On the Prowl

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A Total-E-Bound Publication

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On the Prowl ISBN # 978-0-85715-905-2 ©Copyright Desiree Holt 2012 Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright March 2012 Edited by Stacey Birkel Total-E-Bound Publishing This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing. Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution. The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2. This story contains 54 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 10 pages.

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Cat’s Eyes

ON THE PROWL Desiree Holt

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Book two in the Cat’s Eyes Series For Seth Rogan and Kendall Raines it’s explosive attraction when they meet, but can he protect her from the killer stalking female shifters at The Litter Box? Homicide detective Seth Rogan agreed to spend his evenings at his brother’s club, The Litter Box, hoping to catch the rogue shifter who’s attacking and killing single female patrons. When he meets Kendall Raines, it’s twice as hard to focus because the chemistry between them is off the charts. The killer has left no clues and the bodies of his victims are piling up. Seth needs to find the murderous cat in a hurry so he can keep Kendall safe and mate with her for life.

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Dedication This one is for my real kitty cats, especially the black one who is always ‘on the prowl’.

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction: Facebook: Facebook, Inc.

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ON THE PROWL

Desiree Holt

6

Chapter One

Seth Rogan leaned against the end of the bar and popped a handful of peanuts into his mouth. The Litter Box, the main gathering place for cat shifters in the city, was very full for a night in the middle of the week, mainly because the owner—his brother, Max—had decided to extend Happy Hour on Wednesdays until nine o’clock. He had also added three food choices. That meant all the panther and leopard professionals that usually left by seven o’clock were still hanging around. Normally he’d just be happy that business was good for his brother. But right now there was a predator loose—a leopard with genetic flaws who preyed on the female cats at The Litter Box. He followed them home, broke into their places, raped them and then killed them by ripping out their throats. Which was why Seth, a homicide detective, was spending his off duty hours at The Litter Box scoping out the crowd. And wishing like hell all these women would go home…safely. “Don’t look so sour,” Max told him as he handed him a soft drink. “You’ll scare away my customers.” “I’d like to scare them away permanently,” Seth growled. “At least until we get this bastard leopard taken care of.” “No kidding.” Max’s face sobered. “He’s got to be new to the area because I have a hard time believing it’s one of my regulars.” “You’d have to be the one to spot a newcomer. I don’t get in here enough.” “And whose fault is that?” his brother asked. “You have no social life.” “Not all of us can be lucky enough to find a gem like your wife.” Max grinned. “And I had to work damn hard to get her.” Max had recently married Aisha McClellan, a woman he’d loved for a long time before circumstance had finally given him the opportunity he’d needed to let her know. Now he grinned like a fool every time someone mentioned her name. “Speak of the sweet little devil.” Max nodded towards the front door. www.total-e-bound.com

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Aisha had just stopped to greet Leo, the bouncer, before heading towards her husband. But it was the woman with her that caught Seth’s attention and nearly made his heart stop beating. She was small, like Aisha, but where Max’s wife was dark, she was a honey blonde. Thick, wavy hair cascaded past her shoulders. Black jeans and a hot pink T-shirt clung to a trim but lushly curved figure. His cock instantly hardened and every nerve in his body went on red alert. Desire coursed through him, tightening his balls and sending erotic messages to his brain. What the hell? Seth had definitely had his share of woman, but never before had there been such a strong, instant connection. Beside him, Max, who was also watching the two women approach, gave a low chuckle. “Be nice to me and I might introduce you,” he told his brother. “Who is she?” “She works with Aisha. Her name is Kendall Raines.” He nodded his head towards them. “Mind your manners.” Aisha took a seat on an empty bar stool and leaned across the polished wood for a kiss from her husband. Max winked at his brother as he put a lip lock on his wife. Seth didn’t care about watching his brother and sister-in-law make out next to him. He was much more interested in the woman sitting down next to Aisha. He stared at her and tried to pull his tongue off the roof of his mouth. Finally he cleared his throat and Max slid a glance at him. Seth frowned and tilted his head at the blonde. “Okay, okay.” Max chuckled and looked at Aisha. “How about introducing Kendall to Seth?” Aisha looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “The dark prince actually wants to meet someone?” “Very funny,” Seth growled. Aisha turned to her friend. “Kendall, meet Seth Rogan, my brother-in-law. When he’s not working as a homicide detective, he stands around and glares at people. Seth, smile nicely and say hello to Kendall Raines.”

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Kendall smiled at him and something inside him turned over. He wanted to bury his cock deep inside this woman and keep it there forever. As blonde as she was, he had a feeling when she shifted it was into leopard form. That was okay. He and Max had a lot of friends who had crossed breeds to mate. “Nice to meet you.” He smiled. “Can I buy you a drink?” “Don’t be too impressed,” Aisha told her. “He gets them for free from Max.” “It’s the thought that counts,” Kendall told her in a low, musical voice. She looked at Seth. “Thanks. That would be nice.” Seth wedged himself in between Kendall’s stool and the one next to her. “What’s your pleasure?” “Vodka martini on the rocks, please.” “I’ve never seen you in here before,” he commented while he waited for Max to fill their orders. “I don’t usually go out during the week,” she told him. “But Aisha’s been telling me about this place for ages. Tonight both of us had to work late and it just seemed like a good idea to stop by here on the way home.” Seth spotted a small table in the corner being vacated. “Let’s move over there”—he stared down his brother and sister-in-law—“where we can get acquainted in some form of privacy.” “Um, sure. I guess.” She sounded tentative, but she still slid off the bar stool and let him guide her through the swaying mass of bodies on the dance floor. He wanted to grab the table before someone else could claim it. “The atmosphere in here usually doesn’t lend itself too well to conversation,” he told her, leaning close to speak directly into her ear as the thumping music reverberated in the room. Her perfume invaded his senses, a slightly exotic flavour, like the blooming flowers of the jungle. His cock flexed slightly and his hormones went wild. Seth hoped he could control himself enough not to frighten her away. If he hadn’t promised Max he’d stay until closing, he’d find a way to whisk her out of there. “Aisha told me this is how she met Max.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Seth nodded. “She came in here for a long time before Max finally found the nerve to…be with her.” Kendall laughed. “Are you referring to the night my friend got stinking drunk and Max kindly took her home?” “Oh. So you know the story.” Kendall nodded. “Aisha and I have worked together for a long time. We’ve gotten to be pretty tight.” Seth cocked an eyebrow. “Yet you’ve never come in here before.” “And you know that because you spend all your free time here?” she teased. “Not really. But I’d know if you had because Max would have mentioned anything to do with Aisha’s friends.” The waitress wriggled her way through the crowd, balancing a tray over her head, then deposited their drinks in front of them. Seth watched as Kendall lifted her glass with slender fingers and took a sip of the drink with her full, sensuous lips. For an instant Seth imagined those lips around his cock and the arrow of heat that shot through him nearly fried his balls. Hastily he took a swallow of his club soda to cool himself off. “No alcohol for you, Detective? I didn’t think you were on duty right now.” He set his glass down. “Not technically. But I’m hanging out at The Litter Box after I get off to help Max out with a situation.” Her face sobered instantly. “Aisha told me about the leopard shifter who’s been preying on the single women here.” Sadness filled her eyes. “I hate that it’s one of my breed who’s doing it.” Seth automatically reached out and closed one hand over hers. “We all feel that way when one of our kind goes rogue. But Max and I are convinced it’s a genetically flawed shifter, perhaps the result of the mating of two different species.” A delicate shudder raced over Kendall’s curvy body. “I read a story about what he does to them. God…those poor women.” “You need to be very careful, Kendall.” He hadn’t moved his hand and was very aware that she hadn’t withdrawn hers from his touch. He cleared his throat. “So. Tell me about what you do at work?” “I’m an IT project manager. Like Aisha.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“You enjoy it? I can’t imagine spending all day sitting at a computer.” She tossed her head slightly, her hair flowing like waves of gold. Max had to grit his teeth to keep from reaching out and running his fingers through them. The nearness of her body to his had him hungering to touch every one of her sweet curves. To dip his fingers into the V of her sweater and feel the creamy swell of her breasts. To bury myself in her body and never come up for air. Whoa! What the hell’s happening here? Seth had a healthy sexual appetite, but he was always cautious, always selective, always in control. He was stunned by his instantaneous reaction to Kendall Raines. The air was rich with the scent of her pheromones and both Seth’s human and panther senses were on full alert. Go slowly. Don’t scare her off. And remember, you have a job to do here. “You’re looking at me so strangely,” she remarked during a momentary lull in the music. “Do I have dirt on my face? Is my mascara running down my cheeks? My lipstick smudged?” She grinned. “Have I sprouted alien antennae?” Seth gave himself a mental shake. “No. No, you’re fine. Sorry about that.” He squeezed her hand he was still holding. “Just thinking how lucky I am that I was here tonight when you came in with Aisha.” Her smile was suddenly shy. “Me too.” He shifted slightly in his chair. “I hate to do this, but half of me still has to pay attention to what’s going on here. I promised my brother.” “No problem. I feel a lot safer, actually, knowing you’re keeping an eye on things.” “Which means,” he went on, reluctantly moving his hand away from hers, “I should probably take a better look at who’s here. Check out the single guys to see if our predator is scoping out the scene.” “No problem.” He smiled as a thought popped into his brain. “How about dancing with me? That way I can enjoy myself and still pay attention to business. I hope. “Oh.” She looked momentarily startled. “Well, sure. That would be nice.”

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ON THE PROWL

Desiree Holt

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But once they were on the floor, Seth wasn’t sure it had been the best idea. For one thing, having Kendall in his arms made him harder than stone. The immediate connection that had sizzled and snapped between them gripped everything from his brains to his balls. Her scent teased at his nostrils, the silk of her hair brushed his cheek and her lush, firm breasts pressed into his chest. Just having her in his arms was sending images of her naked and aroused dancing through his brain. Nice, Rogan. Get your brain out of your pants. With a deliberate effort, he forced himself to look around the room. The bar was still crowded, the dance floor full and every other available space filled with people talking, sending out signals…looking to hook up. He wanted to shake each and every woman he saw and warn her that the man she was talking to might not be as safe as she thought. The bad thing about the rogue leopard was he left no traces at all and no one had any idea who it could be. He was apparently clever enough to maintain an outward appearance that gave off no warning signals. He could actually be any of the men Seth was eyeing— looking relaxed, casual, out for a good time and nothing more. The song ended and Kendall made a move to step back from him and off the floor. But the press of the crowd held them in place and in any event, Seth wasn’t quite ready to let go of her. The next song kicked in and Seth pulled Kendall more tightly against him, their bodies barely swaying on the dance floor, but the limited movement was enough to arouse him almost to the point of desperation. “I need to check with Max about something,” he muttered, startling Kendall as he lowered his arms and grabbed one of her hands. “Come on.” He moved them through the crowd like a man on a mission. “My drink is over there,” she shouted over the loud music. “Max will get you another one.” They were back at the end of the bar by now. “Right, Max?” “What he said,” his brother responded over the din. Seth held up two fingers, pointed at Kendall and himself and at Max, who nodded. “I thought you wanted to talk,” Kendall reminded him when the song ended. “Isn’t that why we went to sit at the table?” “Obviously this is no place to talk,” Seth grumbled. www.total-e-bound.com

