by Dana Archer
“Why do you dye your hair?”
He scrunched his brows, the confused expression utterly adorable on his tough guy face.
“Because it makes me appear human. I don’t like being stared at. It agitates my cats.”
She considered his explanation. It made sense…for his eyes. They were different. Beautiful, but different. His hair, though? “Lots of people have funky hair. I doubt yours would get more than a second glance.”
He grinned, the lift of his lips revealing fangs. “Do you like my hair?”
She shrugged and glanced away. Not quickly enough. Heat flushed her cheeks at Devin’s warm chuckle.
“Don’t worry. It’s the wash-out kind of dye, and even if it wasn’t, shifting would negate it. I’ll always return to the body I was born with. We don’t scar either.”
She wished she could say the same. At least she’d survived Devin’s accidental blow. Back in those woods, she’d thought she was dying. Actually, she was pretty sure she’d seen the notorious white light calling her home. As soon as she’d reached for it, Devin’s voice had filled her head—well, his bellowed order not to leave him. Geez, even then she’d been unable to deny him. Not that she could complain. Breathing was one of her favorite pastimes.
Actually, she had a lot to thank him for—saving her from those other shifters, healing her wounds… Starring in her fantasies.
The man and her response to him confused her. She knew not to get involved with shifters. Her experiences with first Rick, her ex-fiancé, and then Vader, had proven what a bad idea it was to get involved with their kind. Both men—well, wolf shifters—had used and controlled her. Different men, different reasons. In the end, it came down to one thing—she’d been a means to an end for them.
Rick had wanted a promotion.
Vader had wanted Gwen.
Now, Devin wanted Molly.
Hoping to distract herself from thinking about Devin, she latched on to his earlier comment and hopefully, a safer topic. “How many cats do you have? Molly says she only has a lion.”
“Three—a lion, jaguar, and tiger. I’m considered a Royal because of it.”
While Rick only housed a gray wolf, Vader had three—a gray, black, and an arctic. Only, he’d never used the term ‘Royal’. He’d explained that having multiple animals made them immortal and meant they were direct descendants of the goddesses, whereas the single shifters, such as Rick, were mortal. He’d never taken his explanation further, nor had she asked. The less she talked to that particular man, the better.
“A Royal? What…so you’re a prince?”
“The single shifters think so. I never gave it much thought until I met you. Now, I’m glad to have the privileges that come with the title.”
“What privileges?”
He caressed her thigh. “Our healing abilities, for one. I took it for granted. Without it, I would’ve lost you back in those woods.”
She replayed his words and frowned. Sure, he’d licked her wounds…the following day. She figured that along with the drink he’d given her had helped. Had he done the same after the attack?
“How did your healing ability help me?”
He pulled into her driveway and turned off the car.
“I shared a piece of my—” He shifted his gaze to her shoulder. “I shared my strength and blood with you.”
He opened the car door and got out without saying another word. She sat there, too stunned by his revelation to follow. The jumbled pieces of the last day and a half finally clicked. She covered her mouth to muffle the gasp. It wasn’t hot chocolate Devin had given her. It was his blood. She’d drunk from him, had savored the rich liquid, and hungered for it still.
She closed her eyes and allowed the memory of being held against Devin’s chest to resurface. She’d clutched his wrist to her mouth, groaning as his blood slid down her throat. He’d whispered wicked things to her, and the one promise he’d made repeatedly as he licked her wounds quickened her pulse.
“You’re mine, Lena. Mine. Never letting you go.”
Five years ago, she would’ve loved for a man as tempting as Devin to make such a heated declaration. A couple of heartbreaks later, she knew better. Men lied, cheated, and used. And Devin? Nope. She wasn’t falling for his romantic, fated nonsense. He could drop his lines on someone else. She was no longer the naïve woman who fell for them.
She opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of Devin kneeling by the open window, his arms folded on the frame and an aroused, drowsy look on his face.
Her body went into instant meltdown.
“Are you disgusted now?”
“I should be.”
He traced her lower lip. “But you’re not?”
She shook her head. “Why did you do it?”
He opened the car door and took her hand, rubbing soothing circles into her palm. “I told you, because if I didn’t, you would’ve died. I pierced organs.” He rubbed his neck. “Then you got an infection. You scared me. It was touch and go last night.”
She didn’t know what to say. He’d stopped her from dying and leaving her little sisters alone to face the future. A simple thank you would never be enough.
“Did it hurt you?”
“I would’ve given my life for yours if I could have.”
His confession rocked her, leaving her feeling incredibly special. “Why? You don’t know me.”
“I do, Lena. I recognized you the moment I looked into your eyes.”
“What are you talking about? I know I’ve never met you. I would’ve remembered.”
He urged her to stand, then shut the car door behind her. “Let’s go in.”
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“Yes, but not now. Molly comes first.” He glanced at her. “Remember?”
He used her own reasoning against her. As much as she wanted to hear his answer, he was right.
“I do.” She shrugged, trying to pull off a casual tone. It was one she didn’t feel. Devin affected her in ways she was having trouble cataloguing. It left her uneasy.
