Dark Awakening

The Kategan Alphas -2

T. A. Grey

Chapter 1

Alison Bennson walked through the disaster in her living room with slow, heavy steps. The cushions from her microsuede couch lay in strips among the cottony pieces of filling on the floor. Her fists tightened and she fought a wave of hot tears that threatened to spill down her flushed cheeks. It took her eight months to save up the money to buy that couch and now it was nothing.

The mess in her apartment made it look like she owned more than she did. Shards from her plates and glasses were the only things left of them. The sight of her expensive collection lying in sharp shambles almost brought her to tears. Her mother had bought her that for her birthday two years ago.

With heavy step, she walked down the hall to her bedroom. The door was halfway open. The black shadows beyond the door waited like a nightmare wanting to suck her in. She closed her eyes, sucked in an uneven breath, then flicked on the light.

What little courage she had crumbled like a stack of bricks. The glass cabinet with her most precious tokens, snow globes from her mom, gifts from friends over the years, and souvenirs from the trips she took were destroyed. Her hand trembled as she reached into the cabinet and picked up a picture of her with her best friend Sarina. The frame was cracked, the glass shattered into a web. At least the picture underneath was still intact.

The first tear slid down her face and it felt cold against her heated cheeks. She surveyed the rest of her room, trying to keep a wall around her to protect her. She froze as her eyes tracked over the bed. At first, she just thought the bedsheets had been messed up, but now she realized the pattern was specific not random. Besides, she’d made her bed that morning.

Her red down comforter was pulled back as if someone was about to go to sleep. She squinted at the strange color on her bed sheet. She stopped short of her bed, her heart slamming to a stop in her chest at the sight of the white matter on her sheets.

"Conlin." Her hoarse whisper was like a shout in the quiet room. Her heart resumed beating with hard, driving slams in her chest. She dropped to her knees and cried.

* * *

It took her longer than she would have liked to regain her composure. She walked on wooden legs to the phone and called Sarina. Only she would understand, would even care. Her family had stopped speaking to her after the incident with Conlin.

Sarina answered on the second ring. "Hello?" Sarina’s perky voice didn't make her smile as it usually did.

"Sarina, I'm in trouble." She hated the tremble in her voice, but couldn't help it. "H-he was here. He was in my house."

"What do you mean? Who was in your house? Tell me what happened." Gone was the soft excited voice, replaced instead with alarm.

"Conlin was here. Please, I need your help. I'm scared." Tears slid down her face in wet streaks.

"Vane and I are coming right now. Just hold on we’ll be right there, honey." Alison didn’t say goodbye, just hung up like a robot going through the motions.

When Sarina and her truemate Vane came through the door, Alison had managed to straighten up most of her living room. She swept shards of glass, wood, and torn cushions into a corner and righted the knocked over side table and coffee table.

Sarina rushed to her, giving her a hard hug. "Tell me everything. Oh my God, I can't believe he came into your house."

"I'm going to check out the rest of the house." Sarina nodded at her husband and made Alison sit with her on two of the unbroken kitchen chairs.

Alison couldn't meet her friend's gaze. "It was like this when I came home. He must have done it while I was at work. He was in my home. And that's not the worst of it." Her voice was hard with anger.

Vane came into the room, gave his mate a speaking glance, and nodded at her to come with him. "I'll be right back, okay honey? Just stay right here."

"What is it?"

Vane waited until they were in Alison's bedroom to speak. "That," he said pointing at the bedspread. Sarina couldn't hide the disgusted gasp that left her.

"That son of a bitch. Is that...did he jerk off on her bed?"

"Looks like it. Help her to pack a few of her belongings. I think it's best if she comes and stays with us for a while."

“Oh thank you, Vane." Her mate caught her in a bear hug and kissed her gently.

"Hurry up now."

Alison packed enough clothes to last her a few days and left everything else. Any items that meant something to her were ruined. At the last minute, she snatched the picture of her and Sarina out of the cabinet.

The car ride to Vane and Sarina's was mostly silent. She thanked Vane for carrying her bag into the house. Sarina and Vane's wedding was the last time she'd been in there. The cabin felt different now, warmer. Sarina must have used her creative touch to brighten up the room since there were now colorful rugs, budding plants, and pictures on the walls.

"How about some tea or coffee?" Sarina wrung her hands together, biting her lips.

"Tea, please." Sarina looked relieved to be doing something as she left for the kitchen.

"Have a seat. I'm going to make a few phone calls," Vane announced and went into the study, closing the door partway.

Alone again.

Alison took a few deep breaths and tried to comprehend what happened today. She didn't want to think about it, she wanted to shrink back into a dark corner and never look up again. But then that would mean the bastard won, and her hatred for him far outweighed her cowardice. She heard the teakettle whistle and Vane hang up the phone, and suddenly didn't want to see either of them.

She ran to the bathroom, collapsing against the wall trying to catch her breaths. The walls were closing in on her. There wasn’t enough air in the room, she gasped then doubled over as a hard pain jerked in her stomach.

She collapsed before the toilet and gagged roughly, her stomach coiling, rolling. She gagged repeatedly, but nothing ever came up, just empty chunks of jagged air.

Oh God, he's going to kill me, she thought. She wanted to burst into tears, but held back the urge. She wouldn't breakdown in front of her friend. Didn’t want her to know just how scared she was of him. Just a little longer and then she could curl up and cry. A brisk knock at the door, had her blinking back tears.

"Just a second." She flushed the empty toilet out of habit and washed her hands, splashing some of the cold water on her heated face. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

For the second time that day, she felt like the air was ripped from her lungs, except this was for an entirely different reason. A reason that made her heart flutter in her chest and her mouth go dry.

"Rome."

His grin was masculine and absolutely sinful. He leaned nonchalantly against the doorjamb as if this was always his usual hangout spot.

"Ms. Alison Bennson, it's a pleasure to see you again." His eyes were bright, the color a mixture of blue and gray. They perused over her body in open admiration. "I'm sorry that we had to meet again under these serious circumstances, I would have much preferred something more intimate." The way he said the last word was as if he was picturing doing something intimate with her in that moment.

"Rome, it's nice to see you too. Excuse me." Ducking her head to hide her blush red-gazed eyes, she dashed back to the living room. He followed her, his low laughter trailing after her.

She took a seat and thanked Sarina for the tea. The smell was strong, the color black. She was about to sip her tea when a large body took the open seat beside her. She didn't need to look to know it was him. She could have smelled him anywhere. He smelled like earth and sex. She flinched at the thought and looked away. He probably did just finish having sex.

She went to take a sip of her tea again and was startled when a strong hand touched her shoulder. She jumped, nearly spilling her cup. She turned to glare at him. She ignored his full lips, devastating smile, and dancing eyes.

"Sorry about that," he said, looking anything but. Sarina glared at him like he a petulant child.

Vane took a seat beside his wife and said, "I've alerted the sentries about Conlin. No trespassers will dare cross Kategan land. You'll be safe while you're here. Tomorrow we'll contact the Justicars."

Alison set the tea down and crossed her arms. "I don't think that's a good idea." Everyone turned to look at her with shocked expressions. She cleared her throat and looked away. "It's just that he's very powerful, and if I make him angry then..." She shook her head, unable to finish the words.

Rome leaned forward and grabbed her hand. The touch sent warmth and pleasure pulsing through her. And she was so very cold. His hand was big and warm, slightly callused and so much darker than hers was. Worse of all her stomach did a cartwheel. Why did she have to act like a fluttery schoolgirl around him?

"We will protect you. I’ll make sure of it, Alison," Rome said. She tried to pull her hand back, but he held it tighter.

“But we still need to notify the Justicars,” Vane said.

"We can do that later. Let’s give her some time to recover from today." Sarina smiled encouragingly at her friend. “Besides you have some evidence at the apartment that he was there.”

Alison tensed and flushed. Rome didn’t miss the movement. "What is it? Did something else happen?"

She shook her head no, but the movement was too quick.

"Something else did happen. Oh, Alison, tell us. That son of a bitch will pay, I promise." Sarina knelt in front of her friend looking like a knight ready to take a quest to save the fair maiden from a tower. Alison almost laughed, would of if her throat didn't feel like it was closing in on her.

"I've received letters ever since the wedding and I get strange calls every now and then." A ferocious, low growl permeated in the room like a live animal. All of them turned to Rome whose cold eyes looked ready to kill.

"Control it," Vane ordered and gradually the coldness receded from Rome's eyes, until they were warm and soft again.

Sarina grabbed her hand in her warm one. "What did the letters say?"

Alison cringed. Her past with Conlin was not something she wanted to discuss and those letters tread on her pain with him with big boots. "I don’t want to talk about it."

"Then at least let us read them. We’ll show the letters to the Justicars to prove that Conlin is harassing you. It will prove you’re in danger."

Alison shook her head. "I burned them. I burned every last one the bastard sent me. Besides, it's not like he signed them."

"How can you be certain they were from him then," Vane asked. He looked curiously at her.

She had to swallow over the lump in her throat. "Because it was about when we were together. Only he knows about...that."

Alison didn’t see the sharp glint of anger flash in Rome's eyes.

"All right, that's enough for tonight. Either you can stay here with us for now, or we have a house you can shack up in. It's safe, and you'll have an extra neighbor to keep you safe." Sarina nodded at Rome who flashed a mischievous grin.

"I don't want to intrude on you here. If you're sure about the extra place then I'll use it, but only for a little while. Only until we can get my apartment cleaned up, then I'll go back."

"Like hell. Cleaning up your apartment isn't going to stop Conlin from coming back and doing worse, and maybe next time you'll actually be home for it. What then, Alison?" Rome sat back in his seat, but he was anything but relaxed. His eyes narrowed dangerously and mouth pressed into a thin line.

Then Conlin will find me, and after he is through with me, I’ll with I was dead. "Fine, I'll stay. But only until I get things settled with Conlin."

Rome smiled then but the iciness wasn't gone from his face. He stood and picked up her duffel bag, slinging it over one very large shoulder. "Shall we go?"

She said her goodbyes and was thankful for the chill in the air; it helped to control her raging emotions.

"I don't live far from here," she heard him say and got into his black pickup truck. He held the door open for her. She didn’t want to be pleased that he did, but she was. It not be a good thing to start liking Rome Kategan, she thought.

She was a little surprised to see him driving a truck; she could just as easily see him in a sleek car bulleting down a highway. Yet he started the truck and pulled away with smooth familiarity. "You know, if you're scared to sleep alone, I'd be willing to share my bed with you." He said it so easily, like he was telling her the time.

She shook her head and didn't dignify him with an answer. Besides, his commented had surprised the hell out of her and she didn’t know what to say. Yes, please? No, thank you?

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him smile and had to look away to keep from mirroring him. Alison thanked God when they pulled into a driveway some fifteen minutes later. The cabin was a two-story with stairs leading to the front door and a small front porch, which was barren. She could easily picture a swing or a couple of chairs there to fill up the space. Oh hell, now she was trying to decorate his house. Not a good sign.

"This is my place. You'll be staying next door," he said pointing to a smaller, neighboring cabin. Alison wrapped her arms around her middle, she was a little closer to Rome's house than she would have liked. Hell, the first floor window on the side of his house matched with hers and she didn't have the luxury of two floors. "Want to see it now or would rather come inside with me?" His voice dropped low and seductive, sending a thrilling shiver through her belly. That was exactly the opposite reaction she should have to a man like him. She couldn't afford to get soft around him, especially him.

"No thank you. I just want to go to sleep."

"With me?" He smiled, crossing his arms lazily and leaning back against the truck. He looked like a sexy cowboy with his jeans, boots, and lazy smile. All he needed was a Stetson to finish the picture.

"Never with you." The words were harsher than she’d intended. She flushed and marched to the small cabin. She heard him following, but stared straight ahead. He didn't say anything, for which she was glad. Really, she was.

Chapter 2

Rome showed her around the single floor cabin. It was simple, quaint, but homey and warm. A brick landing went down to the living room where a loveseat and recliner faced a brick-layered fireplace. The bathroom was clean with a shower and tub, and the bedroom had the same queen style she had back at home.

Looking down at the bed, Alison had a brief flash of the white stain awaiting her on her sheets at home. Her stomach tightened and bile rose in her throat.

"You all right?"

Rome came into the room, his eyes serious. Her breath stalled in her lungs just looking at him. She always wanted to be mated, have a few babies, and spend her life cooking and running her little cafe. But since Conlin, none of that was possible.

It was strange how one mistake could change a person's life so drastically. Once upon a time, she would have flirted with a man like Rome, but now she knew better than to be swayed by a pretty face. One never could tell what lies beneath the polished surface.

"Fine, thanks,” she finally answered.

Suddenly she realized she was in a small bedroom with a very virile male, a male who was looking at her as if she was a delicious dessert he wouldn't mind spending the next few hours licking. Slowly.

A warm blush filled her cheeks and she could do nothing to stop it. "That will be all thank you," she said crisply and squeezed past him to open the front door. She stood next to it, waiting as he strolled slowly towards her. She held her breath when he stopped close to her. Keep going, keep going, she chanted.

Instead, he faced her and lifted her chin with a long finger. The corner of his mouth was curved upwards taunting and full. "If you need anything at all beautiful, just let me know. I’m sorry it took something awful to bring you here. But I’m glad you’re here. If you need anything, I'm your man." She shivered at his words. He leaned down close, his lips scant inches from hers.

Oh God, don't kiss me she begged, slamming her eyes shut. Hot breath teased her lips and they parted, the traitors. And then she felt it, the press of his lips against hers. His lips were smooth and matched perfectly against hers. A hot pulse throbbed directly in her sex and her breasts suddenly ached to be touched. Then he lifted his head. It was over too fast, or not fast enough. Definitely not fast enough.

Her eyes fluttered open to see a darkness in his hazel eyes that wasn't there before a dark, intriguing color that could only mean one thing.

"Please go," she said quickly.

He grinned at her taking in everything, her flush, her wet lips, her chest moving a little too fast, and then he nodded as if he'd done a good job.

"Vane has sentries posted all over, especially near the guest cabin. So relax and don't worry. But remember," he paused at the doorway, the light from the street creating a golden halo around him. "If you need anything, I'm here."

Alison slammed the door in his laughing face.

Chapter 3

Rome was still smiling when he returned to his house.

He didn't know what it was about the quiet Alison Bennson that rattled him so, but she really got to him. There was something about her prim little black glasses and dismissive nature towards him that just taunted him to prove her wrong, to push her until she forfeited. True he had never pursued a woman who clearly hated him, but so far, he found the act quite entertaining.

In the past, he'd pursued women for the sake of getting them to bed, and that had never been a difficult feat. Most women were eager to be with him, didn't want to leave afterwards. Yet it wasn't just the pursuit and challenge of seducing Alison that made his blood stir. In fact, he couldn't remember ever being so captivated by a woman.

Since he met her some two months ago, he'd had trouble getting her off his mind. He'd first seen her while he and his brother Darien were keeping watch outside of Sarina's father's house. Her father was an asshole with some supreme control issues that would probably take serious psychiatric help to cure. Alison had pulled up in her blue Civic and marched to the front door with the same determined stride he'd seen tonight.

He'd watched her from the woods. It was embarrassing really, but just watching her tight pants, those square bangs across her forehead, and those black glasses. She looked like a naughty teacher he wanted to discipline him. With a jolt, he’d looked down to see his cock was hard in his pants.

Strolling into the bathroom, he turned on the water, waited until it got hot and stepped in. He knew what he really needed was some frigid temperatures to cool the heat in his veins, but he couldn't make himself do it. He was too revved up after that kiss. Hell, after everything.

She was in danger and that made his protective urges flare to life like never before. Sure, he'd plowed his fist into a few people’s faces for looking at his sister wrong when she was young, but this was somehow different. Vane told him the bastard had jerked off on her bed, right where she slept.

His fist curled tightly, he needed to find out what Alison's history was with the bastard Prince Conlin. After her words with Conlin at Sarina and Vane's bonding ceremony, it was obvious Conlin was furious. Fuck, he should have seen it. He should have checked in on her, protected her.

Instead he'd spent the last two months fucking his fist while thinking about her. Hell, he'd even broken things off with his fling, Sandra. It might have been a mistake too considering how his cock was as hard and long as a monument. But he honestly couldn't continue to string her along, not when it was another he craved. A woman with hair the color of dark chocolate and a body so luscious and curvy he wanted to spends hours just learning it with his tongue.

God, he shouldn't have kissed her. He grabbed his hard cock in his hand and squeezed the stiff flesh with a groan. Not that he didn't want to kiss her, but he wanted so much more than she was really to give. He definitely planned on finding out what she had against him; every time she was around him she was stiff and edgy. She could barely look him in the eyes, yet she wasn't that way with Vane or even Darien, and surely not Sarina. It was just him.

He didn’t know whether to feel honored or pissed off.

His other hand reached down to cup his sac and squeeze the flesh. He pumped some conditioner into his palm and went back to his cock, squeezing and stroking with long, smooth glides. Christ, he'd wanted to thrust his tongue in her mouth until she was pushing his head down to her needy little nipples and begging him to suck her. He imagined it, saw him thrusting his fingers into her sex and pump them inside her, make her come on his fingers. His breath came in short bursts as he pictured kneeling before her and licking her wet clitoris until she was humping his face and screaming his name. Then he would wrap her legs around his waist and shove into her tight flesh, right there against the wall.

He threw his head back, the tendons in his neck standing out sharply as his orgasm rushed closer and closer. His hand pumped faster, faster, tighter over the head of his cock, and as he imagined slamming into her with her sweet little body and coming so deeply inside her. He exploded. Grunting roughly, fighting to catch his breath, he jetted hot semen over the tile walls. He leaned against the wet wall until he had his breathing under control.

He washed the conditioner and come off his cock, and turning off the shower, he realized that what he just did was more exciting than sex had been with Sandra. Alison was a mystery wrapped up in a neat, sexy little package. He was going to figure her out, and along the way, he was going to have her, over and over again.

Chapter 4

The next morning was one of the strangest of her life. Alison woke up in an unfamiliar bed and home. She felt oddly disjointed, as if she was living out someone else’s life that morning. Sarina called her woke her up from her nightmarish sleep, to inform her she was coming right over.

So she made a point to put on a pot of coffee and take a quick shower. When a knock sounded at the door a little while later she didn't think to look through the peephole first. She should have. Because then she could have ignored it.

"Hello beautiful. You look good enough to eat." How Rome managed to say such simple words and not sound lame was impressive. But when he said it, his eyes were dark and serious as if he meant it. Surely he didn't. He was drop-dead gorgeous, a veritable god to women. It had to be pity that made him be so nice to her. That and he had a dick.

"What are you doing here?" She didn't like sounding so haughty, but she couldn't help it. The man set her nerves on alert.

He arched a dark eyebrow and smiled. "How did I know you'd be excited to see me? Sarina's on the way, and I believe at least one of the Alphas should keep watch over you while you're in danger."

"And that someone should be you?" She crossed her arms and cocked a hip to the side like a teenage girl with attitude.

"Of course. Nothing better than keeping watch over a beautiful woman."

She rolled her eyes and stomped into the living room. "Oh please, enough with the flattery. It's ridiculous and unnecessary. I don't need your pity, your words, or anything from you."

She turned her back on him, which was a mistake for he stalked towards her on silent steps. Strong hands curled around her shoulders and spun her to face him. Their eyes caught, and for a moment, the world stilled except for them. They both remembered the kiss from last night.               Electric heat flowed between them. Alison heard a strange noise and realized it was her own quick breathing. He was so close. If she just lifted onto her toes, she could reach his mouth.

That thought shattered her passion better than ice water. She could never lose herself with him, would never kiss him, never be with him.

"Please don't touch me." She took a step back and looked away from his piercing eyes, from the dark arousal that ebbed there.

"Why do you hate me?"

His blunt words cut through her. She backed away to a chair and sat heavily in it. What could she tell him really? She couldn’t tell him about her past, it was too humiliating, too awful to relive.

She decided to settle with a half-truth. "I don't hate you. I just don't like you." He started to answer, but was interrupted with a soft knock at the door. Alison rushed to answer it, relieved to see her friend's face.

They hugged fiercely as if they hadn't just seen each other the night before. But their bond was strong, one made of years of dedication, secret keeping, and most of all helping each other at the worst of times. Sarina had helped her after her incident with Conlin, a time so horrible her family no longer even invited her to holidays.

"Vane is visiting with the Justicars today. They will need to speak with you of course. I know you wanted to wait but Vane talked to me about it last night…and well, he’s very persuasive. I hope you won’t be mad." Sarina took a seat, giving Rome a pointed look that had him shrugging.

Alison sighed. She couldn’t be mad at her friend when she was only doing the right thing. However she was afraid that ‘right thing’ might end up hurting her worse.

“Like I said last night, I don't have any proof that it's him."

