A steady stream of light from a gas lantern illuminated the sidewalk in front of the building. A glass fixture enclosed the flame, so the wind couldn’t blow out the fire. Yet, the lantern in front of Macey flickered as if a breeze blew by. The flame danced, rising and falling as it shimmied in the non-existent wind. Even if the fire were exposed, the night hung dead still. Not even the slightest breeze alleviated the heavy, southern heat that clung to her skin like a wet blanket.
The flame stilled as the breeze circled Macey, raising goose bumps on the back of her neck. Was it another spirit trying to contact her? If so, it needed to try harder. She wasn’t a psychic.
“The victim’s this way.” A uniformed officer motioned for them to follow him into an alley. A crowd had gathered behind the police tape, and they had to weave their way through to get to the courtyard and the body.
Macey swallowed down the bile that formed in the back of her throat as the stench assaulted her. What she would have given to have a man’s nose. The smell never bothered them. Bryce wandered off to talk to another officer while she approached the body. She stifled a gasp as her gaze landed on the lifeless eyes staring into the night sky.
Another rape victim. Just like the last one, her abdomen was obliterated. But nothing ate this woman. The shot gun that lay at her feet was responsible for tearing the enormous gash through her stomach and out her back. Bits of flesh and bone lay scattered about the woman’s head, no doubt the remnants of what blew out her back when she was shot. But why would the murderer leave the weapon lying at her feet?
She turned to the officer next to her. “Witnesses?”
“No one saw the shooter. Her roommate’s out of town, but neighbors heard the shot. Only one fired.”
“One was all it took,” she muttered under her breath. “Has her apartment been searched?”
“Yes, ma’am. No evidence of a struggle. Victim was a neat freak, for sure. Carpets looked freshly vacuumed. The only interesting thing we turned up so far was this.” He handed her a plastic bag containing a single slip of paper.
Macey squinted to read the pristine handwriting in the dark. Two lines centered on the page read:
I have to get rid of the devil inside me.
This is the only way I know how.
Macey returned the evidence to the officer. This wasn’t a murder. It was a suicide.
The devil inside me…Was the woman possessed? Could the spirit that had tried to contact her earlier be the victim or the “devil” inside her? Too many questions clouded her mind.
“I’ve seen enough. How ‘bout you, boss?” Bryce said.
“Yeah, me too.” She raised her voice so the others would hear. “Pack it up, boys.” As the myriad of questions spun through her head, she followed her partner toward the alley where the crowd was finally dispersing.
“I think I’m gonna hang behind and…you know.”
A slow smile raised the corners of his mouth. “I figured as much. You always get that puzzled look on your face. I’ll catch a ride back to the station and take care of the paperwork. Our shift’s almost over anyway.”
As Bryce strode off toward the other officers, Macey turned back to the scene. The coroner’s men were already packing up to take the body to the morgue, but it was just as well. Macey was looking for spirits. Or at least the energy they left behind.
Inside, the victim’s apartment appeared as the officer had described. Pristine. The trails left by a vacuum cleaner lined up evenly across the light beige carpet. Framed photographs on the mantle suggested the woman had many friends and a boyfriend. Macey rested her hand against the brick fireplace and closed her eyes. Happy images of the victim’s life played in her mind like old home movies. She was rarely alone. Always surrounded by friends and family. And love. Only the most recent memories contained any sort of dismay.
“What am I missing?” Macey investigated the rest of the apartment, but couldn’t find any physical evidence. No spirits tried to contact her. She made her way down the stairs and exited the building. She should go home. Bryce was taking care of the paperwork; there was no need for her to return to the station. But could she sleep after witnessing a gruesome scene like that?
She sighed. Of course she could. She’d lock the images away in the vault in the back of her mind where she kept every horrendous act she’d encountered. Before she left, she’d give her ability one last try. She meandered to the front of the building near the gas lamp that had flickered. That had to have been a spirit trying to contact her earlier.
As she rested her hand against the wood, a familiar silhouette flashing in the corner of her eye caught her attention. It had the same broad shoulders as the one she thought she’d seen in the woods at the other scene. He stood in a doorway across the alley, the backlighting making it impossible for her to discern his features. She stepped toward the figure, and he bolted from his position.
Damn it! She’d seen him. Luke dashed up the alley, walking as fast as he could. To run would only bring more attention to himself. He’d just had to get a closer look, hadn’t he? If he’d have stayed in the shadows like he normally did, she would’ve walked right past him. James had beaten the officers to the scene and had already removed the bits of shattered fetus from the body, incinerating the flesh to conceal the evidence. Luke had no business getting so close. Or hanging around as long as he had. His emotions were making him sloppy.
“Excuse me, sir. Sir, stop!”
Busted. He slowly turned around and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, Macey. Don’t shoot.”
She dropped her hands to her sides, and her mouth hung open. “Luke?” With three purposeful strides, she closed the distance between them. “Why were you running away from me?”
