The Wolf Within

by Cynthia Eden

  He bent and licked that tear away. “Can’t be sorry…” His words rasped out, “for sex that good.”

  Her lips parted. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and he saw that her lips were red.

  Wet.

  Not from his kiss because that redness…

  Her tongue swiped out, and she licked a drop of moisture away.

  That redness was blood.

  Unease snaked through him. “Holly?”

  He could see the edge of her canines, peeking out beneath her top lip. Her canines were longer, sharper than before.

  She’d bit my neck. The pleasure had exploded then, and he hadn’t cared about anything else.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered again as she shoved him back.

  The woman was far stronger than she should have been.

  With the distance between them, he immediately missed the warmth of her body. Wanted back in her body. The pleasure they’d shared had just been the start. He wanted more. Much more.

  She had fangs.

  He stood on the side of the bed. The covers he’d ripped were in his hands, dangling from his fingers.

  She healed too quickly. The slashes on Holly’s side and her arm were gone, and now that he wasn’t thinking so much with his cock, he realized that her wrist wasn’t broken. Not even bruised.

  She grabbed for some of the covers—the ones he hadn’t ripped—and wrapped them around her body. Her eyes looked even darker than before.

  She’d had blood on her lips. Blood she’d licked away.

  He probably shouldn’t have found that move sexy. He had. He found everything about her sexy, even the fact that—

  “You’re a vampire,” he said.

  She flinched, but, after a brief moment, Holly nodded.

  His heart beat—which had just slowed—slammed right into his chest. What. The. Fuck.

  “I guess you’re not the only monster in the room,” she whispered.

  He was on her in less than a second’s time. He leapt back to the bed. Caged her with his body. “You’re not a monster.”

  She was beautiful. Sexy.

  And a vampire? Since when?

  Did Pate know? Hell, he had to know.

  “Yes.” Her smile was sad. “I am.” Her little fangs were still peeking out. Her gaze dropped to his throat.

  His fingers rose. Touched the skin. It felt slightly tender, but that little pain was a small price to pay for the avalanche of pleasure she’d given him. As soon as she’d bit him, he’d come. And kept coming…until her mouth left him.

  “I-I need to get dressed.”

  Duncan shook his head. The haze of lust and rage had cleared enough for him to think. Mostly. “You’re not going anywhere.” He finally had Holly just where he wanted her. Naked. In bed.

  Her lashes lifted. Her gaze locked on his. Narrowed. “You don’t want to push me now.”

  Actually, that was exactly what he wanted to do.

  Except he heard the squeal of brakes outside. The cavalry? Finally coming to the rescue?

  Car doors slammed.

  Footsteps thudded as people raced toward her house—and into her house.

  “Holly!” Pate’s voice. Desperate. Afraid.

  Horror widened Holly’s eyes. “No, he’ll find us…like this…”

  So?

  Her gaze flew around the room.

  The agents—and it was more than one, probably three, judging by those thudding footsteps—were rushing up the stairs. There wasn’t time to dress. Wasn’t time to do anything but jump out of the bed and spin toward that door. Only he’d pretty much splintered that wooden door to hell and back when he’d burst inside before.

  “Stay out!” Duncan yelled.

  But Pate was already there. Staring at him with wide eyes, then looking over Duncan’s shoulder. “Holly?”

  The shock in his voice had Duncan’s shoulders tensing. He put his body in front of Holly. “I said…stay out.” The wolf’s growl rumbled in those words.

  But Pate must have been having one real slow night. Because he just stood in the doorway. Shane was behind him, craning his fool neck to see inside.

  “Holly, what have you done?” Pate asked her, voice wooden.

  Duncan didn’t move. Holly did. He heard the faint rustle of her movement and then her hand was on his shoulder. Her fingers trembled.

  Pate pushed into the room, shoving the broken door out of his way.

  Holly’s nails dug into Duncan’s flesh.

  “Take another step,” Duncan said, “and you’ll regret it.”

  Pate stiffened. He held up his hand, indicating that Shane should move back. “Go downstairs. Wait with the others.”

