Howl Cynthia Rayne To escape madness, Scarlet Rhodes made a magical pact to serve as a blood slave and sexual plaything to Hayden, a powerful vampire. But while Scarlet is a treasured pet, she’s never captured his heart. When Hayden bids her to sexually service a handsome werewolf named Rand Stamper, she finds herself falling for him. In and out of bed. Rand has come to Fairfax Manor to secure the southern hunting grounds for his pack, but finds himself distracted by the vampire’s blood slave. Their passion is undeniable, and he has the urge to take her with him and make Scarlet his own. Seeing his sexy human slave with the swaggering wolf awakens feelings for Scarlet that Hayden wasn’t even certain he was capable of anymore. But he can’t blame his pet. Despite the unfamiliar feelings of jealousy, he finds himself drawn to the wolf also. If he plays his hand right, in the end he might be able to keep Scarlet and the werewolf for himself.
HOWL Cynthia Rayne
Cynthia Rayne
Chapter One A wolf’s howl echoed in the distance. Rand Stamper’s hackles rose. Not that he minded wolves, as a member of a werewolf pack he had a soft spot for the animal variety, but he did have the urge to join in and any sign of aggression could get him killed. He needed to keep his human wits about him if he wanted to make it out of this place with everything his pack needed. He’d been shown the way by a crusty old butler who looked at him as if he were a mangy mutt and he had to admit he felt that way in this place. Yep. Dracula would feel right at home at Fairfax Manor. Unfortunately, Rand didn’t feel the same way about his digs for the next week. The place screamed wealth, position and power. Not to mention a creepy Gothic vibe that just plain freaked him out. He was more of a meat-and-potatoes, ranch-house-in-the-suburbs kind of wolf. Especially the meat part. Vampires, like Hayden Sinclair, the owner of Fairfax Manor, loved the high life. Caviar and bloody dreams or some crap like that. Sconces lined the gray stone walls, providing precious little light in the depressing room. Not that a vampire would be eager for some sun exposure. An ornate chandelier hung from the muraled ceiling. It had been bewitched so the characters had the ability to move and interact with one another. It could only be described as pornographic. Satyrs with enormous phalluses chased blushing, busty nymphs through tapestrylined hallways, pinned them to plush ottomans and plunged fierce erections between their welcoming thighs. Well, maybe the ceiling wasn’t so bad after all. With a couple of beers and a shower, he might be able to get into a little mural action. Could help him relax during his stay in Castle Creepy. 4
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A scent in the room caught his attention. He inhaled again, sniffing the air. Female. It emanated from the king-size bed settled in the center of the room. The long velvet curtains were drawn, obscuring his view. He stepped forward, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He could feel his teeth elongate and his hands curled into fists as he readied himself for a fight. He sniffed the air, but couldn’t quite determine if the female presence was vampire or human. “Hello?” he called. “Mphf?” A muffled voice from behind the curtain? He yanked back the drape, but his growl of displeasure died in his throat. The vampire had left him a gift. A luscious little human gift. When he went to negotiate with the witches, they’d only left him magical mints on his pillow that turned any flavor he wanted. Chocolate mint, vanilla mint, and his personal favorite, bubble gum mint. But this was way better. A young woman had been artfully tethered to his bed. Naked and vulnerable, she had a black ball gag between her full, red lips. Around her neck, a crimson collar. Her long, slender legs had been tied to either side of the bed posts with a thick rope, while red scarves beneath her bindings shielded her tender skin from rope burns. Another red scarf wrapped around both of her wrists, rope covered that too, and they had been tied to the headboard, which caused her large breasts to be thrust up like an offering. Two pert nipples capped those big globes. She had lush hips and her sex was delightfully bare, showing only the glossy pink lips between her creamy thighs. The woman had a classic beauty. She had curves, breasts and hips. In short, exactly what he enjoyed in a woman. His cock hardened behind his jeans instantly, pressing uncomfortably against his fly.
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“Mphf?” she said again around the gag. He knew he should untie her, but Rand couldn’t help but stare. With long, flowing dark-brown hair that curled around her narrow shoulders and skin that had an almost honeyed appearance, she was a real beauty. He normally found human women to be quite forgettable. They didn’t like to play as hard as he did, but he might make an exception for this one. She looked as if she would enjoy a little rough sex. Hell, she was mixed up with vampires so she might be able to teach him a thing or two. And she was human, his nose confirmed that. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, there was the scent of a vampire, of course, but the trace had been left on her skin. She was one hundred percent, grade-A human. Lord, but he wondered if this girl was as sweet as she smelled. Succulent soft flesh begging for his tongue, his sharp teeth and his cock. He wanted to do nothing more than free his erection from his suddenly tight jeans and take her. Slide right inside her, pound into her until she screamed for him. She called to all of his baser instincts, sexual and predatory. He had to constantly control his urges, but she made the wolf within open its jowls and howl for a taste of her. She stretched in the restraints, regarding him from under her lacy lashes with a look of sleepy sensuality that had his heart racing. “Mphf?” she said again and he reached around her head and removed the gag. He tossed it aside and she opened her mouth wide and rolled her neck. “Mmm, thank you, sir. That thing was killing me.” She raised a brow at him, her eyes widening. She unabashedly looked him up and down. “Well, if you aren’t the big bad wolf.” Her voice was deep, husky. God damn, if it didn’t make him harder. He cleared his throat and tried to remember to think with his head, rather than his dick. “Who are you? Why are you in my bed?” “Isn’t it better than finding Little Red Riding Hood?”
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Christ. She was playing with him too. His cock felt like a log in his pants. “You got me on that one. Explain.” She opened her mouth and gave him a little speech she had obviously memorized because it sounded just like stick-up-your-ass vampire speak. “I am called Scarlet. Please take your pleasure of me, sir. My master, Hayden, bids you welcome to Fairfax Manor.” “You belong to him? Hayden owns you?” Hayden, the Vampire Regent in Southern Virginia, ruled hundreds of vampires in the southern region, and apparently this slip of a human girl too. Again, she spouted off a little speech. “I am his escravo do sangue, and I have been offered to you as a sign of trust and hospitality. He hopes that this treaty will begin a new era of peace and trust between the vampires and werewolves.” Escravo do sangue. She was a blood slave. Rand had heard of the practice, but hadn’t ever met one. Generally speaking, blood slaves weren’t treated very well. They were usually vampire bite junkies who vampires used and discarded. And trust a vampire? Not fucking likely. “That is my hope as well.” He crossed his arms over his chest, mostly to keep from reaching for her. He wasn’t sure of the etiquette here. The wolf within him demanded he grab what he wanted and to hell with ethics and protocol, but he’d learned long ago how to put the human part of himself in control in these types of situations. In fact, as his pack’s Haglar, or negotiator, he had better control than most. But she sorely tested his will. He should have untied her, but he wasn’t sure he could trust himself if he put his hands on her. Not just yet. “Speaking of good ol’ Hayden, why didn’t he greet me?” She raised one naughty eyebrow. “Oh, would you have rather found him tied to your bed, sir?” For a slave, she was sly and, well…mouthy. He threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t think so. And don’t call me ‘sir’.”
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“My Master sends his regrets,” she said quietly. She stumbled over the word “master” and he sensed this woman would never truly call any man master, but she had learned to play the paranormal political games her role of slave demanded. “He is on the hunt at the moment. I’m sure he will be in touch very soon.” Hearing her say the word “master” put his teeth on edge. For some reason, he didn’t like the fact that someone owned her. Especially a vampire. They were all teeth and no decency. “Ah, a Blood Hunt.” According to a deal vampires had brokered long ago, they were allowed to hunt human victims once a month, provided they left the mortals more or less unharmed. Blood loss notwithstanding. As long as they left their human victims with a pulse, used their mind-control powers to erase the incident from the mortal’s memories and didn’t hunt the rest of the month, they were golden. But Rand was distracted from his thoughts by Scarlet as she stretched in her restraints. His eyes kept running over her, despite his gentlemanly intentions. He knew that at some point this evening, he’d be staring at that mural, picturing himself fucking the little blood slave silly. He steeled himself, trying to focus on the situation instead of falling on her like some kind of greedy beast. Hard to do when she had been offered up to him. “What is the rest of your name? Or do you just go by Scarlet?” he teased. “Like a rock star?” She narrowed her eyes. “Why do you want to know?” Ah, so she had been burned in the past. Smart girl. “Just curious.” She turned away, watching the stone wall as though fascinated. He found himself suddenly starved for the sight of those warm hazel eyes. “I am Scarlet Rhodes.” “Scarlet Rhodes, the blood slave,” he said quietly. Why did he feel so sad about that? She belonged to another, what of it? “Are there more of you?”
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“I feed him, almost daily.” Most vampires had several blood slaves they used in succession to provide them with food, often using them for both sexual and bloodlust needs. Momentarily shocked out of his carnal perusal of her, he couldn’t help but be curious. “How is that possible? Without being drained, I mean.” She smiled. A placating, womanly smile that no doubt turned most men into corn mush. Himself included. He wanted to turn on his Southern-boy charm and sweep her off her dainty feet but he couldn’t. She belonged to another. “That is a very long story and I would be happy to tell you about it. Later. But for right now, I would very much like to give you pleasure.” She licked her full lips. “If you will let me.” His cock twitched in his pants, eager for a taste. He closed his eyes, leashing his inner wolf with his will. But just barely. “I can’t.” “You are your pack’s Haglar, right? I can see you are trying to control your needs, but you don’t have to. I want to sate them.” Oh he had some needs that needed sating, all right. “That is very kind of you, but it isn’t necessary.” An adorable little pout settled on her beautiful face. “You don’t find me to your liking?” “I think you know very well I like you very much.” He gestured to the very obvious erection that strained his faded jeans. “But I make it a habit to never take an unwilling woman to my bed.” “I’m not unwilling.” As though to prove her point, she shifted on the crimson sheets, splaying her legs open farther as though he’d missed an inch of her delectable body. Her nipples stiffened and his mouth watered. Between her legs, her sex had gotten even glossier, puffed out and swollen. Evidently, he turned her on too. “I want you very much.”
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Christ. She could tempt a priest. Seeing her there, vulnerable and exposed, gave him the urge to dominate and she called to all his animal instincts, but he couldn’t take advantage of this helpless girl. “Tell Hayden I appreciate the, uh, gift, but I will pass. With regrets.” She actually looked disappointed. “Let me untie you,” he whispered, reaching for the bindings. “So you can be on your way.” He needed to get her out of here before he lost his mind. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather leave me tied? You can do anything you want with me then.” His balls tightened, drawing up against his body, and his cock jerked in his pants. Down, boy. Rand wasn’t sure if he said that to his cock, or his wolf, or himself. Maybe all of the above. Think about her. “And what about your pleasure? How long has it been since anyone focused on yours instead of his own, honey?” She grinned. “You don’t know Hayden, I mean, the Master, very well.” What? She actually liked the bloodsucker’s attentions? Maybe it would be okay to play with her, as long as he saw to her needs and made sure they came before his own. Or maybe he was so desperate, he’d come up with any excuse as long as he could get his hands on her. He let out a long-suffering sigh of sexual frustration. “Let me get you out of here, before you test my chivalry any further.”
Rand leaned over the side of the bed and pressed a hand on either side of her body, close to her hips. His lips inches from her own. They hovered over hers. Scarlet suddenly tensed. Anticipating. With a groan, Rand leaned in and captured her mouth with his own, a revelation. He had smooth lips and a day or two’s worth of stubbly hair on his cheeks that abraded 10
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her skin in a scratchy, sexy way. He pulled back then, staring at her in obvious amazement. Then, he tasted her lips again. And again. “Lord, you taste sweet.” She shuddered. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She’d forgotten how warm another human being’s touch could be. She could feel the heat radiating from him, seeping into her bones. It set a fire in her. He had black hair that fell just below the line of his jaw. It had a curly, wild look about it. With his supple, tanned skin, she could easily picture him shrugging off his shirt and working with his hands, standing beneath the warmth of the sun, doing something earthy. Like planting trees. Best of all he smelled like recently turned earth and fresh air, maybe a hint of pine. Very manly. He bent over her, holding her bound wrists in one of his hands. He stared down the length of her body hungrily before meeting her eyes. Then he reached for her bindings. Rand pulled a wicked-looking bowie knife from a sheath at his waist and she sucked in a breath. “Easy. I would never hurt you.” He patiently cut the rope that held her. With a sigh, she moved her arms. She’d been tied up for the better part of an hour and the pose had hurt a little. She rubbed at her wrists and arched her shoulders, the feeling coming back into her limbs. She should be used to this by now. Bondage games at Casa Vampire were pretty common. Hayden had unleashed her from the puritanical sexual views of the human world and she had little desire to go back. Rand walked to the end of the bed and stood between her spread legs, his eyes locked on her open sex. A muscle worked in his jaw and his hands shook a little as he freed one ankle and then the other. Still, he stared. Then shook his head as though coming out of a trance.
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“Cover yourself,” he bit out, his voice a husky growl of suppressed need. But seeing Rand’s response provoked a reaction in her. Made her feel beautiful. Powerful. His restraint appealed to her, like a freaking aphrodisiac. Hayden always reached for her but Rand hesitated, even though he obviously desired her. It was almost noble. He turned his back and wrapped his arms around himself. “Pleasure me, then.” He looked over his shoulder at her and she spread her legs, begging him with her body for release. “If you won’t let me give you any pleasure, you could at least give me some.” He turned away once more. “You’ve been ordered to give me your body.” She laughed. “I’m a blood slave, yes, but Hayden would never force me to give my body to someone. He asked me if I would do this and I agreed.” She’d been curious about werewolves, but never actually met one. Vamps and wolves hated each other as a rule. It wasn’t as if there were interspecies mixers. “Yes, he’s a bloodsucking fiend, but he isn’t a bad guy. Not really.” “Vampires are all pretty damn bad, if you ask me.” He gave a shudder. “They aren’t even alive.” She widened her legs. “Do you really want to talk about the metaphysics of the undead right now? Or would you rather be touching me?” With a growl, he knelt at the end of the bed, mouth mere inches from her open sex. “You are very beautiful, Scarlet. A woman like you should have intense pleasure. And often.” The werewolf stared at her lustfully, as all the others did, but his eyes seemed dazzled. As though he really did find her beautiful. Special. “If I were a better man, I’d get up and walk out of here, but I just can’t seem to make myself.” He closed his eyes as he lapped up the length of her pussy, seeming to savor the taste. Long, slow strokes that discovered every inch of her skin. He pressed a hand on each thigh and held her open wider. Rand groaned, deep and low, like a hungry animal. “God, you taste good, Scarlet. I could taste you all night.”
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She had no problem with that plan. He used two fingers to push her inner lips open wide for him and she moaned. Rand touched her with his tongue again. Lightly licking her, teasing. He flicked it over her clitoris, short, stabbing licks that caused her to buck her hips. Desperate for more of him. She shut her eyes and her head fell back. It only intensified the pleasure. He teased her, alternating between sucking her clit into his mouth and nipping it with his teeth. God, this was too much. No one had ever touched her like this. For some reason he pressed all her buttons, and she didn’t quite know how to handle it. It made her brain go haywire. She started to pant, moving her hips up to his mouth. He sank two fingers inside her, planted them deep. She gasped at the sudden fullness. “Please, Rand!” He stopped licking and stared up at her, his lips wet with her juices. “That’s it, say my name.” He blew on her clitoris. “Rand, please, let me come.” “Say my name again, then.” “Rand!” His fingers pushed in and out of her, filling her but not enough. Just enough to make her ache for more. She wanted to feel him sink into her, wanted his cock. Filling her up, claiming her. Wanted to have him above her, his big body pinning hers as he drove into her. But he teased instead. He sucked her clit back into his mouth, biting it slightly, making her feel twitchy. Intense and poised as she waited for it. A telltale tingling began in her spine and spread throughout her body. With a sigh, her eyes snapped shut and she lost consciousness for a minute. Lost in the throes of a delicious orgasm. Moments later, she opened her eyes to see him sitting on the edge of the bed.