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Or any place to hold a woman I want to strip naked and fuck senseless. At that moment Aisha hopped off her stool and came around to the end of the bar where Max had paused for a moment. “We’re heading out,” she told her husband, giving him a kiss. “You came together?” he asked. “Uh huh.” She grinned. “We dropped off my car and Kendall drove. She wanted to have me as an excuse if someone came onto her too strong.” She winked at her brother-inlaw. “That wouldn’t be you, would it, Seth?” He ignored her. “Fine. I’ll follow you home.” “That’s not necessary,” Aisha protested. “I agree,” Kendall added. “Besides, aren’t you needed here?” “Not until closing, really. If we leave now, I can be back in time.” He took each of them by the arm. “No arguments, ladies. Never disagree with the police.” He hustled them out before they could protest any further, nodding to Leo on the way. “I’ll be back soon,” he told him. Leo just grinned. The two cars pulled out of the parking lot in tandem. Seth followed closely behind the women, waiting when Kendall dropped Aisha off until his sister-in-law was safely in her house. When they got to Kendall’s apartment building, he pulled into a vacant parking space and walked her inside. “Isn’t this a little overkill?” she asked with a smile. “My own personal police protection?” “It’ll make me feel a lot better. Besides, I wanted to do this.” Before he had a chance to second-guess himself, he pulled her into his arms and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. Her lips felt just as full and soft as they looked, pliant under his after a bare second’s hesitation. He ran the tip of his tongue over the closed seam of her lips, unrelenting until she opened for him. When he glided inside and her wet heat enveloped him, his entire body caught fire. He pulled her tightly against him, the thick rod of his cock pressing against the softness of her body, her breasts burning into his chest. As he danced his tongue against hers and gripped her head to hold it in place, he had to make a conscious effort to restrain his cat, the panther that always growled deep inside him. www.total-e-bound.com

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I want to mate with her! Where did that come from? But even as he asked himself, he knew that it was true. They might have just met but the bond was so strong it was almost visible. When they came up for air and he looked in Kendall’s eyes, he saw that she felt it, too. “Seth, I—” He touched his fingers to her mouth. “Shh. It’s okay. We’ll take our time. But it will happen. I promise you.” He brushed his mouth over hers. ”I’m jammed up a little right now, between my regular shift and helping Max keep an eye out for the rogue leopard. But I want to see you. Tomorrow. Maybe for lunch?” She nodded. “Does Aisha have your cell number?” “Yes. She does.” She looked at him as if he was everything in the world to her. Fast. This is happening so fast. But in a real mating this is the way it occurs. Instantaneous. “Okay. I’ll get it from her and call you. In the morning. That’s a promise. And Kendall? Until this predator is caught, I’ll be keeping you safe.” The smile she gave him was enough to keep him warm all the way back to The Litter Box.

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ON THE PROWL

Desiree Holt

14

Chapter Two

“I can’t get that woman’s body out of my mind, Kendall.” Seth paced Kendall’s living room, his body a vibrating bundle of tension. Kendall leant back on the couch and studied him, her heart breaking for him. They’d been spending some time with each other every night. Usually it was at The Litter Box, what with Seth still trying to catch what the media had dubbed The Shredder, because the killer raked his claws over the victim after killing her, shredding her skin. Because talking at the club was difficult with all the noise, each day Seth took her to lunch near her office building. Then at night they stole whatever free time they could at the bar. The sensationalism of the murders didn’t seem to be affecting business any, and the bar was jammed from the moment it opened every day at four o’clock. They hadn’t had much alone time. Their most intimate moments seemed to occur on the dance floor, when Seth held her so close she could feel his swollen cock pressing against her. The heat rolling from his body wrapped around her like an erotic cloak. And in Max’s office, where they managed to steal a few minutes here and there. God, the man could definitely kiss. His tongue was like a living flame every time he thrust it into her mouth, scorching her with the fire of sexual arousal. And his hands—magic. That was the word for them. But it was an unsatisfying situation for both of them. Kendall didn’t ever remember being as sexually or emotionally drawn to a man. Each night after Seth saw her safely home she crawled into bed and eased her sexual frustration with her favourite dildo, while she closed her eyes and pretended it was Seth. He’d taken her to brunch at one of her favourite restaurants, complete with orange mimosas, and they both should have been relaxed. But Friday night another woman had been killed and she knew it weighed heavily on the man who she was coming to care for more than she’d expected. “This is really getting to you, isn’t it?” she said when they were back at her place.

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ON THE PROWL

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“How can it not?” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Those poor women. Kendall, I can’t get their bodies out of my mind. I can barely imagine what they went through before they died.” “Aisha says Max is practically a basket case.” He nodded. “He’s even talking about closing The Litter Box until we catch this guy. He feels responsible in some way.” “But that’s absurd!” Kendall swung her legs to the floor and sat up. “No way is it his fault.” Seth shrugged. “I keep telling him that, but he reminds me if he didn’t have a place for cat shifters to hang out, he wouldn’t be providing a hunting ground.” He resumed his pacing, every line of his lean body tense—his thick black hair dishevelled where he kept raking his fingers through it. A muscle twitched in his cheek. Kendall hated seeing him like this. She rose from the couch, unclipping her long golden hair and shaking it loose. “I think I know how to get rid of some of that tension that’s got you wound up so tight,” she told him. He stopped in front of her and looked at her, his panther eyes smouldering with heat. “Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?” She normally wasn’t the aggressor in these situations, but no one had ever struck at her core the way Seth Rogan did. It wasn’t just that she wanted to do something to ease the anguish he was dealing with. She’d wanted him in her bed since the first night she’d met him and she was tired of waiting. “I was thinking a little exercise might be in order.” The fire in his eyes flamed brighter. “Oh?” He raised one elegant black eyebrow. “What kind of exercise?” Her face was so close to his that his breath was a warm breeze fanning her cheeks. She wound her arms around his neck. “Maybe the kind that requires us to take our clothes off first.” He threaded his fingers through her hair, clasping her head, holding it in place. “I’ve been trying not to rush you on this, Kendall. I know this will sound stupid—I mean, we just met a few days ago—but we’ve got something special here. That first night we were together www.total-e-bound.com

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was incredible. But I’m trying to give you some space. I just thought I should back off a little. I don’t want to ruin it by pushing you into something before you’re ready for it.” “Trust me.” She brushed her lips against his. “I am so very ready for this.” He’d kissed her before—kissed her plenty at The Litter Box and when he’d followed her home each night. But when he took her mouth this time there was a passion and heat to it. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, licking every surface, tasting her everywhere. She pressed herself against his hard, lean body, the heat of it surging through her. Her breasts felt heavy and the pulse in her cunt throbbed with insistent need. And Seth’s hot tongue was everywhere in her mouth. They were both breathing hard when he lifted his head, the smouldering look in his eyes washing over her like a dark flame. “I think it’s time to get rid of those clothes you mentioned.” Seth’s voice was rough, edged with lust. “I agree.” Her own voice was none too steady. “Then let me have the pleasure.” She stood completely still, every part of her body vibrating, as Seth slowly unbuttoned her silk blouse, tugging it from the waistbands of her slacks and brushing the fabric down her arms until it fell to the floor. One fingertip traced the upper swell of her breasts—a light sweep that brought goosebumps to her skin. His eyes darkened to polished onyx as he took in every detail, his hands palming her breasts and lifting them towards him, still contained in the silk and lace of her bra. “Gorgeous,” he breathed. He bent his head and captured one nipple with his mouth, fabric and all, grazing the taut bud with his teeth and sending thin shards of electricity through her. He gave the other one equal attention, still holding her in his hands, squeezing the mounds—now so sensitised she wanted to rip off her bra so she could feel him directly on her skin. She felt her inner cat beginning to growl, seeking to emerge, but she tamped it back down. Not yet, not yet, she told it silently. When he’d lavished enough attention on her nipples that she was ready to scream in frustration, he flicked open the front catch then tossed the bra on top of her blouse. His

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mouth blazed a trail through the valley between her breasts down to the waist of her slacks, his tongue licking along the line of the fabric. Kendall shivered with expectation. Seth’s lean fingers made quick work of the button and zipper. Slowly he pushed the material down her legs, kneeling as he did it so his face was directly in line with her pulsating cunt. Kendall balanced herself on his shoulders as she lifted first one foot then the other so Seth could add her slacks to the growing pile of her clothing. Holding her in place with his hands on her hips, he licked the insides of her thighs, light brushes of his tongue that had her quivering with the need for more. He slid his fingers up through the elastic edging at the bottom to caress the cheeks of her ass, his touch like a hot brand. Kendall rocked slightly, silently urging him to probe deeper, but he slipped his hands from her panties and caressed the backs of her thighs. “Your scent is driving me crazy,” he murmured as he buried his face against her pussy. She could feel his breath through the very thin silk, tickling her and arousing her even more. “Taste me,” she urged, rocking forward again. Seth lapped the front of her mound while his fingers stole beneath her silken undies again and stroked the cheeks of her ass. This time when he moved his hands away they took the flimsy scrap of material covering her pussy with them, tugging them down her legs and helping her to step out of them. She stood before him, shaking with need, while his eyes drank in every inch of her. “Naked,” she gasped. “I want to see you naked.” Who is this bold woman who’s invaded my body? Where did she come from? But every minute she’d spent with Seth this week had been an exercise in control for her. She had never met a male of any breed who had called to her inner cat the way this one did. The leopard in her screamed for his panther. She had two friends who had mated across breeds very successfully, and on Saturday, while Seth had been on duty, she’d called them and as casually as possible asked them about their matings. Their curiosity had been aroused and she’d barely managed to hang up from each one without giving away more than she’d intended. By the time today rolled around, her desire for Seth had reached a fever pitch. It was a wonder she’d been able to control herself this much.

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Seth nipped at her labia. “I don’t want to go so fast I frighten you,” he murmured against her flesh. “The last thing I am is frightened,” she told him in a breathy voice. “Fast is good.” Seth rose with his panther grace and stripped off his clothes in seconds, dropping them next to Kendall’s. Her eyes widened as she took in the muscled, lean length of him, the mat of hair on his solid chest, the thick, swollen cock rising proudly from its nest of dark curls. She drank in every bit of him, the pulse in her cunt beating even more strongly now. When she raised her eyes to meet his, she saw such intense desire it shook her to her core. “Fast is what you’ll get.” His voice was raw with passion. “At least the first time.” He urged her down onto the couch, spreading her legs and kneeling between her thighs. His gaze was so hot it scorched her and in response she arched her hips up to him in silent urging. Sliding his hands beneath the cheeks of her ass, he lifted her to his mouth and lapped the length of her slit. Kendall shivered at the touch of his tongue and a tiny moan whimpered from her lips. He traced her length again before swirling his tongue around the sensitive nub of her clit, rasping against the swollen flesh and teasing her until she was begging for more. When he shifted his hands to open her labia with his thumbs and thrust his tongue inside her, she screamed with pleasure. Her entire body seemed acutely tuned to his every touch. At the moment she was reduced to begging, he rose to his knees, wrapped his fingers around his cock and nudged the entrance to her pussy. “Put your legs on my shoulders,” he urged in a hoarse voice. The moment she did he drove into her with one strong, powerful thrust. Oh God! The sensation was more than she could have dreamt. He filled every inch of her hot channel, stretching her tissues to accommodate him, the head of his penis bumping up against the mouth of her womb. What felt like multiple bolts of lightning speared through her, stunning her with its electricity. Mate! The word echoed in her brain. She’d known it that first night, but did Seth have the same feeling? Then he pulled back, paused, then slammed into her again and her brain short-circuited. Her senses took over, the www.total-e-bound.com

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feel of him inside her electric, his scent surrounding her, the sight of his passion-scored face mesmerising her from above. She locked her ankles behind his neck, lifting her herself to him to increase the force of their joining. And then he moved, lean hips pistoning as he drove into her forcefully again and again. He shifted one hand to find her clit, rubbing it with a rhythm that matched those of his strokes in and out of her pussy. Again, again, again. The climax suddenly unwound within her with the released tension of a tight rubber band, snapping through her system. Her entire body began to shake as it clawed its way up from deep within her. “Now,” Seth growled. He pumped into her once more, hard, and as if called up by his command, her orgasm broke over her at the exact moment that he stiffened, growled her name and gave in to his own climax. Everything fell away and there was nothing but her and this man, shuddering with the explosion of their shared orgasm—shaking, breath sawing in and out, nerves firing again and again. When the last spasm died away Seth reached up to take her ankles and ease her legs slowly back down to the couch. Her heart was hammering against her ribs so hard she was sure he could hear it. She couldn’t seem to drag enough air into her lungs. Every muscle was stretched and limp and she couldn’t have moved if the place was on fire. Seth collapsed on top of her before rolling slightly to his side, his arms still around her. He brushed stands of hair back from her damp cheeks and smiled at her. “Either you need to get a wider couch or we need to make it to the bedroom next time,” he told her in a deep, soft voice. “I vote for the bedroom.” Her grin was suddenly shy. “I… We…um…sort of got carried away.” “Yes, we did. But I’ve wanted to do this since the minute we met.” Her eyes widened. “You have?” Heat crept up her cheeks. “I thought it was just me. What’s happening here?” “Something really good,” he assured her. “Something we need to explore.” He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “I want you to promise me something.” “Anything,” she readily agreed. “Just ask me.”

