The Vampire's Wolf

by Jenna Kernan

  But then she did. There was a tingling excitement that came from the brush of his thumbs against her bare skin of her neck. The gentle cradling of his hands about her upper arms. She could smell his aftershave now and the tang of sweat and soap.

  He pulled. She resisted.

  “What if you’re wrong? What if I draw your energy, too?”

  “You can’t, Bri. I’m immune to you. That’s why they send us to kill your kind.”

  His head dipped and his mouth pressed to her neck. Her head dropped back as a purr rumbled in her throat. His mouth was so hot, his tongue so thrilling. She turned her head.

  “You could be wrong.”

  “It’s all right, Princess. I can take it.”

  Her eyes narrowed at the challenge, and she tipped forward into his arms. She held on tight, reveling in the bunch and contraction of his warm muscles as he gathered her up against him, cradling her in the safe harbor of his arms.

  He tipped her chin up so she could meet his gaze. “You held back with the others. I know you did.”

  She gasped. How could he know that?

  “You don’t have to do that with me. I want it all. Everything you’ve got and then some. I need it.”

  He slid his hands over her bare back, across her shoulders and down her spine. She closed her eyes, savoring the strength of those arms and the tenderness of his touch.

  Excitement buzzed in her belly. She hadn’t felt this way in so long. But his touch aroused more than eagerness. There was something about him that was so different from any man she’d ever known. She couldn’t explain why. But she could feel the difference. The pull toward him was greater. The desire tugging at her insides was more powerful and the need that even now unfolded and grew inside her was stronger than she’d ever felt before. What if she didn’t hold back? What if she released all the passion and need?

  “No,” she whispered. It was dangerous. Too dangerous, no matter what he said. She had to protect him, keep him safe.

  “Yes,” he whispered against her cheek.

  You know that men can’t resist you. Was he really protected, or enchanted like the others?

  Fairy dust and moonbeams. Had she caught him like the Fey did, who used humans for their own amusement? Like her mother had bewitched her father?

  “What if it’s just the glamour?”

  “Glamour?” he murmured against her ear and his breath fanned her neck.

  “Enchantment. Fairy magic? What if it’s like all the rest? It’s not me that attracts you, just the Fey part of me.”

  “I want you, Brianna. I haven’t had a woman since this happened.”

  “You could have any woman.”

  He shook his head. “No. I can’t. I have to stay with Johnny. And even if I were free, it’s too risky. What if I was with a woman and I changed? What if she saw me?”

  She’d never thought of that, but she knew it would be bad. She held his gaze and he went on.

  “But you’ve seen me already. You’d understand.”

  Was it because she knew what he was or...a different possibility occurred to her and she shivered. “Is it because I can self-heal?”

  His answer was sharp and quick. “No. I won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you, Princess, even when in wolf form, and I would never force you. But I want you like crazy.”

  Mac’s fingers delved in her hair and he pressed her against his body, cradling her as if he were her protector instead of a man caught by her appeal. She breathed deep, taking in the newness and making it a part of her.

  She believed he could protect her. If only he could also save her from this evil that lived inside her.

  He leaned forward, and she let him take her weight. His mouth descended and she knew she wouldn’t stop him, because she was as much in his spell as he was in hers. She read a tenderness in his expression, a delicate balance of gentleness and strength that drew her in. She yearned for him now.

  This man was special. This man was right. She parted her lips, offering all.

  Mac rubbed his torso against hers. Her body reacted instantly to the contact, her breasts setting off a needy ache. She gasped and her gaze shot to his. His blue eyes no longer seemed gentle or kind. Now they blazed with a flame, the hottest of all fires, the blue point of a focused flame. His jaw went hard, and his gaze flicked to her lips. The lust in his expression snapped her from the spell that had threaded between them. He was no different from any man. He was just as susceptible to her charms and just as susceptible to her deadly powers. She pushed off. He resisted a moment and then let her go.

  He growled, a deep feral sound of a displeased male.

  “What if you’re wrong?” she asked.

  “I’m not.”

  She drew back and he let her go. “I have a boyfriend in the hospital. I shouldn’t be kissing you.”

  “He’s human. Best thing you can do for him is leave him for good.”

  Her chin sunk. He was right. He lifted her chin with one finger.

  “Do you love him?”

  Did she?

  “No,” she whispered. She knew she didn’t. Respected him very much. Admired him greatly. And Mac was right—if she cared at all, she’d leave him.

  Some of the tension left Mac’s shoulders. “You can’t have him, Brianna. If you keep him, it will be just like your mother and father all over again.”

  He was right. She’d never have any of the things she dreamed of. She’d never delve into a community and make it her own.

  “Never have a husband,” she whispered. “Never have a big messy house or children.”

  She crumpled in the middle as if struck by a blow. He gathered her in, holding her as she shook.

  “I can’t. I can’t have any of it. Not ever.”

  “You can have me.”

  Her gaze flashed to his and saw the raw desire burning in his eyes.

  “I don’t even know you.”

  “That’s not a deal breaker.”