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She’d known pleasure before but not the type he’d just shown her. She didn’t know what to make of this werewolf. Dazed, she stared up at the ceiling, an impish smile on her face. “That was…wow.” He chuckled, sounding masculine and more than a little proud of himself. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, honey.” She lay on her back, watched the nymphs play for a moment. “There really is quite an orgy going on in your ceiling. I think they got even hornier watching us. Assuming a painting can, you know, sense something like that.” “I find the ceiling…arousing.” His voice was low, his expression predatory. She could tell his control had been stretched very thin. She also knew he wasn’t just talking about the mural. “Me too.” She bit her lower lip. “I’d love to show you my gratitude, if you let me.” He adjusted himself in his pants and she could see how his cock pressed painfully against his fly, threatening to rip right through the faded denim. Worked for her. She was more than eager. She reached for him but he turned his back and fled from the bed to stand with his arms wrapped around himself. “Cover yourself, please. I can only take so much torture.” “You know, Hayden taught me how to suck. I’m not gentle. I go right for the prize. Sucking very, very deep.” “Please,” he said sharply, as though his nerves had been frayed to the breaking point. Laughing, she dragged the coverlet from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. It wasn’t exactly Project Runway, but it worked. “If you aren’t going to play, I suppose I should go back to my chambers.” He turned to look at her. “Don’t leave on my account.” He ran his hand over his jaw and closed his eyes. Then he blew out a slow, steadying breath. “I need to take my mind
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off one hunger, so I’m going to go for another.” His eyes snapped open. “Do you have anything to eat in this place?” She shook her head. How he could think of food when he was in blueball hell, she didn’t know, but she wanted more of his company. For now. “Do we ever. Fairfax has a kitchen overflowing with every goody you could imagine.” “A vampire has a stocked kitchen?” “He is a Vampire Regent and he meets frequently with other, er, beings who require sustenance that doesn’t involve a trip to the blood bank. Come on, I’ll show you.” Rand made a doubtful face, but followed her.
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Chapter Two They walked down the twisting and turning hallways of the manor until they entered a very modern kitchen. All of the appliances were stainless steel and the counters were made of marble. There was a large wooden table that would have been at home in any Viking’s mead hall off to the corner where Rand sat. Nothing cheap in Casa Vampire. She opened the fridge door, tapping one toe on the red tile floor impatiently. “What are you in the mood for?” “Truthfully? Meat.” Lots of choices. Cold cuts. Leftover Chinese. Beef stew? Then, she found it. “How about steak?” Rand sighed, pressing a hand to his stomach. “That sounds like heaven. I’ve been driving all day and I didn’t have time to stop for a meal.” “Coming right up.” She wrapped the end of the coverlet around her a few times and pulled the ends tight, knotting them between her breasts. She took out the steaks and went to work, spicing them with minced garlic, a little salt and pepper. She didn’t like to put anything fancy on her steak. No cheese. No mushrooms and onions. She just liked the meat. Maybe it was because she was a regular blood donor, but she craved beef. “Do you want yours rare or medium rare? Well done?” “Rare,” he said sheepishly. “I don’t like the taste of well-done meat, but I do like it warmed a bit.” Nodding, she placed each of them on a bone-china plate and grabbed forks and knives from the drawer.
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“Uh, I like my steak a bit more done than that.” She smirked. “Watch, this is my favorite part about the kitchen.” She waved her hand over his steak. “Peu de flamme!” Instantly, his meat browned and sizzled on the plate. The juices ran red, streaming out. His eyes rounded. “How?” She shrugged. “Part of his deal with the witches. They gave the manor an extreme makeover, so to speak. It’s kind of magical.” She passed her hand over her own steak. “Flamme!” It appeared to be fully cooked. Rand laughed. “So, what’s the point of the big stove?” “Appearances, of course.” She brought them to the table and they both tucked in. She cut into it and it showed just a bit of pink inside. He bit into his bloody one with evident rapture. “This is much better than a fastfood burger or that gnarled old beef jerky in my bag. Thank you, darlin’.” She grinned, liking that Southern drawl. “You are welcome.” They finished the steak and polished off a bottle of red wine too. He sat back in his seat and placed his hands behind his head. “That was quite a meal. Now that we’ve gotten to know each other a bit, if you don’t mind my asking, why did you become his blood slave?” She bit her lower lip. “If I hadn’t, I’d be dead now.” Rand gaped at her. “I can see this is a story I will have to tell.” He sat at the end of the table and she could feel his eyes on her. She never talked about this, never shared herself with anyone, but she didn’t seem to mind sharing with him. Actually, she liked sharing with him. How odd. She idly flicked her hand over the table and whispered, “Propre.” Instantly, the table’s appearance changed, the polished wood gleamed. Completely clean. She wished she could fix all of her problems so easily.
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She got up and walked to the counter. As she spoke, she made them each a cup of tea, needing to keep her hands busy. “When I was fifteen, my older sister, Amy, was my hero. My dad and I were so proud of her. She’d gotten into Sarah Lawrence, she was majoring in English and we thought she would be penning a breakthrough novel any day.” She smiled. “She emailed me every couple of weeks from college and I really looked forward to them. They were filled with little anecdotes about the hall council she’d joined in her dorm and her British professor who used all of these charming phrases. Amy was a sucker for languages. And then one day the tone changed. Became darker, more gibberish than anything else. Filled with fear and paranoia.” She stirred her tea, but didn’t really feel like drinking it. She stared into the swirling brown water, but all she could see was Amy’s face. “My dad got worried and pulled her out of college. He took her to a doctor and then a psychiatrist. Amy was diagnosed with schizophrenia. They treated her with powerful psychotropic meds but it didn’t halt all her symptoms. It actually made some things worse. She had these physical tics and she couldn’t sleep at all.” She finally looked at Rand to gauge his response and she saw compassion in his eyes. He’d gotten up from the table and drifted over to her. He reached for her hand, covering it with his own. It felt good to let all the pain and loneliness out to someone more human. Someone warm and alive, like her. “I’m sorry.” Scarlet shook her head. “They said that she would need to be watched constantly. She couldn’t be left alone and she just stopped being Amy, you know?” She swiped at the tears that dribbled from her eyes. “She stayed in her room. Lost interest in her books and her writing. Everything that she used to love. My God, I couldn’t take my eyes off her growing up. She was my idol. She was smart and brave, and everything I wanted to grow up to be.” Hot tears poured down her face and she scrubbed them away with the back of her hand. “To this day, I miss her.” “What happened to her?”
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“One night she downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. She heard voices and they must have told her to do it.” She paused, remembering the eerie silence that had greeted her in her sister’s room. The way her hair had spread around her on the pillow. How pale her skin looked, almost as white as the pillow she lay on, and the blue tint of her full lips. “We found her the next morning.” “Oh God. I’m so sorry.” “My father,” she said, then paused. “My father was devastated, but I think a part of him was relieved. Amy was in so much pain. He was helpless, beside himself watching her suffer through all of the side effects from the pills. Seeing her disintegrate in front of his eyes. Not to mention the hospitalizations. Nothing the doctors tried seemed to ease her symptoms.” “That must have been horrible for your family.” “And then I started to show symptoms.” His voice sounded husky. “You have it too?” “I do. The witches just stopped its progression. There is a fairly strong genetic predisposition in schizophrenia.” She could see the feeling in his eyes. He cleared his throat. It sounded as rough and raw as she felt. “How did you find out?” “We were part of a medical trial, working on a new genetic test for schizophrenia. I have the gene. My mother had it as well. My father hadn’t told us that growing up, but my mom was institutionalized shortly after she had me. We always thought that she’d run away from us. Dad said shortly after she was placed there she hanged herself with her bed sheets.” “Oh God, Scarlet, I’m so sorry.” She set her cooled tea on the counter. “This disease killed my mom and my sister and I was determined not to let it get me too. I became obsessed with fighting it, any way I could.”
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“And that’s when you found the supernatural world?” “I started researching, shall we say, very alternative medicine.” He squeezed her hand. “That’s when you found Hayden?” She shook her head. “No, then I found Aspasia, the witch coven high priestess of a, shall we say, less than ethical coven. She must have smelled my desperation. She literally offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse.” “I’ve heard of Aspasia. She has a reputation for being ruthless,” Rand said with a nod. “Witches aren’t exactly known for their strong moral fiber. She preyed upon you and your fears.” “Yes, she did. But she also stopped the madness. She created a very powerful spell for mental stability. It took her nearly a month to brew and God only knows what she had to do to make it happen.” There was no telling what lines had been crossed, magically or karmically speaking. Magic did not come freely, without some sort of price. “And you agreed to become a blood slave?” “Not exactly. I swore a Blood Oath to Aspasia, essentially agreeing to give her anything she wanted from me.” His eyes rounded. “She could have asked anything of you. She could have had you commit murder, or steal, or anything. That was—” “Stupid? I know that now but I was twenty-one years old and scared. I’d just watched my sister disintegrate and take her own life. I’d seen my dad live through that hell and I refused to do that to him again. I also asked Aspasia to brew a potion to ease his pain. He’d been through a lot.” “That was kind of you.” He ran his hand over the back of hers. She felt warmth spreading up her arms. “And I was going to say brave. Not stupid.”
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She shook her head. “Amy was the brave one. I took the coward’s way out. I would have done anything. I guess I’m lucky she only made me a blood slave. It could have been much, much worse.” “And how did the bloodsucker come into the picture?” He obviously didn’t care much for Hayden. “She enchanted my blood to make it extra tasty and then offered me to Hayden, along with a spell to increase my blood volume. The Southern Witches and vampires are joined up now.” She laughed drily. “I was part of the deal, a free gift with purchase.” “Do you regret it?” She’d thought about that several times over the past few years, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. “No. Two more years from now I will have my life back. Without the threat of losing my mind I can move on.” “Think of all you have lost, though, your ignorance of supernaturals, the years you’ll never get back, not to mention some of your innocence.” “I’m still me,” Scarlet said as she stood and placed their cups in the sink. A spell would clean them by morning. She raised her chin a bit. “I was a goth girl in high school. I wore all black for all four years. I’m sure some of it was about being different from Amy, but I was hooked since I read Interview with a Vampire.” “And are we different than you imagined?” She sighed. “Maybe a bit. I might be harder, I might have more burdens, but I’m still me and no one can take that away.” She narrowed her eyes. “Not even Hayden.” “Do you think it’s worth the cost?” he asked. “How much is your own sanity worth to you?” she countered. He looked away from her, uncomfortable. She stalked past him. Suddenly sharing so much with him, a virtual stranger, made her feel foolish. She hardly knew him. “Have a good night, Rand.”
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Once more he stared at her, his eyes hungry and hot. She could feel them on her. Unable to help herself, she felt the sway of his sexuality. “Thank you for sharing with me.” “That isn’t all I wanted to share with you.” She wasn’t sure if it was vanity or maybe hubris, but she dropped the coverlet so he could see everything she had to offer him. His cheeks hollowed with sexual hunger and his hands shook a little as he walked toward her. “I can’t do that right now. I gave you some pleasure, but I think we should call it a night before I do something I regret.” She padded to the door on bare feet, leaving the coverlet behind. Nakedness didn’t bother her anymore, but being laid bare emotionally did. She thought they had shared something meaningful and now he treated her as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. She should have known better. Scarlet glanced over her shoulder at him. “I know you want me.” He turned to her with glowing eyes, his features had lengthened, appearing more lupine. He looked more wolf than man. When he spoke his voice came low and dark, making her shiver. “You have no idea what I want to do to you. Leave this place. Now. Before I do something we both regret.” She quickly opened the door, but his voice forestalled her. “And Scarlet?” he called. “Lock your door tonight.”
***** The wolf inside howled. Rand wanted Scarlet. Now. But he couldn’t take her. Shouldn’t have had the little taste of her he’d gotten. He lay down on the bed, the coverlet still damp from her juices, and inhaled deeply. He’d hauled it back to his room, if only to have her scent. She was all over him. He felt as if she had been branded on his senses. He didn’t think he could
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get away from it, even if he wanted to. And it scared the shit out of him to think that he didn’t want to. A vision of her burned itself into in his mind. Rand licked his lips, savoring the last taste of Scarlet upon his tongue. She’d been hot and slick, sweet as clover honey in his mouth. With a grunt, he undid his jeans and his trapped dick sprang free. The slightly chilled air only increased his arousal, providing a stark contrast to his blood-engorged cock. It had hurt like hell, throbbing in his pants, demanding release and unable to get out. His balls had drawn up tight against his body, full and heavy. With a sigh, Rand watched the frolicking nymphs above him. They undulated, plump bodies moving in time with the satyrs, but none of them compared to Scarlet. She was in his mouth, in his nose and in his blood now. His eyes slammed shut and he focused on her. Saw her in his mind’s eye, eager and willing for him. He wasn’t in the mood to be gentle or easy. He felt greedy, needful. It took every scrap of courage and decency he possessed not to find her, drag her into his room and take her again and again, until they were too exhausted to even move. Fantasies spilled through his mind. He wanted to sink into her, plant himself right inside, right to the hilt. Then latch on to one of her nipples as he fucked her strong but slow, drawing on her breast and rubbing inside her but not pulling out. He spread his legs and took his cock in hand, stroking it forcefully, watching as the foreskin swallowed the sensitive head. He tugged firmly, pulling up the hard length. Pumping himself harder, dragging himself nearer to orgasm. He jerked it fiercely, pulling the foreskin up his shaft and then back down again. In his mind, he saw Scarlet, her sex laid out for him. The tight little bud of her clitoris and the warmth of her inviting inner cavern, just begging for the length of his cock. He squeezed the tip and came with a shout, letting his semen roll over fingers and his abdomen.
