by Cynthia Eden
Lucas braked right next to the hospital’s emergency-room doors. He jumped out of the van and raced around to the back, shouting for the guard on duty to get help.
Shit, couldn’t he tell when there was a damn emergency? Humans.
He yanked open the back door and hoisted Karen into his arms. Her head sagged back against him and her blood . . . so much blood.
Sarah’s gaze met his. “Her heart’s barely beating.”
Fuck. He spun on his heel and ran for the sliding glass doors. The guard was just coming out of the doors, a gurney beside him, two guys with stethoscopes hauling ass with him.
“She’s been stabbed!” He yelled but thought that should be obvious. The stab wound had been perfectly placed for maximum damage.
Lucas put her on the gurney. The agent’s eyes never opened. The docs swarmed her.
“Sir, you’ve got to come inside.” The guard grabbed his arm. “We’ll have to call the cops, file a report—”
Lucas didn’t move. “No.”
The doctors had Karen inside now. They’d do what they could for her. If she lived . . . if she died . . .
He turned away, breaking the guard’s hold.
“You can’t leave!” The guard didn’t make the mistake of touching him again. “You can’t—”
Sarah had climbed from the van. Blood covered her.
“Oh, shit! Ma’am, hold on!” The guard streaked past Lucas and caught Sarah’s hands. “You should’ve said there were two victims!”
Sarah shook her head. “I’m not hurt.” She stared down at her hands. At all the blood.
Not hurt. This time. But next time, she could be.
The wolf inside howled. Not fucking next time. No one would hurt her. No one.
“Come inside, ma’am,” the guard said, trying to tug her closer. “Come inside, you need to—”
“The woman they took inside is a federal agent.” Lucas pulled Sarah away from the man, deliberately keeping his hold gentle with her. Even though she wasn’t an average human, she was as weak physically as the agent, he knew that. So why the hell couldn’t he be easier with her?
Because I need her. Too much.
The wolf within craved her as much as the man did. “Call Anthony Miller at the Bureau . . . tell him the victim’s Karen Phillips.” Sarah’s voice was whisper-soft.
“The—the FBI?”
Lucas steered Sarah toward the front of the van. She moved quickly, jumping into the passenger seat.
The guard scrambled back. Lucas cast one last glance toward the brightly-lit hospital. That agent had been so far gone. No mambo was around to save her. Would the doctors be able to do enough?
He climbed into the van.
“He’s going to report the license plate number,” Sarah said. “The cops will be after us in no time. Especially if they think we’re the ones who stabbed Karen.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He gunned the engine and raced past an ambulance. “We’ll ditch the van.”
“I can’t . . . I . . .” The rasp of her breath filled the vehicle’s interior. “I need to get the blood off, Lucas.” A pleading note had entered her voice. “Please . . . I need to get the blood off my hands.”
Some blood wouldn’t wash clean.
But he drove faster, snaking through the lanes. Heading deeper into the heart of the city.
There.
The rundown hotel waited just off the highway. A place where no one asked questions, because the folks damn well knew better than to make that mistake. The owner was a shifter who’d spent years lying to human cops.
“Stay here,” he told her, and ran into what counted as the main office of the place. His fist slammed down onto the bell. Shit. He had blood on his hands, too. The scent had been so strong on Sarah, he hadn’t even realized . . .
A key was shoved across the scarred desktop. “Twenty for an hour.”
He tossed the money onto the countertop and swiped the key. The fox shifter had to see and smell the blood. But in that place, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Or the last.
Lucas tossed out an extra hundred. “I’ve got a van that needs to disappear.”
The fox’s palm covered the money. “Consider it gone, Alpha.”
He spun away and hurried back outside. Room seven. The room the fox always gave him when the pack needed to clean up.
How much blood have I washed away?
But, damn it, he hadn’t killed innocents. He’d taken out the bastards who’d come after him. He’d protected his pack. And if he had to . . . hell, yeah, he’d do it again.
