Mate of the Wolf

by Karen Whiddon

  A quick look around revealed she’d taken his car, so he couldn’t leave even if he had wanted to.

  Of course, now that she knew his true nature, she might order him to leave, not wanting a vampire cluttering up her world. If she did, Kane suspected it would break what little was left of his heart.

  What an oxymoron. Everyone knew vampires didn’t have hearts. True…at least until they found their Svetla.

  Finally, he allowed himself to think the word, even whispering it out loud. Svetla meant gift—a gift from the Fates. A Svetla was the one person a vampire could happily remain with throughout eternity, and legend held that finding a Svetla was the closest a vampire came to having their former humanity restored. While nothing could make the shriveled up muscle resume beating in a vampire’s chest, finding his one true mate brought a small spark of life there, forever burning. Now he understood why his chest ached so badly.

  Flipping open his cell phone, he called Malcolm. An ancient, curmudgeonly vampire eternally housed in a handsome thirty-year-old’s body, Malcolm was older than Kane, probably by several hundred years. And he lived right here in Anniversary, Texas. Very few knew of his existence, and he could kill a vampire hunter easily. If Malcolm had been nearby when Terry had been chasing Kane in England, Kane never would have left the country.

  Malcolm found the news of Terry Holt’s arrival amusing.

  “I’ll take care of him immediately,” Malcolm promised. “This Terry Holt won’t bother you any longer.”

  Terry Holt, Vampire Hunter, was as good as gone. Kane hung up the phone with a feeling of satisfaction. At least one thing had gone well tonight.

  A moment later, he heard the distinctive rumble of his car as it pulled into the driveway. Steeling himself, Kane went to stand near the front door, leaving the lights out. He knew a shape-shifter could see much better in the dark than a mere human.

  She opened the door slowly, then quickly stepped inside and closed and locked it.

  He stood stock still while her eyes adjusted.

  When she finally saw him, she tilted her head. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  The spot where his heart used to beat ached. Keeping his hands clenched at his sides so he wouldn’t touch her, he answered as best he could. “I was afraid.” Admitting fear cost him much—he who’d become so powerful over the years that other vampires feared him. “When I saw you, I went a bit insane. I didn’t want to admit who you were, what you were.” He swallowed, unable to say the word just yet. “Things moved fast after that, Allie. I’m sorry.”

  Arms crossed, she continued to stare at him, her face expressionless. “You do realize this causes all sort of problems, don’t you?”

  “Of course.” He wanted to ask her if problems really mattered when they had finally found each other, but the words stuck in his throat.

  “Of course, problems are meant to be solved,” she said, making him feel as though she’d read his mind. She sounded bemused. Then, to his disbelief, she crossed the room to stand in front of him and cupped his face in her hands.

  “You’re so beautiful,” she said. “Vampire or no. And you know what I am.”

  He still couldn’t speak, so instead he nodded.

  “For years, I’ve dreamed of meeting you. Gone on date after date after date, trying to find The One. I never gave up, never quit looking….” Her voice broke.

  Unable to help himself, he kissed her. This was a different kind of kiss than the hot, deep ones they’d shared before. He meant the soft touch of his lips to be gentle, to reassure her. But the instant their mouths connected, fire flared between them.

  “Oh my,” she gasped. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

  “I do.” Pulling her close, he held her, and kissed the top of her head. “Because you do the same to me.”

  She took a deep breath, pulling back a little to look up at him. “Kane, you’ve got to get out of here. There’s a vampire hunter in town. He’s tracked you here and he’s offering a fifty thousand dollar reward.”

  Joy bloomed in him. Joy and hope and love. Definitely, overwhelmingly love. “You don’t want the money?” He had billions, of course, and would pay whatever it took to help her friend. But he didn’t say so. Not yet.

  Staring at him, shock and outrage and anger flitted across her expressive face. “Of course I want the money,” she said, sarcasm and reproof in her voice. “But I would never betray you, Kane. Not for anything.”

  He had to be sure. “Not even for Emily?”

  A shadow crossed her eyes. “Not even for her. She wouldn’t want to live at your expense.”

