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THE ALPHA THE LYCANS, 4

JENIKA SNOW

THE ALPHA (The Lycans, 4)

By Jenika Snow www.JenikaSnow.com Jenika_Snow@Yahoo.com Copyright © October 2021 by Jenika Snow First E-book Publication: October 2021 Photo provided by: Adobe Stock Cover Designer: Cormar Covers Editors: Kayla Robichaux, Lea Ann Schafer Beta Reader: Judy Ann Loves Books ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.

CONTENTS

Synopsis Prologue 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 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31

Epilogue About the Author

I’d never felt like I was missing anything in my life, not until my only friend left to start a journey to find out her own history. It had been clear in the ugliest way that I relied on her company too much over the years.

I needed to make my own path, create my own story.

But then one video call changed my entire life, and I was thrown into a new world where creatures that had only ever been in fiction and movies were now very much real.

And one of them was coming after me.

A werewolf—Lycan—from myth and lore.

He said I was his. He said he was coming for me.

So there was only one thing for me to do. Run. Cian said he wouldn’t stop until he found me, until he put his mark on my neck. He said he’d go to the ends of the world to make me his mate in all ways.

He’d have one hell of a chase on his hands, because I wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

That was my plan until everything changed--and someone else was hunting us.

PROLOGUE

Cian

I

wasn’t a man. Not human, but something else, more powerful. Deadly. The strongest Otherworld creature that was known to walk the planet.

Mine.

My Lycan’s distorted growl reverberated through my skull, my body locked tight, my focus sharper than it had ever been in the over two and a half centuries I’d walked this world.

It was her voice that had my inner beast rising in a way I’d never felt or experienced before, causing a pain unlike anything I could have imagined. I thought he was strong before, but hearing her voice made him exponentially so, as if I housed a hundred Lycans within me, and I’d destroy anything or anyone who thought to keep her from me.

My hand was lifting on its own as I gripped my shirt, right over my heart. The organ was racing, pounding something painful and fierce as I moved closer to the source of the loveliest, most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

And then I was standing there, staring at Caelan’s mate as she held a cell phone and panned it around the interior,

showing o the wealth and luxury of the Scottish Lycan king’s estate.

My animal pushed and clawed forward. I felt my eyes flash as he took supremacy.

She’s ours. We found her.

1

Evelyn

“I

’m putting it on record that this is a stupid fucking idea.” The words tumbled out of me and Darragh laughed, but I could tell she was having just as hard a time with this as I was.

My best friend. My sister by choice, not blood. We’d always had each other’s back. We’d had to, because as orphans we’d had to face this ugly, nasty world alone right from the beginning.

Having been thrust into the foster system at a young age, I had to learn from early on that you either became stronger or you would forever be seen as weak. And I would never be that way. I’d never let my circumstances dictate who and what I was or how it shaped my future.

And so even though I was heartbroken that Darragh was leaving for Scotland and trying to find out her future and past, I wanted her to succeed as much as if it were me heading out for a new adventure.

So I stood there and said goodbye, but it wasn’t forever. It was to better her life, find her path… give her meaning. A

part of me wished I had something to find, to search for, to connect with.

So although I didn’t have some incredible journey to go on—one I knew Darragh would succeed in, where she’d find that future she desperately wanted—I told myself I’d get what I always wanted too.

One day, somehow, I’d get my own happily ever after. I didn’t know when or why or how… but I was going to get it, even if it was the very last thing I ever did.

O NE DAY . Twenty-four hours. A little over fourteen hundred minutes.

That’s how long Darragh had been gone on the greatest adventure of her life. And what was I doing? Lying in bed and listening to the city life that should have just been rousing after a long night, but the truth was this fucking city never slept. There was no downtime, no silence. It was always chaotic.

But lying here in my semi-darkened room as I stared at the stained and chipped ceiling of my one-step-up-from-ahovel apartment solidified the feeling that I was truly alone for the first time since Darragh had come into my life.

I felt this gnawing hole in the center of my chest and had a cold, hard slap of truth hit me upside the head when I realized I may have been using Darragh as some kind of crutch, an anchor, a life jacket… hell, the foundation of the house that was my screwed-up life.

I tried to block out the sounds of early morning city life right outside my apartment window, but it was no use. It was loud because the cheap windows were so paper-thin. But I couldn’t complain too badly. I did have a view—even if it was just a side street and a bunch of professional buildings. I

knew the tenants on the other side of the building had a shitty view, one that stretched the entire width of the complex and blocked all those windows.

“Could be worse, so stop complaining. It has been worse,” I grumbled. I closed my eyes and rubbed them with the heels of my hands. I was bone-tired, but I couldn’t sleep. After coming home late from work, I’d managed a few hours, but it had been broken up, restless, and now I couldn’t even pray for some shut-eye.

I’d had bouts of insomnia for the last several weeks, as if there was something inside of me gearing up, ready to explode outward. I couldn't describe it, couldn’t even pinpoint what the issue was. Maybe it was just all the nerves and anxiety over Darragh leaving for her trip.

Or maybe my body was finally telling me I needed one hell of a change in my life.

I’d worked in the service industry since I was sixteen years old and had been saving every single nickel and dime I could since then—for the last seven years—to go to school and get a degree in history. But the classes here and there I’d been able to take made it abundantly clear my dream would take longer than I ever wanted.

But it would happen. I’d make sure of that.

I opened my eyes and felt a stab of jealousy as I thought of Darragh in Scotland; then I promptly hated myself for being a petty bitch and feeling anything but pure happiness for her. She deserved that more than anyone else. And I did too. And one day I’d get that adventure as well.

I’d closed my eyes again in hopes of finally falling asleep and staying that way for a good chunk of time, when my cell bounced and vibrated beside me. I snatched it up so fast my wrist banged against the corner of the laminate-pressed, cheap-as-hell bedside table hard enough I cursed like a sailor.

“Darragh?” I hadn’t even bothered seeing if it was her before calling out her name. But it wasn’t as if I had hordes of friends or family calling. It was literally just her I socialized with voluntarily.

I sat up and grinned when her face popped up on the screen as the video chat connected fully. I didn’t even care that it was pixelated as hell. I was just so happy to see her and hear about all the adventures she’d already had in, like, one day.

“How long are you supposed to feel like ass from the jet lag?”

I laughed at the first thing she said and felt that gnawing hole in my chest start to fill again, yet the older I got, the more I felt like it would never really fill. I’d never fully be complete. When I thought I’d have a family of my own one day, a faceless husband who loved me, little babies who looked like us, it gave me a semblance of completion, yet it also held a detachment. Maybe I'm just a hopeless mess.

It was like I was staring at this ball of dough that was my life, and I had no idea how to mold it into how it was supposed to be.

“You’re asking the wrong chick. I haven’t left the city, let alone been on a plane.” I grinned, laughing out loud as the screen kept freezing and delaying, Darragh’s face morphing into a strange expression before speeding up fast as the connection caught up.

“It was rhetorical.”

I rolled my eyes in good humor, and Darragh laughed.

“You’ve only been there twenty-four hours. I’m sure it’ll take a few days for your body to get acclimated.” I could see a little bit of her B-and-B room as she sat on the bed. I wanted to ask for a little video tour right now, anxious to live vicariously through her.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I crashed as soon as I got here and woke up twelve hours later to it being pitch-black in the room and a heinous cramp in my lower back from not moving position for hours upon hours.”

“Did you at least feel better?”

She snorted. “No. I felt like crap and am so groggy. Then I couldn't sleep until the sun started to rise, at which point I went back to sleep and woke up with only enough time to spend like an hour at the public records o ce before the old lady working the front desk kicked me out.”

She was moving around a lot, and I had to assume she was gearing up to do more exploring. With her being six hours ahead of me, she’d probably already done so much exciting stu while I was here, lying in bed and staring at the yellow-tinged ceiling.

“So it wasn’t the most productive day, but I did find out a little bit, which is exciting and better than nothing.”

I felt genuine happiness and elation fill me. I sat up straighter in bed and grinned. “That’s fantastic! So what did you dig up?”

I could see she was as exhausted as I felt and, hell, probably looked too.

“Well, when I say I found a little bit, it was basically just the birth records of my grandparents and mother. They were residents here and had no family aside from each other.” She got this weird expression on her face, and I could practically see her rolling what she’d just said around in her head.

“That’s weird, right? Like only the three of them. No cousins. No nieces or nephews or siblings or anything like that.”

I shrugged and wished I could have been some kind of help in making her feel better. I could see the deflation on her face, though. “I think that can be normal in circumstances,” I said, hoping showing her some kind of

silver lining might make things seem less hopeless. “I mean, look at me. Aside from my cracked-out mother, I’ve got no one else in the world but you.” At least my words brought a small smile—albeit a sad-looking one—to her face.

“You’ll always have me.” I smiled after she spoke. “But needless to say, I didn’t find out much more than that. And with it being Sunday tomorrow, they won’t be open. And there are so many possible hits I could get if I have enough time to weed through all the documents and files.”

I shifted on the mattress, letting my back slide down so I was flush with the bed, my head pounding something fierce from lack of sleep and the full weeknight I’d had. I held the phone propped on my chest and scrunched up my nose.

“Good Lord, this angle makes me have three chins,” I mumbled and sat up again, my head promptly pounding once more and cursing at me. I held the phone away from me, but it didn’t help the chin party I currently had going on.

Finally I said, “Fuck it,” and just let the phone sit on my chest. I focused on Darragh again and grinned. “Before you say it, because I can see it on your face, yes, I’m listening, and yes, I heard everything.”

She grinned broadly, and the phone image of her shook slightly as she adjusted herself on the bed.

“So what are you doing the rest of the day? It's only, what…?” My mind was mush, so I actually had to count the hours o on my fingers. “Five?”

“Yeah, dinnertime. I guess on Saturdays, businesses here close early, if they even open at all. Pretty sure bars are open until calling hour, which is like sunrise,” she joked.

I started laughing, which pissed my headache o , but again, fuck it. “Wish I was there. We could have hit up the pubs. Wait, there are pubs there, aren’t there?” I knew the town she was in was tiny and a good distance from any major part of Scotland.

“A few, which should be weird, because the town is so small, but they are more like family-owned restaurants where people go to get trashed regardless.”

“Any cute guys? Maybe you’ll fall in love there.” Even I heard how whimsical I sounded and promptly gagged, which had Darragh snorting in amusement.

“Hardly. The average age of the population here is like sixty. Although you’d probably think the B-and-B owner is cute. He looks around our age. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a Michael Phelps-type body.”

Well, that right there had me perking up. Living vicariously through her and all that. “You don’t say?” I felt my slow grin start to stretch across my face. But the truth was it was all for show. I was pretty sure there was something physically wrong with me, as in my arousal switch had never kicked on.

Sure, I’d noticed plenty of attractive people, but I’d never felt any inkling of desire, no need to ever go out, to let a man touch me, kiss me. And I’d never told Darragh that. It was this secret I harbored, not because I was embarrassed, but because I really did think there had to be something wrong with me. What twenty-three-year-old had never felt the slightest flare of need and lust? What woman my age had never even kissed a man?

So yeah, I was good at acting like I was interested and wanting more details, but it was all very lackluster for me.

“Maybe I should make a trip to Scotland and put on my charm with the bed-and-breakfast boy. He’ll fall for my witty sense of humor and stunning good looks,” I teased.

Darragh snorted again, but then it turned into a laugh.

“Yeah, he’s nice and all, but…” She shifted slightly and looked over at something out of the camera's view.

“What?”

She focused back on me and shrugged. “I don’t know. He just comes o as a little bit weird.”

I felt my brows pull low. “What do you mean ‘weird’? Like how?”

“I don’t know. I’m being stupid. He’s really nice. He’s not Scottish, but I’m not sure where he’s from. I can’t place his accent.”

“I’d comment on him being a sexy foreigner, but if he’s making your weird-radar go o …”

“No, no. He’s harmless. I’m sure it’s just di erent cultures, a language barrier, and me being in another country for the first time that things just seem weird. I’m probably the one who seems strange to him.”

I felt the worry that had been clawing up my back start to dissipate. I could imagine the culture shock Darragh was facing right now.

“But I’m actually going to brave socialization and eat dinner at one of those pubs.”

I sighed in mock jealousy. “Eat something exotic. Like haggis. Is that considered exotic?”

I furrowed my brow as I thought about the Scottish cuisine. “I don’t know, but try it anyway and report back to me.” I laughed when Darragh wrinkled her nose.

“I don’t know if I’m brave enough to jump right into the whole Scottish meals thing right now. I was thinking— hoping—I could get some fries and a cheeseburger first.”

“Okay, well, try it all for me. I’m living vicariously through you.”

We stayed on the video chat for another five minutes, although I could have stayed there all day. When the call ended and I tossed my cell back on the bedside table, I burrowed under the covers, closed my eyes, and prayed for sleep.

Maybe in my dreams I’d go on an exciting adventure and figure out what the hell I was supposed to do with my life.

2

Evelyn

I

f somebody would’ve looked at me as I made my way around to the tables of Bosco’s, the bar I waitressed at, they’d think I was some damn social butterfly. They’d see a confident girl with a carefree attitude, maybe even assuming I liked to party, always with a smile on my face. They’d think I was a hard-core extrovert for sure.

In truth, being around people drained me, not just mentally but also physically, emotionally. I hated it, much preferred to be isolated in my studio apartment and staring at the wall than tossing back shots with strangers. Darragh got that, because she was just like me in that regard.

So being a waitress at a busy bar in the city was like someone skinning me alive. I’d been working at Bosco's for a good chunk of time now, and before that, I waitressed at another bar. Same old path where my employment was concerned, especially when it came to the grabby male hands and sexual harassment.

Pasting on a faux smile for these drunken assholes who thought they had some kind of right to try to grope and slap

at me with their big, meaty paws was like getting your teeth pulled without any anesthesia.

And then there was Ritchie, the owner of Bosco’s. I wanted to kick him in the balls more times than I could count because of his slimy gaze on me, his subtle manipulation, and his very clear sexual harassment he tried to cover up as “playful banter” between his coworkers.

Although I probably would have found another job easily enough, I wasn’t skilled enough to get something that I wasn’t already doing. And that was fending o the pricks at the bars. Besides, waitressing gave me good hours, the tips were incredible to help save toward schooling, and at the end of the day I had to think about my future and where I was going with it.

So here I was, five, sometimes six days a week, waitressing from six at night until two in the morning.

“Hey, darlin’.”

I pasted on my tight-lipped but still friendly smile as I set down the fourth beer in front of Jack, a regular at Bosco’s. He was an older man with a craggy face, a long, salt-andpepper, unkempt beard, and sported a beer gut that hung over his pants because he’d clearly drunk way too much back in the day… and still did.

But I tolerated him because although he liked to throw out the sickly sweet endearments, he never tried to touch me, didn’t smack my ass or “adjust” my name tag, which sat right above my left breast. He just loitered, like one of those creepy old perverts who had nothing else to do with their time but sling back beers as he checked out the barely drinking-age girls who came in.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” I said but didn’t wait for him to respond, just turned and made my way around to my tables, never staying too long at them,

especially if it was very clear the guys had too much to drink and had little to no self-control.

I was at the bar when I heard the loud conversation ring through from the new customers who’d just walked in. I didn’t have to turn around to know they were young men, probably already drunk from barhopping. But when I did glance over my shoulder, it was to confirm what I already knew and then groan, because of course they’d picked a hightop in my station.

“Thanks, Barb,” I murmured when my drink order was placed on my tray from the bartender. She had the rodehard-and-put-up-wet look that surrounded her, as if she’d lived a rough city life, but she was still surviving. She saw too much with her dark-gray eyes, but she had a warm smile and a smart mouth when any one of us was disrespected.

“Good luck with that bunch, darlin’.”

I gave her a pained—thankful—smile and dropped o my latest order to the table of twentysomething-year-olds celebrating a bachelorette party. I made my way over to take the drink order from the obnoxiously loud group of guys. I’d have to be on the top of my game with this group, because I could already smell the liquor pouring o them before I even reached the table. Yup, for sure bar crawling.

“Evenin’, fellas. What can I start you o with tonight?”

Maybe a couple of baskets of breadsticks to soak up the booze churning in your bloodstream? I pasted on my signature fakeas-fuck smile and looked at each one of them in the eyes, something I forced myself to do when I felt a little o -kilter with drunks. It was a silent way to show them I was stronger than I looked.

They all had that glazed-over look in their red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes, a sheen of sweat on the foreheads, and their polo and button-down shirts were wrinkled and skewed, as if

they’d been tugging and adjusting them all night in a drunken haze.

“A round of Irish car bombs.”

I stared at the one who ordered. His voice was booming, and I forced myself not to wince as it rang in my ears. I got the vibe he’d be the one to give me the worst of the shit as the night wore on. I called it my drunk sixth sense. And I was usually pretty spot-on where it was concerned.

“Sure thing. Anything else?”

The guy who ordered smiled in a way that told me he was thinking of something totally obscene and disgusting. I curled my lip and tried not to roll my eyes. “I’ll grab your drinks.” I turned on my heel but felt them staring at my ass, as if their eyes were fingers reaching out and stroking me. I suppressed a shiver and leaned against the bar after I placed the order with Barb. I idly looked at the clock on the wall, thankful the night was winding down with only a few more hours on my shift to go.

“Here you go, doll.”

I gave Barb a grateful smile and carted the tray back to the table, deposited their shots, and mumbled out an, “Enjoy,” but right when I was turning to leave, I felt a thick palm smack my ass so hard the sting traveled right up my back and wrapped itself around my throat.

I slowly turned around, the one who touched me grinning ear to ear as he looked at his friends, the other three smiling and all but giving each other claps on the back for a “job well done.”

“How about you hang with us after your shift?” He leaned forward, his warm, yeast-smelling breath wafting over me and causing my stomach to roil. He didn’t wait for me to respond before he reached out like he was about to curl a hand around my wrist and pull me in close.

I didn’t see myself doing it, didn’t even realize it had been done until I had his wrist in my hand and squeezed it as hard as I could. I wasn’t strong by any means, but I felt a stab of pleasure at his wince and the way he tugged as if to free himself, but it was also clear he didn’t want to look like a pussy in front of his buddies.

“Keep your slimy fucking hands to yourself before I go behind the bar, grab the hammer we keep there for such occasions, and bring it down on your fingers.” I was all bark and no bite, could never stomach doing something so violent, but this little asshole didn’t need to know that. I also had no clue if there even was a hammer back there, but the threat sounded good in my head, so I had gone with it.

I stared into his eyes and made sure he could see the pure venom and fire seeping through every pore in my body, made sure he could feel how serious I was right now. I was at the end of my rope tonight, and him laying his hands on me had pushed me over the edge.

“Crazy fucking bitch,” he grumbled out, his buddies mummering similar “endearments,” but they did leave, angrily throwing cash on the table to pay for their drinks and all but stumbling out of the bar.

I felt customers staring at me, but I’d had enough, so tired of this shit and feeling like I was on my last legs. I grabbed the money and stalked toward the bar, not looking at anyone or anything, my focus firmly planted on my feet.

“Evelyn, can I see you in my o ce?”

I gritted my teeth when Ritchie called out, and I glanced over at him with narrowed eyes. He didn’t bother waiting for me to reply before he turned and headed toward the back.

I set my tray on the bar top, and Barb gave me a sympathetic smile.

“Dolly, can you watch my tables for a minute?” I asked the other waitress, and she gave a nod and a little wave

before moving on to her newest customer.

With an exhale of frustration, and just waiting to get this shit over with, I headed toward Ritchie’s o ce. He was already seated behind his cheap desk, acting like a king who was taking court with me.

“Shut the door.”

My fingers tightened into my palm before I loosened them and did as he ordered—because God forbid he actually ask.

For a second I just stood there by the door, the small swatch of space between me and him not far enough away for my liking. He stared at me with his dark eyes that always seemed bloodshot, like he’d been inhaling shots back here just to deal with life.

“We need to talk about your attitude,” he finally said, and I felt my mouth go slack. Like legit, my lips parted, and my jaw felt like it unhinged at what he just said.

I shook my head slowly, blinked a few times, then finally prompted, “Excuse me?”

He leaned back in his chair, the fake leather making this gross creaking sound as his heavy weight settled farther.

“With the customers. You have a nasty attitude toward them.”

I opened and closed my mouth. Then repeated the action, because I was seriously speechless.

“I saw how you spoke to that high-top that just came in.”

He clasped his hands over his protruding belly and drummed his fingers.

Slowly my shock made way for my annoyance, then my anger. I felt it bubbling up, so sick and tired of this shit. My cup hath runneth over.

“Oh, you mean the high-top with the four assholes who said disgusting things to me?” I crossed my arms over my chest and dared to take a step toward Ritchie. “You mean the

douchebag who sexually assaulted me and laid his hands on my body without my consent?” I took another step forward and felt my rage contort my face. I saw Ritchie’s eyes flare slightly, and then he shifted on his chair, clearly uncomfortable with this side of me. “Those customers, Ritchie?” I was a woman taking control and finally done with the fucking shit men threw at her daily.

His bushy dark brows were pulled low, and he stood, walking around his desk before leaning against it. He crossed his arms over his chest, maybe to seem intimidating, but really he looked like just another asshole.

“You can’t talk to the customers that way.”

I sco ed and shook my head. “Are you serious right now?

It’s okay to come here and work among these pricks, let them touch me, and I’m the one you’re telling to toe the line?” I shook my head, knowing that me and Bosco’s, me and Ritchie’s professional relationship had come to an end.

“I’m tired of this shit, Ritchie.” He acted like he was the good guy, but in reality he was a slimy pervert who tried to manipulate anyone he came in contact with.

“You’re overreacting and taking this out of context.”

I felt my eyes bulge at his seedy voice, as if he truly believed the bullshit that had just spilled from his too-thin lips. I took o my apron and tossed it aggressively at him, the cotton slapping him on the chest before he scrambled to catch it.

“I’m not surprised you stood up for the assholes who bother us day in and day out. A predator sticks with his own, am I right?” He narrowed his eyes and pushed o the desk.

“Fuck this place, fuck these customers, and most of all,” I spat, “fuck you, Ritchie.” I turned and left that bar, hating that I was leaving Dolly alone for the rest of the night, pissed at myself for not being stronger in so many ways, but I had to start thinking about myself now.

I had to start worrying about what I wanted and what made me happy.

And that wasn’t the path I was on.

3

Cian

Y

ou could be alive but not surviving. You could breathe, take oxygen into your lungs, feel your heart beating and blood rushing through your veins, but all of that was just mechanical instinct, muscle memory… something that had to work, because that’s how nature intended it.

So you could survive but still be a hollow corpse walking through the world, knowing you were missing the most important part of you.

And that’s what it felt like for every Otherworld creature when they didn’t have their fated mate.

I absently rubbed slow circles around my sternum. The older I got, the more I felt that loneliness, that missing piece of myself that made me the living dead. A dramatic comparison, but the truth was, it was an accurate description.

And for the last two hundred and fifty years, I hadn't been living. I’d taken one day at a time, because I had responsibilities and obligations. Serve my king, train the

Guard, and keep searching for her. Always for her.

Everything I did was for my faceless, nameless mate.

And although I was loyal to Banner, would die for each one of the soldiers in the Guard, would kill and maim to protect the royal family, my priority would always be to search for my female. She was out there, maybe not alive yet, maybe already having been born in a di erent time, too far away for me to have ever found her, too long ago that I wasn’t even in existence.

Or maybe she was out there, frail and old already, having lived a full, happy life, in love with somebody else, children and grandchildren surrounding her.

And although it ate me up to think of my female with anyone else, it was a reality, especially if she was human.

Wherever she was, whoever she was, she held my heart and soul in her hands and didn’t even realize it.

I closed the door to the small, minimalistic cabin that I’d called home for over two centuries. Nestled deep in the Highlands, still within Lycan territory, close enough that if I had to get to Banner or the royal family, I could shift and be there to protect and defend. But I kept far enough away that I could still wallow in my own loneliness, like a scab that was being picked at constantly so it would never heal.

My life could be much worse, I thought. I could have had a shit hand dealt like my fellow brother in arms, Odhran. I could have found my mate only to have her taken from me like he had. To think of seeing her, being close enough to touch her, yet have her viciously ripped from me before I could make her mine would be the cruelest punishment, a fate worse than death.

Yeah, I could have had it much worse.

I stood there with the front door to my back, the cabin spread out in front of me, and once again was struck by how bare and empty it was. It had amenities to keep me as

comfortable as someone could be. I turned around and left, right back out from where I’d come, heading around the side of the house, taking my clothes o as I went and letting them drop where they fell.

I didn’t want to be locked up between those four walls. I didn't want to stare at the fireplace and watch the flames eat away at the logs as I finished a bottle of whisky. And that was becoming my typical night, thinking of all the things I had to do, this burning feeling in my gut that said I needed to search, to find her.

I stood naked by the tree line, closed my eyes, and tipped my head back, inhaling the crisp fall air. It was colder this time of year, this iciness that clung to your skin, touching your flesh like frigid fingers. It felt good on my overheated body, wicking away the sweat of the day but doing nothing to get rid of the restless energy inside me.

And although I knew a run in my Lycan form wouldn’t help much either, it was better than the alternative.

I let the shift come over me, breaking bones and tearing skin, realigning everything until I dropped onto four paws, shaking out fur that covered my heavy form. My animal was huge and powerful, as large as a fucking Clydesdale, big enough to take down anything that stood in my way.

In my wolf body I smelled things more powerfully and heard everything. My vision was stark and precise, crystal clear as I took in the sound of bugs in the distance, the scent of another wolf running through the woods. I took o , letting my front and hind legs eat up the distance, my paws sinking into the soft earth.

I ran faster, jumping over fallen logs, darting around lowhanging branches. I could see the brightness of the green moss covering the rocks along the creek. I could smell the earth’s aroma surrounding me. The Highlands were filled

with life, and it brought energy to my Lycan, rooted him in his heritage and culture, made him one with Mother Nature.

We were a species of the earth, gaining strength from the moon, power from our surroundings. And so I took solace as I had for the last two and half centuries and ran free. This feeling only came second to what I knew I’d feel when I found my mate and experienced that Linked Connection.

Things could be worse, I thought, yet turning over those words in my head like a mantra did nothing to ease the ache in my soul.

I let myself run for so long that time blurred together. My bones ached; my muscles protested. But I didn’t care. I’d run until I couldn’t run anymore, until I limped and dragged my spent body back to my cabin before collapsing and sleeping.

Because only then would my slumber be dreamless, my mind and body too exhausted to think, let alone feel.

I caught his scent before I saw him. I made a subtle shift in my trajectory so that I was heading toward the other Lycan. The closer I got, the more his aroma became clear, like a signature etched on his skin, a tattoo that would forever let an Otherworlder know who he was.

I broke through the clearing and saw Tadhg standing there, waiting for me. I slowed and stalked forward, my body crouched low to the ground. As part of the Guard, Tag trained with me daily. He was strong, and at one hundred and seventy-five years old, he could definitely hold his own and had seen many battles. He was one of the strongest soldiers I had.

But I was in charge. I was the Alpha. I was the strongest.

I stopped a few feet from him, letting him sense the aggression pouring for me, letting him know I was ready for a fight, even if there was no malice behind it. I wanted— needed—bloodshed. I needed something to help fill that emptiness and the hollow deep inside me. And a good old-

fashioned Lycan fight in the middle of the woods would do just that.

The question was whether he’d take me up on the challenge or not.

He tipped his head back, his large black snout inhaling deeply and made a low sound, one of acceptance of the battle. It was one I knew well enough, because I would’ve never backed down from a challenge.

I crouched, and he did the same. I could imagine if we were in our human forms, we’d both be grinning like sinister psychopaths.

I let my claws retract slightly to dig into the earth, felt my muscles clench, heard the blood rushing in my ears as my heart pumped faster and harder. Not only would I be exhausted once I dragged myself back to my cabin after this fight, but hopefully I’d be sore and bloody, the pain enough to tear something dark and painful out of me.

And then we were crashing forward, massive bodies slamming against the other, claws and teeth rending flesh. I growled in a dark sort of triumph as I grappled for supremacy with Tag and was unrelenting in my onslaught.

I needed this fight down to the core, down to the makeup of who and what I was. Maybe he sensed the emptiness in me, because right now I sure as fuck wasn’t hiding it. Maybe he saw a kindred soul. Maybe he feels the same for his own unmated life.

Whatever the reason, he was just as brutal as I was, with snapping fangs and vicious attacks, tearing at flesh beneath thick fur, gripping the back of necks with our teeth. He never let up, and I growled my approval of his brutality.

As the fight progressed, we went harder at each other, became more vicious.

And as I let the pain slam into me, satisfaction burned as bright as the sun in my body, scorching away any other

emotion or feeling until all I felt was that physical ache.

It was the only thing that could help mask the anguish that was a constant.

So I embraced it and wanted more.

4

Evelyn

M

y life was currently a mess, a wreck… a perfect shit show. It had been days since I quit on the spot at Bosco’s, days since I had the energy to go job hunting. Just the thought of taking on another waitressing position—the only thing at this point I was qualified for that made any kind of decent money—sucked the soul right from me.

But the lack of employment wasn’t what ate at me now. It was the fact that I hadn’t heard from Darragh in that same amount of time. Too many days of silence, no answer when I called her, no return texts or phone calls after I left frantic— crazed—messages.

“I am an absolute mess of epic proportions.”

I always hated the generalization people made about kids in the foster system, the stereotype that we were damaged, broken… ruined. I hated it, had never believed it, but there were times this little voice deep down inside me whispered that it was all true. It was this insidious scratch, sneering that the traumas that had happened in my life, ones I knew

were there but didn’t remember, had taken any kind of innocence or good out of me.

I bit that dark voice back, buried it so deep it would be a lifetime before it clawed its way out, but when I was down, the shadows moving over me and trying to drag me to hell, I heard it whispering up from the sad parts of my soul. It was an old, toxic friend, an ex-lover who hurt you over and over again, one you wanted gone, but it never fully left.

And it was because of all of that, the situations and moments in my life that had shaped who I was, that I tried so damn hard to be someone else. Laughing when things weren’t funny, smiling when I wasn’t happy. I’d become a good actress, a perfect liar.

Because I’m missing something so essential in me that it’s like I’m missing half of myself.

I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, the shadows and lights flashing across the small room. I didn't have the energy to move, the depression of life pressing me down like cinder blocks on my chest. All I wanted to do was shut my mind o , flip a switch so that there was nothing there, a blank canvas. White noise.

I closed my eyes and rubbed the heels of my palms against them, my body aching not just physically but this bone-deep exhaustion that I’d accepted would never go away. The stress of not having a job, worrying about the money in my savings account, and now Darragh going radio silent, had me so on edge that I wondered if a person could die from stress alone.

I told myself if I didn’t hear from her today, I was draining my savings account—college courses be damned— and flying out to Scotland to find her, to make sure she was okay. Maybe it was drastic, definitely irrational, but she was my family, sister by choice, and she was across a vast ocean all alone with no help to find her way back.

It was those thoughts running through my mind in the middle of the night on repeat when my cell phone vibrated.

My heart shot into my throat, threatening to su ocate me as I reached over and grabbed it. The pure relief I felt when I saw Darragh’s name flash across the screen, a goofy picture I’d taken where she was sticking her tongue out at me because I’d told her she was shit-faced, slammed so hard into me I felt even weaker.

I answered the call and let out an exhale as we spoke, and as I listened to her tell me about the crazy adventure she’d had over the last few days and why she’d been radio silent, how she’d found information on her father, I cried for how happy I was at that news. She’d gotten something out of her trip, a piece of information about the family she desperately wanted to find.

She told me that she’d met someone, that she was happy, but things were crazy, and she’d tell me all about it later.

And it was as I listened to her and heard the true happiness in her voice that I knew one thing so fiercely, so intensely that every part of me became painful.

I’d been latching onto our friendship like a lifeline, and with Darragh clearly starting this incredible journey with the man she’d met, with everything changing—for the better, I told myself—it was time I did what I had to in order to pave my own way.

I’d start living the life I’d always wanted. Today.

I HADN ’ T BEEN able to go back to sleep after getting o the phone with Darragh, and so I lay there just going over the choices I’d made and the things I hadn’t done with my life. I cataloged what I’d do today, how I’d start things o on the

right foot. I felt this hope in me for the first time that I was actually throwing caution to the wind and just doing me.

I was pumped, happy about the change I was going to make in my life, that first step for something di erent. It was like coming to that realization—an epiphany—that all my worries over her safety, over my choices were settled. But I couldn’t help but remember the tingling feeling in the back of my mind as I listened to her speak. She’d been pretty thin with details, clearly hiding things from me, and as much as I wanted to push, I told myself she’d divulge things in her own time and in her own way.

I made a mental list to run errands the entire morning, to pick up some applications at the fancier restaurants and stay away from the bars. I’d eat lunch at the park and people watch, making up stories in my head about who they were and what their lives were all about.

Then after that, I’d spend a couple of hours looking at courses at an online college, writing down all the classes I wanted to take, getting myself worked up with the hope of saying, Fuck it, to my worries and just diving right into all of this.

And then I’d look at di erent countries to travel to, all the history to be learned. The catacombs in Paris, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, the pyramids in Egypt.

Yeah, it all sounded perfect in my head.

I crawled out of bed before the sun was even fully out for the day, and showered. I shu ed into the kitchen, the silence that filled my tiny apartment comforting for the first time in… ever. I stared out the small window above the kitchen sink, seeing a direct view into the window right across the way, a check cashing place that was dark except for the small EXIT sign above the door.

Maybe I couldn’t do all the things I wanted in my short life, like travel and go to school, but God, if I had to pick just

one, I figured the best history degree I could get was a firsthand experience visiting all the exotic places, seeing them with my own eyes, touching relics of a long-lost past.

I leaned against the sink and grabbed my phone, calling up Darragh, because I missed her and wanted to hear her voice again to make sure she was truly okay. Because I still couldn’t get over that weird feeling I’d gotten when I’d spoken to her earlier. I placed my phone to my ear and let it ring, scanning the outdated kitchen and living room I’d called home for too long.

“Evelyn? Are you okay?” Darragh’s voice came through after the third ring, her voice carrying a note of worry.

Yeah, I couldn’t blame her for wondering why the hell I called.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Although I felt elation for the first time in a long time, I didn't want that darkness that burrowed deep in me to rise and threaten to take it all away again.

She exhaled in relief, and I hated that I was so clearly a head case that she’d jump to conclusions that something was wrong. Could she see how I didn’t really have a grasp on my life?

“Good. I got worried hearing from you again so soon.”

“No, everything is fine. I guess I was just feeling a little clingy because I’ve been so worried about you for the past couple of days.” I exhaled and turned to make some co ee, the headache behind my eyes blooming, because I hadn’t given my body the ca eine fix it was roaring out for. “So yeah, that’s my excuse to call you, which isn't an excuse at all.”

She laughed softly. “I’m glad you called. But this phone call is going to cost a fortune.”

I took a seat and set my mug down in front of me, going right away to the little piece of laminate that was peeling up from the table. It was my turn to start laughing, because

yeah, it sure as hell was. I’d push that worry away until I got the bill. “I don’t care about that, although maybe I should since I finally quit Bosco’s.”

There was a beat of silence before she said, “Good. That place is a shithole anyway.”

“Yeah, it really is a shithole. I was sick of the assholes and the sexual harassment.” I stood and started walking around the kitchen, unable to sit still.

“I thought Ritchie said he was going to put a stop to all that?” Darragh asked and I could practically hear the frown in her voice.

I snorted. “Please. He doesn’t give a shit about that. He’s all talk. And half the time he’s the one delivering the sexual harassment to the waitresses.”