"There's where you're wrong! At Rome's request this morning, we've sent some men to collect the DNA from Conlin's...err, from the bed sheets. If it's a match for Conlin then that's perfect evidence that he was the one that did it."

Alison massaged the tense muscles at her neck, the tight pain pinching at her. "Oh, I honestly hadn’t thought of that. Yesterday everything was just a blur to me. What good is that going to do me really? I suppose I can get an order to keep him away from me, but he's the famous Prince Conlin, I hardly think he cares much for legalities. Most likely he has friends in the judicial system too."

"I know, but at least it's something for now and it's a record for the Justicars. Those letters would be nice evidence, but then again it's not like he signed them. How did you sleep, Ali?" Sarina’s quick change of subject made her smile, albeit a strained smile.

Alison peeked at Rome, as if she could miss him. The man took up entirely too much space in the small cabin. The way he was looking at her was very disconcerting, like he was trying to read her every thought and expression. A blush stole across her face before she could try to stop it. She tried to hide the blush, but Sarina already saw it. Sarina glanced over at Rome and winked.

Alison wanted to tell her friend that the nightmare was back. The same one she'd spend months battling before. The night Conlin almost killed her. She hated that time of her life. She had been weak, scared, humiliated, and even after the ordeal she had spent countless nights waking up in a cold sweat, shaking.

"I slept fine. How's everything been going with you?"

Sarina sighed and relaxed in her chair. "Father disinherited me and disowned me. I received the legal papers a few weeks ago. Surprisingly it didn't hurt at all, well not much."

Sarina's father was one of the last pure bloodlines of lykaens in the Midwest. He'd spent his own life training his daughter to bear the right kind of sons with the right man. However, when Sarina went against his wishes and chose love, the king didn't like that, and as a result, had tried to marry Sarina off to Conlin. That didn’t go down as the king planned when Sarina and Alison made an escape thanks to the help of Darien and Rome Kategan.

Later at Vane and Sarina’s mating ceremony, Alison used her knowledge of Conlin to taunt him and help save Sarina's life. She didn't regret saying the words. Taunting his masculinity--what there was of it—was worth saving Sarina. But her words had consequences, ones she was paying the price for now.

"I can't believe the bastard, really. He acts as if you were never more than a breeding mare."

Suddenly, Sarina burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Ali, I told Vane the same thing." Alison laughed with her and felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease.

"Listen, I need to go to work. I need something to do, I can't just stay cooped up in this cabin until something happens."

Rome shook his head and stalked towards her. "That's not a good idea. Even if we send a guard with you, you will still be out in the open, in public. Kategan land will keep him away."

The nerve of the man. Alison glared up at him. "You listen here, Goldilocks. I have a business to run. Conlin isn't one to stop at the border property just because the sign says 'No Trespassing.' Okay? So, I'm going to work, send some guards with me, that's fine. If he's coming for me, then being here isn't going to deter him."

Her words seem to enrage him. His nostrils flared, and he grabbed her brutally by the arms bringing her hard against his body. She could feel every hard inch of his chest against her soft one, and for a crazy moment, she yearned to press her hips a little bit forward see if he was as excited as she was.

"Don't be stupid. You're not going to work. It’s not safe.”

She sputtered, “Damn right I’m going to work. I have nothing to do here and a business to run, ‘kay thanks.”

His jaw tightened until she thought it would crack. “Then you're not going anywhere without me. Consider me your own personal bodyguard, Alison." Alison actually trembled in his arms. The way he said her name was low and husky. It made her nipples harden in response as if her body was tuned to his voice on some primal level.

His eyes fell to her lips and she fought not to wet them in front of him. Somehow finding some modicum of sanity, she pushed him away. He let go slowly and backed up, his chest moving a little bit faster than before.

"Well now, isn't this interesting," Sarina said in a singsong voice.

Alison suddenly just remembered something. Snatching her friend by the hand, she brought her into the bathroom with her and slammed the door shut.

"What's going on? You know, girls really don't have to follow each other to use the bathroom, Ali."

"Oh shut up. Listen, I just remembered something."

Her friend's urgency had Sarina stiffening. "What. What is it? Did you just remember something else about Conlin?"

"What? No, no, nothing like that. I just remembered that I'm supposed to go into my breeding tomorrow."

Sarina stared open-mouthed at her friend, then shook her head and laughed wearily. "You really do have bad luck, you know that? Well, what are you going to do? Are you going to call um, what's his face...John is it?"

Alison crossed her arms tightly. John Dour had been her lover during her single days in her breeding cycle. He’d helped her for two years, then she met Conlin and was with him during her next cycle, and over the next two years John had been servicing her. He was kind, simple, and completely happy to service her needs during the cycle. Plus he didn't mind wearing a condom, since neither of them wanted a pregnancy.

"Yeah, I'll call him tonight and see if he can come over."

"What if he can't?"

Alison laughed quietly. John was a simple man, but a man nevertheless. "Unless he's married…He’ll come.”

"Oh, I'm sure he will," Sarina said smartly with a grin of her own.

"Listen before you go, do me another favor will you?" Alison hesitated, wondering whether or not she should tell her friend. Of course she could, she was always trustworthy. At her friend's enthusiastic nod, she continued. "Don't tell Rome about the breeding cycle, please. I'm going to hunker down in the cabin and stay that way until it's over. Luckily my cycles have never been as long as yours. Maybe it will even be over in a few days."

Sarina looked at her with a twinkle in her eye. "You like him, don't you?"

Alison sputtered and cleared her throat. "Not at all."

Sarina smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Listen honey, he's a good man. I know how you feel about handsome men, but you can actually trust this one. Not only is he a Kategan, but he's Vane's brother, and I've gotten to know him a bit over the last month. I've also seen how he looks at you. A man only looks at a woman like that when he wants her, baaad. Maybe you should let your guard down a little with him."

Alison hugged her friend and said she would try, even though it was a lie. She could never allow herself to trust a man like that; already he was pushing down her steel defenses with brutal force. Hell, she hadn't kisses anyone besides John during her cycle in the last four years. She couldn't afford to let the barrier drop. She'd already gone through what happens when you do.

Chapter 5

After informing Rome that he was right and she shouldn’t go back to work so soon, she ushered her guests out and prepared for the breeding cycle to come. It wasn't like her to forget something so important. Hell, it was even marked on her little calendar at home.

But with the break-in and the nasty letters she'd been receiving on top of the eerie, silent phone calls, she'd been on edge. Every little noise had her turning towards it with a start; each sound seemed to have taken on a sinister calling.

Paranoia. She knew it for what it was, but couldn’t stop it.

She asked Sarina to gather a few items for her that she'd need for the next few days. Six bottles of champagne was at the top of the list.

She was trying something new this year. Instead of calling John Dour, she planned to try a new strategy—get really drunk. With enough liquor and self-pleasuring, she should be able to stem off the throbbing roar of her hormones. Or at least that's what she was hoping for.

She knew she should call John, but the idea of him coming here was too weird to her. This wasn’t her home and she didn’t want people to know what she was up to, and surely, the guards would question him for coming to see her.

Seventy-two hours, that's how long she needed to last.

Unfortunately, she only managed to last six of those seventy-two hours. After her breeding cycle swept like a fiery burn through body at around eight o'clock that night, Alison managed to down more than half a bottle of champagne and pleasure herself twice.

She would not admit, aloud anyways, that it was Rome's cock she pictured thrusting into her. She pictured him taking her quick and hard, not bothering to undress her all the way before filling her deeply. She came twice with the image of him buried inside her and growling his hot release into her.

Alison rolled out of bed, uncaring of her naked state or that her fingers smelled richly of her breeding heat. She paced in front of the fireplace. Why couldn't she get him out of her mind? He was only a man. Good looking, yes. Funny, yes. Absolutely delectable, yes. Her heart told her she could trust him.

She had trusted Conlin and ended up in a bad way, but that was her fault. And her heart’s, which had been completely in on the whole deal. She had been naive, not believing of the rumors about him. He'd played the part so well too, about how unjust it was that people said such horrible things about him. Even Sarina had told her to be careful, but she hadn't listened. She'd trusted a monster.

But Rome wasn't a monster. While she didn't know that for certain, a part of her wanted to take a chance. Damn it all, she didn't know what to do. Her nipples were crying out to be pinched, her skin was sensitized to even the softest of touches, and her core throbbed like a rapid pulse between her legs. She was so hot and wet.

God she wanted him. Like a dying plant needed water, like a woman needed a man.

Her mind made up, she dialed the one man she trusted, the one man who was safe, and that man definitely wasn't Rome Kategan.

She could hear the breathless excitement in his voice at her request. His voice wasn't deep like Rome's but it was nice. He promised to be there in thirty minutes and hung up. Alison made another call to the sentry guard. Sarina told her that if she needed anything to let them know, so she called to tell them to allow her male visitor when he arrived.

She grabbed her bottle of champagne by the neck and took a long gulp. The tangy bubbles sizzled on her tongue and left a pleasantly sweet and crisp taste in her mouth. For a moment, she considered putting clothes on for when he arrived, but her skin was too sensitive. Each touch felt like it was supercharged a thousand times stronger than usual. She couldn't even bear the touch of the couch against her.

She paced in front of the fireplace. She'd planned on lighting it and sitting by the fire with a book all night. That was until her breeding cycle roared to life. She chewed on her bottom lip and ran a hand through her hair, probably messing up her bangs in the process. A dark feeling was eating at her like a parasite. She recognized it as guilt.

"God, I can't believe this," she muttered. She actually felt guilty over calling John. It wasn't like Rome was anything to her; in fact, she'd learned her lesson about gorgeous men. He was bad news. But then why did she feel like she wanted to go hide in the closet and not come out when John came to the door?

Her core throbbed, warning her of its emptiness, threatening her with its steady pulse to fill it or else. Already the painful stomach cramp started. If she didn't have sex soon she'd been in real pain. Masturbating only staved off the pleasure so much. God, just thinking about how Sarina had dealt with this without a man for so many years was horrible. Her father was monster for doing such a thing.

Just then, there was a knock at her door. Alison flew to it and flung it open. John's jaw dropped at seeing her flush, naked body. Her chest was heaving, her legs spread, and the scent of her sex filled the air like smoke. He closed his jaw and she looked down his body to see his erection pushing through his khaki pants. A part of her pulled her back a little and told her no, but the animal inside her, the lykaen told her to rip off his pants and sit on his cock. She couldn't help it, the animal was out of the cage, and she leaped at him with a growl.

He caught her around the waist as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. He groaned as her mouth found his. His lips were thinner, his body not as strong, not as tall, didn't smell as good or feel right, but she didn't care. She was going to have him.

He stumbled back with her until the porch railing stopped him. Her tongue was in his mouth and her hands scratching over his back. She pulled back to tell him to pull out his cock, but she was interrupted. Well, interrupted was a tame word for what happened.

She was wrenched away by a strong grip, and in the next blink, she saw Rome slamming his fist into John's face.

"No! Stop it!" she yelled and pushed Rome away. He didn't look at her, just panted, and stared down at John who was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "What do you think you're doing?"

"He was touching you." He jerked her up against his body and his pupils darkened and dilated as he looked at her. Then he took a deep shuddering breath. "You're breeding." He growled and her body wept at the sound.

"Y-yes," she whispered. Suddenly she felt like a deer caught in headlights. She was utterly captivated by him. His scent, his body, his voice, all of them pulled her towards him as if they were two polarized magnets, irresistibly drawn together.

"Tell John he's leaving and not to come back around here again." His hands grabbed her naked hips and brought her flush against his body. She moaned at the feel of all his hard strength and whimpered at the unmistakable hardness of his cock.

Somehow she tore her gaze away to see John come to a stand, his legs a little unsteady. "I'm so sorry, John. Please go." He looked at her, his lips in a flat line then looked at Rome with a wounded expression before turning to leave. Alison wanted to cry out to him, she felt so awful for everything, but she couldn't because Rome picked her up and was taking her into the house.               Oh my God, she thought her mind buzzing. I'm going to have sex with Rome Kategan.

Chapter 6

Rome couldn't think straight over the roar of blood in his ears. His cock was harder than it'd been in his life.

He'd received a call from the guards that Alison was having a visitor over, a male visitor. Rome had watched curiously, and more than a little angry, as the thin man knocked on Alison's door. But after he saw her launch herself at him completely naked, he knew two things. One, that he was going to kill this man and two, something was wrong. The shy, modest Alison would not fling herself naked at a man in public without reason.

That's the reason he gave himself for marching over to her cabin and planting his fist into the thin man's face. The scent of her breeding heat hit him like a punch to the gut, had his heart knocking against his ribs with a hard staccato rhythm. She smelled ripe and fresh like pure woman and honey. God, he'd never smelled anything so good.

He didn't feel like he was all there in his head. He felt overcome with lust and desire, feelings he'd already harbored in abundance for her. Looking down at the wiggling vixen in his arms, Rome knew he was going to take her good and hard.

Something stopped him though from just shoving in her like he wanted to, like she wanted to judge by her soft, needy eyes. "Alison, tell me you want me. Tell me you want this." He hated that he sounded like he was begging, but damn he couldn't help it. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, the movement lifting her closer to his lips.

"I've only wanted you."

Her soft words hit him like a sledgehammer to the head. His cock throbbed painfully and his sac drew up tight to his body. Before he realized what he was doing, he was kissing her. It was all tongues, lips, and breaths mixing together struggling for dominance. He put her down on the rug before the unlit fireplace and followed her down. He pulled back from her lips to look down at her naked body.

"Beautiful." His guttural complement sent a shudder through her body. Her head fell back, exposing the long line of her throat and he followed the path with his mouth pressing hot kisses there then sucking the skin when she gasped. His hands found her breasts and squeezed.

Good God, they were large and full, filling his big hands. He wanted to go slowly, learn her body, and let her learn his, but she would have none of that. He didn't know whether it was her breeding cycle or if this eagerness was usual for her, but her hands found the button and zipper of his pants and undid both of them.

She pulled out his cock and squeezed the hard steel making him groan and curse harshly. Grabbing her wrists in his hand, he planted her arms above her head. She looked like a virgin sacrifice and he wanted nothing more than to take her ripe offering.

"Slow," he said.

Her hooded eyes met his and she shook her head no. "Hard, fast, now." He was ready to tell her no, when suddenly she wrapped her arms around him and with surprising strength rolled them over until he was on his back and she was on top.

"Just wait," he growled.

She didn't.

She lifted her lips, nudged his cock to the hot throbbing heat of her sex, and sunk home. Moaning wildly, she lifted and sank further and further until she fit as much of him into her as she could.

Rome stopped complaining, stopped thinking altogether. His hand and mouth found her breasts, sucked, and squeezed as her tight flesh gripped and massaged his cock like a wet fist. She was so passionate above him, like a sexual goddess straddling his cock, finding a rhythm that had her panting, and crying out.

He pinched her nipple and lifted his hips higher, driving his cock deeper into her and she froze above him, her mouth open in a silent scream as her body broke into hard, trembling shudders. Her climax was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Her eyes were wide open with shock as is she was experience her first orgasm, her chest was flushed red with excitement, and her sex gripped him repeatedly, stroking his own orgasm from him.

He grabbed her hips in his strong hands and lifted her so he could plunge into her quivering core. The fading strokes of her orgasm pulled at him, squeezed him, until he grunted, slammed in one last time and came harder than he'd ever come before. She moaned and wiggled above him as his come soothed her throbbing womb.

Alison collapsed on top of Rome and fought to catch her breath against the rise and fall of his big chest. She felt like a doll resting on his chest. A wave of calm, warm, security wrapped over her like a blanket. She settled into that warmth with a smile.

Warm hands trailed down the naked expanse of her back and up into her hair. It felt so good to be touched again, touched like she mattered, like she was wanted.

She had been touched like that once before. Alison jerked away, stumbled to a stand on unsteady knees. Rome smiled lazily at her like a naughty god wanting to be punished for his wicked ways.

Alison swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes shut at the layers of hard muscle contouring his arms, chest, and legs. Not again. Cold fear flowed through her veins like icy water.

"Get out," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She managed to open her eyes again with a strength she didn't actually feel. Rome's smile was gone, the happy crinkle at his eyes gone, and in its place was a cold mask of indifference or maybe anger. She couldn't tell which, but she hated even more that she had made him lose that smile. Why did she have to be so fucked up? If only her choices in life had been different and then she met Rome, maybe she would be different.

But she wasn't. "Please get out."

Rome stood, his jaw tight, and jerked on his clothes. When he finished he spoke. "You shouldn't be alone during your breeding cycle. I will take care of you with no obligations, Alison." As he spoke he crossed to her, for each step he took, she retreated until finally he had her backed up against the wall.

He reached out and ran his hand over her cheek and into her hair. He stared into her eyes with a soft glow that spoke of understanding, knowing, caring.

"I know you don't know me, but I am a good male. I can protect you, if you let me." Alison shivered at his words and wondered if he meant to protect her from more than her breeding cycle.

Was he offering long-term protection? Did he care for her? Did he feel this magnetic pull like she did? A part of her yearned to cave in to his words and let his strong arms close around her and protect her. But she knew better than that, had lived the harshness of a cruel man. A man she'd trusted, a man she'd loved.

"I can't, I'm sorry. Please just go." She hated the way her voice broke over the words. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his face. She grew colder as he moved away from her. A slight trembling began in her stomach and threatened to spread but she clamped down hard and fought it.

She heard the door open, but couldn't look at him. "If you need me at all, if you change your mind, come find me. I can't stay away from a beautiful woman." The door shut softly behind him.

"Then go find another one." Alison thought she heard him say no, but wasn't sure. The door shut softly behind him.

She expected to feel relief, delirious satisfaction even. She was safe now. But she didn't. Instead she felt hollow like an empty shell. Alone and cold like a dying star surrounded by a vast darkness of nothing. But for a while she'd felt warmer than she had in years. And so very alive.

Going to the coffee table, she grabbed the unfinished bottle of champagne and down the last of it. The sweet liquid though did nothing to make her feel better.

It didn't miraculously change her life or send her back in time to make a different decision. Instead she collapsed against the hallway, stumbled down the hall to her bedroom, and fell onto the bed.

* * *

"You don't listen well, bitch."

"I'm sorry, I will do better next time. I swear, please don't hurt me, Prince Conlin." The female trembled, hiding her face in the floor below her, but the scent of her musky arousal floated in the air like incense.

"Don't use my name, whore. You're not worthy to speak of me." He grabbed her hair in a fist and lifted her face to smack her hard on the cheek. The reddened skin hardened his cock better than any woman's hand could. He tightened his hand in her hair until her eyes watered in pain, and then he held her in that position and felt his cock grow longer. "You failed me once. Do you know what will happen if you do it again?"

He brought his other hand up to squeeze her slender throat. It would be so easy for him to squeeze the life out of her. When her watery eyes lifted to his, she realized it too. Real fear now replaced her fake struggles. She tried to jerk her hair out of his hand, but he held on tight and laughed, his lips curling cruelly. His cock was throbbing now, a hard rod jutting from his hips. He brought the tip to her lips, but she clamped them tight.

He squeezed her throat in warning. "Do it. Bite me and you'll never regret another thing in your life." Tears spilled down her cheeks as her mouth opened. He pushed in the wet heat of her and growled. Her lips pressed loosely over his, her tongue lax, but he didn't care. That's what made his chest pump faster and his hips thrust harder. He hit the back of her throat and she gagged, so he did it again. "Don't bite me," he gritted through clenched teeth. His hand tightened reflexively on her throat as his come boiled in his balls, readying to explode. He twisted her hair tighter and watched her wince.

Only then did he come.

"Alison," he groaned, closing his eyes and seeing her face, her dark hair, and glasses. It was her mouth he came in and not the blonde.

Pulling his wet, soft dick out, he bent down low to the female. "I look forward to you fucking up again, Sandra. It will be so much worse next time." He jerked the woman up and kissed her on her tear stained lips.

Chapter 7

Alison awoke to a fiery burn throbbing deep within her sex. Her nipples were hard, puckered peaks and her core was pulsing with wet heat. The cotton comforter below her scratched her highly sensitized skin as if it were sandpaper, yet it didn't hurt her, instead she rubbed her back against it like a cat begging for attention.

Her hands cupped her breasts, squeezing the flesh and pulling the hard nipples, but it only served to fuel the sexual fire burning inside her. One man, one image popped up inside her mind only to keep returning each time she tried to shove him out. Rome with his taunting smile and beckoning eyes.

Leave me alone, she wanted to shout, but she moaned instead as her fingers sunk deep inside her. But her fingers weren't thick enough, weren't long enough to give her what she needed. Weren’t him. She tried to think rationally, tried to organize her thoughts but she might as well try meditating her breeding cycle away. Yeah right.

