of his cock into her mouth, working every part of him with her tongue as she eased him deeper. “Fuck!” Jack’s cock twitched against her tongue as he groaned aloud, a rambling litany of curses and encouragements falling from his lips. His fingers tangled in her hair, holding her head steady while he rocking his hips, fucking her mouth with slow, rolling strokes. She focused on the top half of his cock, working the lower shaft with her hand in time to his thrusts. She devoured him, stroking and

teasing him with her tongue, learning what made him craziest and using it to push him closer to the frayed edge of his control. His breathing was ragged by the time he finally tugged at her hair, easing her head back from his cock. “You need to stop or I’m going to come down your throat, and while that sounds like a really good idea right now, I’d rather fuck you properly first.” Trina swiped the tip of her tongue across the slit at the top of his dick one last time before releasing him from her mouth. Without a word she got to her feet and stripped off the rest of her clothes, deliberately turning her back to her soonto-be lover. She heard the shuffle of fabric and the thump of boots hitting the threadbare carpet, and then a wall of muscled heat was behind her, guiding her forcefully toward the bed. “No maid service in this fine establishment?” she quipped as she eyed the rumpled sheets. “I think the cockroaches ate the employees months ago. If you don’t like the look of the bed, I’m happy to fuck you up against the nearest flat surface you deem acceptable to your delicate sensibilities.” She laughed and turned around to face him, arms wrapping around his broad shoulders as she looked up into his handsome face. “The bed will be fine.” “Good.” He grabbed her by the hips and lifted, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as their mouths met in another heated kiss. His cock was trapped between them, rubbing against her swollen clit with every step he took. Both of them moaned as pleasure surged through them, and it was all she could do not to raise up and impale herself on him right then and there. He kissed her even as he lowered her to the bed, pinning her beneath him as he slid his cock through the slick folds of her pussy. A low growl of need rolled through him and she arched her hips in invitation. Instead of taking her, he broke their kiss to give her an arrogant grin. “Not yet. You got a taste of me and now it’s my turn.” “So that’s how it’s going to be?” “Let’s call it a little inter-agency give and take.”

She laughed and unwound her legs from around his hips, leaving him free to move. He didn’t waste any time, kissing his way down her body, leaving no part of her untasted. When he finally arrived at the apex of her thighs, he inhaled once, parted her folds and ran his tongue the length of her pussy. Trina bent her knees, setting her feet flat on the bed and arched upward with a cry as sensations overwhelmed her. Drunk with need, she threw back her head and begged for what she craved. “Make me come, Jack.” There was no hesitation and no time to brace herself for what came next, He didn’t take, he ravished, sucking and laving with mouth and tongue until she was trembling and breathless. When she was almost to the breaking point he withdrew, and she lifted her head, ready to protest the loss of his touch. The sight of him sheathing his cock in latex quieted her, her channel clenching in anticipation of finally being filled. Jack wrapped a big hand around each of her ankles and lifted her legs, drawing them around his hips as he settled into the cradle of her thighs. His cock bumped against her hyper-sensitive clit, making her moan. He did it again, deliberately this time, rubbing the head of his dick back and forth until she was out of her mind with need. Just as she opened her mouth to demand he fuck her, he shifted his hips and entered her, stretching her wide. Jack moved slowly, giving her body time to adjust, his eyes locked on hers the entire time. Once he was fully seated, he blew out a ragged breath. “Hang on tight, baby, this is going to get a little rough.” He paused for a second and then his mouth quirked up in a grin. “Or a lot rough.” She nodded and spread her arms out on the bed, digging her fingers into the sheets as he started moving. “I like it that way.” He took her hard and fast, powering in and out of her body so all she could do was hang on and enjoy the ride. The sounds of sex filled the room, the slick slap of bodies coming together as they gave voice to their mutual need. Jack kept up his pounding rhythm until she was lost to everything but the sensations pouring through her, and then he pressed the broad pad of his thumb into her folds, finding her clit and working it against her pubic bone until she finally erupted into an orgasm. She was still lost in the thrall of her release when his cock thickened and he

lowered himself over her. His knees were braced on the the edge of the mattress. His hands on either side of her shoulders. She thought he was going to kiss her. He didn’t. Instead, he dropped his head to her throat and sank his teeth into the side of her neck. She yelped in expected pain, but all she felt was a rush of pleasure so pure and powerful she was helpless to do anything but ride another wave. This one took her higher, and she came at the same time he did. Once she found the strength to move, she shoved at his shoulder. “What the fuck was that? You bit me!” He raised his head to look down at her. That’s when she saw his eyes. They weren’t brown anymore. They were amber. The eyes of an animal… a wolf. “Mine.” His voice was strange, like there were two beings speaking with one mouth. That’s when understanding dawned. She touched his lips. There was a trace of blood on them. Her blood. He bared his teeth for her, showing her his fangs. He hadn’t just bitten her. He’d claimed her. “You…” “Are a werewolf. And you are my mate, Trina Thorn.” So many questions tumbled through her mind, but the one that came out first was, “When did the DEA start hiring wolves?” “We’ve always been in the DEA, they just didn’t know until a few years ago.” He grinned and his eyes changed back to their usual brown. “Plenty of wolves in all sorts of law enforcement agencies. Other kinds of paranormals, too.” “Hiding in plain sight.” She nodded. It made sense. What better way to make sure your secrets stayed hidden than to be part of the investigations that might uncover something hard to explain? “You’re taking this rather well.” He kissed her and then rose to dispose of the condom. She hadn’t found the strength to move by the time he returned, and he

stretched out on the bed, carefully drawing her into his arms. “Honestly, I’m sort of relieved. I didn’t understand why the hell I wanted to get naked and naughty with biker with a criminal record and a bad attitude. Now it makes sense. When a wolf finds their mate, both people feel it, even if one of them is human.” “That’s right.” He nuzzled her hair. “And I did not have a bad attitude. I was playing a part.” “You were an asshole,” she informed him. “One hundred percent. Possibly onehundred and ten.” “Okay. I was playing the part of an asshole. I’ve been Ramrod Steele for more than a year. After a while, the edges start to blur.” “I know the feeling.” She’d only done one long term stint undercover. By the time it was over she’d needed to use every day of her vacation time to get reacquainted with herself. In fact, that was the last time she’d gone on vacation. After more than a year, Jack was going to need some down time. A lot of it. “I bet you do. And that makes this even more amazing. I mean, what are the odds? Not just that two agents were undercover at the same place and time, but that they’d turn out to be mates?” They both heard the sound at the same moment. The familiar sound of someone putting a key in a lock. The lock on their door. Jack’s smile vanished in a heartbeat. He stiffened and growled just as the door opened to reveal Trixi standing there, a cruel smile on her crimson mouth. “Someone’s been keeping secrets,” said in a sing-song tone. Then she was gone, the rapid-fire clack of high heels the only clue to which way she’d run. Shit.

7

Jack

Fucking Trixi. The woman had been a pain in his ass since his first day here. What she lacked in education she made up in street smarts and cunning. She’d taken one look at him and decided he was her way out of this backwater town. He felt sorry for the girl she’d been once, but that was it. He couldn’t save her, he sure as hell didn’t trust her… and now he had to stop her. All that raced through his mind as he leaped to his feet. “Stay here. Call your backup. Shoot anyone that comes through that door that isn’t me.” “Got it,” was all she said. He felt a surge of gratitude that the universe had sent him a woman as sensible and brave as she was sexy. That was his last thought before he let the change take him. Between one step and the next, he shifted and everything changed. His senses sharpened as his viewpoint changed. He was lower to the ground, four legs driving him forward at speeds he could never manage in human form. Trixi’s cheap perfume was easy to follow, the reek of it so strong it stung his nose. His room was on the motel’s second floor which meant she had to take the stairs. Those heels she wore were going to slow her down. Good thing, too, because he needed to stop her before she called Snarl and tipped him off. The whole club would scatter like cockroaches if that happened and hunting them down again would take time and resources. The part of his mind that was still human had questions. Why the fuck was she here? How much had she heard? And how the hell had she gotten a key to his room?

Trixi had only made part way down the steps when he caught up to her. He launched himself at her back with enough force to send her crashing to the landing with him on top of her. Her scream of surprise cut off as her head hit the metal deck and all the air left her lungs in a long whoosh. Someone yelled, “Trixi! What the fuck? Since when does Rod have a dog?” Well shit. Freak was here, too. Fucking fantastic. At least Trixi wasn’t going to be a problem for a while. She’d smacked her head hard enough to knock herself out cold. His nose told him she was still alive, just out of action. One problem down. One to go. Then the shooting started. Normally, staying in one place while getting shot at was a bad idea. In this case, it would have been the smart move because it turned out Freak was as bad at shooting as he was at everything else. The third shot caught him in the shoulder, and he uttered an undignified yelp of pain. I hope Trina didn’t hear that. He struggled to his feet as best he could on three legs. He was bleeding, in pain, and seriously pissed off. He needed to put an end to this before someone else got hurt. The motel wasn’t filled with the cream of society, but most of them were just folks trying to get by and didn’t deserve to get shot. “Trixi? You okay?” Freak called out. Gravel crunched under his feet as he moved closer. “Hey, asshole. That’s far enough.” Trina called from somewhere above him. Dammit, what was she doing? “Yeah? You really think you have the balls to shoot me, Lily. I bet not.” Jack limped forward just enough to get eyes on Freak. He was standing not twenty feet away, his gun held Hollywood gangster-style—one handed and with the grip parallel to the ground. He wasn’t even aiming it at anyone. Idiot.

“Bad bet.” A single shot fired and the gravel at Freak’s feet exploded upwards. Freak shrieked as the rocks and debris hit him. Any other person would have taken the hint and surrendered. Freak just screamed in incoherent fury and opened fire without even trying to aim first. Jack snarled and threw himself down the stairs, determined to take down Freak before he hurt Trina. He had to protect his mate. He shouldn’t have worried. Freak was dead before Jack hit the ground. Trina was a hell of a shot. One more thing he needed to do before the pain made him do something regrettable, like out. He shifted back to his human form and tried not to whimper when the change forced the bullet out of his wound. Fucking ouch. The world went away for a little while, and when it came back again Trina was crouched beside him, pressing down on his injured shoulder to try to slow the bleeding. She was naked, streaked in his blood, and her expression was somewhere between worry and irritation. Damn, she looked good. “You with me?” she asked. “Yeah. Nice shooting.” “ that the next time you tell me to take cover and hide, asshole.” “Noted.” He eased himself to a sitting position, which at least meant he wasn’t lying on a bed of gravel anymore. “Trixi?” “Found your cuffs in the beside table. I don’t want to know why they were there, but she’s cuffed to the railing. She’s not going anywhere.” “They’re just for emergencies.” He gestured around them. “Like this.” “Good. Though later maybe we can find another use for them.” She eyed his shoulder. “After you heal up.” “I’ll be fine in a few hours. I heal fast. Did you call for backup?”

“My people are on their way.” She handed him his phone. “You should call yours.” “Yeah. Then you and I are going to get dressed.” She snorted. “That’s your biggest worry right now?” “Well, yeah. No one gets to see your sexy ass naked but me.” “Too late for that. Take a look around.” Well, fuck. Doors were open all over the motel now and there were faces in a lot of windows. The braver ones were already gathering around them, including the motel manager. Jack pointed to him. “You. Did you give that black-haired psycho a key to my room?” The man gaped at him, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. “Answer the question, asshole.” “Who the fuck are you? You’re not a guest here,” the manager spluttered. “I’m Special Agent Trina Thorn, ATF. Now, answer the damned question.” “Yeah. Uh. She said she was your girlfriend and uh… she thought you were cheating on her. Wanted to catch you in the act.” The big man shrugged. “I thought I was doing her a favor.” “You nearly got two law enforcement agents killed. Good job,” Trina said, her voice as chilly as a meat locker. “Uh. Sorry?” “Want to make it up to us? Find us some blankets. I can’t leave the scene and neither of us are enjoying being on display.” Jack winked at her. “You’re sexy when you get all bossy.” She rolled her eyes, but her smile widened. “Glad you think so. This is my

default mode. Lily the meek and sweet has left the building.” He was good with that. Lifting his head, he scowled at the bystanders. “You’re all standing in the middle of an active crime scene. If you don’t get back to your rooms in the next thirty seconds, you’re going to spend the rest of the night talking to law enforcement.” Ten seconds later they were alone. “They’re all potential witnesses. They’re going to be answering questions for hours whether they’re in their rooms or not,” Trina pointed out in hushed tones. “Yeah, but now they’re not fucking up the crime scene or trying to take selfies with the damned body.” Sirens wailed in the distance. Both of them glanced up and then exhaled. Help was on its way. Of course first they’d probably end up cuffed and detained as potential suspects. Neither of them had badges or any ID in their real names. It was going to be a long night.