“You should still be sleeping. I know you didn’t get home until late, and then I woke you up with the phone call.”

“I’m fine. I’d been staring at my ceiling for so long that my eyes burned. Then I couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I said screw it and got up to bug you. But enough about me. Did you finally get to that guy’s house who’s going to help you find your father?”

“I wish I could show you this place,” she murmured in this whimsical voice.

Well hell, if a sight could put a sound like that in a girl’s voice, I had to see it. I pulled the phone away and connected the video chat, waiting until she finally answered. A second later the video call was accepted, and I grinned as Darragh’s face popped up on the screen.

“Hey, you,” I said and sat back at the table, getting comfortable for this virtual tour I’d demand she give me. I lifted my mug and took a long pull of the too-bitter co ee but felt that instant ca eine hit my bloodstream. “So, show me how incredible this place is.”

She turned the camera around right away and faced it at a grand, gorgeous staircase. She swept the phone along what was clearly the front entrance of a massive home—a mansion that screamed old-world culture. She showed me the most gorgeous library, the spines of the books looking leather-bound and aged with history. It had my heart speeding up.

Once the mini tour was done, she turned the camera back to her, and my grin widened. “Where is this dude who brought you to that house that screams ‘loaded’?”

Even though her image was pixelated, I could see her blush clearly and cocked an eyebrow, wanting to probe for that information, because it was clear even mentioning this dude had her flushing fiercely.

“He had to step away for a bit.”

I wanted to press, but for once in my life, I kept my mouth shut. She’ll tell me when she was ready.

“Uh-huh,” I said. “Okay. Talk to me about this dude.

What does he do for a living, where is this place located, and, the most important question, is he part of the Scottish mafia?”

Her eyebrows rose to her hairline. “Is there a Scottish mafia?”

I shrugged but felt the tug of amusement. “I don’t see why not.”

“Um, no. I can say with certainty there is no organized crime going on with Caelan.”

“Okay, well, is he like… a billionaire? Please tell me you’re not sleeping with him to get information on your family.

Please tell me he isn’t like your… sugar daddy. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I don’t want you giving up the goods to an old-ass man in hopes of finding information—”

Darragh started laughing so hard tears tracked down her cheeks. “No. I can say with all honesty I am not doing that.”

“Well damn,” I muttered in mock disappointment. “That would have been one hell of a story, right?” I left that openended, hoping she’d tell me whatever it was she was keeping from me, and as I looked at her face, I could see whatever it was… was pretty big.

“How long do you think you’re gonna stay there?” I asked after I finished o my co ee, wanting to tack on, Not long, I hope, but I kept that to myself.

“I don’t know, actually. I guess it depends on if we find out any information.”

I figured that would be her answer. “Well, I hope you're not there too long, because I’m a selfish bitch and want my best friend back. It’s lonely and boring here when you’re not around.” That was an understatement, even with my new life plan to explore and live.

I didn’t miss how Darragh changed topics, the conversation shifting to “safer” things. And I let her lead it that way. If it made her feel like she was on even, steady ground right now, I would embrace whatever route she took.

5

Cian

I

wasn’t a man, not human, but something else, more powerful. Deadly. The strongest Otherworld creature that was known to walk the planet. So when my wolf rose up and took supremacy for the first real time in all my life, I stopped and took notice… let it consume me.

Mine.

My Lycan’s distorted growl reverberated through my skull, my body locked tight, my focus sharper than it had ever been in the over two and a half centuries I’d walked this world.

It was her voice that had my inner beast rising in a way I’d never felt or experienced before, a pain unlike anything I could have imagined. I’d thought he was strong before, but hearing her voice made him exponentially so, as if I housed a hundred Lycans within me, and I’d destroy anything or anyone who thought to keep her from me.

My hand was lifting on its own as I gripped my shirt, right over my heart, the organ racing, pounding something

painful and fierce as I moved closer to the source of the loveliest, most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

And then I was standing there staring at Caelan’s mate, the phone she had in her hand panning around the interior, showing o the wealth and luxury of the Scottish Lycan king’s estate.

My animal pushed and clawed forward. I felt my eyes flash as he took supremacy.

She’s ours. We found her.

“Darragh?” my mate whispered in a soft, feminine voice, the panic clear. I knew I didn’t look quite human right now. I didn’t feel human.

I rubbed the spot over my heart repeatedly, unable to look away from the phone, at the pixelated vision of a goddess.

Long black hair, alabaster skin, eyes big and wide and shock-stricken. Even from the distance, with the shitty reception of the phone, I could make out the light freckles that danced along the bridge of her nose. She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid eyes on, and seeing her for the first time made me feel alive.

“Who is that?” my mate whispered so low it would have been hard to hear if I wasn't almost fully shifted into my beast, my senses more heightened, acute because of her. The rumbling growl of my wolf letting her know he was here, he’d protect her—we’d protect her, claim her, mark her— started to become louder. It filled the foyer in a deafening roar until it was all I heard.

I took a step forward, then another, unable to stop myself, this tether attaching itself from me to my mate, not caring that she wasn’t physically here. Vaguely I was aware of Caelan’s mate moving backward, the scent of her fear like acid in my nose. I sensed Caelan before I saw him, then a flash of his big body shooting out and landing in front of his

small mate, protecting her as if he thought she was the one I was after.

I couldn't help but curl my lip in a snarl, a nonverbal, animalistic sound and display of how disinterested in his female I was. She’d never be the one I wanted, the one I’d waited centuries for.

The young lad growled, a warning to stay away from his mate. I snarled in return, my own warning.

“She’s mine,” I gritted out, my focus on that fucking phone, at my wide-eyed mate who couldn’t tear her focus from me either. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t here in the flesh. It didn’t matter if she was human or Otherworld. Her body recognized that I was something to her.

“Stay back, Cian. She’s mine. My mate,” Caelan said with unrestrained aggression lacing his voice. He got into a position of imminent attack.

I chuckled low and deep, my amusement at the fact that Caelan still thought this was about his female, that he thought I’d ever want anyone but the female destined to be mine and mine alone.

Caelan started rambling o in Gaelic, trying to reason with me. But I paid him no mind. He was a strong Lycan, even if he was over two centuries younger than me, because he had the blood of the Scottish Lycan king running through his veins. But even so, he was no match for me, especially not when he was trying to stand between me and what was mine.

I would have—could have so very easily—torn Caelan limb from limb. The threat of him trying to keep me away, even if he didn’t realize my mate was on the other end of that phone and that's who I wanted, couldn’t pierce through to my beast. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to grapple with control. I’d known the lad since he was a newborn pup. I’d helped raise him, trained him to make him

the strong shifter he was today. I wouldn't allow my inner wolf to go primal.

“No’ her,” I gritted out, and even I heard the savagery in my voice. I lifted my hand to point at the phone, vaguely aware of the shift in the air, the change in atmosphere when they finally realized what exactly was going down. “Her,” I growled. “My mate.” I felt my eyes glow fiercely, my animal pushing forward again as I took a step closer.

“Darragh?” my female whispered, her eyes big on that small screen, her voice this soothing balm to my raging soul.

I actually swayed on my feet, feeling this peace settle over me from that lone word. She was my priority and forever would be until I drew my last breath. “I don’t understand what I’m feeling.” My female glanced down at the table just as the screen froze, and I gritted my teeth, wanting to snatch that godforsaken device from Caelan’s mate's hand and clutch it to my chest.

“She’s mine.” I rumbled those dual words out again, knowing how fiercely Caelan would feel them, because he too had experienced it. I looked at Caelan for a moment, that silent confirmation and acceptance coming through the other male’s stark eyes. I turned my focus to his mate and gritted out in a voice that wasn’t nearly human, “Tell me about her. Tell me everything.” I didn’t hide my demand. No one would keep her from me. No one would keep information on my female from me.

“Cian, back the fook o ,” Caelan snapped, clearly not liking the way I’d spoken to his mate. I could relate, but I didn’t fucking care.

I didn’t like it, but I did back o . I closed my eyes and exhaled. “I finally found her,” I whispered, feeling that elation move through every dark and hollow part of my body.

I forced my eyes open and stared at Darragh. “Please. I need tae know about her. I need tae find out who she is.” My hand

found its way to my chest. I rubbed the ache that settled in my heart, one that started to bloom there over the fact that I’d finally found my mate but didn’t have her here with me.

“I need tae go tae her and make sure she’s mine.”

Darragh started shaking her head. She fucking dared to try to deny me what was mine, the female born to me, who I’d cherish and protect with every single fucking ounce of my strength. I didn’t hide the hard look that settled on my face as my wolf roared out that anyone would try and stop me.

“If ye or anyone else thinks tae keep my mate from me…”

I looked at Caelan and made sure he heard the deep sound of warning loud and fucking clear. I thought back to when I’d first heard Darragh say my mate’s voice, how it had rolled o her tongue in a loving, friendly manner. “Evelyn.” I said my mate’s name for the first time, this euphoric feeling encompassing every single inch of me. “She’s an American.”

Her accent had been unmistakable, and I wasn’t surprised, seeing as Caelan’s mate was also from the States. “If ye think no’ telling me anything about her will stop me from finding her”—I shook my head—“ye’d be wrong. A Lycan will no’ stop until he gets tae his mate.” I stared at Darragh, because I knew she was the one who had the answers I sought. She would be the barricade on getting a morsel of information about my female.

And so I let my grin spread across my face as pure male anticipation that only a Lycan male would feel slammed into me. I didn’t need to know anything more than I already did. I knew her name, where she was. The rest was easy enough to find, given the information I already knew about Caelan’s female.

I’d find my mate one way or another.

“Looks like this wolf is going tae America tae claim his prize.” And then I was turning and stalking away, having the greatest mission of my long life ahead of me.

6

Evelyn

I

t was a day later, and I’d never felt such shock in my life, never felt like something so profound had happened in me, taken root in my soul, and changed the very makeup of who and what I was.

But I could say with certainty and crystal clarity that if I ever thought my life was fucked-up before… I hadn't experienced anything yet.

Because now I was somehow dropped into a nightmare, maybe a Twilight Zone episode… or maybe this was some really cruel joke by whoever or whatever had created everything.

Either way, I was scared shitless after everything that had transpired in the last couple of hours.

The man who’d looked at me through the phone as if he knew me. As if I’m his.

This strange pull I felt toward him, as if I, too, knew him down to the very cellular level of what made me up, even if I’d never seen him before.

The insane things Darragh had told me, things that should have been between the pages of a fictional book or in a Hollywood movie and not something that played out in real life.

Lycans, shifters, vampires… fated mates?

I groaned and closed my eyes, tears of frustration and confusion, and of course fear of the unknown pushing through and making a physical appearance as thick droplets sliding down my cheeks.

I tangled my hands in my hair and braced my elbows on the table, staring at the wall in front of me. At first I’d laughed at what Darragh told me.

Supernatural creatures? Being mated to a Lycan… a creature who turned into a werewolf? Creatures of myth and lore were actually real?

For fuck’s sake, what in the hell was going on in my life lately?

I laughed so hard after she told me everything that tears streamed down my cheeks. Now my tears were for another reason, because when there’d been silence on the other end, when I heard the sincerity in Darragh’s voice, I knew she wasn’t joking.

Then I assumed she'd been brainwashed, of course, or at the very least he’d drugged her. Surely that had to be the answer, because it just wasn’t feasible to think any of that was real.

I video called her right then and there, because I needed to see her face, her eyes. In my mind I convinced myself that she was being held at gunpoint and forced to tell me this insane fantasy story. That had been the only logical explanation for any of this.

And once the video connected, I’d seen she was alone, her expression clear, her eyes unclouded, and her expression so fucking serious my breath had caught in my throat. And then

she told me all over again, and I pushed away the amusement I’d previously felt and let her words sink in.

Even hours later, I was still trying to convince myself it wasn’t real, that this was an insane and crazy joke. But it wasn’t. Because the more I thought about it and the stranger everything seemed, a part of me that was buried deep down asked, how could this not be true?

Life in itself was crazy and unpredictable. Hell, we hadn’t even explored all the oceans on earth, the depths of vastness of space. When I really thought about what Darragh said, it really wasn’t so unbelievable that there were other species, supernatural creatures out there, living among us.

But then, on top of all that fucking insanity, Darragh had dropped the craziest bomb of all right in my lap, a personal warning that I felt down to the very sequence of my DNA. The man I’d seen in the video chat, the one she called Cian, was also a werewolf shifter. He’d recognized me as his mate, the same way Darragh said she was Caelan’s. I closed my eyes and remembered how it felt like I’d known him, how he’d looked at me like he knew me… personally and intimately.

He looked at me like he had some kind of claim over me.

Fated mates.

Can all of this be reality? Darragh actually mated to a werewolf shifter, one of three sons of the Scottish Lycan king? The man—male—whatever the fuck they call themselves, says I’m his, and I have no choice in the matter?

I wasn’t keen on being somebody’s property and didn’t believe in love at first sight. I didn’t believe this man had some kind of proprietary ownership of me simply because his species were forever searching for their one and only females.

And the last thing that kept reverberating inside my head before I disconnected the call so I could have a proper mental

breakdown was one sentence that Darragh said.

“He’s coming for you, Evelyn, and these males will never stop until they get their mate.”

Now I was at the stage where I was freaking out, feeling like I had been dropped into some kind of crazy book or movie. Maybe this was all a simulation, a slice of the Matrix.

“And now I’m going right down to crazy town like Darragh.”

I remember mumbling that I was going o the grid, although at the time I hadn’t known what I meant or why I even said it. Hell, I didn’t even know where I was going to go.

But I knew I had to get out of here, out of the city, far enough away where I could clear my head and sort things out. I didn't know if Cian really was coming for me, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to stick around and find out. He’d lose interest when he saw I wasn’t around. He couldn't search for me for the rest of his life.

Right?

Feeling the strength and resolve fill me, I stood and mentally categorized all I had to do before I left the city. I didn't know where I’d go first, but I’d always wanted to see the mountains, so that was as good a place to start as any.

I grabbed my purse and house keys and headed out to get everything lined up.

I needed to withdraw money for my adventure—because calling it anything other than that would make me feel like a coward, and I refused to be labeled as one. Self-preservation was not the same thing as being weak. I needed to get supplies, food and water, and also rent a car. I’d get all of that, come back here to pack some shit, make sure my apartment was paid for the next month, and then I was hitting the road.

It was almost as if fate heard me, felt the ditch I was stuck in mentally and emotionally, and gave me the nudge I

needed, that push I otherwise wouldn’t have taken.

I thought about Cian, a little flush starting to kindle in my body, a warmth I’d never felt before… until I'd seen him across the ocean in a pixelated video chat. I closed my eyes and swallowed the thick lump lodged in my throat. My body suddenly felt like it was on fire, my nipples beading, this heavy ache settling right between my thighs.

I breathed out and slowly opened my eyes before narrowing them, pissed that he made me feel this way. I didn’t like not being in control, having my body betray me with this potent arousal for a man I didn’t even know. It made me feel like my life wasn’t my own. And I wouldn't have that.

Anyone could stay hidden if they really wanted to. So that’s what I was going to do.

Besides…

If he was coming for me, if he thought he could just snatch me up and make me his, there was only one thing for me to do.

Run. He’d have one hell of a chase on his hands, because I wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

If a hunt was what he wanted… I’d give him the greatest one of his life.

7

Cian

I

t was painful hearing the airport o cials butcher the hell out of my and Odhran’s names. And of course the lastminute, Lycan-owned private jet I secured to the States from Scotland had been detained for a couple of hours, throwing a wrench into the time constraints I’d set for going after my mate. Not to mention we hadn’t acquired our private customs o cial once we landed, which meant we’d had to go the normal route of sifting through the red tape of landing on foreign soil.

So here we were, dealing with the bullshit of a human airport agent destroying the pronunciation of our names and looking at us like it was our fucking problem he couldn't say them right. Humans were behind and in front of us, the conversations all around obnoxious and loud, and the wail of children tired and done with this airport bullshit told me we weren’t the only ones ready to lose our fucking minds.

“Fooking hell,” Odhran finally muttered and stepped forward to glare down at the human male still trying to say the very Gaelic pronunciations. “Key-an,” he emphasized

with a barely repressed growl as he pronounced my name.

“And mine is Or-in.” He muttered it harder than necessary, then spouted o a slew of Gaelic curse words under his breath.

The human’s face turned red, but he didn’t say anything as he stamped our passports and handed them back to us, not making eye contact with Odhran.

I ignored the looks we got as we made our way out of the airport.

“This is why I fooking hate leaving the Highlands,” Odhran growled in Gaelic.

He wasn’t much for speaking in English unless absolutely necessary. And he was a surly fucker on the best of days, but being surrounded by humans, especially when they pointed and whispered in our direction, the stench of their awe and fear scenting the air, made him even more pissed.

And I couldn't blame him. I was on my last leg of patience, and knowing my mate was out there but not having her at my side had this clawing beast inside me rising up violently.

The longer I was away from her, the more I wanted her, and I knew once I had my sweet little mate in my arms, there was nothing on this fucking planet that would take her from me.

“They’re harmless,” I muttered back in Gaelic.

“That's only because ye now have a mate, and a human one at that.”

I chuckled softly.

“Ye tolerate the humans more because of her.”

I ran a hand over the back of my neck, ashamed that for a very long time I’d thought humans so weak and below me that they were a waste of my time to even think about despite the fact we coexisted. I was bitter, that lonely darkness in me making it unbearable on any given day.

“Yes, a lot has changed.” I hated myself for many years.

Odhran grunted in acknowledgment but otherwise said nothing, thankfully dropping the subject. Everything had changed, my whole life spinning on its axis. My mate was human, delicate and fragile, and I’d always protect her.

I focused on the humans we walked by again, anything to keep my mind o my mate right now, because I was driving myself crazy with my need for her. My wolf was pacing back and forth in my body, his desire and fierceness to go to her strong despite the fact that I was in control right now.

“Momma, they’re like giants,” a little girl whispered as she tugged on her mother’s dress.

We were big males, our Lycan genetics making us tower over even some of the tallest human males. Our bodies were made up of corded muscles and intense strength. Humans didn’t know what to think of us, two males over six and a half feet in height and so much bigger than a human male.

Their normal reaction tended to lean toward fear.

But some were really fucking brave as they stared with huge eyes at Odhran’s face, the scar that started at his hairline and curved down the side of his face hard to ignore if you were seeing him for the first time.

He was a trigger-happy bastard with an anger problem, and it had only gotten worse—a hell of a lot—decades ago when his mate was stolen right out from under him. The low growls from his inner animal were steadily coming from him.

“I kno’ how much ye want tae start finding yer mate,” Odhran said, and I didn’t bother looking at him, just kept making my way through the airport, the stench of human congestion causing this low-level hum of irritation to burn under my skin. “But I want tae remind ye we have tae pay respects tae Adryan, seeing as this is his territory.”

I grunted in acknowledgment. I knew we had to let the vampire leader know we were here, although I suspected he was already fully aware. The fucker had eyes everywhere, especially in his city. Any Otherworld creature stepped foot on his territory and the bastard knew right away.

“Adryan and his psychotic cousins are back from Scotland, so let’s get this done and over with.” I cracked my knuckles, rolled my head around on my neck, and felt tension start to move within me at the very prospect of having to speak with the vampire fucker face-to-face, let alone be in the same room with him. Although he was an ally to the Scottish Lycan clan, given that his sister, Luna, was married to Banner, the relationship between vampires and Lycans was still tremulous at best.

And it was all because Adryan was one sadistic motherfucker who played by his own rules and didn’t give a shit who he trampled over.

As an alpha, I respected him for that. But it was also because I was an alpha that any challenge had my canines lengthening and a growl rumbling up from my chest.

The fucker better not try to stop me from finding my mate, or I’d have no problem opening up a war for the first time in centuries between vampires and Lycans.

8

Cian

A

n hour and a half later, we were being led through a dark back hall of Sinner, Adryan’s newest nightclub in the city.

All around Odhran and I were members of the American Vampire Clan, mainly Adryan’s male soldiers, but there was an abundance of human women who loitered. It was clear by the healing bite marks on their necks and almost euphoric gazes as they stared at the male vampires that they were very willing blood donors to the leeches.

I knew vampires lived by the same mated rules as Lycans —as did many in the Otherworld—which meant there wasn't anything sexual going on between the species. They couldn’t, quite literally, fuck anyone but their mate. They didn't want to. So even if the human females wanted more, they weren’t getting anything more than fangs in their neck and their life source sucked out.

The aesthetics of the club were stereotypical of what anyone would assume a vampire-run nightclub would be, by media and fictional standards anyway. Red velvet and black

patent leather, the shiny vinyl obviously used for easy cleanup.

The vampire who led the way was a scarred, nasty bastard with his upper lip seeming perpetually curled in distaste, his looks sharp enough that if they’d been tangible, they’d slice into our skin. The puckered scar that ran the length of one side of his face and wrapped around his neck spoke that at one point someone had tried to decapitate him. His scar gave Odhran’s a run for its money.

We rounded the corner, and my muscles clenched when we saw brothers Sebastian and Kane, Adryan’s righthand enforcers and cousins to the leader of the AVC. They stood on either side of an obscenely ornate door that only Adryan would want, because the motherfucker had his head so far up his own ass he was the worst narcissistic psychopath I’d ever encountered.

“Fooking night dwellers,” Odhran rumbled as he bared his teeth at Kane and Sebastian, the brothers’ grins matching. Although they were a year apart in age, the fuckers looked like they could have been twins, they were so similar in appearance and psychotic tendencies. Seemed like lunatics ran in Adryan’s bloodline.

“Fucking dogs,” Kane mumbled with his grin still in place. He was the talkative of the two, with Sebastian being the silent mountain beside him.

“Anything else you need from me?” the scarred vampire asked in a gravelly voice, one that said his vocal cords had been damaged when someone had clearly been trying to take his heads o . Although Otherworld creatures healed quickly, a bad enough wound wouldn’t heal fully no matter how much time passed.

“Nah,” Kane mumbled. “We’re good here, James.” Kane had a stoic expression right back in place. “Matteo is

handling some business in the control room. I’m sure he could use some help.”

James gave a nod and looked at me, this indescribable expression on his face, before he turned and left.

Once we were alone with the vampire brothers, Odhran tensed considerably. The amount of vampires we’d come across since we stepped foot into Adryan’s newest nightclub set me on edge as well. There were too many of them, their psychotic grins and elongated fangs meant to intimidate.

All they did was piss me o .

Did they not realize how dangerous a Lycan male was, especially one in search of his female? Did they not know that with just a swipe of my claw along their throat, I could rend their heads from their necks before they could even react? The very idea had bloodlust rushing through my veins.

It had been too long since I’d been in a proper battle, since I felt the warm spray of an opponent's blood cover my face and chest. I dared them to try to get in my way, to stop me from going after Evelyn. I’d get a hell of a lot of pleasure killing each and every one of them.

We stopped a few feet from Kane and Sebastian, my face stony in composure, but I felt the physical tension pouring from Odhran. He wouldn’t attack, not without my strict order, and seeing the smug fucking smile on Kane’s face had me nearly giving the order.

“Fuck,” Kane said on a low chuckle as he eyed Odhran’s face. “If you’re still standing after getting that fucked-up, I hate to see what the other bastard looks like.”

Odhran took a step forward, but I placed a hand on his forearm, stilling him as I moved between him and Kane and went nose to nose with the vampire bastard.

Otherworld males were all big assholes, all normally over six-and-a-half feet tall and heavily muscled, built to protect their females and young—if so lucky to have either.

So if Kane wanted to play with fire, I was more than willing to scorch him to the fucking ground.

But the prick didn’t make a move, just stared me in the eyes with that stupid fucking grin on his face. After a long moment he chuckled deeply and stepped aside. Sebastian opened the door and pushed it wide open. The brothers stepped back even more to let us enter, their dark eyes penetrating and missing nothing.

I stepped inside and felt Odhran move in close behind me, my silent shadow, my enforcer in all ways that mattered and counted. I knew he’d come to the States with me to give me moral support but also to use his brutal strength if need be.

And I appreciated the hell out of him.

I focused on the room before me and wasn’t surprised to see the disgusting display of wealth in Adryan’s o ce. I didn’t bother acknowledging when the door was shut and I sensed Kane and Sebastian closing all of us in together. I looked over my shoulder and let a smile curve the corner of my mouth, letting the brothers know that if I really wanted out, they were the last things I was worried about going through.

I faced forward again and took in the long stretch of black, polished wood that made up Adryan’s desk. I could’ve snorted in amusement at the few items littered on top. A fucking paperweight, a stack of folders o to the side, a corded phone.

It was humorous that Adryan tried to take on this image of some kind of businessman, and although he was, in the human sense, the fucker delegated all that shit to others.

In reality he probably laid his victims out on that table and drained them dry as if they were a meal on a massive dinner plate.

I knew things with vampires were di erent in this modern age, not like how they used to be centuries ago,

where they crept in the dark and drank human blood shamelessly. They couldn’t do that shit now, not with cell phones and social media. The threat of people finding out about the Otherworld was too great, even if many things could be “explained” as altered pictures and videos.

I knew Adryan’s sister, Luna, didn’t drink from humans, but instead our king had a direct line to a blood bank and made sure to get his mate all the fresh sustenance she needed. But Adryan? Yeah, the asshole wouldn’t live o blood contained in a bag, that was for damn sure.

The sound of Adryan’s dark leather chair turning around slowly drew me out of my thoughts. The vampire leader’s body was big, dwarfing the colossal piece of furniture. And as I stared him in his eyes, I knew for a fact that the bastard was tapping it right from the fucking source.

His grin was slow and self-satisfied, as if this was some kind of fucking reunion he’d been counting the days down to. He ran a hand over his dark goatee, his teeth a flash of straight whiteness amid the trimmed dark hair. He leaned back farther, and the leather chair creaked as he lifted his hands and clasped them behind his head.

His plain white T-shirt stretched over his massive chest and thick biceps, and I arched a brow at the very clear outline of a piercing in his left nipple. I didn't know why I was surprised. I bet the sick fuck had his cock pierced too.

Adryan seemed like he’d be into a lot of unconventional things. He didn’t have a mate, so I knew he wasn’t physically intimate with any females, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a sadist. I sized him up, neither one of us speaking. Yeah, he was a sadist all right. The fucker liked inflicting pain too much.

“Well shit,” he said and grinned wider, his fangs very long and white. “If I knew wolves were coming to town, I would’ve thrown a party.”

I heard Odhran make a deep, annoyed sound in the back of his throat, but he stayed otherwise silent, letting me lead.

“It wasn’t a planned trip,” I said plainly. No one in the room moved, the tension thick, the air su ocating with male Otherworld alphaness.

Adryan said nothing as he leaned forward and braced his forearms on his table, his grin still in place before his expression sobered. He reached toward a small onyx skull, the top part open. I noticed pieces of candy filling the depressed part of the skull. Fucking red Jolly Ranchers.

He picked one up and unwrapped it, never taking his focus o me. He popped the hard candy into his mouth and leaned back again, one hand braced on the arm of the chair, his other forearm on the table as he drummed his fingers against the tabletop.

The room was so thick in silence the sound of him moving that small rectangle piece of fucking candy around his mouth grated on my nerves.

“You ever have a Jolly Rancher?”

I lifted a brow. “What?”

“Jolly Ranchers. Hard little fuckers that are nothing but sugar but so damn good. Well, only the watermelon ones.”

He grinned again. “They are my weakness.”

“The only one ye got, eh.” I didn’t phrase it like a question, because I couldn’t tell if what Adryan said was true. He was so full of shit the majority of the time, with a brutal and savage reputation to follow.

He chuckled dark and low but said nothing, just the clackclack-clack sound of him moving that chunk of hard sugar around in his mouth, butting it up against his teeth and fangs.

“Heard you got yourself a little human female, Scot.”

The wolf in me stirred even more at the very mention of her on the fucker’s lips. I didn’t realize I was growling until

Odhran stepped closer to me, his body poised to fight.

“Damn. Is this what finding a mate does to a male?” He cocked a dark eyebrow. “Don’t know if I want to stay the fuck away from all that, or want to table in some masochism and try it out.”

There was something o about his voice, this tightness to his words. I tipped my head to the side as I stared at him and tried to sift through the scents, trying to understand the leader of the American Vampire Clan.

“Fucking stop trying to figure me out, wolf,” Adryan growled and slowly rose, all pleasantries gone as his face took on a hard note. “You’re in my fucking territory now. We play by my rules. I don’t need some damn shifter going all shrink on me with his fucking inner animal, got me?”

I didn’t verbally respond, just bared my teeth in a sardonic smile.

He chuckled low. “I’ll give you Lycans one thing… balls of steel. Especially around me.”

This wasn’t Adryan talking himself up or acting bigger than he was. You didn’t become the leader of any Otherworld faction without having some massive strength and brains to go with that brawn. And the bastard had that in spades. You crossed him, he took care of it by ripping your heart out and draining it right down his throat while he stared you in the eyes.

This was about territories and mutual respect. The same would have been expected of Adryan when he stepped onto Scottish soil. Banner would have needed to give him permission to fuck around on Clan land, even if Adryan was the Scottish Lycan king’s brother-in-law.

“Glad you were smart enough to come see me before you started your little adventure.” Back with the fucking finger drumming. “Would have hated for shit to go south because

of your disrespect, especially seeing as you’re here to find your mate.”

I curled my hands into tight fists before relaxing them, my nails turning into claws as my wolf rose up to put him in his place for even talking about what was mine.

He glanced down to see my fisted hands and chuckled low. “I can see even bringing her up rubs you the wrong way, and we don’t want you shifting full wolfie, so how about I concede right now and show you around my new place.”

I didn’t miss how it wasn’t a question. He stood and walked around the desk, and that’s when I noticed the massive golden fucking dog following close to his heel. The animal must have been hidden behind the desk.

Adryan stopped when he rounded the desk and tucked his hands into his pockets as he leaned back on the polished wood. “He’s a big bastard, isn’t he?” He reached out and ran a hand over the dog’s boxy head, the thick mane of flu y yellow and tan hair around its face making him look like a lion. “Masti s are loyal to a fault, guardians. They are gentle giants,” he said in a low voice just as the dog bared its teeth and growled menacingly.

“Yeah, it seems like he’s real fooking loving.”

“That is one fooking ugly dog,” Odhran said in a low tone, but the scowl Adryan tossed his way told me he heard nonetheless.

“Hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, motherfucker.

Watch what you say about Bear.” Adryan kept stroking the dog’s massive head, and the canine bastard had his gaze locked on me, as if he scented a predator in the room and wanted to clamp his big fucking jaw right on my throat.

We were all silent for long moments before Adryan pushed o the desk and came toward me, hands back in the pockets of his slacks, the smile lazy on his face. He stopped when we were nearly toe-to-toe, eyeing me up like he could

see every fucking secret I held. And I met the prick’s gaze head-on, letting him see his intimidation tactics wouldn’t work on a male like me. I’d been alive a long fucking time, had seen a hell of a lot, battled and killed mercilessly, and there were a lot of fucking scarier things in this world than this vampire bastard.

“I admire your gumption, Cian.” His smile fell as he grew serious. “But watch it, fucker. You're in my territory now and not safely tucked all up in the Highlands with Banner at your back, or my baby sister’s influence to try to tame the beast in me.” He bared his teeth and let his fangs grow wicked long.

“You cross me here, in my home, and heads will roll.

Fucking got it?”

I took a step closer so the tips of our boots were touching and held his gaze with mine. I sensed Sebastian and Kane moving closer, but Adryan shook his head as he held my stare, a nonverbal demand that he didn’t need his enforcers’ backup.

“Let's make one thing clear, Adryan. I'm here for one reason and one reason only… the most important fooking reason of my godforsaken existence.” I bared my teeth in a macabre grin. “I’ll follow the law in yer land, but my priority is tae find my mate. And nothing, no’ even some arrogant vampire prick, will stand in my way.” I let my Lycan rise up, my eyes flashing from the force of his presence, the glow from them washing over Adryan’s face. “I’ve got one hundred and thirty years on ye. I have seen more battles, have killed more men than ye could ever tally up, lad. So enough with the pissing contest, yeah?”

Adryan growled low, which had his dog doing the same. I smelled the fucking canine as he came to stand beside his master. Adryan and I held each other’s gaze, male to male, alpha to alpha. The tension was thick, heavy, but I wouldn’t

back down. And he knew this, because he wouldn't either if the roles were reversed.

And then like a crack of lightning, he started laughing and reached out to clap me on the shoulder, his fingers tight as he muttered, “Fucking wolves and their stubborn strength.

Gotta give credit where credit is due.”

Then he was walking past me and opening the door to step into the hallway. I wanted to tell him to fuck o with his tour. Odhran didn’t give a shit, and I cared even less. I was anxious to get the hell out of here and find my female, to start the hunt, the chase. It got me hard just thinking about tracking her down, and no one was as good as I was.

But I was already pushing the boundaries of respect in Adryan’s land, so I kept my mouth shut and followed him, even if it grated on my nerves and went against the very makeup of the alpha I was.

I knew the longer I was away from my female, the more ruthless I’d be once I had her.

She didn’t stand a fucking chance.

9

Cian

“I

t’s a damn bloodletting club, Cian. For fook’s sake, those vampires are sick bastards,” Odhran grumbled as we made our way up the stairs to my female’s apartment.

He’d been going on about the secret club Adryan had shown us for the last hour, which was held in the bowels of the vampire’s newest establishment.

“Everyone knows Adryan is a deviant, sadistic motherfooker.”

“I know, but to see it firsthand?”

I looked over at Odhran and saw concentration on his face, as if he was picturing all the shit the bloodsuckers did down there. Although the decor had seemed elite, sophisticated even, with the same red-and-black color scheme, with patent leather and velvet accents, there was no denying the images that had also gone through my head.

Humans laid out on a slab of wood, dozens of cuts lining their bodies as they let themselves be used for blood consumption.

And although Adryan and his nightclub was the last thing I wanted to think or talk about, this was the first time—since Odhran had lost his mate—that he’d acted mildly interested in anything other than warfare.

He’d stopped talking about finding his mate ages ago, but I knew it was all he ever thought about, knew he was forever trying to figure out how to find her. I could see it on his face and watched all that darkness wash across his eyes. So just because he didn’t speak with us any longer about his journey to find his other half, it didn’t mean it wasn’t the only thing on his mind.

So I didn’t snap or growl and tell him to shut the fuck up about the nightclub. I let him talk about it, because it kept his mind o the most important thing in his life that he was missing. Odhran wasn’t just my soldier in the Guard; he was like a brother to me, and loyal down to his marrow. He’d always had my back, as I had his, and he was continuously giving me his strength, solidarity, and unwavering support, even now.

We said nothing else as we made our way up the last few flights of stairs. I was anxious, irritable, and the need to hunt my female down thrummed through my veins.

I stopped in front of Evelyn’s apartment door, my lip curling at the thought she lived in this piece-of-shit, unsafe building. I wanted her with me always, my protection fierce enough I’d kill anyone or anything that thought to come within touching distance. My protective side rose up so violently I smelled the scent of blood and glanced down to see my nails had turned into claws and were tearing at the flesh of my palms.

“Ye’ll find her. She’ll be safe,” Odhran said, and I closed my eyes and nodded, letting those words of truth move through my head like a mantra to calm my beast, or at least try to placate him for the moment.

I will find her. I’ll make it safe for her, because she’s never leaving my fooking side.

I looked to my left, then my right. The hallway was empty, quiet. I could have done this in a professional manner, picked the lock, which would have been easy enough with the flimsy construction, but instead I gripped the handle, my impatience riding high.

I turned the knob with a quick, firm twist of my wrist, breaking the handle right o , and the door swung open, the lock disengaged.