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“If there’s a night I can’t follow you home, I want you to ask Max to. He can put Aisha in his car and bring her back to get hers the next morning. But I don’t want you driving by yourself without protection.” Kendall shivered. “I hope you catch this predator soon. Customers are going to stop coming to The Litter Box and that wouldn’t be good for Max.” “You’re right. And believe me, it’s my top priority right now. I even got my chief to assign me to this permanently until we catch him.” He brushed his mouth over hers. “Meanwhile, could I interest you in a slow, steamy shower?” She laughed, relaxing again. “Sounds great to me.”

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Chapter Three

Seth was jittery. He leaned against the wall at The Litter Box, not far from the end of the long bar, hands in his pockets jingling coins—a habit he’d long used to calm his nerves, but tonight it wasn’t working. In the past ten days, there had been two more vicious attacks. Two more women raped and clawed to death. And he was still no closer to finding the rogue leopard shifter. He knew Max had taken it upon himself to talk to as many of his female patrons as he could. He’d even printed small hand-outs that he gave to them, with a message urging them to be careful and suggesting precautions they could take. So far it hadn’t affected his business too much, but he’d told his brother he’d close the place if he had to…if Seth and his fellow cops didn’t catch this shifter soon. Seth hated to even think about that, because The Litter Box was about the only safe gathering place for cat shifters of all breeds. But he didn’t want to see more women dying, either. And it wasn’t as safe as it once had been. His tension eased slightly as his eyes drank in the sight of Kendall sitting at the end of the bar, Aisha next to her. In the past few days the women had fallen into a new routine of coming into The Litter Box every evening after work. Sometimes they stayed until closing and Max would be on his wife’s bumper on the way home while Seth tailed Kendall. On those late nights another item had been added to the schedule—he’d spend the night at Kendall’s. And that was something else complicating his life, but only because right now he didn’t have the time to devote to her that he wanted. She’d become a very important person in his life, a feeling that went way beyond the off-the-charts sex that only seemed to get better. No, it was a lot more than that. It was a bone deep feeling that, after looking for the right mate for a long time, one had simply dropped into his lap. And he wasn’t about to screw it up. He was grateful that she understood the situation, but he wanted to be able to court her properly. The way she deserved. Mate!

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The word had echoed round and round in his brain ever since the moment he laid eyes on her. After the erotic Sunday at her place he’d been more convinced than ever, and the nights he spent with her in his arms only reinforced that. He really wanted to tell her to stay home until this killer was trapped—order her, really—but he knew that wouldn’t go over too well. He also selfishly liked being able to see her every evening. And he always made sure she got home safely. If she left before closing, he had a patrol car shadow her. Another CD slipped into place in the jukebox and Seth headed for the front door. Kendall had excused herself to go to the ladies’ room so he asked Max to tell her he’d be right back. He just needed to take a break from the noise level for a few minutes. Leo, the ever-present bouncer, pushed the door open for him. “Head starting to ache a little?” he joked, stepping outside with Seth. Seth made a face. “Don’t even ask. How the hell do you do this, night after night?” Leo grinned, reached up and removed soft plugs from his ears. “Self-protection.” “Hell. I wish I’d known that. I might have to get a pair for myself.” “I highly recommend it.” Seth studied Leo, wondering exactly what breed he was and how he’d ended up with the job as bouncer at The Litter Box. The man was shorter than Seth, maybe five-ten, solid muscle, with the familiar streaked blond hair of the leopard breed but with the silver eyes of the panther. “You’re a mixed, aren’t you?” he asked. Leo nodded. “Leopard mother, panther dad.” He chuckled. “Like you and the sweet, hot leopard hanging out with Max’s wife.” “So it works?” Seth asked. “Oh, yeah.” He winked at Seth. “Damn well. Look what a great specimen they produced.” He pointed at himself. Seth laughed. “And humble, too. So how’d you end up here as a bouncer?” Leo shrugged. “I was between…opportunities, saw the ad in the paper and Max hired me. So. How’s it coming with The Shredder? You guys have any leads at all?” Seth shook his head. ”I only wish. Right now every woman who comes to The Litter Box is at risk and I hate that.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Car doors slammed in the parking lot. “I think that’s my cue to go back to work,” Leo told him. “Let me know if you get anything on this guy.” “Will do.” Leo held the door open for the giggling group of women approaching from the parking area and Seth fell in behind them. He wondered unhappily if one of them would be The Shredder’s next victim.

**** It was last call and the killer let his eyes roam around the room, seeking the ideal prey for tonight. Three nights had passed since his last kill, three very long nights, and the level of unsatisfied lust had risen to new proportions. His inner cat roared loudly, clawing for release, and wouldn’t be denied much longer. The pickings tonight were prime, a selection of panthers and leopards who teased and tempted the shifters around them. And some mixed breeds that made his cock twitch and his balls ache…and the blood lust surge through his veins. He looked at his watch. Not much longer until closing. He’d wait until the last one was out of there, making his selection at the last minute. He’d slide out casually after he’d chosen his prey and wait in his car until she pulled out. He made it his business to chat with the females enough to find out where they lived. And how dumb was it of them to tell him. Then he’d take a faster route to their home, beat them there and be ready when they got out of their car. He’d be right behind them when they walked to their front door. And if they recognised him? He’d simply say he was so attracted to her, he’d had to find a way to spend a few minutes alone. Time to make a real date. Women were so gullible. All he had to do was smile at them, compliment them and their guard was down. And even with everything he’d been doing, they still hadn’t learned. He smiled to himself. If he was lucky it would stay that way for a good long while. Okay. His chosen target for the evening was just heading out the door. She was chatting with three friends, so he knew it would be a few minutes before she got in her car and left. Time enough for him to get ready. www.total-e-bound.com

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His cock was already throbbing with anticipation.

**** Besides Max, the last ones left in The Litter Box were Seth and Kendall. He’d watched everyone leave, doing his best to make sure all the females had one of Max’s little warning notes, then had shaken hands with Leo, who’d headed out the back door. Now he was ready to take off, especially since Aisha had left ages ago, meaning he’d be following Kendall home and spending the night in her bed. “Thanks for hanging around,” he told her. “I know you have to get up early.” “Actually, tomorrow I don’t. I’m taking a personal day.” She gave him a slow, sexy smile. “I need to catch up on my sleep.” He brushed the soft golden hair away from her neck and placed a kiss on the slender column of her neck. “Then I won’t feel so bad if I keep you up until dawn, right?” She leaned into him. “Don’t you have to get some sleep? You’ve been pulling double duty as well as taking very good care of me.” “Well, we’re both lucky because I don’t have to be in until noon tomorrow.” He turned to his brother as Kendall slipped off the stool. “See you tomorrow night, Max.” “Listen.” Max dried his hands on a bar towel then held one out to Seth. “You can’t possibly imagine how much I appreciate you doing this. I know it doesn’t leave you much time for sleep.” He grinned at Kendall. “Or much of anything else.” “Don’t worry,” she assured him, and winked. “We manage. Anyway, we should be thanking you, because if not for Seth’s hanging out here, we’d never have met.” “Something good comes from everything.” Max shifted his gaze back to Seth. “Any leads yet on who this might be?” Seth shook his head. “No, and I’ve got a bad feeling he’s about to strike again. I asked the captain to increase the residential patrols, but hell. We’ve got a whole city to cover.” “Go home,” Max told him. And chuckled. “To somebody’s home, anyway.”

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The drive home had seemed interminable and they were barely inside Kendall’s apartment when Seth grabbed her and pulled her into him. “I need you more than I can possibly tell you,” he growled softly and licked the soft surface of her lips. “Sometimes this is a crummy job, Kendall. I see things that give me nightmares. But until I met you I had no place to rest. To clean my mind and my soul. Maybe it’s been fast, but it’s real. I promise you that.” “I-I feel the same way,” she murmured. The kiss began as a gentle one, but the moment he traced the seam of her lips and thrust his tongue into the welcoming heat of her mouth, it took on a hotter, deeper dimension. His tongue glided across hers, dancing with it, drawing it into his mouth while his fingers threaded through the golden strands of her hair. She was like silk everywhere, her taste intoxicating, the feel of her unbelievably erotic. He nipped her ear lobe and licked the tender spot behind her ear. His lips slid across the smoothness of her cheek and down her neck, nipping lightly then soothing with his tongue. Kendall wound her arms tightly around his neck and her soft breasts were pillowed against his chest, sending messages directly to his cock. He stepped back a little and lifted her in his arms. “We need to get to the bedroom now.” He heard the edge of lust in his voice. “I’m not going to take you in the hallway standing up.” Then he grinned at her. “At least not tonight.” They undressed each other with a new familiarity, touching and caressing as flesh was exposed. Seth paused to cup Kendall’s breasts, hefting them in his palms, and bent his mouth first to one taut nipple then to the other. He pulled each in turn with his lips, grazing his teeth over the pebbled surfaces and swirling his tongue around them. Kendall’s small hands slipped down the muscles of his back, brushing over his ass before moving between them to take his shaft in one hand and his balls in the other. He sucked in his breath, on fire with the need her touch always evoked. Her thumb slipped softly over the head, pressing down lightly on the slit while her other hand rhythmically squeezed his balls. Oh Jesus! He gritted his teeth, determined to hang on until he could pay attention to her. The problem was she always aroused him to a fever pitch just by being near him. He wondered if www.total-e-bound.com

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they’d ever get to the point where he could take it slow and easy…without having to have fucked her three or four times first. Grabbing her wrists, he lifted her hands and kissed her fingers, tracing her knuckles with his tongue before placing her carefully on the bed. Her eyes glowed with the same heat he was feeling and the ink flush of desire suffused her body. He knelt between her thighs, running his hands over every dip and swell, every curve and indentation. Her tummy, the graceful sweep of her legs and the curve of her hips. Her breasts, their tips now a deep rose, pebbled as lust consumed her. Bending down, he opened the lips of her pussy, inhaling the fragrance of her scent before flicking his tongue across her clit. She jerked in response, widening her knees and lifting her body to him. When he pulled her clit into his mouth, little whimpers of pleasure rolled from her lips. He stroked the wet flesh with his fingers before sliding two of them inside her, curling them to hit her sweet spot. She rocked against his hand, nearly sobbing under the dual onslaught of his mouth and fingers. She was dripping wet and as ready as he was. Sliding his fingers from her quivering pussy, he grasped her hips, poised at her entrance and drove into her in one forceful thrust. Oh God! Being inside her, with her tight walls gripping him, was so intense that Seth had to clench his jaw to hang onto his control. If there was a different definition of heaven he didn’t know what it was. He could spend forever buried deep inside her just like this. “Seth.” His name floated out on a long exhalation of breath. He lowered his head to take her mouth, plunging his tongue inside the way he’d driven his cock inside her beautiful cunt. And then he began to move. Long, slow glides at first, in and out. In and out. The thickness of his shaft dragging against her tight, wet walls. He kept his eyes open, watching her, seeing her skin flush with desire and her eyes darken with lust. Mine! Mate! As he increased the pace of his strokes, her breathing became more uneven and her hands clutched at his shoulders. As he rode her harder, her fingernails dug into his skin and the sounds of pleasure that so aroused him spilled from her mouth. In. Out. In. Out. Faster, faster, faster. www.total-e-bound.com

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He could tell by watching her exactly when her climax was about to grip her and with a final plunge, he took them both over the edge. He collapsed forward, being careful not to let the full impact of his weight fall on her, and sprinkled kisses along the line of her jaw, wondering if it was his heart or hers he felt pounding against his ribs. A long time later, when they’d showered and crawled back into bed, he held her in his arms. Soon he would shift, and insist that Kendall shift with him. They would mate as cats and be permanently bound together. Just as soon as this rogue leopard was caught and captured. Or killed.