8

Trina

It was well past midnight before the debriefings, explanations and statements were finished. By then, Trina was too tired to argue when Jack scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the DEA’s temporary headquarters. Someone had cleared out their room at the motel and what little gear they had was packed into a couple of duffel bags in the back seat of a rental car. “No bike?” she asked. “Not tonight. I’ve had enough of motorcycles for a while.” “I bet. So, where are we going? I believe someone promised me a long hot shower. I am so ready for that.” All she wanted was to be clean again. The dried blood on her skin itched, and she felt like it had been a month since she’d last seen clean towels. “To the only decent hotel in town.” She groaned. “The Montgomery?” “Yup.” “Unbelievable.” Two agencies had not only managed to infiltrate the same gang in the same town, they were all staying at the same hotel. “Communication clusterfuck of the first order. Seems that your boss didn’t file out all the documentation required for this op.” That was news to her. “Max is a fucking idiot. I hope they fire him after this. Now they know he lied to me about the plan just to get even because I wouldn’t

sleep with him, it should be a no-brainer.” “What? When? That son of a bitch. If I see him again, I’ll tear his fucking throat out.” “No throat ripping. I think we’ve spilled enough blood for today.” She patted his thigh and tried not to overthink why his violent words made her all mushy inside. “You’re mine, Trina. No one fucks with my mate and lives.” Mates. Somehow she’d managed to ignore that little fact for the last few hours. “Yeah. About that. I know this isn’t something we have any say over, but as hot as the sex is, I’m not sure I want to spend the rest of my life belonging to Ramrod Steele. He’s a surly, arrogant, criminal and a total ass.” “I’m not him.” She nodded. “And I’m not Lily, hapless damsel in distress.” “I figured that out when you shot the bad guy and took over my crime scene.” He turned and flashed her a grin that made her heart race. “I like Trina more than Lily. And as it happens, Mr. Steele is about to disappear. The bike club he belonged to is going down as we speak. Which means Jack Noble gets to go on a well-deserved vacation before he heads back to work. I don’t suppose you’ve got any leave coming up?” That was the answer she’d been hoping for. “I’ve got about two months’ worth of vacation time due me.” “Two months sounds good. We can spend the first month in bed, and the second month lying on a beach somewhere.” Her heart liked that idea. Her brain wanted more information. “And what happens then? You and I go back to work and what? Try to coordinate vacations every year?” “Fuck no. That’s not how this works, sweet cheeks. Mates don’t leave each other, so we’ve got decisions to make. Option one, we both retire and do something nice and safe, like ing.”

She snorted. “Fuck that.” “Which leaves options two and three. That’s when one of us resigns from our current position and gets assigned to the other’s team.” Angels didn’t sing, but something clicked deep inside her head and a little voice whispered yes. “I’ll resign. I’m done with assholes like Max.” Jack laid a hand over hers. “Then I guess my next identity is going to be a married man.” “You watch my back, I watch yours?” It was an appealing idea. Jack wouldn’t betray her. They were mates. She knew what that meant. She could trust him. Always. He pulled into the parking lot before answering. Once the engine was off, he twisted in his seat to face her, “More like we watch each other’s backs, take down the bad guys, and fuck like bunnies. Sound good?” It sounded perfect. “It could be you’ve found yourself old lady for your next adventure… if you can two little rules.” Jake nuzzled his face into her hair. “And what are these rules of yours?” “You never threaten to spank my ass in public again, and you never, ever call me your old lady when we’re not undercover.” His laughter rolled through her as he gathered her close. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Do you want to give notice tonight or wait until tomorrow?” Trina planted a kiss on her lover’s smiling lips. “I’ll call tomorrow. I’m not done with you yet, not by a long shot. He kissed her back before murmuring, “Sweet cheeks, It’s my greatest fucking hope you and I are never going to be done.” Damn. She liked the sound of that.

Thank you for reading! Next up - Carnage

Carnage

An assignment from the Devil, a half-angel on the run, and a bounty hunting hell hound who is about to meet his match…

1

Carnage

The clubhouse was full tonight, a rare event these days. Carnage had to think hard to the last time the entire crew was together. A month at least, probably closer to three or four. Being more or less immortal, the age of time no longer affected Car and his brothers the way it had back when they were mortal men. These days it was all one unending blur of bloodshed, booze, long stretches of boredom, then battle again. The only thing that made it bearable was the company of his fellow Hell Hounds, and even that comfort was wearing thin these days. He sat in a quiet corner, watching his comrades brag, roughhouse, and attempt to cheat each other at a game of poker that had been going on for more than six hours. The jukebox was playing “Highway to Hell” for what seemed like the hundredth time today, and Car made a mental note to delete the fucking song from the playlist before he left tonight. The dingy walls rang with the sounds of laughter, and the aging hardwood floor was decorated with a new layer of boot scuffs and scratches. The furniture was threadbare in places, worn out in others, and the entire clubhouse was as bangedup and motley as the crew who called it home. “Hey Car, we’re going to head out for drinks at Haven, you coming?” Ripper’s query pulled Car out of his musings and back to the moment. He briefly considered heading to the local bar with the others, to distract himself with a cold beer and company, but he wasn’t in the mood. He hadn’t been in the mood to do much of anything for weeks, now. He had a decision to make, and his choices were weighing heavy on his mind. “Not tonight.” Ripper opened his mouth to protest, but Havoc came up behind him and cuffed the youngest member of the crew across the back of his head. “Leave him be,

Pup.” Rip wandered off, rubbing his head and muttering half-heard threats under his breath. Once they were alone, Havoc raised one dark brow at Car. “You’ve been too fucking quiet lately. Now, you’re not even going to come to the bar with us to share a drink and watch the new succubus show? The boys are starting to wonder what’s up.” If anyone other than his lieutenant had dared to broach the subject, he would have kicked their ass—no doubt, that was why they had nominated Havoc for the job. “I’ll tell you what’s up. My boot up the ass of the next one to ask me that question. For fuck’s sake, when did you become our den mother?” “When the leader of our merry band of lunatics decided to sulk his way through the better part of a month. Did your balls drop off or have you been sitting on them so long they’ve gone numb? Maybe that’s why you’re acting like a whiny little girl?” Car lunged out of his chair and slammed Havoc into the nearest wall; his forearm locked across the bigger man’s throat. “You got a death wish?” Havoc roared with laughter despite his narrowed airway. “Nice to see you’ve still got your ’nads firmly attached. I was starting to worry.” “Asshole,” Car snarled. He withdrew his arm from Havoc’s neck and scowled at his oldest friend. “Are we done talking about my feelings now?” Havoc grinned at him. “Feelings? We were never talking about your fucking feelings. I was talking about your balls. Now I know you still have ’em, I’ve got one thing to say. Whatever’s going on with you, get a handle on it. I don’t want to have to spend eternity watching you mope. It’s pathetic.” Car ran a hand through his dark blond hair, flipping it back over his shoulders. “I’d hate to ruin your afterlife with my mood, you sensitive pansy. Now get out of my face before I decide to rearrange your features into something slightly less grotesque.” “I love you, too, man. Want to hug it out?” Havoc opened his arms, and Car

slugged him hard in the shoulder. “Fuck off already.” “I’m gone. Enjoy your solitary brooding time.” Havoc flipped him the finger and teleported out, leaving Car in peace…for all of five seconds. A flash of light and the stench of brimstone heralded the arrival of the one being in existence that Carnage couldn’t ignore. The King of Hell was paying him a visit, awesome. This day just keeps getting better. Car spun on his heel to face his liege and master. “How many times have I asked you to knock off the brimstone and hellfire crap when you drop by, Luc? The place reeks for days after one of your visits, and the last time you were here, you scorched the floor.” “I’ll quit the dramatic entrances when you mangy lot start treating me with the respect due my exalted station. I’m your fucking king, not the pizza delivery boy.” Lucifer raked his gaze over the battered collection of furnishings that filled the Hell Hound’s clubhouse, pausing to survey some of the more interesting stains that covered the floor and walls. “I should do you all a favor and burn this place to the ground. I swear Pestilence himself wouldn’t want to touch anything in here.” “We’re supposed to be a motorcycle club, not a gentleman’s club. It’s all part of the illusion. Or would you rather we just put up a sign that reads ‘Satan’s bounty hunters,’ or maybe, ‘please don’t feed the hellhounds’?” “Havoc’s right, you’re crankier than usual, which is saying something considering you’re a surly son of a bitch at the best of times. I’ve got just the job to take your mind off whatever it is that has your tail in a twist.” He reached into the breast pocket of his elegantly tailored suit and pulled out a photo. “Fetch, Fido.” Carnage curbed the urge to growl as he took the picture from the devil’s perfectly manicured fingers. Luc tolerated a lot, but it was never a good idea to push him too far. He had long since learned not to cross the line from arrogant to insubordinate. Satan’s punishments were as legendary as his temper. Both were to be avoided whenever possible.

He glanced down at the photo. “Who is she, what is she, and what did she do?” “Her name is Leta Fury, and she’s an abomination.” Car studied the photograph. Black hair, high cheekbones, and eyes as blue as a summer sky. She didn’t look like an abomination. Then again, looks were deceiving. When he wasn’t sporting the whole “horns and cloven hooves” look, the King of Hell appeared to be a young man in his early twenties with jet-black hair, a charming smile and expensive taste in clothes. Only the narrow band of shimmering orange flames that rimmed his cobalt blue eyes gave away his infernal nature. “What did she do?” The flames in his eyes grew brighter as Luc pointed to the picture. “Her crime is having been born. What’s the first rule for living in Hell?” “Don’t piss off the man with the pitchfork,” Car deadpanned. Luc grinned, but there was nothing warm or fuzzy about his expression. “True. All right then, what’s the second rule?” Car knew the answer to this one. In a realm with almost no rules, the few they had were absolute. “Don’t fuck anything with wings.” “And that is why I want her brought to me. By Heaven’s decree, creatures like her are not allowed to exist. Her father was one of mine, and her mother was one of the heavenly host.” “Who is protecting her?” Car asked as he committed the photo to memory. “No one. She’s on her own. I only recently learned she existed, and I want her brought to me before Heaven’s enforcers kill her. She might be useful to me.” “How the fuck has she been evading them all this time? No one escapes their notice for long. They must have been hunting her for years.” “Do I look like a fucking oracle to you? Is the word Google emblazoned across my forehead? No? Then stop asking me questions and bring me the girl!” Luc bellowed, the flames in his eyes glowing brightly.