  Her last words were swallowed up in his kiss. He kissed her long, he kissed her hard, he kissed her deep, showing her with his tongue how he wanted to make love to her.

  When they finally came up for air, she could barely stand. Kane had to support her.

  “Hell hounds,” she said in bemusement. Then, appearing to collect herself, she shook her head. “Seriously Kane, you’ve got to go. I don’t want to take a chance of that vampire hunter finding you.”

  Grinning, he told her about Malcolm. “Believe me, Terry Holt will never know what hit him.”

  “I’m so glad.” She touched her nose to his, wolf-style. “We need to talk.”

  Since her serious tone was full of love, he nodded. Though they needed to discuss their racial differences, he really wanted to find out if she realized the truth now, as he did—the truth of what they were meant to be to each other.

  He was her mate, and Allie was his Svetla, his own personal gift from the Fates. Among their own kind, such a thing was so rare, so life-changing, that vampires honored it above all else. Despite centuries of his own searching, Malcolm himself had never succeeding in finding his Svetla.

  Kane didn’t waste time wondering how such a thing was possible. Allie was his, and he was hers. Even if they were of different races. Even if this gift, this mate, was supposed to be another vampire, not a shape-shifter. Truth be told, Kane didn’t much care. If she was willing, he’d turn her so they could be together for eternity. They’d deal with the consequences later.

  “You first,” he told her, unable to keep grinning. This time, he let her see his fangs. He wanted to kiss her again, but thought he’d wait to hear what she had to say.

  As she opened her mouth to speak, her cell phone went off. “Not again,” she groaned, then went rigid as she recognized the number. “It’s Emily’s mom.”

  Answering, she listened, then closed the phone. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. “Emily’s had a relapse. Her body’s shutting down. This time, they don’t think she’s going to make it.”

  Suddenly, Kane realized he could give her a gift—but only if she and her friend were willing. “I may be able to help,” he said slowly. “Emily doesn’t have to die.”

  Chapter Ten

  Despite the liberating joy of realizing no matter what his nature, Kane meant the world to her, once she was at the hospital again, Allie had to struggle to stop crying. From what Mrs. Ralston had said, Emily had gone into a coma and hadn’t regained consciousness. The family had begun to gather, alternating between standing vigil and praying. Chance came too, his determined expression warring with the grief and pain in his eyes. He’d come to say goodbye to the woman he loved.

  Emily was truly dying. Unless…

  Did she really want to let Kane turn her best friend into a vampire?

  Did she have a choice? It was dead or undead, when all the rationale had been cut away. Not much of a choice after all. The way she saw things, being a vampire was infinitely preferable to being dead for eternity. Emily had accepted Allie’s shape-shifter nature without reservations. Though they’d never discussed vampirism, Allie suspected that Em would embrace her new life wholeheartedly. After all, Em had never liked the sun. It always burned her pale skin.

  If Kane was an example, vampires weren’t bad at all. In fact, she’d venture to say that they were just like everyone
else, human and shifters.

  Once more she glanced at the man—er, vampire—she loved. Kane would be Em’s teacher. Who better?

  Going to Mrs. Ralston, Allie begged to be the next one allowed in Em’s room. Grief-stricken, the older woman agreed, not even noticing when Kane went with her. Chance saw and opened his mouth to question, but a sharp look from Allie deterred him.

  Except for the machines and their beeping, Em looked as if she were sleeping peacefully.

  “Are you ready?” Clear and full of love, Kane’s dark gaze contained a question. Allie knew that once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Emily would die and then, upon feeding from Kane, be reborn as a vampire.

  Allie nodded. “Hurry. Before someone else comes in.”

  He reached out and punched a button on one of the machines. “To stop the alarms from going off when she dies.”

  With one last loving gaze at Allie, he bent over and fastened his mouth on Emily’s pale and slender throat. As he drank from her, her blood would circulate through his body, enabling him to feed her back. When his fangs punctured her skin, her body jerked. As he continued feeding, she jerked once, twice, and then a third time, smiling as the last of her lifeblood drained from her body.