Sarah shoved open the door when she saw him. Beautiful Sarah. She could have stayed out of this life. Could have passed for normal.
He glanced toward the side of the building. The fox was already heading for the van. “Come on.”
She’d clenched her hands, probably trying to hide the blood. Didn’t do much good though, not when her clothes were covered in dark red.
He pushed the key into the lock and the door swung open seconds later. The place was a dump, no getting around it, but it had a shower and soap and he could make certain Sarah got what she wanted.
I need to get the blood off my hands.
Oh, yeah. He understood. Been there, babe. Done that.
She brushed by him, stopping only long enough to put her gun on the nightstand before she walked toward the bathroom. Sarah yanked her clothes off as she went, dropping the bloody shirt, kicking out of her shoes and socks, and ditching her jeans.
She disappeared into the small bathroom and the roar of the shower filled the motel room. Lucas’s gaze tracked around the area. Sagging bed. Scarred nightstand. Not much else. No TV because the folks who came to this place weren’t real big on staying and relaxing.
He glanced at his hands. Would the human agent live? Marley sure wouldn’t. Not when he got his hands on her.
He stalked to the phone and dialed quickly. Dane answered on the second ring. “Where the hell are you?” the other shifter asked at once.
His gaze tracked to the peeling ceiling. Hell was a pretty good description. “Langdon’s.” The name of that cagey fox. Dane would know the place. He’d cleaned up there often enough. No telling how much blood this room had seen. He exhaled. “We need a team on Prentmore.”
A low whistle. “That’s close to where Jess and his coyotes made their base.”
“And it’s where you’ll find two more dead coyotes. But they’re not the priority.” His gaze locked on Sarah’s gun. “They can fucking rot. I need a nose to search the scene.”
“Whose scent are we after?”
“Marley’s.”
“What? What the hell was she—”
“She’s FBI.” Who wasn’t? “And she’s also been the one working with Rafe.” The agent who’d flipped. Not Sarah. Not Karen. The demon who’d been right under his nose. “Find her, follow her scent, and let me know which hole she crawls into.”
Because he’d drag her out, and when he did, he’d find Rafe.
Lucas exhaled, feeling the aches in his muscles. “Has Caleb talked yet?”
“No, not yet . . . he’s still out.”
There is no cure. “Get out to Prentmore.” He could count on Dane. He’d track the demon. “But don’t take Marley out, got me? No matter what she says or does, she’s mine.”
Because she’d lead him to Rafe.
He ended the call, his hands yanking at his shirt. The water was still running and he wasn’t going to leave Sarah in there alone.
Crave her.
Need her.
He was naked by the time he crossed the threshold into the bathroom. Steam curled in the air, and he could see the outline of Sarah’s body behind the thin shower curtain.
For a moment, he just watched her. She had bent her head beneath the spray and her shoulders seemed to shake a little. Fuck. Was she crying?
He yanked the curtain back. She didn’t whirl around in surprise. Didn’t even look up. Lucas climbed in behind her. When the
water hit him, the clear liquid changed to red as the blood washed from his body.
He didn’t touch her. Not yet. Lucas didn’t want to touch her with the blood still on his hands. He grabbed the soap. Lathered and scrubbed until his flesh was clean.
Sarah moved forward, letting more of the spray hit him. The water stung a bit. She had it on full-blast and it was hot and it was just what he needed.
The red water slowly drained away. His hands looked clean again. What a lie.
But he reached for her anyway now. Lucas wrapped his arms around Sarah and pulled her close.
“Sometimes, it seems like I don’t know who to trust anymore.” Her whisper.
“You can trust me.”
“I have to trust you for this to work.” She turned in his arms, facing him. Her head tilted back. Her black lashes were wet, spiky. From the shower or tears? Probably from both. “You told me that before.”
It was still true now.
“But do you trust me?” She asked him, then shook her head. Her hands curled around his shoulders. “After everything, how could you?”
