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Books By Sasha White
PROLOGUE S he couldn’t look away. He had her wrists above her head, pinned against the mattress, and his eyes locked on hers as his hips thrust forward to slide gently into her body. Her pulse raced and she wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him tight. His rhythm picked up speed and she whimpered; her sex tightening around him, her body trembling with the strength of her approaching orgasm. Her heavy eyelids drooped, but she couldn’t let them fall, couldn’t look away from the well of emotions overflowing from his eyes. “I love you, Gina,” he whispered. Joy filled her and she cried out, every fiber within her strung taut as she squeezed him between her thighs. She squeezed harder and thrust her hips again—and felt nothing but emptiness. He was gone. Her thighs pressed only against each other. A growl of frustration echoed through Gina Devlin’s empty bedroom as she opened her eyes and pressed a hand against her heated forehead. Another dream. Another faceless lover with eyes that
1 C aleb Mann strode through the heavy glass doors of Fusion Cafe and continued straight to the service counter without looking left or right. The air-conditioning inside the café was a welcome relief from the humid heat of mid May in Pearson, British Columbia. It also took the edge off his nerves. Mug of strong, black coffee firmly in hand, Caleb stepped to the side of the counter, and scanned the room carefully. The sunlight bounced off the surface of Pearson Lake, directly across the street, brightening the small café. Colorful paintings on the walls and mismatched furniture gave it a funky, comfortable feel that was reflected in the diverse clientele. A slick-looking businessman stood a couple of feet away, impatiently ordering a fluffy latte from the frowning counter girl. An older lady and a girl who was probably her granddaughter sat with a coloring book in front of them. None were who he was looking for. He disregarded the twentysomething male engrossed in a novel nearby and br
2 I n a voice that was so smooth and deep it sent shivers down her spine, Mr. Gorgeous stick-in-the-mud introduced himself. “I’m Caleb—Gabe’s brother.” He held out a large hand to her. Gina leaned forward, slipping her hand into his. Long fingers wrapped gently around hers; the heat of him soaked through her skin and inched its way up her arm. Her palm tingled sharply, and images of open mouths, sweaty bodies, and tangled sheets filled her mind. Whoa! She pulled back in surprise. To cover up her sudden disquiet over the vision, she waved blithely at the empty seat across from her. “Have a seat, Caleb.” What was she thinking? Or better yet, what the hell was she doing? She had a deadline; she didn’t have time to waste on a man, no matter how good-looking he was. Of course, it was rare for her to get a psychic flash just from shaking hands with a stranger—especially if she hadn’t deliberately opened herself up and searched for one. Rarer still for the vision to be one that made her whole
3 S he’d surprised him. Not many people could do that. Caleb wasn’t sure what he’d expected when they left the coffee shop, but this wasn’t it. When he watched her swing a slender leg over the seat of a sexy little crotch-rocket of a motorcycle, leaving her thighs almost completely bare, it had never entered his mind that they would end up in a gay bar. Not that he minded. He didn’t judge people by their sexual preference. It just wasn’t somewhere he would’ve thought to take a woman he hoped to get intimate with. A quick glance around the dark room made him reconsider. It was early, and the bar wasn’t full, but it was busy enough. Yet no one bothered them. No one even gave them a second look. Couples, of all combinations, lounged on the various sofas surrounding the room’s perimeter. A small group of young guys were stationed in front of the bar, and a male couple was on the dance floor, swaying back and forth in each other’s arms. He thought about it, and excitement pushed past his ap
4 C onfusion filled Caleb’s eyes before his gaze slid away from Gina’s. Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she hesitated. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, or how it happened so fast, but Caleb had managed to get past her defenses. Not only was she attracted to him—she actually liked him. It didn’t matter that they were total opposites. Him with his settled life, career, and family; her, a military brat, with a life she could stuff into her backpack and move on a whim, just as she always had. He’d been so open and accepting as they’d gotten to know each other she’d started to fall for him. She’d been having such a great time that when she’d caught a glimpse of vulnerability in him earlier, she couldn’t stop from reaching out to him. It was rare she reached out to anyone. Sure, she was friendly, but she didn’t have any real friends. Moving from army base to army base while she was growing up had taught her to be self-reliant in many ways she was grateful for, but it also made k