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He lay there, semen cooling on his skin. He’d gotten a release. But not enough of one. He didn’t feel any better. In fact, he felt worse. He knew it would be much better with her. Minutes later, he shook himself out of the sex haze and cleaned up a bit. This place was drafty as hell, not that it bothered vampires one bit because they didn’t feel the heat and cold like werewolves did. Like Scarlet must. He hated the thought of her trapped in the drafty old castle with the lusty vampire. He knelt by the fire and ignited the wood with his Zippo lighter and a crumpled piece of paper. He curtailed his thoughts right there. He shouldn’t be contemplating Scarlet at all. Christ, he had a job to do and he didn’t have time to get involved in a blood slave’s life. Blood slavery was a despicable practice. Humans bound to vampires, providing both blood and sex, usually in exchange for material wealth, but by the time vampires tired of them, their bodies showed wear and tear. They were never the same afterward. Scarlet should be running away from this place. But he couldn’t interfere in her situation, not when the wolves’ relationship with the vampires was so precarious. They lived in dangerous times. With the onset of DNA testing, it became much harder to keep their existence secret from the mortal world. Not to mention all the natural places in the world, where wolves liked to hunt and chase, were slowly becoming landfills or dog parks. Or worse, housing developments. Supernaturals needed to stick together in order to survive, not that he enjoyed dealing with bloodsuckers. But now wasn’t the time for a pity party. Scarlet certainly didn’t seek pity from anyone. She stood up to life’s challenges and met them with more courage than anyone he’d ever seen, werewolf or human. Scarlet. Again. His thoughts kept circling to her and he needed to focus on the task at hand. But he wanted her so badly it set his teeth on edge. He wanted to take her away with him, away from the greedy vampire she served. Crazy thoughts best left unexamined. The situation had to be making him insane. 24
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His cell phone ringer blasted through his thoughts, playing a snippet of Werewolves of London, of course, a private joke that never failed to amuse him. He snapped the phone open. “This is Rand.” “Did you arrive in one piece? The vampires haven’t decided to have you for a latenight snack, have they?” The pack leader, Dane, had a Goddamn sick sense of humor. Werewolf blood was considered a delicacy among vampires. “No, I’m fine. I’m settling into my room now. I start negotiations tomorrow.” “Good. Keep a clear head, then.” As Haglar, he mediated conflicts in the pack and occasionally showed his statesmanship by negotiating treaties. As a younger man, he’d shown the necessary control over his wolf spirit within that the elders of the pack had voted him the next Haglar. “Remember, we want access, unimpeded access, to our southern hunting grounds, and none of this paying-a-toll crap or donating a bit of blood.” “I’ll lay it all out on the table,” he said grimly. Not that he had a lot of hope. He had the feeling Hayden would drive a very hard bargain. “Good. We’re counting on you, Rand. Somehow you have to get him to agree to this.” He blew out a breath. The responsibility of his pack’s survival had landed smack dab on his shoulders. “I know. I won’t let you down.” “I know that,” Dane said gruffly. “Everything okay?” “Yes, I’ll make sure I get what we need.” He paused. “Dane, do you remember Aspasia? The witch we bargained for protection spells with?” “Yes, what of it?” “How much would she charge for transferring a person’s Blood Oath from one owner to another?” Dane paused. “Why do you want to know?” 25
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“Just curious,” Rand said, trying to sound casual. “I don’t think you could buy that sort of favor. She is a mercenary and only uses magic to further her own power. You would have to offer her something for money.” Hmmm. Like, a supply of werewolf blood? It could be used as a powerful ingredient in any number of spells. Or perhaps his services as a negotiator? Or some other favor? “Rand, you aren’t thinking of doing something foolish, are you?” “Of course not,” he reassured. “Then sleep tight in Castle Dracula. And Rand?” He could almost hear the smile spreading across his friend’s face. He waited for Dane’s sick sense of humor to rear its disgusting head again. “Yeah?” “Don’t let the vampires bite.”
***** Scarlet wrapped her arms around herself and slowly padded down the cold stone floors of the interior hallway, confused by what had just happened. She’d expected a little wolf slobber and then another glorious orgasm. She hadn’t expected to actually like the guy. Like the way that he looked at her, as though he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Course it didn’t hurt that she’d been naked and trussed to his bed. Still, he’d spent a lot of time staring into her eyes. And that kiss… Well, it was better than the sex. Any sex she’d ever had and that was saying something. “Lumiez,” she muttered and the torches sputtered and sparked back to life. Freaking French-speaking witches and their stupid French spells.
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Through two black lacquered doors, Hayden’s suite beckoned. She took in a deep, calming breath and pushed open the door. She found him on the settee in his suite. He was bent over, removing his black leather riding boots, tugging one off without much success. He glanced up at her before returning to his boots. “Ah, there you are, little slave. I was beginning to think you had run off with our flea-bitten guest.” “How was the hunt?” Judging by his facial expression, she wondered if he’d failed to catch anyone. Usually his demeanor after a hunt was sexual. Intense. He smiled a slow, sinful smile that made her knees wobble a little. He was a handsome man. Well, vampire. Six feet tall with long blond hair. He had a bad-boy streak in him that wouldn’t be denied. He reminded her of a rock star or a highwayman of old. Poetic. Mythic. And a little bit naughty. He’d been embraced as a vampire in the late 1700s. From what she’d gleaned from the snatches of conversation he made about his human life, Hayden had been a young lord and had succumbed to the beauty of a female vampire, who also happened to be an actress. He still had a taste for the finer things in life. Like his expensive boots, his white linen, handmade shirts and the pair of suede trousers he wore. “Yes, but the blood was not as delectable as yours. I am not certain what spell the witches used on you, but I compare all the other blood I drink to yours and I find all other vintages sorely lacking.” “So, you didn’t enjoy her blood?” she asked, immediately sinking to her knees before him. The only thing she wore was a red ruby choker around her neck, a sign of ownership. She wondered what the deal was about the nakedness. Maybe he didn’t want her to forget her place. As if she ever would. Strolling around naked as a baby with a pretty collar kind of kept that all in focus for her just fine.
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He stroked her cheek. “Did I say that, coquette? She slid down my throat like rich cream, but it does not compare with the sheer ambrosia that is your life’s essence.” His teeth elongated, as though the memory of her blood alone got him hard. She still didn’t understand him. Sexually, they’d done everything he could imagine, but that didn’t mean she knew him any better than when she came here. “I don’t get it. Blood is blood is blood. What’s the big deal?” He smiled, an indulgent, superior, smug little smile. “To a human it might seem that way, but there are variances in blood taste. For example, a virgin’s blood is pure, unspiced by life’s experiences and untainted in any way. A man’s blood taste’s thicker, more acidic, a bittersweet quality. Your blood is light, like swallowing the finest of champagnes.” He licked his lips as though remembering the experience. She raised a brow. “Glad you find me so tasty.” “The hunt went very well. As always I enjoyed the chase and she was eager to be caught too. A lovely young thing, with pale skin and spidery blue veins. Little librarian with her head full of big ideas.” He sighed. “I drank deeply tonight.” “Does she have potential for a new blood slave?” She hated to admit it, but she liked Hayden an awful lot and had started to feel, well, possessive over him. She didn’t like him talking about another woman. Hayden leaned back on the settee, propping himself against the wall. “Why? Are you suddenly eager to be rid of my attentions?” “I didn’t say that.” She busied herself with the other boot, ignoring him. God, he could be such a drama queen sometimes. He put his hand under her chin and brought her eyes to his own. His glowed red, bloodlust and anger making them crimson. “I would be careful how far you pushed me. My patience is not infinite and so far, I have been a kind master to you, but I can be cruel.”
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She was far from fearful. He’d never laid a hand on her. Well, he spanked her sometimes but it never hurt very much and it was always sexual. “Ooh I’m shaking in my bare feet.” He sighed and leaned back, all bluster gone. “I should have beat you to begin with. You hardly respect me.” He didn’t mean it. “That wouldn’t be your style. Too messy.” He did insist on the whole tiresome master routine occasionally though. It had been a turn-on at first, but that got old real quick. Except when he was stroking her. As quickly as his anger had come, it dissipated. “You only have two more years with me and then you shall have your freedom.” He actually looked sad about that. Sometimes, he liked to tell her that she was “irksome” to have around, but he seemed to have some affection for her. “But enough of my hunt. Tell me of our roving werewolf. Did he take you tonight?” Scarlet hesitated for a moment. Hayden would think less of Rand if she confessed that he had only given her oral sex. So, she nodded. “Yes, he did.” “Good. I didn’t think he could resist such a tempting morsel. Little mongrel probably humped you as soon as he saw you.” Vampires considered themselves to be well above werewolves, seeing them as scratching, biting, manlike beasts with little intelligence. “And did you enjoy his attentions?” Hayden asked with deceptive calm. She’d learned her first month here to listen for that tone. When his emotions became involved, he always tried to minimize them. He hadn’t liked sharing her with the werewolf, but he’d wanted to seem like a hospitable host. Somewhere beneath all of that arrogance and flippancy, he cared for her. He’d have done the same with another vampire dignitary, but he would have actually shared her with him, they would have both partaken of her blood and her body in a ritualistic fashion, a bonding ritual. She’d been involved in one before and found it to be very exciting, if slightly scary. Vampires, in a frenzy of feeding, were 29
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unpredictable, snapping their jaws on to her and sucking greedily. It almost made her dizzy to think about it. Not Hayden though. He never seemed frenzied, even in the grips of bloodlust. Everything about Hayden screamed control. He was always tightly leashed. Sometimes, she wondered what would happen if he let himself go. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be around for that or not. Maybe if she was a safe distance away it might be interesting. “Tell me, little slave, did the wild thing give you an orgasm this evening?” She nodded. She was reluctant to share too much of the encounter with him. She wanted to keep it herself, her memory to hold on to. “Hmmm, perhaps a punishment is in order then.” “A punishment? But you asked me to do it! You sent me out like a dirty version of a welcoming committee. You practically made me do it.” “Don’t be a revisionist, coquette. You know very well that you agreed and don’t be testy. Come here. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Let’s take care of first things first. I want you to sit on my lap, facing away from me.” She knew what was coming next. A punishment, one of the sexy kind that always got them both hot. She obediently sat on his lap and he had her fall forward so her hands trailed on the floor. She hung suspended, legs wrapped around his waist, so that her ass sat firmly on his lap. She could feel his erection pressing against her through the fabric. Hayden was always hard, always ready for sex. Truthfully, she enjoyed his punishments. Especially this kind. He squeezed her ass cheeks, plumping them. She tensed, knowing he was about to start. He brought his hand down firmly, nowhere near his full strength but enough to make her yelp. He took turns, hitting one side and then the other. Slapping her vulnerable flesh, bringing a rush of blood. And lust. The buttons of his trousers abraded
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the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, making her squirm against him. Wriggle. She was soaked, ready for him in an instant. “No. I didn’t say you could rub against me.” He scooted her up on his lap. Then brought his hands to her again, delivering a few more slaps. “Please. I need you. Please!” “Please what?” he asked in a silky tone. He loved to make her beg for him. And times like this? She didn’t mind a bit. “Please, Master. Please!” With a growl, he pushed her firmly against his lap, letting her rub against him. “Good girl, make yourself come for me, coquette.” He held on to her hips as she undulated against him, moving at a fast pace. His slaps had brought blood to the area. The position she was in, bent over, breasts falling forward, feeling his hot cock beneath her… All arousing. She wiggled against him, relishing the abrasion of his smooth pants. With a wail, she came, a free and somewhat easy orgasm. After a few moments he rubbed her back and let her sit upright. “And how was that?” She shivered, settling back against his chest. “Mmm, very good.” He filled his hands with her breasts, squeezing them. She could feel him beneath her ass, pulsing and hard. Ready for her. “Then what do you say?” “Thank you, Master.” “There’s a good girl. Now I find that I’m need of your talented little mouth,” Hayden said. She obediently knelt in front of him and he leaned back and opened his legs to her. Scarlet smothered her smile with her hand. He probably wanted to re-mark his territory, so to speak. Not that she minded sucking him. She loved the feeling of control it gave her. She eased open the buttons of his trousers, tracing the shape of his hard cock as she did, teasing him. Button by button.
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“Tease,” he muttered. “I just want to be thorough,” she countered. She finally undid all the buttons and pulled the pants down over his hips and let them fall to the floor, the suede was buttery soft underneath her knees. She grasped his cock through the silk of his boxers, squeezing the head a little. She eased it out, just the very tip, and flicked her tongue over the little hole, catlike, teasing. Hayden groaned. He leaned back on his elbows and widened his legs. She eased his shorts down and he sprang free, the head purple and pulsing. She smoothed her hands over his thighs, feeling the silky texture of his fine hair. Then, she took his cock in her hands. She pressed hard on the shaft as she stroked it, moving up from the base to tip, and then took it into her mouth, sucking it in like a vacuum. It was a movement she’d quickly learned drove him crazy. His hands fisted on the fabric beneath him. “That’s it! More. Give me more of your sweet, hot mouth.” She pumped the shaft hard with her hand, squeezing as she stroked him. Then settled her mouth on the very tip of him, sucking in swift succession, taking him deeper into her throat as she did. His hips jerked, his hands reaching for her and then falling back. He hissed his breath in, his hips moving at her command. “You are such a wicked little girl, Scarlet.” God, but she loved the sense of power it gave her. His body moved at her command. With a grin she looked up at him, met his eyes. Flicked her tongue over the purple head, which was less than an inch away from her mouth. “Don’t tease or I’ll punish you.” She winked at him. “Promise?” “Minx.” He seized the back of her head, holding her still, and eased his cock back into her mouth.
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She was wet between her thighs, eager to have him mount her, but she knew better than to ask. She relaxed her jaw and took him farther into her throat. She sucked strongly, moaning a little around his cock. That seemed to set him off, the vibration. With a roar he came, flooding her mouth with his seed. With a triumphant smile, she pulled back. She retreated to the bathroom to wash out her mouth and returned to find Hayden on his large bed. It was a four-poster, wrought iron affair, perfect for cuffing her to the frame. Gloriously naked and sprawled on top of the sheets. They had neatly printed French writing all over the red surface. She couldn’t make out all of the words, but she’d caught snatches of dirty phrases. He’d pulled the trundle bed beneath his own so she could sleep separately from him. Like she did every night. Separate and deliberately unequal. Although, he insisted that she sleep in his room, not in one of the other dozen rooms, so that told her something too. He liked having her close. “Have a good night, coquette.” “Goodnight, Hayden.” “Master.” She giggled. “Make me say it.” “Tomorrow. You’ve drained the life out of me, minx.” With that, he rolled over. She curled up on her comfortable bed and thought about both the werewolf and the vampire. How her teenage self would have been thrilled to be in this position. Sleeping with both a vampire and a werewolf. And both of them seemed taken with her. Feeling much like a siren of old, she drifted off, eager to see what tomorrow would bring.
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Chapter Three The next morning, Hayden woke up with the sunrise. Counter to popular myth, vampires could move around during the daytime, provided they wore SPF Ghost, a hat and long sleeves. They didn’t turn into daylight corpses, or some such nonsense. He liked to see to his various businesses in the morning hours, which left the late afternoon and evening open for pleasure. He rolled over to see his little blood slave, curled upon the counterpane. She’d kicked off the covers. He never tired of seeing her beautiful form unclothed. How he loved modern-day supernatural morals. Divesting quaking virgins of their voluminous underthings had been a lot of effort. He reached over and pressed a whisper of a kiss to her little bow of a mouth. She stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake. She had little purple crescent moons under her eyes. Clearly, Scarlet needed more sleep. He cared entirely too much about the girl. In fact, he’d gotten used to having her in his life. Sharing her with the werewolf had been a mistake. It had been the first time he’d shared her without being present and he couldn’t say he cared for it at all. Whenever they’d joined with another vampire, it had been a ritual they both shared. He was there in the moment with her and made it clear that Scarlet belonged solely to him. Well, protocol and vampire hospitality be damned, the wolf wouldn’t be touching her anymore. He shouldn’t have permitted last night’s sample. It wouldn’t happen again.