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Chapter Four

The killer was moving in human form, cruising the street where his current target lived in a small bungalow. He’d managed to discover her address in his usual manner, raced through the darkened streets to arrive there before she did then sat down the block with his headlights out. The moment he saw her pull into her driveway, he turned on his lights, accelerated and pulled to the kerb in front of her house. She turned when she heard the slamming of his car door. “Oh!” She was obviously startled. “Hi! What are you doing here?” She was standing at the steps leading up to her porch, key ring in hand. “Just wanted to make sure you got home okay.” He deliberately kept his voice low and even. Comforting, he hoped. And reassuring. Her smile was tentative. “Well, thanks. That’s very nice of you, but I’m fine. Honestly.” “Can’t be too careful,” he reminded her, gently placing his hand on her elbow and urging her up the stairs. “Come on. I’ll feel better when I get you inside.” A lot better, my pretty little prey. She hurried up the stairs, her dark red curls bouncing as she moved, and inserted her key in the lock. “I’m good now.” She smiled up at him. “Thanks again.” “No problem.” Be smooth here. “But I’ll feel a lot better when you’re actually inside.” He reached around her to turn the knob and push the door open. She stiffened at the threshold, trying to use her body to block him, but he was faster and stronger. Gripping her arm, he shoved her inside then slammed the door behind him, flipping the lock. “What are you doing?” The fear in her voce was an aphrodisiac. The more frightened they were, the more aroused he became. “Helping myself to a tasty treat,” he growled and began tearing her clothes from her body.

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He loved it when they struggled. It only incited him more. When he’d overpowered her with his superior strength and had her stripped naked, he tore her bra and used the pieces to bind her wrists. He wadded her panties into a ball and shoved them into her mouth to stifle her screams. Then, shedding his own clothing, he was on her in seconds, spreading her thighs and lapping to lubricate her. In another moment he was inside her, fucking her, spurred on by the bright fear shining in her eyes and the terror on her face. In seconds the brutal act was finished. She lay sobbing on the floor, branded by his bite marks. Staring down at her, he momentarily closed his eyes, inhaled and shifted. And then he attacked.

**** The ringing of his cell phone woke Seth. He groaned and reached across Kendall’s sleeping body to pick it up from the nightstand. “Rogan.” “Get your ass dressed and get down here.” His partner reeled off an address. “Yeah, yeah, what’s going on?” “We’ve got another one.” His partner sounded shaken. “Seth, we gotta get this guy.” Seth looked at the clock. Three-thirty in the morning. “How come she was found already? Normally we don’t get called until the following day when they miss work or something.” “This one had a friend from out of town staying with her. The friend was out on a date, came home and found her. Of course, now she’s a basket case, and understandably so. She’s damn lucky this maniac wasn’t still here.” “Okay, I’m on my way.” He pressed ’end call’ and tried to slide out of bed without waking Kendall, but she stirred as he inched away from her. “What’s the matter?” her voice was thick and soft with drowsiness. “Where are you going?” He bent down to kiss her as he buttoned his shirt. “We got a call-out. I have to go.” She sat up in bed and pushed her hair out of her face. “Another victim of The Shredder?” www.total-e-bound.com

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Seth nodded. “I want you to lock the door behind me and not leave the house until it’s light. Got it?” “Yes, of course. But he never attacks if the victim’s already home. And anyway, he’s done his deed for the night.” “Just humour me, okay?” He kissed her again. “I’ll call you at work about lunch. Let you know if I’m still tied up.” She caught his head between her palms. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You just take care of yourself and catch this lunatic.” “Believe me.” He gave her a brief kiss, taking an extra moment to run his tongue over the softness of her lips. “No one wants to catch him more than I do.” Listen…” He tucked his shirt in his pants and picked up his holster and gun. “Maybe you should go right home from work today. I’m not sure I like you coming to the bar until we catch this guy.” “Seth.” She smiled at him. “He never attacks until after the bar closes and if I stay until closing then I’m with you. I’m not going to miss spending time with you.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms. “When this is over, I’m going to tell you exactly how much you mean to me. And then we’re going to do something about it.” She tilted her head back. “We are? Don’t I get a vote?” He held her gaze with his. “I didn’t think there was a question about that. Am I wrong?” She laughed softly. “No. Not at all. And life’s too short for me to play coy.” “Good. That’s good.” He pushed himself off the bed. “And if I don’t leave now I’ll be right back in that bed with you.” He reached for his blazer and shoved his arms in the sleeves. “I’ll talk to you later.” “Seth?” “Yeah?” “I just wondered. Wouldn’t these women have noticed if he was trailing them home? Maybe driven to a safe place instead? I know I’d be very aware if there was a car behind me on these residential streets, especially after the first two or three killings.” “We’ve thought of that. Especially when he gets out and approaches them. He has to be someone they know. Someone they’ve hooked up with at The Litter Box.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“And someone who still appears safe to them after all that’s happened,” she added. “That’s something else we’ll be working on.” He gave her a last quick kiss. “Gotta go. Call you later.” Kendall grabbed her robe from the chair where she’d tossed it and followed him to the door, locking it and the deadbolt as soon as he left.

**** “We’ve got to approach this from a different angle,” Seth told his partner, Cord Chandler. “Like what?” Cord still looked a little green around the edges. He’d arrived on the scene while the kill was still fresh. “Kendall pointed out that women are usually aware if someone’s following them in a residential area, especially late at night. Also,” he continued, “he has to get out of his own car to approach them before they get in the house. No one’s going to open their door after two in the morning.” Cord nodded. “So it’s someone they know. Someone from The Litter Box.” “That’s what she thinks. Someone who can still present himself as friendly and safe even after all the killings.” “Jesus, Seth.” Cord ran his fingers through his already rumpled hair. “That means taking names and running checks on every male who’s been there more than twice.” “I’ll get my brother to help me. He can pull names from credit card receipts to begin with, and I can run them through the system. Also check to see how often they show up.” “And hope they don’t pay cash,” Cord pointed out in a sour voice. “And thanks for your optimism,” Seth groaned. “Well, let’s finish up here, see what the uniforms got from questioning the neighbours—if anything—and head out. I’ll give Max a call.” Cord made a face. “He’ll be real excited about that. He’s probably been asleep a whole hour.” “That’s okay. He wants to catch this guy as much as we do.”

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**** The killer had parked one block over and crept through the high hedges in a yard to hide behind two thick oak trees and watch the proceedings. He’d been startled when his police scanner had alerted him that the body had been found already, but it gave him an opportunity he usually didn’t have—to observe the scene in progress. Normally he was at work by the time that happened, so tonight was a real treat for him. It amused him to see the cops scurrying around like busy ants, not knowing exactly who or what they were looking for. He’d swallowed a laugh when one of the two uniforms first on the scene—young, from what the killer could judge in the light from the porch—had hung his head over the railing and puked his guts out. He wasn’t sure what he got the most pleasure from—the rape, the killing afterwards or watching all the activity. Or maybe it was watching the friendly look on their faces turn in an instant to one of fear. Oh, yes. That definitely got him hot. He reached down and stroked his erection through the fabric of his pants as he relived that moment. He’d discovered the blood lust at sixteen, when an encounter with a female panther had maddened him. That first time, he’d been so overcome with rage at her attempt to push him away that the rape and killing had occurred almost without any thought on his part. Afterwards, staring at the remains, he’d felt a satisfaction that exceeded anything he received from normal sexual activity. The killing had been the icing on the cake. The pack alpha had assisted in hushing the whole thing up and the killer was sure a large amount of money had been handed over to the teenager’s family. He’d had to listen to a lecture from the alpha as well as his father, and received punishment for what he’d done, which made him even angrier. That would have been that if he’d been able to control himself, but after the second killing he’d been ostracised from the pack. Tossed out like some piece of garbage. It pleased him greatly to know that he could continue his streak at will and neither the pack nor humans were able to stop him. As the first edges of dawn crept up in the sky, the killer made his way back to his car and drove off, satisfied with his night’s work.

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Max refilled his mug and Seth’s from the pot he’d put on when he’d met his brother at the bar. Seth raised his slightly in a gesture of thanks and took a swallow of the hot, rich brew. He’d need all the caffeine he could get to last through the day and into the evening. Sleep was a distant reward with all that he had to do. “Why don’t you take a nap in my office later?” Max suggested, as if he’d read his brother’s mind. He pointed to the big couch. “That may not be as comfortable as a bed but it serves the purpose.” Seth shrugged. “Maybe. I’ll see how it goes today.” “If you don’t get a little sleep you won’t be any good to anyone, you idiot. Listen to your older brother.” Seth snorted. “Oh, yeah. As if being one year older makes such a difference.” Max finished duplicating the credit card slips on the copy machine and handed the last of them to Seth. “Well, there you go. I wish you good luck. I don’t know how the hell you’re going to figure out who’s a killer from these. They’re all pretty much regulars and I’ve never seen anything off about them.” “That’s the thing. This guy manages to blend in. Appear normal. Not give off any signals.” “You’d think he’d at least carry a different scent,” Max remarked. “My guess is his scent is so mixed that he just blends in among all the breeds. Which doesn’t make my job any easier.” He swallowed another mouthful of coffee. “Thing is, it’s as though he just woke up one morning and started doing this. If he’d been littering the place with victims for years, we’d have a red alert out for him.” “You think he’s from outside the area? That he’s been doing this in other places?” “No. We widened our search for similar crimes all over the Southeast and West. Nothing showed up.” Seth raked his fingers through his hair. “What I do think, however, is that whatever is causing him to do this only incites him intermittently.” “So what does he do in between?” Max wanted to know. “That’s the question. And why he hasn’t left a trail anywhere else. Something triggered this. I wish I knew what.” Max clapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck. I’ll do anything I can to help. You know that.” www.total-e-bound.com

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Seth took the stack of receipts and pushed himself out of the chair. “See you later. And I might show up early enough to take that nap.”

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Chapter Five

Max looked up from pulling a draught beer when Kendall walked into The Litter Box. It was just shy of nine o’clock and the crowd was looking small, even for a weeknight. She noticed that Aisha had taken one of the stools at the very end of the bar and saved the one next to it for her. “Seth’s sacked out in the office,” Max told her. “Catching a nap before everyone descends at nine o’clock.” He glanced around. “He doesn’t need to rush. We aren’t that busy right now. The rogue probably won’t be trolling yet.” “Is he affecting your business, Max?” She had worried about that all along. “Not really. Weeknights are iffy, sometimes up, sometimes not.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I made fresh coffee if you want to take him a cup. He should be getting up soon, anyway.” “Okay. I think I will.” She looked at Aisha. “I’ll be back. Don’t let anyone grab my seat.” “No sweat.” She laughed. “I’ll just have Max run them off.” “Ha ha.” But Max smiled at her, his feelings for her simmering in his eyes. Kendall eased the office door open and closed it gently behind her, flipping the lock. Seth was stretched out on the couch, shoes and blazer off, tie loosened, a lock of black hair falling over his forehead. She set the mug of coffee on the desk then sat down at the edge of the couch, stroking his face lightly. “I know you think you’re sneaking up on me,” he said in the deep voice that always sent shivers skittering through her. “But I caught your scent the minute you opened the door.” He opened one eye. “Can’t fool a panther.” She leaned down and kissed him, intending it to be just a light touch, but he wrapped his arms around her, wound his fingers in her hair and took the kiss to a much deeper level. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, carrying heat and temptation with it. She slid her own tongue over his, loving the taste of him and inhaling his scent. He always smelt of earth and wood and…cat, an aroma that woke up every pheromone in her body.