5 A drenaline made her almost giddy. She was going for it. There was a reason he approached her table, and this was it. “What am I going to do about it?” Caleb looked at her and grinned. “Well, while I enjoyed our little foray into exhibitionism in there, all I really want right now is to get you out of those skimpy clothes and into my bed.” It hurt more than it should’ve, those words that told her she was wrong about him. Disappointment made her shoulders heavy as she realized he hadn’t been able to see past the easygoing facade she lived behind. Like many men, he’d approached her because she looked good, not because of some instinctive connection. With a deep breath, she forced herself to pull her hands away from his solid heat. Stuffing them into her pockets, she struggled to keep her inner balance and bury her disillusionment. Even the solid, good men of the world wanted only sex from her. She should just accept it, and the night, for what it was. A brief escape from loneliness. St
6 G ina thrilled at being lifted and held against Caleb’s chest, but he was headed in the wrong direction. “Where are you going?” she asked, running her fingers over his collarbone. He stopped just inside the bedroom door and looked down at her, a small crease between his brows. “Don’t you want to spend the night?” “Oh, yeah. And for an all-nighter, we’re going to need sustenance.” When he raised his eyebrows and stayed where he was, she giggled like a schoolgirl. “To the kitchen, man. I’m hungry.” Caleb reversed directions and headed for the kitchen, where he pulled a chair out from the table with his foot and set Gina down in it. He executed a courtly bow, grinned at her, and asked, “What is the lady hungry for?” Gina swiped her tongue across her lips and tried to keep a straight face. She wondered briefly what he would do if she told him what she was really hungry for. She smiled wickedly and replied, “Whatever you feel like feeding me.” He blushed! A slow flush crawled up over the
7 T he sun was just peeping over the rooftops, promising a beautiful summer day, when Gina rolled into her parking spot the next morning, but she was too distracted to notice. Helmet in one hand, keys in the other, she climbed the stairs to her apartment on autopilot. She’d just had the best night of her life with a man who didn’t even know her name. And the worst thing about it was she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Running out on him while he was still asleep had been a cowardly thing to do, but she’d had to get out. Shoving her key into the lock, Gina twisted it and entered her tiny studio apartment. Her empty tiny studio apartment. She loved her little haven. She’d done her best to make a home for herself there, but it was hard when she’d never really had a home. Her mother had died when she was young, and her father, being a military man, wasn’t always as nurturing as a young girl needed. One thing he had done, though, was make sure she knew how to take care of herself. Between
8 C aleb wasn’t sure how he felt when he woke up the next morning alone in his big bed. If it hadn’t been for the empty foil packets littering the floor in the hall and by the bed, and the scent of sex still lingering in the air, he would’ve thought it had all been a dream. But the proof was there. It had been a fantasy, but it was a fantasy come true. The clock said nine A.M. when he rolled over, and it surprised him. He was usually awake by seven, no matter what. Then his eyes caught sight of the heavy piece of paper next to the clock. Suddenly more alert, he opened the note quickly. A feminine scrawl filled the space. Hey sexy, When you’re winning on the basketball court today, know that you also won in the bedroom last night. You rocked my world, just like I knew you could. No name—as if he didn’t know who it was from—and no phone number. Pride and disappointment fought for the space in his head. He understood where the pride came from but not the disappointment. With a shake of hi
9 “G ina!” Sally’s shrill voice called out over the noisy din in the coffee shop. “The computer’s frozen again.” It was Monday morning, and the business crowd was lined up at the cash register impatiently waiting for their morning cappuccinos. With a muttered curse and a sharp twist of her wrist, Gina shut off the steamer and deftly poured piping-hot milk into the waiting cup of espresso. She topped it off with a scoop of foam and handed it to the scowling customer with a huge fake smile and a cheerful “Have a nice day!” Of course the register froze up—they were busy. Things could never go south during a slow afternoon. “Ginaaa!” Sally whined again from beside the till. Gina turned her fake smile on her young coworker. “Just reboot it, Sally,” she said clearly, trying to keep her irritation from her voice. The day had all the signs of a classic Monday from hell, and it wasn’t fair to take it out on Sally. Not when it was herself she was really mad at. “Press the little white button on
10 O utside in the bright sunshine, they started down the sidewalk in silence. Gina wanted to ask him why he was there, what he wanted, but she wasn’t sure she truly wanted the answers just yet, so she kept her mouth shut. They reached the small park within minutes, and she dropped her satchel on the grass as they settled onto a wooden bench. There were kids playing on a small jungle gym nearby, some mothers just watching, some helping the kids on the slide or the swing. A man in shorts jogged by with a large yellow dog panting at his side. It was a beautiful day, and she really hoped it was going to stay that way. When Caleb didn’t speak after a few minutes, Gina couldn’t stand it anymore. “Are you angry?” she blurted out. “About what in particular?” he asked in a clipped voice. “About me pretending to be your blind date.” “It depends,” he said, “on what else was pretend for you that night.” Reacting instinctively, she grabbed his arm, needing that physical connection with him. “Nothi