“I’ll call the others back. We’ll start hunting—” Satan cut him off with a slashing gesture. “No others. Just you. If I send the whole pack after her, I might as well send up a flare telling the God squad where she is. This one is all yours.” Car found himself looking forward to a solo hunt. No one would be on his ass about his attitude, and with any luck, his target would put up enough of a fight to make it fun. “Where is she?” “She left the charred remains of a vampire nest outside Portland, Oregon, so I suggest you start there. She’s a self-appointed vigilante, and a good one. Spends her time hunting things that go bump in the night. Her little hobby has made her a lot of enemies, so watch your back. Oh, and you’ll need this to track her.” Luc reached into his pocket again and pulled out a scrap of red leather. He dropped it into Carnage’s hand, and for a brief second, Car almost swore the Devil was grinning. It was an expression that never boded well for anyone. Her scent rose from the leather and wrapped around him like a living thing, filling his lungs and sending his senses reeling. Car’s heart started pounding, and his cock hardened in seconds, straining against the zipper of his pants. Lust coursed through his veins and the primitive beast that dwelled in the shadows of his soul reared its head and howled, demanding to be set free. What the fuck? “Something the matter, Car? You look…disturbed,” Luc asked, his voice as smooth as his expensive silk shirt. He stuffed the leather scrap into his pocket. “Her scent’s unique, that’s all. I’ve never been exposed to one like it before.” “And never will again,” Luc agreed with another ghost of a smile. That was all the confirmation Car needed. The son of a bitch was fucking with him. Not that it mattered. Whatever Lucifer was up to, Car would have to deal with it and get the job done anyway. That was the deal he had made centuries ago when he slapped his bloody handprint on a document that bound him to Lucifer’s service for five hundred years. What he got in exchange was a chance to start again when it was all over. Reborn with a clean slate and no memory of who he had

been, or what he had done in the name of duty. In less than two weeks, those five hundred years would be up. There was no pretending he had been a good man when he was alive. The younger son of a younger son, his blood had been blue enough to buy him a place in the ranks of the king’s army, but that was all. He had fought, pillaged and burned his way across his homeland, a place that didn’t even exist anymore. He’d killed, and died, in the name of God and his king, only to find himself denied entry into Heaven for his sins. When Lucifer came to him with his offer, he agreed to it readily enough. He had sacrificed one life to the other side and gained nothing. Why not work for the devil the second time around? He was the first to be recruited to the Hell Hounds, and none of the others knew how long he had served before they’d ed the ranks. They didn’t know that he brooded because he was trying to decide what he would do when his contract expired. He had two choices: stay a Hound, or give up everything he had ever been and be reborn into a new life with a clean slate. It was a decision he had been struggling with for over a year. “When I have her, where do you want her delivered?” Car asked, forcing his thoughts back to the job at hand. “Bring her to the palace. I want a face-to-face before I make any decisions. If I can’t use her, I’m not going to let her wander off to be recruited by someone else. She’s not the kind of weapon you leave lying around for your enemies to find.” He fixed his gaze on Car. “Don’t fuck this up. There’s more at stake here than your simple mind could possibly comprehend.” With that, he vanished, leaving behind a larger than usual cloud of smoke and a blackened floor. Asshole. Car sent a quick text to Havoc to let him know he was going on a mission and wouldn’t be back until it was done. Hav would take over running things until he got back. He always did. If Car chose rebirth, Havoc would become the leader of the Hell Hounds. Car snickered to himself. Hav would never fucking forgive him for sticking him with that role, but he was the best man for the job.

He was still chuckling as he teleported into the sealed vault beneath the floor of the clubhouse. He needed to stock up on weapons and gear before heading out, and the vault was every mercenary and murderer’s idea of Christmas morning. Thanks to some magical manipulation of space/time by their exalted and egomaniacal liege, the vault was far larger than the clubhouse that sat above it. It was the ultimate arsenal, acres of real estate containing every weapon known to man, and a fair number that weren’t. In his line of work, they had to be prepared to face things humans didn’t even know existed. There were times he envied them their ignorance. He slept better before he had learned the truth about the world. Of course, now he was one of the things other creatures feared. The leader of Hell’s personal hit squad. There was a time he thought it was a decent trade-off. These days, he wasn’t so sure. Once he was armed and geared for battle, he pulled the scrap of leather out of his pocket and held it to his nose, drawing his target’s scent into his lungs. If anything, it affected him even more strongly this time around. Lust surged through him, and it was all he could do not to groan aloud as his still half-hard dick turned to fucking stone again. He shifted his cock in his riding leathers and shook his head to try and clear away some of the fog that filled his head. He needed to focus, to use his hound-like senses to track his prey through the ether. It was one of the powers the Devil had given them when he made them into what they were… the Hounds of Hell, Lucifer’s personal bounty hunters. Once on the scent, there was no place on Earth, Hell, or even Heaven that a being could hide from him. Eyes closed, body still, he reached out with his other senses, looking for the woman whose scent had him hard and aching in a way he hadn’t experienced since he was a mortal man. Time slowed as he hunted for her through the ether, traveling across the country to her last known location then working outward until he found her and locked onto his prey. Now he had her, she couldn’t escape. Leta Fury didn’t know it yet, but she was already caught. He dematerialized and began the etheric journey to his prey. It wouldn’t take long to reach her. With any luck, she would give up quickly. He wanted this job done fast. Not because Luc wanted it done that way, but because he didn’t like the way her scent affected him. He didn’t need distractions. The sooner he got this hunt over with, the sooner he could find a willing woman and fuck his way

back to sanity.

2

Leta

Leta was having a good night, which usually meant things were about to go to hell in a rocket-powered handcart. That was the way her life went. Anytime things seemed calm, or she found a reason to be happy, something happened, and it all went sideways. Not even the threat of pending chaos was going to stop her from enjoying the moment, and the double chocolate fudge brownie sundae she had just ordered. One of the perks of her parentage was that she could eat whatever she wanted without gaining weight. It was one of the few things she enjoyed about her unique birth. The rest of the package ranged from being merely irritating to downright dangerous. Perpetually looking nineteen years old and being asked for ID every time she needed a drink was irritating. Having an uncontrollable ability to set fires with nothing more than a thought was highly hazardous to everything and everyone. Everyone but her, since she was apparently fireproof. Like most of her abilities, her fireproof nature was something she learned about by accident. A teenage temper tantrum had turned her bedroom into a fiery conflagration that nearly took the whole house with it. She walked away unscathed, completely untouched by the flames. That little mistake had gotten her kicked out of yet another foster home. It also resulted in her case file including words like pyromaniac and potential arsonist. She hadn’t bothered trying to explain herself. How could she? No one would have believed her. No one ever did. Being a firebug was bad, but being a crazy girl who believed she could set fires with her mind would land her in a psych ward for the rest of her life. One thing her mother had made clear to her before she died was that staying in one place too long wasn’t an option if she wanted to stay alive. She had to stay ahead of the ones hunting for her, and she couldn’t do that if she were locked up.

The home she nearly burned down had been her last foster placement. Her last attempt to fit in, to try to be normal. By the time she was seventeen, she was on her own. It was safer for everyone that way. “How’s the sundae, honey?” her waitress asked from behind the clean but aged counter of the little all-night diner Leta had picked at random. She flashed the woman a rare smile. “Perfection, thanks.” “You let me know if you need anything,” the waitress said with a tired nod and went back to mating ketchup bottles. Leta was the only customer in the place, which was hardly surprising given that it was the middle of the night. She didn’t need much sleep, and what little she required she usually got during the day when it was safer. Not everything she hunted was nocturnal, but enough of them were that it was easier to sleep when they did. It cut down on the number of things hunting her while she was vulnerable. Because of that, she spent a lot of time in diners and coffee shops like this one, where solitary figures and late night meals were the norm rather than the exception. She was still working on her dessert when the hairs on the back of her neck lifted, and a warning chill chased down her spine. With a sigh, she set down her spoon. What’s a girl gotta’ do to get some quality time with her dessert? Whatever it was that pinged her radar, it was still too far away to identify. She could already sense it was powerful, though. In fact, it was seriously supercharged. Shit. Before she could formulate a plan, the throbbing rumble of a motorcycle engine caught her attention. It was still too far away for human ears to detect, but the waitress seemed to sense something was about to happen. She stopped what she was doing and went through the door that led to the kitchen. Leta hoped she had the smarts to stay there, out of the line of fire. The engine noise grew louder, and Leta got to her feet, loosening her muscles with a few casual rolls of her shoulders. A single headlight appeared, and she breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was only one of them to deal with. There

was no doubt in her mind that she would have to face whatever it was. If she were lucky, it would be nothing worse than a stray vampire from the nest she had destroyed the other day, though she doubted it. She had never met a vamp even half as powerful as whatever the hell was coming her way. More likely, it was one of the fallen, or an angel coming to investigate the strange energy she gave off. Thanks to her unlikely parentage, Leta’s life force was unique, and that attracted supernatural attention everywhere she went. Lucky me. She dropped a handful of bills on the table and walked outside, hoping that whatever it was, it would come for her and not bother anyone still inside. She wasn’t exactly the heroic type, but she hated it when innocent people died because they had the misfortune to be standing too close her when shit went sideways. There was enough blood on her hands as it was, including her mother’s. Her ledger was already so deep into the red it would take her several mortal lifetimes to redress the balance. Leta held out little hope she would survive anywhere near that long. There were too many things in the world out to kill her. Like whatever was coming her way right now. One more monster to slay before she could call it a night. If she made it through this fight, she was going back into the diner and finishing that damned sundae.

3

Carnage

Carnage traveled thousands of miles in a matter of minutes. The pull of his target’s scent made tracking her almost too easy. She was a beacon in the darkness, and he closed in on her faster than he had ever tracked anyone else. There was something different about her. Something that drew him in and had his hound fighting to slip its leash and run. He followed the trail to an all-night diner, then backtracked a mile or so before materializing on a quiet stretch of road. He would travel the rest of the way by more conventional means. There were humans around, and materializing out of thin air always attracted too much attention. He checked his weapons and summoned his mount from the ether. His ride was a gleaming chrome and steel steed that had long ago replaced the horses he and his kind had once ridden. In a moment of sadistic humor, Luc had infused each Hound’s motorcycle with the life force of his horse, leaving them to deal with the challenges of having a sentient mount that could travel over two hundred miles per hour and stop on a whim. It was a good thing the Devil had also made his henchmen damned near impossible to kill. His prey was standing outside by the time he parked the bike, her entire body bristling with tension as she watched him dismount. Her black hair was tied back in some sort of elaborate braid, and she was dressed to fight, from her black combat boots to the red and black leather coat that swirled around her calves. Her scent saturated the air between them, making his entire body ache with need. Between the hard throb of his cock and the howling protests of his hound, Car was fighting hard to keep control over his own damned body. I need to get my shit together before I get my ass kicked by a girl. Twenty feet. Fifteen. Ten. Every step he took brought him closer, revealing more

details about the woman he had been sent to retrieve. The photo Luc gave him didn’t do her justice. In person, she was gorgeous and far more dangerous. Everything about her screamed of violence, from the hard set of her jaw to the wary gleam of her stunning blue eyes. “Hello, Leta.” “How do you know my name,” she demanded. “And what the hell are you? I’ve never sensed anything like you before.” “Me? I’m something special, just like you are. And I know your name because you’re my mission. One I plan on wrapping up in the next few minutes.” He kept walking, closing the distance between them at a steady pace. “You’re mistaken. I’m not anyone’s mission.” She fluttered her lashes at him in coy flirtation, but there was ice in her eyes as she did it. “I’m just a sweet lil’ girl trying to get along in the big, bad world. Whoever sent you, they’re going to be disappointed. I’m not going anywhere with you.” Car was impressed. It wasn’t often he met someone who stood up to him without the slightest hint of fear. The beauty in front of him was angry and defiant, but those were the only emotions he could read. She shifted her weight, making it appear she was about to take a step backward, but instead of moving away, she lunged toward him, lashing out with a wicked looking blade that hadn’t been in her hand a second ago. He deflected her first attack with ease, but while he was focused on her knife hand, she managed to whip herself around into a spinning kick that slammed into his jaw with surprising force. Stars exploded behind his eyes, and it took him a moment to get his bearings again. Those precious seconds were all the time she needed for his pretty little prey to regain her feet and dance back out of reach once more. “Sweet cheeks, I’ll answer all your questions once you stop trying to fight me. I don’t want to hurt you, but you are coming with me, one way or another.” She snorted with laughter. “Like hell I am. I’m staying right here, and once I’m done with you, I’m going to go back inside and finish my dessert. You’re standing between a woman and her chocolate right now. Trust me, that’s not a

good place to be.” “As much as I hate the idea of depriving you of your sugar rush, I’m going to have to insist.” Car pointed to his bike without taking his eyes off of her. “You sure you don’t want to do this the easy way?” “I’m positive. But hey, points for actually asking me nicely. No one’s ever tried that approach before.” She held the knife out in front of her, her movements inhumanly graceful as she made the blade bob and weave in an almost hypnotic dance. “You’re not human, and that means I can’t trust you. You’re like all the others. You’re here to hurt me because of what I am. He tore his gaze from the dancing blade to look her in the eyes. “Trust has nothing to do with it. You are coming with me. The only question is whether you’re going to make the trip as is, or slightly battered, bound, and gagged.” His cock twitched at the image of her trussed up and laid out before him like a sinful feast. Oh, the things he wanted to do to her…. If she only knew, she would be running like a rabbit instead of trying to skewer him.