She tore her fingers from her body and stood like a woman about to pounce. It was the middle of the night and there was only one thing she wanted. With each step down the hallway she told herself why this was a very terrible idea: you can't trust him, he might hurt you, you don't want this, you really do want this, and he’s the sexiest man you've ever seen.

Her fingers curled around the doorknob before she realized she was naked. Running back to her room, she grabbed her red satin nightgown. She moaned at the liquid feeling of it as it brushed over her nipples and stomach. She cupped her breasts and massaged the plump flesh until she reached the front door.

She didn't know if she was making the right choice or not, but she was taking a chance. She flung open the door and marched across the yard, steely determination in her stride.

The cold wood floor beneath her feet helped to calm her burning ardor for a moment. She raised her fist to knock and hesitated. Even over the roar of unsatisfied hunger in her head she questioned whether this was the right choice or not. Taking a deep breath, Alison knocked. Once she started, she couldn't stop. She knocked faster and harder until finally the door swung open to a disheveled Rome.

He looked absolutely delicious. He wore nothing except a pair of soft looking sleep pants that hung low on his tight waist. Squinting at the face on his pajama pants, she shook her head in disbelief. "Is that Jacob on your pants. Jacob from Twilight?"

His eyes stopped their slow perusal of her nightgown to toss her a wide grin. "Sure is. These were a gift from Vera. She has a thing for Edward herself."

"Right, of course." She was going to say something, she didn't know what, but lost all train of thought as he grabbed on to the top of the doorframe and leaned forward. Her mouth went dry like the desert as the muscles in his arms and chest tightened and flexed to perfection. She licked her lips as her eyes traced over his tanned skin.

She wanted to remember his body always, for the nights when she was alone in her bed. His nipples were flat and sexy, a darker shade than his tan skin. His hair rested loosely around his shoulders. She loved the light shades of wheat and how they mixed with the darker color brown at his roots.

"I suppose you didn't come here for tea."

She shook her head no, and suddenly had an urge too strong to ignore—like an itch that wouldn't go away. Her eyes dropped down, past his belly button and the thin layer of light hair there, and she moaned at the obvious erection he had.

"As you can tell, I would not object to easing your body. I can smell your heat." His voice went low and his eyes shuttered as if in pain. "God, you smell good, like warm honey and pure woman rolled into one sexy package." He gave her a look of raw honestly and possession.

She walked up to him and slung her arms around his neck like a courtesan. He sucked in his breath as she pressed her body against his and her beast purred in response. His hard muscles touched her in all the right ways. She was only missing one thing now.

Standing on her toes and she brought her mouth a breath away from his. His eyes burned like coals at her. "You may only have me during my cycle and no time after that." His eyes darkened at the threat, but he nodded and captured her lips in a brutal kiss that curled her toes.

Tongues licked and dueled and lips meshed over and over, their breaths mingling sweetly. His hands cupped her fleshy bottom and pulled her tighter against him. She went wild. Crying out and wrapping her legs around his waist, her hips pumping to find a release that wasn't there.

He broke their kiss with and chuckled. "Relax, lumara. I've got you." He carried her up the stairs and into a bedroom. Alison couldn't stop herself from studying his room as he set her on the bed. She was shocked to be sure.

Three wooden cabinets with glass windows sat in three of the room's corners. Inside was what looked like different kinds of keepsakes. Before Alison realized what she was doing, she was off the bed and looking at one. She noted that instead of cold, hardwood floors there was a plush rug beneath her naked feet. His cabinet reminded her of her own, holding one's most precious items. His wasn't broken by a psychopath though.

The cabinet wasn't wide probably only a foot and a half, but it was taller than her. Some shelves held pictures of Rome with his two brothers and sisters smiling or looking serious. There was no doubt that they were siblings. Each of them had the same strong nose, high cheekbones, and thick hair.

The picture that caught her eye though was of a child held in his mother's arm and a smiling man with his arm wrapped around the woman's shoulder. His parents. Alison knew the Kategan parents died in a terrible car accident by a drunk driver. The incident had brought waves of grief across the lykaen community.

Alison could still remember her father shaking his head in disgust at the driver. Rome only looked about ten in the picture, so young. A gold necklace with a locket that looked like the sun sat next to the picture along with a thin band of gold with a red gem in it. It was all so beautiful and personal. She was looking into his past and there was something too intimate about knowing he kept his parent's things. Quickly, she turned to see him looking at her, a soft smile on his face.

He didn't grin at her this time, but casually accepted—and maybe wanted?—her to see his things. What surprised her more was that she did want to see things about his life.

For such a strong, virile man he had a bedroom that spoke of strong family and remembrance. It wasn't the masculine love dojo she would have expected. But then again, what did she know about him? Not enough, and too much. More family pictures lined the walls and some had a man she didn't recognize, he had short spiky hair and blue eyes that held just a bit of sadness at the corners. Seeing her interest in the picture, Rome came forward.

"That's Jackson Marsh, an old military friend of mine."

"You were in the military?"

"I did eight years. Jack and I met my second year in, we've been good friends ever since." His eyes warmed at the mention of his friend. Alison understood those feelings that close companionship brought.

"Did you meet in training or something?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "Hell no. We met with our fists first. I accidently bumped into the bastard coming around a corner. When I only nodded at him instead of apologizing, well, he didn't seem to take that too kindly. He got in my face and told me to apologize or he'd make me. I couldn't believe the bastard. I'm at least ten times stronger than him and that's not including my lykaen strength.

"But I was wrong. He surprised me. The man can move, fast, agile, and hard. He has a left hook that nearly took me off my feet. After we exchanged some blows we shook it off, grinned, and went and got a beer. We've been close ever since."

Men.

Alison found herself smiling as she skimmed over the rest of the pictures on his wall. More of him and Jack, some showed them in camouflage and sunglasses, their teeth white against their tanned faces; the others which made her temperature rise a few notches, showed them with their shirts off abs hard and curled as they rested on their elbows. They each had the same tattoo echoing each other's biceps.

There was so much more to this man than she knew. But why did it bother her that she didn't know every single detail of his life. She only wanted to have him sate her lust for the next couple of days, not marry him. Her heart lurched in her chest at the idea. Closing her steel walls around the treacherous organ, she wandered to the rest of the room where brown, knee-high statues of skinny men and curvy women lined the wall. They looked real, like something a native made in a faraway country.

She never heard him move, but suddenly his arms wrapped around her, hugging her to his body. He was so warm. It would be so easy to relax against his strength and let him take over.

"What's wrong?" he asked against her hair.

She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "Nothing. I was just having some stomach pain from my breeding cycle. Could you, could you help me now?" His body stilled behind hers, whether it was from her rushed lie, or her words, she didn't know. Yet she desperately wanted to know.

She told herself she wasn't disappointed that he didn't catch her lie. "Well, I can help you with that. Come here." The dark lilt of his voice produced an answering heat in her sex. Her teeth gnawed on her lip as he pushed her back on the bed. "Get up there." He didn't so much say the words as command them. She crawled backwards on his large bed until her head hit the pillows.

She became all too aware in that moment that she was wearing nothing but a red, flimsy nightgown, and he was looking at her like starving man. His eyes were hard with hunger as they took in every inch of her body from the bare, pale legs, to the dip of her waist and the high curve of her breasts. Her eyes traveled down his bare chest to the ridiculous pajama pants. She gasped at the obvious erection trying to push its way out.

She squirmed when he didn't say anything, only looked at her, seeming to see more than just her body. He moved to the end of the bed. "Pull up your nightgown. I want to see your pussy."

* * *

Fingers trembling, she pulled the liquid satin up until it piled around her hips. His grey eyes darkened like an incoming storm. "Spread your legs, bring up your knees." His voice was like sandpaper.

She spread her legs one at a time, then bent them and bared her naked sex to his devouring gaze. Her blood raced like molten fire through her body, throbbing and pulsing in need. She didn't miss the high flush that stained his cheeks or the twitch underneath his pajama pants. He swallowed hard and climbed up on the bed like a sleek predator, a dark, ravenous angel.

His mouth found her ankle and pressed feathery kisses against the skin. Her hips nearly shot off the bed. He caressed her calves, her knees, and the softness of her feet. She felt worshipped, like a precious treasure under his touch. His lips pressed tender kisses up her legs, one at a time, as if he had all the time in the world. He was a man settled in to do a job right, and it took her breath away. He reached her thighs, his touch growing stronger. His big body took up so much space between her legs.

He trailed hot, openmouthed kisses up her inner thighs nearing the apex of her sex. She was so wet he had to see it, had to feel her heat. She both desperately wanted him there and to push him away.

"I've never had that," she rushed to say, unable to stop the tumble of words. She covered her blushing face in her hands and cursed herself. Way to be smooth, Alison.

He only laughed, a deep rich sound that vibrated over her skin. His breath tickled her sex as his cheek nuzzled her thigh. He let out a shuddering breath that tickled her heated pussy. She jerked and he groaned a dark husky sound that made her think of wild, hard sex with a stranger.

Big hands squeezed her innermost thigh before pushing them. She heard him inhale and sigh a second before she felt the feathery, velvet touch of tongue on her lips.

"Oh, God!" she cried out, her hips jerking at the light touch. He threw an arm over her hips and the other found her breast and began to torment her nipple with expert fingers. She was being assaulted on all fronts. It was delicious, it was untamed, and it was wonderful.

His lips continued those light, barely there touches, sliding along her creamy wetness, tasting her arousal. He traced long, stiff patterns down the outside of her lips, then up through her center and across her pearly clit. Over and over again. Until her thighs were trembling like a dying leaf in the wind.

"Please," she begged, her hands digging into the bed sheet.

He lifted his head for a moment. "Please what?" Alison almost came from the look of pure need he sent her. Color was high in his face, his eyes smoky with arousal. Gorgeous.

"Please, help me." She didn't mean to nearly shout the words, but she did. His lips twitched at her before he hunkered back down.

The next touch of his tongue sent her into a dazzling spiral of pleasure that didn't stop until she was shouting. His tongue passed between her wet lips speared into her sex, mimicking what he could be doing with his cock. Alison shook her head back and forth like a madwoman.

"Yes, more," she cried. His hand tightened on her breast, capturing her nipple and pinching the firm tip, rubbing and circling the bud. His tongue left her aching, pulsing channel to stab her clitoris. It was like feeling real pleasure for the first time. She wanted to cry it felt so good. His tongue found her clit and worked it over and over with quick, velvety stabs.

"Oh, oh, oooh!" Alison struggled to raise her hips to that expert tongue, because he pressed her down, controlled her. She was the prisoner and he the warden. He worked her flesh quicker until the molten fire inside her core erupted into a tremendous jaw-dropping orgasm. Her thighs shook, hips threatened to jerk out of his tight grasp, but still he held her and delivered each velvety flick until the shuddering waves dissipated like a dying wave.

Alison fought to catch her breath. Her limbs felt like one solid mass that she couldn't move if she wanted to. Her eyes blinked open and she had to make herself close her mouth. She swallowed hard and tried to comprehend what she just felt, what she just lived through. The man was a god. There was no other answer.

Her body floating on the aftermath of orgasm, she watched as her predator, her seducer stood and pulled down his pants, then climbed back up over her. She licked her lips at the sight of his ribbed body and long, thick cock bouncing as he dipped on the bed. He was nothing like Conlin. Conlin was thinner, leaner like a swimmer or runner, whereas Rome as built like an ancient fighter raised on a diet of meat, cheese, fruit, and women.

His elbows settled next to her head, caging her in. His cock pressed against her juicy entrance like a hot silken rod. His lips found hers in a soft, learning kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth at the same time his cock glided inside. Alison gasped at his thick fullness. There was no more room left inside her. He took up all of it. He retreated a few inches then pressed back in, and again, creating a tight rhythm that had her mouth going dry.

Suddenly she froze. "Wait, wait. Stop!" He did so immediately, his mouth flattening into a hard line. "A condom. We need a condom. We didn't use one before. I was too...well, you know. We can't do this without a condom."

Rome's brow furrowed and Alison watched him frown. "No. It is against the lykaen way and you know it. I will not have that unnatural substance inside your body. Only you and me." He punctuated his point by sliding in heavily. She moaned but shook her head.

"No, I used to make John wear one. I don't want to get pregnant, Rome. Don't you get that? It would be awful for me. For so many reasons."

"Baby, I'm already inside you. I've already come inside you before. Now relax honey and let me ease you. Don’t worry about it." He retreated and advanced, loving the feel of her walls clamping down on him.

Her hands latched onto his back, her hips arched toward his in a rocking motion. He hit a particularly good spot and she moaned. "Then, uh, promise, ohh right there, to pull out." He growled what sounded like a curse and stacked her ankles up on his shoulders, his cock never leaving her body.

From this position everything was tighter, all the pleasure inside her coiled like a rope ready to break loose. He didn't hold  back, he leaned forward on one arm and held her breast with the other as his hips hammered into her with brutal, unrelenting strokes that pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She cried out his name, begged him for more, not to stop, uncaring of how emotional she was being.

He seemed to like it. Sweat pooled along his brow and dropped to his temples before splashing onto her breasts. To see him so worked up over her pushed her just a mere step away from falling.

As her orgasm exploded through her, shaking her, she still had no idea if he'd pull out. Her legs shook until one of them fell off his sweaty shoulder. He groaned and threw his head back, the tendons in his neck tightening.

Rome shoved through her quivering pussy feeling each ripple of her orgasm tickle his own from him. As the last ripple faded, he slammed in two, three more times into her tight, wet heat. He barely managed to withdraw in time. He grabbed his cock and pumped the hard wet flesh until jets of his cum sprayed her breasts and stomach.

Alison moaned at his essence. She wanted to touch the creamy wetness and rub it around her breasts. She watched him collapse next to her, his face stuffed into a pillow and smiled in pride. Yeah, I did that! She wanted to stand up and dance a jig, but felt that might retract her appeal, so instead she went to the bathroom to clean her stomach.

She heard a floorboard creak behind her and turned to see Rome coming up behind her. She had only a moment to see him standing, tall, strong, and naked before he cornered her in his heat. He wrapped his arms around her and grabbed a washcloth from the sink. Alison closed her eyes and leaned back into his strong body. She heard water running and then felt the soft brush of wet cloth against her stomach.

"If you would have let me finish inside you then we could still be laying in bed right now." His words hoarse from his orgasm. God, he was so warm. How could anyone produce that much heat? She could easily wrap her body around his and lay in the snow and the snow would melt around them.

She wanted to be mad at him for what he said. Acting like he'd have a child with her, as if it wasn't a big deal. But she couldn't summon the energy, especially not when he was carefully cleaning her stomach causing all sorts of sensations spinning through her.

"You've already come inside me once, you know what can become of it. And I'm sure you know why I can't let that happen." She watched his eyes in the mirror. His hand stilled over her stomach and his eyes turned blank before looking away. He shrugged and dropped the washcloth, it landed with a wet splash.

"Wait," she said when he turned to leave. He looked back at her, his face passive and blank. She hated that she'd put that look there. She yearned to fix it, but didn't know what she'd said. Did he want to finish inside her to actually risk getting her pregnant? The idea was more than a little startling.

For one, Rome didn't seem like the type ready to settle down for fatherhood and a bonding ceremony. Whether out of guilt or something else, she decided to be honest with him. "If it makes any difference, I loved it when you came inside me...before." Her face flushed hot and turned to make herself busy with folding the wet washcloth into a square.

Fingers curled over her cheek, turning her face towards his. He smiled and that motion alone made her feel infinitesimally better. "I loved it, too. I also like you a lot. I want to know you better. I want to know everything about you."

Alison closed her gaping mouth and swallowed, hard. "I can't like you." She closed her eyes, but when she opened them, he was still there. God, did the man ever not look so kind and, well, roguish?

"And that, Alison, is why I want to know you better."

He turned and left the room, leaving Alison to ponder what the hell she'd gotten herself into.

Chapter 8

Some animal was growling in the room. Sleep faded at the sound of danger. Alison popped her eyes open and darted a glance around the room. She heard the noise again and looked down to see it was her stomach.

The other side of the bed was empty and cold. She told herself that it wasn't the empty, cold bedside that left her stomach feeling like it just fell through the floor. She was just hungry, that's all. It took her several minutes of searching to find her red satin nightgown.

She blushed remembering his order for her up on the bed, then licking her sex as if he liked it. No, like was didn't begin to describe it, he acted as though he had to lick her sex or he'd die. No man had ever touched her like that, made her feel such an intense orgasm. Her sex pulsed with heat, warning her that her thoughts were turning her on.

Wishing she had a baggy hoodie and jeans now, she went in search of Rome. It didn't take long. She heard the distinct clicking of typing down the hall and followed the sound until she reached an office. He sat at a long wooden desk that held stacks of paper, a large computer monitor, phone, and coffee cup. He still hadn't noticed her so she took a moment to study the room.

His desk chair was brown leather and looked worn with years of use. Only one window provided any natural light, but the blinds and curtains were closed so the only light was the dimmer overhead one. Two bookshelves nearly as high as the ceiling lined the opposite wall by his computer desk. They were packed full, some even double stacked with books blocking the others out.

Innate curiosity had her wandering to the bookcase and reading the titles. She heard the clicking stop, but didn't turn around. She heard his chair roll as he got up, but she pretended to ignore him and studied the books. It was like trying to ignore a panther in the same room as you.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, contemporary science, mathematics, computer-programming books. Alison shuddered at the amount of texts before her, especially non-fiction. She hated to read, although seldom did she admit that. It was like committing a blaspheme.               People frowned at her and looked at her as if she was some malformed alien insect. So she usually lied and said she liked to read fiction. She wasn't proud of herself, but it was better than seeing the shocked scorn on people's faces. Plus it keeps from having to hear about which authors she just needs to try.

She felt heat behind her. "I'm afraid I don't have much of an interesting collection. Do you like to read?" Alison pretended to study the author of the dictionary for a moment before straightening.

"No, actually I don't." She didn't mean to tell the truth, and she really hadn’t meant to say it with such vehemence. She looked behind her to see his lips fighting a grin.

"Me too."

She gave him a look that said yeah right and rolled her eyes. "Then why do you have so many books. I mean this isn't just one bookshelf full, this is two, and they are stacked in front of each other so you have twice as many, and you have even more stacked sideways on top of those."

He laughed again and reached over her should to grab one off the shelf. "I'm a computer scientist. I kept many of my books from college, though many are outdated by today's programming standards. However as new editions come out of let's say, Java or C++, then I need to be alert of the changes. It's what I get paid to do."

"What's see plus plus?"

He flipped through the book, turned to a page, and showed it to her. "That looks like a bunch of random letters and numbers to me," she said.

"Of course, however, what I see is a basic program for creating word processing software. See, each program you use on a computer has to be created using different kinds of code. C++ is just one of them, one of the oldest too."

"So is that what you do? Make computer programs?"

He shrugged. "Among other things."

"Who do you work for?"

"Right now I have a contract with the Department of Defense. I have a deadline coming up, that's why I left the bed earlier." He grabbed her hips and suddenly she found herself crowded against the bookshelf, his mouth hot on hers. He broke the kiss and dove down to bury his face in her neck, breathing deep. "It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do."

Alison tried to ignore his words, but was afraid they were forever etched in her memory. Her stomach saved her from acknowledging his words when it growled.

He laughed and pressed a kiss to her neck. "That sounded like a bear about to kill a man."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Do you like to eat?" He raised his head slowly and stared at her.

"Yes, I find food quite enjoyable”—he looked like he was fighting not to laugh—“Why don't you let me make something for you?"

"That’s not what I meant! I mean, I cook. It's what I do. Want some breakfast?" He arched a brow and nodded. She moved to pass him, but he stopped her by cupping a breast through her nightgown. She stifled a moan as her nipple instantly responded to his touch, hardening in his hot palm. He watched her expression as he pinched and tugged the peak. Only after she gasped and flushed with arousal did he let her go.

"I'm not done with you Alison, and don't forget that I have questions for you. And I expect honest answers or else." She left the room and his threatening words on quick feet.

* * *

Rome watched Alison moved around his kitchen as if she'd been his cook for years. She found all the utensils, pots, pans, and food like she’d put them there herself. She even managed to find a cheese grater he didn't even know he had.

Watching her move around his kitchen made him feel something he'd never felt before, it was like he had another purpose now. To do what though, he had no idea. But he was betting it wasn't just to eat whatever it was she was making.

Damn it smelled good in here. The skillet sizzled as she dropped a dollop of butter in it. She added chopped onion and vegetables and soon the kitchen blazed with delicious scents. She opened his fridge and bent down to grab the milk, revealing her round cheeks to perfection. He groaned and ran a hand over his hard cock.

Soon, he told it, soon. She was killing him in that thing. He wanted to put her on the table and fuck her right now. But the need to feed her was stronger than fucking her, though not by much.