  Shane hurriedly stepped back and got out of there. Good. Shane wasn’t a complete dipshit.

  “You’re the one who’s going to regret this,” Pate said. The guy had a gun out. One that was aimed at Duncan’s chest. Were those bullets made out of silver? Or wood? Those were the two prime choices for agents in their unit. “You should have never touched her.”

  “Pate!” Fear tinged Holly’s voice.

  “Did you drink from him?” His voice was hushed.

  So Pate did know.

  But that whisper said he didn’t want Shane and the other agent to find out Holly’s secret.

  “She did,” Duncan answered, cocking his head. And I loved it. Who would have thought? The bite of a vampire…

  It could be one major turn-on.

  “Why aren’t you shocked?” Pate demanded. That gun was still pointing right at Duncan. “From the look of things, you just screwed a vampire.”

  And it was the way he said it that pissed off Duncan. The anger, that tightly leashed fury.

  “Watch it,” Duncan warned him. His beast had been calmed by Holly’s touch, but the wolf was ready to come out again.

  “You just turned into an alpha! Sonofabitch! Don’t you know what this means? You had sex with her—” Pate’s eyes widened as he broke off. “She bit you.” Muttered. He took another step toward them. “Did you bite her, too?” Intensity sharpened his words.

  That gun was too close to comfort, and he was real tired of being on the receiving end of Pate’s rage.

  Duncan lunged toward him and snatched the gun right out of Pate’s hand. He was getting rather used to his werewolf speed. “Don’t point that damn thing at me or her again.”

  Holly laughed behind him. The sound was cold. Bitter. Not at all like her.

  But how much do you know her? You didn’t even know she was a vampire. The insidious whisper slid through his mind.

  “Pointing the gun at me isn’t the problem.” She’d wrapped the sheet around her body, sarong style. Her hair had dried. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her skin seemed to shine. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “A few hours ago, he shot me in the heart with one of his wooden bullets.”

  And Duncan remembered the thunder he’d heard as he’d given chase after Saul. He’d been rushing through the woods, so intent on his prey that he hadn’t even paused at that sound. He hadn’t thought—Holly—

  A snarl broke from his lips.

  Pate’s eyes widened. “Easy. It only killed her for a few minutes.”

  A few minutes…

  “You’re not freaking out because you just screwed a vampire.” Pate still seemed confused by that point.

  His back teeth locked. “I’m a werewolf. Who the fuck am I to judge?”

  But Pate’s eyes had gone back to Holly. “There’s no going back now.” His voice was almost sad.

  Her chin lifted. “You never understood. There was never going to be any going back. No matter what you hoped.” Then she headed into what looked like a bathroom. The doorframe was broken, and he could just see some tile inside.

  Pate’s gaze followed her.

  “Eyes over here, asshole,” Duncan growled.

  Pate’s green stare cut to him. “Could you get some damn clothes on? Or my eyes will be going blind.”


  “I shifted,” Duncan gritted. “She was in trouble—”

  “Oh, yeah, I see that.”

  “There wasn’t time to take my clothes off. I had to rush to her.”

  “I’m sure you did.”

  “And it’s not like there are backup men’s clothes here.”

  Pate’s lips twisted. “Sure there are.” He spun on his heel and headed out the broken door. His hand waved toward the right as he pointed down the hallway. “Second door on the right. Check the top drawer of the chest.”

  What?

  “When you’re both dressed, drag your asses downstairs,” Pate said, the words an order from unit’s director.

  Duncan stalked down the hallway. Went in the second door on the right. He yanked open the drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans. They fit perfect, as did the faded t-shirt. They had to belong to a guy near his size. Who the hell was he? And they—

  They smelled like Pate.

  There’s no going back now.

  Duncan slammed the chest closed. The wood shattered. Pate’s reaction had been too personal. He’d known Holly’s secrets. His clothes were in her spare bedroom.

  Mine. The wolf started to claw inside of him.

  Carefully, slowly, Duncan sucked in a deep breath. He could still taste Holly, only now…now her scent was blending with Pate’s.