4

Leta

Leta didn’t know what this guy was, or who sent him, and she had no intentions of sticking around to find out. Her instincts were screaming at her to get away from him. Not only because he was an unknown creature and an obvious threat, but because there was something about him that was messing with her head. She never talked to the ones who hunted her. She didn’t do banter or witty conversation. She either fought or fled. This time, something was different. “Bound and gagged, huh? I bet that’s the only way you can get a woman to come anywhere near you.” Even as she tossed the barb back at the big man, Leta knew it wasn’t true. He was the walking definition of sex on a stick. Well over six feet tall and clad from head to boot in black bike leathers, he moved like a predator and looked like a god. Dark blonde hair hung to his shoulders in waves. His hard-edged features could have made him a fortune in Hollywood if it weren't for the fact his eyes were a strange, glowing amber with a thick ring of black around the outside. The big guy smirked as she lashed out with her knife again, swatting her hand away as if he was dealing with an annoying fly and not six inches of razor-sharp steel. “I don’t need to tie up my women, sweet cheeks. But sometimes I like to.” She snarled and ducked an incoming punch, trying to ignore the effect his words were having on her. She loved to fight; she was born for it, but whatever they were doing felt more like flirting…or foreplay. “That’s more than I need to know, thanks.” His next blow caught her in the midsection, knocking the air from her lungs and making her see stars. Leta doubled over, fighting to refill her lungs while her ears rang and the ground tried to slide out from under her. She couldn’t do more

than stagger a few steps, but she managed to put a little distance between them as she fought to stay on her feet. It was a losing battle. Before she could regroup, something huge and hairy crashed into her, slamming her to the ground and forcing all of the air out of her body for the second time in thirty seconds. What the fuck hit me and where did it come from? She raised her hand to stab whatever or whoever was still on top of her, but the moment she moved, a deep, ominous growl filled the air and a set of sharp, pointy teeth closed around her throat, stopping a micro away from drawing blood. She froze and waited until she had breath enough to speak again. “Call off your pet, asshole, before I fillet it.”

5

Carnage

Car wanted to laugh but he couldn’t, not in his current form. Instead, he let out a soft chuff and released his grip on Leta’s throat to lick her soft cheek. Fuck, she tasted as good as she smelled. Another low growl rolled up from his throat, and he had an almost irresistible urge to bite her, to taste her blood on his tongue and sink his dick into the heat of her body—what the fuck was wrong with him? “Ew! No licking, that’s disgusting,” Leta complained. “Get off me, you ugly mutt. And what is with the sulfur breath? Does your master feed you rotten eggs or something?” Car was enjoying himself far too much to move yet, and he was amazed at the casual way she was treating him. Usually, his hound form reduced even the most fearsome of creatures to whimpers. Instead, she was treating him like he was a damned lapdog she caught chewing her favorite shoes. “Off!” she snapped, and this time, she sent a blast of fire from her hands to reinforce her demand. Heat washed over him, and the entire parking lot lit up with a cheerful glow, but that was all that happened. Lucifer knew that a Hound’s career path meant regular fights with supernatural creatures—or even the occasional rogue fallen— and so he had gifted his hunters with certain abilities, including an invulnerability to fire. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. A fireproof pooch? Nice pet, asshole…” she trailed off as she looked around and realized they were alone. “Oh, fuck, no.” Her eyes widened, and she stared up at him with horror.

“Asshole, is that you?” Car licked her face again. “Ugh! Stop that.” She swiped at her cheek with the sleeve of her jacket and then shoved at him. “You’re a fucking Hell Hound, aren’t you? You have to be, because that’s the only thing in existence that can turn into…” she waved her hands at him. “This. Either that or they need to stop feeding the local strays toxic waste. Are those spikes running down your back? What are you, one-part dog, two-parts nightmare?” He nodded his big head and gave her the canine version of a grin, certain she would understand. He was glad she knew what he was. It should make things easier. “So, what does the Devil want with me? I’m a nobody, and I sure as hell haven’t done anything to warrant a visit from one of his Hounds.” She shoved at his chest. “And for fuck's sake, will you get off of me already? You weigh a ton.” Car had to it, he was curious as to what Luc wanted with the sexy minx he had called an abomination. The thought of her being punished in Hell simply for being born didn’t sit well with Car. Not at all. He got to his feet and bounded to one side, shifting back into human form as he did so. Being close to her was fucking with his head enough already, a little space might help him get his shit together. He reminded himself that he was a bounty hunter, not a nursemaid. His job was to deliver his targets. What happened to them afterward wasn’t his concern.

6

Leta

Leta watched in fascination as the massive hound with teeth the length of her index finger and eyes that glowed a demonic orange transformed back into the sexy, arrogant son of a bitch she had fought with earlier. Even his clothes reappeared, a fact she found both intriguing and disappointing. If she were going to die soon, a little full frontal nudity would have been a nice image to go out on. And if the Devil had sent a Hell Hound after her, then her death was likely coming very soon indeed. She never expected to live a long life, but she always assumed she would go down fighting and take a few of her attackers with her. She never figured on meeting up with a Hell Hound. The Hounds were the stuff of nightmares and dark legends. Unstoppable. Damned near unkillable. Once they had their target’s scent, they could track them across the world and even into Hell, or Heaven, and nothing would deter them. There was no point in fighting with something she couldn’t defeat or escape. All she had was the slim hope that whatever the Devil wanted, it wasn’t her life. And if it were, she would fight so long as there was breath in her body, even if it meant going after the Devil himself. Her life was no bed of roses, but she wasn’t going to simply give it up without a fight. Why can’t they just leave me alone? “Up you get. You’ve got an appointment with the King of Hell, and he’s not known for his patience.” The big man offered her his hand, and she found herself reaching up to take it despite her reservations. The need to touch him overrode all other instincts. The second their hands made a shimmer of heat danced up her arm, making her gasp. What the hell? Now was not the time to lose her damned mind. Weirder still, he seemed to feel something too, because he was staring at his arm with a frown that somehow didn’t make him look any less gorgeous.

“Now that we’re done dancing, will you give me your name and maybe some kind of explanation as to why you’re here?” Once he let her go, she dusted herself off and did a quick assessment of the damage. She was bruised and battered, and she still felt a lingering headache that came on every time she used any of the abilities from her father’s side…like blasting someone with fire. “Carnage,” he said, taking hold of her hand again. Before she could pull away, he fastened a silver manacle around her wrist. “Hey! What’s with the jewelry?” she demanded, snatching her hand out of his reach and trying to ignore the zing of desire that ed over her skin at his touch. “And what’s Carnage? Your name or the reason you’re here?” The smug asshole smirked at her. “It’s my name. I’m here because Luc sent me to fetch you.” “Luc? You call the Devil by his first name? Well, isn’t that cozy.” She held up her wrist. “And this? Are we engaged now?” He lifted his arm, and she noticed the twin to the manacle she wore was around his wrist, the two of them linked by a section of finely forged chain. “The jewelry is to make sure you don’t wander off on me. It’s teleportation-proof, so don’t bother trying.” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “As for the engagement offer, I’m not looking for a wife, but if you’re looking for someone to share your bed, sweet cheeks, I’d be happy to volunteer for the night.” His words made her pussy cream as she imagined what he would be like in bed. He would be a beast, no doubt about it. If the whispered and dark stories were to be believed, the Hell Hounds all had the stamina of a god and an appetite for pleasure that rivaled Lucifer himself. A hundred lurid images danced through her head, each more arousing that the last. There was something about him that had her totally off her game, and it was getting worse the longer she was near him. She needed to put some space between them, which wasn’t going to be easy now that they were chained together. Forcing herself to focus, she opted to channel her unexpected sexual tension into something more useful. Anger. “Are you hitting on me? I thought you were in a hurry. Something about your bosom buddy Luc not being patient.”

7

Carnage

“There are some things in life worth a little pain and punishment.” Carnage heard the words coming out of his mouth, but he hadn’t meant to say them. Shit, he hadn’t even meant to think them. It was like he was possessed, most likely by the throbbing hard-on trapped in his pants. No woman had ever affected him this way, not in life or in all the centuries that followed. “I’m worth a whole lot of pain and punishment. Not that you’re ever going to find out.” She glowered at him, her blue eyes gleaming with an inner light he found mesmerizing. He yanked on the chain binding them, hard enough to bring her into his arms. “I’m starting to think you might even be worth dying for.” Centuries of ironclad control shattered in seconds as he slanted his lips across hers. She tasted of chocolate, sweet and sticky, a dessert he wanted to devour. He crushed her body against his, feeling the lean lines of her body fit seamlessly against his own. The beast in his soul howled in triumph as he laid claim to her mouth. He expected her to fight him. He was even looking forward to it, and she didn’t disappoint him. Her teeth closed on his lower lip with enough strength to draw blood. The taste of him on her lips sent his hound into a frenzy. He wanted this, wanted her marked with his scent, with his blood, so that everyone would know she belonged to him, and him alone. “Mine,” the word came out in a low growl. She tore her mouth from his, stomping on his foot hard enough he was thankful that his boots had steel toes. “What are you, a seagull from that fish movie? I’m not yours.”

He locked his arms around her and lifted her until her feet were dangling several inches off the ground. “You’re wrong. You are mine, Leta.” “I’m not wrong. You’re insane. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want you to take me to see Lucifer. Now!” “No.” Car couldn’t think straight, couldn’t focus on anything but the woman in his arms. No one was taking her away from him, not even the Devil himself. “Put. Me. Down,” she insisted and kicked him in the shin. “Not doing that, either,” he told her, then lifted his head as the distant wail of sirens caught his attention. “Fuck.” “Looks like we’re going to see the big guy whether you want to or not. We sure can’t stay here any longer. The nice lady in the diner must have called the cops when she saw the big, scary biker coming after one of her customers.” “Or she saw her customer pull a knife on a total stranger and then try to set the place on fire. You’re not exactly innocent here, sweet cheeks. In case you’ve forgotten, I did invite you to come with me, nice and polite like. You’re the one who went all stabby-stabby.” “Either way, we’re going to Hell now, right?” “Wrong again.” Car whistled sharply, and his bike started on its own. With a throaty roar it revved up then peeled out of the parking lot, headed for the open road. “You’re fucking kidding me. Your bike is a robot?” He chuckled. “Nope. My bike used to be a horse. I’ll introduce you to him another time. For now, he can lead the cops a merry chase while the two of us go somewhere we won’t be interrupted. And before you try to roast me again, keep in mind that I’m fireproof, and so is everything else where we’re going.” “And where—” He teleported away while she was still mid-sentence. There was only one place he could possibly take her. It was insane, but it was also the last place Luc would

think to look for a bounty hunter that was supposed to be on a mission. He would have to bring her to his home in Purgatory.

8

Leta

“—are we going?” Leta finished her sentence as they rematerialized. The words weren’t even out of her mouth before she knew wherever he’d taken her, it wasn’t anywhere on Earth. The light was strange for one thing, dim and cast in dingy hues of yellow and orange. Her skin itched as unfamiliar magicks buzzed at the edges of her mind and a deep sense of wrongness overcame her. This wasn’t her home plane, and it wasn’t anywhere she wanted to be. A quick glance around didn’t offer any clues as to her location. They were in a room with dark wood ing on the walls and dark stone floors under foot. Everywhere she looked were antique furnishings and shelves full of books, some of them so old they looked like they were bound with leather or cloth. Instead of overhead lights, oil lamps and candles burned, adding their flickering light to the dim glow from the windows. “Where are we? Some kind of museum?” she asked as she took in her surroundings. “We’re not in a museum,” he answered, and she could swear there was a note of insult in his tone. “Then where the hell are we?” “You just answered your own question. Welcome to Hell, sweet cheeks. Well, Purgatory anyway.” He swung her around so she could see that they were standing in what looked like a study, with hallways and doors leading off in several different directions. “This is my home.” I’m literally in Hell. Fan-fucking-tastic. “Hang on, I thought demons…I mean the fallen, lived in Hell proper. Isn’t

Purgatory the halfway house for human souls that weren’t evil enough to be sent to Hell, but had screwed up too much to get into Heaven?” “It is. I’m not one of the fallen, I just work for them.” He shrugged his massive shoulders and started walking down a dimly lit hall, dragging her with him. Leta tried to wrap her head around the fact that the most fearsome creatures in Hell’s infernal army weren’t fallen angels at all. “You’re human?” “I was, once.” “You were human, but you let Lucifer turn you into something else. Who does that? What exactly are you, Carnage?” His lips curved up into a dark smile. “Horny.” His answer should have pissed her off. If anyone else had uttered those words, they’d be spitting out the shattered remains of their dental work right now. For some reason, when he said it, her heart raced, her pussy got wet, and her clit started throbbing in time with her pulse. It was insane, but right now she was tempted to lean in and kiss him until neither of them could their names. Instead of giving in, she bit the inside of her cheek to break the spell. Once she could think again, she poked a finger into the massive wall of his chest. “Whatever sexual whammy voodoo thing you’re trying here, it’s not going to work. I’m not interested.” He laughed, turned, and pressed her up against the nearest wall until their mouths were only a fraction of an inch apart. “Little liar. You want me as bad as I want you. I can smell it. You’re already wet for me, and I can hear your heart pounding like a war drum right now. Whatever this is, we’ve both got it bad. I’m betting it would feel so damned good if we gave in and let this happen.” “I’m an abomination,” she reminded him. He raised a blond brow and gave her a panty-melting grin. “And I’m the Devil’s bounty hunter. What’s your point?” She struggled to find one, but it was impossible to think past the urgent demands

of her body. She wanted him like a junkie craved her next fix, and for the life of her, she couldn’t think of a reason to deny herself one last moment of pleasure. There had been so few of them in her life, and she wasn’t likely to get a chance to experience anymore. Not once he delivered her to Lucifer. “This is an incredibly bad idea,” she murmured before closing the tiny space between their mouths and sealing his with a kiss. After a lifetime of running, Leta was tired of it all. Just this one time, she wanted to taste what it was like to have something she wanted, no matter how insane it was, or what the price would be. She had never had a home, or friends, or anything resembling a normal childhood. All she ever had was her mother, and Atariel had died years ago, sacrificing herself to save her little girl. The vampires had only found them because her younger self had lacked the discipline to shield herself from detection. It was her fault, she had been weak, and her mother had paid the price. She carried the guilt of that knowledge around with her like iron chains she couldn’t break. She had been the cause of so many deaths. So many lives snuffed out because they came in with her. That’s all it took. Death followed her like a shadow, threatening anyone she ever dared to get close to. This one time, she would let herself feel something. After all, Carnage was a fucking Hell Hound. If anyone could defy death, it had to be him.