*****
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After showering and dressing, Rand made his way downstairs. In the anteroom, he found a large marble table with a dozen or so chairs surrounding it. At the head of the table sat the vampire, from the smell of him at least. Vampires smelled old and musty, like antique books. “Hayden?” he asked. The man smirked. Oh yeah, vampire. Arrogant, undead creeps, every one of them. “Yes, I’m Hayden, Vampire Regent.” He didn’t stand, just sat there in his chair looking regal and useless. Great. They were getting off to a fine start. Nothing like meeting with a vampire who thought he was a god. He approached him and held out his hand. Hayden clasped it in his own, holding it tight, gripping him with a great deal of force. A little supernatural pissing contest and he didn’t even get to build up his strength before with a proper breakfast. Rand didn’t let go and he didn’t let his face show the strain, instead he squeezed back, giving as much pressure as he got but no more. He held his own, but didn’t back down. That was the fine art of a Haglar, showing no weaknesses but not giving in to naked aggression. The wolf within him wanted to jump on the vampire, go right for his throat and rip it out. But Rand took control. Finally, Hayden’s hold slackened. “Nice to meet you. Please have a seat.” He did, but at not at the lesser chair. Instead, he sat at the opposite end of the table. Separated, yet equal. Appearances were everything, especially in a negotiation. The bloodsucker laughed at that. “You are quite a surprise, Rand. My dealings with werewolves have been quite limited over the years, but I know your kind is infamous for taking a teeth-first approach to life.” A muscle jerked in his jaw, but Rand kept his voice calm. “Funny. I’d heard the same about your kind.” And worse. Like keeping human women as blood slaves. “Not that there isn’t something to be said for a good spot of violence, especially before a good, hard shag,” Hayden said, eying him with a sensual look. 35
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Rand gave him a once-over. He had to admit Hayden looked long and lean and probably liked his sex rough and raw. Interesting. He couldn’t say that he didn’t find the bloodsucker attractive. Most supernaturals leaned toward bisexuality. The notion of straight and gay seemed ludicrous, a mortal morality issue and nothing more. Most people, himself included, had desires for both sexes. Under different circumstances he might have been interested in a quickie, provided of course that Hayden wasn’t a vampire or engaged in a negotiation with him, or holding Scarlet captive. It was a lot of conditions, but attraction was attraction. He didn’t think he could haggle with the vampire after they’d rolled around on the floor together. That wouldn’t be much of a bargaining position. “Maybe we should move forward and forget about the stereotypes.” The vampire raised one elegant blond brow. “Pity.” He’d clearly been thinking the same thing. “Can I offer you something from the kitchen?” “No thank you.” He didn’t have time to follow his stomach this morning. He’d make do with an apple and some jerky. What Rand wanted to ask was where Scarlet was. Did she sleep in Hayden’s bed last night? Did he make love to her? Drink her? It shouldn’t bother him but it did. They’d just had a little casual oral sex, not as if they’d become engaged or anything. Soon he would leave this place, treaty in hand, and she would be no more than a memory of his. He needed to hold to that. “You won’t accept my hospitality? After all, you helped yourself to it last night,” Hayden said coolly. His blue eyes sharpened, cheeks hollowing. He noted the possession in the vampire’s voice. Did the vampire have feelings for the girl? That was unusual. As a rule, vampires thought with their fangs. Rand eyed the bloodsucker. He was wearing slacks and a black shirt. He looked more like a businessman than a vampire.
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He steepled his fingers and regarded Rand with unblinking eyes. “Did you enjoy my present?” He wanted to snap his teeth at Hayden, tell him he had a wonderful time, thank you very little. Wanted to tell him how she’d twisted on the sheets, begged for him with her body, but he didn’t. He took control of himself. He needed to put his people and their needs first. “Yes, thank you,” he said stiffly. “You are welcome.” Hayden smiled pleasantly. “Unfortunately, her dance card is full for the rest of your visit.” “I see.” He tried to tell himself that he wasn’t disappointed. “Let’s discuss the treaty.” Hayden smiled, as though he knew that he’d rattled Rand. “Fine. Right to business then.”
***** Hours later, they were still at it. Hayden was beginning to get a headache. “You cannot have the southern hunting grounds. I have vampires settled there, living in homes and operating businesses on the outskirts of the wilderness areas. We’ve settled in.” Honestly, the mangy mongrel thought he’d just fork over everything? “In a place that was never yours to begin with, we just don’t have the wolf power necessary to protect it and take it back from you.” “Hence, the diplomacy. You should have planned better.” “Must be nice. Living forever gives you the advantage when it comes to long-term planning.” He could see the werewolf struggle for control of his emotions. “We need a larger tract of land,” Rand stressed. “So we can roam free.” He grinned. “Perhaps if you cared enough to make it worth our while? You could pay us a tribute in exchange.” He made a sound in his throat. “Those lands have been ours for centuries, since before your kind start colonizing this place.” 37
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Most werewolves had Native American heritage. They were the first human beings to take an animal spirit within themselves. The first weres in existence. Hayden smirked as he paced the length of the room. “I haven’t forgotten your Native American roots, that’s why I’m even entertaining this notion.” “How generous of you.” “Pity you’ve gotten greedier. Your kind used to be bought off with beads and blankets.” “We’ve gotten a bit more materialistic since then.” “Then why haven’t you followed the vampire example? Set up investments. Perhaps a foundation to fund werewolf businesses?” Rand crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair. “Thanks for the financial advice but I didn’t come here for a lecture.” Hayden laughed. “Ah, that infamous wolf spirit inside takes a toll on that otherwise human body, does it not? Shortens the life span considerably, although I understand your kind makes quite a bit of use out of your bodies while you are here. He looked the wolf over. He had an image of him lying on the bed, eyes hot and eager. Cock hard and pulsing for him. “Yes, you do have a good body.” “Thank you.” The silence hung between them. Uncomfortable and filled with an awareness. Sexual tension. But neither of them acted on it. “What we want is unimpeded access to our territory. More space to hunt on,” Rand said. Hayden made a face. “Yes, I presume you’ll all be turning wolf and bringing down stags or some such.”
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The wolves liked to hunt as a pack, which included bringing down large game. The vampires in his territory wouldn’t be thrilled with the notion of wild dogs roaming the countryside. Howling and scratching fleas. “It appears we are at an impasse. You have nothing to offer me.” He paused a moment, looking downright evil. “Unless you’d like to sweeten the deal? Offer up some of the services of your brethren.” “As blood slaves?” Rand asked with obvious disgust. “A few, yes, to compensate for your use of the land. Enough for me and some of the leaders in my troop of vampires. A few willing volunteers to help out.” He grinned, showing his sharp incisors. “Taking one for the proverbial team. Aren’t you dogs pack animals?” “I don’t think so.” The wolf made a face as though he’d offered him some O positive on the rocks. “Fine. Have it your way.” Hayden threw down his pen. “I need sustenance and I think we are done for the day.” Sustenance. Truthfully, this meeting had been infinitely frustrating. If he didn’t get a drink, he’d be tempted to sink fangs into the werewolf. He noticed that Rand watched him, a curious light in his eyes. “Unless you’d care to see to my needs? Or perhaps you’d like to watch?” The wolf tilted his head. Obvious curiosity. And maybe just a little desire. Interesting. Very interesting. “I don’t think so.” Hayden smiled, showing his sharp fangs. “Perhaps another time.” Rand shook his head and cleared his throat. If Hayden was to wager, he’d bet that the wolf sported a raging erection at the moment. Lucky for him, he made use of the table’s camouflage. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.” “Which offer are you passing on?” Hayden asked, raising a brow.
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“Both of them,” Rand said firmly. “I’ll be heading up to my room.” To jerk off, no doubt. “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
***** Scarlet stood in Hayden’s study, staring at the painting above the mantel, a print of of Lafebvre’s Odalisque, a nineteenth century slave girl stretched on a red cushion, her fleshy buttocks and bare back on display. This painting haunted her, made her think of her own existence. The woman had been stripped bare. She was beautiful, obviously a sex object. An object just like her. Some days she had the urge to rip the painting off the wall and throw it in the fire. “Since when did you become an art aficionado?” She hadn’t heard Hayden creep up behind her. He was skilled at that, skulking in the shadows, but then again she supposed vampires had to be. “Mmm, I wouldn’t call that art.” He looked at the painting admiringly. “No? I think several art critics would beg to differ with you.” “Considering it’s a little like primitive porn, I’d guess that they were male critics?” “Feminism rears its ugly head.” Hayden seemed to be amused at her tone more than annoyed. He flung himself into one of the overstuffed brown leather chairs. “You know, I quite enjoy modern conveniences like cellphones and BMWs, but I find this notion of women working outside of the home instead of rearing their children to be laughable.” She narrowed her eyes. She could never tell if he was kidding. “That just shows how outdated your thinking is.” “My, my, something has gotten you into quite a lather. Do tell. What’s on your mind?” “Nothing. I’m just bored.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Boredom? I have the cure for that.” 40
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“I just bet you do,” she said drily, refusing to meet his hot gaze. If she did, she’d be lost. She wanted to hold on to the anger a bit longer. “Come here and I’ll show you.” “No. I’m cold and I’m tired. And why do I have to be naked all the time? This place is drafty, you know.” She rubbed her arms. Somehow Rand had brought her life into sharp relief. She hadn’t been right since Amy’s death and her own diagnosis. Maybe she had been losing herself in this lifestyle. Nudity and no-strings sexuality. He raised a brow and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “What’s got you so upset? The wolf? I shouldn’t have asked you to go to him. That was a mistake.” He actually apologized? Well, as close to an apology as he ever gave anyone. She looked up and saw his eyes gleam red. He seemed…jealous. That was new too. While Hayden was fond of her, he didn’t seem to want anything more than sex and a small bit of companionship. Hayden pulled his platinum card from his wallet and jammed it into her hand. “I thought you enjoyed our kinky games.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes. Guilt? “I never meant to…” He stopped, cleared his throat. The icy reserve came back. His face a mask of banal indifference. “By all means, buy yourselves some clothes.” She took the card, intending to go to Bloomingdale’s online and get herself some designer clothes, since he was offering. Something was off with Hayden. She wasn’t sure what. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.” She yanked her hair away from her neck. “You must be hungry.” He gave an affected, gusty sigh. He was such a drama queen. Vampires didn’t need to breathe. There was no reason to move air from his mouth, other than to sound huffy. “I find that my appetite has left me.” “Fine by me.” She let the hair fall down and plunked herself on the sofa before she brought her knees to her chest. She waved her hand at the fireplace. “Grandes flames!” The fire roared as it grew hotter, brighter.
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He eyed her, face still blank. “Tell me, have you developed an infatuation with our lupine houseguest, little pet?” Stunned by the question, she could only stare at him mutely. Did she have a thing for Rand? Scarlet wasn’t sure, but a denial didn’t spring to her lips immediately and that meant something. Something awful. Her life was not her own for two more years. She couldn’t afford to lose her heart. It didn’t really belong to her right now anyway. She belonged to Hayden. “I am curious about him. That is all.” “I believe there is more to it than that. He wants you, coquette. He yearns for you. Take it from one who knows.” He situated himself on the couch next to her. She shrugged it off. So what? He wanted her, so did the hordes of vampires who came to visit Hayden. So did the vampire himself, but it was all meaningless, it ended as soon as their bodies cooled. “Sexually, maybe.” “No, there is a furtiveness in his eyes when you are mentioned.” She couldn’t keep hope from springing. As soon it swelled, she quashed it. “I don’t know. Maybe.” He watched her carefully. “You do care for him.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement of fact. His hands gripped the armrest. “I hardly know him.” “Take it from me, love doesn’t care about how long you are acquainted, or what your position is.” “You sound like someone who’s had some experience.” She turned on the couch to face him, placing her knees beneath her. “I can’t picture you being in love.” He shook his head. She knew he wasn’t seeing the elegant hedges that lined the lush lawn. His eyes looked very far away. “I was in love with a young woman before I was made a vampire. Her name was Abigail and she was a servant. She was fair haired and had these huge blue eyes. She never met my gaze and went about her work quietly.
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I was a wastrel and a disappointment to my father. But she never judged me. Abigail would bring me tea midmorning. She placed fresh water in the basin on my bureau, spoke to me with sweet words and kind touches.” He laughed without any mirth. “Hell of a way I repaid her for all of her kindness.” He tapped his finger on the back of the couch. “I spent my nights carousing and my days sleeping off the wine. After I became a vampire, the only thing that changed was my beverage of choice.” This was the most he’d ever really told her about his past. He could barely get the words out, even all these years later. He turned to her sharply. “When I was newly made, I didn’t know my own strength. I couldn’t control my body. I cornered Abigail outside one evening. She was hurrying back to my parents’ rooms in London. I snatched her from the street and cornered her in a little alley.” Scarlet closed her eyes. “You killed her?” “I told her who I was. What I was. I told her that I loved her. That I wanted to make her as strong as me. We would be companions until the end of days. Lovers. She called me a devil. She began to pray.” He shook his head. “I should have left right then, but love makes fools of us all, coquette. I told her how I felt. She started to scream and I clamped my hand over her mouth, shoved her against the brick wall. Too hard. I crushed her skull and hadn’t even realized.” He grabbed her hand, pressed it to his cool chest. “I loved Abigail and I ended up killing her. Love is dangerous, my dear. Love has the power to kill. You would do best to stay away from the wolf, until the fever cools.” She’d never seen him so impassioned, so concerned for her. “That’s so easy to say, but the heart wants what it wants.” He tapped her hand against his chest. “Not for me. Not anymore. My heart no longer beats for anyone. Just remember that you aren’t going anywhere, you made a
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Blood Oath to Aspasia’s witch coven. If you break your word, the protection spell ends.” “I know that, I don’t need any reminders,” she said tightly. He made her look at him, grasping her chin and pulling it toward him. “Also remember that I hold your chains, at least for two more years. Never forget that.” “How can I? You won’t let me.” If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was hurt. “Then it is time to remember your place right now.” Hayden enfolded her in his embrace, locking his arms around her body, and pulled her against his chest. She straddled him, could feel him beneath her thighs, steely hard and ready for her. She needed this. He almost never gave her control, so she seized the situation. Scarlet rubbed against him experimentally, making them both suck in a breath. He threw his head back and shut his eyes, his face a mask of pleasure. It made her wonder. They touched, but they never kissed. Physically intimate, but never really intimate. Could they be more? Did she even want more? She placed a hand on either side of his face and brought her mouth down to his. “What are you doing, coquette?” “Kissing you. Don’t you want to at least try it?” Hayden shook his head, a little wistfully. “As I said, my heart is a shriveled, useless organ in my chest. I am afraid that all I have to offer you is my body.” She ran her hand down his cheek, smooth and slightly chilled. Like a statue. Even though she touched Hayden daily, she never actually touched him. Like smoke, he slipped through her fingers, leaving traces of himself but nothing tangible. It made her sad suddenly, to be so disconnected from him. But she needed oblivion. With a practiced movement, she undid his trousers and his cock sprang forth, a little less hard than before but still aroused. She cradled it in her hand, stroked him methodically until his breath came in a rushing gasp. She liked the way he responded,
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hardening in her hand. The way the head turned purple, the way he arched into her caress. The way the veins engorged with blood, rising to the surface. He was so virile, so hungry. “As much as I enjoy your caress, I need inside your heat.” She hovered over him and then sank down on his cock, the sensation of being filled caused her head to rock back. He sighed as she sank down onto him. She moved on him easily, lifting and falling in a fluid motion. He grasped her hips, moving her on his cock. “Faster, swifter.” He met her gaze, pressing his forehead against her own. “Why so quiet? You are usually an eager little thing.” “Just thinking.” Wondering about Hayden and Rand, the differences between them. Both powerful. Both strong. “That is your first mistake. You are thinking too much. We both need to forget, my dear. We both need oblivion.” He nuzzled her neck. With a growl, he pierced her skin, sucking on her vein, taking her blood. That’s what she needed. Mindless pleasure. With a wail, she came. He groaned as he gushed inside her, filling her up. Later, she sat on his lap and he didn’t hold her, but he didn’t push her away either. “Why are you so bothered?” he murmured. “Tell me.” “Nothing. No reason.” Hayden licked her neck, tracing the vein with his tongue, worshiping his font of blood. “Tell me.” His voice had gotten quiet, almost hypnotic. She pulled away. “Why do you even care?” “Curiosity.” He grabbed her again, continued to lap at her neck, scraping one fang along the length of her throat, making her quiver. Making her nipples pucker. “Fine. New topic. Let’s talk about me.” She had to laugh. “Is that all you think about?” 45
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“Occasionally, I think about blood and sex. Now, what did you think when you first met me?” He waggled his brows. “Honestly? I remember thinking you were hot.” And he was. Very, very hot. He laughed, hushed against her neck. He was obviously pleased with her answer. “Good to know.” “And what did you think of me?” He chuckled. “I remembered thinking you would be a handful. You were offered to me on a leash, but you were by no means a tamed little pet and I adore that about you.” He patted her shoulder. “Now run along and play. I have work to do.” She got off his lap and made her way to the door. She paused, holding on to the frame, but not looking at him. “I think I’m falling for Rand.” “Then, I’m truly sorry for you, coquette, because if you leave here before your Oath is fulfilled you will go round the bend and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You’ll be pitched headfirst into madness. You’d be better off staying with me.” That was the thing about oblivion. It was really fucking fleeting.
