Untouched

by Sara Humphreys

  She stayed there, clinging to him as the delicious aftershocks rippled through her spent body, which only made her hold him even closer. Kerry buried her face in his neck and inhaled his earthy, wild scent. He was positively addictive. Sweet Jesus, would she ever get enough of this man?

  Dante’s hand ran delicately along her thigh as he placed featherlight kisses against her neck. Evidence of his unresolved need, still hot and demanding, pressed insistently against her hip. Kerry struggled to catch her breath and finally opened her eyes. His face remained stamped with desire, and just one look from him made her wet all over again.

  “Dante,” she breathed his name softly. Her leg slid slowly down the length of his. He held onto her as she swayed on unsteady legs and found her balance. Looking into his glowing amber eyes, she knew she was his. Something primal and wild inside of her had been dormant until she met him. He literally and figuratively woke up the animal inside of her. Every bit of her body and soul cried out for his, and that alarmed her more than anything else.

  That cocky, lopsided grin spread slowly across his face. Dante leaned in to kiss her, but a loud knock at the door stopped him dead in his tracks. He cursed quietly and rested his forehead against hers. “Haven’t they heard the phrase?”

  “What phrase,” she asked softly as she fiddled with the waistband of his jeans.

  “If the trailer’s a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’!”

  The two of them burst out laughing. His eyes had shifted back to human form, but she adored them just as much. His big brown eyes were especially beautiful when he laughed. She liked his laugh, deep and rich. The sound of it made her heart skip a beat.

  Without taking his eyes off of hers, he helped her put the robe back on and tenderly tied the sash. “Who is it?”

  “Just wanted to tell you everyone else is gone, boss.” It was Pete’s muffled voice on the other side of the door. “I’m ready whenever you are. This place gives me the creeps.”

  “We’ll be right out.” Dante turned back to Kerry and brushed her long dark hair off of her face. His features had softened, and he looked at her with something that resembled love. Her stomach flip-flopped, and she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “As much as I would love to stay here and continue what we started…” His words trailed off, and he smiled wickedly.

  Kerry nodded her agreement. “Well, why don’t you go outside, and let me get dressed? Something tells me that you might slow down the process.”

  “Something tells me you’re right.” Dante laughed and kissed her quickly before he let himself out of the trailer.

  Chapter 10

  While Dante waited for Kerry to change, he decided to take a walk around the property to make certain there wasn’t anything he had overlooked. Peter seemed perfectly content to wait in the air-conditioned car and leave the exploring to him. He also needed to see if William or Steven had found anything out of the ordinary. He made his way over to the far left side of the house, and a splashing sound caught his attention. He looked over and saw an enormous alligator slipping into the murky swamp water from the neighboring grasses.

  I’ve been avoiding that big bastard all morning long. Steven’s irritated voice slid into Dante’s mind. He looked around and caught sight of him behind the house. His thick sandy fur blended nicely in the dry, overgrown grasses. Dante walked back to greet his friend.

  Looks like you managed to avoid becoming gator bait, Dante teased good-naturedly.

  Steven sat up and scratched furiously at the back of his ear with his hind leg. Man this grass is itchy.

  Dante looked over his shoulder, making sure they were still alone. Did you or William find anything out of the ordinary?

  Nope. William flew out of here a little while ago without more than a couple of words. He said he’d meet up with us tonight, but that he had other business to take care of.

  Dante’s face grew serious. Other business?

  Yeah. You know Willie. He’s not much of a talker.

  Dante nodded and forced a tight smile, but couldn’t squelch the feeling of dread that crept up his spine. I’m sure you’re right.

  Look, I gotta get out of here man. This grass is killin’ me. Let’s meet up tonight at the Zankoff’s place. Remember, she and her brother have that little bar on the edge of the French Quarter, The Den. There’s a private room upstairs.

  Of course. Thank you again for your help. I’ll see you tonight around eight o’clock.