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One large warm hand caressed her back and tugged up the thin fabric of her summer dress. His lean fingers slid across the bare skin of the cheek of her ass, finding the thong in the hot crevice and tracing the length of it. Kendall trembled as she always did at his touch. “I don’t think we have time for this right now,” she protested but without much conviction. “We always have time for this.” His mouth curved in a sexy grin. “I’ve been waiting for you so you could give me a proper hello.” His warm palm caressed the curve of her buttocks, his fingers trailing through the cleft between the cheeks. Kendall sucked in a breath as heat shot through her and cream soaked her thong. “You are so bad,” she breathed, leaning forward. “Just the way you like me,” he teased. He turned her, giving him greater access to her ass. He teased the tight ring of her anus and pressed it with a fingertip. “As soon as we get this mess cleaned up, I plan on letting my cat out and have you do the same, and I’m going to fuck you right here. Plunge my dick into your tight ass. Then you’ll be mine forever.” Kendall trembled as the image blasted across her mind and she nipped Seth’s ear lobe. His hand slipped around to her front and down until he reached her very wet pussy. Two fingers rubbed her clit, sending shards of icy heat racing through her. In a frenzy of lust, Seth yanked at her thong, ripping the fabric and tossing it to the side. Moving her so she straddled him, he unzipped his slacks and freed his heavy erection. Kendall glanced down at him. He was so hard and ready. Seth lifted her slightly with his hands on her hips. “Use your hand to guide me, sugar.” His voice was tight and raspy. “Take me inside you. Hurry.” She wrapped her fingers around his length and slowly lowered herself onto him. The sensation of him filling her like this was so intense she had to close her eyes, letting the powerful feeling engulf her. At once tiny spasms began to ripple through her. “Hang on, sweetheart.” Seth’s words sounded strangled. “One second here.” He found her clit and rubbed it, thumb sweeping back and forth. “Ohhhh,” she whimpered. “Now, Kendall. Now, now, now.” www.total-e-bound.com

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With the force of a tornado her orgasm crashed through her, shaking her body, Seth exploding beneath her. She felt every pulsation of his cock, felt every clench of her inner muscles around him. Nothing existed except their joining, the combined heat and the wave after wave of lust that rolled through her. Despite the mind-blowing intensity, she wanted to hang on to the ride and make it last forever. Finally spent, she collapsed forward onto his hard chest, his strong arms cradling her, brushing kisses with his sensuous lips over her forehead and cheeks. “Well…” His deep voice rolled over her like melted butter. “That was a hell of a greeting.” She lifted her head enough to smile at him. “If we had more time I could make it even better.” He laughed and sat up with her, adjusting her on his lap. “I’ll hold you to that later.” “Promises, promises.” She scooted off his lap. “And now I have no panties to wear, you caveman.” “But think how horny I’ll be knowing that, the whole time you’re sitting there next to my sister-in-law.” He touched a finger to her lips. “And no dancing with anyone. If I see anyone’s hand on your ass I might have to do a little clawing of my own.” “No chance of that, with you standing next to me glowering.” She laughed. “Your coffee’s cold. Let’s get you a fresh cup. The club should be filling up a little more by now.” They both took a moment to be sure their clothes were arranged and that they looked presentable. Then Seth unlocked the door and guided her out to her stool at the bar.

The rogue mixed breed leaned against the wall and surveyed the club. For the moment the crowd was giving the jukebox a rest so the noise level rose only with the volume of people’s voices. He grinned at two women who walked by him on their way to the ladies’ room, his usual smile that was one half reassuring and one half I’d-like-to-fuck-you. It was a look he’d perfected since he first began hunting. Others smiled at him as they drifted from the dance floor to the few tables or simply stood with their drinks. He loved the way the women looked after they had been dancing for a while. Sweaty. Clothes plastered to their bodies. The scent of their musk so strong he had a hard time keeping his cock in his pants. www.total-e-bound.com

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Careful here. Remember how hard you’ve worked to be the familiar face that women feel safe with. The one they love to laugh with. Chatter with. The crowd wasn’t quite as thick tonight as it had been, but he chalked most of that up to it being a weeknight. Wednesdays were always jumping but a lot of that was the result of the extended Happy Hour. He’d expected a little blowback because of the attacks, but he’d been around The Litter Box long enough to know that even fear didn’t keep these breeds away for long. This was one of the very few places—actually the one at the top of the list— where they could be confident there weren’t any humans in the crowd. If one happened to stray in, they were made to feel unwelcome enough that they never returned. He cast his eyes over the women one at a time. He’d really like a piece of the honey blonde sitting at the bar, but it was becoming more and more obvious she belonged to the fucking cop always hanging around. When the rage had first seized him, he’d had his eyes on Aisha McClellan. But now she was the boss’ wife, and if he didn’t want to bring down the wrath of hell on himself, he’d best stay away from her. His gazed wandered to the blonde again. She was just so damned tempting. It would serve the cop—Max’s brother, no less—right if he used her. That guy was just too condescending, the way he hung out and looked at everyone like they were suspects he wanted to drag down to the station and lock in an interrogation room. He and the owner had gone to great lengths to tell people he was there to see if he could spot the killer. That he’d protect them. The club even gave out flyers to all the women telling them what to do to be safe. The rogue smothered a laugh. As if. I’ll be gone before you can catch me. Maybe I’ll leave you with a special souvenir. But then he spotted a familiar face, another blonde that he’d developed a casual acquaintanceship with and his inner beast began to growl and hiss. Okay. Let’s put her on the menu for tonight.

Max took advantage of a slight break in the orders to spend a little time with his wife and talk to Seth about The Shredder. He leaned on the end of the bar next to where Seth was standing. “Were those receipts I gave you the other day any help?” www.total-e-bound.com

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Seth made a face. “So far no hits, but we’re still checking every single name that popped up multiple times.” “I hate to think one of my regular customers is this genetic mutant.” He looked around the room. “I find myself studying every man in here, looking to see if I can spot something out of line. You know—a glance, a gesture.” Seth shook his head. “Forget it. The Shredder’s perfected his act to the point where he doesn’t give himself away.” “But you do agree with me that he finds out where these women live by talking to them, right? That they feel safe with him? Even attracted to him?” “Yes. I don’t know how else he’d be able to learn all that. He’s easy to talk to. Smooth. A familiar face.” Aisha snorted. “That could describe half the men in here. Including the two of you.” “That’s what bothers me,” Max told them. “I know a lot of these guys almost as well as I know myself. It’s going to kill me if it turns out to be one of them.” “I wish I could promise you differently,” Seth told him, “but a familiar face from here is the most likely. It’s just frustrating the hell out of me that no matter how much I study everyone, I can’t spot him.” “Because,” Max reminded him, “like you said, he’s perfected the appearance he shows the public.” “I’d like to shred him myself,” Seth muttered. Kendall looked around. “It just gives me the creeps to think he could be looking at me right now.” Seth closed his hand over hers. “You can believe one thing. It’s obvious even to a blind person that you belong to me. And that Aisha’s taken. So at least the two of you are off the table for him.” “I wish all the other women had the same protection.”

****

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Despite the urging from the Rogan brothers, Kendall and Aisha had insisted on staying until closing. The last of the crowd had finally gone, Leo had left and Max turned the lock on the front door. “See you tomorrow night,” he told his brother. “At least in two more days it’s Sunday and we all get a day off.” “I asked the captain to ask for help from the sheriff’s department, stepping up the patrols. Maybe we’ll get lucky.” He helped Kendall off the stool. “Come on, gorgeous, let’s go home to bed.” She whispered in his ear, “But not to sleep, right?” Seth nipped at her lower lip. “I love an insatiable woman.”

**** Cindy had meant to leave early, but she’d been having such a good time. Tonight she’d danced more than usual. She wanted to think it was because the men had finally discovered she was a jewel in dull clothing, rather than the fact there happened to be fewer women tonight. A couple of the men she’d danced with a few times had even bought her drinks. But when it had come time to leave, she’d regretfully turned down a couple of invitations to follow her home. Until this maniac was caught, she was keeping her socialising strictly to public places, even with cats she knew well. Because, really, how well do you actually know anyone? Quit talking to yourself. You’re fine. Just get home, get in the house and lock the door. If she hadn’t still been talking to herself, she wouldn’t have been so startled by the familiar figure suddenly beside her in her driveway. Her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?” He smiled at her, the familiar curving of his full lips that always made her feel good. “Just doing my part to see you women get home safely.” “Silly.” She juggled her keys until she had her house key between her fingers. “You can’t see everyone home.” “Just my favourites. Come on. Let’s get you in the house.”

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His fingers closed over her elbow, urging her up onto her porch. He put his hand casually against her back as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. In the little foyer she turned to him. “Thanks so much for doing this. I’m fine now.” Before she could blink, he raised his hand and smacked her so hard on the side of the head that her ears rang. She stumbled and fell to the floor. “What are you doing?” she cried, as he pulled off his clothing. Then her eyes widened in fear. “Ohmigod! You’re…you’re him! Oh, Lord. Oh, help!” She opened her mouth to scream but he leant down and slapped her again. Hard. Dazed, her brain rattling, she tried desperately to scrabble backwards but he was on her now, ripping her clothes away. He clamped his hand over her mouth as he shoved her legs apart and entered her brutally. That was the last memory she would ever have.

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Chapter Six

They were lying naked in Kendall’s bed. She had her head on his shoulder, her fingers idly toying with the thick hair on his chest, his hand lazily stroking her arm. He was doing his best to relax, but the ever-present spectre of The Shredder continued to loom over him. “I’d tell you to put it out of your mind for a while,” Kendall commiserated, “but I’m thinking that’s pretty impossible.” “You’re right. I can’t erase the images from my mind of those poor women and the agony they went through. And their families. This latest one yesterday…” He tried to push the image away. The woman had been found when a co-worker had gone to her house to see why she hadn’t shown up at the office. “We had to send the woman who found her to the hospital, she was in such a state of shock. I’m sure it’s a nightmare that will haunt her forever.” “I can’t even make myself imagine seeing something so horrific.” Seth tightened his arm around her. “I’ve talked to our alpha about this.” “Oh?” She tilted her head to look at his face. “What did he say?” “We’re trying to come up with a plan where the pack can help. The problem is how to have a bunch of big cats prowling residential neighbourhood without calling attention to themselves and creating a panic.” “Have you come up with anything?” He shook his head. “Nothing definitive. And I certainly can’t bring it up to my captain. But the alpha’s coming to the bar tonight to talk to Max and me.” He shifted slightly. “You know, that will give me a chance to introduce you to him.” He felt the tension ride though her body. “What… How do you think he’ll react to me?” Seth’s sudden laugh was low, smooth, seductive. “You worried about getting his approval? Don’t be. He’ll love you as much as I do.” But her body was still stiff in his arms. “I’ve just been an orphan so long, without a pack of any kind, I’m not sure I’ll fit in.” www.total-e-bound.com

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“Hey, hey, hey…” He’d never thought about her reaction to his pack affiliation. They’d never discussed it before. He knew from Max that she was a stray shifter, apparently the sole survivor of an attack on her pack. “I don’t know if Aisha told you but she was an orphan, too, and with huge, huge problems. Now, through Max, she’s an integral part of our pack. And everyone loves her.” “She’s never said anything.” Kendall lazily dragged a fingernail over one of Seth’s nipples and his cock pulsed in response. “I mean, we’ve gotten pretty close, but she’s really a private person.” “I just brought it up so you’d understand that bringing you into the pack won’t be a problem.” She turned in his arms. “Bringing me into the pack?” “Uh-huh.” He kissed her forehead. “Surely you had to know that when this mess is cleaned up we’re going to move forward with our lives.” A tiny fist of worry grabbed his insides and twisted them. “Kendall, I don’t think I misread this, did I?” She gave his nipple a light pinch, then bent her mouth to soothe it with her tongue. “No. I was just yanking your chain a little. My bad.” She licked the other nipple. “I think I knew from the moment I saw you that we were meant to be mated.” “Oh, God,” he moaned, and rolled her beneath him. Her body fit his perfectly in every way, soft to his hard, curves to his angles. And the way her pussy always stretched to let him fill her with his entire length, her heat scorching him… He kissed her cheeks, her jawline, the hollow at the base of her throat where her pulse was beating a frantic rhythm. Then he turned to her breasts, capturing each nipple in turn, licking and sucking until she moaned her pleasure. He loved her breasts, firm and high and just the right size, with ripe, plump nipples that felt so good on his tongue. When he’d teased them to their fullest and hardest, he slid lower, laving the soft skin of her tummy and leaving a trail of wet kisses until he reached the neatly trimmed curls of her mound. He teased her with his tongue along the creases where hip and thigh joined together before giving in to her whimpering pleas, opening her labia and stroking his tongue over her slit.