I stepped inside and instantly stilled as I inhaled deeply, smelling my mate’s scent for the first time. It was sweet like candy, hitting the back of my throat before rushing down and filling my belly with sustenance. It was the only thing I needed to survive.

I took in the small, sparse confines of her apartment.

Although I didn’t know my female personally—not yet—I could imagine these aesthetics fit her perfectly. A small, green velvet couch that looked a little worse for wear was to my left, the co ee table made out of pallets in front of that.

The kitchen was catty-corner to the “living room,” small and compact, the appliances and cupboards from the ’70s.

But my mate had clearly made this her space, with woven colorful tapestries hanging on the wall and a few potted plants placed throughout the boxlike room, which upon smelling deeply once more I realized weren’t real.

I could have never imagined living in the city—too many people, nowhere to run free, no wilderness for my beast to be let out. But as I stood there among my female’s things, taking in her scent, I realized I would’ve stayed anywhere with her and been so grateful, so thankful that a higher power had given me the gift of having my other half.

There was a framed picture sitting on the pallet table, beside an old boxy TV. I found myself walking toward it

before I realized I was moving. I picked it up, the light, silver-colored frame looking old, oxidized. The picture was of my female and Darragh, but it couldn’t have been taken too long ago as both females didn’t look much younger than they were now.

The sun was in front of them, the bright glow casting fierce light across their faces. Evelyn had a hand lifted to her brow to block some of it, her smile big, her long, dark hair seeming to be caught in a gust of wind as it was suspended in a veil of black behind her, a snapshot of beauty.

She was all I could focus on.

I couldn’t see her eyes because she squinted from the glare of the sun, but I remembered how bright and big they’d been as she stared at me with shock and a hint of awe.

I set the picture down, and I closed my eyes, letting everything just wash through me, these new and powerfully pleasing sensations moving into every single part of my body.

Although I’d gathered any and all information I could on Evelyn on the plane ride over, I’d also had Rory, the resident Lycan hacker and tech genius, do an even deeper dive on who my mate was. But now that I had her scent ingrained in me, memorized and tattooed in the very essence of my DNA, I’d find her no matter where she was.

They didn’t call me the greatest Lycan tracker for nothing.

I let all my thoughts coalesce on my mate, on who she was, until it coated my skin and caused this feeling of finally having purpose, of being home, to reverberate through me.

Evelyn Williams. Twenty-three years old. Human female who started working at the tender age of sixteen. Mother was a junkie, father unknown.

She now worked at a small hole-in-the-wall bar called Bosco’s, and this small apartment was what she called home,

or close enough to what that word meant. Before she’d become an adult, she bounced around foster homes. She’d met Darragh in those same foster facilities, where the two women had become tightly knit.

She was a fighter, my female. She was a survivor.

My eyes were still closed as I sensed Odhran moving around Evelyn’s apartment. I opened my eyes and looked over at him, my hackles rising as possessiveness slammed into me at the thought of another male in my mate’s space.

Odhran made his way to the kitchen, his big body dwarfing the already small space. He walked down the tiny hallway… toward my female’s bedroom. A fierce growl ripped through me before I knew it was happening, the walls shaking from the force of the primal sound. He froze, his back tensing as he looked over his shoulder at me.

I felt my chest rising and falling, my breathing picking up as my animal rushed to the surface. My head was lowered, my gaze trained on him, my eyes now glowing. The very thought of him in her bedroom, where she slept, got undressed, had me baring my teeth, my canines elongating in warning.

He held his hands up and stepped back, and I made a low grumble as I stalked toward him. Having a mate certainly changed everything, made me even more territorial, more aggressive. To even think of somebody looking at Evelyn, let alone touching her, made me want to kill them, rip their hands from their bodies, gouge their eyes out, and o er their mutilated carcasses to my mate as a gift.

And I knew this was just the start, the beginning. I knew once I finally had her, claimed Evelyn, and put my mark on her neck, I’d be even worse, so fucking protective it would no doubt be unbearable for her. I just prayed to whoever would listen that she’d understand that when a Lycan found his

fated mate—his other half, the missing part of his soul— she’d see me as a gift as well. The way I saw her.

All I wanted was to make her happy, to make her life feel complete, even if I pissed her o with my possessiveness in the process.

10

Evelyn

I

’d been on the road for hours, half a day, because I had taken back roads and stayed o the highways. I liked the scenery, so even if going o the beaten path had added hours, I told myself this was all part of the adventure. But this was the longest trip I’d ever taken by myself, and more than once I’d thought this was a bad idea.

My ass was numb, my neck kinked to the side, and my hands were sti from holding onto the steering wheel for so long. And I was currently in Ohio… in the middle of Amish country specifically. And it seemed like a good enough place to stay for the night. A place to lay low, a little voice said to me.

The reception out here was awful, out in the middle of nowhere, cornfields and soybeans all over the place. But there was a certain kind of solidarity and calmness, a peacefulness that settled into me without the skyscrapers and the cars, the congestion of people and the fumes of pollution.

Another half hour into my trip and I pulled in the small parking lot of an Amish country store. I cut the engine of my rental and climbed out, my hands on my lower back as I stretched, working the kinks out. There were only a few cars in the lot, this stillness and quietness surrounding me. After living in the city for my entire life, it was almost a culture shock being out here. But one I gratefully accepted.

Aside from stopping to get gas and a couple of bathroom breaks, I’d kept on the road, putting as much distance between me and the city as possible. I hadn’t even told Darragh where I was going. Not that I knew where the hell I was heading, but I didn’t tell her any of my plans. I knew she’d take my secrets to the grave, but I felt like she told me the basics of the whole fated mate's things. I didn’t know how “bound” she was to Caelan, if she’d be powerless to keep things to herself, especially if it came to other mates and Lycans. Did they use mind control? It sounded so stupid when I thought about it, but I certainly contemplated that as a solution to how and why Darragh seemed to accept things so easily.

The sound of tires kicking up gravel had me looking over my shoulder and seeing an older white minivan with rust stains around the bottom of the frame come to a stop a few parking spots down from me. On the back of the window were those family decals; a mom and dad stick figure with three little stick figures beside them. They even added a dog and cat sitting beside the last child.

The passenger-side door opened, and a woman stepped out, her mom jeans pulled up to her waist, her flower blouse picking up at the bottom when a gust of wind moved through. She started stretching the kinks out of her neck and turned her head toward me, our gazes locking. She gave me a small smile and a little wave but didn’t wait for me to

reciprocate as a large man made his way around the front of the van, and they clasped hands.

I stood there staring at the couple, something tight in my chest making itself known. I’d never had anything like that.

Not even close. No desire to even be close to anyone. No touching, no kissing, and certainly no sex. And my traitorous body lit up at the thought of Cian, this heady desire moving through me that made zero sense.

I shook my head to clear the thoughts. Being sentimental wasn’t going to help me, and in fact would muddle up my thoughts even more.

“For fuck’s sake,” I mumbled just as the sound of my cell phone chirping from inside my purse rang out. A surge of excitement slammed into me at the fact that I had service.

Home. That one word sounded funny to me. Not right. My apartment certainly wouldn’t be considered a home by any means. It was a place I rented, basically a storage unit I crammed my body and some materialistic things into.

There was nothing I had that was sentimental in my apartment, aside from the pictures I’d collected of Darragh and me over the years, and a few of the foster kids I’d grown up with who I’d become close with.

Those things were what I held dear, ones that gave me wonderful memories that were more priceless than anything else in the world.

I wasn’t a professional photographer by any means, but being able to catch the tip of the sun setting behind the massive buildings and long stretch of land, the sky painted in oranges and reds, blues and yellows, was something beautiful among all the glass and steel, pollution and overpopulation I lived with daily.

I pulled out my cell and looked at the text that had just come through.

Darragh: I miss you.

I smiled and sent a reply right away.

Me: Stop missing me and let me live vicariously through you. In fact, I’m on my own adventure too.

I was trying to pretend like things weren’t super weird after what Darragh had revealed to me. So my go-to, what I fell back on, was trying to make light of things even though it seemed totally unnatural at the moment.

A second later my phone buzzed with an incoming call, and I rolled my eyes but felt my chest bloom. Darragh knew me well enough to know I was trying to deflect things, I supposed. But she was also nosy as hell—just like me—and probably wanted all the details of my trip.

“When I said stop missing me, that didn’t mean call me to check up.” I was laughing as I made my way toward the entrance of the country store. Darragh started laughing.

“Isn’t it late over there?”

There was a sound of shu ing on the other end of the line, and then her exhale. “Yeah. I’m lying in bed, trying to sleep, but it’s not working.”

“Shouldn’t you and your…?” I didn’t know what to call him. Mate? That sounded too strange to me. Boyfriend?

Sounded too juvenile after all the intensity Darragh told me came with Lycans. So I just let it hang in the air and heard her laugh, but it sounded tight, like this was still so strange and new for her, too.

“Caelan left to run in the woods that surround his family’s home.”

“Run?” I closed my eyes and rubbed a hand over them.

“Like… as a track star or as… a wolf?” I groaned, because I felt so stupid even thinking it, let alone saying it out loud. I trusted Darragh with my life, knew she’d never lie to me— even about something so unbelievable as this. But it was for sure going to take me a while to get used to all of this.

“Yeah, as a wolf,” she said with amusement in her voice that had me smiling as I opened my eyes. “It’s crazy. Believe me, I know.”

“Yeah” was all I could say. I pulled open the door, a blast of cool air and sweet-smelling bread slamming into my face.

I wanted to ask her if she’d found any new information out about her family—the reason she’d even traveled to Scotland. But I knew if she wanted to delve into that, she’d tell me.

“But I called because I wanted to tell you that he left.”

I made a beeline right to the baked goods sections, seeing packaged cinnamon rolls, freshly baked breads, and all the sugary sweet—totally not good for me—carb-loaded items.

“Caelan?” I picked up a package. “Yeah, you told me, but I don’t need a play-by-play of your man’s whereabouts,” I teased, and she chuckled, but it was tight again, the sound weird enough I froze with a pack of gooey, thick cinnamon rolls in my hand. “What?” I already knew the answer to my own question. I glanced up and saw the minivan couple over by the deli, the woman holding a bouquet of flowers as she brought them up to her nose, the man holding her waist in a loving, possessive manner.

“I wasn’t talking about—” “Darragh?” I pulled my focus away from the couple.

Darragh started speaking again, but her voice was cutting in and out. I pulled my cell away from my ear to look at it. The call was still connected, but the reception was once again crappy. “Darragh?” I asked again when I put my phone back to my ear. “I can’t hear anything. You’re breaking up.”

“He… plane… as soon—” I knitted my brows and prompted, “Say again?”

“Ready… he’s… there—” Everything went dead then, and I looked down at the screen to see the call had been disconnected and I had zero

bars.

Of course. I shoved my cell back in my purse and stared down at the cinnamon rolls. “Screw the carb overload,” I muttered and grabbed a pack of apple turnovers while I was at it.

This was an adventure, right? I was meant to enjoy myself and not worry about anything while I learned about everything… right? So fuck the carbs and screw the thought that some supernatural man—who was too sexy for his own good—declared me as his and said he was coming for me.

He wouldn’t find me, not when I didn’t even know where to find myself. I was as lost in my own body and surroundings as I would be to him. A ghost, a shadow.

That should have given me some kind of solace, so why did I feel this gaping hole in my chest at the thought of him not catching me?

11

Evelyn

T

wo hours later and I was sitting on a full-size bed in an out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere motel I’d seen from the road I’d been on. It seemed like something out of a horror movie, one of those that promised a creepy front desk attendant probably peeping through a hole in the shower.

But I’d just been freaking myself out.

The front desk attendant had been the little old lady who’d been there to greet and check me in and had even given me pamphlets on tourist traps along the way, ones that promised the biggest ball of yarn or the largest and longest snakeskin.

So here I was, sitting on the bed with my legs crossed, the comforter under me a horrendous floral print. I was feeling o , had been since I’d gotten o the phone with Darragh, and I just couldn’t place why.

I idly thought what stains I’d come up with if I had a blacklight with me, then promptly pushed those thoughts aside before I got too grossed out. I stared down at the prepackaged sandwich, bag of chips, and bottle of water I

picked up at the last gas station I stopped at before checking into the motel for the night. I regretted not grabbing my food from the Amish store, where instead I focused on the sugary goodness instead.

There was a weird flavor to my sandwich, and I was pretty sure the cheese wasn’t real. I picked up the square yellow piece, shaking it in my hand a little bit, watching it jiggle, the shiny texture and rubbery consistency making my lip curl in disgust. I dropped it into the plastic bag that my food had come in and picked up my sandwich, taking another bite, my teeth going through the lettuce and making a fresh, crisp sound echo throughout the room.

I TRIED CALLING Darragh back with the landline once I checked in, but it was late—or too early—in Scotland, so there hadn't been an answer. I kept thinking about what she’d said and her broken-up words. I tried to piece them together, to try to figure out what she’d been saying, because it seemed important. And although I hadn’t been able to figure it out, a part of me knew it had something to do with Cian.

Just thinking his name had a flutter of something strong moving through me.

I’d never experienced whatever this was before, so I couldn’t explain it, but it filled every part of me with this dark awakening, as if I was missing something monumental by not giving in. But I pushed those thoughts away, refusing to let them live rent-free in my head.

I took another bite of my sandwich, staring at the boxy TV that had the sound turned all the way down, the news station talking about the county fair that was happening in the next week.

So of course with nothing else to do, my mind immediately went back to Cian and what I remembered

during our one and only interaction. I remembered how he looked as I stared at him through the phone. It seemed so long ago, not just days having passed since my entire life had changed.

I ended up eating half the sandwich, all the chips, drinking a quarter of the water, and shamelessly ate a cinnamon roll and an apple turnover.

Belly full and sugar and carbs making me lethargic, I decided I was tired enough to call it a night. But first I spread out the road map I’d been smart enough to grab at the gas station once I realized Internet maps and Wi-Fi were nonexistent so far on my trip.

I smoothed my palms over the thick paper, the swish of my skin sliding over it almost relaxing in a sense. I liked to think of myself as an intelligent, independent woman, but I relied too heavily on technology, and map reading just wasn’t in my skill set. And that was evidently clearer the longer I stared at the roads and highways, the landmarks and street names. It was like another language to me.

It got to the point where my head started pounding, and I folded the map up to push it away, telling myself I’d worry about it later. After showering and brushing my teeth, I put on an oversize T-shirt and a pair of panties before slipping under the covers and extinguishing the bedside table light. I was facing the lone window in the room, the curtains closed except for one slivered part of where the two pieces of fabric didn’t quite meet.

The one parking lot light was directly in front of my window, the dirty-yellow glow washing into the room and illuminating a slice of the otherwise thick, dark interior.

Although I had no family and no real friends aside from Darragh, I felt myself feel something. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it and knew it wasn’t just because my best friend was gone. It was tied to a certain man who claimed to be a

wolf shifter that had this ache—both pleasurable and uncomfortable—moving through me.

I actually found myself lifting my hand and rubbing a palm over my sternum, wondering if the things I felt were over the fact that I had always been alone even if I was surrounded by people. I wondered if I’d fill that gaping hole in my chest if I stopped running and accepted what life was now o ering me.

Frustrated with myself, I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling, letting my gaze circle around a water stain right above my head, the shadows making it look even darker.

Despite my best e orts, Cian's image and the rough sound of his voice popped into my head.

I started thinking about who he really was, how his life had been, and what it all meant to be the kind of creature he was. I was slowly trying to wrap my mind around all the supernatural things that had thrust themselves into my world, common sense and rationality waging war with me over it. These things aren’t possible in the world I live in.

It was the thought of Cian, the image of his big, muscular body, all that power I’d seen and felt through the phone, and the fantasy of him coming after me, chasing me because he had a claim on me, that filtered through my mind.

And I let myself be consumed by all things him as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

12

Cian

T

he motel was small, situated with thick cornfields behind it and a stretch of deserted road in front of the building. A small light flickered above the front door, the NO VACANCY light hanging from the window in vibrant neon red that intermittently flickered, threatening to go out permanently.

It was late—or early, depending on how you looked at it— but I wasn't going to wait another moment to make her mine. I’d already waited so long for Evelyn.

After Odhran hacked into the GPS in Evelyn’s cell phone, pinpointing her coordinates, we’d set out. Every part of me hummed with the anticipation of seeing her face-to-face for the first time, of taking the scent of her right from the source.

Of telling her she was mine.

Odhran pulled the rental into the parking lot, the loose gravel kicking up under the tires. He pulled to a stop a good distance away from the actual interior of the motel. I thought about how she was feeling right now, how she was

processing everything Darragh had told her. I wanted to comfort her, to make sure she wasn’t panicked, that she knew my entire life revolved around her and making sure she was happy.

Whether she believed in the supernatural or fated mates didn't matter, because she’d understand and believe it all soon enough. Because I wasn’t letting her go.

Odhran cut the engine, and we sat there for a moment in silence. I let my gaze move over the exterior of the lot, looking at each room, my focus finding the one I knew she was in, thanks—once again—to Odhran’s hacking skills.

I was a fighter, not a tech expert, and if I had been left to my own devices on this journey, it would’ve taken me a hell of a lot longer to track her down. But I would have eventually. So I was thankful for Rory, a tech expert in the Guard, who’d given me intel before I’d taken this trip, and Odhran’s skill set, because it made finding Evelyn faster and placated my beast.

“Are ye sure ye want tae do this?”

I looked over at Odhran, stifling the growl that would’ve risen up in my throat. For long minutes I said nothing, just stared at him within the dark interior of the car, knowing I shouldn’t say what was about to come from my mouth.

“Ye would have done anything tae get tae yer mate.” The words felt like acid from me, and as Odhran’s expression shifted to agony, I wished I could take them back, ask his forgiveness for bringing up his lost mate. For she may not be dead, but the fact that he’d had her for a moment in time and lost her was one and the same. “I shouldn’t have said that—” “No, ye’re right. I shouldn’t have questioned what yer plan is. It’s no’ my place.” He stared out the windshield again, his jaw working under his scarred, whisker-covered

skin. “I would have—would do—anything tae have her by my side once more.”

“I kno’,” I said softly. The air was thick and heavy with melancholy. My throat was tight with emotion. I couldn't imagine or comprehend finding Evelyn only to have her taken from me. Yet here was Odhran, still surviving, forever searching, even though he’d lost her decades before.

He’d had my back countless times, saved my life on numerous occasions in war-stricken situations. He never questioned my motives, never went against how I did things.

He was fucking completely loyal.

But as I sat here with the silence descending on me as if it was a weight on my shoulders, I knew what he pointed out was right.

Hunting down my mate like this wasn’t only going to make things worse. It might even push her away farther, make her run from me more. But I couldn’t stop myself, not when there was a fire in my body that told me if I didn’t do this, I would die.

I stared at the door of the room she was in, practically able to hear her pulse beating. The sound moved through the space that separated us, slamming into my body. I hadn’t even seen her in person yet, hadn't touched her, smelled her, made her mine… but she was already everything to me.

She had been before I even met her.

My heart outside my body.

My soul in physical form.

One part of me told me to wait until she came to me, that things would be better, that she’d trust me, that she’d realize we were meant to be together. Another voice told me to take action, to go to her, force her to see reason, that I’d never let her go.

They were two waging voices and emotions inside me, one a nagging, sinister part telling me she’d never want or

accept me, that she’d never accept what I was. It told me I’d always be alone, but that no matter what, I’d be her shadow.

I’d stay by her side so she’d never be alone, so she’d always have a protector. I’d rather be her silent protector and keep her in my life that way than never see her again.

That would be the slowest, most painful death imaginable.

I clenched my teeth so hard I was surprised they didn’t crack, my body humming being so close to her yet so far away. I got out of the car and shut the door silently, common sense going right out the fucking window as I stalked across the parking lot and stopped in front of her motel room door.

The metal was dented, the paint peeling in some places. I placed my hand on it, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply, sifting through everything until I focused on the other side.

The soft sound of her breathing, the gentle swish of her legs moving under the blanket as she shifted on the bed—noises that calmed me immensely. Because she’s so close.

I focused on the steady thump-thump, thump-thump of her heart beating.

So close. So close to finally making her ours, my wolf growled in male satisfaction.

I slowly opened my eyes and slid my hand down to grab the handle. I could have tried to do this di erently. But I wouldn’t. I was too impatient for her. I twisted my wrist in one firm, swift motion that had the flimsy lock popping out, the mechanics failing. The noise was loud enough for a shifter to hear a mile away, but a human deep in sleep might not pick up on it.

And I didn’t know if I wanted her to see me breaking in and stalking her, or if I wanted her to stay asleep so I could stand by the edge of her bed and just stare at her.

I stayed where I was, listening for if she roused from the soft clanking of the lock breaking. More swish-swish coming

from under the blankets as she adjusted herself in bed, but she otherwise stayed asleep.

Anger and protectiveness slammed into me at the thought that she was helpless and vulnerable.

I stepped inside, closing the door as well as I could given the fact that the lock was now broken. The soft click of it staying in place was the only thing I heard at first. But then I filtered everything else out and focused on the bed. Her form was so small in the center of it, this tiny mound under the floral-print blanket. The only light was a sliver of goldenyellow streetlight that came through slightly parted curtains, cutting across the ground and barely reaching the bed. But I could see perfectly.

I closed my eyes at her scent. It was addicting.

Intoxicating. It was the most powerful thing I’d ever experienced. Sweet with undertones of floral, so fucking delicious that my cock stirred, thickening, lengthening against the fly of my jeans. I angled my head down slightly but kept my gaze locked on her as I took a step forward, holding in the animalistic sound of how pleased I was being near her.

I silently, stealthily moved forward until I was at the foot of the bed, concentrating on every inhale she made, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she was at her most vulnerable.

Her hair was a long fan of darkness across the white sheets, a stark contrast that was beautiful in every way. Her head was turned so it faced the lone window, and I stared at the column of her neck that was bare, my canines lengthening at the very thought of piercing her throat, of giving her my mark so that everyone would know she was mine.

So everyone knows if they touch her, I’ll kill them.

I didn’t have a plan in mind when I came here aside from making Evelyn mine in all ways. I’d only felt the need to go to her, to be with her. I told myself I’d figure out the rest when the time came. And that time was now.

But as I stood there, I was at a loss with what my next move was. It was the first time I’d experienced this in two and a half centuries.

I walked around the mattress, finding myself reaching out and trailing my fingers along her silky hair, the long locks like silk against my fingers, the scent of flowers slamming into my nose and tightening my body. I picked up a lock of her hair and started running it between my fingers. And then because I was a crazy bastard, I braced my hand on the wall above the bed, leaned forward, and brought those strands to my nose.

My eyes closed on their own as I took in the scent of her, as I inhaled the very essence of my female until she was ingrained in my body forever. There would never be a time when I couldn’t find her, where she’d be lost to me.

She was now a part of me. Forever.

And when I scented her wakefulness, watched the way her body relaxed further against the bed, her nipples tightening, I kept the locks to my nose and kept inhaling, unable to stop taking her scent into my body. And when I smelled her blossoming arousal, a low rumbled growl left me, my wolf arching in pleasure, pressing forward even more.

Take her right here, right now. Part her creamy thighs and drive deep into her, mark her neck, and bind us together.

I opened my eyes, and that’s when I saw she was fully awake, her eyes so big and blue, her expression one of shock and something else, something dark and potent that had me growling again.

It was one I recognized. Need.

She might be human, her mind kicking into fear, but her body… her body was so very ready for me.

Her body knew what I was to her, and was primed and willing… ready.

And now there was no going back.

13

Evelyn

I

thought I was dreaming at first, this warmth settling over me, the feeling of being perfectly… perfect seeping into every single inch of my body.

I’d slowly woken up, as if I were at the very bottom of the ocean and floated to the top, a relaxing and gentle sensation until I broke the surface and inhaled that first lungful of oxygen.

The smell was rich and deep, dark yet spicy, and it surrounded me. It covered my tongue so I tasted it, filled my nose so it was all I smelled. I felt my body sink farther into the bed, my legs becoming weightless, the very female parts of me softening. I was wet, my nipples beading, my core hot.

I felt so good.

A soft moan spilled from me, and I kept my eyes shut, reveling in the feeling of it all.

And then I heard a deep inhale by my head, a low growl rumbling out afterward. Consciousness settled in, and I blinked my eyes open, awareness slamming back into me like icy water in my face.

I stared at the massive man hovering over me, his eyes closed, his dark lashes half-moons along his cheeks. His short hair was a shade lighter than his lashes, his nose straight and strong, his jaw square and wholly masculine.

His lips were full, appearing darker in the shadowy room, and all I could do was lie there as he inhaled against a lock of my hair.

My heart was thundering and fear should have been the only thing I felt, but I knew this man even if I’d only seen him once, an ocean separating us.

Cian.

He’d come for me. He’d found me.

I’d like to think I had put up a big chase, that I tried my hardest to run and hide. But as I lay there helpless and felt my traitorous body become even wetter, more aroused, I knew a part of me had held me back. I’d let myself believe this was all a stupid fairy tale, a fictitious story that had been conjured up and thrust into my life. I told myself no one was coming after me, and even if he was, he’d never find me.

How wrong I’d been.

He slowly opened his eyes, glowing blue orbs that I swore lit up the entire room. I felt my eyes widen more as our gazes stayed locked. And for a long second, neither of us moved. He stared at me and I at him, and then I forced myself to pull out of the trance I was in.

I moved away so quickly I fell o the side of the bed, my shirt riding up, my lower panty-covered half coming into full view. Here I was, sprawled out, my legs spread from the fall, Cian’s gaze latched at the most intimate part of me covered only by a thin layer of cotton.

His nostrils flared, that very inhuman sound leaving him.

And God help me… I got wetter.

I snapped my legs closed and crab walked backward until the wall stopped my retreat, then forced myself to stand, my

palms flat on the wall, my breathing erratic. I couldn’t move as I watched him stalk around the bed and come closer to me. I felt the electricity in the air, causing the hairs on my arms to stand on end.

He stopped when he was a few feet from me, the heat from his body slamming into mine, my chest rising and falling faster and harder. I felt beads of sweat lining my temples before sliding down, his gaze riveted to the descent.

I held my breath and tensed when he reached out—his hand, I swore, was as big as my face. And then I felt his finger trail along the side of my head, collecting that droplet before he pulled his hand back and brought it to his mouth. I bit my tongue to hold o the small whimper that would’ve come through.

And when he slipped the digit between his lips, and sucked that salty droplet o , my mouth parted in shock. The rumble that came from him was sharp and speared right to the most intimate part of me. I clenched my thighs together, my panties sticking to my folds.

He took another step closer, and one more until we were toe-to-toe. My head was tipped back and resting against the wall, my gaze locked on his. He was handsome, astoundingly so. His hair was short and dark, the strands looking so soft, even though he seemed gritty and masculine in all other ways. My fingers twitched to rise up and touch those locks, to tangle my fingers in them and jerk him toward me.

I’d never seen a man so masculine, never seen one so large, so strong. His shoulders were broad, his chest wide and strong and blocking out everything behind him. Even with the shadows and darkness ascending around us, I could see him clearly, being as close as we were, and I grew drunk o the sight of Cian.

I’d never been more sure than in that moment that this man was not wholly human. His size, the way he looked, the

sounds that came from him all attested to the fact that there was something very deep within him, something very dangerous, dark, and… arousing.

“If ye’d just…” he said but trailed o , as if he either couldn’t bring the words out or couldn’t form them to make me understand. I saw this war waging on his face, and something in me cracked.

He lifted his hand again, and I flinched. It was an involuntary reaction, and it wasn’t even because I was afraid or thought he’d hurt me, but he clearly thought so by the way his square jaw clenched and he curled his fingers into his palm.

“I’ll never hurt ye,” he said with so much conviction I felt the words. “I’d kill myself, let my body be tortured and torn apart, burned and broken irrevocably, just tae make sure ye’re whole and safe.”

A small sound of shock left me.

“It’s the truth, my wee lass.”

My eyelids fluttered on their own at the way he said my wee lass, as if the words were just as much an endearment as they were a branded stamp that I was his.

“I know,” I found myself saying before I even realized it, before I even knew if it was my actual truth. But as I stared at him and saw that just being here in front of him was some kind of awe-inspiring moment for him, I knew this man— Lycan male—would lay his life down for me without a second thought.

He had his hands on the wall on either side of my head, his big body leaned forward, caging me in, making me feel small. “If ye’d just let me touch ye, hold ye”—he looked down at my lips—“kiss ye, Evie, ye’ll see how good and right it is tae be together.”

His spicy, dark scent made me liquid, causing tingles to move through my body before settling between my thighs.

My clit throbbed in time with my pulse, my pussy getting wetter, opening, readying itself for what only he could give me.

He closed his eyes and groaned, his head dropping low so his forehead was pressed to mine. We breathed the same air for long moments, neither speaking, but it was a profound moment.

“I’m afraid,” I admitted out loud for the first time since all of this started. But I didn’t know what I was afraid of.

The situation? This intense attraction I felt for him, the first and only attraction I’d ever felt in my entire life? The fact that he wasn’t even human and that I didn’t fully understand what a fated mate entailed with his species?

I had so many questions slamming into my head they made me dizzy, yet as I stood in front of Cian, one thing was abundantly clear.

His presence grounded me, leveled everything out. My thoughts cleared, the hazy, dizzy sensation dissipating.

He had both hands covering my face in the next second, his palms calloused, so warm and big that it was hard to focus on anything else but the feel of him. I’d never felt anything so peaceful—or arousing—than having Cian touch me. And it was easy enough to get swept up in the sensations he conjured inside me.

My eyes snapped open when I felt the soft brush of his lips against mine. I was startled, my heart pounding, my body shaking. He groaned roughly from that tiny connection, and then he was stepping closer, fusing our bodies together.

“Ah, gods. Yes, Evie. Fook… yes.” His words were low, husky. His fingers tightened ever so slightly against my temples, and then he was tilting my head to the side and trying to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue slide along the seam of my lips, a silent request for entrance.

God help me… but I opened my mouth and moaned when he dipped his tongue inside.

I felt the way his muscles tightened, all that power waiting to be unleashed. The sounds he made from this simple kiss were unlike anything I’d ever heard, unlike anything I could have ever fantasized.

“Touching ye is better than I could have ever dreamed,” he murmured against my lips a second before probing my mouth once more, fucking me in the way I wanted him to in a bed, both of us naked.

My first kiss was powerful, electrifying, and had this singeing heat inflaming every inch of me. The sounds coming from Cian were so hot, a man untamed, barely hanging on to his control.

“I waited so long for ye, lass. So fooking long for this.

Ye’ll be my first everything. Forever.”

I felt my eyes open and flare at his words. His first everything? Oh God, why was that so hot?

I let myself enjoy this as my eyes slid shut once more, as I curled my fingers against the wall, no purchase to hold onto, my nails scraping against the cheap wallpaper. But it was better than reaching for him, pulling him harder against me, needing to feel every square inch of his body plastered against mine.

As if he read my thoughts, he groaned again, pressing his lower body against my belly, the very thick, very prominent outline of his desire for me digging into my stomach. He was huge, his erection big enough this fear filled me at the very thought of trying to take all of him into my body.

A fresh gush of wetness spilled from me, my body preparing itself, the obscene images of him over me, thrusting against me, pushing—making me take—all that dick into my pussy. My face heated, no doubt a flush racing

up my neck to encompass my face at the arousal and embarrassment of my thoughts.

He kissed me deeper, delving his tongue all the way in, tasting every inch of my mouth. My teeth and tongue, my inner cheeks, sliding that muscle along my upper and bottom lip before dipping back inside my mouth, claiming me from the inside out.

And that’s exactly what it felt like he was doing.

A claiming.

My hands found their way to his waist, feeling all that hard muscle underneath the thin cotton material. There was so much power underneath his golden skin and strong bones, muscles thick, power immense.

“Ah hell, lass,” he grunted against my lips.

I let my hand slide away, thinking maybe I’d overstepped by touching him, even if that thought seemed ridiculous seeing as he was grinding up on me. And the growl he made couldn’t be called anything but disapproval.

“More. Touch me more, Evie… as much as ye like. All the fooking time.”

There was more kissing, heads cocked to the sides, tongues dueling with one another. I felt insatiable, ignited.

“Gods, I’ve been waiting for ye, for this moment, my entire life.”

I knew he wasn’t talking to me but murmuring the words to himself, as if he couldn’t believe this was actually happening. I could relate, never once seeing myself in this situation. It was both exhilarating and terrifying all in the same breath.

The way he ground himself against me, rolling his hips, digging that massive erection against my belly, had my clit throbbing, my inner pussy walls clamping tight for something thick and big… something only Cian could give me.

Cian pulled back, the moment broken so quickly I sucked in air. He was breathing so hard, the warm gusts of it moving along my face. I blinked my eyes open, dragging my tongue along the bottom swell, tasting everything he was, an addicting flavor I knew I’d never get enough of.

Dangerous.

“This isn’t about me just wanting ye, Evie.” His expression was… fierce. “This is about doing everything in my fooking power tae keep ye.”

It would have been so easy to give in, to let whatever was happening transpire. A part of me wanted that… so badly. But fear of the unknown had me shaking my head and my heart racing for another reason. I placed my hands on the firm, defined pectoral muscles of his chest and pushed him back.

He retreated up instantly, his head lowered but his eyes locked on me. I started inching toward the door, my pulse racing for another reason, so loud it was all I heard.

His chuckle was low and pleased. God, he sounded so damn happy that I was making this hard for him.

“I’m a wolf, Evie. A Lycan male.”

My body shivered at the way his words caressed every single part of me, at the way he was the only one to ever give me a nickname. He made it sound so heated and sexual, so much so that my thighs clamped together hard, my pussy softening and becoming impossibly wet. My panties stuck to my folds, the material so drenched it turned me on as much as embarrassed me.

His nostrils flared as he inhaled, and I felt my eyes widen when he let out a low growl. Oh God… he can smell me. He can smell how aroused I am.

“Ye running from me does nothing but make me harder, driving the instinct tae hunt ye and take ye tae the ground once I’ve caught ye until it’s almost unbearable.” He moved a step closer, and I moved one to the side, closer toward the

door. “It makes me want tae spread those pretty thighs of yers and rut between them until I fill ye up with my seed and ye come all over my cock… giving yerself tae me in all fooking ways.”

My bare foot hit my bag, which I already had packed and ready to go by the door. Without breaking eye contact, I bent down to grab it and slung it over my shoulder. I rifled through the front pocket to get my keys, my gaze always on Cian, the survival part of me saying to run.

But another part of me, one that was becoming stronger, told me to stay, to go to him… to give myself over like he wanted, because it would be so good.

I reached behind me and turned the doorknob, the handle spinning funny in my hand, and when I wrenched it open, I realized why. The lock was broken. How he’d gotten in.

“Ye can feel how right it is tae be in my presence.” He took a step forward. “Canna ye imagine how perfect it’ll be once ye give yerself over tae me?” There was a serrated quality to his voice, one that had pleasure moving through me. I should’ve hated it… but I didn’t. I heard this almost underlying desperation, as if he waited on bated breath for me to give him the answer he desired.

I shook my head as I retreated another step, this one taking me outside. A crack of lightning sliced through the sky, illuminating it and casting this glow over Cian, giving him a sinister look. A moment later a boom of thunder followed.

And then the rain came, the sky opening up, pouring down in a rush of water, the wind whipping it sideways, soaking the oversize white shirt I wore. I started shivering, but it had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the man standing before me, sliding his gaze down to my chest. I felt my nipples pucker, the cotton sticking to my breasts, the peaks no doubt very evident.

