by Morgan Fox
“Go, Megan. Once Dominic figures out we’re not at your place, he’ll come here.” Maybe he can give you want you want because you don’t seem to want a damn thing from me.
Megan’s body shivered as she began stroking the tips of her fingers over his hard stomach, teasing him with her touch as she confessed, “I don’t want Dominic. At least not right now.”
His brows pinched together as his gaze lingered on hers.
She licked her lips. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t want you the way I do. I need to resist you, but I can’t find the strength.” A tear slid from the corner of her eye, and she quickly wiped it away. “I never wanted to be told I had to be with someone because of duty or anything else. I wanted love, Reyes, and I’m afraid that if I give into this”—she flipped her hands between them—“whatever it is, I’ll never find true love.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his gaze laced with carnal heat. “Who says we can’t find true love together, Megan? Who determines who can and can’t love each other?”
She shook her head as more tears rolled from her eyes.
His heart pounded like a runaway freight train, slamming in his chest and ears, deafening him to every sensory perception except the warmth and feel of Megan’s touch. “Would it be so awful to give us a chance? To share yourself with me, allow me an opportunity to know the real you?” She trembled in his arms. Damn, he wanted to kiss her tears away. “I’ve tried to deny what’s inside me, instincts I wish I could ignore, but I can’t. Megan, please tell me you feel them, too, tell me you share the same ache in your heart each time we are apart.”
Her eyes continued to water, and her throat rolled as she swallowed. In slow, painful shakes, she resumed denying the connection they shared, fighting him even after hearing his heartfelt declarations. Why couldn’t she just accept that they were a mated pair?
“Megan, please. Say something,” he pleaded, brushing back a strand of her hair. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he trailed his thumb over her trembling lower lip. At his touch, she pressed her lips tightly together and released a heavy, heart-wrenching sigh. The sound of her internal struggles had him hating the emotional distance building between them.
In a soft whisper, she said, “I’m so sorry, Reyes. I just can’t offer you what you want.”
“You must feel what I feel.” He needed to know that he wasn’t alone, had to at least know that she knew they belonged together.
Nodding, she told him, “I do feel something, but it’s not me that’s feeling it.” Shifting her weight, she sat to the side of him and stared back into his eyes. “It’s the damn wolf.”
He glanced up at her. His heart sank heavy with surprise. “The wolf is part of you, Megan, it’s who you are.”
“No!” She twisted, pulling the sheet up over her body, blocking her supple breasts from his view. “It’s not. I’m not the wolf. It’s merely a piece of me, but it does not define who I am.”
Finally, he was figuring her out. She was scared that he only wanted her because of the wolf instinct. Why hadn’t she just told him that? “So you think that giving in to the instinct is like giving up that part of you that’s so independent, so human?”
She glanced away, her body ridged with tension. One thing he had learned over years in political circles was the ability to read body language, and he was reading Megan’s loud and clear. She was terrified of losing that part she harbored that made her feel normal, that part that told her she could have a relationship without wolf DNA provoking her choices. She clearly believed the instinct was making her want him and he her, but that was incredibly far from the truth.
His tone was iron-fisted and serious as he said, “Megan, I think there is something you should know about me.”
She twisted, glancing at him from over her shoulder. Her emerald gaze grew brighter due to her glossy, tear-stained eyes.
He sat up, pulling her effortlessly onto his lap, cradling her against him. The rush of his sentiments slammed against his ribs like a jackhammer. “I finally found a woman that I want a future with and I couldn’t be more pleased with who I was chosen to find.” His fingers wrapped around the back of her neck. The soft strands of her hair tickled the skin of his fingers. “I’m falling in love with you, Dr. Shaw, and no amount of mating bond chemistry can replicate those emotions. Wanting to fuck you at the drop of a hat, yes, but I’ve never heard of the bonding making two people actually love each other. That’s for our souls to work out. Megan, my feelings are genuine, and they have nothing at all to do with our bonding.” He smiled at her wide-eyed, mouth-hanging-in-a-giant-O expression. “In case you missed it the first time, allow me to repeat myself…I’m falling in love with you.”
Chapter Eight
Dominic felt the prickle of intense, watchful eyes before he ever saw who the curious gaze belonged to. Years as one of the best hunters and trackers of his pack had given him almost a sixth-sense ability. The moment he’d stepped over the threshold of the clinic and the sliding glass doors closed behind him, he felt them, knew the incisive stares causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end were not of the friendly variety.
Lilly…
His mind quickly sprang to the image of Megan shivering like a frightened child in Reyes’s arms, babbling incoherently as she regained her composure. He’d wanted to kill, maim, and destroy the being responsible for hurting his mate. Never had he felt such a primal need to cling to Megan, soothe and guard her like a priceless treasure.
The vampire bitch had practically beaten Megan to death, bloodied her face and pulverized her body. Recoiling at the memory of her ribs snapping back into place, the bones of her legs and pelvis realigning, he thanked his lucky stars that she was a lycan with superhuman strength and could heal quickly. The pain, however, was still real and watching her go through the trauma of mending her broken body had his nails piercing into the skin of his palms and his mind racing with the need for vengeance.