"So what's your history with Conlin?" She faltered in mid-step and put the milk away. He hated the way her glowing skin dimmed at the mention of Conlin. He wanted to bloody the man's face with his bare hands, but first he needed to learn about him. The man was sick; no doubt about that, and his perverted interest in Alison was going to stop. He’d see sure to it.

"I don't like to talk about it. You know, your kitchen isn't nearly adequate. You have no non-stick pans, or even a whisk for that matter, and you only have three dried seasonings. Salt, pepper, and dill. I know you're not a chef, but how do you eat? Heck, what do you eat?"

He laughed at her jab and let the deflection go, for the moment. "I eat when I can, I don't usually have time to eat a lot or cook with work. I usually just throw a steak on the grill or in the broiler."

She spun to look at him with wide eyes. "And that's all? No vegetables or anything?" He shrugged and laughed at her expression. Deep warmth spread through his chest and he rubbed at it curiously. She sounded almost as if she cared about him.

"Why? Does it bother you that I don't eat much," he taunted her, leaning back in his chair, his legs crossed at the ankles in front of him.

Her mouth opened to reply, but she stopped, stirred the food, and then replied taking care with her words. "I only want you to have good nutrition, that's all."

He burst out laughing at her awkwardness. She cut him a hard glare that had him stifling his chuckles between tight lips. She pulled plates out of a cabinet and plated the food.

"Wow, this smells great. It looks good too." Her eyes lit up as she set the plate in front of him. She seated herself and stared at him expectantly until finally he cut a bite of his chicken breast and took a bite.

He closed his eyes and groaned at the juicy, creamy flavor of chicken, garlic, and mushrooms. When he could open his eyes, again he saw that she was smiling brilliantly. She was so beautiful it made his heart hurt. "I haven't had anything this good except at a restaurant before."

She pouted, her brow furrowing. "You're just saying that." She turned to her plate and picked up her knife and fork as if they were made of heavy iron.

"Hey, hey," he said, cupping her delicate wrist in his hand. "I meant it. I'd hire you on as my personal cook if you'd let me." She smiled at him as if he just told her she won the lottery. He had trouble forming the words over the desert in his throat, but it was worth it when he saw her expression. "You're beautiful, Alison, especially when you smile. I'd like it if you did it more for me."

Chapter 9

"So now why don't you tell me about your past relationship with Conlin?" Rome asked, putting the last of the dishes away.

Alison pulled her feet up under her. "Listen, why don't you just stay out of my business."

He dried his hands and sat across from her, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his thighs. He was invading her space like he was about to conduct an interrogation. And he probably was.

"Nope, that's not how this works, baby. You're under the protection of the Kategan pack. If you're going to stay here and use our people for protection, then we have a right to know what's going on." She balked at his words, but he didn't relent. He hated being firm with her, but it was necessary. "Whatever your past hang-ups are with Conlin they’re finished, right? So tells me what's going on. Why's he after you now when you stopped dating over two years ago. What set him off and what happened two years ago that has you so scared?"

Alison pressed her head into her hands, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the flow of tears that was desperately fighting to get out. I will not cry in front of him. She'd always been a crier, a fault she most heatedly despised about herself. It did nothing for her, yet in moments of stress or high emotion, she couldn't stop it.

She hated him so much for making her do this. She wanted to just get up and leave the protection of the Kategan pack. But she wasn't that stupid. No matter that he wanted her to relive memories she was still trying to forget. He was right though, it wasn't fair for them not to have the whole story, or at least some of it.

She turned her head to rest her cheek on her knee and stare out the kitchen window. "I met Conlin at a Pride party nearly three years ago. He approached me, talked to me, flirted with me. I couldn't believe it, he was so handsome, so, famous. Plus I was a bit of a flirt. He just made me feel so good. I'd never felt anything like that before. Of course, with all things good there's the bad. However good he made me feel when he wanted to, he would just as quickly turn. It was like he had two faces, both beautiful, but one was the face of a monster." She laughed and it sounded bitter and hollow.

"Anyways, we dated for several months. I only saw the bad side of him a few times, he always covered it up quickly. It was after we started having sex that the other side, or maybe it's started coming out more and more. God, I used to cringe when he'd call me or not answer the phone. Of course he found out I was doing that too." A warm tear fell down her cheek, and she wiped it on her arm discreetly.

Just hold in there, I can do this. She couldn't turn to see how Rome was taking this. She didn't want to see his pity, shame, or anything that might be there. She was the stupid one who was so caught up in his nice smiles and handsome lies that she didn't see the warning signs. If she hadn’t been too busy trying to fall in love, she might have seen it.

The tight grip on her arm, the furious anger when she'd talk to another man, and the shiny glint in his eyes that he'd get when she'd say or do the wrong thing. The same look that made her beast cower inside her.

She saw all that but downplayed it to just one of his faults in light of his many wonderful attributes. Or that he was just having a bad day everyone had those. No one was perfect. And everyone was caught being a fool sometime.

"I suppose I should get to the point. Um, the sex got stranger and soon afterwards, I told him that I didn't want to see him anymore. He was fine with it too. He even smiled and hugged me, said he understood, said he still wanted to be my friend. That was the first night since the first day I met him that I actually felt one-hundred percent good. So I told him I was going to go get my things. I probably shouldn't have broken things off while I was at his place, huh?”

“I went to his bedroom to grab my toothbrush and a few pieces of clothes I had there." She stopped and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not going to go over the rest but, he beat me and tried to rape me. It was the most terrifying experience of my life."

She hugged her knees tighter and stared unblinking at a tree branch through the window. Wetness pooled in her eyes and she focused until they dried up before continuing. "Anyways, he's an asshole. For a while after that night I stayed with my parents. They didn't understand, hell my dad didn't want to hear anything about it. For about a month after I got home I started receiving phone calls with no one on the other end. It was him. I knew it. I could feel it. But that was two years ago. It was a few weeks ago, before the break-in, when I started receiving the same kind of phone calls. Only this time with nasty letters."

"Why do you think he's trying to...reconnect with you?" Rome's deep voice was harsher than usual.

"At Sarina's wedding, I said something to distract him when he had her. It worked but I think after he saw me it reminded him that I exist or something. I don't know." She stood a little too quickly and teetered as blood fought to rush to her legs. She made herself sound cool and unaffected, it was pretty convincing in her opinion. "I have to go now. I need to get back to my café and make preparations for my busted apartment and so on." She stared straight ahead and moved to walk past him.

He didn't let her. He stood and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. She stood stiff as a board in his arms. When he tried to tilt her face up to his, she fought it, but finally gave in when she realized that doing what he wanted would speed her escape along.

She lifted her face toward his but shut her eyes. She didn't know what she was going to see there, but either way didn't bode well for her. If it was pity then she'd knife him, if it was a smile she'd slap him, if it was indignant anger for her she'd run from the room.

His words made her look at him. "Look at me, lumara," he said gently. Bondmate, he'd called her, the most intimate term for a loved one, a close one to a lykaen, and she was mush in his hands.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes tracing over his face taking in every line, point, and expression. His mouth was flat with anger and contempt, his eyes blazing with possession. She should want to go right now, run, and hide in her room, but she didn't. His hands stroked her arms, then her back in long reassuring strokes that soon had her falling against him.

She lost herself in his eyes. For the life of her she couldn't remember why looking at him was so bad to begin with. His eyes were a grey with a thin white rim on the outside holding in all that stormy color. "Beautiful." She didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until his features softened and his lips curled into a smile. Not the grin that said he was laughing, but a genuine, happy smile.

His head bent and stopped right before hers. She knew what he was going to do and her heart pumped faster, her breeding cycle spun inside her at the obvious willing male; it wanted her to lie down, spread herself, and let his seed fill her.

His lips passed over hers once, twice, then licked the pink flesh before claiming her mouth in a fierce, sensual kiss. It was a kiss unlike any other. His lips retreated, and she followed them finding only air. He chuckled deeply, then brought her tighter against his body, his tongue tracing the soft contour of her lips before sliding between them. He stroked her tongue with hungry passion and she met him with silken slides of her own.

He grabbed her bottom and rocked her hard against the erection trapped inside his jeans. Her breeding cycle spun like a tornado, increasing her arousal until the kitchen smelled of her creamy heat. His tongue was long and thick and it plundered her mouth creating an aching pulse inside her.

She tore her mouth from his and stepped away to fumble with the button and zipper of his jeans. Color was high on his cheeks as she released his zipper, letting his cock spring forth to freedom. She grasped the hard length, moaning at the soft skin and hard feel of him.

"Please," she begged, pressing wet kisses against his neck. "Get inside me, please." Her urgent demand snapped his control like a piece of twine holding an anvil. He picked her up by her ass and set her on the kitchen table letting her legs dangle over the side. He tore off his shirt before ripping the thin straps of her nightgown off her arms. She gasped and wiggled as he drew the dress down her stomach, over her hips, and off her legs.

He growled at the sight of her. Her breasts were round, supple and her nipples several shades darker than her pale skin. He palmed a pale mound and lifted the hard tip to his mouth. He lavished her nipple with flat-tongued kisses before sucking the tip into the hot heat of his mouth.

She melted in his arms, turned into a primal animal that craved only one thing. He switched to the other breast just as two long fingers curved around her wet pussy, then pushed inside.

"Oh, God!" she cried out, and clamped him to her breast as if to keep him there. His fingers began driving in and out. Sensations ricocheted through her, blinding her with pleasure. Too fast, too soon. Shuddering hard, she erupted over his thrusting fingers in a hot, creamy flood.

"God damn, baby," he groaned over her breast, his own breath coming in heavy pants. Her pussy clamped on his wiggling fingers, capturing them. He raised himself over her body and took in her flushed cheeks and chest, her nipples red from his sucking.

He pulled his fingers from her body and petted her wet pussy in gentle, light strokes. With each caress, he grazed her clitoris, causing her hips to rise like waves. She looked at him from between hooded lashes and felt bewitched.

Her glasses were still perched on her nose, though in her orgasm they had twisted a little and now sat crooked. He'd never seen anything hotter. He swallowed hard and curled his fingers back into her pussy, pushing and retreating, teasing himself with the knowledge that he'd be fucking her soon.

"You know you look like a naughty librarian. Like you just fucked a customer in the back of the some book aisle." He licked his lips thinking that taking her in such an interesting location wouldn't be such a bad idea, and judging from the flare of heat he saw in her eyes, she was thinking the same thing.

Her eyes flicked down his body, tracing the path of chest hair. Where the hair on his head was the color of wheat, the hair on his chest that trailed to a delicious thin line at his belly button was the color of cedar. His cock stood proudly from his hips, shiny liquid covering the tip.

His hands cupped her breasts, tugged her nipples, before sliding warmly down her stomach, and over rounded hips to squeeze her thighs and press them wide.

"I love your thighs, baby. Round, soft, and perfect." He held her inner thigh in his big hands and squeezed said flesh. "God I want you so bad, lumara."

"Then take me." He didn’t need to be told twice.

He pulled her to the edge of the table and pushed her legs open, stepping between them. "Stay just like that." He watched her pussy with dark, blazing eyes as he pushed his jeans down to his ankles. He bent down to her pussy and gave one slow sweep of his tongue over her soft pussy lips.

"Rome!" Just as she shouted, he stood, positioned himself, and shoved into her. Her pussy was slick with creamy passion. Her wet channel was so tight he had to work to push his cock through it.

Finally filling her all the way, he thrust into her with the hard, urgent thrusts of a man seeking release. Alison cried out at the fullness inside her, loving the way he seemed to reach all of her. He stayed above her, pinning her down by her thighs, holding her still for his hammering thrusts.

Rome closed his eyes and let his head fall back, husky groans emanating from him. A steady tremor built inside Alison with each thrust. She hissed in a breath and held it as her pussy clenched down hard on his moving cock and pleasure shot through her body like an explosion. She screamed her orgasm and he shouted with her, slamming in one last time and coming hard and deep inside her. She felt his semen jetting hot and long inside her.

Alison struggled to breath, struggled to recall why this was wrong. He pulled out of her and leaned over her, cuddling over her. She felt the unmistakable feeling of semen dripping down her thighs.

"You came inside me!"

Rome pulled himself up to his arms and took in her furrowed brow, glowing eyes, and clamped lips. "Baby, don't be angry. I don't think when I'm with you, when I'm touching you. I love coming inside you. And you love it, too."

“And when I’m pregnant will you be so cool about it?”

His expression turned dark and serious.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

Chapter 10

With Rome's words still ringing in her ears, Alison finished making arrangements with her landlord. She also called her sous chef, Cassie, to let her know the café would be closed for the few days. She had enough bankroll to pay Cassie for her missed work, but her own personal finances weren't quite so nice.

After her last encounter with Rome, her breeding cycle had completed its course. It was by far the shortest she'd ever had. She'd heard that stress and other traumatic events could alter the female's breeding cycle. Maybe that's what happened to her.

She dressed from her shower feeling hollow inside. She couldn't get Rome out of her mind. He wasn't what she thought he'd be--not that she'd spent a lot of time thinking about him in the past two months. No, not at all.

There was more to him than she'd expected and the more she learned about him...the more she liked. He was too dangerous. The whole situation was way out of her league. She wasn't ready for him, ready for a relationship or whatever it was he was offering.

"Shit," she muttered, pulling on her flat-soled shoes. Now she really was kidding herself. He wasn't offering her anything. He'd never made any signs of commitment or interest other than bedding her during her cycle. Hell, most lykaen males would offer up his services. He was just doing his duty.

A honk sounded outside. Alison grabbed her purse and left the cabin eager to escape the short walls. And the thoughts of Rome. Sarina waved happily from the driver's seat, and two very large men sat looking unhappy in the backseat.

"Who are these guys?" asked Alison, taking the passenger seat.

"Oh, that's Gerome on the left and Teddy on the right. His real name's Jason, but he's big like a bear and sweet like candy so I call him Teddy. He hates," Sarina whispered loudly.

Alison looked back at Teddy and saw his lips fighting a smile; the other guard's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

"I see. Do they follow you everywhere you go now that you're Queen of the pack?"

Sarina shook her head. "Nope, they're here for you. Vane insisted. He wanted to send Bruno and Kevlar too, but I told him no way unless he buys a mini-van."

Alison relaxed into her seat and laughed. "Tell me that isn't their real names either."

"Of course not, I've nicknamed the whole lot of sentry guards. I have that kind of time, you know. So what's on the agenda today? Are we going to the apartment first or do you want to check on the café?"

Alison thought about it for a moment. "Apartment first. I'm not going to live there anymore. I can't, not knowing...what he did, you know? I'll have to buy out of my lease and pack up my stuff."

"Rome already suggested to Vane that we hire some men to do that for you. Why don't we do that? It'll save you the hassle of boxing up everything."

Everything that isn't broken. "Yeah, I guess that's fine, though I don't see why Rome had to step in like that."

Sarina turned onto the highway before arching a thin brow at Alison. "You don’t, do ya? Well, a little birdie told me that your little friend John was sent packing the other night and you spent the night with Rome."

Alison couldn't stop the blush that flushed her cheeks. She turned away to stare at the passing trees like she’d never see one before.

"Oh my God! You did! Holy hell, how was it? Tell me everything, spare no details. I mean, let's be honest, the man looks like a Viking gladiator or something. He seems to like you too."

Alison glared at her friend. "And how would you know that? And to set the record straight he doesn't 'like' me. He just helped me during my breeding cycle. Now that it's over everything will be fine."

Sarina snorted with laughter. "Do you actually hear yourself? He punched John in the face! He just helped me during my breeding cycle'," Sarina mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Yeah, I'm sure he was just helping you to orgasm like crazy out of the kindness of his heart. I'm sure he was just sexing you up out of his sense of honor and duty. Alison, I saw the way he looked at you at my wedding and then the other day. The man has something going on for you. I haven't known him long enough to know for certain, but it's something." She pulled into the Crossroads apartment complex and parked the car.

Alison bit off the corner of her pinky nail, and tore it into a jagged crescent. "How would you know he made me orgasm like that?" she asked grumpily.

Sarina turned to give her a duh look. "Honey, he's Vane's brother. Vane can make me squeal with just his fingertips. I'm sure Rome has at least some of the same traits."

The guards in the back muttered something like Christ, not again and escaped the vehicle like it was on fire.

Sarina held out her hands at the guard's reaction, her jaw open and shook her head as if to say can you believe these guys?

They left the car and walked down the narrow sidewalk to the Leasing and Office building. Alison cringed at the sight of her balcony and what waited for her behind it.

"How do you he looks at me a certain way? How do you know he doesn't look at all women the same?" Alison glanced behind her quickly to see if the guard's were paying attention to their conversation. They both watched the environment like trained predators, if they heard her silly question then they pretended not to.

"I've met his fling Sandra before. Or was it Sandy...Cindy, hm, I don't know. I only met her a few days after the wedding, but I haven’t seen or heard about her since, so I figured he'd tossed her to the side." Alison couldn't hide her grimace before Sarina caught it. Her eyes opened in alarm. "Oh no, listen, I'm sure he's not still seeing her. I don't think he's a scumbag. Besides, that's what I was talking about. The way he looked at her wasn’t anything special. But the way he looks at you, it's like he's seeing something he wants, bad."

Alison nodded absently, her friend's words fading to the background. She went through the papers, signed the proper checks to the landlord, and even arranged for a packing and delivery company called Two Guys, One Truck to box and transport her stuff into storage.

As they drove to her café, Alison couldn't stop the sickening feeling deep in her gut. She felt like she'd eaten something bad, but she hadn't. She didn't know what it was.

Jealousy? Envy? Hate? What she did know though was that she couldn't trust Rome. At least she'd been right about that all along.

* * *

Being back in her café helped to lighten Alison's mood. She flipped on the lights then walked back into the kitchen and cranked up the burners and oven.

"What are you guys in the mood for?" she hollered through the partition where she'd slide the orders across to be served.

"Italian!" Sarina said, picking a seat at a table with square wooden chairs. When Teddy and Gerome agreed, Alison smiled and shot back into her kitchen. It felt better than good to be back here.

She tied on her pink apron and snatched pots and pans from her ceiling hanger. Her mind pushed all the worries, fears, and pain from the last few days aside and focused solely on cutting the potatoes into triangles and slicing the carrots with a fast flick of her wrist.

Food sizzled in the pot as she added a good portion of white wine to the mixture. She flattened chicken then breaded it and seared it in a skillet as her pot of water came to a boil. When the smell and taste of the creamy sauce wasn't one-hundred percent, she added a dash of parmesan, pepper, and heavy cream.

"Voila!" She plated the dinners, resting the breaded chicken gently on top then put a sprig of parsley on top and some grated cheese. She grabbed a bottle of wine from the back and set it counter to take out later. She set the plates on the large, black serving trailed, bent down, and shouldered the heavy tray up.

She bumped open the swinging kitchen door with her hip and swept into the dining room only to come to a dead stop. The dishes rattled, dangerously close to falling.

"What are you doing here?" She glared at his handsome face and wanted to throw a plate of pasta at it. He looked taken aback by her harsh words. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, he strolled forward and plucked the heavy tray from her hands as if it was a piece of lint on her clothes. "Give that back," she ordered, holding out her hand. He looked at her little hand, then at the big serving tray filled with four plates of food.

"I'm here for lunch. I took the rest of the day off when I heard you'd been running around town. You know, you really should be keeping a low profile, not visiting all the places he probably knows you go to."

"Whatever," she muttered and spun into the kitchen. She plastered herself back against the wall and tried to fight the ache in her chest. How he managed to make her heart race and hurt at the same time was a wonder. He must be a wizard. A devil wizard.

She uncorked the bottle of merlot to let it breathe and plated another portion of food. She couldn't help herself. The bastard most likely had another woman and slept with her—probably a hundred times—and yet she was going to feed him. She grabbed a twig of parsley and set it gently on top of the chicken, then thought better of it and took it off. The bastard didn't deserve parsley.

She turned around and screamed. "What do you want?" How did such a big man managed to keep so quiet? She growled, clutching the plate as if she might use it as a weapon.

One corner of his mouth kicked up. "I wanted to see how you’re doing. You're acting a little odd." He stepped close, invading her personal space and kissed her. Before she could even blink it was over, but the taste of him lingered on her bottom lip. She licked it delicately.

"I've just had a strange day, I guess. I signed off on my lease today and hired people to move my things to a storage unit." The words came so easily from her. She couldn't believe how comfortable she was talking to him. He cupped her cheek in his hands, it was a warm, reassuring gesture.

"I should have been there for you. I'm sorry. The deadline for the project I'm working on is steadily creeping and I had to get to the office today to go over some things. Is that for me?" He looked down at the steaming plate in her hands. She nodded, struggling to remember why she was mad at him. "Smells great. Why don't we go eat?"