  He stalked from the room and saw Holly. She had already dressed. She had on jeans that hugged her ass too well and a loose top. Her hand was on the bannister, and she was near the foot of the stairs.

  Pate was reaching for her. Curving his hand around her shoulder.

  There was no sign of the other agents. Just Pate. Just Holly. Pate pulled her close against him. Held her.

  Duncan’s eyes narrowed. Pate was whispering to her, and when he focused hard enough, Duncan could just make out the guy’s words.

  I’m sorry. We’ll make it work. Everything will be fine again, I promise.

  Holly shook her head. Tried to pull away from him.

  But Pate just tightened his hold around her. His lips brushed over her forehead. I won’t lose you.

  Oh, hell, yes, he would. Duncan bounded down the stairs. “Get your hands off her.” A lethal order.

  This wasn’t about getting an order from his unit’s director. Wasn’t about the supernatural nightmare that was his life.

  This was about some prick having his hands all over the woman that Duncan wanted.

  And Pate needed to back the hell up before Duncan wrecked the guy’s face.

  “I was worried this would happen,” Pate said with a sigh. He didn’t let Holly go. Big mistake. “Don’t you see, Holly, he’s linking with you? Bonding?”

  “My fist is going to bond with your face,” Duncan promised.

  Holly pushed Pate away. Then she whirled to face Duncan. She blocked his path, stopping him before he could carry through on that sweet promise he’d made to Pate.

  “Don’t,” she said, shaking her head.

  He reached out his hand. Ran his fingers over the spot that Pate had kissed on her forehead. He needed to get some things clear, fast. Wolves… werewolves didn’t react like humans.

  Pate had that bit right. Duncan was linking with her. He wanted her again. Wanted her naked and screaming beneath him. She hadn’t screamed with pleasure before, would she next time?

  “My bite…it’s…ah, making you react this way,” Holly said, her words rushed.

  The bite?

  “It…creates a connection. Between vampire and prey. There’s pleasure in the bite.”

  Yeah, he’d gotten that part.

  “The pleasure is addictive. It’s how vampires lure their prey to them, again and again.” Her lips tightened. “The vampires who aren’t interested in torturing their prey, that is.”

  So the bite itself was the vampire’s weapon?

  “You shouldn’t have bitten him,” Pate snapped from behind her. “You shouldn’t have—”

  “I bit Saul first, okay?” Her shoulders had straightened. Her eyes were still on Duncan, but her words seemed to be for Pate. “Because your little wolf—the one you were so confident you could control—came to attack me.”

  Over her shoulder, he saw Pate’s face. The guy’s expression had frozen into a stone mask.

  “I bit him, then Duncan came in and chased the guy right out of the window.” Her breath eased out. “Thank you, Duncan.”

  His hand fell away from her. “You should have let me kill him.”

  “That would have been a mistake.” From Pate. Why was the guy still talking?

  “Yes," Holly said with a nod. "It would have." Then she looked back at Pate. "The chip in the collar will let us track him. As soon as we do, I-I can get Saul to take us to the other alpha."

  "Are you in control?" Pate gritted.

  “Hell, yes,” Duncan snapped. “Right now, I’m—”

  “Not you, McGuire.”

  Holly’s laugh broke what was left of Duncan's heart. "Does it matter? I took the blood, from both of them."

  Pate frowned at her.

  Duncan knew about vampires. Vampire 101 had been an introductory class for every agent entering the unit. He knew that the basic rules when dealing with a vampire went this way…

  Rule number one: Don't get bit.

  Too late.

  Rule number two: If you do get bit, get the hell away from the vamp. Because once a vamp bit his prey—her prey—that vampire could slide into the victim's mind. Could command. Control.

  I am so screwed.

  Rule number three: Don't fucking get bit.

  How had Holly become a vampire? Because from everything he'd heard, the transformation wasn't easy. A human had to be at the brink of death, and then the human had to get a very powerful infusion of vampire blood to make the transition.

  "Isn't this why you made me?" Holly asked quietly.

  Wait, hold up, made her?