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She lifted herself to him, those little sounds he loved so much rolling over him, and he obliged her by swirling his tongue around the hot bud and grazing it with his teeth. “Oh, oh, oh.” The soft exclamations were like spears striking right at the centre of his cock. He increased the pressure of his tongue, the pace of his strokes, his hands gripping her hips and holding her in place. When he drew his tongue the length of her slit, drinking in the sweet taste of her juices, she grabbed his hair with her slim fingers to hold him in place. As if I could ever leave. He licked every inch of her outer and inner lips, finally stiffening his tongue and thrusting it inside. Immediately the walls of her cunt trembled against him, tugging at him and he gathered her cream into his mouth. Jesus, he was so hard, if he moved the wrong way in bed his dick would bend or break. At last, when he felt the first signals of her impending orgasm, he rolled up to his knees, slid his hands beneath the cheeks of her ass and drove into her with all the force of the desire gripping him. “Seth!” She cried out his name as the climax took her and then he followed, the force of it thundering through both of them. He held her to him so tightly it was hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to breathe again, but at last his lungs inflated with much needed air. He rotated to his side, his arms still around her, locking her tightly against him, marvelling at his good luck in finding her and vowing to keep her safe.

**** The rogue stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom, checking the closeness of his shave, making sure he hadn’t nicked himself anywhere. He turned this way and that, checking himself from all sides. He enjoyed preening in front of a mirror, proud of the strong lines of his face and the sculpted muscles of his body. His blood pulsed through his veins as he thought about the night ahead. He knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer. He was sure to be caught. www.total-e-bound.com

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Damn you, Maria. No. Don’t go there. He still carried memories of that terrible, terrible night when he’d told Maria how he loved her and wanted to mate with her. The way she’d turned him down. Told him she’d already mated with another and had no feelings for him except disgust for his arrogance. The rage that had simmered beneath the surface since his first adult shift, that signalled him he was different than others, had exploded. His only saving grace was he hadn’t taken it out on her. No, he hadn’t been able to do that. Instead he’d gone to a local hangout for shifters, seduced a woman, taken her home and let his madness explode. Then he’d left town. Moved here. Got a new job. And as long as he didn’t think about Maria, he was able to keep himself under control. But then one night he’d been surfing Facebook and, knowing he shouldn’t, he’d looked for her page. And there, right in front of him like a red flag, were pictures of her and the ass she’d mated with. And everything had exploded. He knew he’d have to be moving on soon. Too many bodies. Sooner or later they’d figure it out, especially that smartass cop—Max Rogan’s brother. Then he’d be toast. A thought that had been dancing in his mind since the other night took root again. The blonde at the bar, the one the cop was so possessive about. He’d just have to figure out a way to get to her when she was alone. He knew where she lived. That hadn’t been hard to find out. He’d just followed them one night in cat form, satisfying his curiosity. Maybe the next time she didn’t show up at The Litter Box, he’d take himself for a little night-time stroll. The thought made his cock swell with anticipation. Oh, yeah, she’d be a tasty morsel all right. Meanwhile, he had places to be and things to do. After pulling on his usual jeans and Tshirt, he shoved his wallet in his pocket, picked up his car keys and headed out into the night.

****

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The Litter Box was less than half full and the people there didn’t seem to be in much of a mood to have fun. With the news of The Shredder’s latest victim circulating everywhere, the atmosphere was very subdued. The jukebox was silent, no one feeding it coins and dancing. Instead they huddled in small groups, their conversations almost whispered. Kendall sat on the end stool sipping a diet cola. She and Aisha had driven together but Max’s wife had left earlier, knowing Seth would take her friend home. Seth had an itchy feeling under his skin, wondering if he shouldn’t take a break to drive Kendall home and then come back to the bar. The alpha would be here shortly and Seth really needed to talk to him or he’d just leave for the night. There wasn’t much activity going on for him to monitor. No one was in the mood to hook up after the latest killing. “I might as well close up.” Max tossed a towel on the counter beneath the bar. “I’m not selling enough to stay open and everyone’s acting like they just came from a funeral.” “A lot of them did,” Seth pointed out. “They went to the service for the last victim. She was a regular here and everyone knew her and really liked her.” He scowled. “Damn it to hell anyway.” At that moment the front door swung open again and the alpha—a tall, muscular man with greying black hair—strode up to them. He shook hands with Seth and Max before embracing both of them. “Thank you for coming,” Seth told him. “Besides needing your brain, there’s someone I want you to meet.” He lifted Kendall’s hand, kissing her fingers. “Nathaniel Dobre, meet Kendall Raines—the woman who owns my heart.” Seth smiled as Kendall blushed. She pulled her hand back and held it out to Nat. “It’s an honour to meet you, sir.” “And for me.” He smiled at her and Seth watched her fall at once under Nathaniel’s spell, as did every woman from nine to ninety. The man had some incredible mojo going. “I’m going to close up,” Max announced. “Let me get Leo to help me clear everyone out of here. Then I’ll make fresh coffee for us.” He walked off to speak to the bouncer. Kendall finished her soft drink, put her glass back down on the bar and slid off the stool. “Seth, why don’t you let me take your car and I’ll go home. Max, would you mind bringing him to my place after y’all are finished here?”

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“Absolutely not.” Seth slammed his hand on the bar. “You are not leaving here by yourself.” She looked around the club. “Seth, there’s hardly anyone here and they’re all leaving anyway. I don’t think The Shredder will be hunting tonight.” “Just the same. Nat, can you hang out while I run Kendall home?” “No problem.” He smiled, eyes twinkling. “I’ll just harass your brother.” “About what?” Max asked, walking back to where they all stood. When Seth explained the situation, he suggested, “Why not let Leo drive her? He just ushered the last of the stragglers out and he’ll be taking off anyway.” Seth frowned. “I don’t know. I think I’d better—” “Come on, man,” Max said. “Leo’s a big bruiser. It’s like sending her home with an armed guard.” “Send who where with what?” With the last patron gone, Leo joined them. When Max explained, he grinned. “Sure. Maybe I can make time with your woman, Seth.” When Seth scowled, he laughed. “Just teasing, big guy. Honest. She’ll be safe as the crown jewels with me.” “I’ll be fine,” Kendall assured Seth and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. Then she winked. “I’ll be waiting up for you.” Seth pulled her against him and kissed her hard. “I’ll be there as quick as I can.” “Seth, tell me where you are with The Shredder.” Nat waited while Max brewed a fresh pot of coffee. “Nowhere.” Seth ran his hands over his stubbled jaw. “That’s just it. It’s the damnedest thing. Are there rumours from any other pack?” Nat shook his head. “Not a thing. I met with several of the other alphas this week, but they had nothing to report. No one seems to know who this rogue is, where he came from or what set him off. And they’re all on edge, waiting to see if he strikes one of their packs.” “Damn.” Seth scowled. “I’ve gone through all the credit card receipts of the regulars and had guys checking them out but not one of them looks like a possible candidate.” “Something set him off,” Max pointed out. “If we knew what that was we’d be halfway home.”

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“I’ve asked the alphas I met with to contact other leaders and see if any of them had even one incident they could tell us about. I should hear back tomorrow.” “The other thing,” Seth added, “is figuring out how he knows where these women live. Do they all give him their home addresses while he’s seducing them in here? No.” He stated the obvious answer. “It’s not that. And I’m not all that convinced he follows them. Kendall pointed out that a woman alone driving on a residential street would know if a car was trailing her and would go someplace safe.” “Then he already knows where they live,” Max told him. “So if they don’t tell him— and lately I can’t see that happening—how does he get the information?” “Didn’t you say something about credit card receipts?” Nat asked. “How many of the women here pay for their own drinks? And use credit cards?” Max frowned. “I’d say probably half of them.” “So then, who besides you has access to the credit card vouchers? All they need is the number and, if they know what they’re doing, they can find the address.” Max and Seth stared at him. “Someone you trust,” Nat went on. “And someone the women would trust when he approaches them at home. Before he shifts.” Seth watched all the colour leech from his brother’s face. ”Oh, sweet Jesus.” “What?” he asked. “What the hell is it?” “Leo.” Max could hardly get the name out. “Plenty of nights he totals those vouchers for me. And everyone here knows him. The women feel safe with him. He’s Leo, for God’s sake, who protects them from the rowdies.” “And we sent Kendall off with him.” Seth ran for the door, his heart pounding so loud he was sure the others could hear it. Fear was a river of ice flowing through his veins. “He’s only got a five minute head start on us. I gotta get to her house right now. Max?” “Right behind you. I just need to lock the back door. Please don’t kill yourself getting there. It wouldn’t do Kendall a bit of good.” “I’m calling the pack council.” Nat was right on Seth’s heels. “Give me the address. I’ll get everyone there.” “I just hope to God we’re in time.”

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Chapter Seven

They’d been driving in silence and for some reason Kendall felt the need to start a conversation. “So, Leo. How long have you been in San Antonio? Max told me you moved here from out west.” “About ten months. Give or take.” His voice had an unusual raspy quality to it. “Do you have family here?” “No. Just needed a change of scenery. Since it’s just me, I can pick up and go wherever I want to.” “Well, I’m sure Max is glad you answered his ad. He speaks very highly of you.” “Good to know.” Silence descended again. Why don’t I just shut up? I’m not exactly on a date with him. “There’s my apartment building,” she told him. “Right on the corner.” “Got it.” Of course. He’d used his GPS to find her address, so he knew where the building was. He pulled into a parking slot and turned off the ignition. “Better let me walk you to the door. Those Rogan brothers will have my ass if I don’t see you inside.” “I’m fine. Really.” She got out of the car, suddenly nervous for no discernible reason. “I promise I’ll tell them you took good care of me. And I’m on the ground floor. Look. Here I am.” But he was right beside her, his fingers closing on her elbow, walking her to her door. Her hands shook as she fumbled with her keys. What was the matter with her? “I’ll feel a lot better when you’re tucked away inside. Come on.” He winked. “Maybe Max will give me a raise.” She opened the door to her apartment and turned to him. “Thanks, Leo. I appreciate this. I’ll be sure and tell the guys what a good bodyguard you are.”

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“Oh, I’m not finished yet.” He shoved her inside, his face suddenly filled with a rage unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Kendall backpedalled into the living room, looking for something, anything to defend herself with. Leo stalked towards her, fists clenched, muscles bulging. She glanced desperately at her front door. Did he realise he hadn’t closed it completely? Would someone hear her if she screamed? She had to try. “Help!” she shouted. “Please! Someone help me!” She hoped she could reach the sliding glass doors that led to her patio. But Leo was on her, throwing her down on the floor and slapping her face with such force it made her head ring. “Shut the fuck up. Just shut up.” When she tried to get up he slapped her again, his meaty hand slamming against her like a piece of concrete, her head hitting the floor. “Help!” she screamed again, as Leo began to pull his clothes off with unbelievable speed. And then, as if materialising out of thin air, two panthers were on him, leaping on his back and tearing at his skin with their claws. “Shit. Get the fuck off of me.” He seemed almost impervious to the pain, treating the attack as an annoyance. But the panthers continued their attack until Leo’s back and arms were a bloody mess. And then there were two more panthers and a leopard, all with their lips pulled back, teeth bared. They joined the others in the attack until Leo was reduced to a bloody mass on the floor. One of the panthers poised over him, paused on his chest, then without further hesitation, sank his teeth into Leo’s throat and ripped away the skin. They all backed away, chests heaving, as they watched the life drain from the body. Kendall lay on the floor, pain shooting through her head. “Seth?” she finally managed. The air shimmered and in seconds a naked Seth stood before her. Bending down, he lifted her gently into his arms.