I knew my car was right behind me, but I was frozen in place, as if cement filled my feet, as if my body refused to move away from my mate. My mate. This whole thing was illogical, insane. Then why am I not running as fast as I can to my car, leaving all of this behind?

A growl erupted, and at first I thought it was from Cian, but then I realized it came from behind me. I turned to face the parking lot. The noise came through again and it was so deep and loud, mimicking the thunder that was intermittently spiking throughout the sky. My heart was in my throat, but I saw nothing but pellets of rain, a blanket of water as it rushed down on the graveled parking lot.

And then I could see them, two large forms colliding with each other, another roar erupting, but this time it came from Cian behind me. I didn’t stop and think, my body just reacting as I ran toward my car, small pebbles from the lot digging into the bare soles of my feet. But I didn’t feel any pain. I was running high on adrenaline; this whole situation was wrong.

A little voice in my head said it wasn’t because of Cian, that wrongness that filled me, but because something else was pushing its way through… something truly dangerous.

I reached my car, but my keys slipped from my fingers in my haste to open the door, in the slickness of the rain. My entire body was soaked, my hair plastered to my face and forehead. I pushed away the strands, frantic, frightened. And then I felt intense heat cover my back, my entire body freezing as I slowly turned around and tipped my head up, up, and up until I looked into Cian’s eyes.

A gasp left me as I saw the glowing irises, a vivid blue that cast its eerie glow along me, as if he was lit from the inside out. Our chests were almost touching, Cian so much bigger than me that my head barely reached his pectoral muscles.

The rush of the rain, the boom of thunder, and the sounds of an aggressive fight happening far too close for me filled my head. But as the seconds ticked by and I stared into Cian’s eyes, everything else faded away.

He groaned deeply, his gaze lowering to my lips, water sluicing o both of us. His short hair appeared darker from the rain, the strands cast in spiky sections around his head, some pieces sticking to his forehead. And then he was lifting his hand and covering the side of my face, his palm as big as my cheek, engulfing it.

His mouth was on mine before I could react, the second kiss of my life, this one and the first happening within the past five minutes and rocking me to my core.

He broke the kiss, and I stumbled back against my car, dazed, confused. Nothing else mattered but feeling him pressed against me again.

But the flash of movement coming right toward us, of a body being tossed onto the ground, drew both of our attention and had Cian bracing himself visibly.

The man pulled himself o the ground, shaking his head as if to clear it, blood marring his neck from deep clawlike gouges on the white skin.

Cian had his back to my chest, pushing me more firmly against the car—a shield of bone and muscle and flesh.

The wind howled, the water obscuring my vision and making it hard to see anything, but as I stared at the man now standing just feet from us, his face clear and hard with anger, I felt confusion fill me.

It was the minivan guy from the Amish store.

I noticed the gun he sported, one that glinted briefly under the flash of lightning. As if he heard my thoughts, he snapped his head toward me. Cian growled low and dangerously, a warning even I recognized. Before the other

man could raise his weapon, which by the tensing of his arm I knew was about to happen, Cian launched himself at him.

The two bodies collided, one so much bigger than the other. I made a horrified sound. I found myself stepping forward, knowing how foolish it was to get in the middle of a fight that vicious, but everything inside me urged me to help Cian.

I was in a haze as I took the next step, but a steely hand clamped on my wrist, stopping me and causing me to snap my head over my shoulder.

The woman from the minivan stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. “We have to get out of here,” she urged in a harsh whisper, her gaze flickering to Cian fighting the other man. “That… that thing isn’t human.” Her voice was pitched low with thickly laced fear. “They’ll kill us.”

She started pulling me away, but I dug my heels in the now muddy ground, shaking my head because this felt wrong. This wasn’t right.

“No,” I said softly, maybe too softly for her to hear. She wasn’t listening; she kept murmuring about how dangerous it was, how we had to get out of here, how they’d tear us apart. I looked over my shoulder again but couldn’t see the fight, the wind and rain making visibility almost impossible.

I could hear them though, deep grunts and rough growls. I swore I even smelled the coppery tang of blood in the air.

“No,” I said even firmer, yanking my arm from her grasp hard enough that something popped in my shoulder. But I didn’t worry about the pain. I turned and faced her, realizing she’d dragged me to that same minivan that had screamed families and road trips.

But right now it looked like the very thing trying to take me from Cian, and every part of me revolted at that idea.

“We have to get out of here,” she pleaded. “Don’t you want to survive?”

I was shaking my head. He wouldn’t hurt me. I didn’t know how I knew that, but I was as sure of Cian’s protection as I was of the air moving into my lungs with each involuntary inhale I made.

It was only seconds that we stared at each other, but she was now the one shaking her head and moving a step closer, her expression changing from shock to cold, hard apathy.

“Do you want to be the human whore of one of those creatures, Evelyn Williams?” The loathing in her voice, the way she sneered the words out… the fact that she knew who I was, had me stumbling back. But she still had her hand wrapped around my wrist, dragging me closer, her face right in front of mine. “We don’t really want you, but you’re tied to that animal now, and so the Assembly will use you as we see fit to control these monsters.”

“W-What?” That one word was nothing but a whisper from me, and I tugged on my hand again, but her hold was unrelenting. “How do you know who I am? How do you know my name?” What in the hell is going on?

Her laugh was low and more menacing than anything I’d ever heard. “We’ve been following you, found out you Linked to that animal.” The way she said that last word was like he was the most disgusting filth she’d ever encountered. “Knew the moment he touched down, knew it was only a matter of time before he’d find you. So we kept close.”

I shook my head so hard and fast I grew dizzy. “What’s going on?” The question was rhetorical, because I honestly didn’t think I wanted to know even more than I did.

I heard a deep male grunt and looked at the fight, as if an invisible thread connected us. I still wasn’t able to see anything clearly but worried it was Cian getting injured. I didn't know how long I watched him, but I felt like I was in a trance, ensnared and unable to move, let alone think clearly.

Is this shock?

“We found the Lycans and have his human mate.

Incapacitated one of them, and Maxwell is attempting to take down the other mark. It’s clear they didn’t know about us. Caught them o guard. Intercepting now and will report back once we have the beasts in custody.”

I looked at the woman again, seeing she had procured a cell phone and spoke into it as she stared at me. My pulse beat too wildly and loudly in my ears, and coiled with the fierce weather, hearing what was said was almost impossible.

Dark ink on her wrist drew my attention, and I focused on the design. A circular starburst with a crescent shape cradled in the center.

I tore my focus from the tattoo just as I saw movement in my peripheral a second before pain exploded against the side of my head. I cried out and stumbled back, losing my footing and falling backward onto my butt. My hand cupped the side of my head, my vision blurry, the pain in my skull enough to have my eyes squeezed tight and nausea rolling through my belly. I opened my eyes just as I pulled my fingers away and saw a thick amount of blood coating the digits.

Another roar carried through the air, and I looked to where the sound came from, seeing Cian watching me with a rage-filled expression on his face, his body bigger than I’d ever seen it. That… that wasn’t a human, and I’d never been more sure of the supernatural world than I was right then.

I felt the woman grab a chunk of my hair, wrenching me up so hard I cried out. I reached up to grip her hand, trying to alleviate the pressure. Her focus was maniacal as she stared at me, then looked at presumably Cian, who was in the distance.

I used her distraction to my advantage and brought my fist up, clocking her in the side of the nose. She made a low cry, her grip loosening, but she was strong, given her small

size, and backhanded me hard enough I was cast to the side before I could catch my balance.

Another feral sound came through just as I lifted my head, my gaze on Cian once more, and saw him charging right toward us with murder on his face.

14

Cian

A

deafening—agonizing—roar exploded out of me as I charged forward. There was no logical thought in my head, no clear vision. My eyes were bleeding red with rage as I watched Evie drop to the ground, the scent of her blood coating the air.

I wasn’t human right now, clearly working on instinct, my animal in complete control. I let my beast take over, my Lycan rising up, my body growing bigger, thicker, just on the precipice of changing fully into my massive wolf.

I didn’t care if my target was male or female, human or Otherworldly. I would destroy anything and anyone who hurt my mate.

And that was what I kept thinking over and over again, those words echoing in my head in a crashing wave as I reached the person who’d hurt my female. I grunted when I felt a sting in my shoulder, but I was too far gone to care as I wrapped my hand around the thin, narrow neck, felt the pulse fluttering beneath my palm fast and filled with fear,

and twisted my wrist until I heard the snap of the bone break.

I let the body fall to the ground and was brought back to the ache in my shoulder. I looked down and saw a bullet hole.

An entrance and exit wound. Nothing fatal and one that would heal by tomorrow. It was also the least of my worries.

I dropped down to the ground before my female and picked her up as gently as I could. She was out cold, her tiny body so light in my arms. I cradled her to my chest and bowed my much bigger body over hers, blocking out the rain, letting my gaze search over her for all her wounds. She had a massive cut at her temple, blood steadily flowing from it.

I stood with her in my arms, the most precious cargo I’d ever held, would ever hold. The silence suddenly descended behind me, and I looked over at Odhran, seeing him standing over the prone body of the male I’d been fighting with earlier before I’d come to my female.

Even from the distance, I could see Odhran had a bullet wound in his side, the blood seeping through his white Tshirt. He also had what looked like taser prongs in his neck, the wires hanging down, the weapon dangling from his massive form. But he wasn’t moving, just standing there looking down at the body, his brows low, his dark hair wet and plastered to his forehead, his chest rising and falling with his almost violent breathing.

The human male had been the strongest one I’d fought yet. He’d been professionally—Otherworldly—trained. It had become clear he hadn’t wanted to kill us. He wanted to subdue us. He wanted us alive.

I walked back to Odhran, his focus still on the human, who had a gaping wound in his chest. Through the rip in his shirt, I saw a large tattoo in the center of his chest.

“Odhran?” I prompted hard, urgency in my voice. I needed to get my mate somewhere safe to tend to her

wounds and to figure out what the hell was going on. I needed to call Adryan and see if he knew what all of this meant.

I called Odhran’s name again, and he finally blinked a few times, snapping out of whatever haze he was in, and looked at me. His gaze lowered to my mate, his eyes widening. He ripped the prongs out of his neck and lifted his chin toward the car. Although he was back in the present, there was still no doubt he looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

Light started flickering intermittently from a few hotel rooms, the commotion and noise no longer drowned out by the storm, waking people up. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Once at the car, I got into the back and pulled Evie firmly onto my lap, letting her legs stretch out over the seats, unable to let her go. I’ll never let her out of my sight.

I pushed the long, dark fall of her hair away from her face and examined her again. She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid eyes on. She’s the most precious gift.

Once we were on the road, I grabbed the cell Odhran handed me and called Adryan. I placed the phone to my ear as I stared down at Evie’s face. A black-and-blue bruise was starting to form along her temple, and I clenched my jaw, my wolf howling in pain that she’d gotten hurt. The gash on her forehead didn’t look too deep, and the blood had since stopped, now drying to her hair and the side of her face.

When the line was answered, I didn’t bother waiting or giving a greeting. “We have a big fooking issue,” I grated out and pulled Evie closer to my chest, her slight body curled on my lap.

“Do we now?” Adryan drawled.

“Got attacked by two humans, and the arseholes were hard tae take down. But it was clear they knew what the hell we were.”

“Huh,” Adryan said, and I growled, unable to stop the auditory threat. “You’re still alive, bitching about it, so clearly they didn’t succeed, so I’m not sure why you’re telling me any of this.”

I closed my eyes and grappled for control. “Of course humans couldn’t take down a Lycan, but they weren’t trying tae fooking kill us. They were trying tae take us.” I saw Odhran looking at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowed, ready to jump through the phone and take down Adryan for his clear disrespect. “I need a place tae take my mate, tae care for her. I donna kno’ what the hell is going on, but given this is yer territory, I figured ye’re the one who’d have the answers.”

There was a long silence from the other end, and I could picture the bastard sitting behind his desk in a chair that was like a fucking throne in the underworld. The arrogant prick.

“And you say you had a hard time taking them down?”

Adryan finally asked in a flaccid voice.

I growled low, having no time for this. “Aye. I fooking told ye already. They’d been trained… trained to fight an Otherworld. Knew weaknesses, how tae fight, even if they didn’t stand a chance, no’ hand-tae-hand anyway. Had fooking tranq guns.” More silence, more tenseness. “He also had a tattoo,” I tacked on, remembering the mark on his chest, the one that seemed out of place, tightening the skin on the back of my neck as my instinct climbed higher that something was really wrong.

There was a low rumble on the other end, what I presumed was Adryan’s anger in verbal form. I assumed it’d probably have less dangerous males shitting their pants. It just annoyed me.

“A tattoo? Describe it to me.”

I felt my hand tighten around the phone, the plastic and metal and glass creaking, threatening to break at his fucking

order. I told him what I remembered about the marking, my eyes never leaving Evie’s face. “Adryan.” I said his name hard. Final. “I need a fooking place tae take my mate. We can discuss this once I’ve cared for her.”

The bastard exhaled as if I was wasting his time. I gnashed my teeth and held in a retort. The last thing I needed was to piss him o , even though on any other occasion I wouldn’t have given a shit.

But I had a mate now and had to think more clearly, rationally. Putting her in danger because I couldn't control myself wasn't something I’d ever risk.

“Text me your coordinates, and I’ll let you know one of my properties close by.” More fucking silence. “And Cian?”

I tensed as the tone in Adryan’s voice changed, shifting to something harder, more dangerous.

“I’ll meet you at the property tomorrow. If what I think is happening really is… then we have a big fucking problem.”

15

Evelyn

I

’d never been woken up by pain before, not something so soul searing, to where it felt like my skull had been split in two. It was breathtaking, so concentrated that I actually woke with a start, a gasp being pulled from me. I squeezed my eyes tightly but then immediately regretted it, as the motion had a sledgehammer crushing the side of my head.

I heard a deep voice, the words mu ed, my ears feeling like they were stu ed full of wool, like I was trying to hear them underwater. But with each passing second, things started to become clearer, my hearing returning to normal.

“Tha thu sàbhailte. Cha leig mi le duine do ghortachadh.”

At first I thought I was losing my mind, that I no longer understood English, or maybe I was dreaming. But could you feel pain in a dream? The deep voice kept speaking, the tone deep and masculine, the words soothing as they wrapped around me.

I realized I hadn’t lost my mind, and as a stab of pain pierced right behind my eyes, I knew I wasn’t dreaming.

Whoever was speaking wasn’t doing it in English.

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, so thankful that the light was dimmed, knowing the harsh glare would have been excruciating.

“I kept them low, because I figured the light would be too much.” The deep voice wrapped around me again, and I realized it was Cian.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my lips dry, my throat tight.

“Ye’re safe. I will no’ let anyone hurt ye.”

I blinked rapidly, my vision blurry at first, but it started to clear. I groaned and lifted my hand, touching my temple.

Memory of what had happened and why my head hurt came crashing back.

“Oh God,” I moaned, my eyes closing on their own again.

The feeling of something cool and wet touching my forehead had me snapping my eyes open and looking over at Cian. He sat beside the bed, this severe, fierce expression on his face as he stared down at me, his worry clear.

We didn’t speak, and I didn't move again as he tended to me. He brought the washcloth to my head, cooling my skin, murmuring in a language I didn't understand, but his words sounded gentle.

“Where am I?” The last thing I remembered was being hit in the head, then being yanked up by my hair. I remembered hitting the woman, getting hit again, but everything after that, I drew a blank.

“Ye’re safe,” Cian said softly again, and I realized he was keeping his voice low to be considerate of the pain in my head.

“Where are we that’s safe?” I glanced around, the room standard if not a bit plain. It gave o vibes that it wasn’t really lived in. There was the bed I was on, a dresser to the side, a slightly open door that led to a hallway, another fully open door that led to a bathroom, the closet, then a few pictures hanging on the walls depicting landscapes or floral

arrangements. The room was decked out in grays and creams. It looked like a room you’d see in a model house.

I shifted on the bed and instantly felt my stomach roiling.

I knew I was going to throw up just as I leaned over the side of the bed, a small wastebasket filled with pink-and-redtinged gauze directly below me. I reached for it just as I threw up. I felt Cian lift the heavy fall of my hair away from my face as I gagged and was in one of the most humiliating positions imaginable.

Once the nausea passed, I lay back in bed, grabbing the washcloth Cian gave me, and wiping o my mouth. “Thank you,” I said as he handed me a bottle of water and a couple of pills. I eyed them hesitantly.

“For the pain.”

Maybe I should have declined or questioned it more, but I didn’t as I popped the pills into my mouth and swallowed them with a large pull of water from the bottle. I rested back on the bed and just stared at him as he took the bottle from me, so many questions firing o in my head, yet I couldn’t find the energy to ask them.

“This is one of the properties owned by an associate of mine,” Cian said as if he knew I wanted to know things but was just too tired to ask them. “We’re safe here for the time being.”

I nodded but didn't know what I was agreeing with. All the what happens next reverberated in my head. “How long was I out?” I touched my temple again and felt the bandage covering my temple.

“We’ve only been here for the past couple of hours.

Thankfully it was stocked with medical supplies… a lot of stu tae soak up blood, I assume.” His eyes narrowed, his brows pulling down as if even thinking that pissed him o .

That was another thing to tack on to what I needed to ask

him about later. And when his eyes lifted to my face, his gaze softened. “Rest, a chiall mo chridhe.”

I felt the heavy pull of sleep start to take over. “What does that mean? What you just said.”

Cian leaned back in his chair and moved his head from side to side, the sight of him working out the kinks in his muscles strangely attractive. But the entire time, he kept his gaze locked on mine, as if he couldn't bear to not look at me.

“My dearest darling.” He gave me a small smile that shouldn’t have made any heat lick through me, given my current state, but one that most certainly did.

The endearment made me feel as if I was something special, something profound to someone else. My dearest darling… two words that shouldn’t have meant as much as they did.

“I have so many questions,” I whispered as I started to feel even more tired.

“I know,” he said softly, his voice still pitched low. “And when ye wake up, I’ll be here tae answer everything.”

In the past twenty-four hours so much had gone upside down, had been so crazy. It made me feel very unnatural.

Except where Cian is concerned, I thought. Where he was concerned, I felt like things had fallen into place, like I ran away for nothing—dare I say, the biggest mistake of my life.

Before I let that sinking darkness pull me under, I felt Cian take my hand in his and whisper, “Cha robh dithis riamh a’ fadadh teine nach do las eatarra.”

W HEN I WOKE UP AGAIN , I knew right away I was alone in the room. I sat up and noticed a plate with fresh fruit, cheese, and crackers on it, and another bottle of water sitting beside that on the bedside table.

The very idea of eating anything had my stomach roiling.

I grabbed the water and drank half of it before setting it back down and sitting up even more, my back now fully against the headboard.

The lights in the room were o , but there was enough of a glow coming through the window to illuminate up the interior.

I looked toward the window, the curtains partially pulled open, the sunset clear in the horizon. I could see thick trees just behind the house and the outline of other houses in the distance. For long moments I just lay there staring at the oranges and pinks of the sky as the sun set.

The medicine Cian had given me, coupled with a full day’s worth of sleep, had clearly been what I needed. I felt relatively good, all things considered.

I shifted on the bed again and expected to feel that sharpness in my head, but when just a full throb made itself known, I exhaled. As if Cian sensed I was awake, the bedroom door opened, and he walked in carrying a stack of clothes tucked under his arm and holding a cell phone in his other hand.

Our gazes locked, and he stopped immediately. I heard him audibly exhale. His gaze raked me from head to toe, and even if the blanket covered half my body, I somehow felt totally bared to him and his appraisal.

“How do ye feel?”

I braced my hands on the mattress and pushed myself up.

“Good, actually. Thank you.” Those last two words weren’t just because he’d saved me but because he’d taken care of me. Even though I didn’t have time to properly think about anything that was going on, it was very clear I hadn’t given this man a chance. I hadn’t given anything a chance. I let my disbelief and fear take over.

Although I didn’t know what the future held, without knowing the full story, without trying to figure things out, I’d been running from myself just as much as I had been from Cian.

He nodded slowly and shut the door behind him. “Good. I can’t stand to see ya hurt.”

My heart gave a little lurch at his words and how much I knew he meant them. He walked toward me and held out the clothes.

“I’m pretty sure these will be a little too big for ye, but there were some spare clothes in one of the dressers, and I figured ye’d rather have that than keep what ye had on. It was filthy and wet.” He cleared his throat. “Or wear my shirt.” He tipped his chin toward what I wore.

He lowered his gaze to my chest, and that’s when I also looked down and saw what I had on. It was a shirt that most definitely wasn't mine… but Cian’s. I picked at the material and felt my face heat at the fact that he’d changed me. I glanced up at him, and clearly the question was in my expression, because he lifted his free hand and rubbed it along the back of his neck.

“I dinna look. I was quick. But yer shirt was soaked, ye were shivering, passed out, and my only priority was making sure ye were okay, lass.” The shame in his eyes made it impossible for me to feel violated or upset with him. “I’d never hurt ye,” he said with determination. “I’d never take advantage of ye.” The conviction in his voice had me nodding, believing him wholly.

“I trust you. Thank you,” I whispered again, my cheeks flushed, my body sore, but I had this warm pleasure that didn’t have anything to do with being sexual moving through me.

Cian cleared his throat and handed me the phone. “I figured ye’d want tae talk tae Darragh.”

I couldn’t help the genuine smile that moved across my face. How could I have ever thought to run from this man? I didn’t even know him, yet he was doing everything in his power to keep me protected, safe, and happy.

My throat felt tight, too tight for me to even say any words. So I said nothing at all as I kept my smile in place and took the phone, my fingers brushing along his, that spark of electricity and pleasure moving up my arm and making me suck in a breath. I thought about our kiss as I stared at his blue eyes, my lips tingling, remembering how he plundered and pillaged me, taking what he wanted because he was so desperate for it.

His eyes grew hooded, a low hum leaving him. I swore I saw his eyes flash an eerie, glowing blue, but it only happened for a split second before he blinked rapidly, clearing it away.

He rubbed his hand across his face. “I’ll give ye some privacy. The bathroom’s right there.” He pointed to the side.

“If ye’d like tae clean up, take yer time. If ye need me, just call. I’ll hear.” And then he was turning and leaving.

I watched his back as he retreated before he slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him, giving me privacy. I settled against the pillows and shifted on the bed a little bit, then looked down at the cell phone. I didn’t know why I was suddenly nervous to talk to Darragh, but as I dialed her number and put the phone to my ear, I felt that anxiousness try to suck me down.

I didn’t even know what time it was, but it didn’t matter. I knew she’d be happy to hear from me, even if I woke her.

And when she answered and breathed out my name, relief in her voice, I felt myself tear up.

“Oh God, Evelyn.”

“Hey,” I said softly and closed my eyes, resting my head back on the headboard, staring at the ceiling. Her voice was a

rush of words, asking me how I was, what was going on, saying Cian had called Banner, who I found out was the Scottish Lycan king and her mate's father, and told them everything he knew. I didn’t even know everything.

“You’re okay though?”

I exhaled. “I’m okay.” I rubbed my eyes as I thought of all the things that had happened so far. Being attacked, almost being abducted, strange tattoos… not to mention all the mate and Otherworld stu . “I’m okay,” I said again.

“Physically. Mentally and emotionally, you’re okay there too?”

I smiled even though she couldn’t see me. “Yes, all my T’s are crossed and my I’s dotted. I’m good.” I swung my legs over and let my toes dangle o the edge, barely reaching the cold floor. “I’m a little banged up, but other than that, I’m whole. I can’t complain, all things considered.” I didn’t move for a moment, just to make sure I wasn’t too dizzy, but the bathroom was calling my name. My mouth tasted sour from throwing up earlier, and what I could really use was a bath.

“I miss you so much. I told Caelan we need to fly out there to be by your side, because things are going upside down, and nobody knows what the hell is going on.”

I shook my head. “No, stay there where you’re safe. Until anything is figured out, I’d much rather you be protected somewhere. I don’t want to worry about these assholes getting you too.”

“Yeah, that’s what Caelan said, even though I ranted and raved at him.”

I chuckled softly, loving that she had spit fire in my defense.

“But you’re staying at Adryan’s house? Or at least one of his?”

“I guess. Cian didn’t tell me whose house this was, and I’ve never met the owner. But it sounds like you know him?”

I could hear her softly speaking to someone and used that moment to push myself to a standing position. I had one hand braced on the mattress to steady myself, but I felt good.

My head hurt a little bit, but whatever pain medicine he’d given me helped immensely. I started making my way toward the bathroom and braced myself for the harsh light that kicked on.

“I don’t know-know him. He’s Caelan’s uncle, but Caelan has been pretty vocal about how Adryan is batshit crazy.”

Great. She stopped speaking, and even though I couldn’t see her, I could picture her biting her bottom lip, knowing there was more she wanted to say. But her anxiousness had her stalling. “What? Darragh, just say it, because at this point, there’s nothing you can really say that’s going to shock me,” I teased, or at least tried to. “He’s a batshit crazy Lycan uncle—” “Yeah, so he’s a vampire, not a Lycan. Caelan’s mother is a vampire.”

“Of course they are.” I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, grimacing at the hot mess I was. Dark hair a tangled around my head, and a square bandage on my temple that was seeping pink in the center.

Dark circles under my eyes, and my skin pasty white. I look down at the T-shirt I wore, the material even more oversize than the one I’d put on before at the motel. I picked at the fabric in the center of my chest and brought it to my nose, closing my eyes as I inhaled. It smelled just like Cian, that dark and spicy aroma that did wicked things to my body.

“Did you hear me?”

I shut the door and lifted my head to look at my reflection. “Yeah.”

Darragh started laughing. “I don’t even have to be right in front of you to know you’re lying.”

I couldn’t help but smile and was thankful I had someone in my life who could make things seem a little bit brighter when they all seemed fucked-up.

16

Evelyn

H

alf an hour later and I was freshly washed, my hair finger combed, my teeth cleaned with the new toothbrush and mouthwash I found in the bathroom—thank God—and the new oversize clothes on.

I tightened the drawstring of the sweatpants, smoothed my hands down the T-shirt that hung limply on my smaller form, and left the bedroom. I was nervous, not sure what exactly I was jumping into right now but knowing if danger was at the forefront, there was no better place for me to be than with Cian.

I heard the deep voices coming from down the hall and followed, rounding the corner and seeing Cian and an unfamiliar man—just as large and clearly a Lycan, given his similar build as my mate—standing in the center of the living room. From where I stood, I could see the man had a nasty-looking scar that started on the top of one side of his face and cut a line all the way down. He looked younger, late twenties, but after knowing about Lycans and their ages, I knew the male was far older. His hair was a lighter blond

that was shorter in the back and sides and longer in the front, the strands hanging over his forehead and long enough to fall into his eyes.

Their heads were low as they spoke softly, their language not something I understood but was starting to assume was Gaelic, given their Scottish heritage.

As if Cian sensed my presence, even though his back was to me, he turned around, his face softening, the hard lines of concentration that had just been in his expression fading away. He was in front of me in a few steps, a massive body looming over mine yet not intimidating.

“Ye shouldn’t be out of bed.” The rough timbre of his voice shouldn’t have done the things they did to my body, causing places to tingle that should have been dormant right now, given the stress. But I let it seep into me. I took comfort in it.

“I feel better,” I said honestly.

The silence stretched out before Cian finally said, “Tog na siùil.” Cian never took his gaze o mine, but it was clear he spoke to the other man, as he left right away after the words were out.

When we were alone, just inches separating us, I had the uncontrollable urge to lean into him, but I needed answers before I gave in to this intense attraction. “Who was that?”

Cian stepped aside and gestured for me to take a seat on the couch.

Once I sank down, I felt a little of the pressure leave my head. He stood there for a moment as if he was contemplating sitting beside me, and I moved over an inch, a nonverbal cue that he was welcome to sit down. I kept it to myself that I wanted him by me.

He dropped his big body gracefully down to the cushion, and I was once again very aware of his sheer size. Even sitting, my head barely reached his shoulders.

“You’ll answer all my questions?” I finally prompted, breaking the silence. He shifted that big, powerful body around so he was partially facing me and inclined his head in agreement.

God, where to start?

“Who was that other man?”

“Odhran,” he said instantly. “He’s a Lycan in the Guard.”

At my confused look, he went on to explain. “Soldiers of my kind who I train.”

“So, you’re like the leader?”

His lips quirked. “In human terms, I’m like the general of the Guard. We have a leader of our kind, the king of the Scottish Lycan clan. Banner.”

I nodded mutely. “Oh boy. So much—” “Insanity,” he said with amusement in his voice. I laughed softly and nodded again. “I can imagine how hard it is tae come tae terms with all of this, tae be thrust intae a world ye only thought was make-believe.”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah.” I smoothed my hands down my thighs and pressed on. “It's a little hard to take in, that’s for sure.” I smiled at him. “So everything Darragh told me was the truth? Like all of it?” I could’ve emphasized everything.

Lycans, fated mates, vampires and werewolves and who knew what else there was out there. But I didn’t need to go into detail. He exhaled and inclined his head again, not speaking, just listening, letting me set the pace for this conversation.

I swallowed and looked around the room, mainly just to get my bearings, let his nonverbal a rmation settle into me.

The living room followed the same monotone color scheme and bland decor the bedroom sported. Gray and cream shades, tan tweed couch and love seat, co ee table between the two pieces of furniture, home living style magazines on top of that. The few pictures on the wall were of landscape

scenes, and there was a potted plant in the corner I was pretty sure was fake.

“Will you leave me alone if I told you I didn’t want any of this?” I whispered and wasn’t looking at him as I asked the question, but I could feel his gaze on me, his eyes hard and penetrating. I finally glanced at him when the silence stretched on, his expression having me suck in a sharp breath at the sheer intensity of it.

He slowly shook his head. “I canna. Ye’re my mate, and I’ll be by yer side until the day I die.”

I worried at my bottom lip, because although his words should scare the hell out of me, the truth was there was this spark of life in me at hearing them. Never alone. Someone always at my side.

“Ye’re my Linked Mate, the one person born tae be completely mine, the same as I am yers.” There was pride in his voice, his chest pu ed out, his chin tipped up. “For two hundred and fifty years, I’ve lived a life of solitude—” “Two hundred and fifty years?” I choked out, my eyes feeling huge. Holy shit. “I’m only twenty-three.” I didn’t know why that mattered mentioning, but to know this man beside me was centuries old on top of being some mystical beast made my head spin even more. Good God, what in the hell kind of world have I been living in?

His lips quirked as if he was trying to suppress amusement. “My kind, the Lycans, are part of the Otherworld, which is made up of many di erent creatures.”

“Are you immortal?”

He shook his head. “We can live up tae a millennia, though.”

I grew dizzy at what he said and let myself fall back on the couch as I stared at the ceiling, but then I thought of something that had my brows pulling low. “You know a human’s life expectancy is nowhere near yours, right? How

does that exactly work? I’d die well before you do—” My words were cut o by the room-shaking growl that came from him.

He leaned closer so we were almost nose to nose, the scent of him so concentrated this close that my mind was short-circuiting. I couldn’t think, let alone breathe.

“When I claim ye—” When, not if, I noticed right away.

“I’ll mark yer neck,” he said and let his gaze move down my face to my throat. I felt the spot he focused on tingle wildly.

“It’ll ensure our lives are forever connected. Ye’ll age as I do.”

I involuntarily lifted my hand to place it on the side of my neck, my skin feeling ultra-warm. I had to break eye contact because he was too intense, too consuming. I couldn’t think straight. But there was this gravitational pull to him that I just couldn’t deny. My body once again heated as my thoughts went to that kiss we’d shared, my lips tingling all over again.

“What I…” I cleared my throat, as even thinking about it, let alone saying it, made my body light on fire. “What I’ve been feeling toward you, this… attraction”—to put it really mildly—“is it because of this Linked Mate connection?” I felt my face heat at the fact that I was basically admitting I wanted him. Hell, I knew he’d smelled my arousal back at the motel.

His close proximity, his smell, the pure masculinity that spilled from him—it all had my breath coming fast, this ache settling between my thighs, and this need rushing through me.

He purred—freaking purred—as he braced an arm on the back of the piece of furniture, right behind me, and moved forward even more. In turn, I leaned back, but the arm of the couch stopped my retreat. Not that I was trying to escape, if I were being totally honest. This arousal in me had steadily

grown since I’d seen Cian, getting even worse—or better, depending on how I looked at it—once I saw him in person.

For a long moment we breathed the same air, and I couldn’t take my eyes o his. I wanted to be so lost in the desire and pleasure that this man brought out in me for the first time in my life that I was oblivious to all the dangers that had been thrust into my life recently. I wanted to fully feel what it was like to be so possessed by the need to be with somebody that all rational thought left and I threw caution to the wind.

And that’s what I wanted to feel with Cian. That’s what I thought as I focused on that and nothing else and closed the gap that separated us.

I kissed him softly, just a brush of my lips against his. His body tensed instantly, but it was only for a millisecond before he groaned, his control slipping. The kiss turned intense, our heads cocked to the sides, lips moving together, tongues pressing to one another. I’d never been kissed before him, but it was as if my body knew what to do, as if surrendering to Cian was the most natural thing on the planet.

He hadn’t even touched me aside from our lips pressed together, him tonguing me, fucking my mouth, but it felt like his hands were all over me, his mouth on every erogenous zone I had. I was panting against him, feeling drugged, drunker than I’d ever felt in my life.

In the next second he hauled me onto his lap, my legs spread on either side of his thighs, the massive length of his hard cock pressed right against my pussy. The sweats I wore were thin, and with the lack of panties—because I wasn’t about to put on the same ones I’d worn the night before—I felt every single inch of that length nestled right against my slit.

He groaned and rested his head back slightly, his eyes half-closed, his irises glowing blue. His lips were parted, red, and slightly swollen from our kissing. Oh God, he had fangs, twin canines that were long and sharp, which I knew were for biting—knew were for marking me.

My neck tingled at the images I conjured of him above me, holding me down with his huge body, my head turned to the side as he bit me and forced me to take whatever he had to give. My pussy was so wet the crotch of the sweatpants stuck to my slit, the seam rubbing erotically against my clit.

His hands were on my hips, gently curling into my flesh, urging me down on him.

And God help me, but I let it happen.

My eyes closed on their own when I relaxed on his lap and let Cian take control. He started rocking me back and forth on his cock, sharp bursts of pleasure racing up my spine and exploding outward to the tips of my fingers and toes.

“This is insane,” I murmured in a half-delirious haze of ecstasy. With my hands on his shoulders, I braced myself as I started moving with him, rocking harder, grinding myself against his dick that felt too long and too thick to fit in me comfortably.

“This is right, mo ghràidh.”

The breath exploded out of me as an embarrassing moan slipped from my parted lips.

“Use me. Come on me.”

I couldn’t stop myself as I writhed back and forth, using him to find that peak of pleasure. Even through the material of our pants, I could feel every hard inch of him. I even felt the definition at the tip, the head bulbous, just as big and round as his dick was. I didn’t care that I was moaning. I didn’t care that it was loud or that Odhran could probably hear me. I didn’t care about anything but reaching that precipice and falling over the edge because of Cian.

I dug my nails into his shoulders and heard his gru words in Gaelic. They fueled me on, gave me the strength so I didn’t think about how embarrassing I was probably acting right now.

And when he slid his big hands over my hips and up my sides, waiting a second when he was right under my breasts as if he wanted permission, I moaned, “Yes,” just as he curled those massive palms around the mounds. He squeezed my flesh and grunted. My pleasure reached so high I’d touch the sky.

“That's it.” He growled those two words, and I swore I felt them right in my clit, felt the bundle of nerves throb in time with my pulse.

I started moving faster and harder, shamelessly grinding myself against him. I opened my eyes, but my vision was blurry from the pleasure.