11 “M aybe we should take this somewhere else?” Mac asked gently, still holding the evidence bag. “Yeah.” Gina tore her gaze away from the departing Caleb and looked at the man in front of her. “Your car will work. Is it nearby?” Mac pointed, and she stood to walk with him. “New boyfriend?” “Maybe.” She sighed. “I’ve never really had a real boyfriend, so I’m not exactly sure if that’s what I’d classify Caleb as.” Mac opened the passenger door for her, and she got in, but before he closed the door he looked down at her. “I’m not psychic, but I am a guy, and I can tell you—that guy is not the type to be classified as anything less than a full-on boyfriend, and I got the distinct impression he has you in his sights.” Gina’s heart skipped a beat. “Thank you,” she said simply. Mac smiled tightly, pushed his sunglasses up on his nose, and closed the door. By the time he settled in behind the wheel and handed over the evidence bag, Gina was in a much better frame of mind and eager to help. Kn
12 G ina rolled over and stretched before forcing her eyes open. Caleb’s bed was warm and cozy, but it was also half empty. She watched through half-open eyes as her man bent over and pulled his jeans up over his glorious butt. “The sun isn’t even up yet, Caleb. Come back to bed.” Over the last two weeks she’d spent many a night over at his place, and he was always an early riser. Even on weekends. She now knew firsthand that he was indeed a workaholic, but it didn’t bother her. He worked hard, and he was honest, and when they were together she had all his attention. She didn’t need him to be with her constantly or to always be calling. She liked her own time as well, so what they had together worked very well, and Gina liked the way it was progressing. Caleb shook his head and gave her a rueful look. “I’d love to, sweetheart, but this job has turned into a nightmare. The city’s sending out an inspector today, and I can’t afford any more problems.” “Is this the Marquettes’ house?” “Yea
13 A lmost two weeks later Gina streaked through her tiny apartment with a damp towel clutched in one fist and nothing on. Between Caleb’s crew hitting the home stretch on their job and him lining up two new ones, and her pushing to finish her last commission by deadline, she hadn’t seen much of him outside the bedroom. So they were going to try the “real date” thing again. She wasn’t exactly sure what Caleb had in mind, but she figured they weren’t going to shoot pool at a gay bar. Things were going great between them—no more cops dropping by for help or visions interrupting meals—and she was superexcited about the date. Snatching a cold beer out of the near-empty fridge, Gina rushed back to the bathroom and set the bottle on the counter. She wrapped the towel around her still dripping hair and then twisted off the cap and took a long, soothing drink. Her nerves were still strung taut, but the beer helped weigh down the butterflies that had taken up permanent residence in her stomach.
14 T here was a line at Sophia’s when they arrived, but Caleb had a reservation, so they were seated right away. The Spanish-style restaurant was large and open inside, with tables surrounding the hardwood dance floor at its center. Their table was perfect. Set a bit back from the dance floor and the band, the atmosphere was intimate, the food delicious, and the company supreme. For the first time in her life, Gina felt comfortable enough with a man to stop playing the lighthearted good-time girl and be completely open about everything. They were talking about movies when Caleb let it slip that he didn’t see what the fuss was about with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. “It’s magical, it’s sweeping, it’s epic. It’s about good versus evil. What’s not to like?” she asked. “It’s completely unrealistic.” “What do you mean unrealistic? Of course it’s unrealistic, it’s fantasy!” He toyed with his fork for a minute before continuing. “I know it’s fantasy, but some people want to believe it’s rea
15 T he drive back to Gina’s place was thankfully short because Caleb was having a hard time keeping his mind on the road. All he could think about was how the woman next to him had come to be so important to him in such a short time. He refused to focus on the psychic thing and instead concentrated on how she made him feel when he was with her. Over the years he hadn’t even been aware of how shut off he’d become. How business, and Gabe, had taken over every aspect of his emotions. He no longer cared that he’d been called a boring lover, because he had been. How could someone who had shut off his emotions be anything but? But Gina had changed that. She touched something inside of him and reminded him what it was like to care again, to feel. For the first time in a long time, he felt…alive. His heart hammered, and his blood flowed hot through his veins. And it was more than the thought of getting under her skirt that did it to him. It was just being with her that did it. When he’d first