Alison nodded and let him take her hand in his. He led her to one of her tables and put a plate in front of her, then asked her what she wanted to drink and got it for her.

It was strange, Alison thought, being served in her own restaurant by a man who looked at her like she was the sexiest woman in the room.

Everyone ate and finished their plates with a stream of enthusiastic compliment that had Alison blushing, then laughing. "If you think this is good, you should try my chocolate cake. It's to die for."

Sarina's eyes widened. "Oh my god, don't tease. I need your chocolate cake now." Alison laughed and moved to clear everyone's plates.

"I'll make you one, don't worry." With Rome's help, she cleared the dishes into the back washer. She heard the door chime ring from the front of the restaurant and went to see who was there.

"May I help you?" Alison asked. The woman looked down at her from her insanely tall high heels. Her dress was short enough that if she were to bend over her entire ass would be in view. Alison stifled a shudder and stared expectantly at her red, shiny lips.

The woman's voice was soft and sexy. "I'm looking for Rome. Ah! There you are." She flounced over to him completely ignoring his look of disbelief, and then anger.

"What are you doing here, Sandra?" He turned to look quickly at Alison, his jaw hardening. Alison swallowed, then went to work scrubbing the tables they'd eaten at. She made eyes with Sarina who was glaring bullets at the bitch in heels. She scrubbed the tables harder than necessary. There wasn't anything on them anyways except a few crumbs.

"I came to see you, baby. It's been too long. I miss you so much. You haven't returned any of my phone calls." The woman trailed a long painted fingernail down his chest.

"That's because I called things off between us and you know it. Don't act like there was anything more between us, ever." His voice was cold. He flicked her finger off him with a slap at her wrist.

Finding the tables completely clean and not wanting to move past the fighting couple to go back into the kitchen, Alison settled down into a chair and turned to watch the show. She definitely won a point for being brave. Besides, she was relieved to know he really wasn’t seeing a woman on the side.

"Things were hot between us, Roman. Come on, can't we just hook up? I'll let you tie me up again." She smiled widely at him. To Alison it looked like a predator baring its teeth before it lunged. Her teeth were shiny and impossibly white against the sharp red of her lipstick. Was anything on her not perfect?

Rome unclenched his jaw. "Get out of here, Sandra. We're done, forever." He stepped away from her and crossed his arms, then nodded at the front door. "Take a hike."

The women's eyes glowed with the eerie light of her lykaen rising to the surface. She turned and growled at Alison. Her beast was at the surface, which would make her much stronger, quicker than usual. Alison felt her own surfacing. The idea of a fight didn’t sound too crazy either.

"It's this little bitch, isn't it? You got a thing for losers in glasses now, Rome?" She threw her head back and laughed huskily, then sauntered to the front door with her long-legged stride. "What kind of lykaen needs glasses? And here I thought you liked real women." She punctuated her comment with a cock of her hip. She looked once more at Alison and gave her a withering glare. "As for you bitch, Conlin wants you back for good...and he's not going to stop until he gets it."

Everyone in the room tensed. Even the sound of breathing stopped. "He says he looks forward to making up for lost time with you." She giggled, the sound high-pitched and scary, then slipped out of the café.

"At least your taste in women has improved," Gerome joked. Alison turned away from Rome. She couldn't stand the hard look he was giving her. She didn't want to know what he was thinking about, or what it looked like he wanted to say.

"Let's just go home," Alison said, her voice weary and tired.

Chapter 11

The car ride home was silent and awkward. How she managed to home with Rome in his black SUV and not with Sarina and the guards had her crossed arms squeezing tight across her middle. The bastard seemed to think he had some right to her.

As for Sarina? Well, she was a traitor. She winked at Rome and practically shoved her towards his car after she locked up the café.

Too many negative emotions were swirling in her, furling together to put her in one hell of a mood. Anger, jealousy, possession, fear. And one tall woman set all that into motion. At the moment, jealousy was seething at the top of the list.

To know that Sandra touched Rome's skin, felt his breath along her body, his hands on her skin, his beautiful cock thrusting inside her. It was enough to have her hands curling into fists. God she wanted to punch her way through the window and make a break for the trees in the distance. Anything to burn off this coiling heat.

It was he who broke the silence. "I'm sorry about that. She and I have been over for weeks, it was never anything serious anyways." She watched his jaw clench from the corner of her eye. He looked like he had more to say but was biting back the words.

Alison had questions burning like hot acid in her mind. She closed her eyes and turned away, counting back from ten over and over. She'd always had this bad habit of asking stupid questions. Questions that lead to answers she almost never liked. She opened her eyes to see they were nearing Kategan territory.

"How long were you with her?" Old habits die hard. Shit.

His shoulders bunched. "Two months." So many emotions she felt from just those two words. But she didn't want to think about that right now, so she pushed it away. Even as she knew she had zero right asking such questions, another came out. It was like pushing a slinky down the stairs, once it started it just kept going.

"What did you like about her?" She wanted to add that she didn’t think it was her charming personality, but then again she apparently had some charm somewhere. Alison was banking it was in the boobs.

He cut a hard glance at her. "I really don't want to talk about her." The hard muscle of his forearm curved and twisted as he squeezed the steering wheel.

Alison bit her tongue to keep from asking any more, or giving anything else away. Afraid she'd already done too much. She made herself shrug and toss him a no problem smile.

Inside she was dying. She was relieved when they pulled into the large compound that was Kategan territory. The sentinel guards at the front gate waved them on at the sight of familiar pack faces.

By the time they pulled in front of Rome's cabin, she was nearly suffocating from the thick silence in the car. When he stopped the car, she bounded out and was practically running back to the guest cabin, keys in hand. She had only a moment to register the hot, male presence behind her before she was pressed forward against the wooden cabin door. Her cheek and front from breast to thigh pressed into the wood.

Anger and pleasure engulfed her. A tingling butterfly sensation danced in her womb, spread throughout her body at the dominate gesture. A hand found the nape of her neck, hips kept her locked tight against the door. He pushed the hair away from her neck and then teeth found her neck and bit down.

She cried out, husky and soft. Her hips pushed back against his hardness.

His arm pressed bold, possessive caresses down her spine, over her hips. It made her breath catch. Hot lips and then the wet press of tongue circled then bit her at the juncture between her neck and shoulder. He released only after she growled in pleasure.

"There will be no more talk of Sandra. She's gone from my life, she means nothing to me." Her ran long fingers through her hair at the nape of her head, grabbed the strands gently, and coaxed her head further to the side, showing his dominance.

Alison loved everything he did until he mentioned her name. She moved to jerk away from him, but he held her tight, her breasts pushed hard into the door.

"I know you’re mad, but I don't know how else to explain it except that there is no other in my mind. Except you, Alison. Only you," he whispered, then turned her, pulling her up on her toes to take her in a mind-consuming kiss. Alison stood no chance against the assault. Her knees weakened as his tongue plundered her mouth. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Hot, wet, eager kisses. Two lovers desperate to taste each other.

Alison pulled her mouth away from his to draw in air. "Rome." Her voice was soft and husky, pure aroused woman.

The sound seemed to snap something inside him because a second later they were inside the cabin with her back pressed back up against the door.

"Touch me," he said. His eyes were tortured and bright as they looked down her. Alison licked her lips slowly feeling like she was drugged.

Moving sluggishly, she went first for his pants. The baggy khakis did nothing to hide the powerful thighs and tented cock that lie beneath. She nimbly pushed the button through the whole and pushed down the zipper. The sound like a loud hiss. She gave a shove and watched those pants slide down to reveal his long, thick cock, the tip red with arousal.

She licked her lips and before she realized what she was doing, was dropping to her knees in front of him and licking the swollen head.

"Alison!" he groaned, his hands coming to her hair. Would he push her away or take, she wondered as she opened her mouth and took the head of him into her wet mouth.

She moaned over the male taste of him. He was hot like a fever and hard like metal. She twirled her tongue around the tip before pressing forward. She didn't make it far down. He was too big, her mouth too small.

She pulled her mouth away and caught the heavy, bobbing flesh in a fist. She looked at the hard length of him, and then studied the full sac below. It was flushed and drawn up to his body. She had a strange urge to cup them in her hand, feel them.

She looked up instead. Rome was breathing hard, a trickle of sweat dripping down his temple. He eyes were open but colored hot with arousal and need. She decided right then that she definitely loved that look. She flicked out her tongue and traced up the hot path of his cock from balls to tip, watching his expression.

When his eyes hooded, going soft and looking lost, she did the motion again. And again. She licked him everywhere, wetting his cock until it shined from her mouth in the evening light. His hand tightened in her hair like he didn't know whether to push her away her hold her still.

She had a feeling he wasn’t going to let her keep playing for long, so she wrapped her lips around him and bobbed down his wet shaft. She repeated the pumping motion three more times, as a deep answering throb from deep within her sex released a gush of heat like a mini-orgasm. She moaned over his cock as she felt her cream rush into her panties.

She knew he could smell her arousal. He knew how much she loved this, how wet it was making, because a moment later he shouted, "Jesus Christ!"

He pulled out of her mouth and lifted her, his hands tearing at her slacks until they slid roughly down her smooth legs. A second later, he had her legs around his thighs, his cock nudging her slick entrance, and her ass in his hands. He kissed her hard at the same moment he found her slit and thrust inside. She cried out into his mouth, his tongue muting the sound.

Each thrust sent her back digging into the wall. But she didn’t notice. She had the distinct feeling that he was trying to mark her permanently. What for, she didn’t know.

She ate at his lips, her nails raking his back through the T-shirt he wore. Heat spiraled inside her with amazing centrifugal force. Pleasure tightened inside her coiling with each hot, thick slide. He tore his mouth away, breathing heavy and buried his face in her neck as he pumped his hips faster, harder. His thrusts were brutal, possessive. He licked the spot where he'd marked her outside then sucked hard on the skin.

Some small part of her recognized the dominant marking he was leaving on her. She should protest it, but instead she rocked her hips back against his. When he sucked her neck again, over his mark, she flew apart like exploding glass. Her muscles tightened and worked the hard cock inside her.

He groaned pushing faster through the clenching muscles then pushed in one last time, as a flood of hot thick semen filled her deep.

* * *

Alison didn't even have time to catch her breath before she was pushed to her hands in knees. She looked behind her, still fighting to catch her breath when Rome knelt behind her. His eyes were dark and heavy with arousal, his hungry face intent.

"I'm not through with you, baby," he growled.

Alison couldn't believe the pulsing heat that curled inside her. Could she possibly be getting turned on so quickly?

He grabbed her hips, and the only preparation she had was a round thickness nudging her channel, stretching her wide, before he slammed in. Oh God, she was so ready to go again.

He groaned and took her in pounding thrusts that quickened and quickened. His hands were everywhere, on her back, cupping her hard-tipped breasts, petting between her legs. But where he left her, and where she came apart, was with his hand at the nape of her neck pushing her face down to the floor and his hand stuffed between her legs rubbing delicious patterns over her needy clit.

He controlled her. He owned her. She knew it and he knew it.

And she didn't care at all.

Didn't care that that she felt entirely too much for the scoundrel or that Conlin wanted her dead. All she could think about, all she cared about was the thickness rocking so fast inside her and the strong hands on her body.

He rubbed one last circle over her clit and she came in a gush of liquid heat. She heard him groan and curse above her. His hands tightened momentarily on her neck and then she felt the blast of wet heat inside her as he pulsed hard and hot, coming inside her.

He pulled out and fell down next to her, bringing her to drape over him like a fine silk blanket. His fingers teased the skin of her arm.

"I don't want to hear anymore talk about Sandra or any ex's of any kind. Unless you want to tell me about how you escaped from Conlin. Don’t think I didn’t know you purposely evaded that before."

Alison nuzzled her cheek against his hard and kissed the muscle there before answering. "I'm fine with that, but I still have questions."

His fingers paused on her arm. "What questions?"

She was afraid to ask. Her lifelong curse of asking questions and getting bad answers echoing in her mind. Yet the not knowing, the unanswered was too powerful.

"Am I going to end up like..." she started to say her, but stopped. She didn't want to start this line of questioning off with breaking the one rule they had.

She didn't have to finish the question. He sighed heavily and his fingers resumed their touch. "No, I don't think so baby." His voice was husky, thick from two hard orgasms. Her heart did a little leap at his words.

"What do you mean?" She made her voice sound only mildly curious, not eager.

"You're not like anyone I've ever know before, Ali. You make me feel, hell, make me think about things...different things. A part of me really hates it and another part...well that part wants to tie you to my bedpost and never let you go."

Alison swallowed hard. Well that was something. Such a strong wave of emotion from someone so gorgeous, so strong, so smart.

She wondered if now would be the time to tell him that she felt safe with him. It was the first time she felt safe with a male in two years. The first time she wished she could trust him with so much more than just her body.

She opened her mouth to tell him that so, but a knock interrupted her. Rome groaned and extracted himself from her, planting a swift kiss on her lips before answering the door in only his shirt.

He answered it and spoke to someone Alison couldn’t see. "Yeah, yeah, give us a minute," he said and closed the door harder than necessary. He turned to her, his eyes taking her all in.

He shook his head as appreciation filled his eyes. "Looks like the Kategans are here to visit, and they bring news of Conlin." He was already pulling on his pants and the shoes he'd toed off. "Get dressed baby. I can't think when you look like your waiting to be ravaged."

Alison smiled a soft wicked curl of her lips that had him stopping dead in his tracks. He licked his lips, his eyes falling to her hardened nipples and open legs, her pussy bared fully to him.

"God you're beautiful."

Alison smiled widely at his compliment. She stood and snatched her clothes off the floor and gave him a quick kiss before sprinting to the other room to dress.

Chapter 12

The Kategan family took up more room in the tiny one bedroom cabin than was available. It looked like some scene out of a Disney movie, Alison thought.

"So DNA results are back from our guys at the lab. The bedsheet from the apartment is a match to Conlin. Ninety-nine percent accurate,” said Sarina.

"What did they match it against?" asked Rome.

"Conlin's DNA was already in the system from four years ago. The lab guys couldn't tell me what it was for though."

A hard knock interrupted the conversation. Rome was closest to the door and opened it.

"Hey, it's about time you showed up. You need to work on your punctuality man. Something happen?" Rome stepped aside so a tall male with a short military-style haircut could come through. He didn’t just look around the room, he searched it. Alison had a feeling he was taking in everything in that one look. His eyes lingered on Rome's sister Vera for a second longer than necessary.

"I got held up at the office, sorry."

Nodding, Rome turned back to the room. "Vane, Darien, you've met my old comrade in arms, Jackson." The men came forward to shake hands. "Jacks, I don't believe you've met Vane's mate Sarina." She came forward, welcoming him with a smile and a handshake. "The lounger over there is my sister Vera and this is Alison, the reason I called you here."

The man—the very human man—stayed near the front door. The man didn't just stand, he looked ready to move at a moment's notice. His eyes seemed to see everything. He was quite unusual for a human. Alison wondered if he stayed near the front door as an emergency exit and if he didn’t it knowingly. He reminded her of a man who’d been through war.

"We were just catching up on the latest details of the situation," Rome said to Jacks. Turning back to the room he said, "I asked Jacks here because he's the best investigator I know, and more importantly, I trust the bastard. We got the DNA results back and it's a positive match to Conlin."

"Sarina also told me there was an interesting run in with a woman today," Vane added.

Alison stiffened, but Vera smiled at her and that somehow made her feel stronger.

Rome broke the new tension. "It was my ex Sandra. Right before she left she said Conlin wants Alison back."

"So she's working with him then." Jacks didn't ask a question, merely stated the information as cold fact.

Rome nodded and said, "Yeah, a man like Conlin has a lot of power, a lot of money, and too much charm.”

“How do we know the woman wasn't just saying that to cause some chaos?" Jacks asked.

"It doesn’t fit. She didn't even know I was seeing someone else. She had no idea I was with Alison until she came in the cafe," Rome said.

Alison turned to face Rome, confused. "How did she know you were there anyways? Was she following you?"

Big shoulders shrugged. "Probably, she's called nearly once a day since I ended things."

"And when was that?" It was Vera who asked. Her soft, husky voice was soothing. Alison could easily see her having a great seeing voice. Bluesy and jazzy music thick like a humid night.

"Four weeks ago."

"So she sought out Conlin just to, what, sabotage us?" Alison nearly blushed at the connotation of us. Though Rome didn't seem to notice the slip.

Rome took a seat next to her. "My guess is he found her. He has cops, lawyers, all kinds of people who can gather him information. He found her to use against us is my bets." Alison wrung her hands together, wishing that if she just squeezed tight enough all of this would go away. These people didn't deserve to be cleaning up her problem.

"The bigger problem is Conlin. If he actually said that he's going to take her back then he's going to try and find a way to do it," Vane said looking everything the military commander with his knees spread and elbows resting on them.

"There's no way he's coming back on Kategan lands, and we have extra guards lined up and watching the perimeter," Sarina said, shaking her head.

The human was shaking his head no. "If he wants her, he'll find a way and he'll get her. The best you can do is have a personal guard on her at all times and have some kind of alarm planned that can be triggered when he finally attempts."

"How can you be so certain?" Vera's voice was no longer soft but cutting and cold. She stared at the human like she wanted to see his insides.

He stared right back at her. "Because it's my job to find people like this."

"Lay off, Vera. He's the best, that's why I brought him here." Rome turned to his friend. "I want you on Conlin. We need eyes on him at all times, can you do that for me."

"Done," the human said.

Alison spoke up with a question that had been nagging her. "Can't we just go to the Justicar's now that we have evidence?"

"The only thing they're going to do is tell him to back off. The Justicar's restraint orders are as useless as human's restraining orders. They're bullshit." Alison had never seen Rome speak so violently, like he was having a hard time suppressing his anger.

Vera pointed a long-nailed finger into the air. "No, no, no. She definitely needs to make a report with the Justicars. We need to keep building evidence against the bastard."

"She's right," Darien said, speaking up for the first time. His body shadowed the corner like a statue. "Rome should stay with her."

Alison protested immediately. She had enough problems on her hands and some of them were due to the handsome lykaen. The last thing she needed was to have him permanently at her side. Hell, she'd already slept with him way too much.

"I think after today's warning that's our best option right now," Rome agreed.

"I can stick around too," Vera offered. "I have some vacay time I can use from work. I can even bunker down in the spare cabin so I'm close."

"It would be better if Darien occupied the guest cabin instead," Jacks said, his arms crossing across his big chest.

Alison's mouth fell open at Vera's thunderous expression. She leaned forward from her slacked position, her hands straddling her thighs. "Are you saying I'm not as strong or capable as my brother, human?"

The man didn't flinch at her icy tone. "That's exactly what I'm saying." She growled, a loud vibrating sound in the cabin.

"Vera can take the cabin, Darien will stay near just in case," Vane ordered, all alpha in his voice.

Alison watched the human tense but then his shoulders relaxed. He cut his eyes away from Vera.

"Don't worry, we're going to make sure he never gets his hands on you again," Rome said.

Alison's gut tightened. A throbbing pain was beating at her temples like it was trying to get out. She just wanted to be alone. She didn't want to think about Conlin or Sandra or her life or anything at all.

Sarina caught her gaze from across the room and gave her a soft nod. "Baby, are we done here? I'm feeling tired." Instantly the male looked concerned. Vane grabbed her hand and practically hauled her to the door.

Rome laughed and Vera snorted and rolled her eyes; Darien just stared at Vane and his mate, a peculiar look in his eye.

Rome hollered before everyone was out of earshot. "If anyone gets news of any kind you pick up the phone and call me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Roman. We know the drill." Vera lifted off from the chair, the move fluid and graceful. She swooped down and gave Alison a quick, startling hug before heading to the front door. The male Jacks didn't move as she stared at him. They stayed in that staring contest for a few more seconds before she finally puffed out a sigh and sauntered out of the cabin. Jacks gave a nod to Rome and left after the fuming female.

Alison breathed a deep sigh when everyone was gone. Rome came up and leaned down over her, his hands braced on the arms of the seat. Her heart beat faster. Only he could do that to her. It scared the shit out of her.

He cocked his head at her, studying her, taking everything in. From the frown of her mouth to the stressed furrow of her brow and her now rapid pulse beating against the thin skin of her neck. Yup, she was definitely stupid.

She'd been hurt so bad once. It wasn't the physical pain of the beating that Conlin gave her that scarred her. It ran much deeper than that. It festered and bled inside her. She'd actually loved him. The sickness in her gut permeated throughout her body making her body feel heavy and sick. Who could love someone like that? Why couldn’t she see it then?

"Hey, stop it." His voice wasn't gentle. It was hard and heated. He cupped her chin in his hand and gave her a bruising, punishing kiss. "Don't think about it, don't think about him. He doesn't deserve to be in your thoughts." His words surprised her and brought her back from the sick feeling. It was still there but it was only simmering inside her.