“I…” He huffed a hard sigh. Might as well tell her the truth. A little of it, anyway. “I didn’t want you to think I was following you. You’ve already accused me of it once.”
Redness rose on her cheeks, and she gazed at the ground. “Were you? Or…what are you doing here?”
He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I saw the crowd and was curious. I might have lingered a little longer because you were there.” That wasn’t exactly a lie.
“Oh.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Do you ever go north of the Quarter? Masters Street area?”
“Can’t say that I do.” He would have to be more careful.
“No. I guess not.”
Awkward silence hung between them. Her mouth opened a few times as if she were going to speak, but the words didn’t come. As he watched the movement of her lips, all he could think about was how they’d felt pressed to his: soft, warm, moist. He could almost taste them.
“I’m sorry I haven’t called you,” he finally said. “I’ve been tied up with work.” And killing demons.
“It’s okay.” She waved away his apology.
He took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have left you waiting like that.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, she swallowed hard as she inched closer to his body. She glanced around at the empty alley and angled her head up toward his. Her pink tongue glided over her lips before she spoke. “You’re here now.”
He groaned. Did she have any idea how sexy she was? Of course she did, and she used it to her full advantage. He shouldn’t have been pursuing her yet. Not until he had all the facts and had presented them to his father. He’d spent the past two days researching the family lines to see if there was any chance Macey could be his mate. A handful of cases existed where wolves had mated with other magic beings and still had were offspring. Mostly witches, mages, and fae, though—never with a simple psychic.
But Macey was more than that. Her power coursed through him every time they touched, taunting him with its mystery. And there was more magic in her. It had been suppressed long ago, or never formed, but surely he could help her chip away at whatever held it back. Then he could fulfill his duty as alpha and follow
his heart as a man.
And right at that moment, with Macey’s luscious lips parted and ready, he was all man. He leaned in and took her mouth in a gentle kiss. Her warm velvet lips sent tingling energy shooting straight to his heart. He expected her to pull away, but she leaned into the kiss, pressing her soft curves against his body and wrapping her arms around his waist. He cradled the back of her neck with his hand and slipped his tongue into her honey-sweet mouth. If only her hair hung loose; he’d have loved to tangle his hands in her silky locks.
He tilted his head back to look into her eyes. What thoughts swam behind those emerald pools? Did she feel like she’d known him forever, the way he felt about her? They were meant to be together. Could she sense it too? He hadn’t spoken to her in two days, but the time and distance melted away as he held her in his arms.
Sighing, she leaned her head against his chest. “I was beginning to think you weren’t interested in me.”
How could she think such a thing? He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away, so he could look at her. “I am very interested in you, but my life is complicated, and—”
She touched her index finger against his lips. “It’s okay.”
He grabbed her hand and playfully bit her finger. “Would you stop saying that? There’s no excuse for my behavior, and I need to make it up to you. How about we get out of this alley? Can I buy you a cup of coffee? Or do you need to go back to work?”
She grinned. “Actually, my shift just ended, and coffee sounds fantastic.” She looked at her watch and furrowed her brow. “Don’t you have to be at work in a few hours? It’s late for someone with a day job.”
“I’m a big boy. I’ll be okay.” Werewolves didn’t need as much sleep as humans, anyway.
“Well, all right then. My car’s across the street. Do you want to follow me?”
“Actually, my truck’s at home. I was out for a walk when I…uh…saw the commotion.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and prayed she’d buy his story. Who went for a walk at one in the morning?
“Hmm…” Her emerald eyes narrowed briefly before a sly smile curved her lips. “Night owl, huh? Me too. C’mon, I’ll drive.”
Macey climbed into the driver’s seat, and Luke slid in next to her. As soon as he closed the door, a static charge seemed to build in the confined space, drawing her toward him, making her palms sweat. She cranked up the AC and held her hands in front of the vents to dry them.
Luke buckled his seatbelt and chuckled. “Nervous?” He nodded to her hands.
She yanked them away from the vents and wiped them on her pants. “Not nervous. I don’t know how to describe it. You…make me feel things.”
“You make me feel things too.” He caught her gaze, and the overwhelming urge to reach across the console and pull his mouth to hers consumed her. Something about Luke awakened a long-forgotten primal instinct deep inside her. The question was, could she keep her heart guarded while satisfying those instincts?
He reached for her hand and held it between both of his. “I have a confession.”
“Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
He took a deep breath and blew it out hard. “I was following you tonight.”
Her heart paused for a moment before giving one solid slam against her chest, and a red flag planted itself firmly in the center of her brain. But Luke wasn’t a stalker. His actions may have been questionable, but for some unknown reason, she trusted him down to her core. Hear the man out, Mace. Surely he has a good reason. “Why were you following me?”
“We have a police scanner at the bar. It’s a…hobby of my old man’s. When I heard the report come through, I figured you’d be at the scene, so I came out to see you. After not calling you for two days, I thought my apology would be more believable in person.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you.” A little weird, but nice. “But, if you wanted to see me, why did you run from me?”