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“We’re good,” he told the others. As soon as the last cat was out the door, taking Leo’s body with them, he closed and locked it, then carried Kendall to her bedroom. “I’m so sorry.” He kissed her sore, bruised face. “I’m just so sorry.” “It’s okay,” she told him through puffy lips. “You got here before he could do anything. But how did you figure out it was him?” “Let me get you some ice and I’ll tell you.” He propped her head on the pillows, hurried to the kitchen and returned with ice in two plastic bags. While he held them on the places that were rapidly swelling, he told her about the conversation with Max and Nat at The Litter Box. “I never would have suspected him.” Her voice sounded funny and she figured it was because her mouth was so sore and swollen. “Neither would we, without Nat.” He bent down and brushed kisses on the parts of her face that weren’t bruised. “God, Kendall, if anything had happened to you…” “But it didn’t.” She wrapped her fingers around one of his wrists. “You got here in time and that’s what you have to remember. Where did the other cats come from?” “Nat. He called some of the pack members and told them they were needed.” “Do we know why he did it?” “You mean other than being genetically flawed? No. But Nat’s going to try and find out.” He took one of her hands and placed it on one of the ice packs. “Hold this here. I’ve got to call this in. It’s a good thing I have extra clothes here.” “How will you explain this?” He winked. “I’ll think of something. And we’ll need to get your story straight because they’ll want a statement. But not tonight,” he assured her. “Definitely not tonight. I’m getting you some aspirin and then taking care of this.” He kissed her forehead again. “I may never let you out of my sight again. I nearly had a damn heart attack.” “Promises, promises,” she teased, then winced. “Pain meds.” He headed for the bathroom. “Then I’ll call the station. And Nat and Max.”

****

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Kendall thought a three-ring circus might have been less stressful during the activity of the days following. Seth was at her side nearly every minute, waiting on her, packing ice on her face, bathing her to ease the sore places on her body where she’d fallen or been hit, coaxing her to eat. “You’re worse than an old woman,” she complained at one point. “Call me names as long as you do what I say.” When he’d had to leave, Aisha took personal time from work and came to sit with her. And on the third night Nat had arrived, Max and Aisha right behind him, with a story that was almost sad. He had finally found the alpha of the pack Leo had been born into. His father was a leopard, his mother a panther—one who had been rescued from a place where she’d been abused. She was filled with a lot of rage because of that and she’d passed that anger along to Leo. “Apparently his parents were aware of that,” Nat had explained. “It became evident when he had his first adult shift, but they worked with him to keep it under control. Then he met a woman and fell in love. Unfortunately, she mated with another.” He went on to explain about Maria, the woman who’d turned away from him, and the explosive rage that had been behind his first kill. “And they let him get away?” Kendall was aghast. “His parents pleaded on his behalf, so the alpha banished him. He ended up here.” “Our luck,” Aisha commented. “But what set him off again?” “We found his computer,” Seth told her. “He’d been stalking Maria online, including her Facebook page, which has all kinds of pictures of her and her mate. We think that’s what set him off again.” “He seemed so nice,” Max remarked. “Calm, trustworthy, making sure the women got to their cars. Keeping the rowdies out.” “Yeah, well, he did a good job of pretending,” Seth told him. Max had toyed with the idea of selling The Litter Box, but Nat and Aisha talked him out of it, and Nat promised to send him young men from the pack to act as bouncers.

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Kendall’s face had healed but, at Seth’s insistence, she had taken some extra sick time at work. Now the two of them were camping in the woods in the forested area the pack owned, a place where they could run freely. And she was nervous. “Tonight’s the night, right?” They were sitting cross-legged on a thermal sheet and Seth pulled her into his arms. “The start of our forever.” “Do you realise we’ve never shifted in front of each other? In all this time?” “And we’re about to change that.” He licked her lower lip. “You are my mate, Kendall. Do you agree?” “Oh, yes.” She’d come to realise she wanted that more than anything. “Then tonight we mate as cats, and next month we will marry in our human forms. Are you ready?” Was she? Absolutely. After they performed the ritual, they would be bound together for all eternity. When she nodded, he rose to his feet and held out his hand to pull her up. Gazes locked, they each removed their clothes. Butterflies were beating their wings in her stomach. At Seth’s signal she closed her eyes, inhaled, and as she let her breath out, slowly began to shift. Her body elongated, soft spotted fur sprouted on her skin and her teeth changed shape. She dropped to all fours and when she opened her eyes she stared into the eyes of a gorgeous black panther, sleek and sexy. In an instant he was off, racing through the trees, Kendall following behind him. It had been too long since she’d changed and an incredible sense of freedom flowed through her. They ran until they reached a small clearing, where Seth stopped and stood waiting for her. This is it. She held herself still as he circled behind her, licked her everywhere then, bracing his front paws on her shoulders, mounted her and thrust into her. The sensation was beyond anything Kendall had ever felt. If Seth’s cock filled her in human form, as a cat he stretched her to the limit. She immediately began to tremble, the walls of her leopard’s pussy gripping him tightly. The feeling was so intense that deep inside her body she began to feel her climax already pushing through her. Seth growled, nipping her shoulder, and pumped into her again and again. www.total-e-bound.com

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The orgasm shook them like a fist, nothing existing but the two of them. When the last spasm died away, Seth eased himself from her body and they both dropped to the ground. Putting a paw on her face, he licked her mouth over and over. When they had recovered, they rose and he led them back at a leisurely pace to their campsite. “I think I can sleep forever,” Kendall told him after they’d shifted back. “But I feel very, very complete.” “Me, too.” He draped them both in a large, warm blanket. “I love you, Kendall.” “I love you, too.” “And now you are mine. Forever.” “Forever. That sounds really, really good.” They sat wrapped in the blanket and each other’s arms, watching the campfire as it slowly died. Cuddled together, they were peaceful and content.

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Silent Hunters Desiree Holt

Excerpt Chapter One

“Come on, bitch.” The hooded man yanked open the back door to the SUV, grabbed her arm and dragged Lauren Rhodes out into the night. One hand ripped the duct tape away from her mouth. “You can scream now. No one and nothing will hear you out here except the wildlife.” She had no idea where she was. The windows of the vehicle were blacked out as was the privacy panel between the front seat and the rest of the car. She’d had to sit in absolute darkness, hands bound tightly in front of her, tape over her mouth, while they’d rocketed along whatever roads he took, slowing down only when the surface turned rough and bumpy. She stumbled on the uneven surface, trying to get her footing in the flimsy sandals. An hour or more ago she’d been standing on the unlit highway leading to her family’s home, wondering how she could have run out of gas when she’d just filled up her tank the day before. One minute she was trying to get a signal on her cell phone. The next the big SUV pulled up next to her, three hooded men jumped out, grabbed her and tossed her into the back seat. She’d still been trying to scream when they’d roared off, her cries cut off when a fist had connected with her jaw. She’d awakened to a hazy state of consciousness when the driver had stopped long enough for the man in the back with her to get out along with the person in the front passenger seat. Then they were off again, tyres screaming on the pavement. She’d tried desperately to gather her scattered wits together and figure out what was happening. I never thought it would come to this. And which one of them had reached such a point of desperation? www.total-e-bound.com

Before she could make actual sense out of her thought they’d arrived at this desolate place and she had no idea at all where it was. She managed to look around as the man dragged her roughly along the ground. She saw the dark shape of a cabin surrounded by a forest of trees. Holy shit. They were in the middle of no place. No one would ever find her here. Who were these men and why had they grabbed her? Her jaw still ached from the punch she’d taken and inside she was shaking but at the moment she didn’t have the luxury of fear. If he got her into that cabin she had a feeling she’d never get out alive. As he tugged her along the dirt again she dug in her heels and yanked her arm out of his grasp. When he turned towards her she brought her leg up sharply and kneed him in the balls. His cry of agony could have curdled blood, and while it still rang in the air she brought up her foot and kicked him in the crotch again. He dropped to the ground, curled up in the foetal position, and Lauren took off running. She could hardly make out where she was going, wiry undergrowth scratching her skin, her toes stubbing on tree roots that protruded from the ground. But she knew if he caught her she was worse off than dead. “Bitch. Where you at, bitch?” His voice had a strangled sound to it generously laced with rage. “When I get my hands on you, you’ll pray for me to kill you. I don’t care what my orders are.” Orders? Someone gave the order for this? Lauren pulled up next to a thick tree, bracing herself against it, trying to even out her breathing as she listened for the man’s progress. Cautiously she stepped away, one foot then another, being as quiet as she could. She’d barely gone ten steps before she heard him behind her and suddenly there he was. He still had the hood on but now he also had a gun in his hand. Lauren backed up, wondering if she could drop-kick the gun away, when she heard a growling sound and three furred bodies hurtled past her to land on the man. She stared at them, frozen. Wolves! She knew there were wolves in Maine. She’d spent every summer of her life near these woods. But she’d never seen them this close before. Fear slid through her like an icy finger as she watched them knock the man to the ground. One of them sank his fangs into the gun www.total-e-bound.com

hand and the man let out a scream. But the sound was short-lived, as in the next minute the other wolf ripped out his throat. Ohmigod! She was frozen to the spot, knowing she should run or they might turn on her next but her muscles didn’t seem to get the message from her brain. The wolves were huge, bigger than any wolves she’d ever seen, one a shimmery silver, the second a white so bright even in the darkness it almost hurt her eyes to look at it, and the third blacker than the night, and larger than the other two. When they turned to look at her she pressed herself as hard as she could against the trunk of the tree, sure that if she moved they’d be on her. But they simply stared at her with their amber eyes and unbelievably she had a sudden feeling of safety. Safety? Here in the middle of the woods with three vicious animals? She waited, helpless, for them to attack, but they simply moved slowly away from the body and headed back into the woods. They’d gone about twenty yards when they stopped and turned to look back at her. One of them gave a soft growl, the sound unbelievably nonthreatening. Do they want me to follow them? They stood there, waiting patiently. Well, it couldn’t be any stranger than the rest of this night. And I can’t hang around here. If someone tries to contact that man and they don’t get him there’ll be out here like a shot. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she ordered her feet to move. One step at a time she left the security of the tree. She’d only moved a couple of feet when the wolves moved again, slowly, as if waiting for her to catch up with them. They progressed like that, haltingly, until she finally figured out they were trying to lead her out of the woods. How totally weird. Wolves rescuing her? But it had to be better than what waited for her if she spent too much time like this, time when the man’s friends could check on him and come looking for her.

“She’s coming now,” Luke Spencer, the silver wolf, messaged his companion. “I wasn’t sure she’d follow us,” Mack Renfield, the magnificent white wolf, answered him. “Especially after we tore into that guy.” “Well, it was that or let him shoot her,” Damien Moreno commented. “What do you suppose that was all about?” Luke asked. www.total-e-bound.com

“I have no idea,” Luke answered. “But when I see a woman whose wrists are bound and a man after her with a hood over his face and a gun in his hand, I know whose side I’m on.” “We need to lead her to your place, Luke. I think what she needs right now is The Sentinels. That’s one woman in a huge pile of trouble.” “If we can get her close to the house,” Damien told them, “we can take off and let her go the rest of the way herself. The house will be lit up and easy for her to find.” “Good idea,” Mack agreed. “We need to slip in ahead of her and give Sierra and Kelsey a heads up.” Luke made a sound in his throat that would have been a laugh if he’d been in human form. “They’re probably still guzzling that wine and talking. About us. Even at this hour. We left them so we could take a short run. Remember? Who the fuck knew we’d run into this?” “Short run.” Mack snorted. “That certainly worked out well.” “Okay.” This from Damien. “Let’s just get her out of these woods and go check in with the ladies. Give them a little advance notice. Then find out what the hell this is all about.”

Lauren was exhausted. The wolves had raced in front of her, stopping and starting, and she had the weirdest feeling that each time they stopped they were waiting for her. Saying, “Come on. We’ll get you out of here.” For a brief moment she remembered stories she’d heard about a certain kind of wolf. A hybrid. A wolf that was… No, no, no. That’s just a legend. Still, the first time she’d heard it she’d done all the research she could, intrigued by the stories. She’d chalked it all up to someone’s fanciful imagination. Still, in college she’d taken a class called Legends and Lore and that was part of what they’d studied. You’re losing it, girl. These are just wolves that for some reason don’t intend to harm you. That have led you to safety. You hope. Then, just as she was about to collapse, she broke out of the trees into a clearing and saw a house. At first she thought it was a mirage but she blinked and it was still there. She looked for the wolves but in that instant they disappeared, flashes of silver and white and black that were just…gone.