He nodded, then led the way to the front stoop and unlocked the door. It swung open with his push, but he blocked her from entering with an arm across the entrance.
With his lips parted, he inhaled deeply, then snarled. The tiny hairs on her arms stood up. He tugged her inside. The door slammed, the lock clicking with a snap.
He backed her into the spot between the hall table and the bookshelf next to it.
“Several human males have been in your home recently. Stay here while I investigate.”
She opened her mouth to tell him not to worry—she’d thrown a party a couple of nights ago—but didn’t get the chance. Long strides took him across the room. She swallowed the words and watched him jog up the stairs, thoroughly enjoying the way his backside looked in the jeans he wore.
She shook her head to clear it of the image.
The blinking light on her answering machine caught her attention. She headed toward it. Devin’s heavy footsteps echoed from the floor above along with his curse. She ignored him and reached for the play button.
“Hey, sis, it’s me. Um, I know you told me not to call here. It’s just that Molly noticed another one of those…men close by. He was asking the dock workers about us so I decided it’d be best to move, not wait until we met up with you.” Gwen’s exhaled breath sounded shaky. “So, we’re leaving now. I’ll text you later today once I have all the details figured out and let you know where we’re at. Praying you’re safe. Love you.”
“When was that message left?”
Lena glanced toward the stairs and found Devin standing there with her pillow clutched in his hand and a murderous glare on his face. She would’ve asked him why he looked ready to strangle her pillow but the demand in his tone was one she couldn’t deny. “A couple of hours ago.”
He tightened his grip on the pillow, and feathers fluttered to the floor. “Where’s the cell she’s supposed to text?”
&nb
sp; Lena hurried across the room and dug the phone from the desk drawer. Her heart sank. No text.
“Call her.”
His commanding tone struck a nerve—so did her obedient response to it—but not enough to argue. She dialed. No answer. She didn’t bother leaving a voicemail. Gwen never remembered her PIN to access it. Lena sent a quick text that went unanswered.
Devin snatched the cell out of her hand and slid it into his back pocket. “I’ll hold this until she responds.”
She fisted her hands. “Don’t even think about leaving me behind. Gwen won’t hand Molly over to you without my approval. You still need me.”
“You’re right I do, woman.”
The guttural words slammed into her. She took a step back and studied his narrowed eyes and tightly drawn mouth. Limbs taut, he vibrated with barely restrained anger.
“What’s your problem?”
He threw the mutilated pillow on the floor by her feet. “Who’s been in your bed?”
She glanced from the loose feathers to the furious shifter. “Excuse me?”
“Who has been sharing your bed, Lena? Tell me. Now.”
Disappointment slammed into her. Devin was exactly the same as Rick and Vader. Tug on her heartstrings and he thought it gave him the right to control her life. She returned his scowl and cursed her laziness for not changing the pillowcase with the sheets.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s none of your business.”
The door opened before he could respond. She groaned when she saw who stood there with a bottle of wine and a bag from his restaurant. Great. Just her luck. Mark, her on-again, off-again Italian chef lover, looked from Devin to her and back again.
“Hey, Lena. I thought we had a lunch date?” Mark grinned, his gaze slowly perusing Devin’s body. “Are we doing a threesome today?”
Fangs filled Devin’s mouth, the tips showing. His chest rumbled with a sound somewhere between a snarl, cough, and growl. Not a noise any human would make.
Her throat tightened. She pressed her hands to his chest and glared at him, warning him without words to rein in his cats.
He slid his gaze to her and blinked. Not exactly a confirmation he was in charge. She took it as one anyway and peeked over her shoulder. She forced a smile. “Is it Thursday already? I forgot you were coming over.”
“Who’s your friend?” Devin growled in a barely recognizable voice.
Not good. Neither was the heat seeping into her palms. She knew enough about shifters to know what the rise in body temperature meant—his inner animals were close—and the subtle vibrations along his skin warned her he barely kept them from taking over his body.
She squeezed his arms and waited until he looked at her. “Are you okay?”
Instead of answering her, he tucked her into his side and faced Mark. “Who are you?”
Mark put the lunch he’d brought on the hall table. He folded his arms and widened his stance. “Mark. Who are you?”
Devin settled his hand over her bottom. It was a move that screamed—mine. “Devin, Lena’s boyfriend.”
She gasped. Mark laughed.
“That’s a good one. Lena likes variety in her life. She wouldn’t settle down for you no matter how good you are in bed.” Mark shook his head. “Sorry, man, but Lena isn’t girlfriend material. She’s a ‘friend with benefits’ kind of girl.”
Devin tipped her head back with a hand wrapped in her hair. He leaned over her so only his hold on her body stopped her from falling backward. “Is that true, sweetheart? Do you have a lot of lovers?”
Lying would defuse the situation but his attitude annoyed her. He was one to talk, considering he had Anne and Jill, his own set of friends with benefits. He had no right to judge her.
She took a deep breath, prepared for his criticism, and declared, “Yeah, I do.”
Devin grinned as if that was the answer he wanted.
“Well, you see, that’s going to be a problem, lover. I don’t share.”