“Yeah, that’s it. Hell, Evie. Ye’re so fooking hot. Come for me, mo ghràidh.”

“Oh… God.” I felt the orgasm start to rise and closed my eyes once more.

“No,” Cian ordered in a dark tone. “Look at me when I get ye o . Every single time.”

I tore my eyes open, unable to disobey the command. He lifted his hand and curled it slightly around my throat, his thumb brushing over my pulse point, his gaze fierce.

“Tell me how right this feels.”

I gasped at his sharp tone and became wetter, my pussy feeling achy.

“It feels so right,” I moaned loudly, unabashedly.

“Tell me ye’ve been waiting for this—me—yer entire life.”

I moaned like a wounded animal but didn’t care how wanton I sounded. “Yes,” I cried out. “God yes, I’ve been waiting for this.”

And then the orgasm exploded out of me in blinding force. And all the while, he massaged one breast with possessiveness while his other hand held my neck in clear ownership. There was a sharp stab of pleasure and pain when he tweaked my nipple between his forefinger and thumb that had me spiraling even higher.

I knew my wetness was soaked clean through the sweatpants. But I didn’t care.

“Fook yes,” he snarled, his eyes flashing blue, the male before me very much not human. And God, it turned me on.

He held me the entire time, and when I started coming down from my orgasmic high, he pulled me in closer and kissed me deeply. I let him swallow me whole, just allowed the sensations of him tonguing the inside of my mouth in gentle, thorough sweeps lull me into this safe space that felt equally terrifying and the greatest thing I’d ever experienced.

He broke the kiss and pulled me closer, chest to chest, his arms wrapped around me, his cock still massive and hard beneath me. I couldn’t breathe, sweat lining my brow, my breasts feeling heavier than they’d ever felt, my pussy wetter than it had ever been. He murmured soft words in Gaelic that I knew were endearments as he stroked his hand up and down my back.

I closed my eyes and sank against him, not letting myself think too hard about what I had just done with this virtual stranger. But he was right—it didn’t feel wrong. It felt so right, the most perfect experience I’d ever had in my life.

When there were three hard raps on the front door and Cian tightened his arms around me, a low growl spilling from his throat that vibrated throughout my entire body, I was instantly pulled from that euphoria.

17

Evelyn

I

felt like I’d once again been dropped into some alternate universe as Odhran appeared out of nowhere and stalked toward the front door. Cian had me lifted o him and stood a second later, but I didn't miss how he kept his big body directly in front of mine. Always protecting me.

I was a strong and independent woman, but even I knew when I didn’t stand a chance of defending myself. And this was one of those times. Because the men standing just feet from us held a sinister air to them that had my muscles tightening and this weird clench in my belly.

The male who stood in front of the other four was massive, and although all these men had to be around the same size in height—at least six and a half feet tall—and all of them were equally stacked in muscle, there was something… not right about that one.

The man said nothing as he stared at me—much to Cian’s disapproval, if the growling from my mate was anything to go by.

“Donna fooking look at her.” Cian reached behind himself and wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me even closer to the hardness of his back.

The man with the dark hair started laughing low, his lips splitting into a shit-eating grin. “Wolf,” he said in greeting, his voice a husky tenor. “If I wanted to get your female, nothing and no one could stop me.”

The air in the room changed, becoming frigid as Cian and Odhran both leaned their upper bodies forward, taking a very clear fighting stance.

Adryan held his hands up, palms outward in a submissive gesture, yet I could see this man had never been that in his life. Not to mention his grin was sardonic and totally arrogant.

Cian was still tense and kept his hand wrapped around my waist, and I did the same with my palm in the center of his back. He looked behind his shoulder and down at me, and I could see the tightness around his eyes softening. My heart did a little gallop in my chest. And I realized that in barely twenty-four hours I’d gone from fear of the unknown and an unbelievable world, to me understanding that truth was definitely stranger than fiction.

And it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Are you not going to introduce me to your mate?”

Adryan asked with that cockiness I was starting to realize was just him.

I expected Cian to lunge and just snap, but I was surprised how he thrust his shoulders back and tipped his chin up.

From my vantage point, I could see the expression on his profile looked like one of pure… pride.

“I could,” he said with menace in his voice that was undeniable. “But I donna particularly want ye or any of the other fookers ye brought anywhere near my female.”

My eyebrows lifted to my hairline, and this flare of indignation filtered through me. Although I trusted Cian to protect me, this caveman mentality that he didn’t even want to introduce me to another person of the opposite sex grated on my nerves. But before I could say anything, Adryan was chuckling again.

“Do my boys intimidate you?” Adryan flashed his very white and very straight teeth.

Cian snorted. “Hardly. But apparently ye needed an entire fooking army backing ye up tae come speak with us.”

A thick silence stretched out before Adryan said, “James, Mateo.” Two of the men behind him stepped forward. “Go ahead to the Meadow House. Make sure everything is set up, and I’ll be there shortly.”

The two men nodded silently in agreement, and then they were gone.

“Maybe we should talk privately about this?” Adryan arched a brow and pointedly looked in my direction.

And just like that, my irritation over the whole “me caveman, you my woman” attitude Cian had exhibited faded.

He knew and acknowledged that I deserved to be a part of this too.

Adryan shrugged. “Fine by me. I think females should know who’s trying to fuck with them. There isn’t anything worse than an overprotective male who doesn’t see his mate can handle herself.”

Cian made a deep grunt. “We’ll see if that’s still how ye think when ye find yer mate.”

I swore I saw a flick of something conflicted and hard pass over Adryan’s face at those words, but it was gone so fast I wondered if I imagined it.

“Fucking watch it, Cian.”

If someone could be strangled from tension, I imagined in this moment it would have happened.

Adryan exhaled as if annoyed. “I think what we’re dealing with is the Assembly.”

I stepped to the side so I could see better, much to Cian’s disapproval, given his scowl in my direction. But he didn’t say anything or try to stop me. “I heard one of the attackers say that term.” All eyes were on me, and I felt on display as I swallowed my nerves and pulled my shoulders back, trying to act like I wasn’t in a roomful of creatures that I’d once thought were only fairy tales.

Adryan gave a sharp nod, his eyes becoming clearer after I spoke, the low-level rage coming from him, I knew, just the tip of what made him as unhinged as I assumed.

“What—or who—the hell is that?” Odhran was the one to ask.

“Back in the ’50s, an organization became known to us,” Adryan said evenly. “But then they dropped o the face of the earth before we could do anything about it. Not sure if they were tipped o or felt the heat from the supernatural side.” He shrugged again. “I don’t know, but they disappeared and have been quiet until now.”

“And how do ye kno’ the ones who attacked us are this Assembly group?”

“The tattoo,” Adryan growled. “The fuckers brand themselves. We don’t know how long they’ve been around, but presumably since the beginning of the Otherworld, or shortly after.”

Cian grunted beside me in a noncommittal way, but when I looked at him, I could see and hear his jaw working as he took in that information.

“So what else do we kno’ about them?” Cian asked.

“What I found out before they went underground is that they’re an organization run by some of the most powerful and wealthy humans in the world. That’s the only reason they have the means and resources to do what they do. And

because they do what they do, it’s safe to say they are super fucked-up.” Adryan went over to the couch and sat, making himself comfortable. The other two men stayed in place, very clearly related by their similarities. One watched Cian and the other Odhran.

“Their soldiers are known as Shepherds.” Adryan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Fucking dumb, but whatever,” he murmured.

“And what?” Cian hedged. “These soldiers abduct Otherworld species and humans for what purpose?”

Adryan grimaced, or what I supposed was as close to one as an arrogant asshole like him could muster. He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his thighs. “I assume they hunted your female down because they wanted to use her to get to you.”

“And what do they want with us?” Odhran asked when Adryan hadn’t answered Cian.

Adryan leaned back and kicked his booted feet up onto the co ee table. “They hunt the Otherworld down so we can be their exhibits.”

I felt my eyes widen and my eyebrows lift once again. I asked Adryan, “Like… like a zoo exhibit?”

“Give the girl a prize for her correct answer.” He winked.

“I told you they were fucked-up.” He sighed. “Let’s get real.

Your clan of Lycans keep to themselves up in the fucking Highlands,” Adryan said matter-of-factly.

“Canna deny that,” Cian said and glanced down at me, his eyebrows pulled low, his expression one of intensity.

“I think the Otherworld was getting too close back in the ’50s, and that’s why the Assembly disappeared underground.

We figured out they drugged and kidnapped our kind and used us like fucking sideshows.”

“That’s horrendous.” I hadn’t meant to say the shocked words out loud.

“Yeah, sounds about right. If you have enough money in the human world, and a hell of a lot of power, influence, and connections, you can get anything you fucking want. And what the Assembly wants is us. The Otherworld.”

“How did ye even find out about them back then?”

Odhran took a step toward Adryan, but it was clear he was invested in this. There was some strange expression on his face that could only be called personal. I saw a flicker of an expression cross Adryan’s face and wondered if he’d caught on to Odhran too.

“Had a male escape them and made his way to us.

Unfortunately he died shortly after. But he told us enough.”

He paused, and I felt like he did it for e ect. “If someone has even more money to burn instead of just taking a walk down the halls to gawk at caged creatures they’d only thought were in fiction, they can pay for what is known as Sessions.”

I felt the air in the room grow even thicker.

“For an even more exorbitant amount, they’re able to watch acts of torture, rape, or even participate in it themselves.” Adryan’s face showed nothing, but there was dark rage behind his eyes. “Really corrupt motherfuckers, the kind who would be okay with selling women and children… or worse, if you get my fucking drift.”

He snarled those last words, and I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. Good God. How could anyone do that to anyone?

“I’m not sure who runs that shit show, but it’s absolutely someone of high power in the human world. Judge, billionaire mogul, hell, fucking trust-fund baby with too much time on their hands.”

“Fooking Shepherds,” Odhran growled. “Like they’re tending to a flock.”

The low rumble that came from the other male was so loud I found myself inadvertently moving toward Cian. He

wrapped his arm around my shoulders and snapped out something angry and loud in Gaelic to Odhran.

Odhran was breathing hard and lifted his hand to rub it over his jaw. He kept saying things in Gaelic, low and rushed things that were clearly meant just for him. But the way Cian’s face paled had me even more worried.

“They don’t give a shit about humans that I know of, unless they’re personally connected to us,” Adryan said, clearly not caring about the breakdown Odhran was going through right now. “Must have put two and two together, seeing you with your mate. Wanted to use her to control you, I presume.” He shrugged. “Smart. We all know a mated Otherworlder would do anything to protect his female.”

Cian cursed, and I looked up at him, knowing my expression conveyed one of worry, fear, and a whole lot of what in the hell is going to happen next?

Adryan clapped his hands together and stood. “I have another property close to this one that currently holds all our tech shit to get down to the bottom of this. I’m more of an eye-for-an-eye, hand-to-hand-combat type of guy, real old-school, if you get my drift, but in this day and age, you can’t get past the whole advancement of technology.”

“Do you think these people are still close, the ones who tried to take us?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Couldn’t say for sure. They are smart and stayed hidden all these decades. I assume they were alerted to Cian and Odhran landing and thought they’d be easy targets. But I’m not sure how’d they know about you two coming in. Seems weird, right?”

“But they don’t bother you?” I questioned.

He grinned. “Darlin’, no one fucking bothers me if they want to keep their head on their neck. But I’m assuming they were going for low-hanging fruit when they went after the Scottish wolves.” Cian growled. “Calm down, man. I didn’t

mean ’cause you’re easy pickings in that sense. Meant they probably know how secluded your kind stays, so you wouldn’t be on to them. Ain’t no way those fuckers could sneak up on my ass. I’m too paranoid for my own good, and I know about them.” Again with the grin. “I’ll text you the address where you need to be tomorrow night so we can get this shit settled.”

I swallowed, this massive fear suddenly spiking in me at the idea of Cian going up against these maniacs known as the Assembly and the fucked-up things that could happen.

“Stay in the house. It’s mystically protected, so it can’t be tracked by Otherworld or standard means. You’ll be safe here.” Cian gave a nod but didn’t say anything. “Until tomorrow night,” Adryan said smoothly. “Enjoy your mate, Lycan.” Just as Cian growled and went to attack, Adryan was leaving and smiling as he went.

And we were left in the aftermath of all the shit he’d just dropped on us.

18

Evelyn

O

nly a couple of hours had passed since Adryan left, yet it seemed so much longer. In the past day I’d realized my fate and destiny had changed drastically, that there was an entire world of creatures that had only ever been in folklore and fantasy. And now there was some kind of insane organization that wanted to control, oppress, and subjugate said creatures.

And I had no choice but to embrace it.

I sat in the bedroom I deemed as mine, even though I’d only been here for a day. I hadn’t been able to eat, which Cian hadn’t hide his disapproval about. I’d retreated to the room and had been sitting in the same spot just staring at the wall and thinking about everything and anything that didn’t have to do with my current situation. But that was easier said than done.

The soft knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts, and before I could say anything, Cian pushed open the door. I couldn’t help it—I smiled when I saw him. Seeing him instantly had the stress and worry that plagued me

fading to the background. It was as if he was my own personal shot of dopamine.

“How are ye doing, lass?”

I tried not to let that he called me lass warm me, but the way it rolled o his tongue in that Scottish accent, as if he said it in an almost cherished way, was definitely getting to me. In the best way.

He stepped inside and shut the door, but he didn’t move closer. He leaned back against the wood and just stared at me. He looked good, too good to be natural. In fact, I wondered if his kind was meant to be physically attractive and superior in that regard… for me.

He finally came forward, but his steps were slow, almost unsure, as if he was afraid of spooking me even more. He stopped a few feet from me, glancing at the bed, but still didn’t move any closer. I shifted over on the bed and patted the spot beside me in a friendly invitation. The truth was I wanted him close, a part of me needing his presence as stability, an anchor in the turbulent ocean that had become my life.

The smile he gave me was bright and big, once again as if he couldn’t believe I was sitting right here before him. And my heart lurched in my chest. When he sat next to me, the bed dipping from his substantial height and weight, I slid closer to him. I placed my palms flat on the bed to stop myself from sliding even more, but the truth was I wouldn’t mind being plastered right up against his side.

“Lass, ye need tae eat. Ye’ll make yerself sick.” I could hear the worry in his voice, and I felt bad that I’d caused it.

“I tried. But my mind is on other things, and stress is kind of an appetite suppressant.”

He didn’t say anything else, didn’t push me, berate me, try to parent me on what was best for me. He didn’t do

anything but sit there and give me the silent support I felt surround me.

“Cian,” I said softly and lifted my head to look at him fully. “What’s going to happen next?” I licked my lips and started rubbing my hands up and down my sweats. “Because I’m pretty damn scared.”

My body tightened in pleasure when I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders as he tucked me in closer. Our thighs touched, my body pressed right up against him. I rested my head on his chest, staring straight ahead, taking in his scent, letting his warmth move through me.

“Ye donna have tae be scared,” he said in that rough timbre that set me on fire. “I’m no’ going tae let anything harm ye. I’m no’ going tae let anyone take ye away from me.” I felt the way his fingers tightened against my arm, as if he wanted to reassure himself that I was right here with him.

I couldn’t answer, so I just moved my arm behind him and wrapped it around his waist. I felt his body tense as I held him like he held me, but there was nothing sexual about this act. It was two people comforting each other in the face of the unknown. Or more so Cian comforting me, because I felt this supernatural man didn’t let anything threaten him.

After long moments I finally asked, “What did Odhran say that made you look the way you did, as if you’d seen a ghost?”

He didn’t speak for a long second, and I wondered if he’d answer me. It wasn't my business, but given the situation, I felt like whatever Odhran had said was tightly connected to all the things going on. Finally he gave my arm a gentle squeeze and then pulled away, shifting on the bed so his body was now facing me and he could look into my face.

“Odhran is as old as I am… and once had a mate. He claimed she was his war prize, but she was kidnapped before

he could mark her as his.” My eyes widened slightly at the fact that he used past tense. He ran a hand over the back of his head and exhaled. “He changed after that, became more aggressive, withdrawn if it didn’t have to do with battle. And he’s been searching for decades to find her.”

I didn’t say anything, didn’t ask him questions, even though they were at the tip of my tongue. I waited for him to sift through his memories and thoughts to tell me when he was ready.

“That human man we were fighting at the motel parking lot, before he died… he told Odhran they had his mate and he’d never find her. He confirmed that tae be the truth when he said her name.”

The air left me violently at that revelation.

“Of course at the time, we didn’t kno’ who had taken his mate, but now it’s verra clear it was the Assembly.” His jaw clenched tightly. “I can only imagine the horror and pain Odhran has been living with this whole time. And the only reason he hasn’t succumbed to fading away is the hope she’s still out there.”

I felt my eyes prickle with the threat of tears, and I swallowed, my throat tight as emotion tried to clog it. I had to assume his mate was a supernatural creature, that or at this point, decades later, she’d be elderly if she were human.

But I didn’t ask any of these things. It was clear that it was hard for Cian to even mention all of this, and it wasn’t even about his mate. I couldn’t imagine what Odhran was feeling.

I felt the tears slide down my cheeks. Cian snapped his head in my direction instantly, and the way his face softened as he took in the sadness clearly written on my face, how he lifted his hand and smoothed the droplets of tears away with his thumb, had me crying harder.

He pulled me into a tight embrace until soon I was sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped fully around me, my hands

clutching his T-shirt, my face buried against his neck. I was crying for a lot of di erent reasons. Odhran losing something so precious to him, the evil that was chasing us and that wanted to hurt Cian and Odhran because of what they were born as, and all the stress finally bubbling to the surface and spilling over. It all just came to a head until I couldn’t control it anymore.

I didn’t know how long I stayed like that, sitting on his lap, clutching him as he held me, but soon my tears dried, the hiccups dissipating, and I felt like I had a semblance of control again.

I pulled back but only enough so I could see his face. He slid one hand up my back, over my shoulder, and along my neck to cup the side of my face. The feel of his thumb stroking my cheek had me leaning into his touch. When I was with Cian, I felt like I was wading in a warm pool, floating with this surreal contentment moving through me. I didn’t know if it was this Linked Mate connection we had, or if it was because, for the first time in my life, I knew I meant something profound to somebody else.

“I’m sorry for breaking down, for showing weakness,” I said softly and didn’t know why I needed to tell him. I’d never apologized for how I acted before, but I also knew I had to be strong right now.

The soft smile he gave me, the way he kept stroking my cheek, his other hand resting on my lower back, didn’t make me feel weak. It actually made me feel stronger than I ever had before.

“Ye’re no’ weak. Ye’re human with verra human emotions, and that’s an incredible thing.”

I held my breath as I noticed his gaze lower to my mouth, and a second later he was kissing me softly.

I could tell it wasn’t a kiss of sexual need, but one where he wanted to be close to me in an innocent way. He broke

away far too soon and murmured, “When ye’re a species in the Otherworld, ye’re meant tae be strong, to show no weakness. The vulnerability that humans have, that almost innocence, this lack of perceived strength that they think is a downfall… it’s verra beautiful.” He looked down at my lips again. “It’s beautiful on ye.”

My breath hitched at his tone and softly spoken words. I slipped my hands up his chest, over the hard planes of his pectorals, and curled my fingers around his shoulders.

Everything was so upside down right now that all I wanted was to have control, to make decisions for myself that I knew the outcome of.

What I wanted, who I wanted was Cian.

And so I leaned forward and kissed him again, our lips barely brushing, his mouth soft and yielding to me. Our eyes were still open, and his expression was one that showed shock and… hope. It also showed his glowing blue eyes, and I felt the rumble from his chest. My pussy clenched, my nipples aching.

“I want you,” I whispered against his mouth and pulled back, gauging his reaction. His eyes were hooded, his arousal clearly written on his face. And I felt the physical proof of how much he really wanted me pressed against my ass, the thick, hard length causing my pussy to become even wetter.

“We have all the time in the world, my Evie. We donna have tae do this now. I’ve waited two and half centuries for ye. I can wait as long as ye need.”

I softened against him farther at his words, at the fact that I knew they were the truth. The knowledge that I had this kind of control over him was heady. Knowing he wanted me so much he couldn’t physically control himself was drugging.

I shook my head at his words because I didn’t—wouldn't —stop this. Did we really have all the time in the world? If

those people attacked us once, they’d do it again, wouldn’t they? Would this be a never-ending cycle of where we were just running constantly, always looking over our shoulders until one day we were killed or Cian was taken?

I felt all of that seep into me as Cian cupped both sides of my face and brought our foreheads together.

“We have all the time in the world,” he emphasized again, saying each word slowly, pushing them through the haze of panic that started to rise. “I will no’ let ye go.”

I didn’t know how the next sequence of events happened, but before I knew it, my hands were wrapped around his neck, my lips slanted against his. I was frantic as I kissed him, stroking my tongue along the seam of his mouth until he groaned for me, parting his lips so I could sink inside.

I moaned in return. His flavor was addicting, stealing my sanity and having that frantic panic rising in me for a whole di erent reason. All I could think about was giving myself to Cian in every single way imaginable, connecting us as only two people could be, in the most intimate of ways. I wanted him over me, his big, heavy body pressing me down to the mattress, stealing some of the air from my lungs as he pushed into me, as he forced me to take every inch of him.

I wanted to feel that pleasure, that pain. I wanted to feel the darkness, because I knew Cian wouldn’t let it take me. I wanted it all, and I knew he wouldn’t deny me.

“Evie,” he growled against my mouth, and I could feel the hesitation, wondering if he’d stop me, if he’d stop this.

“Don’t say no. Don’t tell me no.” I was the one to cup his face now, his scru -roughened cheeks scraping under my palms and sending tingles of awareness down to my pussy.

My inner muscles clenched hard, the very idea of him inside me causing so much wetness to spill from me that I had no doubt in a matter of minutes my sweatpants would be soaked clean through.

He growled deeply and said, “Never.” And then his hand was tunneling into the back of my hair, his fingers curling against the strands hard. He pulled my head back forcefully until the gasp of surprise mixed with pleasure and pain slammed through my body. His mouth worked on my throat, lips, and tongue, teeth and sharpened fangs scraping along the tender skin of my neck until I moaned wildly.

He started nibbling on the side of my neck, and explosions of ecstasy washed through me. I could hear him murmuring, but his words were mu ed against my flesh, and I knew they were in Gaelic.

“English,” I cried out at how good this all felt. “I want to know what you’re saying.” My words sounded needier than I meant, but I was surprised I could even form a coherent sentence for as hot as I was right now.

Cian gripped my hips, and I felt a prick of pain. I forced myself to look down and see his nails were now sharpened into claws. Oh God, why does that turn me on so much? Why did the knowledge that he was starting to turn have another gush spilling from my pussy?

The world shifted slightly as he adjusted me, turned me so my knees were on either side of his waist, my body straddling his. I felt his hard cock pressed right to my pussy.

It was the same position we’d been in on the couch, and I couldn’t complain. I wouldn’t, not when I started rubbing myself back and forth on him, grinding my pussy against his cock, hating that we had any kind of clothes obstructing skin on skin.

“Evie,” he growled and nipped at my throat, and I gasped, tangling my hands in his short hair, pulling at the strands until he grunted and lifted his hips in time with my pussy rubbing along his cock. “I said I’m going tae put my mark here. I’m going tae mark ye so fooking hard it’s never going to heal fully. Every damn male is going tae kno’ that

ye’re mine, and if they dare tae even look at ye, they’ll kno’ my wrath.”

He slid his hand to my throat and curled his fingers around it, holding me firmly and bringing my mouth back to his. He tongued me so good, so hard and possessively, that there wasn’t an inch of my mouth I was sure he didn’t already have memorized.

I ran my tongue along one of the sharpened canines, feeling it prick at the very tip, hearing him groan right before he sucked on my tongue, drawing up the blood from that tiny cut.

“I need you,” I moaned, sounding so desperate that I should’ve been embarrassed. But God… I wasn’t.

“I donna want tae rush ye. I want tae be gentle… but I donna think I can.”

I tugged at his hair until he broke the kiss, until we were looking into each other’s eyes, and I could see his glowing blue irises. “Who said I wanted gentle? I just want you.”

He made a deep sound, and then I was flat on my back in the center of the mattress, Cian looming over me and his hands tearing at my clothing. I was all too happy to help, lifting my hips so he could pull my pants down, raising my upper body up so my shirt could be tossed aside.

And then he was going for his clothes before I could beg him to do just that. He reached behind his head and grabbed his shirt, pulling it up and over his head before tossing it aside. The air left me violently at the sight of his chest.

Broad shoulders tapered down to bulging biceps. His chest was wide and just as hard, hills and planes of sinew and tendons, cut muscles a stark contrast underneath his golden skin. His abdomen had slabs and slabs that made up his six-pack.

But he also had scars, little ones, long ones, ones that looked deep, ones that were old and faded. I found myself

pushing up until I was sitting, my hands going right to his chest as I let my fingers skate along those marks.

“I’ve been in many battles, mo ghràidh. And I’m sure I’ll be in more before I take my last breath.”

I felt like a vise was squeezing around my chest, tighter and tighter until my heart was painful and threatening to burst.

I looked once more at all the scars littering his chest and knew there was probably even more on his back. I didn’t like the way it made me feel. I didn’t like how I felt this sense of losing a part of myself, knowing that he was in pain.

I moved on the mattress so I was on my knees, slipped my hands over his chest, moving my fingers softly over the scars, lingering and nonverbally showing him they didn’t bother me. And then I cupped each side of his throat, my thumbs on his pulse points, the steady beat of his heart right under the digits.

I pulled his mouth down and kissed him slowly, thoroughly, showing him with the gentle motions I wasn’t doing this to be rash but because I wanted to give myself to him.

I was choosing him.

But as the seconds ticked by, the kiss that started o slow and easy turned more frantic as we both lost ourselves to the passion.

He pushed me back on the bed, and I felt like I was a live wire as he suddenly flipped me over so my belly was pressed to the mattress, his big hands pawing at the mounds of my ass.

I was too far gone in how much I wanted him to worry about what he planned. I clenched my hands in the sheets, steadying myself, my cheek pressed to the bed and my eyes closed.

“It’ll only ever be ye,” he groaned, and I moaned as he slowly parted the cheeks of my bottom, no embarrassment… only white-hot need.

Cool air brushed along my now-exposed pussy before he let the cheeks snap back in place. He groaned and palmed me again, squeezing the flesh before opening me up. I felt his gaze on my cleft, wondering if it turned him on seeing me soaked down there.

“I will no’ last, Evie. Fook, I’m too far gone in my need for ye.”

I couldn’t respond. I could only feel.

Smack!

My eyes snapped open, and a sharp sound left me as pleasure and pain coursed through me. He smoothed his hand over my ass, soothing the sting of his slap, his palm so big I felt like it covered the whole cheek.

He slapped my bottom again, harder this time so I felt my cheek jiggle from the force.

“Ah, my female… have fooking mercy.” He sounded like he said the words between clenched teeth.

Smack! Smack!

I felt my pussy drip for him, my inner muscles clenching with the need to be filled. My fingers ached as I tugged hard at the sheets. I knew if I spread my legs any wider right now, he’d see the glossiness of how primed I was along my inner thighs.

With one more soothing motion of his palm over my ass, he gripped my hips, lifted my lower body o the bed, and positioned me so I was on my knees with my legs obscenely spread. With a growl, he pulled my legs even farther out, unused muscles protesting, but that just made my arousal fiercer.

Facedown, ass up, the new position left nothing to the imagination and had every intimate part of me on clear

display.

He was so still behind me, not moving or speaking, that I looked over my shoulder to see that he was staring at my pussy with an almost frightening intensity.

“Cian?” I whispered, suddenly feeling so damn bashful.

What if he didn’t like what he saw?

His big chest heaved as he slowly lifted his gaze from between my thighs to look at my face. He ran a hand down his mouth, his eyes glossy, his chest still rising and falling as if he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs.

“Cian…?”

His hand shot out and slid down my slit. I moaned at that small touch that inflamed me so much. He flattened his palm on my pussy until he cupped the entire thing, adding pressure so I curled my toes and arched my back. And the entire time, he kept staring into my eyes.

He kept his hand there for a long second, and it made me feel like he was making a point… that I was his. My pussy was his.

And when he finally pulled his hand away and held up his palm for me to see how soaked it was, I gasped as he brought his hand to his mouth and dragged his tongue from wrist to fingertip, lapping up all my pussy cream.

“Oh. God.” It was so dirty and such a turn-on.

“So sweet,” he rumbled out. “Yer cunt is dripping, lass.

For me.” He leaned forward as he snarled those last words as if he wanted me to deny that fact.

I couldn’t.

I moaned and dug my nails into the bed, forcing my eyes to stay open so I could look at him. My breath stalled at the sight of Cian kneeling behind me, his body so hard and big, his cock standing at attention from his groin and intimidating as hell.

His balls were a heavy sac that hung beneath the impressive length, and when he reached down to take his cock in hand, I bit my lip as my pussy clenched.

I knew without a doubt he’d stretch me to the point of pain—he was that big and girthy. Even if I weren’t a virgin, it would be hard taking all that cock.

Neither one of us spoke as I watched him hold that heavy length in his palm, as he stroked himself from root to tip.

Copious amounts of clear fluid lined the tip, the pre-cum dripping o the crown to land on the bed between us.

I licked my lips, and he hummed in approval. I wanted him in my mouth, to see what that clear fluid tasted like as it slid over my tongue and down the back of my throat. And I felt like he knew what I was thinking, because his chest was heaving even faster and harder, his palm stroking over his dick with more force. His balls were swinging slightly from the jerking motions as he masturbated for me.

It was the most erotic scene I’d ever seen in my entire life.

And I wanted more.

“Ye want this, lass?” He kept stroking himself, his cock pointed right at my pussy, his words not inherently dirty, but God, they so were.

I didn’t trust my voice, so I nodded, then followed up by licking my lips. His jaw was clenched as he ground his teeth together; then he shifted closer so I fully felt the heat of his body.

“Ye sure about that? Ye deserve sweet—" “Whoever said I wanted sweet?” I whispered. “I want you, Cian, in the way you’re meant to give it to me.” Seeing as this was my first time doing anything sexual with a man, I was shocked by my bravado.

Maybe that would have turned another man o , but Cian grinned broadly in approval.

And when he let go of his cock and moved forward, that heavy length pressing right against my pussy and feeling like a third leg, I held my breath. I thought he’d slam right into me, no sweet and gentle lovemaking for my first time— and that so wasn’t what I wanted—but he didn’t move, just stayed out and let me feel how big and hard he was for me.

“Never thought the day would come where I’d have my mate,” he said to himself in a low voice. “Yet here I am… about to fook her.”

Oh God, yes.

“Here I am about to claim her and mark the hell out of that pretty neck.”

And then he was moving back so I no longer felt his cock pressed against me. I was about to protest, when I felt him grip each cheek of my ass, spreading me wide again and leaning down so his hot breath skated along the part of me no man had ever seen.

He inhaled my pussy, a fact that probably shouldn’t have been hot but was such a turn-on.

“Mmm, smells so fooking sweet. Smells like mine.” He clenched my ass harder. “I bet ye taste even better.” He buried his face right between my legs then, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the instant pleasure that encompassed me.

I was so shocked by the sensations of him eating me out that I arched my back and popped my upper body up on my forearms, my hazy, drugged-feeling gaze latched on the headboard. And then I felt my eyes roll back as he dragged his tongue down to my pussy hole, twirling that muscle around the opening and lapping up my cream, humming in approval.

He gripped each cheek of my ass hard and tight, not breaking the skin, but God, I wanted him to. I wanted little crescent shapes covering my body so that when I looked

down at myself, I could see the evidence of his passion in physical form.

The sound he made behind me was so guttural, so feral, that it had my inner muscles clenching painfully. He grunted again, the vibrations going right to my clit. As if he sensed that, knew what he was doing to me and the bundle of nerves, he flattened his tongue even more and dragged it to that little bead.

I was so wet that the sounds that came from him as he licked and sucked at me were loud, so juicy and erotic in nature that my face heated, and this wave of shyness washed over me. I shifted on the bed slightly, not really intending to move away, but when he clamped his hands on my waist and jerked me back against his face, tonguing my slit before pushing that thick muscle deep into my virgin pussy, I tossed my head back and cried out. I was so close I could taste the orgasm.

“Are ye going tae come for me, mo ghràidh?” His words were mu ed against my soaked folds, and all I could do was mewl, unable to actually form a coherent sentence. “Yeah, I think ye want tae come all over my face.” I felt the sharpness of his claws breaking the skin at my hips, and it drove my pleasure higher.

He pulled back, to my disappointment, but then he was slipping a thick finger into my pussy, curling and twisting it in just the right way that hit something deep inside me, something secret and so intense that beads of sweat popped out along my forehead.

“Give me what I want.”

And that was all it took for me to come, to explode and ride his finger, pumping my hips up and down, fucking myself on that lone digit.

He shifted his hand so he could rub my clit, the ecstasy making my brain short-circuit as my vision went hazy and

dark.

I let my upper body fall to the mattress, my ass still in the air, his finger still lodged inside me. He thrust in and out lazily before finally pulling it out. I could hear him sucking my cream o that finger, his groan of pleasure following.

Then his mouth was back on my pussy, his tongue licking at the juices that spilled because of my climax.

And with one more lick from my clit all the way to my asshole, a slow and languid one that made me think he was savoring my flavor, he flipped me onto my back and leaned over me. I felt drugged as my arms flopped to my sides, my legs falling open, staying wide for him to fit his hips between them. He slid his hand up my side, over one of my breasts to give the flesh a gentle squeeze, a tweak of my nipple that had me moaning, and then went to collar my throat with his fingers.

“Gods, female,” he groaned and leaned back on his knees to look at me all spread out like an o ering. “Just looking at ye will be the death of me.” His gaze landed on my pussy, and just his focus on that part of my body lit me up all over again. “All mine.” He lifted his gaze up my belly and locked eyes with me.

I felt like this was a possessive move, him wanting me to stare at him, to not break eye contact… to make this even more real. And then when he grabbed his cock and squeezed himself from root to tip, pushing a bit of pre-cum out through the slit, I found myself moving automatically as I rose up and opened my mouth, dragging my tongue along the head.

I could feel his muscles tense, could see the definition of his six-pack flex from the sudden movement. I’d caught him o guard. Good. That had a wave of my own pleasure and possessiveness moving through me. I pushed his hand out of

the way and curled my fingers around the base, my fingertips unable to touch because he was so massive.

There was no way I would be able to fit all of him in my mouth, but I dragged my tongue along the underside where a thick vein throbbed. I paid even closer attention to it when he started panting.

I moved my tongue around the crown, lapping up all the pre-cum that was a continuous flow from him. I might not have been able to take him all, but I knew I wanted to try. I wanted to gag on him.

“Evie,” he groaned. “I will no’ last if ye keep that up.”

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I started sucking on the tip like it was a lollipop, hollowing out my cheeks, wrapping my lips around the edge of his head, doing a light suction.

I had no idea how to give a blowjob. I’d never done it in my life. But the moans and the harsh breathing that came from Cian told me whatever I was doing was driving him mad with lust.

With a harsh growl, he pushed me away so I fell onto my back, my arms spread out once more, the smile on my face I knew looked seductive. I felt so wanton and illicit right now, knowing he had to stop me because he couldn’t control himself.

He was on me the next instant, tangling his hand in my hair, pulling my head to the side, then latching his mouth onto the side of my throat. It felt good, the rough scrape of his tongue along the side of my neck, right at the length of my jugular. The sharp scrape of his canines teasing, threatening to break the skin.

“Yes,” I moaned. He started rolling his hips forward, his cock pressing and retreating against my pussy, my folds framing the girthy length as he moved back and forth.