Stupid, stupid, that's what she was. She'd made the mistake of loving someone like him before and look where that had ended up.

Life had a cruel way of circling in on her.

"Tell me what's wrong." It was a command spoken from an Alpha. She was helpless to answer it. He gave her another punishing kiss before she could breathe again.

"I'm afraid of trusting you. Even though I know you're different, you're not him. I can't help it. The fear is there, no matter how irrational it is. I'm terrified that one of these days I'll make you mad and then..." her quick words trembled unevenly until finally she tore her face free of his hands and brushed past him. He moved out of the way, letting her escape. Only after she was in the kitchen could she breathe freely again.

He followed her, his intoxicating scent filling the room. She wanted to roll around in it, lick his naked body everywhere. He'd let her too, but then when she came out of her sexual haze the fear would be back. The fucking insecurities. She hated it. She hated herself. So fucking weak. Somehow those angry thoughts fueled her, had her turning towards him, and saying something she'd never expected to say.

"More than anything else I'm scared that after all this is over, I'll be just like Sandra. Bitter and angry...sad that you're gone from my life. That I was temporary to you. Just the girl you spent two months with. "

He took a step forward, but stopped when she held her palm out to him. "You are not temporary to me."

She let out a harsh, semi-hysterical laugh. "Oh really Rome? And just what did you plan on doing with me after we have enough evidence to give to the Justicars? What were you going to 'date' me? Come and pick me up at whatever apartment I can afford."

She could see that her words had struck a chord . He tensed, his eyes sparkling like a roaring fire. A hard knot of pain formed in her chest, making it hard to breathe. The look spoke clearly, as if he'd written it down and shown it to her— he hadn't thought ahead with her. Not at all.

Before he could see the wetness in her eyes, she turned and busied herself with making tea. Through shear will, she managed to erect a wall around her, mostly around her heart. She had to, or she didn't know what would happen.

She heard his words from behind her, but they sounded muted like he was speaking through a filter. She wanted to tune him out all the way but a part of her craved to know what he'd say.

"I'm not a planner, Alison. I'm sorry for that. But I'm not sorry for being with you. I might not have a plan but I did have expectations. Expectations that you'd stay here with me, that we had something good here. I hope I'm not wrong." And with those numbing words he left, the cabin door shutting quietly behind him.

Chapter 13

The past two days were the longest ones of her life. When Rome finally came back that first night, it was late. He didn't say a word to her. He kept downstairs and slept on the couch. Seeing him so angry with her tore like bullets through her heart. Each moment of silence from him, of not seeing his smile ate at her like a virus.

She came to him yesterday night, found him in his study, and apologized. She'd meant the whispered words, they came from deep in her heart. He hadn't even looked at her, just nodded, and said okay. She'd left with tears in her eyes. It wasn't until she reached the shower that she let them fall. She wept quietly, her arms wrapped around her.

She couldn't even fault him for his crude attitude. Not really. Not when she’d been pushing him away this whole time. And not when she tried to ask him for some kind of commitment.

Even though a part of her didn’t understand his reaction towards her, on the outside level, she did. When she had questioned his feelings toward her, their relationship, she had questioned his honor. Lykaen men prided themselves on their duty and honor, especially towards women.

Once again, she wished she'd just kept her mouth shut. If she hadn't said anything, everything would be fine again. For two days, she had time to wallow in her thoughts, her feelings. He came and went, but ignored her attempts at conversation and intimacy. And yet during his silence she had realized something else. He would not be so angry if he didn't care. For two years, she'd lived alone and scared. Scared Conlin would decide to come after her again, scared to date other men. But her lykaen had felt inside of Rome and it told her he was safe. He was welcome.

She had apologized, that only left her bereft and in pain, so now she knew what she had to do. In the kitchen, she dressed the table with a flowing white cloth and set two place settings with a large and small plate, a bowl, and in the middle placed a thick maroon candle from the bathroom. When she'd called Sarina to ask her about what had happened between her and Rome, her friend was more than understanding. And more than eager to help. So she'd read a grocery list of items off to Sarina and a guard had them bought and brought to her within two hours.

Checking on the bread and dinner, she made sure everything was perfect. It had to be perfect for tonight. She might be crazy but she was ready to take a chance...on him.

She ran upstairs and jumped into the shower. She washed quickly, not sure when he was going to be back. She was just pulling on that empire waist black dress that Sarina lent her when she heard the cabin door below open. He was here.

Nerves driving her moves, she slipped on the black heels with shaking hands. Checking on her reflection one last time she made her way down the stairs. Maybe her heels weren't such a good idea after all. They clicked loudly, screaming her presence to the whole cabin. She found him at the entrance to the kitchen, his back ramrod straight.

Shit. She had planned everything up until this point. She was at a loss for words. He turned around slowly and looked at her. His eyes were cold, but as his eyes dropped down her body taking in her dress, her legs, his eyes flamed with heat. The look was gone a moment later, extinguished like a bucket of water on a match.               Still, it gave her hope.

She took a few steps forward then stopped at tight expression. "I made dinner for you. Would you care to eat with me?" Her voice was steady but unfamiliar. She sounded like a stranger even to her own ears.

His lips flattened into a hard line. He turned back to look at the elaborate setup on the table then back at her. "I don't think so Alison." His words still held that layer of anger, but it wasn't as strong as it was before. God, she only hoped so.

Steeling herself, she walked up to him like she was approaching a wounded animal. She stopped just when she could feel the heat of his body. It felt so good to be this close to him. She'd missed him so much these past two days. She'd never thought that would be possible. But she did seem doomed to repeat her past mistakes.

Her mother had always told her honesty was the best course of action, so she tried it. "I miss you, Roman. I miss you so much it hurts." Tears pooled in her eyes and she fought to push them away. She didn't need them right now. They might only push him away further. "I'm so sorry for what I said, but I was wrong. I just can't help my fears. You make me feel so good, but...so did he Rome. Don't you see that?"

Her lips trembled and she looked away, all the fight taken out of her. When he didn't move away, she felt a pulse of hope inside her. Minutes passed, then finally he spoke.

"I will forgive you on one condition."

"What's that?" she asked, hope and fear flooding through her.

"You will trust me. No more doubts, no more thinking I'm like him. If you can't already see that I'm not, then we're done here."

Alison swallowed the lump in her throat. Oh God, what he was asking her... She didn't know if she could do it. But her heart was telling her to do whatever it takes to keep him.

"Ok, I will." She looked up at him, her eyes with and hopeful. "I can't promise I won't doubt sometimes or fear, but I will try."

His eyes softened, but only a little. "Why are you even bothering with me, baby? You're cycle is over, you don't need me. But I feel this thing, this whatever it is between us. I like it, Alison. I like it a lot, and I don't know if I could let it go. Ever."

She couldn't stop herself, she leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and held him tight. She buried her neck and inhaled his masculine scent. God, he felt so good, so right. His arms came around her automatically and she sighed at the sensation.

"I don't want to stay away from you. I don't know if I could. I just know that I want you here...with me." Her quiet words, spoken into the heat of his neck had him tightening his hold on her with a groan.

A strong hand cupped her bottom. A gentle, reassuring touch nonetheless made her heart beat faster. Another hand in her hair, and then she was facing him and his mouth was on hers. The kiss was gentle but no less strong.

Lips swept across lips, teeth plucked her lip then licked the soft flesh. His kiss was possession. She was wrapped up in his scent, his body, his taste and never wanted to feel anything else.

He pulled away and smiled down at her. The first smile she'd seen in days. Instantly the heaviness over her chest was lifted and she could breathe right. She smiled back. He squeezed her bottom in a teasing caress then grabbed her hand and went into the kitchen.

"Feed me, baby. I'm hungry." Like that the tension between them was gone.

Alison laughed and served him her dinner. She sat across from him, not even bothering to hide her eagerness at his reaction. At his first taste he groaned, his eyes closing.

"You need to package your skills and sell them. You'd make a fortune," he said over a bite of broccoli covered in a cream sauce.

Dinner went so much better than expected. They laughed and teased each other, and he complimented each bite he took as if it was ambrosia. After their plates were cleaned and he finished the extra bites left off her plate, she moved to clear the dishes. He stopped her and did the task himself, loading the dishwasher.

Alison poured a glass of champagne that Sarina had added to the grocery list. The tingly bubbles popped over her tongue, tickling her. But the sweet after taste was worth the party in her mouth. Rome turned back around, his eyes darkened with sensual heat. Alison bit her lip and set her glass down, then picked it back up so she had something with which to keep her hands busy.

He had her trapped by his stormy gray gaze. He stalked to her. That was the only way to describe it. His legs ate up the distance between them, and then he was before his, his scent wrapping around her like warm velvet. Hands at her waist lifted her onto the sturdy wood table, rucking the white cloth up.

He fitted himself between her legs and pressed her most intimate heat against him. The hard press of his cock had a flood of wet heat gushing out of her.

"I'll have my dessert now," he said, his voice deeper, huskier as it always was when he was aroused. She loved that she knew that about him, even as his hands cupped her breasts through her dress and plumped the globes until her nipples peaked and hardened.

"I made dessert," she stuttered, even as she clenched her thighs over his hips. He smiled down at her but it was pure sin.

A hot hand touched her knee then pressed up her thigh, the fabric of her dress moved with him until her lace black panties were bare to his gaze.

"The only dessert I'll be having is right in front of me." He licked his lips at the sight of her panties, and her heart kicked into overdrive. She wanted him bad, couldn't wait another moment. His hands ran in long caresses up and down her body. Trailing over her breasts and aching nipples, over her throat, down her thighs, squeezing her hips. The sensations swirled around her until a cool breeze fell over her heated skin. Looking down she realized he'd pulled her dress off. It dangled precariously over her ankle before falling to the floor.

He cupped her breasts again as his mouth came down to feast on one hungry nipple. He growled around her breast and she felt the press of teeth. He squeezed her other globe, the flesh pressing through his spread fingers as his tongue sucked and lapped her hard but like a delicious treat. Her hips jerked towards his, asking silently for what she craved. Her hands cupped his hair, freed it of its tie and blonde locks spilled down his shoulders.

He pulled back from her breast with a feral growl before diving down to her mouth. His tongue slid in and devoured her, pleasured her with thick thrusts that mimicked something she wanted far more.

He pulled back to press hot kisses down her throat, across her collarbone and said, "I've been mad for you for days. I wanted nothing more than to come crawling back into that bed with you." More kisses passing down over the mound of her breast, down her rounded stomach. His words fueled the already waging fire inside her. She unconsciously opened her thighs further, seeking him out.

"Take off your clothes," she whispered, her voice a mere croak.

He pulled back and stripped in a matter of seconds, and then he was back on her, kiss over her belly button, dipping over her skin with his tongue. Then he nuzzled her dark curls and his tongue snaked through to her needy core.

"Rome!" she cried out, her head shooting back, her hands clinging to the locks of loose, beautiful golden hair. He pushed her thighs further apart with a bruising grip. His head bent low and then his tongue found her swollen, hard clitoris and licked it with a speed no human tongue could possibly make. Her hips jacked up against his greedy mouth and noises formed from her throat she'd never made before. She came hard, her body tightening like a bow against his mouth as pleasure shattered through her.

She panted, tried to find her bearings. His lips pressed kisses down each of her thighs, especially where he'd held her open with his hands.

"Rome. I need you now, please," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open to stare at the predator between her legs. His eyes were feral, glowing with the lykaen that preened at the surface. To know that her pleasure had pushed him so far sent a thrill shivering through her.

"Not yet," he said and dipped back down to her creamy sex. One heavy arm fell across her hips. She tried to move against it but learned quickly that it was impossible, his strength incredible. Long, flat licks stroked over her pussy stoking the fire still burning within her. Soon she was moaning, her head tossing side to side. He licked her again and again, never applying pressure, never focusing on the part she needed the most.

"God dammit, do something now!" she cried to the ceiling. Only then did he. A long finger pushed inside her with striking easiness as his mouth latched on to her throbbing clit. "There, there, yes!"

His finger didn't fill her nearly like she craved. He seemed to know this and used it to tease her empty channel while his tongue swirled and flicked over her bud.

He tore his head away from her, his eyes wild and said, "Christ woman. Your pussy needs my cock so bad. I can feel you sucking on my finger, aching to be filled."

"Yes, yes!" Her cries went unanswered though as his head fell back to her, and if she thought his tongue was moving fast before, she was wrong. He wiggled his velvety tongue across her clit with remarkable speed, building her up so quickly; she came in a few flicks, his finger still thrusting inside her. She cried out as waves of pleasure shot from her womb to her toes curling the small digits.

He leaned back from her sex, a sheen of sweat covering his brow. "God, how you grip me.” He looked pained as he pulled his finger from her.

Her body was liquid pleasure. Her limbs lose, her core painfully empty and in need. He stood up before her like a towering devil, his cock a heavy, straight mass standing out from his hips. She moaned at the sight of the precum dripping from his cock and licked her lips wishing she could taste him.

"I'm going to feel you come apart again, with my cock buried deep inside your sweet pussy." His voice was feral, so deep the words were no longer human. The hair on her arms stood on end a second before he slid in on one hard thrust.

He moved in her then with all the passion and ferocity of the lykaen inside him. Her butt scooted up on the table with his hammering thrusts. She didn't care. Her pussy wept with hot cream, tightened over him again and again, craving the seed he'd spill into her.

When the table started to move with his hard thrusts, he growled and pulled out of her. She moaned at the loss, but was quickly turned and bent over the table. Hard gripping hands grabbed her hips and then he slammed back in with a dark curse.

He pounded into her tight heat like a wild rutting animal. Only after she came two more times did he let himself go. Her pussy still milking him from her fading orgasm, he gripped her ass cheeks in both hands and couldn't hold it anymore.

He pushed in one last time and actually shouted as his cock spewed his seed deep inside her. He was pushing, little shoves of his softening cock into her as if to make the tremendous sensations last. But they didn't and as he pulled out of her, his cock semi-hard, he saw her ass cheeks pink from his grip and grew to complete hardness again.

He turned her over, kissed her, and tasted her wet silken heat. She moaned into his mouth and positioned his hips, found her creamy sheathe and thrust back in again.

Her eyes widened with surprise, but then her hips rocked up into his, her clit pressing against his groin. He took her again in long, slow strokes that built both of them to a beautiful, intense high. She gripped his back; her breasts mashed against the crisp hairs of his chest and cried out, shuddering with her orgasm.

Rome kissed her, pushed into her as far as he could go, and jetted his sweet release into her.

Chapter 13

"What are you going to do while I'm gone, beautiful?"

"Oh, rummage through your things and discover any secrets you may be hiding."

"Oh yeah?" A taunting gleam entering his eyes. His fingers trailed up her sides then tickled ruthless movements

"Stop! Stop! Oh God, stop, I won't. I promise, Roman," she panted, tears springing to her eyes. When he finally stopped his tortuous fingers, she smiled up at him from in his lap.

"I like it when you beg me." A curl of heat licked in her belly.

"I know." They'd made love all night long, and then again, when they awoke late in the morning. Only after she'd begged him to finish her, to end her pent up passion did he allow it. Her insides still felt like liquid honey.

"So really, what are your plans while I'm at work?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up for a quick kiss. "I'm going to take a bath to relax my muscles," she said looking pointedly down her body.

His brows drew up tight. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" His big hand settled low over her abdomen in a very possessive gesture. Her heart stilled in her chest. It reminded her of the time her friend Gina’s husband had placed his hand over his wife’s pregnant belly. She pushed away the unwanted thought with a vicious kick.

"Not at all. A hot bath will do wonders for me though. How long do you think you'll be gone?" Her eyes suddenly found something interesting in his collar.

He smiled down at her, the look all man and way too knowing. "Six hours max. I've finished the program I was working on, now I have to get it to the team and do some troubleshooting, fix any bugs, run a few test runs."

She nibbled on her lip. Before she could change her mind she said, "I want to tell you the rest about Conlin."

Rome held her a little bit closer, his face turned serious. "Are you sure?" She nodded and he kissed her. It was sweet and long. By time he pulled away, her temperature was warmer and a liquid heat was pooling in her belly.

"Right well, I'm not really sure what else you want to know about it.”

“Tell me how you escaped.” His eyes glowed with the stirring of anger.

She looked away, her eyes misting with a haunted glow. "H-he had me on the ground, pinned me, and then he put his fingers in me and I started screaming. I'd never been so scared. I didn't even feel pain from where he'd hit me. I think he wanted to stop me from screaming. So he hit me again and it's like no matter how much inside I was panicking, I couldn't move. I couldn't make my body work, but I heard him tearing at his own clothes. I felt him...there, he almost, but then he was torn off me. I saw one of his butlers, Gerald."

Tears spilled down her face and she let them. "When I used to see Conlin sometimes he'd ignore me and go off and do his own thing. Gerald would always talk to me, he was a nice, older man. He pulled me up. He looked so scared, probably as scared as I was. He ran me through the house and drove me out of there. He dropped me off at my parent's house. I told him thank you before I left but the words were so useless, couldn't possibly show him my gratitude."

"What did your parents say when they saw you?" His grip tightened around her. It didn’t hurt either; it was like having a protective cocoon.

"Father was upset that I brought a raucous to the house so late at night. Mother called for the doctor to help with my wounds. You have to understand that my parents were always so...impersonal to me. Like I was their roommate and not their child. I was just thankful my mother helped me that night. They sent me off as soon as I was able and my father none too gently told me not to come by again."

Rome struggled to keep from ramming his fist into the wall. His beast had torn through the mental cage and was ready to tear Conlin's throat out with his bear teeth. Only after he felt the warm slide of blood down his throat could he rest.

Soft hands cupped his cheeks and a gentle voice slowly brought him back from the darkness. That familiar sound lulled his beast back into its cage, closed the door, and then he was looking down into a pretty face with black rimmed glasses and straight bangs.

"Baby, don't do that to me again," she said, climbing further into his lap and wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug. With each breath, Rome felt calmer, the red haze of rage dissipating like a breeze.

"I'm going to kill him, Alison." His arms tightened around her.

"No, you can't! Listen, he'll slip up sometime and then we'll have more evidence to present to the Justicars. Everything will be fine, baby." She was talking quick, panic sinking in. Her hands ran soothing passages over his back, his face, his hair.

It took more control than he knew he had, but he finally forced the anger back. It was several minutes before the beast stopped pacing the small cage. He didn't relax, but he had control over the rage now. As much as anyone could control such a volatile emotion. It was like saying he had a handle on the ticking time bomb in his hand with only sixty seconds left on the clock.

When he finally spoke, his words were serious, his voice eerily calm. "I can't let you go Alison. I don't think I can ever let you go."

Her heart stopped beating. Her mind raced, working a million miles a minute. She knew what it was she felt. Hope, joy, love, bat-shit insanity. Oh God, this wasn't supposed to happen.

"Just don't say anything. I can see that you're not ready for that, Ali, but I am. So just let me know." Abruptly he stood and set her aside on the bed. "I've got to get going."

Alison watched, not knowing what to say as he pulled on his clothes. He looked over at her and smiled. It wasn't all there, not quite reaching his eyes, but it was warm.

"I'm leaving a cell phone on the table downstairs, my number is programmed into it. Call me if you need anything."

Alison followed him down the stairs, a smile twisting her lips. "What if I need a kiss."

She trailed his chuckling form as he grabbed his keys off the side table. He turned so suddenly, snatching her hard against his body, plastering her to his body like paint. "Then I guess I'll just have to give you one now." Alison oomphed as his mouth caught hers. He held her tight, his tongue plundering her mouth, tongues dueling and caressing.

Alison pulled back, gasping for breath. "Don't tease me. Not when you have to go."

A dark growl and then his mouth were on hers again, his hands clasping her bottom and squeezing the flesh in pulses. Arousal flooded her, dampening her panties, making her heart thump hard.

He pulled away and her lips followed. He chuckled at her flushed face. "I'll be back." And then he was out the door.

Son of a bitch, she thought. Her stupid grin wouldn’t go, even after his car pulled away.

* * *

Alison sighed then dunked her head one last time under the hot sudsy water. Her muscles were loose and her skin warm. She felt great, better than she had in a long time. Lifting the plug with her toe, the water preceded to drain in slow spinning pulls. Alison walked wet footed to the towel rack and dried off. Grabbing her rounded brush, she set to styling her bangs and hair.

Dressing, she went downstairs ready to spend the next five hours relaxing and watching movies until Rome returned. He promised her he'd make dinner tonight and she was a little excited to see what he'd cook up. Grilled cheese, bbq? Giggling, she just put in the first movie when the cell phone Rome left her trilled from the coffee table.

Running over to it, she answered quickly.

Warm happiness bubbled out of her. "Hey baby, how you doing? I just wanted to call and make sure things are fine."