He would have gladly cried for her if it would have eased her suffering even the slightest. Thankfully, the only scars left behind were the ones that Reyes was much more equipped to handle. Then again, perhaps Megan would disagree and the damage done to her psyche might in fact be worse than the pain of broken bones. He didn’t know. Emotional connections were not his thing.
He suddenly cringed, grinding his teeth together, his hands balling into tight fists as he pondered the outcome if Megan had been bitten by Lilly and infected like Sebastian had been. He was still a little fuzzy on the specifics in regards to how his alpha had been cured of the mutation. Megan wouldn’t tell him precisely what she’d witnessed, and it hadn’t helped that when he asked her about it, he was also being a cock-swinging asshole, a characteristic he was seriously going to have to change if she was willing to reciprocate what he felt in his heart.
He’d figure out what to do with Reyes when he crossed that bridge. Gruffly sighing, he felt confident that Megan would only see Reyes as a man too old for her. After all, she’d been attracted to Dominic once before. Surely, he could use that to his advantage. It also didn’t hurt that he was an animal in bed and could make her come like a never-ending erupting volcano.
Unsurprisingly, his cock stirred, and he knew it might be a long night if Megan was still in the same condition as when Reyes had taken her home. His hand might have to do his dirty work this evening, but he had absolutely no doubt that it would be Megan’s face and body he thought about while he stroked his cock to release.
Groaning, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He pressed the button to unlock his truck, scanned the parking lot quickly from left to right, and glanced under his truck and into the backseat as he took hold of the door latch, still aware of the presence lurking about. Hopping into the front seat, Dominic closed the door and began backing out of the parking spot, pretending to be unaware of his unskilled stalker. From the scent wafting into his nostrils, the person watching him was not but
a pup, an untrained wolf tracking after him.
What a joke. What kind of idiot sends a simpleton to come after me?
Dominic circled the parking lot slowly. The passing of twilight made it necessary for him to use his headlights. Not because he couldn’t see, but more importantly, he hoped to blind the wolf lurking about and catch him off guard. There weren’t many places to hide. The trees surrounding the parking area were small and sparse, leaving a number of cars that could be used for cover.
Grabbing his cell phone, he pretended to talk, hoping the idiot tracker would still think he held the upper hand, allowing Dominic more time to survey without being too suspicious. A bobbing head on the other side of a black sedan caught his attention. The second his headlights flickered over the car, he could’ve sworn he saw the disappearing act of spiky blond hair.
Positive that was the stalker, Dominic drove around to the back of the clinic building and parked his truck in a dark corner. Moments in life like this were the reason he wasn’t ready to challenge for an alpha seat. He’d been given an opportunity to have his own pack, but being second in command to Sebastian McCarthy was just fine for him at present. He loved the rush of adrenaline that charged through his body whenever he was tracking or hunting. Nothing on earth felt as good except when he’d made love to Megan.
Megan was exquisitely spellbinding. The way his body reacted to hers was truly unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. She was the first woman ever to engage him physically and mentally. She challenged him, made him fight her at every turn, but mostly she pleased him.
Damn, I need to end this charade and get my ass home to my mate. Being away from her was starting to claw at him, scraping away at the back of his mind.
Retracing his steps, Dominic found the spiky-haired wimp crouched down at the side of the same black sedan, whispering into a cell phone.
“Talking to anyone I know?”
The spiky-haired kid fell onto his ass and began scrambling away like a crab until he hit the wheel of another car, stopping him dead in his tracks. Dominic stalked after him, the heavy thud of his boots sounding more like the pounding of rubber grinding against a gravel road.
The scared kid shook his head, shaking like a leaf on a tree. “How did you find me? I did everything she told me to do. She said you’d never see me, you’d never find me.”
His gut twisted as her name whirled through his mind, Lilly? Interrupting the kid’s rampant thoughts, Dominic asked, “Who exactly are you talking about?”
“Oh, God, please don’t kill me,” the kid begged, covering his face with both his arms, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Please don’t let her kill me.”
Dominic’s gaze roamed over the spiky-haired pup, his hands balled at his sides. “Who asked you to follow me?” Wide brown eyes peered up over folded arms, meeting Dominic’s curious stare. “I highly suggest you tell me before I lose patience, young man.”
Both of the kids’ hands shot out, palms flat as if trying to hold Dominic back. “Mr. Mercer, sir, please don’t hurt me. I know who you are, everyone knows who you are. She told me she’d kill me if I didn’t do exactly as she said. Said she’d kill my family, hunt them down and infect them with some horrible virus, something that destroys our kind.” Dominic continued to watch him, tuned in to every word. “I was told to watch you, that’s all, and when you left the parking lot, I was to call it in, but it was a recording. She didn’t answer. I swear I’ve never seen this woman before tonight, but I couldn’t help but do as she asked. I didn’t think I was hurting anyone.”
Dominic stepped back, inhaling the fear of the kid. Nothing but fear and anxiety wafted in the air. “What was this woman’s name?”
“She didn’t say, and truthfully, I didn’t ask.”
“What did she look like?”