  Then with a quick gesture Kane used his fangs to slash at his wrist, holding it to Emily’s mouth. As the first drop of blood touched her tongue, she came alive, fastening her lips to him and sucking greedily, the way a newborn baby takes milk from its mother.

  “Let me help you,” a deep, masculine voice said from the doorway.

  Allie spun. “How did you get in here?” she gasped. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “Allie, it’s all right,” Kane said, gently removing Emily’s mouth from his wrist. “This is Malcolm. He can move in shadows, so no humans see him. He’ll give Emily great strength if she feeds from him. To be allowed to drink the blood of one so ancient is a great honor.”

  Malcolm barely looked at them. All his attention was focused on the newly made vampire in the hospital bed. He moved toward her as if in a daze, then cut his own wrist and held it to her mouth. As she resumed drinking, he turned to look at Kane, his expression humble and full of awe.

  “You have found my Svetla, my friend. For this I am eternally in your debt.”

  “Svetla?” Allie didn’t understand.

  “Among our kind, that means gift. Gift from the Fates. She is his mate, as you are mine,” he said.

  Stunned, Allie looked at her friend, who was now awake and staring up at the dark-haired man with obvious adoration.

  Chance stepped surreptitiously into the room, likely having evaded the nurses to be there. He glared at Malcolm. “Mates? That’s not possible. She’s—”

  “Mine,” Malcolm told him, his tone full of certainty. “For eternity.”

  “Eternity?” A quick look at Allie and Kane, and the realization of what they’d done hit him. “You made her a—?”

  “We saved her life.” Kane took the shifter’s arm. “And look at her, man.”

  Em’s face was full of love as she gazed at Malcolm. She didn’t even spare Chance a glance.

  “That’s because he made her.” Furious, Chance rounded on them. “That’s the only reason.”

  “He didn’t make her. I did.” Again Kane tried to steer him toward the door. Again, Chance resisted.

  “That doesn’t make sense. Unless they’re…what is the term?”

  “Svetlas. They belong to each other.”

  Taking her eyes from Malcolm, Em gave Chance a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, Chance. I never felt this way about you.”

  Bowing his head, Chance accepted her words. Then, back straight and face averted, he left the room.

  Staring again at Malcolm, Em didn’t even watch Chance go. Malcolm leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back.

  “I feel like an intruder,” Allie told Kane. “Maybe we should…?”

  Before she could finish the words or the thought, Kane took her arm firmly, steering her toward the door. “Now someone has to tell her mother,” he said. “I think that should be you.”

  “The truth?”

  He shrugged. “That’s up to you. But you’ll need a cover story to give her family. Miraculous recovery, and all that. Also, a decent reason why she can’t go out in the sunlight, and why she sleeps during the day.”

  As soon as they exited the room, Allie crossed to Mrs. Ralston. She told her only that Emily appeared to have recovered, knowing Emily would want to tell her mother the truth in her own way and time.

  That done, Allie returned to where Kane waited, taking his hand and leading him down the hall.

  “Did you mean what you said back there, about me being your gift?”

  A look of such passion, such hunger, crossed his handsome face that it stole her breath away. “What do you think?” he growled. “Can you live with a vampire as a mate?”

  “You know you’ll outlive me,” she said. “Turning shifters into vampires is expressly forbidden.”

  He swooped down to kiss her, letting her feel a tiny bit of his sharp fang. “When have you or I ever cared about the rules?”

  A thrill went through her at the thought, as did a rush of desire so strong she wanted to jump his bones right there in the hallway.

  A door to the right caught her eye. An empty room? Marching over to it, she peered inside, a surge of joy going through her to find it unoccupied, the bed made up as if just for them.

  “Come here, mate,” she ordered, pulling him inside, closing the door, and locking them in total darkness. Shedding their clothing took only an instant. He was hard and ready and she, soft and welcoming.

  “It’s about time.” His throaty growl ended on a groan, as she pushed him onto the bed and straddled him the way she’d wanted to back on her couch. She clenched her body around his, thrilling to the possession of him.

  “Let me show you what it really means to be a wolf’s mate,” she said.

  And, to both their pleasure, she did.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-2079-3

  Mate of the Wolf

  Copyright © 2008 by Karen Whiddon

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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