9

Carnage

Her kiss was all the permission Car needed to take what he craved. Man and beast were in perfect harmony as he set her on her feet, then crowded her against the wall once more. She was his, and he was going to show her exactly what that meant. Their tongues dueled, and their hands tore at each other’s clothing as both of them gave in to the inevitable. This was meant to happen. It had to happen. He knew it with a certainty he didn’t understand and didn’t bother to question. It was the truth, and that was enough for him. He went to strip his shirt off and paused as he realized there was one last obstacle he needed to remove. They were still bound together by the manacles on their wrists, the ones that blocked her abilities, including teleportation. “Swear to me you won’t leave me,” he demanded, the words coming out with more than a hint of a growl. Her head snapped back, and she stared at him in bewilderment and anger. “This again? I’m not yours, and I’m not swearing anything of the kind. This is just my last hurrah before the end, big guy.” He blinked at her in confusion, playing over what he had meant to say… and what had actually come out of his mouth. Yeah, he was losing his fucking mind, and it was all her fault. “Promise you won’t teleport your sexy ass out of here, and I’ll take off the cuff. That’s all I meant.” He jerked the chain that connected them. “Otherwise getting naked is going to be tricky.” “Oh.” She actually looked flustered for a second, and that flash of vulnerability made her even sexier. It was the first time he’d seen her softer side, even if it was only for an instant.

“I’m not going to run. You can take it off. Like I said, this is my last chance to play before what’s probably going to be the end of my life. Besides, I know what you are, and what you can do. If I run, you’ll track me down again. It’s what you do, right?” “It’s what I do,” he agreed, then kissed her again. He couldn’t get enough of her. He wanted her naked, to be able to touch and taste every inch of her. He had to force himself to end their kiss long enough to get rid of the manacle. He flung it to the floor, impatience getting the better of him. He had better things to be doing with his hands right now. She shrugged out of her coat, and it fell to the ground beside the cuffs, quickly ed by his shirt, then hers. She still had one boot on and her pants tangled around her ankles when he gave in to the need to kiss her again. There was nothing tender about their ion, no sweet words or gentle caresses. This was raw, rough, and carnal, just the way he liked it. He kept her pinned to the wall with one hand as he kissed her hard and then let his mouth blaze a path down to the swell of her breasts. He cupped the warm weight of one breast in his palm and flicked a calloused finger over a perfect pink nipple, making it tighten and drawing a moan from her throat. In response, she buried her fingers in his hair and tugged him in closer, her nails biting into his scalp. When she arched her back away from the wall to offer herself to him, he accepted her surrender without hesitation. She was his.

10

Leta

Leta threw back her head and moaned in delight as Car dropped his mouth to her breast and started to suck on one nipple while teasing the other with his fingers. Every touch was making her pussy wetter, and when he scraped his teeth across her tender flesh, she felt a zing of pleasure that went straight to her clit. She gripped his hair tighter, and he growled in response. Back and forth they went, challenging each other every second even while they pushed themselves ever closer to the jagged edge of their control. She reached between them to yank open the fastening of his pants, sliding a hand beneath the leather until she found the hard shaft of his cock. He was so thick her fingers barely spanned his girth, and as she measured his length an inch at a time, she realized his dick was as big as the rest of him…and damn, he was huge. What little of him she had managed to see unclothed was impressive. Powerful shoulders, a broad expanse of chest covered by dark gold hairs, and a perfectly sculpted set of abs she wanted to trace with her tongue. He groaned and thrust his cock into her hand, fucking her fingers as he continued to play with her breasts until she was on the verge of coming from the stimulation alone. His mouth should be ed as a lethal weapon because every kiss and nibble was killing what was left of her control. He released her breast from his mouth and dropped to his knees, then looked up at her with an arrogant grin. “You might want to hang on tight, sweet cheeks. This ride is about to get rough.” She pulled his hair and winked at him. “You talk too much.” A primal growl rumbled up from his chest, and the next thing she knew, he had manifested claws, using them to slash through her pants. He tossed the shredded

remains aside and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the inside of her knee. His tongue swirled over her skin for a second, then he lifted her leg, still clad in her boot, and draped it over his shoulder. The moment her thighs parted, his gaze locked on her slick cunt. His hands cupped her ass cheeks, holding her still as he leaned in and buried his head between her thighs. He zoned in on her clit, sucking and licking the delicate bundle of nerves until she was trembling with need. He kneaded her ass in time to the swipes of his tongue, keeping her right where he wanted her as he devoured her a lick at a time. True to his word, he wasn’t gentle. He nipped and sucked at her delicate flesh until every touch came with a faint bite of pain that only heightened her pleasure. As her orgasm loomed, she found herself whispering his name over and over until it turned into a breathless chant. Her words seemed to inflame him, and when he drove two thick fingers into her channel, her body exploded into shards of pure bliss. Car was nearly out of his mind with the need to fuck. Being this close, her scent washed over him, filling his lungs and drugging his senses. He surged to his feet, lifting her with him. She clung to him like a limpet, her arms twining around his neck and her legs wrapping around his hips as she nuzzled a kiss against the side of his neck. “I hope you’re going to fuck me now,” she whispered, a lilt of laughter in her voice. “Damn right,” was all he said and all the warning he gave her. He shoved his pants aside, freeing his cock from its leather prison. He centered himself at her entrance and took her in one hard thrust. She moaned and bit him, her low, needy sounds vibrating against his neck. Slick heat surrounded him and her inner walls pulsed around his cock, milking his length even before he started moving.

11

Carnage

It was the closest he had ever been to the perfect bliss of Heaven. He pumped his hips, and she tightened her grip around his waist, taking him even deeper this time. She lifted her head and kissed him, her beautiful eyes wide open and staring into his. The last of his control dissolved away, leaving him fueled by nothing but lust and the need to claim the woman in his arms. He powered into her, each thrust coming harder than the one before it. Soon the room was filled with the sounds of ion, the slick slap of flesh and pleasurefilled cries only making him wilder. “Carnage!” she cried out his name. It was the name he had chosen for himself, but not his true name. He wanted to hear her say the name he had been born with, a name he hadn’t heard spoken for more than five centuries. “My name. Is. Alaric.” He uttered the words in time to the pounding rhythm of his hips, not understanding why he needed her to use it. “Alaric,” she whispered his name like a dying man’s prayer. Soft and reverent, that one word resonated in the darkest corners of his empty soul. It stirred long forgotten feelings and awakened a part of him that had fallen silent since his death. He lost himself in the exquisite pleasures of her body, the man he had been once and the supernatural creature he had become merging into one being. Complete and united at last, brought together by the one thing they both craved: Leta. His thrusts became erratic, his balls tightening, and his breath growing ragged as he raced toward orgasm, intent on taking her with him when he came. The sharp

sting of nails raking across his shoulders sent him hurtling to the brink, and with the last shreds of his control, he managed to shift their bodies, changing the angle between them so that his shaft slid over her clit with every stroke. Her inner walls gripped him hard, pulsating around his dick as she moaned and raked her nails across his shoulder blade again. The added stimulation was more than he could take and he exploded into release, emptying his load inside her as he bared his teeth and sank his newly elongated fangs into the soft skin of her throat. Her blood coated his tongue, the two of them locked into a primal giveand-take of life essences. Never before had he had the compulsion to bite a lover during sex. This was about her, about marking and claiming Leta for all time. I’ve lost my fucking mind…or my heart. Shit. Please let it be my mind.

12

Leta

Leta’s neck throbbed where Carnage—no, she corrected herself—where Alaric had bitten her. There was a strange, searing heat coming from the bite that slowly seeped deeper into her body. It was a disturbing sensation, and it helped snap her out of the blissful fugue she had been enjoying. “What the fuck did you do to me, asshole?” she demanded, pushing at his head until she could look into his glowing, amber eyes. “Mine now.” His voice was gruff, the accent thicker, and fangs peeked out from behind his blood-tinted lips. “You can keep saying that all you want; it won’t make it true. I don’t belong to anyone, Alaric. I can’t.” His lips curled into an irritated snarl. “Denying what’s going on between us doesn’t make it any less real, either. Trust me, this isn’t the way I usually handle retrievals.” She laughed. “So, I’m an exception? You don’t bring every woman you go after here for a quick fuck before you hand them over to your buddy, Luc?” For a moment, glittering flames flared deep in the glow of his eyes. “I never bring anyone here. Not women. Not men. Anyone.” “Then why am I here?” she demanded, not sure she wanted to hear the answer. Her life had been one long, lonely struggle. She wasn’t sure she could deal with having anything more offered to her. Not now, when it was too late. He stared into her eyes, and she saw confusion lurking in those strangely glowing depths. “Fuck if I know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I needed

you. I needed to have you more than I needed my next breath. I’ve already taken you once, and I still fucking need you. I don’t know what this is, but it’s not going away.” “You’re crazy, and apparently, so am I. I don’t know what’s pulling us together either, but if this is my last chance to grab a few moments of pleasure and happiness, I’m taking it.” If the rest of her life could be measured in hours and minutes, this was the best way she could think of to spend that time. “I’m keeping you for more than a few minutes.” “You can’t. I know how this works. You’re bound to obey Lucifer, right? He wants me in Hell. There’s nothing either one of us can do about that, except postpone it as long as we can.” Alaric growled and for a moment she thought he was going to say something, but instead he simply kissed her. Their lips were still mated when she felt the familiar tingle that accompanied a teleportation, and the next thing she knew she was stretched out beneath him on a bed piled high with thick furs. She got a brief impression of dark wood, tapestries, and a wall full of weapons, but then all her attention turned to the man looming over her, kissing her with more ion than she had ever known. She wouldn’t say the words. But in her heart, she knew that for this one, brief moment in time, he was right. She was his.