***** In an effort to distract herself, Scarlet had ordered a couple thousand dollars’ worth of clothes on Hayden’s dime, but it failed to boost her mood. Scarlet curled up on the chaise in the library with The Werewolf of Paris. She suddenly had a keen interest in all things werewolf. It was still a marvel to her that all of these supernatural beings existed, yet few mortals knew about them. Magic was real. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts all roamed the earth. Who knew what other things were real? She wondered what would happen to her when she went back to her normal, ordinary life. Would she long to be part of the supernatural world once more? Yet, part of her longed for her old existence. She missed her dad. She had lied to him and told
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him she’d gotten into a prestigious college, sent plenty of emails and called often but she never saw him. One day soon she would be able to. She wanted to go back to college, complete her botany degree and spend the rest of her life studying plants in the Amazon, or working as a park ranger. Anything to do with nature. Lots of possibilities. Mistress of her own fate. Wouldn’t that be nice? Only two more years and then she would be free to do as she pleased, live the way she wanted to live. At least she had the library for now. This was her favorite room to come to. The vampires didn’t frequent it, probably because of the very bright southern exposure, and they seemed to be more goal oriented, although Hayden preferred reading. Maybe he had more leisure time since he was the boss. Even though she shared a room with Hayden, this was her refuge, her place alone. She craved knowledge, wanted to use her mind so she read every day, devouring books. Novels, newspapers, magical tomes. Anything she could, continually pouring more knowledge into her brain. “There you are.” Scarlet looked up to see Rand standing awkwardly in the doorway. He shifted from one foot to the other. She smiled, putting the book down immediately. “Oh, hello there. How did negotiations go today?” He looked uncomfortable. “Fine. Do you mind some company?” She gestured to the seat next to hers. “Come in. Have a seat.” But he sat on the end of the sofa. Hmm. Nervous? She thought that was kind of adorable. He tapped the cover of the leather-bound book. “So, you are reading up on werewolves, eh?”
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She grinned. “Can’t help it, I think you sparked a little curiosity. I don’t know anything about werewolves.” Rand gave her a grin that made her melt and he smoothed his tongue over his lips. “I can satisfy you.” He looked down after he said it and then back at her again, clamping his eyes on her. “Mmm, I think you already did.” He chuckled. “I meant your curiosity.” “Pity.” Scarlet couldn’t help the blush that crept up her cheeks. He made her feel innocent, inexperienced all over again. The man had already seen everything and then some and still he made her blush. “So, tell me about being a werewolf. What is it like? Like it is in the movies?” Rand laughed, far from offended. “No, not quite. I never get surprised by a full moon and suddenly start sprouting hair and teeth and fangs, start terrorizing the town.” “You don’t transform then?” she asked. “Turn into a wolf?” “Yes, we do transform during the full moon but no, not like that. Werewolves are a wolf spirit and a human spirit joined within a body. My wolf’s essence is a part of me, sort of like a spirit guide. We are joined for the entire month, not just on the full moon.” She liked that idea. He was never alone. “Oh, so you were born with a wolf side? You weren’t in a park somewhere and something lunged from the bushes and bit you?” “Imaginative, but no.” He smiled. “No, there’s no biting. Those like me who were born from pack members were born with a wolf spirit within, but others have joined us throughout the years. There’s a ritual that is performed where a wolf’s spirit is joined with yours. You become one being.” Scarlet liked the way he described it. “So, your wolf is always with you? Your constant companion?” “Yes, all the time.”
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“Do you hear its thoughts?” He hesitated a moment. “No, it’s more like I feel it. I feel the hunger, the desire. I understand what it wants. It’s not another being, as much as it is another aspect of myself.” “And what about on the night of full moon? Then, you don’t become a wolf man?” Rand shook his head. “No, on the night of the full moon, I become a wolf.” “Four legs and a snout and the whole deal?” He chuckled. “That’s pretty much it. Only larger and sentient. That’s why we are asking Hayden for our lands back, so we can roam free during the full moon, hunt and behave like real wolves.” Scarlet sighed. She could just imagine roaming the countryside as a wolf, having human intelligence but animal instincts at the same time. What an advantage. “That sounds wonderful, what is it like?” “Chaos at first,” Rand described. “Everything is so sharp, so clear. Then, you feel yourself running, running as fast as you can through the woods, bounding. Unable to think of anything other than what you desire.” That word again. Impossible not to think about sex when she was around him. “Desires huh?” “I usually give in to my desires anyway.” He paused. “Hayden said that I should stay away from you during the rest of my visit, but I really don’t take orders that well.” Besides, Rand had given Dane a call and got a couple of fine points on vampires and blood slaves. Scarlet was fair game according to protocol, so he wouldn’t endanger the treaty. “And speaking of desires, do you have any that I can quench for you?” Her stomach clenched. “Hmmm, maybe.” “Just maybe?” he countered. He sniffed the air. “I think you are fibbing. I can smell how much you desire me.”
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“You can smell me?” The thought should bother her, but it actually made her even wetter. She felt raw. On the edge. Scarlet wanted him inside her. Now. “Yes, you smell musky, heated. Truthfully, I can still taste you on the back of my tongue.” He licked his lips. God. She felt as if she were on fire. She’d become liquid between her legs. “What about honor? Chivalry?” she teased. “I think it is overrated.” He pinned her with his eyes. “You are willing?” She smiled and hoped like hell it was seductive. “Absolutely.” “I need you. Now.”
His eyes nearly rolled back in his head when she got off the couch and put herself on all fours, ass thrust up high in the air. “I want you to take me like this. Hard and fast.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Kinda rough too.” He was hard, his cock filled with blood and ready to tear through his pants. She called to every animalistic urge he had. The urge to fuck, to spread his seed. The urge to dominate, to take her down and show her his mastery over her. With a growl, he was on her, covering her little frame with his larger one, kicking her legs farther apart. Between her thighs, her flushed pussy was wet for him. Glossy and wide open. With a growl, he pushed a finger inside her, feeling how slick she was, how her moisture clung to his fingertip. She bowed her head to the floor, her hands flat against the wood, resting her forehead on them. God, she was a sight. His for the taking. He squeezed her ass, fondling it, and gave it a little slap. She yelped in response, but he recognized the sexual undertone in it. Scarlet liked it a little rough. He was more
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than happy to oblige her. With a growl, he released his cock from the confines of his trousers and pushed inside her. “Take me,” she muttered. “Hard. Fast.” He lunged into her sex, pushing far inside, causing her to wail. God, he thought he was going to lose his mind. She was hot and tight as a fist around his thick cock. He reached up and placed her elbows up on the couch so he could move into her faster. The penetration was incredible. He was all the way inside her. He rocked against her and her hips moved at his command. He ached inside, he almost felt frenzied. Sex had never been like this before for him, he’d never been so carried away. Then he felt a ripple around his cock. He growled low in his throat. She milked his cock with her orgasm, the soft walls clutching at him. With a groan, he pushed inside her roughly one more time. And spilled his seed.
He gathered her up in his arms and took her to his bedroom. Rand laid her down on his bed. Their mouths met, kissing with aching slowness. He bared his chest to her, covered in silky dark hair. So different from Hayden’s cool, nearly hairless flesh. She could get used to this warmth, this tenderness. It would be disturbingly easy to depend on him, to come to need him. And she couldn’t take her eyes off him. With exquisite care, he touched her, made her feel beautiful, smoothing his roughened palms down the lines of her body, learning her. With his touch, he told her how beautiful he found her. How much he wanted her. When she shifted restlessly under his questing hands, he parted her thighs and bent to worship at the altar of her sex, flicking her with his tongue and taking her vulnerable flesh into his mouth. He fed on her, running his tongue over her clitoris and lapping her.
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He put himself inside her body. Locked eyes with hers. Connection. She felt as if she were drowning in his eyes, the pupils had gotten so large. As if he wanted to take all of her in. They moved together, their hips rocking in unison. Their breath coming together, mingling with each other. Eyes locked. Hearts beating. With a cry, she exploded, arching her hips, letting her head fall back. Giving in to her needs, to him. He growled as he came. Eyes still locked on each other. When it was over, he gathered her up in his arms and a peaceful languor settled over her. She wanted to lie like that forever, in his arms as they slept. She hadn’t been held in so long, touched with that kind of tenderness in, well, forever. No one had ever held her like that. For the first time ever, Scarlet had been made love to. It brought tears to her eyes. She snuggled closer, listening to the even beat of his heart. Like her, Rand was alive and soon… Soon he would be leaving Fairfax Manor. Somehow the prospect of two more years in this place without him seemed unimaginable. She closed her eyes and prayed this night wouldn’t end.
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Chapter Four Rand had awoken to find Scarlet gone. He’d stayed awake most of the night so he could watch her sleep. She’d curled up beside him with her hands on his chest. It was peaceful. And totally irresponsible. He should have been resting, saving up his energy for negotiations, or strategizing, coming up with a brilliant and effective plan. Not mooning over her like a lovesick pup. His kind shouldn’t get involved with humans anyway. It just didn’t work out. His own father had proved that. Randolph Stamper had fallen in love with Rand’s mother. Randolph, a human cop, had found his mother one night stranded on the side of the road when her car had gone kaput. They lived together for three idyllic months until his mother confessed what she really was. His father left Wolf Ledges, the wolf pack home, the night before Rand was born, and he’d never looked back. Rand had never met him and had no desire to, after all, Randolph had abandoned him without any regret. His mother had told him Randolph hadn’t been strong enough to accept the gift of a wolf spirit, so he didn’t belong in their world. But Scarlet knew him for what he was and didn’t judge him. Or the vampire. Perhaps she was too trusting. Too open. He bet she could accept a wolf spirit within herself. He paced in front of the window. The outside beckoned him. It had rained early in the morning, giving everything an earthy smell. He longed to roam beyond the walls, give in to a bit of his wolf nature, feel the sunshine on his fur. Roll over onto his back and be close to the earth. Listen to nature and to his thoughts.
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“Are we going to negotiate or are you going to spend the day brooding about my girl?” Behind him, the vampire sat in the shadows, out of the reach of the sun. Not that it would kill him, but he’d have to dress up like an old lady at the beach if he didn’t want to turn as red as hamburger meat. The whole situation pissed Rand off. Nothing was going well, he’d gone and slept with Scarlet and somehow pushed into her body, only to let her push under his skin. The vampire sniffed the air. “I thought I told you that you weren’t to have any further contact with her.” His ire was controlled, but just barely. Rand shrugged, unrepentant. “Well, I couldn’t help but take advantage of the blood slave protocol while I was here.” Hayden’s jaw tightened. He could tell that the bloodsucker wanted to knock his teeth down his throat. “Keeping her here as just your slave and not loving her, treating her as your equal, should be a crime. She’s young and healthy. She should be outside, following her own dreams.” He shut his eyes. The words slipped out before he had a chance to call them back. Dammit. What kind of a Hagler was he? “Let me guess. You are picturing a cozy cave for two and her belly swelling with your puppy whelps?” Rand’s hand gripped the window. “No,” he bit out. “I’m not saying I want her for myself. I just want her to be free.” The vampire cocked his head. “Hmm, I see. And you are doing all this out of the kindness of your heart?” “Some people like to think occasionally of others, yes.” “You are not a person and neither am I,” Hayden said. “At least I’m alive,” Rand countered, turning to face the vampire.
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“You are that. Alive.” The words hung in the air, as well as the unspoken threat behind them. Hayden was implying that he didn’t have to be alive. “Thank you for the anatomy lesson.” Rand folded his arms over his chest. “Is she part of the bargain, then? You want the hunting grounds and the girl? I am not too clear on your bargaining position. What do you have to offer me, pray tell?” Rand sighed. They’d been around and around this subject. “I spoke with our leader, Dane, yesterday. The pack feels, and I agree, that we are entitled to the hunting grounds. We’ve had them for centuries. You are impeding our access to them with all of the businesses vampires have put on the land. Not to mention draining wolves of a little blood every now and then.” “It seems like a small price to pay.” Hayden raised a brow. “It’s impossible and not negotiable.” Hayden smiled. “Then I believe we are at an impasse, wolf. Again. I feel these negotiations are useless. You should be on your merry way. Perhaps I can talk to your chief.” “Pack leader,” Rand corrected. “As if it matters.” Dane, while a good leader, didn’t possess the necessary emotional control, although Rand hadn’t exactly been his best and brightest Haglar here. He normally had a way of putting things that caused others to bend to his will. Scarlet weighed on his mind. Yet he’d learned long ago how to compartmentalize his feelings. He took in a long, calming breath. “Let’s start from the top. We want the hunting grounds. What is something that you want?” “A blood tribute.”
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“That isn’t possible. The families in my pack aren’t going to hand over their offspring so your kind can have a wolf blood banquet. That isn’t going to happen. What is something you want that we could give you?” Hayden sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “This is giving me a bloody headache. We are running round and round in circles and we aren’t getting anywhere.” Then a grin spread over his face, a wicked, evil grin that instantly made Rand even more on guard. “I have another offer. You shall still have access to your hunting grounds but perhaps we will work out an arrangement with the vampires currently living there. A financial arrangement.” “We shouldn’t have to pay for access to our lands.” “Still. I know you will take that to your little chieftain. It should be a nominal fee and won’t include a blood tribute. I think that will satisfy his pride.” Rand sighed. It wasn’t exactly what they had hoped for, but maybe Dane could work with that. Then, for the most important item. “And what about Scarlet?” A muscle twitched in Hayden’s jaw. “What of my blood slave? She is of no consequence to you.” “She is more than a slave, more than a thing.” Hayden laughed. “Isn’t that sweet, the mongrel has fallen for my pet.” “She isn’t a pet. Release her.” “Why would I do that?” “Because she doesn’t want you. She wants me.” Hayden was on him before he could blink. He grabbed Rand by the throat, nearly crushing his windpipe. Hayden pushed Rand back against the hard stone wall and he struggled, trying to break the vampire’s hold. “Do not forget who has the position of power. That would be me, wolf. Not you.” “Go to hell, vampire,” he croaked out, despite the amount of force on his larynx.
