Authors: Aline Hunter
“Why am I so tired?” Arden complained softly. “I’ve had enough sleep to last me for days.”
“Your body is reserving energy. After we rest, we’ll do this again and again.”
She froze, her body tensing beneath him. “You’re not serious.”
“Yes.” He skimmed his lips over her back, grinning when she shivered. “I am.”
He shared the image of taking her in the claw-foot bathtub in the adjoining room, her pale body straining above his darker one, her blonde hair framing her face and shoulders. He would hold her against his chest when he locked in her body the next time, so he could see the pleasure etched over her face as she came.
His breath caught when she changed his thoughts, using her own against him.
In her vision, he held her captive against the wall, fucking her so hard objects tumbled to the ground. Her hair swirled around them, her pale legs flexing around his hips. She buried her nails in his skin and scored his throat with her fangs, sinking them deep.
“You’d better rest up,” she purred and shoved her hips back, the clasp of her pussy as she flexed the inner muscles ripping a moan from his throat. “You’re not the only one who wants to play.”
Holy fuck.
Seed shot from his cock a third time, lining her womb. Their cries ricocheted off the walls and rang in his ears. He’d never get enough of this woman. She completed him, brought meaning to his once empty existence. Every single day would be a gift he’d cherish, granting him time with the one woman he couldn’t live without. Fate had brought them together, putting pain and heartache behind them. Here and now was all that mattered. The two of them would face the future together, made stronger in each other’s presence.
Lifting his head, he allowed the wolf inside him to release a howl of contentment.
He didn’t give a shit who heard.
He wanted everyone to know he was the luckiest fucking bastard in the world.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Cosby, Tennessee
Must run faster.
Arden’s springing footsteps were absorbed by the warmth of the earth, allowing her to move in silence. She breathed in the cool autumn air, eyes sharp and focused in the dark. Trees came and went as she traveled through the dense foliage, the scent of Cosby Creek just ahead. Patches of green and brown blurred as she forced her legs to move at a rapid pace. The steady pounding of her heart keeping in harmony with the feet that carried her closer to her destination.
Faster, faster, faster! You’re almost there!
She pictured the wide creek with mossy slabs of stone and rock only yards away. This was the first time she’d made it this far. If only she could keep the same speed. The trees thinned and she stared at the shiny sliver of water right out of her reach. She launched herself toward her goal, basking in her soon-to-be victory. Tonight she was finally going to win. She would make it to her destination and tell the big bad wolf where to stuff his pride.
“So long, bow-wow,”
she sent out the thought, laughing in her head.
A pair of strong arms snagged her from behind, catching her by surprise.
“Not so fast, hellcat.”
The trees whirled around her, the stars shimmering overhead as she lost her balance. She braced herself, waiting to hit the ground. Wolfe prevented the fall, catching her as he landed on his back and held her to his chest.
“No fair,” she grumbled, squirming against him. “You’re too quick here.”
“We can’t play like this at home,
t’keeira
. Running along rooftops is all well and good until someone snags a camera and takes a picture.” He flipped them over, his dark messy hair falling over his brow as he looked down at her. “Besides, if we were in the Quarter, I couldn’t do this.”
When his face lowered, she parted her lips in welcome. Her legs slid open as he settled against her, his weight familiar and comforting. His frame molded to her as if they were designed for one another, an interlocking puzzle of two as their mouths met. His tongue danced with hers, darting away only to return for more.
“I’m going to claim my prize right here and now,” he murmured against her lips and reached down to cup her ass.
“And I’m going to let you.” She giggled, placing her hands over his biceps.
A soft vibration against her inner thigh made them both groan. Sadly, it wasn’t in pleasure. Releasing her ass, he shifted and rummaged inside his jeans for his cell phone. He removed the device and shot her an apologetic look
Smiling at his expression, she lifted a hand to cradle his cheek. “It’s all right. It comes with the job.”
He lifted the phone, flipped it open and snarled, “This had better be important.”