Her lips trembled. He bent close and brought his mouth over hers. “Trust me,” the words probably shouldn’t have come out as an order, but they did. His mouth took hers, and his tongue thrust deep.
She moaned in her throat and her nails bit into him. Trust me.
He yanked tight onto his control. This time, he’d show her that he could be more than just the beast the world thought he was.
For her.
He forced his head to lift. Her eyes were big and deep. Eyes that a man could probably lose his soul in—if he had a soul.
Sold mine long ago.
Blood. Screams. Death. Had the trade been worth it?
He lifted Sarah out of the tub, wrapped one of the threadbare towels around her, and carried her to the bed.
He put her down on the mattress and stepped back. She opened her arms, almost immediately, reaching for him.
Worth it?
He went to her and knew that nothing would keep him away from her. Not now. Not fucking ever.
He didn’t touch her with his hands. They could be too hard. The claws could break through flesh too easily. And the damn wolf always wanted her.
He used his mouth. Kissed her lips. Stroked her with his tongue. Then he licked his way down her throat. Her body arched against him, her hips and thighs shifting so that he felt the move right over his swollen cock.
The minute her clothes had hit the floor, he’d gotten hard for her. Blood, death . . . didn’t matter. He’d wanted her.
Would have killed to have her.
The thought didn’t give him any pause. After all, he’d known for a while now that he’d be killing for Sarah.
The towel had come loose and her nipples—tight, hard peaks that looked like perfect cherries—waited for him. He licked her nipple, the sound of her moans filling his ears.
Gentle.
His claws dug into the sheets.
He took her breast into his mouth. Sucked. Licked. The taste of her spilled onto his tongue. So fucking sweet. So . . . Sarah.
His breath blew over her nipple.
“Lucas . . .”
He turned his attention to the other breast.
The edge of his teeth scraped over her flesh.
She gasped, jerking.
Control.
His mouth left her flesh.
“No! No, Lucas, I liked—”
He kissed her stomach. Worked his way down her body, touching her with his mouth and tongue, caressing. Her legs parted for him and the scent of her arousal filled his nose and drove him wild.
Control.
“Open your legs wider.” His voice was a growl. Dammit.
But she opened her legs wider. She brought her hands between their bodies, and she used her fingertips to part her sex for him. “Kiss me, Lucas.”
Fuck, yes.
He did. His lips took her. He sucked her clitoris, used his tongue to taste and to take and her breath came faster, hitching, gasping as her lips lifted and she pressed closer to him.
He drove his tongue inside of her.
Her hands were in his hair now, urging him closer and she was saying . . .
“I want you, Lucas! Oh, yes, now, come on, I need you—”
He was starving for her. So he took more. More.
She came against his mouth. Her whole body tensed and a broken scream ripped from her throat. But he didn’t stop. Couldn’t. Because he had to have—
More.
His claws dug deeper into the mattress.
She trembled, whispering his name, and his mouth pressed against her. He’d take everything she’d give to him. Every damn thing.
So fucking sweet.
He waited until the shudders eased, until her nails pulled free from his flesh, then he rose up. Sweat slickened his back. His muscles were so tight and his cock felt like it was about to burst.
Take her.
The head of his cock lodged at her creamy core. He still had control—barely—he could do this right, he could—
“No.”
The word stopped him cold. Every muscle in his body locked and a distant roaring filled his ears. “Sarah?” She was turning him away? Now?
She pushed against his chest. “You’re not doing this to me.”
He’d tried to be gentle. Tried to show her that he was more than an animal. Couldn’t she see that?
“You’re not the only one who’s giving this time, Lucas.” Her eyes sparkled at him. A red flush stained her cheeks and her plump lips firmed. “This time, I’ll give to you.”
Her hands circled his wrists. His claws were still lodged in the mattress. Right then, he didn’t want her to see . . . him.
“It’s okay,” she whispered and pulled his wrists. She didn’t look at his claws.
Sarah pushed him onto the mattress. She rose above him. Her scent surrounded him, and he just wanted to take and take.