“I canna be gentle. No’ this first time.” I made a sound deep in my throat at how inhuman he sounded, his voice

distorted, deeper than I’d ever heard it, as sharp as a hot blade moving over my skin.

He kept pushing against me and retreating, his cock so thick and big that I found myself arching up, needing him to fill me now. I couldn’t wait anymore.

I was delirious from my need for him. And as if he knew that, sensing it, he took his free hand, reached between us, and aligned the tip of his cock with the entrance of my pussy.

“Oh thank God. Yes!” I cried out.

I expected him to thrust in hard and fierce, but he turned my head to face him once more, demanding that I open my eyes. And only when our gazes were locked together did he start to push into my eager pussy. My mouth parted, the air sawing in and out of my lips.

The visage of him was one of a powerful predator, eyes glowing blue, his canines so long and sharp they touched his bottom lip. He bared his teeth, looking so dangerous and fearsome that I felt another answering rush of wetness that helped ease his way into me.

He stretched me so good, filled me so much that the pain was a burning sensation encompassing my entire lower half.

But I didn’t want him to stop and instead planted my heels on the mattress, bracing myself as he tunneled in deeper, as he consumed me completely.

And only when he was seated fully in me did he let his head fall back, close his eyes, and allow a low roar to leave him. I didn’t even care if Odhran could hear us, didn’t care if anyone was witness to this intimate act right now.

I wanted Cian’s brand on me, his mark scarring my skin.

My hands were on his shoulders, my nails digging into his flesh, no doubt leaving marks, tearing at skin, scratches and lines of blood showing my mark in the same way he’d give me his.

The slow thumping purr left him, and he looked at me again, his hand still tangled in my hair, the pressure and sting from his fingers and claws pressing against my scalp causing desire to lick at my body so much that I arched my hips, the new position having him go a little bit deeper.

He slammed his mouth down on mine, fucking me with his tongue, thrusting in and out as he stayed still between my legs. But I needed movement and friction. I needed him.

And as if he read my mind, or more specifically my body language, he started slowly pulling out and pushing back in.

All I could do was dig my nails into his arms, loving how he grunted, telling me to hold on tighter, to make it hurt even more.

Cian pulled back so he was on his knees, his hands sliding down my body to grip my waist. And then he held onto me as he fucked me, as he used his hold to pull me down onto his cock at the same time he pushed up into me.

The discomfort was there, a permanent presence, but it only heightened the ecstasy that washed through me, highlighting that pleasure.

I felt that pleasure build and build until it was a ball of energy inside me. The sounds of my wet pussy sucking at his cock, the very inhuman sounds rumbling out of him, all catapulted me to a higher state of being.

“That’s it,” he said deep, low. “I’ve waited all my life for this.” His focus was where we were connected, where he was fucking me, and I could only imagine how dirty it looked, filthy and erotic. “Look at ye, taking my cock so well, stretched so wide and pink around me.” He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, the tendons in his neck standing in stark relief as sweat glistened on his chest and his hips pistoned forward and back.

He pulled out of me so suddenly that I cried out, pissed that the pleasure was taken away. But he didn’t make me

wait long as he flipped me over, positioned me on my hands and knees, spread my ass with one hand, and positioned his cock right back at my pussy hole.

And then he was pushing into me, forcing that massive cock back inside, sliding in slowly and deeply as if savoring the feeling of my pussy walls clamping down around him.

I let my head fall forward, my hair a curtain around my face. I reached out and grabbed the wrought-iron bars of the headboard as Cian held onto my hips and started pushing in and pulling back out.

With each passing second, he moved faster, using the leverage he had on my waist to pull me back onto his cock every time he pushed forward.

I felt his hand in my hair, tangling the strands, twisting the locks up, once, twice around his palm and using it as reins as he fucked me. He jerked my head back and to the side, and I cried out as he slammed especially hard into me, sparks of pleasure and pain coalescing within my body. He kept hitting that deliciously secret spot in me, which caused my pussy to spasm around him, had me crying out, fat tears from the ecstasy rolling down my cheeks.

And then his chest was covering my back, his mouth at the side of my throat. He bit every part of my neck, alternating between sides, moving down to that smooth strip of flesh where my shoulder met my throat. My skin felt raw, burning with something that made me hum for more, begging for it harder.

The pain was there, but it heightened my pleasure, causing stars to dance behind my closed lids. Flashes of light that made everything seem a little unreal but that I never wanted to end. He was growling constantly now, never once easing up as he pistoned in and out of me. One hand was still in my hair, his other gripping my waist as he used it as leverage.

And then he was growling in Gaelic, his breath hot against the side of my neck, his hips still pillaging between my thighs so all I could do was hold on and let this happen.

I felt another orgasm rise up, this one causing my vision to become blurry, my moans louder. His voice was the distorted tenor that had my inner muscles clenching hard around his dick. Both of us moaned as he fucked me harder.

My voice rang out, echoing in the room, loud and long.

“Fook… yes.” I felt his mouth open wide against me and then the sharp, searing pain of his canines sinking into the soft flesh where my throat and neck met. He growled, his mouth and hand holding me in place so I could only stay there, letting him do what he wanted… taking what he had to give.

I couldn't hold o anymore, couldn’t think rationally as I came so hard I couldn't breathe. I was vaguely aware—as if I was having an out-of-body experience—of Cian coming. His cock felt like it became thicker, harder inside me. The pain was so intense it kept my climax going on and on until I was gasping for air.

Cian broke the suction he had on my neck, thrust hard and powerfully inside of me once, twice, and on the third time, he buried himself all the way in me, groaning out loud and long as he came, his cock kicking inside me, the feeling of his hot cum filling my pussy in jets I felt start to spill from where we were connected because there was too much. I was so wet between my legs, my orgasm, his seed, all of it coating my inner thighs as he came and came, filling me up until there was no place for it to go but drip onto the bed.

When he stilled behind me and dropped his forehead to the center of my back, his warm breath bathing my skin, I pried my hands from the bars and let my upper body sink to the mattress. He only stayed like that for a second before pulling out with a grunt, falling to the side, and immediately

moving me around so our fronts were touching, my head on his chest. I listened to the rapid beat of his heart. It matched mine identically, two heartbeats that were the same.

For long moments we didn't speak, our skin cooling, drying from what we’d just done. His hand smoothed up and down my back, and I let my eyes close as my pussy still clenched from my orgasm, my body humming from the pleasure.

“I feel like I could’ve eluded you longer,” I teased to break the silence, and his chuckle was low and deep, the vibrations moving right under my ear, which rested on his chest. He tightened his hold on me, his fingers dancing along the skin of my arms.

“Mo ghràidh, ye could’ve tried, but ye would no’ have succeeded. I’m the best tracker around.” He pulled me closer to the hardness of his body.

I settled against him, our skin damp from sweat, between my legs sore, wet from the combination of my arousal, no doubt blood, and his cum. My neck ached from where he’d bitten me. In fact, my entire body felt sore, bruised from his kisses and the scrape of his teeth.

In this moment it was easy to think everything was okay.

It was easy to picture my life without any threat and only Cian and me enjoying this crazy thing called being mates.

And as I let sleep claim me, I didn’t allow reality to intrude. Because once I woke up, I knew it would be right back in my face.

19

Evelyn

I

t was a strip of sun in my eyes that woke me up fully as soon as I was conscious. I stretched, and an instant smile spread across my face as the aches and twinges of discomfort and the memory of what I’d done last night encompassed every part of me.

I was naked under the comforter, so sore between my legs that I felt pleasure all over again, an intense high that crashed through me. I looked beside me on the bed and smoothed my hand across the sheets that were cold. Cian hadn’t been here for a while. I lay in bed for long moments, just letting my body wake, allowing myself to enjoy how I felt after what we’d done last night. I stretched out my legs, and my feet came in contact with something hard at the end of the mattress.

I pushed up to see a large white box on the bed. I reached across to grab it, keeping the blanket pressed to my chest, and pulled the box onto my lap. There was a dark-red satin ribbon tied around it, and once I pulled it free and got the top o , I felt my eyebrows lift at the stacks of clothing inside.

Leggings, a pair of jeans, and several clearly luxurious cashmere shirts lay inside. There was also a small white rectangular box tucked inside, and when I pulled it out and opened the lid, I felt this warmth boom in my chest at the tiny bracelet inside with the silver wolf charm hanging from the clasp.

Another smile—which I was sure looked goofy as hell on me—spread across my face at the thought of Cian going to the trouble of getting me clothes. But when in the hell would he have had time? We’d only been here for a day and a half, and he’d been with me the entire time. Maybe he’d dispatched Odhran, but as I spied panties, my face heated in embarrassment if that was the case.

I got out of bed and wrapped the blanket around me before heading to the bathroom with the box in hand. Once the door was shut, I looked at myself in the mirror, and a gasp left me sharply. I set the box on the counter and reached up to lift the long fall of my dark hair up and kept it pinned to my crown with one hand as I tipped my chin and to the side and stared in shock at my neck.

Teeth marks, purple and blue love bites covered both sides of my throat and even where it met my shoulders. And then there was the claiming mark—which couldn't be called anything but that—covering one side of my throat. Twin puncture wounds with a bruise blooming around it was a neon sign for exactly what Cian was and what I was to him.

I dropped the blanket and looked at my body, more bruising from his passion, more fingerprint marks from when he’d held me down. Even my inner thighs were covered in the proof of his branding.

And I got wet over the sight, felt an intense flush steal over me. I braced my hands on the bathroom counter and breathed out at how much pleasure—both physical and emotional—I felt, seeing myself like this. I wouldn’t be

winning any feminism awards; these marks meant a hell of a lot to a Lycan male claiming his mate. I knew that without a doubt.

After taking a quick shower, the remnants of what we’d done last night gone from between my thighs, I put on a pair of dark leggings and one of the soft sweaters that fell below my bottom. I even found a pair of flats at the very bottom of the box. I had no idea how he’d known my sizes, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain. For the first time since all this shit had gone down, I felt put together and human.

So to speak.

I left the bedroom and instantly smelled food. My stomach cramped, reminding me I’d barely eaten since all of this went down. I went around the corner and saw Cian in the kitchen by the stove, his huge body seeming so out of place as he took on this domestic stance.

I couldn’t help but imagine this was a normal moment between two people who’d just been together. My big and strong, over six-and-a-half-foot Lycan mate making me breakfast after he fucked the hell out of me. This was going to take some getting used to for sure.

I took a moment to just watch him silently, to appreciate the way his muscles flexed and relaxed under his dark-gray long-sleeved shirt every time he moved. His short hair looked a little bit darker from a clearly recent shower, the strands still a bit damp. It should be against nature for a man to look that sexy, especially first thing in the morning.

Of course he sensed my presence and looked over his shoulder at me, his slow and sexy smile heating my body up instantly, even though I was sore in the best possible way.

“Mo ghràidh.” His voice was deep and slightly scratchy, what I imagined he sounded like every morning when he first woke up.

“Good morning,” I said softly and felt like my face was on fire, because the way he looked at me, the way his gaze moved up and down my form, couldn’t be called anything but scandalous.

He was in front of me in only three long strides, his long legs eating up the distance. He instantly wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in the crook of my neck, his nose running up the length as he inhaled deeply. The rumble that left him when he got to the main mark he’d left had me melting against his body even more and a soft breath leaving me.

He positioned us so my back was now against the wall, the wide, hard expanse of his chest pressed to mine, caging me in. He gave the mark on my throat a gentle kiss before he pulled back, his eyes hooded, his pupils dilated. I didn’t have to be a supernatural creature of the Otherworld to be able to scent his need for me. And I also didn’t have to feel the raging erection pressing against my belly to a rm that. It was the expression on his face, the heat in his eyes that spoke volumes.

He leaned down and kissed me softly, and just when he would pull away, I cupped his nape and pulled him close to me, my mouth against his. I swiped my tongue along the seam of his lips, and he growled, opening for me and plunging his tongue deep inside my mouth. My body hummed with pleasure, this heavy ache settling between my thighs, more wetness spilling from me as my body prepared itself for his big cock.

God, I might’ve been sore, but I wanted him again.

The kiss ended far too soon, and when he broke away, I was panting, resting the back of my head against the wall, staring up at him, and feeling drugged and soft, open and ready.

“Thank you for the clothes,” I said softly, my lips still tingling from his kiss. His eyes narrowed, and he took a small step back as he glanced at my outfit. I felt my brows lower in confusion at his reaction. “What? You don’t like them?” I teased to ease the weird strain that was coming from him now.

“I dinna get ye these clothes.” His jaw was severe as he clenched his teeth.

“What? Then who did?”

He grated out, “Adryan. Had them dropped o this morning. I found the fooking box on the front porch with a note attached saying ‘no woman should be forced tae dress in oversize sweats. If yer mate canna provide, I’m at yer service.’”

I felt my eyebrows rise that Adryan had the nerve to say that shit, especially knowing how pissed Cian would be. But I was learning fast that Adryan was a whole other arrogant asshole breed than I’d ever experienced.

“I guess this wasn’t from you then?” I lifted my hand to show the bracelet, and I watched the anger move across his face tenfold.

“He’s such a motherfooker.”

I nearly choked on my laughter when he tried snatching at my wrist gently. “Hey now, the bracelet didn’t do anything wrong.” I lifted my wrist to show him the charm.

“You may not like Adryan, but look, he gave me this, which has a little part of you on it.” I flattened my palm on Cian’s cheek and smiled. “I’ll have to tell him thank you when I see him next.”

The grumble that left Cian was pure male arrogance. “No fooking way ye’re getting close tae him again. He’s dangerous.”

I wound my arms around his neck. “And you’re not?”

He shook his head slowly. “Never tae ye.”

I smiled. “I know.” I rose on my toes and kissed him.

“But they’re just clothes.”

“I donna like another male providing for ye, but until it’s safe for us tae leave and for me tae spoil ye, I’ll have tae concede and let the bastard Adryan do this.” His jaw was clenched so tight I thought for sure I’d hear his teeth crack from the pressure.

I found it humorous he was so worked up about this. It was just clothes, after all. But I could understand pride and his need to take care of me. So I kept any more amusement to myself. If I only knew one thing about Lycan males, it was that they were hella possessive.

Something to get used to for sure.

“Besides,” I whispered. “I’m yours.”

His gaze dropped to the claiming mark again, and he growled in pleasure, but then his brows lowered as his eyes moved along either side of my neck. Before I knew what he was doing, he reached out and pulled the collar of my sweater down, revealing the tops of my shoulders. This low rumble left him, and he closed his eyes, breathing out roughly.

“Ah, lass,” he said in a deep, whiskey-sounding voice. “I dinna realize I was so rough last night. I could no’ control myself.” He opened his eyes, and I saw the regret on his face, the agony that he thought he’d hurt me. “My wolf was fierce with ye. Too fierce, especially for yer first time.”

I was shaking my head before he even finished speaking, then rose up on my toes to press my lips to his. “No,” I murmured against his mouth. “I don’t regret this, what we did, or anything else between us.” I kissed him again and again before pulling back. “I liked it all. I liked the roughness, how fierce you were.” I felt more arousal move through me. “I liked the pain and especially the pleasure that accompanied it.” Slowly that hard, sorrow-filled look on his

face faded, and he leaned down to rest his forehead against mine. For long moments we just breathed the same air.

I hated that he felt bad, that he was in pain at the thought of hurting me, but it also told me he was a good man, he cared for me, and he only wanted to keep me safe, even from himself and his inner animal.

I lifted a hand and stroked his whisker-covered cheek.

“I’m fine,” I reassured him again. “Truly.” My face heated when I whispered, “I hope it’s like that every time.” He growled low and leaned in to kiss me again, when we heard the front door open and footsteps coming closer.

“Christ, Cian,” Odhran said as he stepped farther into the kitchen, and his eyes latched to the area of my throat that was on display. “Neck’s fooking brutal, yeah?”

Cian growled low and positioned his body more in front of mine at the same time he adjusted the collar of my shirt so it covered my skin again.

Neither male spoke, but they sure as hell had a stare o .

And after a tense moment, Odhran shook his head, cursed low, and walked over to the table to sit down.

“The sight just took me o guard. No need tae act all fooking territorial. Ye kno’ yer mate isn’t even on my mind.”

Odhran sounded distant, and now that I really looked at him, I could see the darkness under his eyes that showed he hadn’t slept. I felt my heart break now that I knew the truth about his mate.

I placed a hand on Cian’s arm and gently pushed him away. He retreated instantly, and I realized how much power I held over him. He was this big, strong paranormal creature, yet he folded for me with just a gentle touch of my hand on his arm. It was a heady sensation, but one that also made me feel vulnerable.

I walked over and took the seat across from Odhran, and although he wouldn’t meet my gaze, I knew he could feel me

watching him. It was the subtle way his shoulders went back, how his spine straightened. I wanted to tell him that although I knew nothing about him and that we’d just met the night before, I empathized with him. Although I had never experienced what he had, I did know the pain of loss acutely.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly, and although I wanted to take his hand in mine, I also didn’t want to instigate the jealous part of Cian, the one he couldn’t control because he was more animal than man.

Odhran lifted his head, and our eyes locked. I didn’t notice the large scar along his forehead and cheek. I didn’t notice the bags under his eyes or the weathered, exhausted expression on his face. What I noticed was a man who felt like he had nothing and was doing everything in his power to gain some control back.

I saw a man who felt like he had lost the only thing that meant anything to him. I saw a man who’d had the one woman who was born to be his taken away.

And for men like these, feeling as if they had no control or power was like a blow to the gut, draining their bodies until they were husks. It was as if they didn’t have a purpose.

Cian moved behind me but didn’t say anything, and the gentle but heavy pressure of his hands landing on my shoulders as I felt him give me a gentle squeeze of reassurance made me feel like things could be okay as long as we gave them a chance.

Odhran didn’t say anything, but he did give me a slight nod, and I had a feeling that for a man like him, it was his way of accepting my sympathy and showing his gratitude.

Finally he cleared his throat and rested fully back in the chair, looking over at where Cian stood.

“Left last night,” he said and let those words hang between us, and I felt my face heat because I knew why he’d

left. Things got loud. “Figured ye’d want privacy,” he added as if this wasn’t the most humiliating thing to ever talk about.

“Contacted Adryan, and I went over tae the other property he was at, started early, looking over all he has on the Assembly.”

Cian sat in the seat beside me, his focus wholly on Odhran. “Did ye find anything out?” I knew he was referring to his mate, but when Odhran shook his head sharply, I felt my chest crumble a little more for him.

“I came back tae shower and change, and then I’m going tae head back and search more.”

All of us were silent after that, but I could see Cian’s mind working over all the information.

Odhran ran a hand over his jaw and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing out almost warily. “I donna think I’m going tae find anything useful.” God, he sounded so defeated, but there was still a fire in his voice. “But I have tae keep looking. I have tae keep trying.” He opened his eyes, and I wished things could’ve been di erent. For him. For me and Cian. For everyone in danger.

“I’ll come back before sunset. Ye should be there with Adryan tae go over all the information. But I’ll stay here tae make sure yer mate is safe.”

I looked between the two men, feeling confused. “I thought Adryan said the house was protected?” Not that I wanted to be here alone anyway, but if they had stu to figure out, a way to work through this and end it, I didn’t need nor want anyone babysitting.

“I would no’ fooking trust Adryan to pick up my dry cleaning, let alone protect the most precious thing tae me,” Cian said as he stared at me, that look of wonder on his face so heavy I felt it wash over me. “I’d feel better taking ye with me, but in this, Adryan is correct, as much as I hate admitting it. It’s safer having ye here, protected with wards

to keep others from finding ye, lass. I will no’ be long, but we need tae figure out how tae end this, and the sooner it’s done, the sooner we can start…”

I held my breath, waiting for what he was about to say.

He leaned in, and in a low, deep voice, he finished, “…The sooner I can start building a proper life with my mate and spoiling her.”

I felt like my smile was so stupidly happy spread across my face, and I didn’t even care if we had an audience. I was ready for this, I realized. I was ready to finally do something profound that made me happy. And that was creating this crazy—but wonderful—life with Cian.

“I suggested Adryan come here tae go over everything,” Odhran said, and when I looked at him, his expression gave nothing away. There was no judgment that we were creating too much PDA for the likes of him. “But he said, and I quote, ‘I’m no’ hauling my shit and soldiers over there just tae put a couple of Lycans at ease because they have a weak human female in their midst.’”

Cian growled, low and menacing. “She’s no’ weak. I’ll kill him for saying that.” Cian looked at me and reached out to stroke his finger along my cheek.

“No killing necessary.” I shook my head and smiled that something as simple as Adryan calling me a weak human female could rile him up so much. I had a lot to learn about shifters in general, but I felt like learning everything that made my mate tick was at the top of that list, especially if he could easily kill someone for just insulting me.

This was proving to be a very interesting journey, to say the least.

20

Evelyn

I

lay on the couch with my head on Cian’s lap, my legs stretched out on the cushions and a book in my lap. I was having a hard time concentrating on the words though, not with the way Cian was playing with my hair. He ran his thick fingers through the strands slowly.

For the second time today, I thought this was a very domestic gesture, just a couple enjoying the quiet of being together.

Hours had passed since we’d eaten breakfast, and I’d made myself busy, occupied my mind by cleaning up the kitchen, much to Cian’s disapproval. I was quickly realizing he enjoyed spoiling and lavishing attention on me. I couldn’t help but feel pleasure at how he’d get worked up over something so small as me loading the dishwasher, wanting me to rest and “he’d handle things.”

I just never had anything like this before, someone wanting to wholly take care of me. It was as strange and wondrous as it was unusual and uncomfortable. I’d always relied on myself to make sure things got done, so having

someone want to take care of me… was something I’d have to get used to.

After reading the same page five times, I gave up and closed the book, letting it drop to the carpet. I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of Cian’s big fingers and blunt nails gently scraping across my scalp before he moved them through to the end of the long locks.

“Yer hair is so verra beautiful,” he murmured and brought strands to his nose, inhaling. “And smells incredible.”

I flushed at the compliment.

“Second sweetest thing I’ve ever smelled.”

I tipped my head back and looked at him. “What’s the first?”

His grin was slow and sexy. “Yer pussy, lass.”

My face felt like it was on fire, and he laughed deeply before leaning down and kissing the crown of my head. We stayed silent for another long moment as he went back to playing with my hair, but it was comfortable and not forced.

“What was it like?” I asked and tipped my head back to look at him again.

“What was what like, lass?” His voice was soft and almost lazy, as if he’d never felt so much contentment.

I didn’t think I’d ever seen him with his guard down, and although I knew without a doubt he’d be ready for action at the drop of a hat, right now the air around him was almost serene.

“Back then. What was it like… experiencing life throughout the last two and a half centuries?” I turned my attention away from him and looked at a picture that hung on the wall. It was of a man walking his dog, his back to me, his form in the distance. The dogs sat beside him as they stood in an empty field, a few sparse trees scattered around, just blotches of green and brown.

I noticed that about the pictures in this house. They all had this emptiness to them. A lone beach scene. A single house situated in the center of a lot, nothing else in sight.

They were all like that, very… lonely. I wondered if they were a testament to Adryan and who he was, what he felt inside. A subconscious visual that showcased the lack in his life.

Or maybe I was just losing my mind and trying to find rationalization where there wasn’t one. Maybe the guy just liked random shit. He certainly seemed unhinged enough to do things that made zero sense.

I realized Cian hadn’t answered, and I drew my focus back to him, seeing that he still watched me. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

He smiled softly and shook his head. “There’s nothing I’d ever keep from ye.” He stared into my eyes, but I could see he was lost in thought. “Just figuring out how tae answer is all.”

I didn’t say anything, just nodded my understanding.

“It was a verra di erent time,” he finally said. “Harder, more violent.”

His voice didn’t change tempo or octave, but I was still able to pick up on a hard note in it, as if talking about it brought him back to that time and made him uncomfortable.

I would have sat up, but he kept playing with my hair, and a part of me thought that maybe he drew a sense of calm from the mundane act.

“It was kill or be killed.” He looked at me then, his blue eyes so clear. “But do ye want tae kno’ the absolute worst thing about it all?”

I licked my lips and nodded, although I didn’t know if I really wanted to know. I held my breath as I waited for him to speak. Maybe he’d admit he killed so many people he lost count? But even if he killed hundreds upon hundreds, the truth was, it wouldn’t change how I felt about him.

I still wanted my life with his.

He slid the hand that was playing with my hair across my neck and up to cup my cheek, his thumb moving over my bottom lip. “The absolute worst part of it all was the loneliness. The emptiness of not knowing if ye were already born, if ye already lived yer life and passed on. The desperation of no’ knowing if I’d ever find ye.” He cleared his throat as emotion clogged it.

My breath caught. I didn’t know what to say to that. It was so profound that I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes.

So I said nothing at all, not wanting to ruin the moment. I just adjusted myself so I was closer to him, reached out, and smoothed my thumb along his bottom lip. When he parted for me, the air left him slowly, bathing the pad of my digit in warm humidity. I let myself push it in, and he groaned again, immediately lapping at my skin before gently biting it.

Things were heavy and solemn, melancholy. But in a matter of seconds, that vanished, and in its place was intense heat, a fire that was threatening to burn both of us alive.

“My Evie,” he groaned, and I removed my thumb from his mouth, bringing it to my lips and dragging my tongue across it, tasting the combination of both of us.

His flavor was like spicy honey, sweetness that hit me right in the back of the throat. “No one’s ever called me Evie except you.” I wasn’t sure why I told him that, but it seemed profound, as if no one dared to say it, because Cian was the lone person meant to give me the nickname.

“Come here, my female.”

I smiled slowly, knowing it probably looked seductive. He breathed out harshly when I shook my head and reached down for his jeans, never breaking eye contact as I popped the button and pulled the zipper down.

I could feel how hard he was as his cock brushed against my hand, a massively thick length trying to tear free from the denim of his pant leg. My inner muscles clenched, and I grew even wetter.

“Right now it’s about you,” I whispered and opened the two halves of his jeans, seeing the swatch of his golden abdomen, the tightness in definition of his muscles. He had a dark trail of short hair that went right to his cock. I looked down and let my finger trail across that path until I got to the root of his shaft. His cock visibly jerked, and I felt my throat tighten, my mouth watering for what I was about to do.

“Lass,” he groaned, and when I looked up at him, I could see he was starting to lose control, his wolf rising.

It was amazing to see how his body physically changed, how it grew bigger, his shoulders becoming broader, his muscles more defined. His eyes flashed blue, glowing as he watched me intently, his canines lengthening right before my eyes. It was a visual aphrodisiac, one I had never envisioned or thought could be insanely hot until I met him.

“This is for you,” I said again, emphasizing as I reached down and pulled out the heavy rope of his cock. I knew he’d try to reciprocate, knew he’d rather give me pleasure instead of receive it. But ever since tasting him the night before, I’d been thinking about sucking him o , continuing what I’d started before he stopped me.

I shifted down on the couch and more firmly between his legs. He had one knee bent, a foot on the cushion, his other resting on the floor. I stroked from base to tip, adding pressure when I got down to the root and squeezing up all the way to the top. Pre-cum was already a constant at the crown, and my mouth watered more.

“Fair warning,” I said in a teasing voice, although I was pretty nervous. “I’ve never done this before.” His answer

was a growl of approval and his hand tightening in my hair.

“So if I’m bad at it…”

He groaned and shook his head. “No’ possible.” His voice was a husky tenor. “Ye haven’t even put yer mouth on me yet, and already I’m about tae come.”

I shivered, his words making me feel so empowered, so beautiful. While keeping my gaze locked with his, I lowered my head and sucked the bulbous crown of his cock deep into my mouth.

His chest started pumping up and down, the material of his gray T-shirt stretched over the width of his chest and broad shoulders. I slid one hand up, feeling the ridges of his abdomen, and moved my fingers over the hard, dime-sized, copper-colored nipples I could feel underneath his shirt.

I kept moving up until he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, stopping me for a second before he pulled my fingers toward his face. He sucked my index finger into the warm, wet recesses of his mouth, moving his tongue along the pad, gently nipping at the flesh.

I was totally winging it with this blowjob, but whatever I was doing was doing its job, because I could feel how tight his body was coiled and heard him scratching at the back of the couch, his nails digging into the fabric as if he was holding on, trying to stabilize himself.

“Ahhh, lass.” He jerked his head back, his eyes closing, his neck muscles straining. He bared his teeth, his jaw clenched so tightly. “I’m no’ going tae last.”

That only had me hollowing out my cheeks even more and twisting my wrist as I pumped my palm up and down his dick. I was sure to anyone other than my mate I would’ve seemed grossly novice at this, but I felt a surge of power because I knew I could quite literally bring Cian to his knees.

“Fair warning, lass… I’m going tae come.”

I knew what he was saying, why he was making sure to tell me. But I had no intention of stopping. I wanted him to come in my mouth. I wanted to swallow it, to have his seed nourish me. God, I was getting so turned on even thinking about taking all his cum.

I hummed my approval and renewed my e orts, taking in as much as I could, feeling the tip hit the back of my throat, swallowing around the bulbous head. I jerked o what I couldn’t reach, moving my hand up and down from base to where my lips engulfed him.

He had his hand in my hair, his fingers tight in the stands, the pain leading the way to more pleasure, tears pricking my eyes. But it felt good, and I moaned around him, telling him with just that sound that I wanted more.

Cian started lifting his hips in time with me going down on him, thrusting his cock into me, not allowing me to set the pace. I braced my hands on his thighs as I worked my tongue and mouth over him, gently scraping my teeth along the flared head after I realized he enjoyed that.

Our eyes locked, and I felt his cock kick in my mouth again, tasted even more pre-cum. I started drooling, saliva slipping out the corners of my mouth from trying to take all of his dick, from swallowing it and moaning around it. But I didn’t care, wasn’t embarrassed, and the growls coming from him, the way he reached out and rubbed that saliva into my skin, told me it turned him on too.

I knew he was close by the rapid intake and exhale of his breathing, and the excitement to bring him o fueled me on.

I slid my hand between us and cupped his heavy sac, rolling his balls in my palm until he barked out and gave me what I was working hard for. All that cum.

I greedily swallowed every thick rope that he shot into my mouth and down my throat, hungry for so much, the salty,

slightly dark and spicy flavor of him the most addicting thing I’d ever tasted.

Cian orgasmed so hard, and there was so much that I couldn’t swallow it fast enough, dribbles of his cum slipping out the corners of my mouth with the excess saliva already pooled there. And when he made a deep grunt, I snapped my gaze up to his and saw that he watched me intently, the glow from his eyes like neon spotlights and trained right on me.

He watched me the entire time he came, and when he was done and his cock grew semihard in my mouth, I pulled back.

My lips felt swollen, bruised. He ran his thumb over the bottom swell, then along the corner, collecting a droplet of his semen and pushing it back into my mouth, making me take every last drop.

“I donna want ye wasting any of that.” His voice was low and deep, husky and satiated.

I sucked at the pad of his thumb, drawing my tongue around it, my body on fire. But this wasn’t about me finding pleasure. I’d wanted to give it. And then before I knew what he was doing, Cian gripped my waist, hauled me up his body, and started going after my leggings.

“Cian,” I gasped when I heard the soft material tear, his hands and claws rending it from my body. “I only have so many clothes.” Who was I kidding? I didn’t give a shit about the clothes, not when he groaned deeply when I was totally bare from the waist down.

“Fook the clothes, Evie. I’ll buy ye so many ye’ll never have tae wear the same thing twice.” He situated me so I was literally sitting on his face, my knees braced on the couch right above his broad shoulders.

“Cian—” My question, even if I’d been able to properly form one, died in my throat when his big hands cupped my ass, his fingers squeezing against the flesh, jerking me forward even more.

And then he licked me from pussy hole to clit, sucking that bundle into his mouth until my head fell back on its own, and I closed my eyes as a harsh moan spilled from me.

He worked me over like he was starving and between my legs was the greatest meal he’d ever had.

The wet, slurping sounds he made were an auditory pleasure in itself. I was soaked, my pussy so wet I was no doubt dripping all over his face, my arousal covering his cheeks and lips.

“That's it,” he growled in that sexy Scottish brogue.

“Give me all that honey.” The vibrations in his voice speared into my clit, and I moaned shamelessly as I started rocking my hips back and forth on his face, grinding my pussy on his lips, needing his mouth to devour me.

He growled, and I loved when he made that sound. He kept one hand on my ass and worked the other between my pussy and his face to place his palm right over my mound and gently push me back. Then he used his thumb and index finger to spread my lips, exposing my clit, the little bundle engorged from my arousal, my wetness glistening on the pink flesh obscenely on display.

And God… his face was glossy from my pussy juices, his lips pink and swollen from eating me out. It was one of the most attractive things I’d ever seen.

“Oh. Yeah.” He leaned in and flicked his tongue over my clit over and over again in fast succession. My body shook as the air left me violently. “So damn sweet. So fooking mine.”

He sucked the pearl into his mouth, keeping me spread, eating me out until I felt my clit become even more swollen as my orgasm started to climb.

“Come for me, baby. Let me swallow all that cum from this sweet pussy.” He growled against my soaked flesh and slid two thick fingers into my body, pulling a harsh cry of ecstasy from me. He attacked my pussy, licking, sucking,

and nipping, his filthy words sending me over the edge. I exploded for him, not caring that I was grinding my cunt on his face, that the wet, embarrassing sounds of him slurping up my juices echoed in the living room.

It all turned me on even more.

The orgasm went on and on, and the whole time, Cian kept sucking at my pussy lips and clit, drawing out my pleasure. I tangled my hands in my hair and pulled at the strands, and I rolled my hips over him until finally the pleasure started to wane and I could breathe again.

I could barely hold myself up at that point, but thankfully Cian adjusted me so I was resting on his chest, his thickly corded arm wrapped around me tightly, his face buried in the crook of my neck as he slowly, gently licked at the mating mark.

“Mine,” he said with so much emotion in that one word I felt my heart palpate. “I canna wait tae truly start our lives together, lass.” I rested my head on his chest, my cheek right over his heart. “I’ve been waiting for ye my entire life.”

Me too. God… me too.

I HAD THIS BAD FEELING , this tightness in my gut, like a premonition of something horrible about to happen.

It was hours after Cian and I had found release with each other, and although it had been another outlet for us to be close, a part of me had still felt that darkness of all the things that could—and probably would—happen before we got to that happily ever after.

And God, I really wanted that.

Cian had kept reassuring me that things would be okay, that nothing bad would happen, and I wanted to believe him

desperately, but there were just too many unknown variables at play.

“Lass,” he said low enough only I heard, because Odhran was just in the other room. “I can see how worried ye are.”

He cupped my cheeks and pulled me close to give me a soft kiss.

I stared into his blue eyes, the setting sun casting golden light across his face and giving the irises a green tint. His darker-blond hair was slightly disheveled, the few strands that fell across his forehead giving him an almost roguish appearance.

“I just can’t help but feel like something horrible is going to happen.”

He pulled me into a warm, tight embrace, and I sank against him. I rested my head on the center of his chest, my body so much smaller than his that he cocooned me completely.

“I wish I could tell ye that everything will be okay, but I will never lie tae you. Ye’ll always hear the truth from me, lass.” I pulled back and tipped my head up so I could look at him. “But it’s normal for ye tae feel like this. After all the shite that happened, it’s the natural feeling that things will no’ be right.”

“I know,” I said softly. “But you promise you’ll be okay, or at least promise you’ll try to be okay?”

“I have ye in my life now. Recklessness is no’ something I’ll ever chance.”

He leaned down, and I rose up on my toes to meet him halfway for the kiss. It was gentle, a slow burn instead of a raging wildfire. It was perfect and sad, maddening and obsessive.