  “Mac, I’m not a one-night-stand kind of girl.”

  “You are. You just didn’t know it because one night with you will kill most men. But not me.”

  She realized she was considering it. She couldn’t go back to Jeffery. She couldn’t turn to any friend she ever had. Her world had shrunk to two things: the vampires who wanted to capture her and this man who said he would keep her safe.

  “Is that why you agreed to help me?”

  His grip tightened and then he released her and stepped back, his expression grim. “No. I’ll protect you either way.”

  Damn, why did he have to say that? It made her want him even more.

  “Well, you just think on it, Vittori. We’ll be great together.”

  The attraction between them sizzled. Her skin flushed, her lips parted and she struggled to keep from stepping into his arms. When she spoke, her voice sounded breathy and tight.

  “I am grateful for all you’ve done, but I’m not ready for this.”

  “Maybe not today, Vittori. But it will happen. You know it will.” He lifted a hand and used his index finger to stroke her cheek. “Go sleep in my bed, Princess, and dream of me. You tell me when. I’ll be waiting.”

  There was a roar from directly outside the living room window. Bri jumped, finding herself in Mac’s arms, gripping tight to the fabric of his shirt.

  “It’s Johnny. We need to run, scout the area, check for intruders. You get some rest. Sleep tight, Princess. We’ll watch over you.”

  He kissed her on the forehead, his mouth warm and full of promise. Her body tingled all over, and she felt herself quickening with need. The pulse of wanting drummed in her chest with every heartbeat. When he drew back, her skin prickled with new awareness.

  You can have me. I’ll give you everything I’ve g
ot.

  She sighed, leaning into his embrace. The man must be part Fey himself the way he enchanted.

  He pushed her gently back. “Stay inside. The surveillance cameras are back on. See you in the morning, Princess. Sweet dreams.”

  But she wasn’t sleepy. Despite the fear and her narrow escape from the Chasers, she felt needy. And he knew it; she could see that in his sparkling eyes and the upward tilt of one side of his mouth. He wanted her to desire him, think about him and not have him.

  He lifted his brows and then headed in the opposite direction.

  She watched Mac stride away and followed him as far as the door, holding on to the frame to keep herself from going after him.

  Chapter 8

  Brianna tossed in bed, paced the cold concrete floor and finally gave up on sleep altogether. As she stared at the ceiling from the wide empty canvas of Mac’s bed, she thought of Jeff and grieved over her part in Matthew’s death. Then she tried to recall everything her grandmother had told her, merging that with what she had seen and what Mac had said. The headache caused her to close her eyes, and the worry finally gave way to restless slumber and dark dreams. She did not hear his approach, but something roused her from sleep as she sensed a presence in the room.

  Her eyes flew open to find Mac easing to a seat at the foot of the bed. He held a steaming mug in one hand and two mugs in the other. She inhaled the aroma of coffee, the fresh tang of aftershave and soap and the scent of wolf.

  “I didn’t know if you liked light and sweet, light or black. So I brought one of each.”

  “What if I like sweet and black?”

  He produced a packet of sugar and wiggled his eyebrows. “Don’t add what you can’t take back,” he said and his boyish grin made her laugh.

  “Black,” she said.

  “Minimalist, eh?”

  He offered the mug, and when she reached to take it he said, “It’s not free. Costs one kiss.”

  She hesitated, pushing the mop of hair back from her face and sat up, regarding him with a mixture of amusement and the slow burn of desire.

  “All right. But coffee first.”

  “Deal.”

  He handed over the mug being sure their fingers brushed in the exchange. God, he was even more handsome in the bright morning light. She considered him as she sipped her coffee. He sat with a relaxed ease that she found very sexy.

  “How’s the coffee?”

  “Strong, like you,” she said.

  He smiled. “We didn’t find any sign of them on patrol last night or this morning.

  “Well, that’s good.”

  He watched her with hungry eyes as she drank the coffee. She felt the flush burning up her neck and face. He held her gaze, and she felt her insides heat as she imagined all the things she wanted him to do to her and all the territory she wanted to cover with her fingers and her mouth. She held out the half-finished coffee.

  “Done?” he asked.

  She nodded and, instead of heeding the voice of caution, crooked her finger to invite him closer.

  He set her mug with the others on the wide adobe window ledge and then knelt over her with one hand on each side of the headboard.

  Her heart galloped as he descended to take a long, languid kiss. The man could kiss like nobody’s business, she thought, and then she stopped thinking as she wrapped one arm around that strong neck and loop the other about his broad back. She lifted herself up to press against him, gasping at the lovely pressure of his body against hers. He moved smoothly from her lips to her cheek, ear and throat. His touch stirred and coaxed until her senses blossomed into relentless need.

  When she clawed at his back and made soft sounds of encouragement, he drew back and cast her a regretful look as if sorry to let her go.

  “Did you dream of me, Princess?”

  She nodded.

  “Have you considered my offer?”

  “I did and I have.”

  “And?”

  “It’s a generous offer.”

  “But...”