  "Get me to Saul, and I can deliver the alpha to you."

  Duncan's gaze drifted between them as anger pulsed inside of him. "If all you had to do was take a bite of Saul, why not just do it back at the lab?" His hands fisted. He’d been running for hours as he tracked Saul. "Why send me on this whole song and dance about—”

  "Biting him wasn't an option. Not if Holly ever hoped to return to her human life." Pate ran a shaking hand over his face. "Until you, she'd never taken blood from a live source. Only gotten transfusions of blood that had been injected with karahydrelene."

  When Holly had followed him into the woods, he’d gotten too close to her. He remembered Holly's lips being crushed against his own. Remembered the faint coppery taste that had filled his mouth. His blood?

  "I-I must have bit your lip when we kissed," Holly's gaze wouldn't meet his. "I'm sorry."

  He wasn't. Maybe he should have been.

  "Then, after Saul, when we were—” Her breath sighed out. "Werewolf blood has a very powerful effect on vampires."

  "It makes them drunk with pleasure and power," Pate said as his hands crossed over his chest.

  "I couldn't stop myself," she said, and finally, her gaze came back to his. "You were too good."

  Uh, yeah, he'd thought the same thing about her.

  "The karahydrelene worked to combat the changes occurring within Holly—” Pate began.

  “Kara—what?” Duncan wanted to know. He’d never heard of it.

  Holly gave him a small smile. "Karahydrelene. It’s a drug I made that inhibited the bloodlust. With it, I could go for much longer periods of time without needing the blood. My fangs never extended, and all of my other vampire…features…were contained."

  "But now that she's just had straight werewolf blood…" Pate let his words trail away.

  Holly’s gaze held Duncan's. "The bloodlust is going to be much harder to control." Her gaze dropped to his throat. "Before you go out on this hunt with me, you need to know that. I might—I might try to drink from you again."

  Will you try to fuck me agai
n, too? Because he thought that would be a rather awesome bonus.

  “Can you handle that?”

  She stared at him with fear in her dark eyes. As if she actually expected him to say that a little bite from her was too much for him to handle. Um, hell, no, it wasn’t too much. “Just so you’re warned, too.” He bent his head over hers. Caught more of that heady scent and didn’t even care if the scent was part of a vampire’s appeal to draw in her victims or if it came from the karahydrelene or if it was just her. “I may want my own bite.”

  “No!” Pate’s immediate snap. “That can’t happen!”

  He didn’t want to leave Holly but, slowly, Duncan made his way over to his boss. “You got a claim on her?”

  “Uh, Duncan…” Holly began, voice rather nervous, from behind him.

  Pate glared at him. “Yes, I do.”

  He could rip the man apart. The werewolf strength that he’d hated before was an advantage right then. “Forget it. You’re not having her, you can just—”

  “She’s my step-sister.”

  Duncan managed to keep his jaw off the floor.

  “And she’s too good for you. So don’t even think about biting her because she’s not going to be your mate. Not going to be anything to you. You do the mission, and it’s over. You’ve already screwed things up enough for her.” A muscle jerked in Pate’s jaw. “So have I.”

  Then Pate marched away, leaving Duncan staring after him. He knew the guy was right, on one count anyway. Holly was too good for him. That was why he’d stayed away from her before the vampire attack. And even though he knew that Pate was right in warning him off, Duncan also knew that he wasn’t about to leave Holly. They’d complete the mission all right, but after that, things would be far from over between them.

  Chapter Six

  The bar was loud. Bursting with noise. Laughter. Music. The scent of alcohol and sex lingered in the air.

  So did the scent of blood.

  From the corner of her eye, Holly glanced over at Duncan. They’d followed the signal from Saul’s collar, but, honestly, she thought Duncan could have tracked the guy without it. His senses were seriously amped, and she was pretty sure that those enhanced senses could tell that—

  I’m still turned on.

  Because she was. No wonder Pate had tried to keep her away from werewolf blood. It was heady. Saul…Saul’s blood had amped up her body. Given her a boost that made her feel incredibly strong.