Arden glanced over Wolfe’s shoulder, gazing at the stars. She tried not to listen as Luke’s voice blasted from the speaker.
Wolfe was officially the alpha of the Bacchus pack until Adam returned, with Luke as his beta. She respected the responsibility that came with the role, since it ensured she could live out the remainder of her life without fear. Even though she was a
former
bounty hunter, she still had enemies. As word of her relationship with Wolfe had spread, however, she no longer had a price on her head.
No one wanted to fuck with the alpha of a pack.
“What do you want me to do about it?” Wolfe sighed, lowered his head and stole a quick kiss before he continued, “We don’t make bargains with wizards.”
Wolfe listened as Luke spoke. His jaw clenched and he ordered briskly, “Contact Sheriff McAvoy. If he can’t help,
then
you can call me back.” He snapped the phone closed and tossed the offending piece of technology several feet away.
“What was that all about?” She laughed, happy to have his attention again. She felt his adoration and the wonder he always experienced at her nearness. Even better? She felt the same way about him.
He cupped her face, brushing his thumbs against her cheeks. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Are you sure?”
He lowered his head until they were nose-to-nose and cupped her ass. A simple shift of his hips and she felt the hard ridge of his cock prodding her cleft. “Does that answer your question?”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gazed into his emerald-hued eyes. “Absolutely.”
The pack would have to wait.
For now, the alpha was all hers.
Let the games begin.
About the Author
Aline Hunter is the alias of multi-published author J.A. Saare, who has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance anthologies and flash fiction contests. Her work has a notable dark undertone, which she credits to her love of old eighties horror films, tastes in music and choices in reading, and has been described as “full of sensual promise,” “gritty and sexy” and “a breath of fresh air.”
Currently she is penning multiple projects within the urban fantasy, erotic and contemporary, and paranormal romance categories. You can visit her online at
www.alinehunter.com
and
www.jasaare.com
.
Passion and danger awaken in the dark…
Edge of Night
© 2013 Crystal Jordan
The Night, Book 3
Like most humans, Erin was totally in the dark about the hocus pocus going on around her, until she learned a hairy little secret—her aunt and her new husband were both werewolves.
To say family politics got complicated is an understatement, especially when she dated and broke up with a vampire. She has no plans to get involved again with anyone anytime soon, but hey, a girl has to scratch an itch every now and then.
FBI agent Luca Cavalli doesn’t mind Erin’s occasional booty call. He’s not looking for commitment, either. Plus, her family would be none too pleased to learn she’s seeing another vampire.
But when a stalker starts making Erin’s life hell, memories of other women Luca’s loved and lost punch him in the gut. She’s in danger and he’s determined to provide her with protection that’s as up close and personal as it gets…
Warning: Stalkers and werewolves, vampires and gun-toting FBI agents out for vengeance. Vampire-on-human naughtiness in every imaginable position—front door, back door, tied up, upside down, and sideways. A little orgasmic biting just makes it that much better.
Enjoy the following excerpt for
Edge of Night:
Someone was watching her.
Awareness prickled along Erin’s nerves and made the hair rise on the back of her neck. She froze, her breath stopping as her gaze darted around the empty restaurant. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She’d watched the last of her employees leave ten minutes ago, and no one had come in since, but she could feel eyes on her. Staring. Boring into her skin.
It wasn’t the first time she’d had this feeling recently.
She needed to get the hell out of here. Her purse, with her car keys, was in the kitchen, so she hurried in that direction, hoping the sense of being watched, cornered like prey, would fade as she went. It didn’t. When she reached the threshold of the kitchen—normally her domain as the chef—she hesitated, glancing around again. Had someone managed to hide in there? She swallowed, swiping her clammy palms on her pants. There was a wooden stand with her knives to the left, and she grabbed the closest one.
Not bothering to strip out of her chef’s jacket as she normally would have, she scooped up her purse and scurried down the long galley kitchen toward the back door. Ten more feet left…five…a few more steps and she’d escape. A clattering explosion of sound erupted just behind her and she whirled and screamed, the knife raised to fend off her attacker.