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“She is my slave and none of your concern. You would do well to sign your treaty with me and be done with it. Leave while you are ahead, boy.” Hayden released his hold. Rand sucked in air as he rubbed at his throat, coughing and choking. “Bargain with me for her.” “She is already mine. There is no need to win her again.” “Ask me for something,” Rand asked. “Make a new bargain with me.” “Why are you so concerned?” Hayden cocked his head to the side, studying him. “Tell me something. Do you love her?” Rand didn’t know how to answer that question. Love was supposed to be a slow build, right? Something that took time and effort, a tenderness that evolved over the years. The rush of emotion he felt for Scarlet was raw, primal. It nearly consumed his every waking thought, plagued his dreams at night. “All I know is, I can’t leave here without her.” “Do you know that if she leaves here with you, madness will consume her? She is magically protected right now, but once she leaves my…service, she will be vulnerable once more.” Rand shifted in his seat, not meeting the other man’s eyes. “She told me.” “She opened up to you.” His lips twisted. “I see.” “No, I don’t think you do. She isn’t happy here. She isn’t really living, she just exists. She spends all day wandering around this castle as your personal plaything. That isn’t a life.” “At least she retains her sanity.” “I’m going to find another way to help her. My pack has resources. I will make another bargain with Aspasia. We will find a way to keep her sanity.” The vampire raised a brow. “Hope wells eternal, eh?” He shook his head. “Boy, you really have fallen for her.”
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“How can you not feel something for her?” Hayden looked uncomfortable. “Years of practice, I am afraid. When you live forever, you learn quickly how not to get too attached. But you do learn a thing or two about desires. Needs.” He placed a hand on either side of Rand’s head. Suddenly, a very different sort of tension reared to life. Rand had a feeling he knew what was coming. “Say it. What do you want in exchange for her?” Hayden raised a brow. “Without a blood slave, I will need a replacement, so—” Rand laughed drily. “Not an option. I’m no one’s dog.” Hayden smiled, slow and seductive, and Rand felt his heartbeat pick up. Lust was a powerful emotion, in fact the anger he felt toward Hayden only fueled, gave it a sharper edge somehow. “Had to try. I know you are tempted. Know you want me, wolf.” Rand did want him in a purely animalistic, sexual way. He had a feeling Hayden would be rough and tumble in the sack, but it had nothing to do with love. From what Scarlet told him, he didn’t love her either. “Maybe I do. So what?” “Tell me, have you ever been with a man?” Rand actually felt a blush creep up his cheeks. He’d done a little experimenting in high school. It had been fun, trying out a new experience and, every now and then, he found he craved another man. “Yes, I have. Lots of times.” “And did you like it?” He had. For the most part, he was attracted to women, had relationships exclusively with women, but occasionally men appealed to him. “I’m not letting you fuck me.” There was no way he trusted the vampire, nor did he like the inherent dominance of that act. Hayden laughed. “Pity. I do like to be on top.” “I can see that about you.” 58
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“But I do want a little taste.” “You want to bite me? Blood or sex?” “A bit of both. It is all entwined for vampires. Blood. Sex. The hunger for life.” Rand shook his head. “No.” He stared at Hayden’s sharp incisors, watched them grow longer and he couldn’t help the little moan that escaped his lips. It scared the shit out of him, letting a vampire feed on him, but he had to admit, it turned him on a bit too. “Come on,” Hayden said, his voice low. “You know you want it.” He couldn’t say it, but he turned his neck to the side, a small act of submission. Rand felt a sweet sharp pain at his neck and then a rush of ecstasy. He could feel the life force being pulled from him, sucked into Hayden’s vortex-like mouth. Suddenly he was hard, hard as stone and eager for Hayden. Hayden somehow knew. The vampire undid his jeans and fisted Rand’s cock in his hands, pumping it. He could feel Hayden’s cock against his thigh, hard, rubbing against him. Hayden released himself from his pants. He pressed his cool cock against Rand’s, causing his eyes to roll back in his head. The vampire used his big hand to rub both of them, pumping up and down. The sensation of that big, cool hand stroking his cock while it was pressed to the marble column of flesh nearly made Rand come right there and then. The bloodsucker continued to feed at his neck, taking too much. Rand pushed him off his throat and slammed the vampire back against the wall. “You like it rough, wolf?” “Always,” Rand growled. He knocked the vampire’s hand from their joined cocks and took them both in his own, rubbing them at a fierce pace. He wasn’t sure if this was about who was on top or who had the biggest cock. Hayden’s was slightly thinner and longer, though Rand’s was much thicker.
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“You taste good, wolf. I could drink you all day.” Hayden laughed, mouth bloody and fangs glistening. “Fuck you, vampire.” He raised a brow. “Maybe later. You look close to coming, boy, while I could stand two or three more minutes of this.” Rand growled in his throat. He wanted Hayden to come first. He wanted to prove he had more stamina. Knowing that the vampire had fucked Scarlet every night for years made him crazy. He wanted to prove that he was the better man. “Oh yeah, what if I do this?” He let go of his own cock and pumped Hayden’s hard and fast. With a hiss, Hayden came, coating Rand’s cock and abdomen with his cool seed. The jerking motion of the other man’s cock set Rand off too, and he came with a growl. “You do realize that I didn’t agree to anything,” Hayden said. Rand had collapsed to his knees, his fly open and his spent cock flaccid. ”What the fuck? But you said…” “Think back. I promised nothing.” Hayden looked as though nothing happened. He cleansed himself with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket, tucked his cock away. Vampires. Unflappable as ever. “But let’s go see here. If she desires to leave me, I won’t hold her here, against her will.” Rand tried to shake off the sexual daze that held him in its grip. Release always mellowed him out. “What did you say?” “Pay attention, wolf. I want to make certain she actually wants you.” He could decode the vampire speak. “You want to screw her one last time. That is so romantic. You know, if you’d let her in, I bet she would have fallen for you, not that I’m complaining or anything. This worked out great for me.”
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“I just want to do this properly.” He adjusted the collar of his shirt and smoothed his hair. The vampire looked fresh as a fucking daisy, as though a few minutes ago he hadn’t been all over him. What the hell? How was that fair? “You came first,” Rand said. He wasn’t sure why he did and it sure as hell sounded childish, but he’d said it. Hayden rolled his eyes. “You came a minute later and you know bloody well you cheated.” He tucked himself away and did his best to put himself to rights. “Why did you agree to let her go?” “Oh now why the concern? You have what you want, do you not?” “Yes.” “I have my own reasons, boy, and they are none of your affair.” Rand shrugged. It didn’t matter, as long as Scarlet would be going with him. He followed the vampire to where Scarlet was, the vampire’s bedroom. When Hayden opened the black lacquer doors, he’d worried that he’d wandered onto a soundstage of a bizarre vampire porn movie. When he saw Scarlet, his heart thudded to life and all thoughts of vampires and sex fell away. She lay on a little trundle bed, pulled out from under Hayden’s. He made her sleep in another bed? Why in the hell would he do that? When Rand walked in, he saw Scarlet curled on her side. Her eyes fluttered open. She rubbed at her eyes, looking a little out of it. “What’s going on?” she asked, blinking.
Something was going on. Scarlet didn’t know what exactly, but something seemed out of order. Both of them seemed furtive, rushed as though they’d just been up to no good.
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“Nothing, coquette, we just have a question to put to you, before Rand returns to his pack of wild dogs. But before that, we’d both like the pleasure of your company and I do mean pleasure.” “Oh? That’s great, so you finished your negotiations.” She refused to meet Rand’s gaze though she could feel it boring into her. Her lower lip quivered a bit, but she bit down on it viciously. “So, when are you leaving?” “Not yet. There are a few things to settle.” “Unlike me, the two of you do not have the luxury of eternal life,” Hayden put in. “So I shall help this along. We have both come here for you, coquette. Get in my bed.” “With him in the room? Together? All three of us?” Not that the thought hadn’t occurred to her, it had. Handsome vampire. Seductive werewolf. The decadent possibilities were endless. “Must I repeat myself? Yes, all three of us,” Hayden said. “We’re all going to have sex together?” she asked, frowning. “With both of you? But you hate each other.” “Hate is perhaps a tad strong,” Hayden said, backing her toward the bed. “Not from where I’m standing,” Rand growled. Hayden pressed her back against the sheets by placing his hand between her breasts and applying a little bit of pressure. Rand growled, latching on to Hayden’s forearm and pulling it off her. “Don’t treat her like that. She isn’t an object.” “I know that, do you?” Hayden asked. “What does that mean?” Scarlet asked. What the hell was going on? Hayden knelt on the bed beside her. “Tell her, wolf. She should know of your grand gesture.” “Rand? What’s going on? I—”
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This time, Rand distracted her by kissing her. Long, low and deep. She pushed her hands into his hair and it curled around her fingertips as though it wanted to cling to her. Like she wanted to cling to him. She suddenly forgot about her reservations and the general oddness of the threesome. Instead, she focused on being with both men. One dark. One light. Both gorgeous. “My, you are a fetching couple, but I have never been one to be ignored.” Hayden reached for her and Rand growled, settling his big body completely over hers, knees on either side of her hips, his hands at her shoulders. He glared at the vampire. “Mine. You don’t touch her.” The voice was almost inhuman, filled with lust and rage. It made her shiver. “Like I said, are you certain that you don’t treat her like an object?” He raised a brow. “Shut up, vampire.” What did that mean? Scarlet was too aroused to think straight, but she could still pick up on the general creepy vibe. But Hayden continued. “However, I am in the mood to be generous, mostly because I have just been satisfied.” Hayden and Rand? She’d seen Hayden with another of his male vampires once, they’d been rough. Grunting and biting as they fucked, and it had turned her into a little mass of jelly. When he’d shared her with another vampire emissary it had been formal and no interaction occurred between Hayden and the other male. “Do you mean that you two—” “Had raunchy, angry sex?” Hayden asked, raising one brow. “Why, yes we did.” Rand caught her gaze. “It meant nothing.” “Less than nothing,” Hayden said with a brow raised. 63
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Oddly enough, she was jealous. But of whom? Of Rand? Of Hayden? Maybe a little bit of both. She was also kind of turned-on. “Maybe you should have taken pictures. I wouldn’t mind seeing—” “It will never happen again,” Rand promised. He quickly kissed her mouth. “Never say never, wolf.” Hayden waggled his brows. With a grin of pure wickedness, Hayden reclined on the bed next to her, propping himself up on an elbow. “I do enjoy watching. For now.” “Leave us,” Rand growled. “My bed. My house. My rules, wolf. You would do well to remember that,” Hayden said. She knew that tone too well. Hayden wouldn’t budge once he’d set his mind to something. Rand kissed his way down her throat, pausing to lick her neck, right between the two pinpricks the vampire had left on her. He lapped at the skin and then took it between his teeth, nipping and then pressing a bit harder. Biting it. “Mine!” he growled again. If possible, she got even wetter. She’d never seen him like this, in such an aggressive, lustful state. It turned her on, and scared her a bit too. But in that thrilling way you got from watching a horror movie or riding a roller coaster. Exhilarating. “I see. She is to become your new chew toy?” Hayden reached over and tweaked a nipple. Rand slapped the other man’s hand away. “No heckling!” she said with a glare. Rand kissed his way down between her breasts and suckled first one and then the other. Then he captured them both in his hands and brought them together, kneading. Before taking them both in his mouth. Her legs fell open. Her sex urgently needed his attention.
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He seemed to grasp this concept quickly enough. Her head fell back on the pillow and she glanced at Hayden, who was stroking his cock as he watched them. Unashamedly. The purple head was engorged and he’d circled his entire hand around his cock, pumping it. His fangs had come out and rested against his lower lip as he watched them. God, he was beautiful. Like a statue. Cool and untouchable. But very fuckable. Rand put his hands between her thighs and shoved them wide apart. He pushed a finger inside her to find her wet and needing. Then he began to thrust two fingers in and out of her, fast and faster. She arched her back, on the verge of coming, when he stopped only to replace his fingers with his cock. Rand put her legs over his shoulders, opening her wide for his invasion, the penetration was incredible. Hayden came forward, his hard shaft swollen. “Open your mouth for me, coquette. I have need of your hot, wet mouth.” Rand growled. “Shut it, wolf.” Hayden pressed his cock into her mouth and she sucked him deep. Trying to keep her focus on the two men inside her. The pleasure they created. The contrast was incredible. Rand was hot and hard deep inside, pumping at a fast pace. Hayden was cool in her mouth, pushing into her throat. Her eyes slammed shut and she gave herself over to the sensation. Hayden came in her mouth, flooding her with his seed. She swallowed him down automatically and he pulled away from her mouth but she barely noticed. She opened her eyes to see Rand slamming into her body. His teeth were bared and he thrust into her as though he intended to imprint himself on her skin, leave his mark on her. Last time. This was the last time she’d ever be with Rand.
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Her inner muscles clamped down on him as her orgasm rolled through her. She wanted to keep him inside her forever. Never leave him. Her body arched up as she came, and sinking her nails into his shoulders, she rode it out. Rand roared as he came. He collapsed on top of her and took her face in his hands. He kissed her forehead. “You are mine. I own you, Scarlet. You are free.” He owned her? He owned her! “I’m free?” Scarlet asked slowly. “Free.” With a smirk, Hayden had left the room to clean himself up. Rand stood at the window and she had wrapped a sheet from the bed around herself. “Yes, he turned over your ownership to me. You don’t have to stay here.” No, no, no. No! This was all wrong. She bit her lip. “So you are my new owner?” She’d never wanted him to become her owner. She didn’t want a power differential between them. She didn’t want to trade one Master for another. “Yes, you can leave with me. Today, preferably. Do you have any belongings or do we need to get you some new things?” “Today,” she repeated, unable to think right now. Rand chuckled. “Come on, Scarlet, we have a lot of territory to cover. Wolf Ledges is outside of Fredericksburg, a couple of hours from here. You need to get dressed.” She shook her head. This was wrong. All wrong. “No.” “You want to travel in that sheet? I know you haven’t worn clothes for a while, but you can’t leave the house that way.” “Why bother to dress me at all? Slaves don’t need clothing, you know.” “What?” His brow furrowed. “We can be together. I will persuade Aspasia to turn over the Blood Oath. So, you don’t have to worry about developing schizophrenia. You can leave here today with me and start living. In Wolf Ledges.” “No, I understand you perfectly.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t want to trade one Master for another. I’m not going with you.” 66
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“Do you honestly think I would do that to you? That I would keep you as a sex slave?” He tried to pull her into his arms, but she shrugged him off. “I’m not going to make you waltz around naked or give me your blood. Because of the oath, you’ll need to live with me, but you can see your parents, and even do other things, like go to college if you wanted or g—” “That all sounds good,” she said. God, he didn’t even get it. Didn’t know why she wasn’t happy. She was falling for him. She couldn’t be his slave. “But I can’t do this. I don’t want to be your slave.” “You’d rather be his slave though? Is that what you are trying to tell me?” Rand asked. He slammed his hand against the wall. “I see.” He shook his head, mouth tight. Features taut with anger. “I can’t believe this. Did I mean anything to you, was I just a distraction? Maybe a sex game the two of you play with visitors?” “No, you did mean something to me. You do, actually. But you weren’t even listening to what you said. You said that you had ‘freed’ me by making me your slave, instead of Hayden’s.” Rand’s fists were curled at his side. “You should stay over there. Stay away from me or I could do something we’ll both regret.” She took in a shuddering breath, tears falling down her face. “I’m trying to make you understand. I—” “I can’t hear this.” He walked toward the door “I’m going to pack and I’m leaving this place. You can stay here with your Master,” he said bitterly. “You both deserve each other.” “Rand, I—” “Call me Sir. Or better yet, don’t call me at all. I’m leaving right now.” His eyes raked over her. “You should take that sheet off. I’m sure your Master wouldn’t appreciate you covering up his property.” With that, he walked out of the door and out of her life.