"I'm excellent. I took a bath and was just about to watch one of your DVDs. I’ve wanted to see that Twilight move forever. I can’t believe you own it.” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I'm glad you called.”

He groaned on the other end. "Tell me you haven't dressed yet and you're standing there wet, dripping, and naked."

"No, I'm afraid not," she said laughing.

"I just got to work, but are you sure I can't call Sarina to come visit with you while I'm gone? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Thank you, baby, but I don't think so. I'm going to enjoy these next few hours of solitude with your epic vampire/werewolf collection."

His rich laughter filled the line. "Those are courtesy of Vera for my birthday, so enjoy, babe. Remember, if you change your mind, if you need anything, just call." He sounded so concerned, so unlike his usual cool self, she couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm fiiine, go to work. Now." He said goodbye and hung up. Sighing blissfully, she hit play from the DVD menu and curled up on his luscious sofa that even smelled like him.

The picture quality of the TV was amazing. She'd only had a small, thirty-something inch from ten years ago back at the apartment. His looked brand new, top of the line with shiny black trim and a neat little stand.

The movie started and the cell went off again. Grinning, she answered with a perky, "Hellooo?"

"Alison. Are you ready to come see me?" Alison dropped the phone, her gut clenching in icy fear as her lungs struggled to breath.

The front door flew open, slamming into the wall with a loud crack as several men came rushing in. Everything happened in slow motion. Alison screamed and took off running towards the kitchen.

Eyes wide, heart pumping, lykaen sprinting out of the cage, she made it four steps before a heavy body took her hard down to the ground. Her nose slammed into the ground. She winced at the pain, tears springing to her eyes.

She screamed until her throat burned, her arms were dragged behind her and tied tight, and then a cloth was forced over her mouth. It smelled foul like gasoline. She struggled not to breathe, knew that whatever that smell was dangerous.

A hard fist slammed into to her lower back and she gasped in pain accidentally sucking in the toxic smell.

She wanted to cry, to run. But she couldn't do any of those things. Darkness exploded over her like an eclipse and then she was out.

Chapter 13

Flashes of white light flipped on and off.

With each blink, her eyes absorbed more light, more images. Her head felt like a dozen bowling balls were shoved inside it. Surely if she tried to lift her head, her neck would snap like a twig trying to lift a car. Memories arrived to her in fragmented slides. The pieces didn't make sense. They were out of order. Struggling to open her eyes against the bright white light, she forced her sluggish mind to work.

Why was it that when one needed their body to work at maximum capacity, it utterly failed?

The puzzle pieces were there but she couldn't line the right ones up. Men breaking in, a phone call with Rome, a cruel cold voice, the sharp pain to her gut that woke her, the smell of gasoline against her nostrils.

"How much did you give her?" a nasty voice said. "Get the fuck up already, bitch." Alison forced her eyelids open. Dark, blurry figures above her.

A deadly calm enveloped her. She knew that voice as clearly as if it were her own. That voice had haunted her nightmares for two long years.

"Conlin," she croaked, her voice dry and scratchy. Her entreaty sounded nothing like the scathing snarl she wanted it to. A dark figure came closer and knelt next to her. She could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"Oh, Ali, welcome back. How I've missed you, lumara. You've caused me so much trouble. I let you leave me all those years ago only because your father threatened to go to the Justicars. Ha, I should have pursued you anyways, the bastard doesn't have the balls to do anything more than talk." A whimper slid out of her throat, even through the muscles that tried to stop it.

Don't show fear, she told herself. She heard him inhale deeply and exhale. She smelled the peppermint of his breath and cringed, turning her heavy head away from the smell. She’d breathed in the same scent while struggling to breathe under the assault of his fists two years ago.

Fingers curled around her neck and tilted her head back. She could see him almost clearly now. She choked out a sob. The blur faded to only a little like her eyes still weren't focused. She could see the sharp line of his jaw, the straight eyebrows; light blonde hair that fell in sharp across his face. Pretty features nothing more than a guise for a monster.

Mustering up strength didn’t feel two years ago, she faced him, the ache in her head feeling lighter, and laughed. Those cold eyes narrowed to tiny, hard slits, his mouth tightened.

"Get on with it already. I have a movie to watch back at home." Who was this brave creature speaking through her? she wondered wildly. She was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was going to kill her. Hell, I might as well state my peace.

He pulled back a hand and let it fly, catching her cheek and lip in a biting slap.

"I was mistaken, I suppose. I had no idea you'd be eager for me again." He leaned down until she could feel his hot breath in her ear. "You missed me didn't you, Ali? Missed our times together. Missed my cock deep inside of you, spilling myself on that last stroke. You're getting me all worked up just thinking about it, Ali."

Alison swallowed hard, her thighs unconsciously slamming together. Her heart raced a mile a minute in her chest, but she took a deep breath. Stay calm. Don't think about it. You don't need to be here. A cold sense of déjà vu wracked her memory. She'd been in a place just like this two years before.

She thought about Rome and his strength. His smile and laughter, his home and heart, so easily given to her. It gave her strength enough to close out everything else around her. Seal herself up into a shell. He could touch her, but he wouldn't really touch her. He'd never have the privilege again.

Turning to him one last time, she looked into his blue eyes and said, "I will never be yours Conlin. Never again." Closing her eyes, she saw only her happiest thoughts. Like a Ferris wheel moving, she cycled through the images and detached herself from her body. No matter what he did, she wouldn't feel it.

Her mind drifted, exploring the possibility of meeting Rome Kategan without having taken the path via Conlin. She saw herself holding hands with Rome in front of the Kategan pack, her parents were standing at the front looking proud. Rome kissed her as the truemate knot was tied by the Elder. He whispered he loved her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered shouting and a dull pain her stomach, but she didn't feel it. She almost smiled.

* * *

Rome slammed his fist into his desk. The wood splintered and cracked under the power of his fist. She was gone. Taken from his own damned house. He should have been there. A red blanket of fury enveloped him like a cloud. His beast was out of the cage and snarling. He jabbed his fingers at his cell phone and growled like a beast when he pressed the wrong number. It took everything in him not to crush the phone in his hand. He dialed it correctly the second time.

"Where the fuck are you, Jackson?" The animal in his voice made his words a deep, frightening baritone.

There was a pause. "Fuck, I was just on my way. I had a...hang up. Why what's happened?" He sounded winded, but his voice turned all business.

"You're supposed to be watching Conlin's house, Jacks. He took her. The son of a bitch has her and you can't even tell me if she's at his house?" Realizing his desk was shaking, he looked down and saw his thighs shaking with the force not to run.

"Fuck. Shit, I'm already on my way there. I'll be there in seven minutes. I'll call you after I scope out the place. Dammit, I fucked up."

Rome couldn't wait anymore, he sprinted through the office building and down the twenty flights of stairs and wasn't even winded when he flew through the garage to his car. He dialed the Justicars and told them what had happened. After getting their promise that they'd be there immediately, he called Vane who was already on his way. He'd been performing his rounds of the grounds when he saw that two of his guards were dead near his house.

The first piece of relief all day: he'd taken the car today. The BMW's speed was needed as he ripped across the city. It would take an hour to get there, so he pushed the pedal to the medal and planned to make it in thirty.

Never had thirty minutes seemed so long.

* * *

"Motherfucker."

"Aw, baby, don't go. We were only getting started."

Jackson ignored the woman and jerked on his clothes, snatching his keys and making sure his wallet and money were still in there before heading to the door.

He'd seriously fucked up, but he'd make it up to Rome...somehow. As long as she wasn't dead yet. Fuck. He threw open the door, but her voice stopped him.

"Poor human. You're too late. He's going to kill her. He's going to fuck her brains out and kill her. I don't know which order he's going to do it in though."

Turning sharply to the shapely woman who'd called herself Sandra, Jacks felt a ripple of awareness. Shit. He'd really fucked up—twice.

Grabbing his tazer from his belt, he pointed it at the women and pulled the trigger. She screamed as bolts of electricity scoured through her body. She bucked and then collapsed on the body. Her chest moved with the flow of breathing, but she was out. She had something to do with this, and he'd be sure she was brought to justice.

"Not if I get there first, bitch," he said and shut the door quietly behind him.

Chapter 14

Arms stretched above her with manacles tightly cinching into her skin, Alison’s happy images faltered. Like a movie reel breaking, her happy thoughts were stopping with quick efficiency. The pain from the blows brought her to the surface frighteningly fast.

Just ignore it. Ignore him.

But Conlin wasn't one to be ignored. No matter how hard she focused away from him. He'd hit harder, push her harder, and say something worse than before. He cut her clothes off using a knife with a jagged, serrated edge. He touched her with soft hands that curled her gut and produced bile in her throat.

Ignore it.

Hands squeezing her thighs, her breasts, touching her as if he owned her. He cursed and screamed, railing at her for making him lose Sarina. For leaving him two years ago.

"That bitch would have made me so much money. You ruined that for me." The man acted like he didn't live in a mansion and wasn't a royalty in the lykaen community. But, who knows, maybe he'd run out of money. He always was a big spender and hadn't worked a day in his life...for anything.

She struggled to bring back her safety images. Alison forced herself to think about the nights she spent in Rome's arms. How safe and content she felt, even while she was struggling to trust him. She pretended that she trusted him all along that he was hers and she he really cared about her, as much as a man can with a woman. He held her like he cared. She understood now with that he did care. He was a trustworthy male.

"You think you can ignore me?" A brutal, harsh laugh lashed over her. "I don't think so. Jenner, bring me the table." A servant in the corner of the room bowed and quickly exited, then brought back a metal tray table that looked like it belonged in a hospital.

Alison stared at the ceiling seeing Sarina happy and kissing her mate on her wedding day. The image faltered at the hiss of metal sliding against metal. Cold fear had her sweating. She chanced a look down and saw the table. It took everything in her not to gasp at the line of knives, and at the end, a hatchet.

He didn't miss her fearful gaze. "So you finally see what I've been working on, love? You know, I let you go two years ago. I know you think you escaped, and you did, but if I had wanted you back then I'd have gotten you. Even your father's pathetic threat couldn't have stopped me."

Alison stared forward, her heart once again racing too fast in her chest. She wanted to run. Her body was screaming at her to do something.

"I contented myself at the time with punishing Gerald."

Her stomach dropped out from her. Not the man who helped her! She finally turned her face away, her vision blurring with tears.

"Of course he didn't come back after his little...affair with you. I had him tracked by my best sentry. Years of tracking experience, you see." A soft hand cupped her breast and she flinched. He squeezed and tugged the flesh. Her skin crawled like a million centipedes walked over her.

"I killed him so slowly, so thoroughly, it satisfied me for quite some time. Then I relegated myself to pretending you never betrayed me." He laughed suddenly, the sound loud and mocking. "Then King Brunes came to me with a little offer. A bride with an extravagant dowry. And to top that all off, just who happens to be Sarina's best friend? Alison Bennson. It couldn't have been more perfect. Money, a biddable wife, and her closest friend my runaway female." His hand curved around her throat.

Alison gagged with a mixture of disgust and hate.

"She never would have been biddable, and she never would have married you." She glared into his cold eyes.

"Well you're right about one thing. She married that disgusting dog. Not even a Pride member, but her reaction isn't unexpected. After all, when a man's an Alpha the females are more than ready to drop their panties and spread before them. Did you fuck him, Ali?" His hand squeezed her chin until hot blood pulled there in his vicious grip.

"Fuck you!" It hurt, but she jerked her head out of his tight grasp. Her skin throbbed with pain.

He only smirked down at her. "I plan on it. Later. I saw you noticed my special tray here. I decided to try something new seeing as you’re my honored guest tonight. I had each of these weapons, oh I mean tools, made specifically for you. See, they're made with pure silver."

Suddenly she laughed, a real, belly laugh. He stilled like a cobra ready to strike. "Oh my god. I just realized something. This is all because you can't take being dumped. God, you are pathetic!"

It was probably the wrong thing to say. Even after he plunged a knife into her thigh, burning his own hand in the process, she laughed.

* * *

Slices and cuts peppered her skin. The coppery smell of blood mixed with her vanilla scent turning it into a vile concoction.

Her torso and thighs looked like someone had splattered lines of red paint over her. Her sense of time seemed to be suspended. The cuts hurt, each dip into her a hot burn that seared through her with biting pain. But after about a dozen or so, she found she could focus back on her happy thoughts.

She retracted her mind from the present, from the monster sweating above her with a scalpel. He dug in particularly deep in her side and she gasped, unable to hide it. She could practically feel his excitement...could smell his arousal.

A foggy mumbling registered in her brain. The monster was talking.

"Did you like my letters I sent you?"

Numb silence except for the hiss of her skin splintering.

She shouldn't, but the question burned inside her. "Why did you do it? Why did you jerk off on my bed?" She looked at him, fury shaping her features.

He actually looked away, red tinting his cheeks. Then it was gone and he was grinning, a bold hand cupped her sex. "What can I say? I'm a man baby. I came over to see what you were up to. Then I saw those tussled bed sheets and realized just how much I missed you. You always did have such a sweet little body, Ali. You used to hold me so tight when I fucked you."

She nearly spit at him. Would have if her throat didn’t hurt didn’t feel like her tonsils had been ripped out. "I never came. Not much of a man you are, Conlin. More like a pathetic excuse for a child. Humans can fuck better than you can. I laid with you because I cared for you, not out of pleasure."

She pulled back at the rage that contorted his features. His hands were white fists, his shoulders tightly bunched muscle. He shifted then his fist plowed into her face. He didn't stop, either. She lost count at twelve.

Tightening her will, she imagined Rome coming to her rescue. Maybe someone would find out she was gone. Perhaps Sarina called her and got worried when she didn't answer. Perhaps, Rome would sweep in like a furious lykaen mate, ready to fight to protect his woman. Even as his knife struck her, her heart panged. She wanted to be his so badly. If she made it away from Conlin she wouldn't let her fears keep her from having what she wanted.

Wow, great time to decide that.

Chapter 15

Rome waited outside of the mansion. Nighttime was creeping in, the sun going down and casting the world into oranges and pinks. The team gathered around him. Their pace made snails look fast.

He couldn't stop the growl that came out of his throat, or the power of his beast rushing through him. He was stronger in this form and thirsted for blood. Conlin's blood. He would tear the man's throat out with his teeth.

The Alpha's order was the only thing keeping him in place, keeping him from ripping through the house and tearing anyone who so much as crossed his path into pieces. Vane and his siblings looked like they were going to war wearing guns, knives, and Kevlar vests.

Jacks pushed a vest into his chest. He growled menacingly at his once friend. The man's jaw tightened. He looked contrite, ashamed, but that didn't matter. They'd taken his woman and Jacks could have helped.

Unable to control his able, he needed to lash out at something—anything.

"What were you doing when I called you?"

Jacks glared back at his friend, his jaw clenching from side to side. "You have your problems and I have mind. Let's just leave it at that."

"I have a problem because you weren't here doing your job."

"Maybe you should have been guarding your woman when you knew Conlin was after her instead of going to work like it was a normal fucking Monday."

Rome's fist shot out and caught Jack's jaw. The human stumbled back a step but righted himself. On most people that hit would have sent him flying ten feet. Jacks always did have a jaw of steal.

"I'll let you have that free one because I fucked up. You know how I feel about making mistakes."

Rome breathed deeply, taking calming breaths. That shit didn't work. He was more jacked up then if he'd been on crack.

"I thought Vera was a fighter. Where is she?" Rome frowned at the change in subject. He put on his Kevlar before answering.

"She's incapacitated. She was staying in the guest cabin. They ambushed her, and killed two of our guards before taking Alison."

Jacks tensed. "Is she all right?"

Vane stepped forward looking like he belonged on the cover of a military magazine with his Kevlar, sidearm, belt holding mace, a tazer, and God knows what else. "She's fine. We're ready to go."

His older brother Darien was here too. His brother never talked anymore. Rome remembered a time when his brother smiled, laughed, joked. Something had died in him with that woman with that baby. Darien’s problems were his own though.

Rome took a deep breath and nodded. "Execute."

Darien and Vane took off towards the mansion while Rome and Jacks took the right. They flanked around the side of the house to the backdoor, and took out two guards before they had time to use their Walky-talkies.

Rome smashed through the back door, raising his two guns and drilling bullets at the guards.

"Upstairs." Rome could smell her. His heart was a hard drum beating in his chest. The scents of blood and vanilla sent his beast into a full rage. He didn’t feel anything about killing these guards. Had no thoughts as to innocence or guilt.

They made their way through the house. Guards swarmed out of the living room. Rome lost his guns in a tangle of limbs and kicks. He roared and threw the two thugs off him, slamming them into the wall.

The first thug recovered quickly, tore a knife out of his belt, and lunged at him. Rome dodged the blow, grabbed the man's wrist, and snapped it until bone cracked. The man howled and Rome drove his fist into his face with all the strength in him. Blood spattered and bones broke under the force. The man collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Rome surveyed the area and saw Vane and Darien tying up their catch.

Darien looked up at him. Something in his eyes said he understood. "Proof for the Justicars. We need them alive." Rome didn't look at the man whose face was now unrecognizable. He didn't care.

The scent of vanilla and blood, her blood, was stronger now. He charged up the stairs. Someone shouted his name behind him, but it sounded faraway over the screaming roar in his head. Following her scent, he turned right where it grew stronger. He stopped at the door at the far end of the hall. He turned the knob, his heart in his throat, it didn't budge. He roared, the door vibrating in its frame with the force of its power and then slammed his booted foot into the wood. It splintered and shattered apart.

He flew into the room, but caught sight of Alison and Conlin and stopped dead in his tracks. Cold fear mixed with rage making him even more deadly. His hands fisted, his arms shaking with the force to keep from acting.

"Alison, baby." His voice a mere croak.

She turned to him from her tied up position, her naked body bleeding with open cuts. The blade that Conlin was holding to her neck, slipped into her skin with the movement. A line of red streaked across her neck.

"Don't move!" His hand reached out as if to stop her.

Conlin through back his head and laughed. "So I finally get to meet the second brother, Roman Kategan. Or are you the third in line? Eh, well, not that it matters." He tilted his head to the side and sniffed the air. "You reek of anger and fear, Alpha. Ali and I were having the greatest time before you decided to show up."

"Yeah, we're real party crashers." His eyes locked on Alison's, refused to let go. Tears shined in her eyes before falling down her cheeks. Her lips trembled but she kept silent.

"And you're funny, too. Ah, we probably could have been friends under different circumstances. I must say that you have no right breaking into my home. But now I have free reign to kill you."

He clenched his jaw so hard it cracked. "You stole my woman."

"Your woman? Have you mated her? She might carry your disgusting scent inside her from your filthy seed, but that's all. She was mine long before she was yours, Kategan. Don't you know? I fucked her nearly everyday for months while we were together. It was my seed filling her belly, not yours."

Rome roared and took a step forward. Conlin's eyes widened a fraction. In fear? He pressed the knife a little deeper into Alison's neck.

Panting hard, Rome met her eyes again.

"I'm going to get you out of here baby. Everything's going to be fine."

She mouthed some words, but her lips were trembling so badly he couldn't tell what she said.

"Your fight is with me, Conlin. Not her."

The man laughed. "Wrong again. I have absolutely no fight with you, only her."

Rome lunged forward, relying on the knowledge that Darien and Vane would be close behind by now. With all the power of the lykaen inside him, he moved faster than a bullet, leaped over the bed, and caught Conlin by the shoulders. They both went down on the ground. Conlin landed hard, but kept hold on the knife.

Blind fury took over his movements. He pulled back his arm and let his slam into Conlin’s face. The spray and crunch of bones was like a soothing balm to his raging anger. So he did it again and again. His hand throbbed and pulsed, but he ignored it. Conlin’s nose cracked under the weight of his fist and he let out a loud scream.

Conlin twisted beneath him and jerked his hips up, tossing Rome off. Rome didn't recover quickly enough and Conlin slashed forward with his silver blade and cut through Rome’s thigh. Snarling with rage, Rome grabbed Conlin's wrist and squeezed tight. Conlin yelped and his fingers loosened, letting the blade fall.

Leaning forward, uncaring of the blood gushing from his wound, Rome slammed his fist again into Conlin's face. The crush of bone and spray of blood fueled his rage like gasoline on a fire. He grabbed Conlin's hair in a vicious grip and yanked it to the side. Hard hands pushed at his chest, struggled underneath him, but he forced himself closer. Then, baring his teeth, he attacked.

Teeth tore into flesh, blood pooled thickly in his mouth. He bit down on the meat and tore himself away, taking it with him. Conlin gasped and reached for his neck, but found only chunks of gore.

Rome stood and spit out the meat and turned to help his mate. The wound wouldn't kill Conlin, but it would incapacitate him enough for Alison to perform the killing blow. It was her righteous duty, not his.