13

Carnage

Carnage didn’t let her out of bed for hours, or maybe it was days. Time moved differently in Purgatory, and he wasn’t paying attention to anything but Leta. Armageddon might have happened, and he wouldn’t notice, not when he had her in his arms and in his bed. She was his match in every way, keeping pace with his demands and making a few of her own. They rode each other to the heights of pleasure so many times he lost count before they finally drifted off into the dreamless sleep of sated exhaustion. It was the best sleep he’d had in centuries. It was the acrid stench of brimstone and scorched wool that slammed him back to wakefulness. His eyes snapped open, and he looked around the room, well aware there was only one visitor who could get past his home’s defenses. “If that’s the smell of my rug being singed, I’m not going to be happy, Luc.” “I don’t think you’re in any position to be snarling at me, Car. I sent you on a simple mission. Fetch. So why is it you’re here, sleeping, instead of getting me what I asked you for? Was I not fucking clear? Did you get confused by my instructions? Where the fuck is the girl?” Carnage sat up and spotted a very angry Luc pacing the floor by his bed. The King of Hell had gone all out for this visit. He was sporting horns, tail, cloven hooves, and there was even a hint of smoke rising out of his ears. Oh yeah, His Highness royally was pissed. “The girl is right here,” Leta said, tucking a sheet around her as she sat up and swept the dark fall of hair out of her eyes. “He did his job. He brought me to Hell.” Fuck. “Sweet cheeks, you’re not helping matters,” he muttered, reaching back to push

her behind him, out of Luc’s sight. Luc’s eyebrows rose, and the flames in his eyes burned brighter. “You banged my bounty, Fido? What part of my request that you bring her to me did you not understand? I even used small words to be sure you understood. Instead, you brought her to your place and fucked her, breaking rule number one in the process.” Carnage frowned. “She’s in Hell, like you asked. The angels can’t get to her here, and I was bringing her to you eventually. And I didn’t break your rule, either. She doesn’t have wings.” “Don’t try to play lawyer with me, mutt. I’m the patron saint of fucking lawyers and hair-splitters, you won’t win. Did you miss the part where I told you her mother was an angel? Of course she has wings.” Luc turned his attention to Leta, and it was all Carnage could do not to growl at his liege for daring to look at his woman while she was naked. Fuck, he wasn’t just obsessed, he was becoming suicidal. “Didn’t you show him your plumage, little bird? Or did you two skip the small talk and go straight to the main event?” Luc asked. “Leta?” Car asked, a wealth of questions in that single word. His dick had been overriding his brain since Luc handed him the scrap of leather with her scent. He knew she was half angel, but somehow he hadn’t considered what that would mean. All he knew was that he wanted her, and he wasn’t used to denying himself the things he wanted. Leta moved out from behind him, and he had to take a moment to ire her guts. She was naked and facing off against the Devil himself, but she was acting like it didn’t bother her a bit. “I don’t know what the fuck he’s talking about. I don’t have wings. I can’t fly. I can’t do half of what my mother could, and I don’t have much control over my demon—I mean fallen, powers.” Luc stopped pacing. “So, you still haven’t figured out what you’re capable of? Good. That’s very good. We need to talk, you and I. And you…” He pointed to Carnage. “Go back to the clubhouse. I’ll deal with you later.”

“No.” Car rose, naked, from the bed, putting himself between Lucifer and Leta. There was no way he was letting her go anywhere without him. He and his hound were in agreement on that. She was theirs, and not even Satan was taking her from them. Luc clapped a hand over his eyes and swore. “For fuck’s sake, put some clothes on. And what do you mean, no? You don’t get to say that word to me. I own you, ? Mind, body, and soul, for at least another two weeks.” “Give her to me and you can keep my contract for another five hundred years.” The offer was out of his mouth before the thought was fully formed in his mind. It would be a small price to pay if it kept Leta alive and by his side. Luc opened his mouth to speak, but before he could comment one way or another, Leta punched Car hard in the arm and interjected. “Don’t you dare give up your freedom for me, asshole. That’s not your call to make!” “It is my fucking call. You’re mine,” he snarled past his already lengthening fangs. His hound was challenging him for control, demanding they fight for what was theirs. Leta shook her head. “No. I won’t let anyone else sacrifice themselves for me.” “I’m not sacrificing anything, Leta. He already owns my soul, ?” She touched his arm almost in the same place she’d struck him only seconds before, but this time her fingers were gentle. “After my mother gave her life to save mine I swore I wouldn’t let anyone else do that for me. I already have to carry the weight of her sacrifice. Please, Alaric, don’t make me carry yours, too.” Leta withdrew her hand and directed her next words to Lucifer. “I’ll go with you, Luc, or Lucifer, or Your Royal Evilness, whatever your preferred title is. I’ll go willingly, but you have to promise me you won’t punish Alaric. No one else gets hurt because of me. That’s the deal. If you don’t like it, then you might as well kill me now and get it over with.” “No!” Car roared, but Luc was already nodding. The King of Hell snapped his

fingers, and Carnage found himself standing in the sealed vault beneath the clubhouse, stark naked and with his last bellow of rage echoing off the walls. Worse, when he tried to teleport, nothing happened. He tried again, then again, but it was clear that his bastard liege had stripped him of that particular ability. He had no way to get back to Leta. She was alone with Satan, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck

14

Leta

Alaric was gone. Vanished—no, banished—by a snap of Lucifer’s manicured fingers. Part of her was thankful he was gone before he could convince the Devil to make good on his offer, but damn, she didn’t relish the thought of being alone with Lucifer, either. Leta tucked the sheet around her a little more firmly and rose from the bed, determined to face her death with at least a little dignity. She did her best to ignore the unfamiliar ache in her chest as she thought about the way Alaric had tried to protect her. No one but her mother had ever done that. Everyone else had seen her as an abomination, a thing to be hunted down and used, or destroyed. He might not have had the right to lay claim to her, but she appreciated what he had tried to do. She reached up and absently touched the still-tender mark on her throat where he had bitten her, and the ache in her heart eased, just a little. “Where did you send him? Is he alright? He won’t be punished, will he? I want your word that he’s safe and won’t be in trouble for what happened,” she said, her concern for Alaric strong enough to give her the courage to make demands of the devil in his own house. The Devil gave her a dashing smile and shook his head. “You shouldn’t ask the Prince of Lies to give you his word on anything. Didn’t anyone tell you that I’m not to be trusted?” He ran a hand through his ebony hair, and when he was done, his horns were gone. He looked human now, save for the eerie flames that glowed in his eyes. “But to answer your questions, yes, he’s safe and sound back at the Hell Hounds’ headquarters. No, I’m not going to punish him. I never intended to do anything to him, that was all for show.” “Why?”

Lucifer made a gesture with one hand, and she found that the sheet that had been wrapped around her had been transformed into a toga-like garment of deep red trimmed in gold. “Why? Because I needed to know how you felt about him. If you’d stood by and let him be punished, that would have spoken to your character, and your feelings for him…or lack thereof.” He held out his hand to her. “Come. Our conversation is going to take some time, and I’d rather not do it here. Carnage is my finest Hound, but his taste in interior decorating leaves a lot to be desired.” “Can I leave him a note? I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.” “Who said anything about goodbye? You’ll see him again, if you wish to, that is. I’ll have a message sent letting him know you’re fine. Good enough?” “Yes. Thank you. And uh, I’m glad to hear I’m going to be fine. I thought you might want me dead.” Lucifer arched a dark brow. “Dead? No, Little Bird. I don’t want you dead. If I did, I’d have sent Carnage to do the deed directly. We really need to talk, you and I.” He gestured with his outstretched hand. “Come.” There was no turning back now. She closed the short distance between them and placed her hand in his, marveling at the turn of events that had led her here, to the moment she came face to face with the most feared being in all creation. “What do I call you?” “Your Highness is always acceptable, of course. Grandfather would also be applicable, but it smacks of sentimentality, and implies I’m closer to my dotage than my prime.” He gave a dramatic shudder. “Why don’t you call me Luc?” “Grandfather?” she asked, stunned. “Mhmm. Didn’t your mother tell you? She was well aware of your father’s lineage.” “She almost never spoke about my father, and she certainly never mentioned we were related.” Grandfather? Holy hell mom, you should have told me. That would’ve been handy information to have all the years she was alone and running for her life.

“There are some remarkably large gaps in your education, Little Bird. Come with me and I’ll see what I can do to enlighten you.” There was another shift in the air around them, and the next thing she knew, she was standing in the middle of a palace so opulent it dazzled her senses. Reds and golds in a hundred different shades shimmered and danced in the light of a thousand torches, lamps, and candles. The air here was perfumed with exotic scents that almost hid the underlying tang of sulfur and ash that tainted the air. When she had her bearings, Lucifer led her a short distance to a pair of gilded, ornate chairs set by a window, providing her with her first real view of Hell. “Welcome to my home,” he said, gesturing to the vista outside. It wasn’t what she had expected. In fact, it looked like Earth...more or less. Earth’s sky wasn’t a burnt, murky orange, though. It was also far less crowded and a lot quieter. That struck her as odd, given how many people seemed to be destined to spend eternity being punished for their sins. The palace was set in the center of a typical modern city, with streets and buildings stretching off in all directions. The architecture was different in subtle ways, and everything was bathed in the odd orange light, but it was definitely a city, not a fiery pit of suffering. There were even people—or fallen— moving along the sidewalks, and a few vehicles trundled up and down the streets. It all seemed perfectly normal. “You’re looking for the pits of screaming, tortured souls, and the eternal flames, are you?” Lucifer asked, his voice rife with humor. “Yes, actually. I thought that was the point to this place?” She turned from the view and found her grandfather already seated in one of the chairs, a jewelencrusted goblet in his hand. “Oh, that happens here, certainly. But there aren’t many truly evil souls in existence. Purgatory is far larger than this place. That’s where most souls wind up. Not good enough for Heaven and far too good for Hell. Frankly, given how many regulations my winged brethren have, it’s amazing anyone gets past the pearly gates at all.” He beckoned her to him. “Have a seat, Leta. I’ll answer what questions I can.”

She took the chair he pointed to, taking a moment to rearrange her dress once she was seated. It bought her a few seconds to try and come to with her situation. Nothing was going the way she’d expected. She was still breathing, for one thing. She might as well start with that. “Why am I here? I thought you wanted me dead. Everyone seems to.” “I never wanted you dead, Leta. To be candid, I didn’t know anything about you until a little while ago. You’re not supposed to exist. Angels and their fallen brethren are supposed to be off-limits to each other. God’s rule, not mine. I may have mentioned He’s big on rules. Lots of Thou Shalt Nots in God’s playbook. That’s the reason I’m down here.” “I thought you were thrown out for rebelling?” He shrugged and flicked out the fingers of one hand in a dismissive gesture. “That’s what they call it when you don’t obey all the laws of Heaven. They have laws for everything up there, controls in place for every thought and deed. Humans get to have free will, but angels are expected to blindly obey. Those of us who question that are cast out and stripped of our wings. I was the first to get the boot, but believe me, I’m far from the last.” And that brought up another question. “I’m not an angel. I’m just a half breed. So why did you say that I had wings? I can assure you, I don’t have any feathers. Never have. Only angels have those, right?” “You’re wrong about that, Little Bird.” He tsked softly and shook his head. “Your mother did not do you any favors when she kept you hidden from me. I could have taught you so much.” He waved her off before she could protest. “I know she did what she thought was best, but she clearly didn’t understand what you really are. You have so much untapped potential.” “How could she not know what I am? I was her daughter.” “As a father of more than a dozen children, let me assure you, being a parent does not mean we’re all knowing, not even about our own offspring.” Luc gave her a benevolent smile and sipped his wine. “Trust me on that one.” “So she didn’t know what I am, but you do. Great. Care to enlighten me, Grandfather? Then maybe you can tell me about my father. She wouldn’t even tell me his name.”

“Not even his name? Well, I can tell you that, and more besides. But today, I’d like to focus on you and your gifts.” “Fine. Focus. What the hell am I?” Leta had wanted to know the answer to that question her entire life. If he wasn’t going to talk about who she was, then she’d settle for knowing what she was. “Such fire. You’re definitely your father’s child.” He set down his goblet and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “You, Leta Fury, are the one thing Heaven fears. The angels claim dominion over two elements: air and water. The fallen lost control over those elements when they fell, but over time we learned to control the others: fire, and earth. But you… you were born with the ability to command all four elements. Also, you are half angel, which means you do indeed have wings, even if they haven’t manifested yet. You see, child, you never fell from grace. You were never bound by the rules of Heaven to begin with, so Heaven cannot take your wings.” “Heaven doesn’t fear me, they hunt me,” Leta said with a shake of her head. “As for my abilities, they’re not all that impressive. I can’t control fire very well, and I certainly can’t manipulate any of the other elements. I can heal a little if I focus hard enough. I’ve teleported too, but only when it’s a life and death fight, and I’m losing. It’s instinct, nothing more. Using any of my powers always gives me a wicked headache, too.” “Heaven is terrified of you. That is why they hunt you, Leta. As for your powers, you’d have better luck controlling them if you accepted your fallen half. You’re a child of two worlds, but you were raised only knowing one.” “Angels weren’t the only ones hunting me. I’ve killed my share of fallen, too. It’s hard to accept either side of my nature when they both keep trying to kill me.” “Any fallen who tried to hurt you was not doing it with my permission. As I said, I only recently learned of your existence. You’ve done a remarkable job of staying hidden given how little training your mother was able to give you before she died.” “I thought all fallen answered to you?” she asked, trying to work her way through this strange conversation.