  Dante turned back to the house as Steven vanished into the wind. He walked around to the other side of the giant old home and came upon the owner’s cottage. The guesthouse looked to be no larger than perhaps one room, and it too sat in a state of disrepair. The dilapidated condition of this property seemed to be in stark contrast to everything he knew about members of the Vasullus family.

  He attempted to get a view inside the house, but the curtains were tightly drawn. Dante placed his hands on the front door and closed his eyes. He reached out with his mind to scan inside the house.

  To his surprise, the door swung open, and Dante came face-to-face with Joseph Vasullus.

  The man did not look pleased with Dante’s presence. His dark gray eyes peered at him from under bushy white eyebrows. His long salt-and-pepper hair was tied in a loose ponytail. He stood practically eye to eye with Dante. He’d been strong in his youth, but age had robbed him of most of it.

  “What would make you think it’s acceptable to invade the privacy of my home? I am a member of the Vasullus family, and you should know better than that,” he barked.

  Dante looked at the man with shock. “My apologies, Joseph.” He bowed his head in respect. “I am Dante Coltari. A member of the Fox Clan.”

  “I know exactly who you are. I live here alone for a reason. I don’t like people—human or Amoveo. I agreed to let Jacqueline use this property for her fashion shoot under the strict condition that no one bothered me. She kept bugging me about it, and I finally gave in just so she’d leave me the hell alone. I did not agree to let you, or anyone else, invade my privacy.”

  Confused, Dante pressed him further. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t think you understand.”

  “Oh, I understand you just fine. The only people who were given permission to be on this property were those fashion people. You were not given permission to be here. I suggest you leave.” He started to shut the door but stopped to deliver one last message. “By the way, not all of the Vasullus bow down and kiss the feet of the Amoveo. Some of us want a normal, quiet life and want to live out the rest of our lives in peace.”

  Without another word, he slammed the door in Dante’s face.

  Shaking his head, Dante walked back to the front of the main house. What in the hell was going on? He looked back over his shoulder at the old man’s cottage and saw the drape move. He’d been watching. He’d probably been watching the entire time. Anger and suspicion reared their ugly heads, and Dante struggled to keep his temper under control. The Vasullus were supposed to work with his people and help them. This bastard wanted no part of anything or anyone.

  Dante let out a frustrated sigh, but all the tension went out of his body the moment he saw Kerry. She stood next to the car, looking as fresh as a summer breeze in her red sundress. All that dreadful makeup had been removed, and her long dark hair flowed freely around her shoulders. Dante smiled, and the knots in his back loosened. He went to her and took her hand in his, enjoying how soft she felt. Smiling, she looked past him to the caretaker house.

  “So, did you meet the weirdo who lives in there?” she asked with a nod.

  “Yes. He’s definitely,” Dante paused as though searching for just the right words. “I guess you could say he’s outside the box. He’s not very social and doesn’t seem particularly interested in us or the shoot. All he wants is his privacy. I’ll tell you more about it tonight.”

  “Well, if anyone can understand being different, it’s me.” She popped up on her toes and placed a warm kiss on his lips.
“Let’s get out of here and give him his privacy.”

  They rode back into the city in silence. Dante sat in the backseat with Kerry. Much to his delight, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. He adored having the weight of her body pressed against his. The way her thigh brushed enticingly along his was enough to drive him mad with longing. He grappled with his desire for her and craved the taste of her. His body pulsed with need, and his jeans grew increasingly uncomfortable. Occasionally, he caught Pete’s smiling eyes in the rearview mirror. He’d have been blind not to see what was going on, but to his credit, he said nothing.

  They arrived back at the hotel and found Royal Street bustling with tourists. Before getting out of the car, Dante gave Pete the rest of the day off with strict instructions to pick them up in the morning for the second day of shooting. He helped Kerry from the car, and, holding her hand, walked into the lobby of the Monteleone.

  Moments after they stepped inside the hotel Kerry let out a shriek and tore her hand from his. Startled, he looked up to see her jumping up and down in a joyful embrace with Samantha. Standing immediately behind the two women, who giggled like schoolgirls, stood a smiling Malcolm. He walked over to Dante, shook his hand, and pulled him into a warm embrace. He pulled back and squeezed his friend’s shoulder.