  She wanted to be reckless and brave, but feared the sex appeal that oozed from him like a hive oozes honey.

  “But I don’t know you.”

  He sat back down on an empty place on the opposite side of the bed.

  “What do you want to know?” he asked a note of caution in his voice.

  “Where do you come from?”

  “I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan.”

  “Your family is still there?”

  “Yeah, Dad, Mom and an older sister and younger brother counting the days until he’s old enough to join.”

  “Tell me about them.”

  Mac flinched, as if talking about his family hurt him physically.

  “Dad owns a towing company. Big-rig towing. Specialized trucks, massive really. I’ve worked with him since I got my CDL.”

  “CDL?”

  “Commercial driver’s license, a trucker’s license. I can drive a rig and can tow anything on eighteen wheels. The plan was for me to join my dad after I got my discharge. In a few years my kid brother would come on board, MacConnelly and sons. Once I got out of the Corps, he’d give me a share in the company. But now I’ll never be out. They’ve already told me as much. It’s going to kill Dad. But he’s still got Sean. That’s my kid brother. Then there’s Bonnie. My older sister is married to a cop; they live in Ann Arbor, too. She’s expecting their first child.” He ran a hand over the stubble of his military haircut. “Shit, I won’t be there for that, either. But I’ll be an uncle soon.”

  “You can’t go for a visit?”

  Mac scowled at her and gave a curt shake of his head. His face showed strain and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

  “We’ve that in common, Bri. We both had plans that have turned to shit. I won’t take over Dad’s business. I’ll never drive that rig with my name painted in gold on the door.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I always thought I’d have a life like Dad’s. Work a little, fish a lot, find the right girl and fill up a big house with kids and dogs and rabbits and...” Mac looked away and cleared his throat.

  “You can still do that.”

  “I hope so. But not until Johnny turns back. Until then I stay with him.”

  “That’s very generous.”

  “Generosity has nothing to do with it. I owe him. I’ll never be able to make up for what happened.” He swallowed hard. “Things change. Plans change.”

  She placed a hand over his. “I’m sorry.”

  He stood, withdrawing as he scrubbed his face with his palms.

  “It’s like I died over there. You know? I went in one way and came out another.” His head hung. When he looked at her again his composure had returned but his face still showed high color. “But when they figure out how to get Johnny back, I can go visit. I can see them again. Family is the most important thing. You’re nothing without family.”

  She saw his eyes round. Had he just recalled that she no longer had family? What was most important in his life was nonexistent in hers.

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “It’s okay. You’re lucky to have them.”

  “I know it. I do anything for them and I miss them.” He rocked awkwardly from heel to toe as the silence stretched. Then he said, “You want chow?”

  She wanted to talk to him, assure him that she understood his loss and his sorrow, how hard it was to imagine your life one way and then find out it would be another. But his expression had turned hard again. So she only nodded.

  He rummaged in his footlocker and then laid out drawstring shorts and another clean T-shirt.

  “It’ll do for now.” He spun and headed for the door. “See you in the kitchen.”

  She had a quick shower, dres
sed and headed down the hall. She swam in his clothing but the drawstring kept up the shorts, which were more capri pants on her. He drew out a chair for her at the table and brought her a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. There was peanut butter, jelly and butter all on the table before her. A feast, she thought.

  “I cooked the eggs in a separate pan from my bacon.”

  Thoughtful, she realized. “Thank you.”

  He sipped his coffee as she enjoyed the breakfast he provided and then thanked him again as he cleared her dishes to the sink.

  Johnny arrived, and Bri stiffened at his appearance. He was so big and so fierce looking. It was hard not to flinch around him, hard to keep her face from showing the fear that bubbled inside her.

  He slowed as she sat still as a rabbit cornered by a fox and then glanced to Mac.

  “Anything?” asked Mac.

  Johnny gave a shake of his head and then loaded a plate as if it were a serving platter, heaping on eggs, bacon and toast in a mound that rose like Mount Fuji. Then he signaled to Mac again.

  “Her clothes are dirty,” he said, as if Johnny had asked some question. “You want to sit?”

  Bri tried not to look as frightened as she was and even attempted a welcoming smile but her mouth felt tight and she was sure her eyes were wide as saucers. And somewhere she’d stopped breathing.

  Johnny gave her one long look and then shook his head, departing with his plate and no silverware. She blew out a breath and let her shoulders sag. When she glanced to Mac it was to find him frowning.

  “He can’t help the way he looks.”

  Guilt flooded through her. She was now certain that Johnny had left because of her cold welcome.

  Mac regarded her. “He won’t hurt you.”

  “I believe you. But he’s really...”

  “Ugly?”

  “I was going to say terrifying.” She looked to the place Johnny had disappeared. “You said werewolves can kill vampires. Can vampires also kill werewolves?”

  “The males can kill anything. Their fangs are poisonous. If they inject enough venom into your bloodstream, it’s fatal, that is if they don’t suck you dry. The poison is some kind of anticoagulant. Keeps the blood coming.”