“I’m their fucking king, they’re supposed to answer to me, but my people are as fallible as every other. Like willful children, some of them refuse to listen. That’s one of the reasons I have Carnage and his Hounds. They deal with the ones that try to think for themselves.” “You mean they kill for you.” “Kill for me, fetch for me, they’d bake me a batch of cupcakes if I asked them to. I own their souls, after all. Loyal mutts, each and every one of them.” She laughed at the image of Carnage baking anything. “You don’t seem the cupcake type.” “You’d be surprised what sort of man I am. Your mother never came to me to ask me for help or sanctuary, so I assume she bought the party line that I was an evil creature to be avoided at all costs. Just like your father.” He smiled at her over his glass. “Let me tell you a little secret, Leta Fury. It’s not about good and evil. Never has been. It’s about choice. I want free will, and my brethren upstairs want obedience. The rest? It’s all PR spin.” “Then I’ve got news for you, Your Royal Evilness. Your public relations team sucks. Last time I checked, everyone on the planet believed you’re evil incarnate.” He actually threw back his head and laughed. “I like you. I really hope you decide to take me up on my offer.” “What offer? You haven’t made me one.” “I’ve been building up to it. I’m the Devil, child. Deals are my stock in trade and I try to make them interesting.” He winked at her. “You ready to hear it?” “Is anyone ever ready to hear the Devil offer them a deal?” This time, he laughed so hard she wondered if he was going to strain something. When he finally got himself under control again, he raised his glass to her in a mocking toast. “Fair point, though what I am offering isn’t so much a deal, as it is a choice. my side, and I’ll teach you to use all your abilities. I’ll show you what you really are, and what you’re capable of. I’ll give you a home here, a place of your own where you can sleep in safety and never be hunted again.”

Fucking hell. He was offering her everything she had always wanted. It felt too easy, though. She never trusted easy, and she damned sure wasn’t going to trust the Devil...even if he was family. “Nothing comes for free. In exchange for all that, what will I have to do?” “The same thing you’re doing now, more or less. Hunt down your enemies and make sure they can’t threaten you, or anyone else, ever again. The only difference is that you’ll be hunting my enemies, as well. Same game, more targets. One day, when the war finally comes, you fight for me. That’s all.” “You have the Hell Hounds to do all that. Why do you need me?” “The Hounds have their uses, but they aren’t you. There’s no one else in existence like you, Little Bird. You were never supposed to exist, but since you do, I want you fighting on my side.” He gave her a charming smile. “After all, we are family.” “So what can I do that the Hounds can’t?” If g on with Team Hellfire meant being able to run circles around Car, she would consider it a definite plus. “You must that my Hounds were all human when they were alive. They lived and died as mortal men and were assigned to Purgatory for eternity. You’ve met Carnage. You can imagine how quickly a man like that got bored with the afterlife. I gave him a purpose and certain abilities that make him very good at what he does. Strength, speed, the ability to track their prey through the ether, teleportation…and of course, I made them invulnerable to certain attacks.” He arched a dark brow at her. “In case someone tried to set them on fire, for example.” “In my defense, I only tried to light him up because I thought he was going to kill me.” “If you had been almost any other mission, that’s exactly what he would have been there to do.” Luc gave her an intent look and went silent for a long moment as if deciding something, his drink forgotten for the moment. “You know; I could give you their abilities. In fact, I think I probably should, given you’re mated to their leader.” “I’m what?” She sat straight up, her fingers automatically reaching up to touch the bite mark on her neck.

His gaze tracked her hand’s movement. “Exactly. That little love bite means you’re Carnage’s mate. If you want him, that is. Another choice for you to make.” “That rat bastard. He didn’t say anything about it!” she swore, furious at Carnage for doing this to her. “Wait, he’s their leader? He didn’t tell me that, either!” “In his defense, he doesn’t know why he bit you. None of my Hounds has ever found their mate before. As for his being their leader, he is…for now. When Car’s contract expires in two weeks, I imagine Havoc will take over.” “What happens when his contract expires? Does he go to Hell for all he’s done in your service? If I agree to fight for you, would you spare him that?” Luc actually looked surprised. “You’d do that for him? Serve me to save him?” “He’s not an evil man. At least, I don’t think he is. I don’t like the idea of him being punished.” She gestured to the window and all that lay beyond it. “I don’t like the idea of anyone being tortured for eternity, but I know most of the ones here deserve it. If I agree to this deal, Car going free will be one of my conditions.” The Look on Satan’s face could only be described as paternal pride. “You’re a good judge of character, and a brave woman, negotiating with me like this. You’re right. Carnage is hardly a saint, but he’s not evil. As I mentioned before, this isn’t about good and evil, it’s about choices.” Understanding dawned. “Which is why you make deals with people. You want them to have a choice.” He beamed. “Beauty and brains. I do hope you agree to sign on with me, Little Bird. You’d be such an asset. Before you make your decision, though, you should know that your mate is not destined for punishment. In fact, he’s considering being reborn. He’ll get a shiny new soul and no memory of who he was or what he’s done. It’s the deal I made with all the Hounds. They’re all from Purgatory, just like your mate. I couldn’t let truly evil souls run around with those sorts of powers, could I? They’d make a mess of things, and frankly, even I can only put up with so much chaos.” “So, if I don’t want to be mated to him, I don’t have to be? And he won’t be

punished?” “No punishment. I’ll let him go if that’s what he decides he wants when his time is up, but I’m betting that he won’t. Not if it means forgetting about you.” “Why do I think you had something to do with him finding me just as his contract was expiring?” she asked. Luc managed to look completely innocent, and even slightly insulted. “Mates are not my department. That’s Fate’s gig. I’m all about choices and free will, ?” He snapped his fingers, and a tray of assorted cupcakes popped into existence, hovering in the air beside her. The confections were displayed on delicate lace doilies, and each of them had a tiny set of perfectly crafted, red candy horns rising out of the swirls of frosting. “Cupcake? I prefer the devil’s food cake, myself. They’re sinfully decadent with a hint of chili peppers for heat.” She gave in to temptation, well aware that she was taking her first steps down a dangerously slippery slope. “I’ll try one, thank you.” She devoured the cake as she pondered everything he had told her, and all that he’d offered. The freedom to choose her own path. It was the one thing Leta wanted even more than a place where she belonged. All her life she had been reacting, living moment to moment. Luc was handing her the chance to take control of her life and pick for herself. It was the one offer she couldn’t refuse. “So, if I took this deal of yours. What exactly would it entail? I’m going to need details, Luc, and I want to read every word, including the finest of the fine print.” He winked at her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

15

Carnage

Three days. She had vanished out of his life three miserable days ago. Not since he had been mortal had Carnage felt the age of time so acutely. He spent the night in the vault, venting his rage on the contents until it was nothing more than a pile of twisted wreckage and scrap metal. He had already arranged to replace most of it. Luc was a manipulative, arrogant bastard, but he paid well. Ripper found him the next day when the pup had teleported in to pick up a few new toys. The kid had been smart enough not to ask any questions. He had teleported them both out of the sealed vault and back to Car’s office at the clubhouse without uttering a single word. He stayed long enough to shower and dress, ignoring everyone’s curious looks. He didn’t want to talk about what had happened. He didn’t want to think about what he had lost. Twenty minutes later he walked out of the clubhouse, summoned his bike, and headed straight to Haven, their favorite bar, to get well and truly drunk. Three days later, he was still there and still drinking. With any luck, he would be too drunk to care when Luc finally reappeared to mete out his punishment…or tell him what Leta’s final fate had been. His fellow Hounds were taking shifts, keeping him company night and day like a bunch of damned mother hens. They pushed food at him once in a while, and yesterday they had dragged him to the dancers’ dressing area for what they claimed was a much-needed shower. Havoc had even offered to stay and soap his back, the mouthy bastard. He loved his brothers, but right now, he would happily slaughter every last one of them if it meant he could be alone to mourn what he had lost. Leta.

He didn’t understand why, or how, but he knew she was meant to be his…and he had lost her. The pain of that loss hurt like nothing else he had ever known, not even dying. At first, he tried to drink her memory away. When that hadn’t worked, he considered fucking himself free of her, but there wasn’t a woman in the place that could compare to the one he’d lost. He stayed at the bar and kept drinking, instead. He wasn’t fit company for anyone right now, not even the jaded women that came to places like this. As the days past, the ache in his chest didn’t get better. His hound was a sullen, sulking presence in the back of his mind. The beast didn’t understand why they weren’t going after her, and it wasn’t interested in hearing excuses. By the second day, he was starting to dream of her even when he was awake. He’d come to his senses convinced she was standing right behind him. Her scent would fill his nose, or he would hear the lingering echo of her laughter. It was making him bat-shit crazy. “You need to eat something, Car,” Discord said before shoving a plate loaded with chili cheese fries toward him. Car eyed the food with disinterest, then took another swig of his drink. “I’m currently on a liquid diet, thanks.” Ruin snorted with laughter. “A few more days of that diet, and you’re going to need a fucking liver transplant.” “Advantage of being immortal. Don’t need to eat, and my liver can take care of itself.” Car glowered at the pair of battle-hardened warriors seated across from him. “Don’t you have something else to do besides sit here like a couple of wet blankets? Luc’s got to have missions for you two assholes. He always has missions. Centuries of them. Go here, get that. Fetch Fido, and don’t you fuckin’ dare want anything for yourself.” Both men looked at each other, then at Car. Dis finally asked the question no one had dared to voice until now. “What the fuck happened to you, Car?” “I broke rule number two. With an assigned target.”

Dis winced. “Damn, Car. What the fuck were you thinking?” “It was the weirdest thing. The moment I caught her scent, I lost my mind. Tracked her across the fucking country in minutes, and instead of taking her to Luc, I took her home.” “And then he bit me. Didn’t even buy me dinner first. Can you believe that?” “Leta?” Car’s head snapped around to look for the source of the voice that had been haunting him for the last three days. “Hey, asshole. Miss me?” She was back. Alive. Hell, she looked good. Better than good, in fact. She looked good enough to eat. Please, don’t be another hallucination. She was dressed in the same kind of black bike leathers that he and the other Hounds wore, and there didn’t appear to be a mark on her. His hound howled in triumph as he surged to his feet and pulled her into his embrace. She came to him willingly, twining her arms around his neck as his mouth found hers. Her scent wrapped around him, more intoxicating than anything he had drunk in the hours since he was banished from her side. It wasn’t until he ran a hand down her back that he noticed the first change. There were feathers under his fingers. “Wings?” he asked before kissing her again. “Among other things,” she answered. “Uh, Car? Breaking rule number two again probably isn’t the best idea…” Ruin pointed out. “Even if she is seriously hot,” Discord added, moving out of reach before the words ed his lips.

“He’s been granted an exception,” Leta said with a laugh that lit up his world. “Don’t even look at my woman again or I’ll beat you to death with your own spine, Dis.” He uttered the warning with a low, rumbling growl and then turned his attention back to Leta. “Lucifer granted me an exception?” he asked. “Uh huh. But only with me. I catch you stroking anyone else’s feathers, and I’ll kick your sexy ass.” Between the copious amounts of booze he had consumed, and the fact that all the blood in his body was currently rushing to his cock, Car was having trouble following what his woman was saying. All he knew was she was back in his arms, and this time, he would die again before he let her go. “So you’re mine? Luc accepted my offer?” She shook her head. “Nope. He made me one instead. I’ll explain once we’re home.” “I can’t go home. Luc killed my ability to teleport.” “Who said you were driving?” she asked and tightened her grip on him. The next thing he knew, they were standing in his bedroom, the bed still rumpled from the last time they’d been there, what felt like a lifetime ago. He was home, and Leta was with him. It was a fucking miracle, and those weren’t exactly in great abundance this far from Heaven.