He let out an embarrassed chuckle and gazed at their entwined hands. “Once I got here, I realized how creepy it was, so I tried to get away before you found out it was me.”
She chewed her bottom lip. So he wasn’t the most suave person on the planet; neither was she. Plucking the red flag from her mind, she tossed it aside. “I see.”
“I needed to see you again. I thought it would be a romantic gesture, but it turned out to be stalkerish.” He shrugged. “With all our chance encounters, and your detective mind, I thought you might be suspicious. Better to come clean now, right?” He chuckled. “I just made things weird, didn’t I?”
“Yes.” Though, honestly, every time Luke was near, her brain seemed to shut down and let her hormones take over. The coincidence hadn’t seemed odd at the time, but she may have been suspicious later, when her brain started working again. She squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. I like weird.”
Coming to a crime scene to see her was a strange choice, but no one had ever shown so much interest in her. She could forgive his lack of judgment this time. Besides, with his warm, musky scent filling the car and that strange energy dancing between them, all she could think about was what he would look like with his clothes lying on the floor beside the bed.
His shoulders moved away from his ears as his tension released. “That’s good to know.” He leaned across the console, as far as the seatbelt would allow, and stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I’d like to kiss you now, if that’s okay.”
She didn’t bother with an answer. Unhooking her seatbelt, she leaned into him, crushing her mouth to his. She shouldn’t have been doing this. She didn’t want to get involved with a man.
Damn it, why did her brain have to turn on now? She needed to plant her butt back in her seat and end this before he got close enough to hurt her. It would be the logical thing to do.
But as he cupped his hand behind her neck and slipped his tongue between her lips, her logic flew out the window right along with her inhibitions. Red flag? What red flag? She wanted this man.
And she could have him in a physical sense without getting her heart involved, couldn’t she? It was worth a try.
She held his face in her hands and touched her forehead to his. “How about that coffee?”
“I’ve got a Keurig at my place…three blocks away.”
She closed her eyes as a shudder ran through her entire body. “Show me the way.”
Shoving the voice of reason into the vault, she drove to Luke’s house and followed him inside. As soon as he shut the front door, she grabbed him by the shoulders and took his mouth again. If she stopped to think about what she was doing, she’d talk herself out it.
A growl emanated from Luke’s chest as he slid his arms around her waist and held her close. The evidence of his desire pressed into her stomach, and she glided her hand between their bodies to rub him through his jeans.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “Are you sure you want to do this? We haven’t even had a proper date.”
It was just sex. As long as she could convince herself it didn’t mean anything more, she’d be fine. This basal, primal urge she felt to possess him, to make him hers, was physical…nothing more. Grabbing his shirt by the hem, she yanked it over his head. Her mouth watered as she ran her hands along his firm chest, down his defined abs, and popped the button on his jeans.
He gripped her hips. “Can I take that as a yes?”
“Yes.” God, yes.
He tugged her to the bedroom, took a condom from a drawer, and then tossed it on the nightstand. The nagging voice of reason tried to escape from the vault, warning her she was getting in too deep, but she locked it away.
The hunger in his eyes was unlike anything she’d seen, and as she undressed before him, his pupils dilated with desire. “Christ, Macey, you’re gorgeous.”
She unhooked her bra and dropped it on the floor, and another growl rumbled from his chest, awakening every feminine urge inside her body.
“Take your hair down.”
She yanked the
band from her hair, letting it spiral out of its knot and tumble over her shoulders. Then she slid down his zipper and pushed his pants and underwear to the floor.
Holy moly, he was huge.
“I need you, Luke.” God, did she need him. She grabbed the condom and pushed him onto the bed. Forget about foreplay. It had been three years since she’d been with a man, and with Luke’s dick hard and ready, she couldn’t wait any longer.
She rolled the condom down his length and straddled him. Using her hand to guide him to her center, she sheathed him, moaning as his girth filled her completely. Never in her life had she felt so much desire, so much sheer need, emanating from somewhere deep inside her being. In this moment, he belonged to her…and she belonged to him.
Sliding his hands up her thighs, he clutched her hips and guided her up and down his thick cock. The electricity she normally felt when she touched him increased one hundred fold, rocketing through her body and setting her soul ablaze. She wanted to go slow, to make the searing intensity last, but as she moved her hips, the delicious friction of him sliding in and out sent her too close to the edge. With her hands on his chest, her nails digging into his skin, she lost herself to the moment. To the man.
He locked eyes with her, and licking his thumb, he pressed it to her clit, rubbing her sensitive nub in circles, sending more fire coursing through her veins. She couldn’t take any more. Her orgasm ripped through her body, sending a shock of pleasure from her womb to her toes. Her legs trembled, and she collapsed on top of him, gasping for breath, burying her face in his neck.
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