16 G ina turned and scooped the eggs out of the frying pan onto the plates waiting on the counter. They were supposed to be fried, but she’d messed them up, so…scrambled it was. Not that it mattered; nothing could bring her down from the cloud she was floating on. Her dream had come true. Right down to the way Caleb had pinned her hands to the bed and the look in his eyes when he’d said he loved her. When she’d returned to earth from the massive orgasm his declaration had brought on, he was lying on top of her, breathing harshly. He’d tried to shift his weight off, but she’d held him tight, not letting go until they drifted off to sleep like that. The gentle brush of his lips across hers had woken her a short time ago, but before she’d even opened her eyes, he’d patted her sharply on her naked bottom. “Go start breakfast, sexy. It’s your turn to feed me,” he’d said with a chuckle before disappearing into the bathroom. She hadn’t had a chance to say the words to him, but his confident a
17 C aleb wedged his truck into the last parking stall in the café’s small lot and turned off the ignition. Why the lot was so full was beyond him, since the café looked empty inside. Through the plate-glass window he watched Gina hand some frothy coffee drink to a lone customer with a smile. She was still beautiful, and he missed her so much. It had been only a week since she’d walked away from him, but it felt like a year. A year in hell. But it didn’t matter how long they’d been apart, because he was about to remedy that. He was about to do something he never, ever would’ve thought he would do. He was going to marry a psychic. Well, he was going to propose to one. And pray she said yes. Hell, he’d never believed in the supernatural before, but he couldn’t deny his heart any longer. The past week, without any contact whatsoever with Gina, had been a purgatory he didn’t want to ever visit again. When Maria had visited Tom in the trailer office earlier that day, the sight of the gurgli
PROLOGUE July 3Bear Pond Campground, Pearson, BC T he glare from the beat-up truck’s headlights cut through the darkness as Jewel Kattalis made her way back to camp. The elders were going to be mad at her for being late. Again. You’d think they’d know better than to send her into town for supplies, but they still did it. Rarely, though. In fact, even though Leon, the clan’s elder, would never admit it, he’d probably sent her into town that night on purpose, knowing she’d find a pub and a game of cards. Five years earlier, after twenty years in Canada, the clan had given up on keeping the traveling carnival going. Families didn’t want the same life here they’d had back in Romania, so they were quick to settle in new towns once they found one they liked. Because of this, those that could took odd jobs or hustled cards to make a few bucks. But the clan was always running a little short on money lately, and more families kept peeling off. It had been a smart move to send Jewel into town. S
1 July 4Pearson, BC “W e need your help.” Angelo Devlin was not a man who asked for help often, especially if he knew it could possibly put his little sister in danger. But this time he forced the words past his tight throat and made a mental promise to their dead father; he wouldn’t let anything happen to Gina. It didn’t matter that he knew Gina Devlin could kick serious ass when needed. The only thing that mattered was that she was all the family he had. And by asking for her help in this, there was a good chance he was going to open up a whole new world to her—an evil one he’d done his damnedest to protect her from. Gina looked at him, her big, dark eyes shining with happiness as she snuggled under her new fiancés shoulder. “Whatever you need. You know that, Angel.” Angel. His chest tightened. She was the only one who could ever get away with calling him that, the only person who saw him that way. Those who knew him better—the teammates he worked with, his best friend, and certainly
2 K az was the first of the guardians to wake up. “It was a man…but it wasn’t,” he’d croaked. Jewel poured some of the herbal healing tea the Shuvani had brewed into a cup and handed it to him. “Drink.” The wise woman’s tea would make Kaz feel better, faster than anything else could. And as soon as he felt better, they were going to find Jewel’s sister. Nadya was her kid sister. Fifteen years old, full of attitude, and a complete pain in the ass. And all Jewel had in the world. She wasn’t going to let anyone, or anything, hurt her. The clan had been shrinking steadily for the last decade. The gypsy lifestyle couldn’t compete with modern niceties anymore, and families were breaking away and settling in when they found a city or town they liked. Settling down had never appealed to Jewel. She loved the freedom she’d grown up with, and if her soul longed for a place to call home every now and then, she considered it a small price to pay for complete freedom. Only, it wasn’t really complete