16

Leta

Leta had so much power coursing through her veins she didn’t know what to do with it all. Luc had, surprisingly, been a man of his word. The second she signed the contract binding her to his service, he began teaching her about her abilities and helping her unlock gifts she never imagined she had. He also added to her powers, all in exchange for her pledge of loyalty and obedience, just the way he’d described. She was a Hell Hound now, with the same skills as Carnage and his men. It was a lot to get used to, but Lucifer had spent hours with her, patiently showing her how to channel and control her new abilities. She had wanted to teleport back to Carnage and tell him how things were going, but Luc had vetoed that idea. He didn’t want her leaving Hell until he was certain she could manage her new skills without killing anyone, including herself. The first time she managed to manipulate a current of air her wings had manifested, called forth because she had finally managed to connect with the element of air. She was still getting used to them, but she had almost mastered the knack of getting them to fade away when she didn’t need them. She had learned about her father, too. It turned out Lucifer had a number of children. Her father was one of his lieutenants, a position he held for several hundred years before his death. He died in an unauthorized skirmish with some of Heaven’s enforcers. Luc didn’t understand why at the time, but now he believed Skalos died trying to protect Leta and her mother from Heaven’s wrath. In the course of one night, her entire world changed. She had everything she ever dreamed of. A home, family, a life defined by purpose instead of mere survival, and more money than she could spend in a thousand lifetimes. The only thing she didn’t have was Carnage. She missed him every second they were apart, and judging by the ionate way he was kissing her, he had missed her, too.

The next time they came up for air, he spoke. “I need you so fucking badly right now. I want to see you, feel you. I need to prove to myself that you’re here, and this isn’t some vivid hallucination. I’ve been out of my damned mind, thinking I’d never see you again; that you were dead, or worse. I’m not letting you go, this time, Leta. He’ll have to kill me before I let him take you from me again.” “What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, finally taking a good look at Carnage. He wasn’t simply tired; he was exhausted, with several days’ growth of beard on his face and a lifetime of pain showing in his eyes. Without thinking, she cupped his face in her hands and let a wave of healing energy flow into him, renewing his body and cleansing the nearly toxic levels of alcohol from his blood with a thought. “What happened to you?” He laughed. A sharp, bitter sound. “Luc sent me to the weapons vault below our clubhouse, then stripped me of my ability to teleport. I was trapped there until the next morning when one of the guys came down to restock. After that, I went to Haven, started drinking and didn’t stop until you appeared.” He wound her hair around her fist and tugged her head back so she was looking straight into his eyes. “I thought I’d lost you. I know it sounds insane, but I can’t ever lose you, Leta. You’re mine…and what the fuck did you do to your eyes? They’ve got black rims now.” “You’re a real romantic, you know that? Is there no poetry in your fucking soul? My eyes are gorgeous, and they happen to match yours, black rings and all. I think it’s pretty cool, and you better agree with me, or this reunion isn’t going to end the way I hoped it would.” “And how did you see this ending, exactly?” he asked, his voice deepening to a sexual rumble. “With me getting fucked by my mate. He’s an asshole, but since he went and bit me, I guess he’s going to be my asshole. Forever.” If that’s what Car wanted. If he didn’t choose to be reborn. That’s the reason she’d come back for him so quickly. She had a lot to learn, but she needed Car even more then she needed to master her new powers. His eyes widened. “Mate?” “Yes, mate. Didn’t Luc explain any of this to you?” She looked around his bedroom again. Everything was exactly the same as it had been yesterday. Like

no one had been here since then. A slick, sick feeling started in her gut. Something wasn’t right. “I haven’t seen that bastard since he threw me out of my own house three fucking days ago.” “You’re not making sense. Luc came for me yesterday evening. We talked. He promised me you were safe, and he wasn’t going to punish you. It was part of the deal I made with him. He said he’d send someone to tell you I was okay and would be back soon…are you telling me he didn’t?” Her stomach twisted as understanding dawned. Luc had lied to her. Son of a bitch. She should have known better. “Did he also happen to mention he’s the Prince of Lies? It’s not a pretty turn of phrase, sweet cheeks, it’s his modus operandi. Time doesn’t the same on the other planes. You’ve been gone for days, not hours. And while he didn’t hurt me, he left me without my powers and no idea what was happening to you, which was fucking torture, so yeah, he punished me indirectly for what I did. He’s an expert at loopholes.” “I didn’t know. I’m sorry, Car. Fuck. I’m so sorry.” Guilt slammed through her, making her heart stutter and a slow-burning rage ignited in her soul. Somehow, she was going to make Luc pay for this. Car kissed her, cutting off her apologies. “You’re here now. That’s what matters. Explain what you mean being mates. And why you have wings, and well…everything.” He kissed her again. “Or better yet, explain it to me later. I just want to hear one thing from you right now. Tell me who you belong to.” “You. But only if you’re sticking around. I heard you might be considering leaving all this behind and being reborn.” “I’m not going anywhere without you. Since you’re on Team Hellfire now, that means I’ll be staying.” He gripped her hips and spun her around so that she was facing away from him. “Get naked. Fast. You’re about to get your wish about how this reunion ends.” Leta tossed him a sultry look over one shoulder, then manifested a set of impressive claws and shredded her own outfit.

“You’ve got claws, too?” he asked, already tearing off his own clothes the same way she had. “And fangs. All part of the Hell Hound package. You’re stuck with me now, Car. At least until that part of my contract is up in…oh…. about five hundred years.” She was bound to Lucifer until the end of days. After all, she had agreed to fight for him in the final battle, but for now she was signed to the same contract as the other Hell Hounds. Her duty was to Lucifer, and her job was to go where he told her to go and hunt the creatures she’d already been hunting. The dark, dangerous beings who preyed on the innocent and lived in a world of nightmares.

17

Carnage

Carnage stepped out of the tattered remains of his clothes, then picked Leta up and set her on the bed so that her pert ass was on display for him. Fuck, she was beautiful, and she was all his. She had actually chosen to make herself like him. It was the most humbling, sexiest thing he could imagine. “Five hundred years isn’t going to be enough, you know. I’m going to want you forever.” He slapped her ass, loving the way her delicate skin bloomed pink where he had struck her. “That’s for vanishing for days and making me think you were dead.” She made a muffled squeak, but when she looked back at him again, her eyes were glowing with arousal, not anger. “I didn’t know Luc kept you in the dark. I really am sorry about that. I thought we’d train for one night then I’d be back to tell you all about it.” He spanked her again, on the other cheek this time. “That’s for trusting the Prince of Lies. He may be our king, but you can’t trust that bastard at all.” She moaned softly, her head falling forward, dark hair spilling over the mattress. “I’ll have to that in future.” Car leaned in so that he could see the sweet, slick folds of her pussy framed between her smooth thighs. “One more thing you need to , sweet cheeks.” He nipped the pink flesh of one cheek, then kissed the sting away a moment later. “You’re a Hell Hound now, and that means I’m your leader. Disobey me, and I’ll have to punish you.” “Cheat on me, and I’ll neuter you,” she countered. “You might be the leader of the Hell Hounds, but as it turns out, I’m the granddaughter of the King of Hell.” “You have yourself a deal, mate. Wait, what did you say? Granddaughter?” He

sputtered. “Uh huh. Your mate’s a princess, or so I’ve been told. It was news to me, too.” “Never fucked a princess before,” Car muttered. “Now you’re never going to fuck anything else. I’m yours, but you’re mine, and I will kill any woman who so much as looks at you wrong.” Car didn’t do relationships. Not when he was mortal, and certainly not after he became a Hound. Things were different now, though. Leta didn’t have anything to worry about. Whatever this mating thing was, it had him by the balls and wasn’t letting go…and he was fine with it. He slid a finger into her pussy, working it into her tight channel as she moaned and pressed backward against his hand. She was wet and welcoming, already primed for his cock, and he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. They had centuries to make slow love to each other, but tonight, he needed to fuck her until neither of them could move. “You’re the only woman I want. Even when I thought you were dead, you were all I wanted. Tell me you’re ready for me,” he said, already fisting his cock and moving into position behind her as he pumped his fingers in and out of her channel. “Fuck, yes. I’ve missed you.” He flicked a finger over her G-spot then withdrew his hand, replacing it with his dick. She moaned again and rocked backward, taking the tip of him inside her before he even moved. He gripped her hips and thrust home, sinking into her heat with a low groan. Being inside her was even better than he ed. Her inner walls flexed around him, and he let himself go, pounding into her hard and fast, holding nothing back as he laid claim to what was his. She took him easily, moaning each time he buried himself to the hilt. He reached up and stroked one of her ebony wings, and she trembled, her soft noises of desire growing more desperate with every touch. Soon they were both panting, skin slick with sweat, both of them lost in a perfect storm of ion. She braced her arms on the bed and pushed back against him, meeting him thrust

for thrust. He wrapped an arm around her, drawing her up so that she was kneeling, her back pressed to the solid bulk of his chest. He filled her with every arch of his hips, gripped tight in the slick heat of her pussy. He groaned her name as the need to come hit him hard, and he gave into it, emptying himself into her with long, hard jets. She gripped his wrist, lifting his arm to her lips. Her fangs were buried deep into his flesh before he knew what she was doing. She bit him hard, drawing blood and sealing the bond between them the same as he had done to her. She shuddered and came on a wild cry that reverberated off the walls. His teeth sank into her throat a heartbeat later, and the two of them rode out the last seconds of their orgasms locked together in a moment that seemed to go on forever. When she finally released him, she pressed a kiss to the spot where she had bitten him, sending a gentle pulse of healing energy into the wound before whispering a single word. “Mine.” “You got that right, sweet cheeks. I always said that you were mine. It just took you a while to realize I was right.” “Asshole.” He nuzzled her neck and chuckled softly. “I love you, too.”

Epilogue

Lucifer cleared the image from his scrying mirror with an idle wave of his hand, then picked up his drink and toasted himself. “That worked out even better than I hoped. Well done, me.” “Cheater. Carnage never had a chance after that whammy you pulled on him. Talking Fate into giving them all mates was a stroke of genius.” The woman who entered his office was the walking definition of a sex kitten, from the sultry purr of her voice to the slow, sensual sway of her hips as she sashayed across the floor to stand at his side. “Lilith, my sweet, what brings you down here? Don’t you have a bar to run topside?” “Haven can run itself for a few hours. I wanted to check in and make sure Carnage was okay. He’s had a rough couple of days, no thanks to you.” “Please, he’s been moping for months, trying to decide if he was going to opt out and let himself be reborn. What a waste that would have been. Now he’s happy, Leta’s happy, and I’ve added to my army instead of losing one of my best warriors. I should be getting a medal. In fact, I’m going to decree one be made for me, to honor my brilliance in handling all this.” Lilith tucked a strand of blood red hair behind one ear and sighed. “Do you think Leta’s still going to be happy when she finds out who her father really is?” Luc shook his head. “She’ll never know. I told her that her father was one of my sons and that he died loyally protecting her and her mother.” “You’re a lying bastard, you know that, right?” He reached out and pulled Lilith onto his lap. “I’m the Prince of Lies, babe. Besides, I already have several daughters running amok in the universe, I don’t know if Hell could survive it if I announced I had another one, especially considering Leta’s angelic lineage. I may be the King of Hell, but there would be

trouble if anyone found out I’d broken my own rules. Best for everyone if no one ever finds out the truth.” “Best for you, you mean. If God finds out you seduced one of his angels…” Luc pressed a finger to his lover’s full lips. “He would be pissed at me, which would be business as usual. Are we done talking now, or are you going to continue trying to make me jealous by taking too much interest in my Hounds? They’re off limits to you, lover. You know that.” “I’m fond of them, that’s all.” “Be fond of them from a distance. Thanks to my deal with Fate, they’re all destined for mates. I’ve got it all lined up. None of them is leaving my service, not when I’m finished with them.” “You’re an evil man, you know that?” “Me? Never. I’m just a firm believer in stacking the odds in my favor before I let anyone get around to making their choices.” “So, who’s next?” she asked in a sultry whisper. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

I hope you enjoyed reading this collection of shifter romances. Ready for more? You can find over fifty of my romances at susanhayes.ca. From sexy cyborgs and hot aliens to romance heroes with fangs and fur, your next book boyfriend is waiting!

About the Author

Susan lives out on the Canadian west coast surrounded by open water, dear family, and good friends. She’s jumped out of perfectly good airplanes on purpose and accidentally swum with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef. If the world ends, she plans to survive as the spunky, comedic sidekick to the heroes of the new world, because she’s too damned short and out of shape to make it on her own for long. To her about her books or to arrange end of the world team-ups, you can email her at [email protected].

For all titles by Susan Hayes, please visit her website: susanhayes.ca To keep up with her latest news, releases, and appearances you can her Newsletter

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