Fisting his shirt so she wouldn’t fall, she gave in to a fit of laughter. His bemused expression only added to her amusement.
“First off, we haven’t had intercourse. Second, maybe you should tell Anne and Jill about the ‘no sharing’ rule. I got the impression they didn’t mind.”
“They’re just…”
“Yeah, just friends. And so are Mark, and Larry, and…”
Devin cut her words off with a scorching kiss, taking the lead and demanding her submission. Lena had no choice but to accept him. She kissed him back, deeply and completely until Mark cleared his throat. She jerked back, breaking this moment with Devin.
“Lena, this is sexy to watch, but is it what you want? I got the impression you didn’t want to be with this guy?”
Devin licked her lips, a seductive swipe of his roughened tongue she shouldn’t find arousing but did.
“Oh, she does. In fact…” He rubbed his chin over her scarred shoulder, covered by her shirt. She shivered, and he grinned. “When I’m done with her, she’ll never, ever want to leave my side.”
She stared at Devin wide-eyed while Mark laughed in the background. He knew her history. She’d used it as a reason to keep things casual between them.
Devin slid his gaze to Mark. “Is there a problem?”
“Where did you find this guy, Lena? Never want to leave his side. He’s delusional.”
She shoved hard against Devin’s chest. He didn’t budge. She blew out a breath and leaned to the side in order to see Mark over Devin’s wide chest. “Look, today’s not a good day. How about I call you later? I’ll make up for this. Promise.”
“No you won’t. You will never take another lover to your bed.” Devin glared at Mark. “If you ever come around Lena again, you’re going to regret it. Is that clear, Mark?”
Mark chuckled and gave Devin a two-finger salute. “Sure, man. Call me, babe.”
Once the door closed behind him, she leveled a fierce scowl at Devin. “Who do you think you are? You can’t walk into my life and order me around!”
A lopsided smile spread over his face, a sensual look ruined by the condescending chuckle rumbling his chest.
Any more of his wicked kisses and she’d be his willing slave. The man turned seduction into an art form. A single glance and her hormones went haywire.
She pushed against him. “Let me go.”
“No. I like you right where you are. Actually”—he swiped his tongue over his upper lip—“I’ll like it better once I’m inside you.”
“I am not having sex with—”
“Enough, Lena. Look at me.”
She did, the sharp tone compelling her.
“You will be mine today, and after I’m done with you, you’ll never even look at another male. You’ll be too busy begging to be with me.” He leaned closer until his eyes became her world. “End of discussion.”
She shoved him until her muscles strained. No luck. She’d have an easier time moving a mountain. “End of discussion? You can’t just order me to sleep with you. Now, let me go.”
“I don’t have to order you. You want me. I can see it in your eyes.”
“You’re full of yourself, you know that?” She fought a smile. His confidence was sexy.
His upper lip quivered as he obviously fought a smile too. “I’m telling the truth.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t believe it. You’re a guy. Interchangeable. Replaceable.” She didn’t believe her words for a minute. No man had come close to competing with how Devin made her feel.
“That so?”
A challenge shone in his gaze.
She wanted to accept it. Make him prove himself. The thought came out of nowhere, yet it appealed to her.
Lena dragged the tip of her tongue along her upper lip as he’d done. “Yes. That’s so.”
Gaze locked to hers, he slid a fingertip down her throat and over her shoulder, dancing lightly over the scar he’d left there. Energy zinged through her, settling low in her belly. She
turned her head to hide how much the simple touch affected her.
“I changed my mind. We don’t have time to fool around. My sisters are—”
“Not here. Unless we’re going to wander the town, we aren’t going to find them. We need to wait for Gwen to text, and while we’re waiting we might as well use our time getting to know each other.”
He had a point, at least about Gwen. As much as Lena hated to admit it, Gwen was on her own until she contacted them. “But we—”
“No buts. You and I need this time together before reality pulls us back.”
“No, we don’t. The reality is that you’re a walking sex god whose touch turns me into a crazed woman. That’s it. Nothing more.”
His smile widened. “I’m glad you find me pleasing.”
She shook her head. She didn’t even bother trying to hide her smile this time. “I’m sure any woman you touched would feel the same.”
“You’re the one in my arms. You’re the one—”
“It’s lust, and mindless sex is not how I want to spend my time.”
“How do you want to spend it?”
“Sleeping.” She dropped her head to his chest. “Not what you wanted to hear, right?”
It was the truth, though. Her body might be humming in need for release, but she was tired. Not surprising considering all that had happened to her, physically and emotionally.
“No, it’s not. I want to worship you, but your request is one I can accommodate.” He brushed his lips over her neck. “As long as you sleep in my arms.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Because the longer she spent in his embrace, the more jumbled her thoughts and emotions grew.
“It is. My touch makes you stronger, and your touch soothes me. We can both benefit from a little cuddling.”
Instead of taking her upstairs, however, he nibbled on her throat. “But it’s hard for me to stop touching you. I like how we feel together.”
So did she. She fisted his shirt. The battle raged within her, the same one she’d been fighting ever since she woke in bed with him. Who was she kidding? She’d felt the pull to him from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him.