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Chapter Five The rest of the day she wandered around the manor, not really hearing anything but the rush of blood in her ears. Rand was gone. Gone. Just like that. As suddenly as he’d come into her life, he’d gone. He’d tried to own her and then got pissed because she didn’t want that type of slave relationship. She didn’t want a power dynamic between the two of them. She’d thought he was different. Thought he cared for her. That evening, she finally decided to try to sleep. When she went into Hayden’s room, she found him lying in bed, a novel in his hands. For some reason, he had a big interest in the sci-fi genre, but what a vampire could find interesting about aliens eluded her. “You elected to stay then, coquette?” He placed a bookmark in between the pages and turned on his side. She didn’t meet his eyes. It was almost as if she saw him through a fog. “Yes, I’m staying.” “I see.” He placed the book on the nightstand. “And I can see you are overjoyed by the prospect.” “I’m going to bed. I don’t want to talk anymore.” Hayden made a noise in the back of his throat. “So be it.” He gave the command and the lights went out. “Good night, my dear.” “Whatever.” Scarlet crawled into her trundle bed. She lay there in the darkness, listening to her heartbeat, and tried to calm down but she couldn’t seem to focus. Images swirled
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through her mind. Her head filled with thoughts of him, moments they’d spent together. Remembering what Rand had said, the way he watched her. How could she have been so wrong about him? She rolled over and grabbed the pillow from the other side, pulling it to her chest, seeking some sort of comfort. She wanted to be held but that was out of the question with Hayden. Why did Rand have to come here, anyway? Look at her the way he did, as though he found her fascinating. As though he couldn’t get enough of her. And the way he touched her. Just the memory of it caused her body to ache. Would anyone ever look at her like that again? Make her feel this way? She doubted it. Tears poured from her eyes, slipping silently down her face. She brushed them away angrily. She was strong. She could handle this. She could handle anything. She would get through this and she would be fine. Her throat choked with the effort it took to keep quiet. She didn’t want to let Hayden overhear how upset she was. She needed to grieve and piece herself back together. Could she live like this for another two years? Yes, Hayden fulfilled all of her sexual needs, took her to new heights of ecstasy but he kept her at bay. Didn’t let her in, even a little bit. She didn’t think she could stand it. But she’d have to. She’d made her proverbial bed, right? “While you have been quiet as a mouse, I can still smell the scent of your tears. Lumiez!” The torch lights came to life and she stared up at Hayden, lying in the middle of his big bed like a pasha upon a pile of thick cushions. “That wolf has made a mess of you. Where has my eager little playmate gone?” She shook her head. “No, I’m just…I’m just—” “Madly in love and bawling your eyes out because your intended has left you all alone with the wicked vampire?” 69
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She blinked, staring at him. “I’m not in love!” He raised a brow. “Yes, I can see his abandonment has left you indifferent. The only thing more pathetic than falling in love is denying that you are.” “I’m not pathetic,” she defended. “But you are in love?” “Stop asking questions,” she snapped. “Love creeps up on you, coquette. Sometimes it smacks you in the face and you cannot help but be stunned.” She stared at him. What in the hell was he babbling about? “Again, I ask. Are you in love?” “Not yet but I’m pretty damn close.” She laughed but it felt hollow. “God, I’m a mess right now.” She scrubbed at her face with her hands. Everything felt raw. “I’m not sure all of this is just about Rand. Some of it is about Amy, some of it is about being a blood slave.” His face showed compassion. And hurt. Had she pricked his vanity? “Would you believe me if I told you it will get better with time?” She hugged her legs to her chest, looping her arms around them. “Let me put it this way, I really don’t think it could get worse at this point.” “Well, it can and it will, pet. Time heals nothing. Just a childish adage, like fairy stories and sweets before bed. You just learn how to bury your wounds, but they still stay with you.” “Aren’t you sunshine and light?” She laughed. “That wasn’t very comforting, but thanks for the effort.” He shrugged. “I am not very good at human emotions, but I can offer you a little physical comfort, if that would help.” He patted the bed invitingly. For a moment, just a moment, she was tempted. She could see the heat in his eyes, the oblivion he could give her with his touch.
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She could crawl into that big bed with him, lose herself in sensation, give herself over to the mastery he exercised over her body, but in the end she would just feel empty again. As soon as her body cooled, she would be right back where she started. Only she would feel worse than she did right now. She shook her head. “I can’t do that again.” She didn’t want this anymore. Couldn’t live this life. Couldn’t hide her pain in meaningless sex. She wanted more. “More importantly, I won’t.” He shrugged, almost imperceptibly. “I thought I would offer anyway, though I doubted you would accept.” He paused a moment, as though trying to find words for something. “Why are you being so nice to me?” “You feel like mine and I take care of my own.” She rocked herself in her own arms, seeking to soothe herself. “I’m yours like this manor, or this bed, but not as a person.” He cocked his head to the side. “Do you hate me then?” She shook her head. No, not really. He had never lied to her, never pretended they were more than playmates. “I don’t hate you. I actually wished…” “That we could be involved sometimes?” “Yes, more than just our body parts.” She smiled wryly. “I’ve enjoyed the sex. A lot. I mean, really a lot, but I wanted more…” Hayden chuckled and she could see a wily look come into his eyes. “I see. Am I better than the wolf?” Figures. Men always compared. “I’m not going to answer that. I want to be loved by someone. I want to come home at night and have a man ask me about my day. I want to cuddle up in the same bed with him after we make love. I want him to hold me without expecting sex all the time. I want someone to share myself with. Someone who
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wants all of me, not just my body, not just my blood. The whole messed-up package. Faults and all.” “You are quite the romantic,” Hayden said, pausing to move over onto her bed. “That is a tall order for any man to fill. Do you actually think the wolf will please you? Meet every need on your little list?” She took a shuddering breath as she settled in next to him. “I think he could. I mean, would. I think that’s over. I didn’t want there to be a master and servant dynamic between us.” He leaned and pressed kisses to the side of her face. Hayden was kissing her? “I could have told him that, but he insisted on having your ownership. I suspect because he wants to keep you sane.” Hayden got closer, met her eyes. “I know he still wants you.” “How can you be sure?” He stroked the bed covers. “Because I watched you make love. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. He wanted to devour you, every last bit of you.” He settled over her, pinning her to the bed. “And because I want you, this doesn’t come easily, not to someone with my nature, but I want to be more to you. I want to keep you.” “You have feelings for me?” she asked, astonished. “Don’t sound so surprised. I have been fighting them for some time.” “You kept me at a distance because of Abigail.” It wasn’t a question. “I was afraid I’d lash out and hurt you, but the prospect of you leaving me to pursue the wolf brought things into a rather harsh, um, perspective.” “You told me I couldn’t go…” “I am no one’s jailer, coquette. What fun is it to have an unwilling bedmate?” “I see your point.” This was confusing. Her head was swimming. And she couldn’t think straight when she was this close to Hayden.
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“How do you feel about me?” He pressed kisses to her eyelids, her forehead. “Do you care for me at all, little one?” She did. She couldn’t have given him her body so often without being affected. “I do. I care for you. I just never considered the possibility, because you pushed me away all the time.” “I was a fool.” His mouth hovered over hers. She could tell he ached to kiss her, but she moved her head away. “And what about Rand?” “I see. You still want the wolf as well. Aren’t I enough for you?” “Is it selfish to say I want you both?” She kissed him then. Tremulously, pressing her mouth to his. He hesitated at first and then he devoured her. She felt as if years of wanting lay behind that kiss. He spoke against her mouth. “No more talking, coquette. I need you. I need to be inside you.” He spread her thighs apart. She was already wet, eager for his cock. She always was. He sank into her softly. Fucking her so very slowly. So that she could feel every inch of him inside. It was easy and about need, rather than mastery or position. With a growl he came, gushing into her. She came with a slow sigh. Easy and peaceful. Like coming home. He moved back into the larger bed but she didn’t follow. “Do you really need the wolf?” “Yes, I do.” Scarlet felt for him. Maybe it wasn’t love, yet, but it was close. Her feelings for Hayden weren’t uncomplicated either. Was it even possible to love two people? “How do you feel about Rand?” she asked. “I’m surprised you are taking this so well.” “I can put up with the mongrel if I get you in the package.” He gave her a naughty smile. “Now, climb into my bed and lie with me. I know that you are dying to cuddle.”
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She did, snuggling in against his side. It felt right, but it would be better with Rand. “Are you going to buy a bigger bed for him to join in?” “I’m not going to cuddle Rand. That’s where I draw the line. Fucking? Yes. Cuddling? No.” They lay there in the silence, but her mind was running wild. “So, have you had a lot of male lovers? I noticed when we had sex with other vampires, you both touched me, but not each other.” “I wouldn’t be much of a Regent if I screwed my underlings, would I? That doesn’t mean I haven’t sought my pleasures elsewhere. And often.” Maybe he was getting something out of this too. He had desires she couldn’t satisfy as well. She couldn’t help but laugh. “You are pretty much an undead manwhore, aren’t you?” He laughed, throwing back his head. “I prefer to think of myself as lusty. Now, what are you going to do about the wolf?” She bit her lower lip. “Why don’t you call him and ask him to come negotiate something?” “Nice try, coquette. If you want the wolf in our bed, you will have to do the work.” “Come with me?” she asked. “So I can also fall on bended knee and profess my undying love?” She kissed his neck. “Point taken.” Could she do this? Did she have the courage? She had to try. She’d always wonder if she didn’t. “Tomorrow morning. He said he was from Wolf Ledges, a gated community near Fredericksburg. I’ll go there and bring him back.” “Good girl.” He shook his head ruefully. “I almost feel sorry for the flea-bitten mongrel. You are going to be a bloody handful. He actually thought he could get you by offering to be your new master.”
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“Wait a minute.” She poked him in the chest. “You pushed him to tell me, when you got into the group action. You hoped I would be pissed at him and tell him off.” He looked innocent. Too innocent. “I had no idea that the two of you had fallen for each other so fast or so completely. I thought it was a little lust and maybe a bit of obsession. I had to be sure.” “That was…that’s just…” She broke off with a sigh. She couldn’t even be angry with him. It took too much effort. “Not going to rail at me, coquette?” he asked, raising a brow. “Rant about how that was not fair or sporting of me?” “No, it’s pretty much useless to bring that stuff up with you. You do what you want to do, consequences be damned.” She bit her lip. “I hate to spoil your mood with more bad news, but you do realize that your Blood Oath will be broken when you stop being my blood slave. When you leave here tomorrow, you will no longer be magically protected.” “I know,” she said softly. She did know but she wasn’t having much of a life here. Perhaps it was time to be strong, like Amy. “I hope he is bloody well worth it then.” His face grew serious. She could see it, even in the darkness. “If you took a wolf within you, I think you might be strong enough to keep the madness at bay.” “You really think that would work?” She sat up in bed. “Do you think that Rand would agree to make me a werewolf?” “I think it is the best option.” She started to feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe she could convince Rand to give her a wolf spirit. Everything she wanted in life was within her grasp. “I thought you hated wolves.” She lay back down. “Would you really let two of them in your bed?” “Just for the bloody record, you are something special, Scarlet.”
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She gazed up at him, tears burning her eyes. She reached around and undid the clasp, the ruby choker fell forward and she placed it on the nightstand beside them. “I believe that belongs to you…and I no longer do.” He gestured to the candle on the bedside table they had utilized many times in their wicked play. “Flamme!” he said and the candle flared to life. He held the choker up, looking at the firelight reflected in its shimmering depths. “I think you are wrong about that. I will have you for the rest of your life, not a few more years.” “I figured as much.” He placed it on the nightstand with a long-suffering sigh. “Blood slaves are so very hard to find these days, especially ones as tasty as you are. What about a drink for the road?” He looked down at her. “One last taste before you become all wolfy.” She couldn’t refuse him that. Hayden wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. Hayden licked her neck, along the line of her vein and she settled into his embrace. His hand tightened on her waist before he bit into her flesh and began to down mouthfuls of her blood. Once more, she felt a sort of spacey ecstasy, more pleasurable than an orgasm. Almost. He groaned against her throat, as though he couldn’t get enough of her blood. Finally, he retracted his fangs and she sighed. Hayden licked the wound until it closed. Then, kissed her neck. A large dramatic sigh escaped him. “I’m going to miss your blood dreadfully.” “You’ll get over it. Don’t you love werewolf blood?” “We do, but yours is a particularly tasty vintage.” He deliberately licked his lips, a lip-smacking sound like good old boys at a Southern rib cook-off. She couldn’t help but laugh. “But you’ll get over it.” He snuffed the candle with two wet fingertips. “I am going to live forever and I am hot as hell. Life is a big bowl of cherry-red blood for me.”
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She knew he was joking. Scarlet rolled her eyes in the darkness. “You are an undead pain in the ass.”
***** Wolf Ledges. The clothes Hayden had outfitted her with felt strange. She didn’t even know where they had come from, but she didn’t have time to be picky or suspicious. She hadn’t been restricted by clothing in a couple of years. The tight jeans, t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt kept her warm enough though, because it was a chilly night. Getting to the werewolf community had been easy, it was simply a train ride away. She’d already pressed the button on the gates and asked the guard to let her in, but he’d told her if she didn’t have a prior appointment with one of the denizens of Wolf Ledges, she could be on her way. So, that just left a little breaking and entering. She eyed the large wrought iron gates. They didn’t have any razor wire on them at least, but they were high, over sixteen feet. She imagined the werewolves within paid many pretty pennies for this much privacy. Scarlet looked both right and left, but no cars traveled the road. Good. She grabbed a rock and stretched her arms over her head, getting prepared. With a hushed cry, she lobbed the rock at the floodlight above her head. And missed it by six inches. It fell to the ground with a distinct thud. “Dammit.” She grabbed another rock and was about to fling it as well when a voice forestalled her, coming from the other side of the fence. “You know we paid good money for those lights. In fact, we have monthly fees for their maintenance.” “Rand!” She ran to the bars to see him standing, arms crossed over his chest.