3 N either of them spoke as Jewel drove into town. She concentrated on the road ahead of them, and he watched the road behind them. They must not have been followed, though, because he never urged her to speed up or take off on one of the side roads. Jewel’s thoughts whipped through her head at a mile a minute while she tried to figure things out. Every now and then she’d glance sideways at her passenger only to catch him staring straight at her. Their gazes collided more than once, yet still neither of them spoke. By the time they hit the Pearson city limits, it was clear that no men with guns had followed them, and reaction had started to set in. Jewel wasn’t an innocent to the ways of the world; she’d dealt with a lot of scary things. Shit, she was a gypsy who made the bulk of her money hustling dart games in pubs around the country—she’d been in a tough spot or two before. She’d seen things, natural and supernatural things that were both good and evil, but she’d never been shot at
4 J ewel reared back, her cheeks flushing. “I’m not going anywhere until I know what the hell is going on.” Devil took one look at the tilt of her chin and nodded to Drake. “Go ahead. We’ll meet you there as soon as possible.” Drake gave him a look. Now’s not the time, dude. Make it fast. The mental rebuke was loud and clear in his head. Devil nodded at his partner and closed the door before turning to the only other person in the truck cab—the woman who had just short-circuited his brain until his body took over. Drake was right—now was not the time to fuck around. Reinforcing his mental shields to quiet the erotic purr pushing at his subconscious, he straightened up and did his best to ignore his hard-on. “Head south on Main and I’ll tell you when to turn.” Jewel was firm. “I told you I’m not going anywhere until I know more.” He met her gaze. “You drive and I’ll explain. If my sister wants us there fast, we need to be there now.” Unease tickled at the back of his neck. He wasn’t sur
5 A ngelo looked at Drake helplessly. There was no way to avoid telling them everything now. Frustration—and a touch of panic—fought to find a hold inside him. He didn’t want Gina to know about all the bad things in the world. She’d been so young when their mother had died, just a toddler, and their father had raised them both as fighters. They’d always moved around, always struggled to fit in. If she learned too much, she’d never truly fit into the world around her again. He didn’t want her life to end up like his. She was the reason he did what he did, why he was so tough, why he’d killed so many. To keep the world safe for people like her. He looked at her, begging her to let it go. “Gina, can’t you just leave it alone? Trust us to keep you and your man safe?” “No, Angel, I can’t.” She reached out, her hand grabbing his and holding it tight. “I do trust you to keep me and Caleb safe. But who’s going to keep you and Drake safe?” “We’ve got each other’s backs.” “Don’t be stubborn, big
6 T he heavy curtains in the cheap hotel room kept the sun from blazing in, which was nice since Jewel didn’t crawl into bed until almost nine in the morning. The motel was a small, cheap place on the highway, but it was quiet and clean, and they welcomed her paying ahead of time so she could leave at any moment. Everything she could ask for. And wasn’t it fortuitous that the two hunters were staying in the same hotel? Devil and Drake. She snorted softly and punched her pillow, searching for comfort. As hot as they were, they didn’t have a clue what they were up against. If Devil hadn’t set off the alarm earlier that night, she and Nadya would’ve been on the highway out of town already. A spurt of frustration had her flipping over in bed and punching the pillow again. She’d be keeping an eye on them. It didn’t matter that they’d agreed to include her in the planning of their next attack on Hooper’s house; she didn’t trust them—not to let her in on what they were doing, and not to make
7 T urning into the parking lot of Mann’s Construction, Gina tamped down the trepidation that had been rising ever since Caleb had left the apartment muttering about work and “the real world.” He’d managed to stick around her living room that morning long enough to hear that demons and witches and other supernatural beings of legend were real but not to talk to her. He’d agreed to give Drake and Angelo the blueprints for Hooper’s house and then left, shaking his head and avoiding her gaze. She parked her bike next to Caleb’s truck and waved at a few of the workmen sitting on some scaffolding eating lunch. The offices for Mann’s Construction were in a simple trailer that moved from job site to job site. A month ago, when she’d dropped in on him for the first time, it was just outside of town, and now Caleb’s “office” was a five-minute drive from her apartment, making it easy for him to come to her place for lunch. Only, he didn’t do that today, and that was why Gina was there. On the ot
8 A ngelo scrubbed his hands over his face and swallowed a groan. They’d been at Caleb’s house for almost six hours, staring at blueprints, going over various plans, options…arguments. They were getting nowhere, and it was all her fault. “Can’t you do a spell to put everyone in the room asleep or something?” Jewel’s eye flashed at him. Again. “I told you—I’m not a witch, I’m a gypsy.” “But you can do magic—” “Contrary to popular culture, gypsies are not the same as witches. I’d think a big-time demon hunter like you would know that.” The image of what he knew about her, of her tight little body in a see-through wife beater and skimpy panties, flashed through his mind, and he smirked. “I’m more than a demon hunter, baby.” “Would you two stop already?” Gina snapped. “The next full moon is tomorrow, and the rest of us would like to come up with a plan tonight. You’re not helping.” Angelo glared at his sister. “I think the best plan is for you three to stay here while Drake and I go in, bl