A massive orange tabby cat hissed and spit, leaping over the soup pot he’d overturned. In the process, he careened into a stack of freshly-washed muffin tins, scattering them across the counter. He looked at her, blinked. “Meow.”
“Balthasar,” she said faintly.
Her heart slammed against her ribcage and she sucked in a breath. Adrenaline still pumped through her system, making her hands quake. She dropped the knife onto the countertop and bent over to brace her hands against her knees. “Jesus.”
Just a cat, Erin. Nothing to freak out about. She shook her head. Letting the air ease out of her lungs, she straightened and found the big tabby had parked himself on the counter nearest her, purring as if scaring the shit out of her was no big deal. Sighing, she rubbed his back. “Sorry, kitty, the kitchen is closed for the night. No scraps for you.”
His whiskers drooped pathetically, as if she’d stolen his will to live.
“Besides, you made a mess.” She gestured with the hand holding her purse.
Looking over his shoulder, he flicked his ears at the offending cookware, which rose in the air for a moment before settling back into its former order. Goose bumps shivered across her skin, the only indication she, a Normal, would have that magic was occurring. Erin arched her eyebrows at the cat. “Impressive.”
His purr revved, and he bumped her fingers with his head, indicating that she should pet him for his efforts. She snorted and picked up the familiar to cuddle him close. He didn’t belong to her. Magickal animals didn’t attach themselves to non-Magickal people, but she knew his owner well. She’d been sleeping with him off and on for almost a year. The booty-call arrangement worked well for both of them. Lately, though, the man’s familiar had been making himself at home in Erin’s restaurants and condo. How Balthasar got inside them, she never knew. The security systems she had in place had been installed by Magickals, and they used magic and technology to ward off uninvited visitors. Her security systems should keep the cat out, but they didn’t.
Maybe all the creepy, being-watched feelings lately had come from Balthasar. The sensation had stopped now that the cat had popped up. She didn’t know though. The stare had felt more…malevolent…than she thought the familiar could ever manage. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Nothing had ever come of the feeling—no one had ever approached her or jumped out from behind a dumpster. No boogiemen in the dark.
Perhaps she just needed more sleep. Blowing out a breath, she gave Balthasar a last cuddle and then set him on the floor. “Time to lock up. Behave and I might have a treat for you at my house.”
The cat made a little chirrup of interest, darted ahead of her and sat by the door. She set the alarm on her security system, then ushered Balthasar out and turned to lock the door behind them.
“Nice night out.”
She jolted at the voice that sounded directly behind her. But she knew that voice. Relief crashed over her just as suddenly as the terror had—a rollercoaster that left her head spinning. Her hand clamped tight on her keys, trying not to let them betray the shudder that ran through her. When she knew her expression wouldn’t give her emotions away, she finished locking the door and turned around.
“Hey, Luca.” A thought occurred to her. Had Luca been watching her? Maybe through a window? No, his gaze would definitely feel more naughty than malevolent. Still, she had to ask. “How long have you been waiting for me?”
“I just got here. Your timing is perfect.”
Balthasar wound his way around his owner’s ankles, getting cat fur all over the expensive-looking suit. Luca glowered down at his familiar, flashing a bit of vampiric fang when his lip curled in disgust. His familiar didn’t appear impressed, so Luca shook his head and sighed. “Really? Must you shed all over the Armani?”
The cat’s eyes widened in an innocent look that didn’t fool anyone.
“Your accent gets thicker when you’re annoyed.” Erin dropped her keys into her purse. Though she knew Luca was originally from Italy, his accent was faint enough that it was difficult to tell. Unless he was irritated. Or passionate. She had no idea how long he’d been in America or even how old he was. He could be forty or four hundred, and she wouldn’t be able to tell. Magickals tended to stop aging somewhere in their thirties and stayed that way for five hundred years before they croaked. That kind of lifespan still boggled her mind, but she’d only known about magic of any kind for a handful of years, so there was a lot she didn’t know and even more she didn’t quite understand.