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“I thought I smelled you, but I had to be sure.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes. Instead, he stared at the ground as though he found it fascinating. “What are you doing here, Scarlet? Did the vampire tire of you so soon?” “Not quite.” She undid the zipper of her sweatshirt and pulled it away from her neck. “See? No more necklace. No more servitude. I’m no longer his blood slave. Or anyone’s for that matter. I’m free.” He looked up, but not at her. “And the Blood Oath?” “It’s broken and it will stay that way,” she said. “I don’t want another Master, even a benevolent one. But that means I’m no longer protected against the disease but—” “Scarlet!” He walked to the gate and wrapped his hands around hers, through the bars. “Think of all you sacrificed, all for nothing. I can’t let this thing take you.” “You can’t?” He shook his head and she wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. “No, I can’t.” He sighed. “I am no longer Hayden’s slave, but I’m still with him.” His features tightened, jaw clenching. “I see.” “No, I don’t think you do. I love you, you idiot!” She bit her lower lip. “But I care for him too. I want both of you.” “Both of us?” His brow furrowed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t take your offer. I appreciate that you tried to free me from him, but you would have shackled me to you instead. I don’t want to be with you because I’m your slave. I—” “But you still want to be me with me? “Yes, I want to be with both of you.” But he didn’t say anything about it. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, a nervous gesture. “I got it, eventually, you know. Why you were so upset with me, I
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mean. When I talked to the pack leader, Dane, he called me a fool for trying to make you my slave instead of making you my mate, making you a wolf.” She couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face. “Sounds like a smart man.” “We need to see him. I know how we can save you.” She gripped him tighter. “Do you think we could have this conversation face-toface? Because I’m pretty much dying to kiss you.” He waggled his eyebrows in a silly but suggestive way. “Oh I don’t know. I think you and I could get into a little cage action.” “Pervert,” she teased, liking this playful side of him. “And you love it. Come around to the front and I’ll let you in, Ms. Break and Enter.” She walked to the entrance, but she still didn’t have her answer from Rand.
***** “You want to make her a werewolf?” Rand nodded. “I’ve never been more serious about anything. She’s strong. She can handle the change.” Dane Dawson nodded. Scarlet thought he seemed much older than his thirty-four years. The weight of this world strained on his broad shoulders. He nodded to Scarlet. “You wish to join us, become one with the pack?” “Yes, but honestly? I’m a little nervous.” “Then you are a smart woman. Joining with a wolf spirit can be disconcerting, to say the least, or so I’m told. I was born with mine, but others have joined later and it is never an easy process.” “What about my mind?” Scarlet asked. “Will taking in a wolf spirit keep me from madness?”
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“There are no guarantees.” Dane stroked his bearded jaw thoughtfully. They sat in his living room. Dane obviously had a thing for Native American art and there were several pieces in his home. It had a rustic, almost log cabin feel. “But it will make you stronger, that is, if joining with the wolf doesn’t drive you mad.” “I’m not exactly all the way stable though. The wolf could…what? Make me crazy, well, crazier.” “She’s strong,” Rand put it in. “I just want to make sure she knows what she is getting into,” Dane growled. “You will no longer be alone, Scarlet. You will be part of the pack. That is also an adjustment.” “The pack? But—” “When you let the wolf enter you, it becomes part of you and you become part of us. You join your own kind. You are part of the pack and will belong to all of us as we will all belong to you.” It had been so long since she’d been part of anything, held a significant place. She wouldn’t just be gaining Rand, she would be gaining a community and that felt safe. Satisfying. She nodded. “I understand.” Did she really have much of a choice? She could take on the wolf and possibly stop the insanity or slowly lose her mind anyway. “Rand is so eager to have you he can’t think straight, but I want to make sure you understand the consequences. Once you’ve joined your spirit to the wolf’s there is no going back. When it is done, it is done. You will no longer be human. There are no guarantees as to how you will react to it. “I have to try,” she said fervently. “What’s the alternative? Certain craziness? Pills don’t work on the kind of schizophrenia I have. It can’t be completely controlled by
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medication and therapy, and even if it could the drugs have horrible side effects. I don’t think I’m strong enough to face that.” “For your sake, I hope you are strong enough for your wolf.” Dane stood over her and pulled her into a friendly embrace. He touched his forehead to hers. “Welcome to the pack, Scarlet.” Rand’s hand felt warm and comforting in her own. Together, they walked into the woods on the edge of Wolf Ledges. He had supplies in the leather bag slung over his shoulder. The community seemed like any other, suburban ranch houses, surrounded by green lawns and flowers. SUVs in the driveways. All vestiges of the American dream, except that it was a community of werewolves. It all seemed so blessedly normal. Of course, her view could be obscured. Being a blood slave for a vampire could do that to you. Anywhere seemed normal after Fairfax Manor. “So, your pack lives here?” “Part of the pack. Dane is in control of all the Southern vampires. He’s the Master Wolf, but there are smaller leaders in other communities.” “And you are the Haglar.” “Yes, just call me Mr. Negotiator.” He brought their joined hands upward and kissed the back of hers. “I got you in the bargain, didn’t I?” “In a roundabout way, I guess.” They walked into the woods, all the way to a clearing on the other side. Nothingness surrounded them, except for the woods and the sounds of the night. Crickets humming in the darkness, animals scurrying in the brush. “Let’s get started,” Rand said. She felt cold, nervous but excited. The rest of her life was about to begin. She was about to become a freaking werewolf, for pity’s sake. Life had a funny way of solving problems.
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“We both need to take off our clothes.” She couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you sure you didn’t bring me here for a little nooky?” Rand wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He grabbed her ass and pulled her against his hips. “That is a fine idea.” As always, she couldn’t get enough of him. She pushed at his leather jacket and it fell to the ground and then she grabbed his shirt, pulling it up over his abdomen. Rand finished it, tossing it over his shoulder. She was wild for another taste of him. She pressed her face into his neck and inhaled his scent, pine and musk and man. She even loved the silky hair that covered him. She lifted her mouth for his kiss and he devoured her, kissing her hungrily. She could feel that he’d grown hard against her. Rand always wanted her, the way she wanted him. He fiddled with the button on her jeans. “This used to be much easier when you were naked. In fact, I might be longing for the naked days for some time to come. She laughed. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” She helped him and they shoved her panties and jeans down her legs. She wanted to be with him, needed him inside her. This might be the last time. The very last time. No. She couldn’t think that way. “Standing up?” she asked briskly. She wanted him and needed to be in the moment, with him. He grasped her hips and she wrapped her legs around him. She pushed him up inside her. They both gasped at the contact, heated flesh against heated flesh. She
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thought he felt at home there, as though he were meant to be inside her. His mouth fastened on hers and he moved their hips, pushing his cock into her sheath. Always so good. She met his eyes. Saw the wolf within, the wildness that lurked beneath the surface. “I want to be with you. Like this always.” “You will be. Soon.” He punctuated each word with a thrust of his hips. “You. Are. My. Mate.” “Yes!” she cried, feeling her orgasm start to form, a lightness in her body, as though she’d become weightless, and then that sweet rush of fire that obliterated her senses. With a shout, he fell to his knees and she heard him groan as he came. Felt him fill her with his seed, his life. He held her against his body and kissed her mouth again. “Now we make you one of us.” They stood naked in the field, facing each other. Scarlet didn’t know what to do with herself, so she wrapped her arms around her middle and then let them drop to her sides. “I can’t do this yet. What about Hayden? We need to settle this.” “What about him?” Rand asked, his face a mask. “I have feelings for him too. He is willing to be with both of us. Together, we all could be happy.” “With a bloodsucker? I don’t think so.” She sighed. Male egos. “At least come back with me and try it.” “No, I can’t.” “Oh, please.” She squeezed her fist to keep from striking him. “Look. I know you had sex with Hayden and obviously you enjoyed yourself. You think he’s hot. So, this shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right?” “I guess you have a point,” he muttered. “Just because I fucked him, doesn’t mean I want to play house with him.” She ignored him. “If you are the Vampire Regent’s lover, that might come with quite a few perks for your pack, right?” 83
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“Yes, I guess it would.” “Why don’t you at least give it a try?” “I don’t like sharing,” he snapped. “You won’t be the only one who is sharing,” she reminded him. “And this will be good for our pack. I am about to become one of you.” His jaw appeared to tighten and when he finally spoke, it was through clenched teeth. “I will give it a try, but he and I will be having a little throw down. I’m not his pet. I will fuck him, but I don’t like him very much.” She felt like throwing her hands up and doing a victory dance. “Okay, thank you.” “You’re welcome. Now let’s get you healed and introduce you to your wolf.” In a large tortoise shell, he placed lavender, cedar chips and sage. Then he lit it with his Zippo lighter, charring the herbs and creating the sweetest-smelling smoke. He brought the tortoise shell close to her body and used a single feather over the bowl to direct the smoke over her. He started to fan her body with it, letting the smoke cleanse her. She felt herself start to relax. “That’s it.” His voice had become calming, lower in register, almost hypnotic. “Breathe in the smoke, let it wash over you. This is a smudging ceremony to cleanse your spirit.” She breathed in deeply and moved her shoulder in an arc, rocked her head from side to side as she relaxed. The smoke drifted over her body and she lost herself in the wild. She could feel the cool wind on her skin, leaving goose bumps. Caressing it. She stood with her arms raised, palms up, and listened to the woods, heard the swaying and cracking movement of the tree limbs, heard the mournful wail of an owl.
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She could feel the damp earth between her toes, squishing up thick and wet and fragrant with life. The wind rolled over her body, sweeping her hair away from her face. Taking her into this world. Scarlet took in a deep breath and then held it, grabbing hold of all the fear within her, all the doubt. That madness that lurked within. “Good girl. Let it go. Blow it out of your body, release all of it.” She blew it out, releasing her pain and her fear and the loneliness. She could feel it all leaving her, cleaning her essence. “Good,” Rand praised. He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. She could feel the heat of the smoking tortoise shell at her feet and his warmth at her back. “Now let it into the forest of your mind,” Rand murmured. “Let the wolf find you.” She waited. Watching. Listening. And then it came for her. The wolf had entered the forest of her mind. She could see it in the distance, a lone white wolf, wary and proud. Dancing toward her and then sprinting off, unsure if it trusted her. She needed to trust it, she realized. Let it become one with her. Accept it as a part of herself. In her mind, she knelt on the meadow floor and opened her arms to it, calling it to her. The wolf crept closer, watching her carefully. “Come to me,” she murmured. “Join me.” Finally, it reached her, within only a few feet. “I need you,” she whispered. “You need me. Come to me now. Be within me. Be with me.” It reared back and jumped, heading right for her. Jumping inside her. She could feel it inside, commingling with her own essence, her spirit. Scarlet’s eyes snapped open. She was suddenly awake and alert. 85
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She could feel it. The wolf within, brushing against her mind. “That’s it,” Rand coaxed. “Let it in. Let it get a feel for you.” She did, watching and waiting to see what it would do and then she felt her psyche settle, as though this new less than human half just became part of her. Blending in with the rest. With that acceptance came a rush of sensation. Scarlet padded forward on silent feet. She tilted her head, listening. She could see and hear everything, mice scuttling to and fro on the forest floor. Could see bees in the distance, clinging to a fragrant lilac flower. And she could smell. Everything. The damp earth beneath her, the fragrant living smell of the woods and the grass. The smell of Rand, still musk and man, with a bit of pine. But the scent of the pack too, a deeper, darker scent. The same scent she now carried on her own skin. “Scarlet?” he asked. “Is your wolf okay? Are you okay?” “We both are. It is part of me and I am part of it,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. “Just like you are part of me.” Scarlet rested her head against Rand’s chest, listened to his heartbeat and realized that she was free. Truly free. And ready to make her own life. With Rand. And with Hayden.
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Epilogue Moonlight spilled through the open window. She watched the full moon rise high in the sky, her breath coming in hot little pants. She’d never felt anything like it. The madness that she’d feared all her life was finally coming to fruition, only it wasn’t the schizophrenia she was experiencing. It was her first change. “‘You were right. I do feel wild,” she breathed. “Out of control.” Rand, Hayden and Scarlet stood naked at the window, eyes riveted on the moon. She couldn’t look away from it, awed by its presence. Beautiful, silver and large in the sky. Rand stood behind her, his powerful arms on either side of her. She could feel his sex jutting out from his body, aroused and ready for her. Hayden was also fiercely aroused, not that the moon spurred him on, but their erotic response aroused him. With a fierce growl, Rand parted her thighs and bent her over the windowsill. “I want to mount you right here.” She could feel his cock pulsing against the back of her thighs, hard and eager. She was just as aroused, her blood running hot like a fever. She felt…medieval. Primeval. Like an animal and she wanted to be taken by her mate. “Fuck me,” she growled, her voice deeper, huskier. “Take me.” Rand howled behind her. Hayden watched him, his hand circling his sex. It only excited her more. She gripped the sill, thrusting her ass out for him, trying to entice him into taking her from behind. He reached between their bodies and cupped her sex in his hand possessively, palming her. Then he shoved his cock inside her, between her splayed thighs, fucking her roughly.
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Eyes on the moon, while their bodies strained against one another. She felt a wildness gripping her as nothing ever had before. A desire to roam free in the countryside. Just her and her mates, headed out to rove in the darkness. Rand pinched her clit and she wailed. They’d never had sex like this before, reckless, rough. Out of control. “Rand, I’m coming. I’m coming!” With a moan, she felt the release roll through her, causing her legs to buckle. If it weren’t for her mate, she would have melted into a little puddle at his feet. With a roar, Rand pushed into her one final time, biting her neck as he came. She could feel the blood run down her throat, wet and thick. Hayden snatched her up into his arms. He circled her legs about his waist and sank deep inside her pussy. He lapped at the blood, taking his nourishment, growling in his throat. Then, he sank fangs in. Sucking deeply. He held her up against the wall and fucked her soundly. She wailed as she came again. Hayden growled as he pumped his cock in her, coming. He let her down and she swayed on her feet. Both men held on to her, to steady her. She took both of their hands, holding on to them. Hayden reached out and pulled Rand close, kissing him fiercely. Their passion was always angry, always hot to watch. “Be careful tonight. I don’t want either of you injured,” he ordered. The moon reached its crest. Catching their gaze. Holding it. Unable to look away, she felt herself spinning, as if someone had kicked the world out from under her feet. Floating, she sought another shape, another body to pour into, and she found one, one darker, smaller. More ferocious. With a long, moaning wail, she found herself on all fours, covered in fur and brimming with excitement. Beside her, one of her mates’ furry forms came into view, a large gray wolf.
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Hayden watched them both. “You look beautiful. My mates,” he said softly. “Go on then, pets. Go off and enjoy the night. I’ll attempt to stay up with you. Everyone deserves a good hunt, I think.” She looked back at Rand and gave a little yip. He, in turn, howled, loping after her and chasing her down the stairs. Hayden followed them. Together, they ran off into the night, into their future.
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About Cynthia Rayne Cynthia Rayne is a multi-published author in many romance, erotica and erotic romance fiction genres including romantic comedy, bondage/discipline, contemporary, fantasy, gay/lesbian and light and dark paranormal. She currently resides in northern Ohio.
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Also by Cynthia Rayne Bedrooms and Broomsticks Bewitching the Faerie Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile I anthology Love, Honor and Obey
Print books by Cynthia Rayne Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile I anthology
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Howl ISBN 9781419942341 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Howl Copyright © 2012 Cynthia Rayne Edited by Grace Bradley Cover design by Syneca Photos: YuriZhuravov Electronic book publication September 2012 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party websites or their content.
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