  “Now you knew that this was bound to happen, right?” Malcolm asked with a smile.

  “I don’t understand.” Dante furrowed his brow in confusion. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you two supposed to be on honeymoon somewhere?”

  Malcolm sighed and threw a glance to his wife and Kerry. “There’s one thing I’ve learned about my mate in the very short time we’ve been together. Nothing will come between her and her best girlfriend.”

  “Well, I had considered calling you both to help her with the transition, but I didn’t want to intrude.”

  “You didn’t have to.” He looked at Kerry. “She did. She didn’t realize it, but she reached out to Samantha telepathically. Sam kept telling me it was the equivalent of sending a 911 text message and she had to get here to help her.” He opened his arms wide. “So, here we are. Besides New Orleans is a great spot for a honeymoon.”

  Kerry and Sam walked over to the elevator with their arms linked, smiling through tears and still giggling. “We have a suite on the same floor as you guys,” Sam called over her shoulder. “Let’s go upstairs to our rooms so we can stop causing a scene in the lobby.”

  Once upstairs, Kerry and Sam gave Malcolm and Dante their marching orders—go in the other suite and leave them alone. Girl talk meant no men allowed. The two women went into Kerry’s suite and got comfortable. They kicked off their shoes, ordered wine and cheese from room service, and hunkered down on the couch for the biggest girl talk of their lives.

  Kerry sipped the cool, tangy chardonnay and relished the brisk liquid as she drank it down and listened to Samantha tell her story. She went through everything—how Malcolm found her in the dream realm, the Amoveo, the Caedo, the Purists—and the real reason that AJ attacked her. Kerry listened intently, and tears stung at her eyes as Sam recounted that fateful night a couple of months ago.

  “Dante tried to save you, Kerry. He almost died in the process. His own father was one of the traitors—a Purist.”

  Kerry nodded and wiped the tears away. “I guess he won’t be bringing me home for dinner anytime soon.” Her laughter faded, and her face grew serious. “Wait a minute. I got adopted into the Caedo family tree? Aren’t they the ones that hunt the Amoveo? Holy crap! AJ was my cousin on my mother’s side. Wow. She’s Caedo? No wonder she hates me.”

  Sam shook her head. “All of our research so far shows that your mother doesn’t know anything about the Amoveo. She barely had a relationship with her father before he died. As far as we can tell, AJ was the only one in your family who knew anything about us.”

  “This is all too weird.” She threw back the rest of her wine. “I can’t believe you don’t hate me,” she said quietly.

  “What?” Sam reached out and took her hand, and the wolf image whisked into Kerry’s mind in a comforting way. “Why on earth would I hate you?”

  Kerry couldn’t bring herself to look Sam in the face. She pulled her hand from Sam’s. “I lied to you.” She sniffed. “I told you that I didn’t remember anything about that night, but I did. I remember how I let AJ force me into calling you and you almost died because of me,” she shouted.

  All the guilt and anger she’d been holding in bubbled up and boiled over. The tears flowed freely, and the words came out in halting sobs as she finally forced herself to look Samantha in the face.

  “If I hadn’t been so goddamned pathetic, if I’d touched that creepy little bastard just once—I would’ve seen what he was up to.”

  Samantha said nothing, but looked at Kerry through sympathetic eyes. Kerry wiped at the tears that stained her cheeks. She wouldn’t blame Sam if she never wanted to speak to her again. Sam took both of their glasses, placed them on the coffee table, and immediately scooped her up in a loving embrace.

  “I love you, Kerry.” She whispered as she hugged her closely. Kerry squeezed her eyes shut and held her friend tighter. “The only people to blame for that are AJ, the Caedo, and the Purists.” She pulled back, held Kerry’s face in both hands, and looked at her through serious eyes. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for any of this,” she said sternly. “Got it?”

  Kerry nodded and sniffled. “Got it.”

  Thank God for best friends.