“She was a pale-skinned Asian chick with long black hair and ruby red eyes.” The teenaged kid ran his hands through his hair, practically tearing the roots from his scalp. “Shit, I think she was a vampire,” he said, as if just now realizing what he’d come into contact with.
“Yes, that was a Vietnamese vampire you became the errand boy for,” Dominic said with a snicker, finding humor in just how powerful this petite little Asian chick was. “Why did she ask you to follow me?”
“She didn’t give me a reason.” His voice shook as he spoke. “Look, I’m new to this whole fucked-up werewolves and vampires shit. I never believed any of this supernatural crazy crap actually existed until a few months back when I was attacked and turned. I just want to be normal again. Go back to when I was ignorant to this spooky-ass shit.”
So that was how she did it. Dominic knew the kid was a newbie, but hadn’t realized just how new. She used him by manipulating him with fear of the unknown. No wonder the kid looked as though he might piss himself.
“Look, kid, do you have a place to go? Have you had anyone to help you through your transition?”
“No. When I first realized I was a werewolf, I ran away from home. I’ve been living at a shelter, but with the full moon approaching, I’ll need to leave before I hurt someone.” The kid wiped the back of his hand over the tears spilling from eyes. “I can’t seem to control myself when I change.”
Dominic sighed, hating that he always wanted to see the good in others, even though he pretended to not be concerned. “What’s your name?”
“T–Tommy.” His timid voice scraped against his throat.
“Here, Tommy.” He handed the kid a business card. “This is a location you can go where you can find help. The people that run this facility are also werewolves and will be able to help you through your transition. They may even set you up with a surrogate partner to help you until you gain control over your beast.”
“My beast? Is that what’s clawing in my head?” Dominic nodded. “I thought I was going nuts. Most of the time, I feel like my head is splitting in two, but in general, the beast, as you called it, keeps me out of trouble. I’m not sure how I didn’t sense that there was something off about that chick.” He shook his head, clearly frustrated with himself.
“She’s unique and very powerful.” Dominic extended his hand, and the kid took it, rising to his feet. “No one, even me, would have been able to detect her.”
He held the kid’s timid gaze. “Now, go inside that clinic and ask for Dr. Zane McCoskey. He’ll let you use the phone and get you set up with the right person to see that you’re looked after.”
Tommy nodded and with a shy smile said, “Thank you, Mr. Mercer. I’ve heard about you on the streets, whispers about you and how you always look out for others. You’re well respected among our kind, even those who consider themselves lost causes.”
Grinning, Dominic said, “Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you hear.” He patted Tommy on the shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “Now, get out of here.”
The smile on Dominic’s face washed away as a cold chill sank to the marrow of his bones. He knew instantly that something wasn’t quite right and his feelings from earlier had been dead-on.
“Isn’t that a sweet sight? Who would have thought that a big dumb brute like you had a heart?”
Dominic whirled around as the heavy Asian accent caught him off guard. Sure, after looking at the petite frame, dark hair, pale skin, and narrowed eyes, he knew she was of Asian descent, but he still found her thick dialect a surprise for a vampire who had to be centuries old. Honestly, he hadn’t imagined the badass vampire who had started a mutating lycan virus and beaten the hell out of his mate to be this small, fragile-looking woman. He thought she’d be bigger, more menacing, and lethal.
He took a step toward his new visitor and suddenly his legs wouldn’t respond to his desire to approach her. He met her smirking expression. “Playing games I see, Lilly?” She’d somehow managed to force his body to surrender its own free will, keeping him locked in place. Damn, she’s a powerful vampire. He wished he could say he wasn’t panicked, but he’d only be lying.
She
clasped her hands together in front of her as if super excited. “Oh, you know my name. I’m so glad. I really hate pleasantries. I find them such a waste of time.”
Dominic held her sweet, smiling gaze, knowing better than anyone that the appearance was only a mask and the devil himself lingered beneath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a run-in with a vampire. Most like to stay clear of us.”
She rolled her eyes at him in a dismissing manner. “Well, generally, we don’t like the smell of dogs. They truly do give off a foul stench.” She pinched her nose mockingly.
Dominic growled in warning, hating more than anything to be referred to as a dog. Vampires and werewolves didn’t get along for a reason. The revulsion of each other’s species was a known fact, and they simply hated each other too much to play nice.
He knew things were about to get ugly, so he pressed his hand back toward the young wolf and told him, “Kid, you need to get out of here now.”
Lilly clicked her fingers, and the boy’s movements halted. “Oh, no, he’s not going anywhere,” she announced.
Dominic glanced back over his shoulder. His gaze drifted over the boy’s bleak expression, held as if captured in ice. “What have you done to him?”
She giggled. “Silly werewolf, he’s been enthralled, and he will do whatever I command him to do. Just like your sweet little mate did. She was so much fun to play with, obedient as any good dog.”
Lilly twirled a small velvety purse in her hand and tossed it to the ground at the kid’s tennis-shoed feet. “Pick it up,” she ordered him, and he did. “Open the bag and take out what’s inside.” Again, the boy did as commanded. “Wrap it around your—”