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Lauren was so drained, shattered by what had happened that she could barely keep from crying. Multiple scratches that stung like crazy covered her arms and legs. Her wrists were raw where she’d tried to rub the ropes against different trees in an attempt to wear away the fibres to loosen them but with no results except broken and bloody skin. The straps on her sandals had worn blisters on her feet and ankles, her sundress was torn and her jaw throbbed from the blow she’d taken. She could barely put one foot in front of the other as she headed towards the wood and glass structure ablaze with lights. And in the back of her mind the same question kept rattling around: Who would do this to me? Kidnap me and have me taken to this place in the middle of nowhere? Instinct told her she couldn’t go home until she found out. If it was a kidnapping for ransom, they’d just try again until they were caught. If it was something else… No. She didn’t even want to think that. Couldn’t think that. Not in her present state, anyway. Lauren had no idea what time it was. She’d totally lost track of time. Late, that’s all she knew. Very late. But these people obviously were awake. She realised what a mess she was. Any person in their right mind would turn her away. She just hoped they didn’t take one look at her and lock the doors because she didn’t think she had anything left to keep her going. She also had no idea if the woman she glimpsed through the big glass door was connected to the men who’d taken her or not but she did know she couldn’t go on a minute longer. She was drained, terrified and desperately in need of help. She could only pray she’d found it here. She nearly crawled the last few yards to the steps leading up to the deck. She’d just pulled herself onto the deck itself, trying to find the strength to pull herself to her feet, when someone opened the sliding glass door. A woman, medium height, in jeans and a T-shirt with a long fall of deep golden hair. “Can you help me? Please?” Lauren croaked, hoping she hadn’t fallen into another lifethreatening situation out here in this godforsaken wilderness. But the wolves wouldn’t have led her here if it was, right? Ohmigod. Now I’m connecting with wild animals. I really have lost my mind. The woman smiled and crouched beside her. “Hi.” Her voice was low and musical and probably the sweetest sound Lauren had ever heard. “I’m Sierra. Let me help you inside.” www.total-e-bound.com

“Sierra?” A tall muscular man with long dark hair came out onto the deck. Lauren shrank away from both of them. “I’m…sorry to just walk in here like this. A stranger.” Her jaw was swelling, making it difficult for her to talk, and the words came out sounding raw. “I…I had nowhere else to go. I don’t even know where I am. I’ve been running for so long and I saw your house and…” Her voice trailed away Sierra guided her to her feet and smiled. “That’s my husband, Luke. He may look like he bites but I can assure you he doesn’t.” She sent a teasing glance towards the man. “At least most of the time. Come on. Come into the house. Those are some nasty scratches and we need to look at them. But first we’ll get rid of the rope.” She studied Lauren’s face. “And you definitely need some ice on that bruise.” They practically carried her inside and eased her into a big armchair. A very petite woman with her auburn hair pulled into a ponytail came into the room carrying an armload of first aid materials. “I saw you bring her in,” she said, “and knew we’d need these.” She smiled at Lauren. “Hi. I’m Kelsey Renfield. My husband’s getting the big clippers to get rid of that rope.” She looked over her shoulder. “And here he is, right on cue.” This one was as tall and well-muscled as Luke, but with dark brown hair that barely reached his shoulder and very intense dark eyes. Do they grow them all this big in this area? How come I’ve never seen any men like this before? She tried to curl into herself, wondering if she had the energy to flee back into the night. “Ease off, guys,” Kelsey said. “You’re scaring her to death.” “What did we do?” Luke asked, frowning. Sierra laughed. “I think you both just look forbidding.” The man Kelsey had identified as her husband handed over the big shears. When he smiled his entire face softened. “Sorry.” He voice had a husky edge to it. “I don’t know what sent you out into the forest at this time of night but you look like you got the worst of whatever it was. It’s okay. You’ll be safe here.” He looked at her face, studying the evidence of the blow. “Someone used you for a punching bag. If we find him I think I’ll have to teach him a lesson.”

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The words were said quietly but Lauren knew with absolute certainty that he meant them. And she relaxed just the tiniest bit. “This is my husband, Mack.” Kelsey gave Lauren a friendly wink. “He doesn’t bite much, either. Really.” She took the shears from her husband. Very carefully, avoiding the raw skin as much as possible, she clipped the rope and eased it off until she could toss it aside. Then she dropped down to sit cross-legged next to the chair and began handing the first aid stuff to Sierra. Lauren tried to gather her fraying wits together while the two women attended to her, biting her lip as the medicine stung the open skin. She couldn’t believe they’d just let her into their home in the middle of the night, in the condition she was in, as if it was nothing. Again, she thought, what if they had something to do with her kidnapping? What if this had all been a trick to get her here? As if she’d heard Lauren’s thought Kelsey smiled at her. “Don’t be afraid. Whatever chased you here I can promise you we’re not part of it.” “B-but you let me in here without…without asking any questions. Or anything.” “We’ve all had trouble at one time or another,” Kelsey told her in a soft voice. “We know what it’s like.” She looked at her husband. “Right, Mack?” He gave her a slow smile. “Right, babe.” Sierra nodded. “And we got a good feeling from you. If there’s trouble—and there obviously is—you aren’t causing it. And neither are we.” She squeezed Lauren’s hand. “You can trust us. I promise.” Just like that they got a good feeling from me? How does that happen? “Can you tell us your name?” Kelsey asked in a soft voice, her eyes filled with concern. She hesitated, finally stammered out her first name. “L-Lauren.” Should she have told them that much? She certainly couldn’t tell them her last name. Not until she knew more about them, and about what had happened to her. The Rhodes name was like a neon sign all over New England. But how in the hell was she supposed to find out who was behind this and why, stranded in the woods like this? “I see we have company.” The deep voice sliced through the air, low and rumbling.

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Lauren looked up at a third man who’d just come into the room and despite everything that had happened to her every hormone in her body went on full alert. Her nipples stiffened beneath her ragged T-shirt and cream gushed into her bikini panties. Holy shit! Lauren had known a lot of men in her life but none of them—not one—had ever drawn this kind of instant erotic reaction from her. He was tall, much taller than the other two men who had to be well over six-feet each. If she stood next to him he’d completely dwarf her five-foot-two body. Everything about him was dark, like a forbidden temptation. His hair was almost a midnight black, thick and falling just to the collar of his T-shirt. His square jaw was shadowed with end-of-the-day stubble, his cheekbones high slashes that emphasised midnight black eyes fringed with thick lashes. Sculpted muscles rippled beneath a black Tshirt and formfitting black jeans. A tiny gold hoop gleamed at one ear. For the first time in her life she had a desire to rip off her clothes and throw herself at a man. Unbelievable, considering she was, first of all, usually a very controlled person and, secondly, in possibly the worst situation she’d ever been in, frightened out of her wits. But there was something about this man, an air that surrounded him that said she could trust him. That there was no danger here—instead he’d protect her from whatever nightmare she was caught up in. And how much sense did that make? “You can take that alpha male look off your face,” Kelsey told him. “She’s frightened enough as it is.” He crouched beside the chair where Lauren sat and rested his fingers on her knee. A blast of warmth surged through her and Lauren had that same feeling of sanctity. Security. Protection. And lust! Where the hell had that come from? “Hi, little one.” His voice was deep with a rich timbre to it. “Whatever sent you here in the middle of the night, you’re safe now. I promise.” And she believed him. Kelsey had slipped off Lauren’s sandals and was now cleaning the blisters on her feet. The man next to her placed a hand very, very gently against her swollen jaw. He smiled but www.total-e-bound.com

the look in his eyes was murderous. If the man who’d done it wasn’t already dead Lauren was sure this man would take care of it. “I heard you say your name is Lauren. A beautiful name. Mine’s Damien Moreno.” Lauren looked at all the faces. “Do you all live here together?” Sierra laughed. “Not hardly. Luke and I live here. Kelsey and Mack have their own place in town. Damien’s visiting from San Antonio.” Her face sobered. “I think you’d feel better if you could take a shower. We’re not exactly the same size but I’ll find something for you to put on. Then we’ll fix you a drink and maybe you’ll tell us how you ended up here in this condition.” She let the two women ease her up from the chair but she noticed that Damien was right behind her. “You can’t go in the shower with her, Damien,” Sierra said, her voice edged with humour. “You’ll have to do your guarding out here.” “I’ll be right here when she comes out,” he answered. The shower felt incredibly wonderful, washing away the dirt and soothing her damaged skin. Sierra had left a T-shirt for her that she assumed was Luke’s since it hung well below her thighs, and a robe that was twice too big for her but covered everything sufficiently. She winced when she looked at her face in the mirror, saw the swelling and the ugly bruise forming. Who could’ve hated her this much? Sighing, she opened the door to the bedroom and found the two women waiting. “Damien’s making you an ice pack and pouring you a drink,” Kelsey told her. “We need to put some ointment on those scratches so they don’t get infected. Then we’ll go into the kitchen.” “Can I ask you a question?” she asked when they’d finished putting the salve on her. “Sure,” Kelsey said. “Go ahead.” “Do you ever see wolves around here? I mean, I know the grey wolf has been reintroduced into the Maine woods but I… You’re going to think I’m nuts and I’m not. But three wolves saved me tonight and I swear they led me here.” The two women exchanged glances.

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“There are…stray wolves around here,” Sierra acknowledged. “Some of them are…quite tame.” “Tame?” Lauren’s eyebrows shot up. “Wolves?” Then she shook her head. “Of course, who am I to argue? I’m not crazy when I tell you that I followed the three of them here.” “No. I don’t think you’re crazy at all. But for right now come on into the kitchen. You need ice on that jaw and a drink to settle your nerves.”

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About the Author I always wanted adventure and change in my life, and I certainly got it. I grew up in Maine, a beautiful place to live, then lived in the Midwest and Florida. Now I make my home in the Hill Country of Texas, truly God’s chosen place on earth. My husband, David, was a sixth generation Texan, tracing his roots here back to the time when Texas was a Republic, so retiring here was a dream we finally fulfilled. I’ve had a lot of firsts in my life—first female sports report on The Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan; first woman to own a rock and roll agency in Detroit, the home of Motown; first woman president of the Pasco (Florida) Economic Development Council. I graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in English and history, and a minor in economics, and went on to have at least four careers. When my children were small, I satisfied my need for writing by working for weekly newspapers. I had a wild and wacky time managing rock and roll bands. I joined the insanity of retail with a string of shoe stores. I worked in fundraising, public affairs and community relations. But writing fiction was always my dream. I had a lot of stops and starts, but it wasn’t until we retired that I could devote myself to it full-time. My wonderful husband, David, encouraged me and supported me in my dream and you’ll find a little of him in all my heroes. Our children are all grown and on their own, and are my biggest fans. When I’m not writing I’m an avid reader—anything and everything—and watching football, especially my beloved Michigan Wolverines. David and I golf and target shoot, and of course enjoy life in the gorgeous Texas Hill Country, where most of my stories are based. I am a member of Romance Writers of America, and San Antonio Romance Authors, Diamond State Romance Authors, and Passionate Ink chapter of RWA. Email: [email protected] Desiree loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com .

Also by Desiree Holt Crude Oil Beg Me Afternoon Delight Down and Dirty All Jacked Up Cat’s Eyes: Pretty Kitty The Sentinels: The Edge of Morning

The Sentinels: Night Moves The Sentinels: Dark Stranger The Sentinels: Animal Instinct The Sentinels: Mated The Sentinels: Silent Hunters Wet Dreams and Fantasies: Interlude Wet Dreams and Fantasies: Intermission Wet Dreams and Fantasies: Game On Brit Party: Four Play Caught in the Middle: Swingtime Heatwave: Summer Spice Night of the Senses: Carnal Caresses Threefold: Party of Three Feral: Black Cat Fever Christmas Goes Camo: Melting the Ice Treble: Trouble at the Treble T Subspace: Head Games

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