  Sam released her friend with a sound of satisfaction and instantly poured them both another glass of wine. “Besides, who else are you going to talk about shapeshifting with,” she said with a wink.

  Kerry let out a short laugh as she took her fresh glass of wine. “Well, that is true. I guess the universe sent me the perfect best friend.” She raised her glass. “Here’s to us. A couple of furry friends.” The two women giggled as they clinked glasses.

  “So,” Sam began. “You probably have about a million questions. I’m still new at this too, but I’ll help you any way I can.”

  “That’s the understatement of the year.” Kerry tucked her legs up under her and sipped a little more wine from her glass. “Can we start with how did you know to come here? Did Dante call you?”

  “No,” Sam said through smiling sapphire eyes. “You did.”

  “I did?” Kerry cocked her head and looked at Sam quizzically. “No. I distinctly remember not making a phone call.”

  “You didn’t use the phone, dummy. I heard you. You reached out to me with telepathy, but obviously not on purpose.” She made a face. “I find that to be one of the hardest things to do. Block out other people and keep my own telepathy under control.”

  Kerry shook her head in disbelief. “This conversation is surreal.”

  “Wait a minute here. What about you?” She gave Kerry’s leg a playful swat. “You never told me about your visions or anything.” She looked down at her glass. “I feel badly that you didn’t feel comfortable coming to me.”

  Kerry gave her a skeptical look. “Oh, no you don’t! You’re not pulling that shit with me, missy.”

  “What?” Sam asked all too innocently.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me about your little discovery? Wolf Woman?”

  Sam opened her mouth to protest but burst out laughing. “Touché! I guess we’re even on that front.”

  “Seriously, Samantha. This is bizarre. We’re both hybrids, right? I don’t think I’ll ever get used to saying that, by the way. And we just happen to grow up next door to each other.” Her eyes narrowed, belying her suspicion. “What are the odds that’s a coincidence? What are the odds that the universe did just happen to send me the perfect best friend?”

  Sam nodded her agreement. “Malcolm and I have discussed that, and unfortunately, we don’t know. The real question is: who are your birth parents? We know that you had a human parent and an Amoveo parent, but we don’t even know w
hich was which.”

  “I know.” Kerry rolled her eyes. “I’m in some kind of cat clan. At least, according to Dante, I am.” She let out a giggle that bordered on hysterical and took another sip of her wine.

  “Kerry. Look at me.”

  Kerry did as Sam requested and found herself staring into Sam’s clan eyes. Sam’s deep blue eyes had shifted into the pale blue eyes of a wolf.

  “Okay,” Kerry said through a shuddering breath. “That’s really wild.”

  Sam blinked, and her eyes went back to normal. “Okay—come on. I showed you mine. Now you show me yours.”

  “Well, I’ll try. I’m just getting the hang of controlling it.” Kerry closed her eyes and focused on Dante—the memory of his scent, his strong arms, those devilishly talented lips that made her burn from the inside out. When her eyes tingled, she knew her goal had been achieved. Kerry sucked in a deep breath and opened her eyes, revealing the irises of her clan.

  Sam smiled broadly and nodded her approval. “Those are some gorgeous cat eyes you’ve got.” She leaned in to get a closer look. “Malcolm’s are yellow too, but they’re very different. It’s the pupils. They’re a completely different shape and color. Yours are a sunnier yellow than his.”

  “Okay, that’s enough.” She waved her hand at her friend. “Stop inspecting me like a lab experiment.”

  Sam twisted her blonde hair around one finger and got a faraway look in her eyes. “Now, I wonder which clan you’re descended from?”

  Kerry closed her eyes tightly, imagined them as her plain brown eyes, and they went back to normal. When she opened them, she looked at Sam and found it hard to believe she could turn into a wolf. She needed to see it. No, she had to see it.

  “Let’s go,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Wolf it. Wolf out. Whatever. I have to see this with my own eyes to believe it. Otherwise, I’m going to start thinking this is some elaborate episode of Scare Tactics.”