9 J ewel opened the front door to Caleb’s house and strode back in as if nothing had happened. Except, the heat of Angelo’s gaze on her butt had her putting a little extra swing in her hip. No reason why she shouldn’t show him what he was going to be getting his hands on in the future. Drake, Caleb, and Gina were all gathered around the dining-room table with the blueprints still spread out. Drake straightened when they came in. “We have a plan we think will work.” The cell phone in Jewel’s back pocket trilled the first few bars of ZZ Top’s “La Grange,” and she reached for it. Watching as Devil hugged his sister, she flipped the phone open and held up two fingers to signal she needed a minute. “Kaz, what have you got for me?” “I’ve got it all.” His voice was confident. “Granddad came through. You got a pencil handy?” Jewel snatched the pen out of Caleb’s hand, ignored his vexed look, and pulled the legal pad from in front of him, too. “Go for it.” He rattled off a list of simple ingred
10 W hile the others were in the dining room, creating a plan of attack, Jewel went to check out the kitchen. Caleb had most of the stuff she needed, but a quick run to the market was in order, so she told the others she’d be back in a few and dashed out before anyone could say another word. So much had happened in the last few days she just really needed a few quiet moments. Her emotions were all tangled, just simmering below the surface, and if she wasn’t careful, she was going to lose it. Jewel parked her truck in front of the market but didn’t get out. She closed her eyes and tried to center herself. She had a ritual to do, and she needed to get a grip or it wouldn’t work. Deep breaths in; blow them out slowly…search for the calm within. Only, she didn’t find calm. She found anger, and fear, and…desire. The simmering anger at Leon and the clan for leaving her behind was underscored by an understanding that it was Leon’s responsibility to do what was best for the whole clan. Intelle
11 A ngelo scrubbed a hand down his face and glanced at his watch. “The sun will be up in about half an hour, and we’ve planned everything we can plan for, so let’s get some rest. We’ll head out at oh–nine hundred—that gives us four hours.” He glanced at the door to the kitchen. It had been silent in there for a while now, and he wondered what Jewel was up to. “There’s the couch and the spare room,” Caleb said with a yawn and a stretch. “You guys can fight over who gets what.” Caleb started from the room with Gina behind him, but she stopped in front of Angelo. She placed a small hand on his shoulder and looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “Now’s not the time to deal with this, but just so you know, I am pissed at you for not telling me the complete truth about what you do. We are going to have a talk about it.” He nodded. “I expected nothing less, baby sis.” “Try to get a bit of sleep; we’ll wake you up in a few hours so you can go kill this thing.” She stood on tiptoe and kisse
12 T he plan was simple, and because of its simplicity, Devil hoped it would go off without a hitch. Once it was all laid out, it looked perfect. They all knew perfect never happened, but hopes were high that success was just around the corner. Since they didn’t know exactly how much Vetis had learned from his little excursion into Gina’s head, they’d decided to scrap everything they’d even considered and go in during daylight hours. The full moon was that night, so they didn’t have any time to waste. A daylight siege was the last thing the demon would expect. Not that they wanted a siege. The plan was to get in, get Nadya out, and then blow the place up. Devil had killed men, he’d killed beasts, he’d even killed a werewolf or two, but he’d never run into a demon before. HPG’s objective had always been to destroy the gateway and kill Vetis, but the more he learned, the more he wondered if killing Vetis would be as easy as they’d expected. All wondering aside, it was time to get to work
13 A ngelo swung around the corner at the bottom of the stairs and immediately dashed into the fray. Just in time to stop a muscle-bound monkey from cracking Jewel over the head from behind while she fought with the goon in front of her. Instinct had him reaching for the eight-inch Tanto knife from his thigh holster instead of the gun at his hip. He stuck the blade between the guy’s ribs and moved on. These guys weren’t playing around, and he’d run out of mercy. Grabbing Jewel by the shoulder, he swung her away and faced the guy she’d been fighting. She’d been winning, but he’d do it faster. “Find Nadya!” he instructed. Without a second look, Jewel took off, dodging Drake and the two guys he was fighting. Where was Hooper? A swift crack to his jaw reminded him to keep his mind on the man in front of him. Three moves later he was wiping the blood off his knife and sheathing it as he watched Drake put down the last of his opponents. When the last guy hit the floor, they shared a look. Th