But he was more than an animal.
Her hands trailed down his chest and his cock jerked.
More than an animal—right?
Her lips feathered over his jaw. “I want to know everything about you, Lucas. I want to touch everything.” She nipped his chin. “I can handle you. I might not be a shifter, but I can handle you.”
No, she couldn’t. If his control shattered, if the wolf ever took over and he became psychotic, there was no way she’d be able handle him. No one could. Wolves that pushed past that boundary were put down. Pack law. The law he’d directed because he’d seen what happened when madness ruled.
“I know so much about you,” she told him, her voice like sin in the dark. “More than you realize.”
She’d been FBI. Was there anything she didn’t know? Her breasts pressed against his chest, the nipples still tight and hard, and he growled.
She licked the skin just under his jaw. “All your life, you had to be the strong one.” Her lips kissed a path up his jaw. She licked his right earlobe.
Lucas tensed. “Sarah, don’t.” Because she didn’t—
Her mouth whispered over the torn remains of his ear, kissing lightly. Such soft, tender kisses.
“You were too young for so much pain.”
No. He wouldn’t remember. He grabbed her hips and yanked her close.
But she kissed his ear again. “Everything you’ve done,” she told him, the words a breath in his ear. “Just made you stronger.”
There was no revulsion from her. Her mouth pressed against the torn edges of flesh. “So strong.”
Sarah. “I want you, now.” The wolf was fighting free. The man didn’t want to hold him back. The hot clasp of her sex was too close, pleasure waiting—within his reach. Release. Hunger. Her.
She pulled back and stared into his eyes. “They whisper about you. In the other packs, they talk about the alpha who should have died years ago. The boy who proved to be stronger than the wolves after him.”
He hadn’t been
strong. He’d been desperate. He’d had to go back and protect his friend. Dane—they’d tortured Dane, sliced him to pieces because he wouldn’t betray—
“I don’t want you going back to that place right now.” Sarah’s voice had his eyes rising up to meet hers. She licked her lips. “No pain now, okay? Only pleasure.”
Then she eased down his body, her hair sliding over his skin. Just like silk. Soft and sensual and so cool, while her mouth—
Fuck.
Her mouth closed around the tip of his cock. Hot and wet and she took him inside, sucking and licking.
“Sarah!” A roar.
She didn’t stop. Her mouth widened and she took him in deeper. Her lips closed around him and her palm curved around the base of his cock. Her hand squeezed him, pumped and her mouth tasted and tasted—
His hips arched up, and his cock drove into her mouth. So damn good. She was taking him in, pulling at his flesh and the pleasure had his spine tightening and his chest burning. He was going to come in her mouth. Fuck.
Her tongue swirled over the head of his cock and she swallowed.
He caught her arms—too rough, slow down, ease up—and pushed her back. His hands were shaking with a need too strong to ignore. “In you . . . got to be buried in you . . .” He could hardly get the words out. His voice was far more wolf-growl than anything else.
But Sarah understood. She always understood. She smiled at him and she climbed up his body, straddling his hips. Her creamy flesh teased his cock.
Take it easy, go slow, not too deep—
“Hard, Lucas. Hard and wild and deep.”
His control shattered and he surged into her as deeply as he could. His fingers bit into her hips. He lifted her up and down, forcing her to match the speed of his thrusts.
But she was laughing and driving down with her body and meeting him thrust for thrust. Her sex closed around him, so tight, so hot, and she squeezed his cock.
He lowered her onto the bed and caught her hands, pinning them to the bed. Her gaze met his. No fear. Just need. Animal need.
Lust.
But...
More. Desire. Hunger. Passion.
Trust?
“More, Lucas.” She arched her neck. Her heels dug into his ass. “More!”
He gave her more. The bed squeaked and slammed into the wall. His heart thundered in his chest. He drove into her, again and again, deeper, so deep, and the feel of her sex squeezing him was fucking fantastic. His mouth pressed against her throat. Pressed over the pulse that raced so fast.