"Baby. Are you okay?" Her head lay turned towards his, but her eyes didn't blink. Ice entered his veins and his heart stopped beating.

He rushed to her side and caught her face in his hands. Please God don't let him be too late. Please. "Alison, look at me!"

As if in slow motion, he looked down, to see the line of blood at her neck much deeper, much heavier than before. Her eyes blinked up at him much too slowly, too lazily.

"Oh God." His voice was a croak, raw pain filling it. It was all his fault. The knife had cut her when he'd jumped on Conlin. It was his fault.

Her eyes closed and didn’t open again. He screamed. He didn't stop until faces poured into the room.

Jacks was the first to come forward. "Let me see." When Rome refused to let go, his friend spoke harder. "I said, let her go. I have field medical training, Roman. You know this. Let me look at her." He couldn’t though. The man had no idea what he was asking him to do. He couldn’t let her go now. A burning wetness pooled in his eyes, stinging his wide eyes.

Darien came forward, and gently removed his hands from her. Rome met his brother's eyes; they held such dark pain, such understanding. Now he knew why Darien had pushed himself away like he did. To know that the woman you loved was dying. How did the man even live?

He watched as if from the long end of a shadowy tunnel as Jacks sprouted questions. He worked with quick, jerky movements that still managed to be precise.

If the silver went deep enough. If it had cut through her spinal cord, then the damage would be irreparable. She would bleed out and then her heart would stop.

He remembered being told that the blood had stopped. But he didn't remember why. Had Jacks stopped the flow? Would she live? Or was the damage irreparable and his mate was about to die. Rome didn't know.

He didn't know because the light at the far end of the tunnel grew dimmer and foggier like black smoke was blocking his vision. He cursed inwardly and scrambled to focus. No!

Must see her face one last time. He flailed against the shadows behind his eyes, against the fog in his mind, but it useless. He screamed inside until his throat burned and bled. But the darkness refused to bow and took over him completely.

Chapter 15

The blurry lights made it difficult to see.

"Fix the lights already." She didn't mean to be a complainer, but really. Hadn't she been through enough?

Someone chuckled from beside her. She turned and blinked first one eye than the other. She frowned when the blurry figure didn't become the man she was hoping for.

"I'm afraid I can't do anything about the lights. It's your vision that's blurry, not them. I'm Darien Kategan, by the way, we haven’t formally met. How do you feel?" His voice was a lovely tenor. He had a calm, patient way of speaking as though he had all the time in the world to listen to her speak.

"Sorry, I'm not a morning person. I feel like…someone used my body for a punching bag. Like maybe a bunch of UFC fighters. Am I really here? Is this real? Because, no offense, but if this is heaven then they sent me the wrong man to dream about. I think they mixed up brothers.”

A ghost of a smile flared on his lips. “You’re very much alive, and I’d feel like shit too after what you’ve been through.”

Alison took that all in then asked the question that was burning at her mind.

“Where's Rome?" she asked in a quiet voice.

The big man who looked like a linebacker for the Gods looked away and shifted side to side. Alison stilled, the air freezing in her lungs.

"What's wrong?"

"He's down the hall, but he's been hurt. Wait, whoa, where do you think you're going?" Alison had already thrown back the covers and moved to a sitting position.

"I'm going to see my mate."

The man looked pensively at her, then smiled softly. "Then let me help you," he said at last.

The walk down the hallway didn't last long. Darien picked her up and carried her, which was perfect because her stomach, chest, thighs, and neck throbbed like a SOB.

The sight of Rome left a sharp pang in her heart. He was lying on the big bed with the covers disheveled around him. His face was pale and had lost its healthy glow. His eyes didn't even open when she sat on the bed.

"What happened to him?" She tried not to let tears choke her voice, but it was hard. They fell in fast rivulets down her face as she crawled closer. His scent was so familiar, so beautiful. It calmed her even as worry tugged at her with cruel arms.

"Conlin stabbed him with a silver blade to the thigh. It hit his femoral. Luckily, he'll heal from it. It'll just take awhile." Alison gasped and cupped his pale cheek in her hand. If he'd been human, he would have been dead in minutes. Leaning over him gently, she pressed tearful kisses over his lips, cheeks, everywhere. She didn't realize they were alone until she heard the soft snick of the door closing.

"Oh, Roman. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, beautiful."

She gasped and pulled back to see his eyes open, albeit hooded. His lips pulled back into a gentle grin. She wanted to slap him for coming after her and hold him close all at the same time. His eyes roamed all over her face as if memorizing every detail.

He cupped her cheek and she leaned into it. "Don't move, you need to rest." He shook his head at her words.

"You need to rest. I just have a cut. You have many cuts."

"Mine aren't deep." He looked pointedly at the large white bandage wrapped around her neck and she winced. "Okay, maybe just that one is. But honestly, Darien said I’m healing fine. I can feel it working."

"Ah, come here," he said gruffly and pulled her into his arms. "How is the rest of you?"

"Just feels like a sting right now." She relaxed into his hold and let his arms calm her. "What happened to Conlin?"

He exhaled heavily. "This is the first I've really been up. I haven't even thought to ask anyone, to be honest. Last I remember, I ripped his throat out and was saving the righteous kill for you."

Alison looked at him, her mouth gaping. "You ripped his throat out. Like with your bare hands?"

He flushed a little. Even in the darkened room she could see it. "No, not exactly. I, uh, used my teeth." He mumbled the last few words so she wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly.

His teeth? He tore his throat out with his teeth? Her eyes widened and her jaw wouldn’t close as she pondered—and imagined—the scene. Then she did something that shocked the hell out of him.

She kissed him. She kissed him with an overwhelming passion that had his possessive instincts roaring to life and his cock awakening with surprising force. He kissed her back with hungry lips, his tongue sweeping in to find hers. They were ravenous, greedy for each other.

Her hands found the cover around his chest and pushed it down.

"Stop." When had his voice grown so husky?

Alison lifted her mouth from his and noted that color was coming back to his cheeks. If she had any doubt before, it was gone. She needed this; he needed this.

Alison swept down the comforter, tossed her thigh across his hips, and climbed aboard. She felt like a doll trying to perch on the Jolly Green Giant. She was panting by time she situated herself.

"You're too big," she was saying.

"I've never heard you complain before."

She gave him a peeved glare and sat back until she felt the rock hard press against her core. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she bit her lip to keep from moaning.

He was naked underneath that cover. She said a little prayer for the little things in life. Then she said a great big prayer for being alive.

"You really are beautiful."

Startled, Alison looked down at her sexy alpha. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe him. He was the picture of lykaen perfection. And he was all hers.

"I need to tell you something." She saw his eyes widen with apprehension.

No way could she face him when she asked so she looked away. She wasn't that strong. She had to clear her throat twice before any sound came out. "I was just wondering if you wanted to mate...with me. I know you haven't known me that long, but I feel like that would be a good thing."

Oh God, idiot! I'm so stupid. I can't even sound smooth while asking a man like Rome to mate with me. It's not like I'm asking him to go to the flipping movies. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Suddenly a hand was at the back of her head and she was brought down to Rome's kiss. Though kiss doesn't really cover what he did. He owned her mouth with his. He was an unrelenting warrior taking his long fought for reward. Lips pressed smoothly against each other while his tongue conquered her mouth. A smoldering heat built up inside her like a fire being stoked. Each hungry pass of his tongue had her pressing herself closer. She couldn't get enough. But she was dying to know the answer, to hear him say it.

She tore her mouth away, gasping. "Tell me. Answer me, please. I can't take it." She closed her eyes hard. It was unbearable not knowing; her heart was doing a crazy dance in her chest and her mind was shouting at her that she was stupid.

Hands cupped her cheeks. "Baby, you were mine the moment I set eyes on you. I'd be honored to be your mate, Alison Bennson. Will you be mine?"

Heart quickening, she couldn't stop the huge smile that crossed her face or the humiliating squeal she made before pressing at least a dozen kisses over his face. She settled down over his lips and kissed her new mate.

He growled, his hands moving down her body to cup her bottom. "I need to be inside you, lumara." The old lykaen word for mate triggered something deep inside her. Alison leaned forward, bracing herself on Rome's chest.

"Tear them off."

He looked startled for a moment, then his eyes went hooded and dark. He reached down, cupped her panty-clad ass, and squeezed the cheeks in his big hands before finding the sides. He curled his fingers into the soft material and pulled. They snapped, and then cool air found her wet pussy.

"Take me in baby. Take me all in, just like this."

Flinging off the offending material of her long shirt, Alison leaned back and spread her legs further until she found the hot round press of his cock.

"Rome!" She was panting. and he wasn't even inside her yet. His hands cupped her breasts, rolled the hard tips of her nipples between his hands.

"I need to suck on these." His voice deepened to a feral level. His lykaen was so close to the surface his eyes glowed. She obeyed his order and leaned forward. He captured her hard nipple with a growl.

She moaned as he sucked on her, teased her breast with his clever tongue. Her core was frustratingly empty. The need inside her like a burning inferno. She tried to lean back to slide down on his cock, but gave a frustrated growl.

"I'm too short, baby. I can't do both." He switched to the other breast and squeezed her ass cheek until she felt the burn of his palm on her skin. "Oooh!"

He was dominating her body with his touch, taking her over. His tongue flicked her nipple then latched onto the firm tip. Both hands went to her ass and cupped the flesh possessively. He opened his mouth wider and sucked more of her into his mouth.

Then her pussy flooded with cream. His hands curled inward, finding the roaring heat of her sex. His fingers pressed further and dipped into that wet heat. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. She was embarrassingly wet. He only growled as he found her creamy heat. The sound vibrated through her breast to her core. A thick, long finger found her entrance and pushed up to a knuckle.

Her mouth fell open in a pant. Her hips kicked back to slide the finger all the way in. It's not enough. It wasn't near big enough.

He pulled back from her breast. "I know baby. I'm going to take care of you." Alison frowned at his words. Then she realized she must have said the words allowed. Letting out a growl of her own, she slammed him down to the bed with a shove to the shoulders. Quickly, she scooted back, cursed and wished she were taller to fit over his huge form, then sank down on his cock.

"Ohhh baby!" Big hands found her hips and squeezed as he thrust up into her as she pushed down. Even with her slickness, it was a tight fit. It was always a tight fit with him. God, she loved it. He pushed in all the way and she let out a howl.

Then she was sliding up and down his cock in a quick tempo. Her hands braced upon his chest, curling into the muscle. She was built up too much. He filled her so full, so perfectly. He reached parts inside her that were completely naughty. She rode him hard and fast.

"Ahh, fuck yes," he growled. His voice pushed her over the edge with a violent shove. She shouted his name and came, her pussy quivering hard with orgasm as a flood of fresh cream rushed over his cock. Just as quick as it came, it was gone and she was still on edge. Still built up.

"More." She moaned and ground herself into him, feeling him stuffing her at the deepest. He groaned below her, his eyes hooded and dark with arousal.

Suddenly she was flipped, and then he was lying between her spread thighs, pushing her knees apart with strong hands on her thighs. He was a hard, thick pulse inside her. She shivered at the deliciousness of it. At the thrill.

He towered above her like a dark fertility god. Then he moved inside her, his strokes long and hard. His hands cupped her breasts, stroked over her throat in a possessive touch, and then fell to her hips to hold her close.

He filled her again and again. Her moans filled the room and mixed with the sounds of his choppy breaths and feral growls. He bent lower, nuzzled her neck, and fucked her harder.

"Going to fill come inside you," he growled against her throat, then bit down. It was a bite to mark her.

Her body tensed with pleasure, her breath stalling in her lungs as he continued to work his hot cock through her tight flesh. He licked the bite and she held onto him, her nails pressing into the muscle of his back.

His cock felt like it grew thicker, longer. Impossible, but she knew he was just as close as she was to flying apart. She rocked her hips up to his as he hammered her into a blind, shattering orgasm.

His thrusts grew unsteady, faltering as his balls pooled with semen. He spoke to her with choppy words spoken more from his beast than him. "Lumara. Must fill you with my seed. Now!"

"Yes!" She shouted as pleasure tightened her pussy to unbearable levels. He plunged in deeply one last time and she came in a hard, intense orgasm. Her hips rocked, thighs shook, her head kicked back and she fought to breathe. He groaned above her, slid out, and then slammed in one last time. She felt a flood of hot jets deep inside her. He shook above her like trembling leaf as his release jetted out of him with devastating power.

Alison caught him as he collapsed on top of her, and wrapped her arms and legs around him.

Perfect. That's how it felt.

"I love you, lumara."

His husky words made her heart flutter and smile cross her face. "I love you too."

Chapter 16

"So what's this surprise you have for me?"

"Hey, leave that blindfold on. You're not supposed to see where we're going. I can't tell you what the surprise is but I can tell you what it's for."

She grinned and petted the seats until she found his thigh in the car. "Oh yeah, what's that?"

"For giving testimony against Conlin today that sealed the deal on his prison sentence. It took some serious guts to go sit before that bastard. I'm proud of you babe. So, I thought I'd treat you to something."

"Treat me, huh. Is it ice cream?"

Husky laughter filled the car. "Oh no, not even close. And no guessing. I won't have you ruining it, besides we're almost there."

Smiling, she settled back into her seat, listened to the rolling of wheels on the street and the passing of cars, and felt the heat of his hand holding hers. His hand idly traced the ring he'd given her after their mating ceremony. It had been one of the greatest days of her life. Alison Kategan—she definitely liked the sound of that.

The car slowed then came to a stop.

"We're here. Now, I have to take you in the back way or people might say something. It’s not exactly everyday a woman is escorted blindfolded by me."

"You do tend to attract attention, luma. It’s that sort of tall, dark, and sexy thing going on. Animal magnetism I think it's called."

"Damn right I do. How do you think I was able to attract you?"

She laughed and heard him leave the car. A moment later her door opened and he was ushering her out. He kept her close in his arms as he locked the car.

"It was your smile."

She couldn't see him, but felt him look down at her. "Really?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him through the blackness of the cloth around her eyes. "Each smile melted me piece by piece. I loved it even while I hated that I liked you."

He pulled her close and ran his hands down her back to her bottom in tantalizing caresses. The second her breath caught, he pulled back. A hot breath of air tickled her ear a moment later.

"You know I love you, lumara."

"And I you, luma."

He growled and for a second pressed close enough for her to feel the steel press of his cock. She licked her lips, but then was jolted forward. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She held on with both hands. Being guided without sight was a dizzying experience. She heard a door open, then they passed through. The echo of footsteps and incline told her they were going up stairs.

He slowed and coached her to 'step' at each one. She didn't falter once. He opened another door and she felt him lean outward.

"Good, coast is clear. Quickly." They slipped through the door and followed him. Faintly she heard sounds, some kind of clicking, and the murmuring of voices.

"What's going on? Where are we?"

"Shhh, quiet. Come here," he said finally and she felt something hard at her back then the heat of him plastering against her. "We're here."

"Where's 'here'?" His lips found her neck and pressed hot kisses there. Her head fell loosely to the side.

"The library."

She stiffened in his arms. "What are we doing here?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"I told you that you look like a naughty librarian. I’m going to take you here against this bookshelf. Don't worry we’re far enough in the back. I don't think anyone will see us, but you might want to keep it down just in case."

She moved to rip off the blindfold, but he caught her hands in one of his and forced them above her. "I do not agree to this. And how the hell is this supposed to be a surprise for me?"

He chuckled against her neck then moved down further and caught her hard, traitorous, nipple in his mouth. The stiffness of the cotton dampened and passed along her flesh with excruciating pleasure.

"Well I suppose it's really a surprise for both of us. Think of it this way, baby. You'll be indulging me in one of my greatest fantasies since meeting you and you'll be coming at least twice."

"Twice?"

"Mmhmm," he said and moved to nuzzle her other breast. Her vanilla scent thickened and grew until he could no longer smell the leather of the books.

The sparkle of a new kind of excitement filled her. Biting her lip, she wrapped her arms around him and nodded.

"Good thing I wore a skirt today."

He scoffed and lifted her shirt up past her breasts. "As if that would have stopped me." Her bra came next and was pushed out of the way.

She kept her voice low and asked, "Can we take the blindfold off?"

His mouth found her bare breast and licked the tip before sucking the mound into his mouth. "Sure. Now, no more talking unless it's to tell me to fuck you harder...or something equally hot."

Alison took off the black mask and blinked at the blinding light until she could see properly. His hands found her naked ass under skirt and squeezed her until she was riding his jean-covered cock. Stifling a moan, she rubbed harder against him, leaning back into the bookcase so he could suckle her tits at the same time.

A click sounded too close. Lifting her head, she scanned the area closely finding only the bookshelf behind her and the one in front of her and a table with chairs down to the left.

A thrill rushed over her. She wanted to come now.

Pulling his lips to her, she kissed him wetly then pulled back and found the top of his jeans. Her nimble fingers undid the button and pulled down the zipper. It hissed loudly in the quiet library. Her heart kicked up and her pussy grew wet.

"Eager, are we?" he whispered against her ear. She nodded, unashamed as she pushed his jeans down to his thick, muscular thighs. She licked her lips at the sight of his long, hard cock and debated dropping to her knees right there.

He must have read her thoughts because he said, "No, you don't. Another time, babe.” He grabbed her hips and spun her around.

Her skirt was lifted to her waist and hands positioned her hips, pulling her down low. The thong she wore was scraped down to her thighs. It dangled there for a moment before falling to her ankles. Naughty didn't begin to cover how she felt. She felt wild like a prostitute about to please a john. It was wrong but oh so good.

His hands cupped her naked ass cheeks before thrusting two fingers deep inside her. He pulled out too quickly for her to really enjoy it and then she was pressed deeper into the books. His cock nudged her entrance—a daring temptation. She panted and turned her head to rest her cheek against the wood shelf.

His hands came up to grasp her breasts and tug on her nipples. Then he whispered in her ear, "Don't make a sound," and slammed in.

It took everything in her not to cry out. Though she couldn't control her ragged breathing. He did better than she did, the bastard.

He held on tight to her large breasts and fucked her good and hard making her feel every bit like the prostitute she'd envisioned. The wet sound of him sliding into her pussy sounded ridiculously loud in the quiet library. Her heart was beating like a fucking drum in her head.

He bit down on the back of her neck, a dominating gesture. She came hard from it.

Her hands tightened into a white-knuckle grip on the bookshelf and she held her breath so she didn't scream as her pussy milked and throbbed against the hard cock inside her.

He didn't stop pounding into her. His hands fell down to her hips and he panted against her neck. "That was the hottest fucking thing...ever."

Then she was turned around, her ass lifted, legs spread as he pounded back in again. She held on to his shoulders and let him take her with brutal force. The pleasure was sharp inside her, building her quickly to another orgasm. She heard an unfamiliar noise but didn't give a shit. He was a hard, hot unrelenting length inside her. His breathing grew choppy as his hips moved faster.

"Fuck. I'm going to come so fucking hard, baby." Something tightened inside her like a bowstring and snapped. He bent down and his mouth latched onto her tit as her second orgasm roared through her. Thighs shaking, toes curling, she came in an explosion of hot pleasure, her pussy milking the hard length inside her. She bit her lip hard to keep from making a peep. Her dug her nails into his back as the hard waves of pleasure rode through her.

"Christ, that's it!" he groaned against her tit and thrust once, twice, three more times before slamming in deep. He came in jets of hot, long jets dousing her fire.

Her legs found the floor like wobbly sticks. She righted her clothes in a haze of pleasure, and when he only stood there with that same hazy expression, she gave mercy to him, put his cock back into his jeans, and zipped him up.

He seemed to come to after that, his smile slow but sure. "Christ I love you." He swooped down and kissed her. They were both still flushed and breathing unsteady when he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the bookshelf.

Going down the hall, they only made it a few feet before she saw a small crowd of people looking at them with anxious, laughing expressions.

There was no hiding the blush that came over her, or the absolutely male laughter that Rome let out. He tugged her out a door and into the stairwell before anyone could say anything.

"Did you know they were listening?"

He shrugged and she hit him playfully. "I'll tell you what, baby. Next time you get to choose the location and the fantasy and I'll play along." He whirled around on her and cornered her against the wall. Predator trapping prey. She nipped at his lip and smiled.

"All right, but I still get to come twice."

"Make it three times and we got a deal."

"Deal," she promised and kissed him.

About the Author

T. A. Grey lives in Missouri where she spends her days writing and reading heart pounding stories in the comfort of her home. She has two wild cats that never leave her alone, and a loving fiancé who surprises her with gifts of cherry taffy. She has a weakness for feeding stray cats, old music, and trying out new recipes. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing, she has since spent her days filling up pages with sexy and imaginative stories. She would love to hear from you at t.a.grey@live.com or on Facebook. You can visit her at tagrey.wordpress.com.

Content

Dark Awakening
The Kategan Alphas -2
T. A. Grey

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

About the Author