14 B y the time Jewel got out from the backseat of the truck, the Mercedes taillights were long gone. The whole incident had taken about thirty seconds to go down, and she’d been busy trying to get out from under the unconscious Nadya in her lap, after force-feeding her some of the Shuvani’s healing potion. She reached Devil just as he was holstering the pistol that had flown from his hand when he’d landed on the truck. “You okay?” he asked. She nodded, breathless, as she watched him jog over to Gina and Caleb. Once it was determined everyone was alive and unhurt, a quick plan was made to head out and meet back at Caleb’s. The fight wasn’t over, and Caleb’s house was now command central. Drake stopped the truck at the motel so Jewel could grab her bags. She didn’t want to leave the still-drowsy Nadya in the back of Drake’s truck alone, so Jewel stayed with her sister, and Devil followed them back to Caleb’s in her truck. When they arrived back at the house, Drake carried Nadya in and l
15 T he sun was high in the backyard as Devil paced through Caleb’s almost silent house. The house had begun to resemble one of HPG’s shared units. The furniture wasn’t as nice—old man Hunter was wealthy, and he treated his operatives well—but the weapons, of the traditional and mystical variety, were spread out around the living room and dining area. It was late afternoon, and everyone had settled in somewhere with their own thoughts after the question-and-answer period with Nadya had finished. Caleb and Gina were in Caleb’s bedroom; Jewel was sitting quietly on the sofa in the living room with her sister. Drake was sleeping in an armchair next to them, and Angelo was prowling. Nadya had put some sort of protective spell around the house and assured them they were safe for a while, but Devil still couldn’t relax. The timer on the oven went off, and he headed for the kitchen to pull out another batch of peanut-butter cookies. The added heat from the oven made the kitchen a bit uncomfor
16 D evil didn’t hesitate. With a few quick swipes of the washcloth, he had them both cleaned up and the shower turned off. “A little eager?” Jewel laughed at him as he wrapped a towel around her shoulders. He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You’re not?” She dropped the towel and bent over the bathroom sink, her pert ass taunting him. With a toss of her hair she grinned at him over her shoulder. “I’m ready when you are.” Oh, what a woman! Angelo dropped to his knees and palmed her ass. Firm, resilient flesh yielded to his grip, and he leaned forward, flicking his tongue against her pouting pussy lips. He breathed deeply, inhaled her scent, and bit back a groan. He could get high off that scent. Taking his time, he savored every texture, every flavor she had. Her mind was blank, everything she was thinking coming right out of her mouth. Sighs of pleasure, gasps, and the occasional “Oh, yes, there” guided him well. He slid two fingers into her sex and pumped them while nipping and biting at
17 F ear raced through Jewel as she bathed her sister’s forehead with a cool cloth. She’d tried to give Nadya the rest of the healing potion, but she’d refused. What was going on with her was natural for her body; the potion wouldn’t have any effect. “What did you learn?” she asked when Devil came to kneel by them. “Yeah,” Nadya slurred. “What’s happening to me? It’s like everything is in slow motion.” “The HPG archives don’t have much on true shape-shifters. Not like the ones you described to us before. But from what they have on werewolves, the fever is normal. Your other senses will also be extrasensitive, which is why you could hear Drake and I talking about how to kill Vetis when we were only whispering. The changes have been building gradually and should peak soon.” Fear spiked in Jewel’s gut. “Peak?” Nadya groaned and doubled forward, clutching her stomach. “She shouldn’t shift though. Werewolves shift right away, but it’s because they have only one shape. We’re fairly certain N
18 “O uch!” Angelo pulled back instinctively when Jewel poked at the stab wound in his side. “Don’t be a baby,” she said, shaking her head. Gina had fetched the supplies from the bathroom, and Jewel was cleaning the edges of his wound with peroxide. “You fight off evil muscle heads and set a demon on fire with a flare gun, yet you flinch at a little first aid?” They sat outside in Caleb’s backyard, taking inventory of wounds and just being together as a family. The night air was warm, and the moonlight glinted off Jewel’s hair, making his chest tight and his blood heat. Lord, how could he get a hard-on after what he’d just been through? Gina snatched up the bottle of peroxide Jewel had just set down and patted at the scrape on Caleb’s forehead with a cotton ball. “Yeah, Angel, be glad you don’t have to get stitches.” She tossed the cotton ball on the picnic table and looked at her lover. “Speaking of which, I’m taking you to the emergency ward. I’m not sewing up that cut.” “I hate hosp
1 M ac Goodman’s palms began to sweat as soon as he turned off the gravel road that wound its way up the mountain and onto the rutted dirt one that was little more than a path between pine trees. Five miles on a road that made it impossible to go more than fifteen miles an hour had his heart beating like a trip-hammer. Nikki Marks was at the end of that road. He was sure of it. And he was not letting her get away from him again. For the first time since he’d woken up to an empty bed two days ago, tension eased as the trees melted away and the rustic cabin came into view. The small blue Toyota truck parked in front of it confirmed his suspicions. She was definitely there. He parked next to the truck and strode up the steps and through the entrance beneath the moose antlers his dad had hung more than twenty years ago. A quick glance around the main room showed that it was empty. Instinct and the absolute silence of the room told him there were no living souls in the cabin. Fear shot stra