My back was to the living room entryway, so I didn’t see Odhran enter, but I sensed him, felt the heavy, sorrow-filled

presence that surrounded him like a cloak, like a shadow or pouring rain cloud.

“It’s time,” Odhran said.

Although Cian didn’t look at him, his eyes locked on mine, he did give a short nod in agreement.

He leaned down again to kiss me before lowering his face to the hollow of my neck, where his mark was, kissing the spot gently. I was coming to realize he loved that spot. And I did too.

“Just remember the house is protected,” he said and pulled back, his hand on my waist, his fingers tight against my skin as if he was afraid I’d vanish. “Odhran will be here tae protect ye. I trust him no’ only with my life, but most of all with yers.”

Although I didn’t know Odhran, not really, and we’d only said a handful of words since our first encounter, I could feel the loyalty he had for Cian, as if he wore it as a badge of honor.

“I’ll return tae ye faster than ye realize.”

I hoped that was true. I really did, because we deserved to find that happily ever after.

21

Cian

M

y skin felt tight, this itch I couldn’t scratch. I knew it was because I’d left my mate back at the house. She’d been scared, worried about what would happen, and her worry was ultimately mine as well. I knew Odhran would guard my female with his life, and I trusted him with my most precious thing… Evie. But still… I felt o . My wolf was restless, and it wasn’t only because he wanted back to our female.

I shook o the unease and focused on getting this organized and settled as fast as possible so I could get back to Evie. Then we’d work on making a solid plan to take down the Assembly, or at least the first steps to ensure they were dismantled.

I told myself never again was I letting her out of my sight.

No one could watch over Evie as well as her mate could. As well as I could.

I pulled to a stop in front of the two-story house Adryan was using to do his recon for the Assembly fuckers. I was out of the rental car and striding toward the front door as soon

as I cut the engine. I couldn’t see them, but I felt Adryan’s soldiers in the shadows, their gazes a heavy pressure on me.

Right before I got to the front door, it swung open, and the vampire named James stood right at the entrance. We didn’t speak as he moved aside, I stepped inside, and the front door closed behind us.

“This way,” he said and came forward to lead the way, his head cocked toward me, his smirk a flash of his lip curling before it vanished and he started making his way down the hall.

I followed without speaking but took in my surroundings with my heightened Lycan senses. The house was void of furniture, an empty husk with the occasional flash of a nightwalker passing through a room or creeping in the shadows.

I focused forward as I was led down to the basement.

Fucking figured the bloodsuckers would want a subterranean base. It was clear this house wasn’t used for living, maybe never had been, not with a lot of it being gutted and with walls torn down, technical and electronic equipment strewn all over the place as we passed what would have been bedrooms.

James glanced back at me once we descended the long, narrow staircase. I didn’t like the fucker, and not just because he was a vampire. The looks he gave me and the air of arrogance that surrounded him told me he was a male who thought highly of himself in the cockiest of ways.

No doubt he thought his kind was above mine. I’d love to see him come face-to-face with me in a darkened ally or deep in the woods. No others to help. Just two Otherworld males doing hand combat and using strength and skill that was known with our kinds. Guarantee the fucker wouldn’t last without backup.

I felt my wolf stir in restrained anxiousness to test that theory.

Where the other upper level of the house had been gutted for the most part, down in the basement was filled with tables and chairs, the technology situated in this massive room impressive. There were two huge workstations, one on each side of the room, rows of computers and TVs, and so much other high-tech equipment that it made my oldschool head spin.

There was a long table situated in the center of the room between those two workstations, a map spread out across it, and far too many vampires crammed together with me for my liking. My hackles rose, my inner animal pacing. My wolf knew the danger was present, but I reminded the beast that we didn’t have a choice. We had to go to bed with the vampires to protect and save our female.

Although vampires and Lycans weren’t natural-born enemies, the alliance we had with each other was tumultuous at best and held together with cheap glue and dental floss. Breaking that bond would be disastrous for my kind and would start a war, but I also knew I’d do it without hesitation if it meant keeping Evie safe.

Adryan didn’t bother looking at me. I stood at the bottom of the stairs. But after a second I could hear the conversation that filled the room slowly start to fade out when they realized I was here. Adryan finished whatever he was saying and then lifted his head to look me in the eyes, his smile slow as it spread across his face.

“Bet you never thought you’d be the only Lycan in a roomful of vampires, huh?” His grin held strong.

I didn’t answer, just clenched my jaw and stared at him.

He chuckled softly and rose to his full height. No one spoke, clearly waiting for their leader to make whatever move he was going to before they reacted in kind.

“What do you think of my little abode?” He lifted a dark eyebrow and gestured around to the computers. “For a quickly erected base, I think it’s impressive as fuck.”

“Modest,” I said blandly.

He chuckled low and deep. “Not nearly my setup in the city, but it’ll work for the time being while you and your mate are squirreled away and we figure this shit out to take the bastards down.”

“You consider this less impressive than what ye’re used tae?” I prompted sardonically and looked around. Although the Lycans and the Guard back in the Highlands had a stateof-the-art technological system that helped with the security on our territory but also kept us connected to all Otherworld factions around the world, this small outfit Adryan had put together was notable for such a small window of time we’d had, and also from a strategic standpoint.

“Am I picking up some sarcasm in your voice, wolf?” He crossed his big arms over his chest. “Don’t tell me you Lycans back in Scotland are still using chisels and stone to send messages?” He started laughing at his own joke, and I reminded myself that I needed him alive in order to keep Evie safe.

“Let’s get this the fuck over with,” I said low and with a growl in my voice. Being here just pissed me o even more.

But he didn’t continue with his arrogant bullshit, which was good for him, because I was pretty sure I would’ve snapped and gone after him, which would put a kink in the entire situation.

He gestured toward the map that was spread out, little red pins marking the terrain in intervals.

“I assume Odhran told you about what those Assembly fuckers said about his female?”

Instantly I felt rage on Odhran's behalf. “Yeah, he told me,” I said and left it at that. I didn’t feel comfortable speaking about Odhran’s female when he wasn't here.

“Yeah, pretty fucked-up. He’s been here a hell of a lot in the last twenty-four hours helping figure this out. Stand-up male, even if he is a Lycan.”

I narrowed my eyes at Adryan, and he grinned, the bastard. I gritted my teeth.

“Impatient to get back to your female?” He lifted another black fucking eyebrow I didn’t bother hiding the menace I felt. “I told you the house was mystically protected from being tracked, not only from Otherworld but from humans as well. We're the only ones who know where it’s at, and this house doesn't have a ward, so believe me when I say your mate is safest there.”

I didn’t say anything, and he exhaled as if annoyed.

“You are one stubborn asshole.”

I turned to face him and bared my teeth, letting my canines lengthen in an act of aggression. It was clear by his stoic expression that he wasn’t the least bit intimidated.

“Listen, I would no’ trust ye tae handle my baggage on a flight, let alone the most precious thing tae me. So forgive me”—I grinned, not meaning that last part in the least— for wanting tae get back tae her, because no one can protect my female like I can.”

Adryan was silent for long moments but then exhaled and ran a hand over the back of his head. “What the fuck ever.

One day you’ll learn that I’m not this ultra-enemy persona you and your kind like to place over my head.”

I snorted and shook my head, looking back at the map.

When I didn’t say anything in return, just kept staring at the terrain, Adryan pointed to the airport where Odhran and I had landed.

“We’re starting here, since we assume that’s where they found you.”

Along with the red pushpins, there was also a red string that connected each pin to the next. From point A to point B. He pointed at the airport pin again, dragging his finger along the red string all the way across the map to where we’d been attacked in the motel parking lot.

“We have to assume they’re working with somebody on the inside, whether a mole within your ranks or in mine.”

The growl in Adryan’s voice told me how much this bothered him, as it should. But I couldn’t think of someone who would betray me or our kind on the Lycan side. I didn’t bother saying that, even if I had a feeling Adryan knew that as well. The most likely answer was that it was somebody disloyal on his end, given the fact all of this was taking place in the States.

“I had James and Matteo do some deep digging on the Darknet.” He tipped his chin toward the two vampires, and they stepped forward. “What’s the new intel we got, James?”

“I sent a team out there to do cleanup and gather any information we could. Got the van the humans used, cleaned up the bodies before the authorities could show up, and dealt with any witnesses.”

I didn’t ask how he dealt with the witnesses, because I knew it wouldn’t matter. They wouldn't tell me, and I could assume the lengths they’d gone to keep things quiet.

“The van was taken to a shop we had close by, and although it was pretty clean and standard, we did get DNA, but there were no hits. It’s clear they wipe the identities of those associated with them, so they don’t even exist in the outside world. We did confiscate two cell phones on their persons.”

I’d been so frantic with panic to get Evie out of there that I hadn’t even thought about the cleanup. Not that I gave a

shit, because my mate was the only important thing to me, that and making sure Odhran stayed alive. But I was thankful Adryan had been smart enough to at least take care of all that. The last thing we needed was our DNA getting into the hands of human scientists and the media and the stories they’d spin on that.

“The phones are encrypted, but we have a team that’s the best at cracking and hacking.” James grinned and looked over at Matteo before he turned his gaze to me.

I narrowed my eyes at the jab. It was clear he thought my kind were lowly, no doubt seeing us as illiterate and feral animals, probably thought when we weren’t in our wolf form, we were running around naked like wild fucking beasts. I crossed my arms over my chest and let my eyes flash blue as a grin spread over my face. I stared at James, at the wicked scar across his throat. He was a survivor; that was clear by the fact his head was still attached when someone wanted it gone. But animal or not, I could take that fucker out without breaking a sweat.

“We were able to get a number that was used by both phones,” the vampire called Matteo said. “Although that number was also encrypted, we still unscrambled it. Bad news is it led to a burner phone.”

“Fucking hell. You know how fucking annoying this shit is?” Adryan gritted out.

“Yeah, it sure the fuck is, but the good news is we dug deeper and traced the number and coordinates to a motel room an hour away, then pinged it o another set of encrypted numbers that led to a warehouse a short distance from there.”

“My trackers are fucking good,” Adryan said as he stared at the map. “But even still, if they could crack the numbers and pinpoint where they’re at, that means it’s not the endgame. The Assembly is smart enough to give us the

runaround. They have been hidden for decades, if not far fucking longer, so they aren’t fucking dumb.”

“They’re underground.”

Adryan nodded slowly and lifted his head to look at me. “I don’t even know if they are in this state, let alone America, but my gut tells me they are.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Maybe a rural location.” He looked over at a few of the vampires by the computers. “Check large parcels of land, commercial and residential that may have been purchased in the last hundred years. If you don’t find anything, go back further.”

The vampires started checking, the click-click-click of their fingers flying over the computer keys loud.

I stared down at the map again, thinking about how Adryan had soldiers lying in wait at that warehouse. “So what are we waiting for?” I looked at Adryan. “? Why hasn’t the hub been taken down?”

Adryan lifted a brow and smirked. “Wolf, who do you think you’re talking to here? I’ve had a team at that abandoned warehouse since the moment I got the information about the location. We don’t go half-cocked into shit like you Lycans obviously do. We plan, wait, then attack.

Fuck, man.”

Before I could ask him why it hadn’t been taken down, he started speaking again.

“We don’t want to let them know we know where they’re at. The ultimate goal is to find out where the main base is.

That abandoned building they’re using right now is just a one-o . We need to find out where they keep their little fucked-up petting zoo. If we took down the warehouse and the humans inside, sure, maybe we could torture the information out of them, but I have a feeling they have safeguards in place to keep that information under lock and key if one of them is captured.” He looked back at the map.

“These people are loyal, Cian. They’re not going to willingly tell us—the creatures they want to exploit and hurt—simply because we peel o fingernails and cut out tongues.”

He looked back at me, and his grin was slow, his fangs lengthening as he silently told me that yeah, that’s exactly what they’d do to them. And so would I. “Even though it’s quite fun to do all of that whether I get information or not, I’m not here to play.” His expression grew serious after that. “This isn’t just about you and your mate. This is about the vampires who have found their females, the children, the fact that this organization needs to be taken down in order to ensure all of us aren’t threatened.”

I grunted in agreement.

Adryan and I didn’t agree on most things, but what I could be 100 percent on board with was that taking down these fuckers and ensuring the Otherworld was safe was a team e ort. If anybody was going to take our kind down, it was going to be the good old-fashioned way where we battled each other, not become a sideshow attraction because of some humans with a fucked-up sense of righteousness and authority.

“We may have a hit,” one of the vampires said. “Twohundred acres of residential farmland bought back in 1947.

Another purchase for fifty acres of commercial-zoned land purchased a year after that.” The vampire looked over at Adryan. “And funny thing is,” he began, but I could tell by his smile he was eager to tell this part, “both properties are in the same state, and even more interesting is… both are in the same city.”

Adryan grunted in acknowledgment. “And let me guess, the land has just been sitting there? Nothing being built on it?”

The vampire grinned again and shook his head slowly.

I felt my wolf grow even more anxious at that revelation.

It may be nothing, but the chances…

I looked back at the map, getting ready to really dive into how to correct the situation with these fuckers, when Adryan’s phone chirped. I was vaguely aware of him pulling it out from one of his pockets, but it was the instant change in the air, the frigidness and tightness in his body that I saw in my peripheral that had my wolf immediately rising.

Before I even looked at him, I knew something was wrong, and his expression solidified that. There was a look of disbelief, shock, and then pure unadulterated rage that covered his face as his eyes flashed red with sadism.

“What?” I ground out, not bothering to hide the distorted quality of my voice as my wolf rose up in protector mode.

Adryan’s eyes were still glowing red, a sign of intense emotion for his species. “The alarm was triggered.”

At first I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, my mind moving slower as my humanity faded. It was then I realized what he meant by the alarm. The alarm that was supposed to keep my mate safe. My Evie.

I already had my cell out, already calling Odhran, then the number to the phone I’d left Evie. No answer from either.

In my head I kept hearing Adryan’s words about the alarm being triggered, but something else nagged at the back of my mind, too low for me to grasp, because I was more animal than human.

Everything else faded into the background as I tipped my head back and roared out hard enough I heard the computer shake against the wall. The violence and danger swirling around me had the vampires taking a step back.

I roared out again, and then I was gone. Nothing else mattered except getting to my mate and slaughtering whoever had just threatened her.

22

Evelyn

I

woke with a start, my heart pounding as I shifted on the couch, the book I’d been reading slipping from my lap and hitting the floor with a thump.

For a moment panic set in because I wasn't oriented enough to know where I was, but as consciousness seeped into me, I remembered everything in a horrifying rush of awareness. I felt the heavy absence of Cian, and it was strange to sense this gaping distance for someone so shortly after they’d come into my life.

I sat up and grabbed the book, one of the few “props” that had been in the house. The story itself had been boring enough to put me to sleep, or maybe I was just so mentally exhausted that my body took over for me and shut things down.

I wished I was back in that subconscious state where I wasn’t worrying about what was going on and if Cian was okay. I wished I could go back days before, when we’d been in that motel room, and although I was afraid of the future, we didn’t have all this other shit in the way.

“Ye dozed o for only ten minutes.”

I looked over at Odhran, who stood in the entryway of the living room, his shoulder leaning against the wall. His big arms were crossed over his broad chest. We didn’t speak, but I could see the exhaustion still written heavily over his face.

Although we were strangers, I felt like we were kind of one and the same in the kindred spirit department. It was as if my loneliness recognized his.

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say, didn’t want to make the situation weird or awkward. But ever since I’d sat across from him at the dining room table and told him I was sorry, I’d felt him retreat even more into himself, become colder, more detached and apathetic. I could see intelligence in his eyes and knew he was planning something. I know he’s planning on getting his mate back, and he won’t stop until he succeeds.

He gave me a small smile, even though I hadn’t been able to finish my sentence. The situation was hard all around, and neither one of us knew how to navigate it.

“I’m going tae clean up, but it shouldn’t take me more than five minutes. Ye’ll be okay?” He wasn’t asking me because he thought I was an invalid and didn’t trust my judgment or state of mind. I could tell by the tone of his voice and the softness of his expression. I knew he just wanted to make sure I wasn’t too spooked and would be fine by myself.

He was looking out for me because Cian wasn't here.

I was thankful for his concern and his company. But I wanted Cian here so much more that it felt like I had this wound in the center of my body that I knew would never heal. “I’ll be fine, but thank you. Take your time.” I knew nothing about magical houses or enchanted witchcraft that protected things, but I did feel safe with Odhran.

He gave a curt nod, and once I was alone, I got up and walked over to the bookcase, one that had some faux plants on the shelves, a couple of vases, and a picture frame that still had the insert of the fake family in it. I set the book where I’d found it and turned to the window, the curtains closed, yet I still felt fully exposed.

I wrapped my arms around my middle. Although I knew Cian wasn’t that far away—a ten-minute driving distance, he’d told me—I couldn’t help but feel like there was an ocean between us. It was a strange feeling to be so connected to somebody after just meeting them, to feel like your lives were already intertwined and you didn’t even know how it happened.

It didn’t make any logical sense. But at the same time it made all the sense in the world. It was a fantastical situation.

But I trusted it. I believed in myself and what I felt, trusted my gut to lead me in the right direction. It had always held strong and true my entire life, and I knew now wouldn’t be any di erent.

I was vaguely aware of the sound of pipes creaking as Odhran started the shower, and made my way into the kitchen. I stared at the cupboards, the fridge, my hunger hanging out in the background. Then again, when you were in an impossible situation, the last thing your body needed was sustenance, not when it was trying to survive in other ways.

I was about to go rummage for something to eat and force myself to consume something so my belly wouldn’t be empty, when the sound of somebody at the front door had me freezing. The three knocks that sounded seemed like gunshots through the house.

Instantly I thought about calling Cian, then rushing to Odhran to warn him, but I reminded myself we weren’t in the middle of nowhere, not really. Although the nearest

house was a good distance away, I would have considered this a residential area.

I turned, quietly walked to the front door, and placed my palms flat on the cold metal, rising up on my toes so I could look through the peephole. A woman stood on the other side, a bag hanging o her shoulder, a clipboard in one of her hands. She had a cell phone pressed against her ear, and her short, dark bob hairstyle was a little disheveled, as if she’d been running her hands through it after a long day.

I held my breath, trying to calm my racing heart as I listened to what she was saying to the person on the other side.

“Yes, this is my last house. My feet are killing me, and I’m beat, but if I don’t get my quota at getting these surveys out, Harold’s going to jump down my throat.” She exhaled, the weariness in her voice and the exhaustion on her face having a little bit of that tension leaving me. She looked totally harmless, small and petite.

She was just a solicitor, but still there was a tightness on the back of my neck that I could have probably blamed on this situation as a whole. Adryan said the house couldn’t be tracked and was protected from being found by those actively looking for it. I didn’t know how that worked, but I was done questioning things that made no sense with the world I was now thrust into.

I could hear the pipes whining again as the shower was cut o . The weird feeling wouldn’t go away, so I slowly took a step back, but the heel of my foot hit the edge of the small foyer table, knocking the vase that sat on top of it to its side.

It rolled to the floor before I could grab it, crashing to the Pergo, the sound so loud that I knew it was not only noisy enough to be heard across the house, but also on the other side of the front door.

I held my breath and took another step back, but not before I heard the woman on the other side of the door say, “Yeah, she’s inside.” Everything in me froze as I looked out the peephole again. “She’s alone. That’s clear. Maybe one Lycan in there. Tell the team to roll in quickly.”

I didn’t wait; I just took o , eating up the distance of the hallway as I ran to my room. I heard a great crash from behind me and knew the door exploded inward, into the house. I didn’t dare look over my shoulder, just ran harder, faster, but then a hard body tackled me from behind, sending me careening to the ground. My hands shot out instinctively to break my fall as I went down.

The move had my body twisting at the last moment, my head cracking on the corner of a wall, pain exploding in my skull. I cried out, landing on my shoulder, even more pain spreading throughout my entire body. Whoever attacked me from behind rolled me over so I was now on my back, but my vision was blurry, wet warmth sliding down from where I’d connected with the wall.

There was an earth-shattering, animalistic sound that coursed through the entire house. Shouting was happening all around me, orders being thrown out, but it was all garbled as it went in through my ears and swirled around in my head. My eyes were closed, and I shook my head, groaning as I lifted my hand to where I knew there was a gash. I opened my eyes and looked at my fingers, my entire hand covered in glossy red blood.

Suddenly the body was o me, the form sailing through the air. I blinked up to see Odhran standing there, water dripping o his very naked body.

“Run,” he said in a distorted, garbled voice. “Hide.” And then he was attacking the other men who seemed to come out of the woodwork.

I took in a great lungful of air and sat up, pushing my body backward, sliding across the floor until my spine connected with the wall. I was blinking, my vision still hazy, the pain in my head so strong it was hard to focus through it.

When my eyes cleared enough and all I could feel was the rush of adrenaline moving through my veins, I gasped at the sight before me.

In the entryway, Odhran fought four men dressed all in black, face masks covering their heads, only their eyes visible. Cowards, that’s what they were. The woman who’d been at the door stepped through, sidestepping the fight as if it were an everyday occurrence. The front door hung from its hinges, shards of wood scattered along the ground with broken pieces of the vase and splatters of blood.

Although Odhran was holding his own, I could see vicious wounds covering his back and chest… so much blood all I saw was the color red. I could see the glint of silver in the hands of the black-clad men, the weapons they held causing so much damage to Odhran’s body. Yet the Lycan was still standing, holding his own, fighting so brutally it was shocking and admirable.

The longer I sat there, the more my head started to clear.

I could still feel the steady flow of blood down my face. I looked at the narrow hallway table, stared at the piece of decor that sat atop it. I stood and lurched for the ceramic lamp.

I picked up the lamp, ripping the cord from the wall just as the woman came forward, shouting things that weren’t clear to me because I was running purely on adrenaline right now.

She produced a gun from the small of her back, her face expressionless.

I didn’t think, just screamed out as I charged forward, but she sidestepped me with this fluid accuracy and slammed the

butt of the gun into the side of my head.

My hand had already been propelling forward right before she hit me, and the lamp slammed against her temple. I didn’t know if I took her o guard, she didn’t think I’d be strong enough, or luck had been on my side, but it made contact with her skull, a second crack sounding. Shards splintered outward, flying through the air. She stumbled back, blood trailing down the large cut in her temple.

I was dizzy, my vision even more blurry. More blood was drenching the side of my face and sliding down my neck, along my chest, and soaking my shirt. I rubbed the sticky, thicker fluid away from my eyes as I stared at the fight ahead of me becoming even more brutal.

I could see Odhran was growing weaker. I didn’t think a male like him, supernatural Lycans who were more powerful than anything I’d ever seen, could be taken down by cuts littering their body. I had a strong suspicion whatever weapon those men were using to weaken Odhran were laced with something to take the powerful wolf down.

I wasn’t thinking, just reacting. I had to get to him, help him, even if it was a lost cause.

Because if a man as big and strong as Odhran couldn’t take down these men, I sure as hell didn’t stand a chance.

But I had to try. I couldn’t stand here and watch. I had to fight.

One of the men gave a brutal hit to Odhran’s side, having the big Lycan careening to the side and crashing into the wall, plaster shattering around him from the impact. He shook his head as if to clear it, his movement slower, less coordinated. He shook his head again and again, his eyes flashing blue before fading and flashing again.

He was trying to shift, to gain more strength with his wolf, but whatever drugs they were poisoning him with clearly suppressed that.

And then one of them slammed an uppercut on the underside of Odhran’s jaw, a pair of daggerlike brass knuckles a xed to his hand. Odhran went down like a ton of bricks, his body prone, his head turned in my direction, his eyes closing slowly.

With a ceramic shard in my hand, I charged forward again. I only made it a few steps before something hard cracked against the back of my head. I cried out but couldn’t stop myself from falling to the ground, my back hitting the wooden floor hard, so I was now staring blankly up at a large black-clad body that stepped over me.

The man wore a mask as well. He crouched in front of me, lifted the bottom of his mask up to his forehead, and showed me his face, grinning. I had no idea who he was, but the sick pleasure on his face as he stared into my eyes had me realizing without a doubt he was part of the sick fuckers called the Assembly.

“Never seen one of these creatures in the flesh,” he said and looked at Odhran. “Magnificent.” There was awe in his voice. He looked back at me. “We’re gonna have fun with you while we wait for that animal to come for you.” His grin widened. “And he will come, all beastly and salivating for vengeance.” He leaned in closer. “I can’t fucking wait.” He reared his arm back and brought the back of his hand to my face.

Burning pain speared through me, and as my head cocked to the side, as blood filled my mouth in a metallic tang, and as the darkness started to slowly drag me down, I knew this was it.

There was no hope.

There was no chance of getting out of this.

23

Cian

S

he was gone. Taken. I didn’t even have to get to the house to know that was my truth now, my reality.

I slammed the car into park and got out without turning the ignition o , racing toward the front door, which I could already see was hanging from the frame.

I was dizzy, my breathing short, fast, my head swimming.

Panic settled in my gut as I broke through the threshold and took in the scene. Another roar spilled from my throat when I scented blood and saw the crimson smear on the ground. It was Evie’s, the scent sweet, an imprint in my body after marking her.

I’d never cried in my life, never felt fear. But right now I experienced all the things I never had before. I felt wetness cover my cheeks, knew I was crying by the feeling of those tears moving swiftly down my face, at how blurry my vision became.

It felt like someone had ripped a hole in my chest, pulled out my heart, and ground it into pulp. Without Evie, I was nothing but a husk, an empty shell. Gods, this was what

Odhran had been feeling for far too long. How had he survived?

I angrily wiped the tears away, growling and pissed at myself. I had to keep it together. I had to find her. I would find her.

I tried to think rationally as I took in the scene, needing all the information I could to find her, track her.

The entryway was covered in blood. I could smell it was mainly Odhran’s, the red smeared on the floor, handprints on the walls, pools of the thick fluid fucking everywhere.

He’d put up one hell of a fight, deep gouges from his claws raking down the walls and floors evidence of that. I also smelled human blood, males. I was proud Odhran had gotten some vicious hits on them.

Time had no meaning as I walked through the house, taking inventory of everything. Debris from the broken door and from destroyed wall plaster was scattered to my right.

There was a lamp in broken pieces on the ground between the hall and foyer. I walked over to it and crouched, picking up a piece and scenting human female blood on it. But not Evie’s. I closed my eyes and breathed out in my temporary relief.

My body hummed with the need to find her, my wolf howling and pacing within me to track her. I was wasting precious time, even though I told myself I had to make sure I got any and all information. Not doing so would just slow me down.

But I couldn’t think clearly or rationally. This wasn’t me trying to track just anyone. This was me needing to find my mate.

I rose and took in the scene again and was aware of Adryan and his soldiers coming inside. I could hear their low voices, but everything was garbled in my head, nothing

clear, nothing making sense. My hands were shaking, the blood rushing through my veins.

I was partially shifted, something I wasn’t able to help, an uncontrollable act as my wolf demanded vengeance.

Slaughter everyone, anyone who gets in our way in our search for Evie.

I’d tear them limb from limb. Gladly.

“Holy fucking shit.” It was Adryan’s voice that came through my panic and rage.

He stepped over shards of debris, his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, his head moving to the left and right as he took everything in.

“Well,” he said and stopped in the center of the foyer, staring at all the blood. “This doesn’t look good, right?”

I bared my teeth and went to lunge at him, but right before I was about to clamp my canines into his thick throat, he started speaking again.

“Calm the fuck down, Cian. I’m not the enemy here. We do this together, yeah?”

I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to clear it.

Everything was so muddled, my synapses firing in every direction, adrenaline rushing through my body, my muscles growing bigger in anticipation for a fight.

All I wanted to do was shift. All I wanted to do was hunt my female down and destroy whoever had taken her from me. And if Adryan got in my way, tried to stop me or, hell, slow me down, I’d take him out too.

Adryan moved through into the living room, and then he stopped and stared at the wall that was blocked o from my view. His eyes flashed red, and a low growl left him.

“Fuck,” he snarled. “I didn’t have to have proof to know this was the work of those Assembly fuckers, but we got it anyway.”

I walked over to him and looked at the wall in question.

The same symbol that was tattooed on the humans we’d taken down at the motel was painted in blood on the wall. I moved closer and inhaled. It was Odhran’s and… Evie’s.

I saw red, heard the rush of blood in my ears, and was vaguely aware of Adryan speaking on his cell.

“We clearly have a traitor in our ranks.”

It was then that the small, nagging whisper in the back of my mind at the other house reared its head and shouted in my brain over and over again.

The house not only had a human alarm, but it had been mystically protected. It should have kept the location hidden from being tracked and found.

I snapped my head in Adryan’s direction. “Ye said it was safe,” I growled, no longer human except for a sliver that still kept me in this body. “Ye said there were wards in place.” I hadn't been able to do anything but trust him. But she’d been found, taken. Because of him.

He slowly looked over at me, no doubt feeling the pure fury spilling from me. He disconnected the call, and his eyes flashed red.

“Wolf,” he said slowly, “I want you to think good and hard about what you’re about to do, about where your mind is taking you with those clear conclusions.”

My body got even bigger, the shift almost upon me. I was barely hanging on as it was, but hearing that, hearing Adryan talking about a traitor, the fact that whatever ward he’d said was in place was either not the truth or someone on his side—maybe even him—had given the information to our enemies, had the rest of any fucks I had leaving violently.

“Even if ye aren’t the one who told them where my female was, it’s ultimately yer fault.” I bared my canines.

“Ye have a rat in your ranks, and ye’re just as much tae

blame.” I let my upper body lean forward slightly in a purely aggressive move.

“I’ll find who the traitor is, Cian, but you need to think before you fuck things up and cross the line with me that can’t be uncrossed.” He shoved his cell phone into his pocket and took a step toward me.

I held my ground, my head lowered slightly, my eyes locked on him.

I was vaguely aware of several vampires stepping into the living room, no doubt sensing the pulsing aggression filling the room. But Adryan just slowly shook his head as he stared at me, keeping them in place. “I don’t need my fucking soldiers as backup,” he said deeply, his voice low and vibrating with menace.

“I’m not the traitor. But I’m more than happy to go a couple rounds with you if it’ll make you feel better.” He started cracking his knuckles and rolling his head around his neck. “I know it’ll probably make me feel fucking better.” He winked at me, and I felt my pulse race faster. He was itching for a fight. “But if we do this, if you want to place blame before we get the proof and get the fuckers who actually took your girl, you do it knowing we will not be in a good place afterward. You’ll have drawn a line, Cian.”

I was breathing hard, my nostrils flaring. I was trying to take in more oxygen, trying to calm myself, hang onto my human side that could actually think rationally. I closed my eyes again, counting the beats of my pulse, trying to steady myself.

But it was no use. I couldn’t control it. I had to get to Evie.

I let the shift take me over, my skin tearing, bones breaking and realigning, body growing massive as I landed on all fours and shook out my heavy coat. I eyed Adryan, the dangerous glint in his eyes telling me he was still prepared to fight, even when I was in my wolf form.

I growled low and turned, slamming my body into vampire fuckers who were in my way, and ran out of the house. I felt the thrum of the mating mark ripple through the air, still scented the lingering sweetness of my female’s essence in the breeze.

I took o in the direction where I sensed my mating mark on my female. I was vaguely aware of Adryan shouting something at me, but I could only focus on one thing, and that was getting to my Evie.

24

Evelyn

T

he pain woke me, something hard digging into my back, my head aching, this splitting sensation encompassing my entire skull. I groaned softly before I could stop myself and shifted on whatever I was lying on. The sound I made caused vibrations in my head, and the pain became worse.

Even though my eyes were already closed, I squeezed them tighter.

I lay there and breathed in and out, pushing through the nausea, trying to sort through my thoughts even though my skull was throbbing and in agony.

Memories of the fight back at the house flooded my mind.

Odhran being beaten and bloody before collapsing on the ground, unconscious or worse. Somebody tackling me to the floor before I passed out. They moved through my memory like a broken record, bits and pieces of images and sounds filtering in before they all grouped together and became one.

I allowed myself some time to gather my bearings before I really thought about what was going on now and what I was going to do next.

The first thing I realized once my head cleared a little was that I was obviously in a vehicle. The ride was bumpy, and my back kept banging against what had to be the side of it.

And even though I couldn’t see because of the bag over my head, I had to assume I was in the back of a larger vehicle, a van, maybe an SUV, given the fact that I was stretched out on a flat, hard metal surface and not in a seat.

My hands were tied together in front, the rope tight, the nylon digging into my flesh so hard I could feel the skin had become raw. My feet were the same, tied around the ankles, my immobility causing more panic to fill me.

My hearing was mu ed because of the cloth over my head, but I started to make out the conversation of two men clearly, presumably in the front seats.

“He was a bitch to take down,” one of the men said, the other one chuckling in response. “Too bad we can’t turn them to work for us. Can you imagine that kind of strength on our side?”

“Don’t let J hear you say that fucking shit,” the other man snapped. “We don’t join forces with them. We take them. That’s what our job is. Who the fuck you think we fight? Them?” The other man’s voice rose. It was clear he was a loyal asshole to this crazy organization. “That’s not what any of this is about, Jack. And if anyone in the top tiers heard that crazy bullshit coming out of your mouth, they’d throw you in a Session with one of them, you hear me?” I could imagine he was glaring at the one named Jack. “They’ll let one of those beasts tear your throat out as they rip your limbs from your body.”

The other man cleared his throat, and I could sense his discomfort as it filled the vehicle. Good. I hoped these bastards felt so much discomfort they were bleeding out of their ears and eyes because of it.

There was a heavy moment of silence, and although I couldn’t see, I could feel someone looking at me. I feigned being unconscious, not moving, keeping my breathing even.

I wasn't a good actress, but right now my life depended on it.

“J hit her kind of hard, yeah?” Jack muttered softly. “I didn’t know a woman could have that kind of… gumption.

Hell, it's the first time I’ve seen a woman in the field with us.”

The other man didn’t speak for long seconds before finally saying, “She’s as dangerous as any man in the Assembly. She’s… yeah. Just watch yourself with her, okay?”

Jack cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Since when did we start taking humans?”

“When those humans are known mates to these creatures, that’s when we take them.” There was acid in the other man’s voice, as if he was annoyed at having to explain any of this. “Listen,” he said, his voice a little less harsh, as if he lowered it because he was speaking to a petulant child.

“I know you’re new with us, Jack. And I know you got this position because your daddy is one of the higher-up soldiers.

But I’m gonna give you some advice, yeah.” He didn’t phrase it as a question. He was clearly going to give Jack the advice whether he wanted it or not.

“When you start asking questions, that's when shit goes south. Your job is to help secure the subjects and bring them to the facility. That’s it. We don’t question. We don’t wonder about the what-ifs. We do our job, we keep our mouths shut, we get paid, and we mind our damn business in all things.”

The other man cleared his throat, his discomfort once again clear as it filled the vehicle with this heavy, toxic feeling.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of men just like you ask one too many questions. And then

poof.” I heard him snap his fingers. “They’re gone. You feel me?”

A long, pregnant moment of silence filled the air before he answered, “Yeah, I feel you.”

The vehicle stayed silent for a while, and when I felt like I wasn’t still being watched, I tried to silently loosen the ropes binding me. I held my breath o and on, my heart racing as I shifted my hands, working the rope looser and looser until I was able to pull a hand through. I gritted my teeth as the nylon tore at my skin, wet warmth sliding down my wrists from the now-ripped skin.

“We have to meet at drop point A for the transfer.”

“You think he'll come for her?” the one I now knew was the new recruit asked, and I froze in case he glanced at me again.