2 N ikki watched Mac come closer, and her insides started to tremble with fear. The small bit of softness she’d seen in him days earlier was gone, his tense body and blank expression showing only pure determination. But that wasn’t what she feared. She feared the animal inside and the urges she couldn’t control when the moon was strong. “Why did you run, Nikki?” he ground out when he came to a stop in front of her. “Why did you even bother to walk back into my life if you were only going to run right back out?” What could she say? That she’d run to protect him? He’d never understand, not without a full explanation, and she couldn’t give him that. She’d thought she could, but seeing him again, being with him, touching him, kissing him…she couldn’t do it. She’d lost so much since she’d been bitten almost four months ago, and she couldn’t stand to lose him, too. Her memories of him, of their time together, had been the stuff fantasies were made of. Young love with a boy no other man in he
3 I t had been forever since she’d felt so cherished. Mac’s eyes never left hers as he strode into the bedroom and laid her down on top of the patchwork quilt covering the bed. He stood and made quick work of his clothes without letting go of her gaze. But when his chest was bared, she couldn’t stop herself. Her eyes began to wander, drinking in the sight of the man he’d become. The light spattering of hair across his chest tapered into a treasure trail down his flat belly, making her mouth water. Then, in one smooth move he pushed his jeans and shorts down and off. The movement made his muscles bunch and flex beneath golden skin and Nikki’s insides clenched in anticipation. When he took the extra few seconds to take off his socks, her lips twitched. He was definitely the man for her. If there was one thing that always killed the mood, it was a man in such a rush to get busy that he came to bed with his socks still on. The heat of his eyes running over her naked form when he straighten
4 P ain sliced through Nikki as she slid silently from the bed. Less than an hour had passed since Mac had fallen asleep, and the last thing she wanted was for him to wake up and see her change into a wolf. She stumbled from the bedroom, barely managing to pull the door closed behind her before dropping to all fours. The pull of the moon was too much for her to resist. She’d been able to fight it while Mac had been inside her, fucking her furiously and taking the edge off her need in another way. Fighting the pull caused more pain, so she gave in. Her bones cracked, and her skin stretched. Fur popped out, and her limbs became legs, her hands and feet paws. Seconds later, her vision changed, the world becoming shades of gray and green but in sharper detail. Her ears swiveled on her head, and her nose twitched at the additional strength of her senses. She raced around the cabin, jumping over the sofa and onto the sturdy counter in the kitchen, off the counter and in circles around the sm
5 O h, was Mac pissed! The hurt and anger and confusion she’d seen when he’d looked at her had stolen her breath. But…he was mad! He wasn’t disgusted or repulsed, he was pissed off! Hope surged inside her, and Nikki scrambled around the room for her jeans and a T-shirt. She didn’t bother with underwear or a bra; she was in too much of a rush to get into the other room and talk to Mac. Hurried steps brought her within a foot of him. He stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” He thought she’d kept it secret since they were kids! “Oh, no, Mac! This is a new thing. I’d never have kept this a secret from you when we were together. As it is, you’re the first person I’ve told.” Pain flashed across his face. “But you didn’t tell me, Nikki. If I hadn’t followed you up here, what would you have done? Do you plan on living up here forever? Hiding?” “No. I was going to come back to you next week. Honestly! But the moon w
6 M ac finally turned his gaze back to her. “Is this your only secret? You’re not running from a stalker—just yourself?” “Is that what you thought? That some ex-boyfriend or something was chasing me?” “What was I supposed to think?” He unfolded his arms and started to pace. “You break into my apartment and tell me you need to feel safe before you disappear again. Which I guess makes sense now…A superstrong werewolf could probably make the jump from a fourth-floor apartment no problem.” He stopped pacing and glared at her. “I checked you out. You have no record, you have no debts, and you weren’t a witness of record on anything, so I had to think it was a man you were running from.” “I’m sorry.” She stepped closer and put her hand on his arm. The muscles flexed beneath her palm, but he didn’t pull away. “It didn’t occur to me that you would think that. I was too wrapped up in my own shit to think about a lot of things. All I knew was that going to you felt right. I needed to be with som
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