“Oh… yeah. He sure as fuck will. With these creatures, they live and die for their mates. He’ll come, and be prepared. If you thought the one back at the house fighting us fucking naked like a beast was dangerous, the one coming for his woman will be one vicious motherfucker.”

My breath hitched and heart raced as I heard them talk about Cian. I had to get out of here. I had to stop this before the man I was starting to fall for very hard and very fast came for me and got hurt or, worse, killed.

For the next five or so minutes, the ride was silent, and I was thankful. I kept working at the rope on my ankles, loosening it up even more but having to go slow so I wasn't heard. Once my legs were free, I kept my hands clenched tightly together so it would still look like they were bound if they glanced back at me. I heard something large slam up against the side of the vehicle and froze. But thankfully the two men up front didn’t notice.

Still being as quiet as possible, I lifted my hands and pushed up the bottom of the bag covering my head. I was

holding my breath as I saw two large bodies sitting in the front seats. I glanced around the vehicle, and as I suspected, I was in a van. I didn't see much of anything else back here but two black du el bags across from me.

We went over a bump, and my head slammed against the floor. Closing my eyes and clenching my teeth in pain, I kept my mouth shut and stayed silent. I opened my eyes again, looked at the other end of the van, and held in my gasp as I saw Odhran’s big, prone body lying against the back doors.

He was still naked, blood covering his body, the cuts and scrapes on his form so numerous I felt tears fill my eyes. His hands were bound behind his back, his legs as well. But what kept him secured wasn’t the same rope they used on me. The cu s were metal, thick and dark. I didn’t have any hope of getting him out of those.

Thankfully he was alive, his chest rising and falling slowly. I was grateful he was also unconscious, because the amount of pain he had to be in from the wounds would be monumental.

I didn’t know how I was going to stop this, but I had to do something, and I had to do it quickly, because the closer we got to wherever the drop-o point was, the harder it was going to be for us. I had to catch them when they were o guard, like they were now, their attention not on me because they didn’t see me as a threat.

A crash.

I had to make it so we couldn’t get to the destination. I knew Cian was no doubt coming after me right now. I couldn’t think about whether Odhran or I would get harmed in the process, didn’t think about pain or injury. I couldn’t, not if I wanted us to make it out alive.

While I kept my gaze locked on the two men in front, I took o the bag and let it drop to the van floor. Then I slowly —God, so slowly and silently—pushed myself up so I could

look around for any kind of weapon and stopped as my gaze landed on the du els. I held my breath as I reached for the strap of one.

But just before I had it, the driver barked, “What the fuck are you doing?”

I froze, my eyes snapping to the front.

“What?” Jack replied as he reached for the radio. “We have a little bit of time before we get there. You gonna say no to the radio? Come on, man.”

The driver snorted and shook his head but said nothing else, and that was the only approval Jack needed to click the radio on. The low sounds of classic rock filtered through the van, and I watched Jack get comfortable in his seat.

I exhaled slowly, thankful the extra noise was now filtering throughout the van to cancel out any sound I made.

I tightened my fingers on the handle and pulled one of the du els my way, my focus trained on the men. When I had the bag in front of me, I breathed out slowly, my head dizzy from holding my breath intermittently the entire time.

I grabbed the zipper and started slowly pulling it down.

Once the bag was three-fourths of the way open, I pulled one of the sides open and looked at the contents. I could’ve laughed at what lay inside. Weapons. These men were either stupid as hell, arrogant, or really thought we weren’t a threat.

Well, they were about to realize how wrong they were.

I wasn’t confident enough to use one of the guns, but there were a few knives and what looked like a metal pipe. I pulled the latter out and curled my fingers around the heavy weight in my hand. A soft sound to my left had me snapping my head in Odhran’s direction.

Odhran had his face toward me, his eyes open. His jaw was clenched tightly as he looked from me to the two men sitting in front. I could see the muscles of his arms bunching

and straining as he tried to get free, but whatever shackles they used were holding strong. Strong enough to keep a Lycan immobile.

He shook his head at me, and in his eyes I could see the panic. I knew he didn’t want me to do this, knew the outcome probably wasn’t going to be favorable, but if I could stop these assholes from hurting anyone else, even if it was just a few of them, it was worth it.

I mouthed, I have to.

He was still shaking his head, his jaw locked tight. But he wasn’t making any noise that would draw attention. I couldn’t wait to see if he’d be able to escape, if we’d be able to take them down. I couldn’t rely on someone else to handle this when I had the opportunity to do it myself.

So with the baton in my hand, I crawled closer to the two seats. I could hear the one named Jack hum, but he was focused out the passenger window. I didn’t know who to attack first, Jack, who would undoubtedly come after me once I hit the driver, or if I should go straight for Jack, when the driver would come after me as well. Either way this would hurt, but I knew going to the source was going to end this sooner.

I didn’t think anymore, just reacted.

I swung my arm out and brought the baton down on the driver’s head, the metal connecting with his temple, a sickening crack sounding through the entire van. The coppery scent of blood instantly filled my nose as his skin split, the gaping wound so horrendous I felt renewed nausea consume me.

“The fuck?” Jack barked and looked at me with abject horror. He was young. God, he was young, maybe not even as old as I was, but here he was doing heinous crimes.

The driver was mumbling incoherently, the car swerving to the left and right. I was frozen with shock and fear, the

same as Jack apparently, as he stared at the driver, then at me, over and over again for what seemed like forever, but all of this could only have been happening for a few seconds.

“You fucking bitch,” Jack finally growled and lunged for me sideways, the position we were both in making it hard for him to grasp me as I fell backward, the baton clanging to the floor.

The van swerved, the driver still conscious, but I could see him trying not to flop forward, the blood from his wound a constant gush from his head.

Everything started blurring together, with Odhran making animalistic sounds behind me, his big body thrashing as he tried to escape. Jack tangled in his seat belt as the van kept swerving to the left and right, and the driver was seconds away from succumbing to the darkness he was fighting.

I could hear a radio crackle in the air, the kind of sound you’d hear from a walkie-talkie.

“Th… fuc… is going… there. Yo… copy?”

It was hard to hear clear words with the static on the other end and how the voice kept breaking up.

The van swerved hard to the left, and my body was flung to the side of the van, my head cracking hard enough on the metal paneling that I groaned and felt the previous wound break back open.

And then everything went upside down as the van rolled, and I couldn’t stop the scream that tore from me as I tried to brace myself as best as I could while my body was tossed around like a rag doll. And then the van stilled.

I lay there, sore and bruised, my head pounding, the scent of blood so thick I gagged on it. I groaned, blinked my eyes open, and stared above me at what should have been the ceiling of the van but was very clearly the floor.

For a long moment I couldn’t even move, my entire body aching, my vision blurry, my head dizzy. I tried to reorient myself, and then with a harsh groan, I pushed up and searched for Odhran. I let out a relieved breath when he rolled onto his side and grunted deeply. And then that’s when I noticed the shackles around his wrist had broken away—whether from his own doing or being thrown up against the vehicle, I didn't know.

I looked over to where the driver and passenger were, my hand slapping over my mouth as soon as I saw the tree branch that went straight into the driver-side window and through his head, the end of the stump a couple inches through the headrest. And then there was the passenger.

Jack’s skull was embedded in the front windshield, shards of glass cracked outward like a gothic-style spiderweb, a grotesque spray of blood covering the entire front and down to the dashboard.

The only thing keeping them stationed were the seat belts, gravity causing their limbs to hang down, the dripdrip-drip of the blood sliding o their fingertips and onto the metal roof so loud. So loud.

I couldn’t stop myself from rolling to my side and vomiting at the sight, at the knowledge I was the cause of that.

And although I shouldn’t feel any kind of guilt over their deaths, because they were bad, bad men who would have done horrible things, I couldn’t help but feel a part of my humanity slip away as I listened to their blood leaving their body.

I moved onto my hands and knees and stayed still until my head stopped swimming and my limbs stopped shaking.

“Evelyn,” Odhran said. I lifted my head to look at him just as he grunted and moved into a sitting position, his back against the side of the van now, his hands going down to the

shackles on his ankles. “Do ye smell that?” He started tugging at the metal so hard the muscles in his upper chest bulged. The blue glow from his eyes lit up, and a very primal growl left him right as a creaking sound of metal rendering filled the interior of the van.

I lifted my head fully, focused, and inhaled deeply. At first, all I could smell was blood. So much blood. But then it hit me.

Gasoline.

And then I saw the glow of orange and red at the front of the van.

I’d seen enough movies that all I could picture was the car exploding and us stuck inside.

“Oh God. We have to get out of here.” My pain was forgotten, and I scrambled to the rear of the van and started pushing and pulling at the latch of the door, jerking it so hard my shoulders protested.

“Ye’ll hurt yerself more. Let me.” Odhran’s voice was rough but firm as I stepped aside. I wanted to argue that he was hurt even worse, but the way he stared at my head wound and the low sound that left him had the words stopping in my throat. “Cian is coming for ye, and anyone who tries tae stop him will die horribly.”

I felt a shiver move through me, and then he was throwing his body against the doors, his shoulder hitting it over and over again until he made a dent in the metal, and the whine of the door giving way was undeniable.

The doors flew open, and the force had Odhran tipping forward. I reached out for his arm to steady him, but he was so big that the momentum took us both down to the asphalt.

I landed hard on the ground, my palms scraping on the rough surface, but my body was so sore all over that I couldn’t discern that pain from any other one that encompassed my entire form.

“We have tae get away from the van,” he said low, his voice strained. “I donna kno’ when or if it’ll blow, but I sure as fook donna want tae be close enough tae find out.”

But before we could move, I heard shouting and snapped my head up to see another van lying in the ditch just across the road. The passenger- and driver-side doors were flung open, and the woman who’d been at the house, the one who hit me with the butt of her gun, came out, her face a mask of fury.

The driver was another big, beefy guy clad in black. And then the back doors opened, and a few more men filed out. I idly thought it foolish they didn’t have our van cramped with men to watch over us, that they left us in the hands of only two, one being all but a kid himself. But I didn't have a chance to let that thought sink in anymore, because they were coming for us.

My heart thundered as I realized there was no way Odhran and I could fight all of them. There were too many of them, and we—I, at least—were too weak, ill-equipped, and not experienced in fighting at all. We were doomed before we even started.

I heard the clanging of the metal baton fall from the back of the van and roll along the asphalt. I reached over to grab it, knowing what I had to do. I stood on shaky legs and looked over at Odhran.

“Thank you for being here so I don’t have to do this alone,” I whispered.

His jaw clenched as he stared at the black-clad bodies coming toward us.

I thought of Cian, how we’d been robbed of our happily ever after.

I thought about Darragh and how I wished I could see her one last time.

I felt that grief of losing my own happiness, of being loved and loving Cian, of having his babies.

I thought of it all and felt like crying. But I wouldn't. I was stronger than what life threw at me. I’d proved that to myself countless times. And right now wouldn’t be any di erent.

Because I knew if losing my happiness helped ensure that others didn’t get hurt, it would be worth it.

I just wished I had a little bit more time to love Cian before he was taken from me.

25

Cian

I

ran hard and fast through the woods, the long strip of deserted asphalt parallel to me. I was purely running on animalistic instinct right now, allowing my wolf to take control. My senses were heightened exponentially, more than they’d ever been before.

I was no longer human, the sheer determination to get to my female and ensure her safety like fuel in my veins, air in my lungs, the very beat of my heart.

I was vaguely aware of several vehicles coming over the crest of the road, their halogen lights illuminating the darkness in a glow of neon blue. I didn’t have to see who was in the cars to know it was Adryan and his soldiers. I didn’t even try to rationalize how he’d found me or how he knew where to go.

I ran faster, my mouth and body eating up the distance, my paws digging into the dirt as I picked up my pace. I smelled blood and gasoline before I broke through the tree line, finally spotting a small fire burning from the hood of an overturned van.

My heart skipped a beat. I thought I was too late, that Evie was already taken from me. But I reminded myself that I still felt her, felt my mating mark pulse in my blood. She had to still be alive. I wouldn’t accept anything else.

I heard shouting, cursing, and screaming. I filtered out all those sounds and only focused on finding my female. I scanned the surroundings, the fight, the bloodshed. And then I saw my Evie, her body seeming so small among the carnage as she fought against another woman. It was clear the other female was part of the Assembly by the clear way she fought, her moves skilled, obviously trained. My mate didn’t stand a chance against someone like that.

I tipped my head back and howled in rage and vengeance.

I could see the wounds covering Evie, could smell her blood even from the distance. And then there was Odhran, naked and bloody, his wounds covering so much of his body it was all I could see. He was holding o several men, fighting in the way our kind did. No mercy. It reminded me of all the times we’d been in battle. I knew his many wounds were the reason he hadn’t shifted. He was too hurt to shift, and as I inhaled deeply, I picked up the scent of chemicals.

They’d weakened him with something, causing him to be unable to take his wolf form.

I focused on Evie again and let out a growl as I lunged forward, moving faster, needing to get to her. My wolf was vicious as we jumped right into the fight, snapping and tearing flesh from anyone who got in front of me.

I was on the human woman attacking Evie, latching my massive jaw on her leg until she screamed in pain. She swung her arm out, and something sharp slammed into my shoulder, but I didn’t feel anything but the adrenaline rushing through me, and the need to kill her ran strong.

I didn’t think about anything but bloodshed as I tore a chunk of her calf o . She screamed again, and I fucking

loved the sound. I launched myself fully onto her. She fell backward, her body supine, her eyes wide and terrorstricken. She lifted her arm up, and I saw the hunting knife she held. If she thought that would stop me, if she thought stab wounds littering my body would bring me down, then she knew nothing about a Lycan and how powerful we were at protecting our mate.

I was in a haze as I finished her o , my canines and teeth tearing at her flesh, blood coating my jaw, all the fur down my chest covered in the gore. It was only when I stumbled back and swung my head in Odhran’s direction that I saw two human males coming after Evie. I could see their mouths moving, assuming they were shouting, but I heard nothing but the rush of my pulse in my ears.

I was about to launch myself at them when there was a fast blur of motion to my right, a flash of color, a body, a form of a male moving faster than any human could. And then Adryan was standing behind one of the men, towering over his body, looking at me over his head with a sadistic grin spread across his face and his red, glowing eyes flashing with excitement and menace. His fangs grew long right before me, now passing his bottom lip.

And the human didn’t even know he was about to die.

Adryan gripped the hair of the human and wrenched his head to the side. The man struggled for only a millisecond before Adryan opened his mouth wide and sank his fangs into the human’s throat. He growled so deep I heard it across the distance. Adryan tore his mouth away, ripping away a chunk of spongy flesh so the human had a gaping—bloodsquirting—wound.

Blood pulsed out of the man’s throat in a brilliant display of red, an arc of his life literally moving through the air.

Adryan spit out the chunk of flesh with a grin.

I heard a female cry and snapped my head to see another man behind Evie, a gun raised to her head, the barrel pressed to her temple. Her eyes were wide, tears streaming down her cheeks. I held very still even though I was howling in rage and fear for my female.

I crouched low, analyzing how to take the fucker down in the safest, fastest way possible, when she rammed her head backward until her skull cracked against his nose. He howled, blood rushing out of his face instantly. His arms loosened around her, and she was smart as she dropped her body to the ground. God, my female was magnificent.

I WAS on him in the next second, jumping over Evie as she got flat on the ground and rolled away. I slammed my paws down on his chest so hard I heard his ribs break under the force. His head cracked back on the asphalt, his arms splaying out, the gun skittering across the road. I didn’t wait, couldn’t even think rationally or decide what I was going to do.

My wolf took over as I clamped my jaw around his trachea and ripped it out, letting that part of his body fly through the air to land in the distance. It was a gory, brutal display of my strength, my prowess.

It was who I was as a Lycan.

It was how I protected my mate.

26

Evelyn

H

e was huge. Cian’s wolf body was massive, bigger than a Shire horse, as if he were plucked from a fantasy novel, a fairy tale. And all I could do was stare at the man who was my mate, a man who wasn’t human and who stood in front of me in his goliath wolf’s body, blood dripping o his fur, his eyes glowing blue as he stared at me.

And although I knew logically I should be afraid, that I’d seen him tear apart human bodies—threats to me, to us, and everyone else—all I could think about was how I wasn’t afraid at all. I was in awe, this magnificent creature in front of me slaughtering anyone who thought to get near me. And when I wasn’t as strong as I wanted to be, he was there by my side, giving me support and strength.

My body ached, and I knew I had cuts littering my body, but I still pushed myself up and ignored the pain, standing for only a second before I started to hobble over to my mate.

I’d sprained my ankle, had scrapes and cuts all over me from falling, from the crash, but the closer I got to Cian, the more I felt energized.

The mating mark on my neck tingled and warmed, and when I stopped a few feet from him, inhaling his scent that —although tinged with the coppery scent of the blood from the people he killed—I could pick up, the spicy dark aroma that made Cian… Cian.

I tipped my head back so I could stare into his eyes, and he just stood there, letting me look my fill, to take in every impossible yet incredible inch of him. His fur was dark, black like onyx, so thick and soft looking that my fingers twitched to tunnel through it.

He lowered his head slightly as if he read my thoughts, and I found myself reaching out and smoothing my fingers along the side of his huge head, over one of his pointed, thickly tufted ears, the air whooshing out of me at the feeling of his coarse yet soft fur under my fingers.

I should’ve focused on my surroundings, paid attention to the fight breaking out far too close to the van still on fire yet not having exploded yet. But as I let myself sink back into reality and glance around, I could see that the only ones left standing were the vampires and Odhran as he took down the last of the human men from the Assembly.

They’d taken out everyone else, bodies littering the street, blood like dark oil spills along the road. It was a massacre.

We were safe for the time being.

“I don’t mean to be one of those douches who interrupts that special moment, but that van could blow any second, and that’ll bring the human authorities.”

I looked over at Adryan, and despite the situation, the fear and adrenaline still coursing through me, not to mention every part of my body hurting, I felt my lips twitch at hearing his arrogance—almost endearing and familiar.

“I’ve called in a crew to clean up the bodies before shit hits the human media and authority, but we still need to get

the fuck out of here.” Adryan stood there, all imposing and cocky, as if he dictated to the entire world what happened next.

The air changed, this wild energy surrounding me. It had the hairs on my arm standing on end and a tickling sensation moving throughout my entire body. I looked over at Cian, his wolf staring right at me.

And then a second later there was a sharp crack through the air, as if a ripple had just moved right through me.

One minute he was a giant wolf, and the next, he stood in his human form, still imposing, intimidating, and causing so many emotions to rush out of me that I couldn’t help the tears that slid down my face. His expression softened as he stepped close to me, his body completely naked, yet this moment wasn’t about anything sexual happening. He ran one of his fingers along my cheek, collecting a tear before bringing it to his mouth and kissing it away.

He said something low and deep in Gaelic, and I didn’t stop myself from leaning into him and wrapping my arms around his narrow waist. I rested my head right over his heart, listening to the steady beat of it to reassure myself that he was here and that he was safe and alive. Nothing will take him from me.

“Also,” Adryan said, of course interrupting the moment I was having with Cian, “if you would have waited for me to tell you before tearing out of there like a bat out of hell, I could’ve explained the bracelet your mate is wearing.” He gestured to the delicate wolf chain that was wrapped around my wrist. “It’s actually mystically trackable. Figured since they were going after her to get to you, the smart thing to do would be to get her safety and location locked down in case we had to find her.”

Once again the air changed, and before I knew it was happening, Cian was standing in front of Adryan, his arm

cocked back a millisecond before he swung it forward and connected with the vampire's jaw. Adryan’s head whipped to the side from the impact, and I held my breath, my eyes feeling large, fear once again rising in me.

“That’s for lavishing gifts on my mate when I kno’ it wasn’t just because of kindness in yer cold, dead heart.” He snarled. “That’s for giving her a tracking device without telling me.” Cian was growling out the words. “And it’s also for putting my mate in danger and getting her hurt, whether it was intentional or no’. It does no’ matter.”

He took a step back and scrubbed a hand over his face, the blood that had been on his jaw and chest as a wolf now covering his chin and entire upper body. “And if ye want tae clock me one, I deserve it too for no’ protecting my mate well enough.” He stared at me, and my breath caught at the anguish on his face and in his eyes.

He looked me up and down, his jaw clenching, his gaze hardening as he took in every little nick and cut. I started moving toward him, and he did the same until I was close enough I could cup his jaw.

“It's no one's fault,” I whispered. “Not Adryan’s, and certainly not yours.” I rose on my toes and kissed him, not caring about the blood or who watched.

“Damn romance novel up in here,” Adryan muttered and started chuckling.

Cian growled and turned so he was in front of me, partially blocking me from everyone's view. I looked around his arm to stare at the vampire.

Adryan smoothed his thumb over his bottom lip, pulled it back, and glanced down to see the smear of blood covering the pad of the digit. He lifted his gaze, and while he stared at Cian, he brought his thumb to his mouth and dragged his tongue along it, licking o the blood and grinning.

“That was your one and only freebie, wolf.” He shrugged.

“And yeah, I may have given her the clothes and the bracelet not wholly out of the goodness of my heart.” He looked at me and winked before chuckling when Cian gave a deep growl and instantly moved back in front of me, blocking the vampire’s view of me. “I may have also done it because I’m an asshole.”

Cian made a low sound of warning. “I’m taking my mate somewhere safe for the time being, where she can heal and I can protect her.” Cian glowered at Adryan. “And it will no’ be a place of yer choosing.”

Adryan didn’t move, and I wondered if he took o ense. I wanted to tell Cian it wasn’t Adryan’s fault, that he’d helped as best as he could, that sometimes this happens, but I kept my mouth shut, because the last thing I wanted to do was make matters worse.

Finally Adryan inclined his head and held his arms out, palms up to the sky. I wasn’t fooled into thinking it was an act of backing down. I felt like I knew Adryan in that regard well enough.

“I’m certainly not in a place to school you on what you do with your time and your mate, so whatever the fuck you want to do, you’re welcome to do it in my territory for however long you need.”

Cian grunted, and I knew it was going to be the only “thanks” he gave Adryan.

“But I did mean it when I said we need to get the fuck out of here before that van blows and the human authorities come barreling here, guns a’blazing.” All amusement faded from the leader of the vampires. He was once again stern and cold, arrogant and ruthless. “My soldiers have already taken out the warehouse once we realized they attacked Evie and your boy. They took the Assembly members who were inside to a holding facility we have.” He grinned slowly and cracked

his knuckles. “We’re going to get some answers—that’s for fucking sure.”

27

Evelyn

T

he air was so charged I could feel the electricity coursing around us. It was hard to not let it a ect me as I rubbed my hands over my arms, but it was useless. Ever since we’d arrived at the house Adryan had been using as some kind of battle setup half an hour before, things had been so tense you could have cut a knife through it.

Cian hadn’t even wanted to come back, demanding he was taking me someplace else, a hotel for the time being until I could heal. That was his only concern. Me. Always me.

But Adryan convinced him to come back, to gather weapons and supplies I may need, reminding him the rental car was still here.

So here we were, congregated in what I assumed used to be a living room but had been gutted, with walls removed to make more space. Everyone watched Odhran warily as he paced back and forth in the corner of the room, no longer nude after Adryan gave him a pair of black sweats and a gray T-shirt.

It wasn’t lost on me that Cian kept his body in front of mine, as if protecting me because he could sense how unstable Odhran was. And then Odhran stopped pacing and glared at Cian for a moment before speaking in quick succession, his Gaelic booming in the small room.

“I kno’,” Cian said.

“I may be versed in many languages, but my Gaelic is rusty as fuck, boys,” Adryan said as he leaned against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other, his hands shoved in his pockets. “And I’m pretty sure your mate doesn’t speak a lick of it.”

“That was the closest I’ve ever been tae my mate,” Odhran growled in English this time. “Ye slaughtered all of them.” He looked at Cian and then moved to look at Adryan.

“Ye fucking killed every last one of them before I could question what they knew about her.” He ground his teeth.

“Ye both took away the opportunity of me gathering more information tae get her.”

Adryan pushed o the wall and stared at Odhran. “I hate to be the one to point this out, but that human could’ve just been talking out of his ass, man. You don’t even know if they still have her. They knew her name, yeah, but that could be easily accessible if they did some digging, and we know these fuckers are aware of a hell of a lot about the Otherworld.

Also, we know there is a traitor among our ranks.” Adryan shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’m not trying to be a dick here, but I am pointing out the obvious. Even if we hadn’t slaughtered all of them—which I’ll remind you needed to be done—it didn’t mean you would’ve been able to get any information from them.”

Odhran started growling and took a step toward Adryan.

The last thing we needed was a full-on war between the “good guys.”

“Adryan,” I said in a stronger voice than I felt at that moment. “Didn’t you say you captured some members of the Assembly from the warehouse? Couldn’t you take Odhran there with you to see if they know anything?”

Adryan slowly looked at me and smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. He knew what I was trying to do, how I was interjecting into this conversation to smooth things out. And I had a sneaking suspicion he wanted things to escalate. I had no doubt in my mind that Adryan reveled in bloodlust and battle, and I couldn’t imagine that in his position as the leader of the vampire clan, he got to see much action. He probably doled out orders instead of getting his hands dirty.

And as if he read my mind, as if my words were written right across my face or shouted in the room, his eyes flashed red, and he grinned broader, inclining his head as if he was agreeing with me or approving of my conclusion.

“We’ll find her. I’ll help ye find her,” Cian said in a steady, calm voice. “Ye helped me protect my mate, came with me tae America tae find her. I’ll do the same.”

Odhran was shaking his head before Cian even finished talking. “As much as I love ye like a brother, my family, and know ye’d die helping me, ye have yer own mate. Ye stay here tae protect her, tae live the life we both have been denied for so long.” He ran a hand over his blond hair and exhaled, staring at the floor before muttering, “This is my journey. I’ve been searching for her for decades, and I have tae do this for my own sanity.” He lifted his head and slammed his closed fist on his chest over and over again.

“I’ve never been this close before,” he said with passion and a fire burning in his eyes. “And I will no’ leave without her this time.” His voice was so loud and sure, his words echoing and shouting in the room.

I felt tears gather in my eyes before slipping down my cheeks.

“This is what my life is about,” Odhran said when I could see Cian was about to argue. “She’s the only thing that matters, and no one will tell me di erent, Alpha of the Guard or no’. I will no’ leave without her this time,” Odhran kept saying over and over again, as if he was convincing himself, a mantra, a promise he made, because it was clear he was broken inside.

Odhran closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, and I could see he was trying to gather his control. My heart was pounding, and I placed a hand over it. I felt so much emotion right now, not just because of all the stu that had happened with me, but also the stu that was continuously happening with all of us. Odhran was in pain, and a part of me knew what that felt like, because there had been a moment after I’d been taken where I felt that gaping hole of losing Cian and knowing I may never see him again.

“I will no’ go back tae Scotland.” Odhran opened his eyes and stared at Cian, and there was so much pain in his expression that my breath caught as I felt Cian’s body tense farther. “I will no’ go back until I can bring my mate back with me.” Odhran looked at me as I stared around Cian's arm. “Ye kno’ how it feels, brother.” Odhran addressed my mate but kept looking right at me. “Please donna try tae reason with me.” He glanced back at Cian then, his jaw clenched as his pain washed right away, and his resolve settled in its place like a burning coal. “Because right now I canna be reasoned with.”

Cian didn’t say anything, but he did give a slow nod in agreement. Odhran exhaled once more and took a step as if to walk past us when the sound of the front door opening and commotion coming our way had everyone freezing.

Weapons were drawn, Cian was shoving me more firmly behind him, and I held my breath.

“What the fuck, James?” Adryan prompted in a dangerously low voice as two vampires stepped into the room, one looking like he’d been tortured and barely hanging onto life.

Everyone stepped away from the vampire named James as he tossed the other man to the ground.

“You and Matteo get into a car fight?” Adryan’s words could have been construed as teasing, but the way he snarled them and curled his lip as he stared down at the barely moving man revealed the truth of where his emotions were at.

James took a step back, and his focus was on the vampire named Matteo. He bared his teeth, his fangs elongated as he hissed out, “Interesting story.” James looked up at Adryan, but the vampire leader didn’t show any emotion. He just stood there as if he was bored. And as the seconds ticked by, I could see the annoyance move across Adryan’s face “Well, are you going to fucking tell me, or is this a cli hanger?” Adryan asked once again in a bored tone.

There was only the subtlest tightening around James's mouth as if he was bothered by the abrasive tone Adryan threw out, but other than that, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

“Went with the cleanup crew to get the bodies of those Assembly assholes,” James said and spit down on Matteo’s prone body. “Found one of the human’s still alive.” Adryan lifted an eyebrow but said nothing else. “He wasn’t alone,” James continued, but there was barely leashed fury in his voice. “Found this fucker trying to help him.” He used his foot to roll Matteo over so he was now supine, and it was the first time I got a good look at his face.

Oh God. A horrified gasp left me, and instantly Cian had me in his arms, my face to his chest, his hand curled around the back

of my head as he shielded me from the gore that was Matteo’s face. But it was already done. I’d already seen the damage to the vampire's face, and it was horrendous.

I hated acting weak, seeming like I couldn’t handle the realities of the world.

Matteo’s eyes had been gouged out, his mouth so bruised, so swollen and bloody, that it didn’t even look like what it was supposed to anymore.

“I already know the answer, but I want you to tell me,” Adryan said in a still conversational voice. “You do that, James?” Despite his calm voice and demeanor, I could tell it was deceptive. There was this underlying warning in his voice, as if he was pissed James had taken the liberties of dishing out vengeance before getting permission.

“I was going to leave the traitor intact for you, but then I snapped when I heard him talking about the location of the wolf's female and how the human was telling Matteo to warn the others at the warehouse.” James shrugged. “Needless to say”—he glanced at Cian and then back at Adryan—“I was pretty pissed, and before I could stop myself…” He gestured to Matteo. “Well, you can see what happened. I roughed him up a little.”

Matteo started groaning, but James gave a brutal kick to his ribs.

I turned my head from the scene once again, disgusted and shocked that James would think what he’d done to Matteo was just “roughing him up a little.”

I had to assume vampires were insanely strong, just like a Lycan. But Matteo lay on the ground barely breathing, a few low moans coming from his battered mouth as if he hardly had the strength to do even that. The kind of violence that had been brought on him was so horrendous that it would have been more than just a fit of rage. It felt like payback,

revenge. It felt as if James had been personally a ronted and harmed.

“He’ll survive,” James said. “Give him a few days to heal, and he’ll be good as new, and then you can do what you want with him.” James gave a sadistic smile toward Adryan, but the vampire leader didn’t crack, kept his composure hard and closed o as he stared at James.

After a long second he finally tipped his chin to someone across the room. One of his soldiers came and hoisted Matteo o the ground, carting him out of the room.

I wanted to ask what was going to happen to Matteo, although I wasn’t a fool and could assume. My imagination was pretty damn vivid.

“Well, wolf,” Adryan addressed Odhran. “Looks like it’s your extra-lucky day. If Matteo is the traitor, I’ll let you go at him hard-core to find out any information you can about his involvement with the Assembly and if he knows anything about your woman.”

Odhran didn’t speak, but I could feel the ripple of pent-up aggression and vengeance pouring o him. I chanced a look at Odhran and saw him staring so darkly at Matteo that I shivered in fear. Cian’s arms tightened around me before he kissed the top of my head.

“No worries,” he murmured so only I heard. “Ye’re safe.”

I knew I was, but the absolute murderous gaze on Odhran’s face and the violent energy moving around him could have made the dead fearful.

After a long moment of tense silence, Odhran ran a hand through his blond hair, and then he was walking past us, not saying anything to anyone. The sound of the front door opening and closing came after his footsteps, and now it was my turn to exhale shakily. The tension in the room was considerable, but still no one spoke.

The vampires were looking at each other before their gazes landed on Adryan, as if they were looking for their leader to tell them what to do.

Adryan shrugged and put his hands in his pockets.

“Odhran’s on a mission,” he said matter-of-factly. “Can’t blame him. I’ll help all I can, give him whatever resources he needs. And if he wants me on his side to get his female back, then I’m there.” He was silent for a moment before continuing.

“What’s in it for ye?” Cian asked, the suspicion in his voice. “Because ye and I both kno’ ye don’t do shite for free.”

Adryan grinned, just a flash of straight white teeth and barely held-in menace. “Being the boss has its pros and cons, wolf. You think I enjoy delegating violence, when I’d much rather dole it out myself?” He cracked his knuckles as if thinking about all the violence he could deliver. “And these Assembly fuckers need to be taken down, so that’s what we’re going to do.” A heartbeat of silence passed. “And it’d be the most glorious fucking display of blood and body parts.

The next greatest fucking art show.”

He started laughing in that sadistic, maniacal way of his that confirmed he wasn’t sane. Not in the least.

“But I can see he wants to do this on his own,” Adryan said after he stopped laughing.

I nodded slowly, although Adryan wasn’t speaking to me, and it wasn’t as if I truly knew about any of this, about journeys and adventures, about mates and wanting that lifelong connection. I didn’t know about losing someone for decades, only to be so close they could be in your life once more.

“Aye,” Cian said almost raggedly. “He will no’ take help easily.” He ran a hand over his short hair. “He’s stubborn and prideful, and he feels like when he lost her, it was his fault. He wants tae do this on his own, because he feels like

it’s the only way he can be forgiven for letting her be ripped from his life.”

As I looked up at Cian, my heart swelled, because I knew that even though I hadn’t been taken from him, he’d still been looking for me. He’d do that for the rest of his life if it came down to it. He’ll always come for me.

I knew that so deeply that it sucked the air from my lungs.

And it was at that moment that I realized how hard I’d fallen for him. Hopelessly, irrevocably… painfully in love with my Lycan.

28

Evelyn

A

fter we left Adryan’s house, we’d driven for over an hour and a half to the hotel we were currently in. Cian wanted to stop at a rinky-dink little motel we passed much earlier on in the trip, but with the memories of all the shit that had happened the last time I’d been at a motel o the highway, I told him to keep going.

He’d wanted to fight me, wanting me to rest at the first place we saw, but once I explained my aversion to it, his jaw clenched, and he nodded once, not speaking again as he kept driving. But he held my hand the entire time, his grip firm as if he didn’t want to let me go.

So here we were, in a hotel so fancy I felt out of place.

Hell, the bathrooms had plush, expensive-feeling robes and little bottles of shampoo and conditioner with Frenchsounding names I couldn't pronounce.

I thought back to when we got to the hotel and made our way out of the car, noticing Cian grabbing a large black du el that looked heavy. I hadn’t missed the metal-onmetal clanking sound that had come from the inside of that

bag and knew instantly it was weapons. Maybe it should have terrified me, but it didn’t. In fact, it made me feel safe, knowing Cian had the means to take care of us in the only way we could with the people who wanted to hurt and maim.

I was wrapped in a plush white robe as I sat in the center of a massive bed. I’d taken a shower not long ago, and my hair was damp and curling at the ends, the scent of lavender and vanilla in my nose further calming me.

Cian had gotten a first-aid kit and insisted on tending to my wounds, and although I had a messed up ankle, and my headwound would take time to heal, the rest was pretty superficial. I was sore and achy, but nothing was broken. I knew I’d be really sore over the next few days, but despite all of that, I had a euphoric feeling. Cian and I were alive, and right now we were safe. I could breathe.

“Open for me,” he said in his gru voice that shouldn’t have turned me on after the night we’d had, but I found my body softening, becoming wet between my thighs, my nipples puckering underneath the plush robe.

I opened my mouth and took the piece of fruit he o ered between his fingers. Our gazes held as I took that small red piece of strawberry from him, my lips gently brushing against his thumb and forefinger. I didn’t miss how his jaw tensed, or how his eyes subtly flashed with his desire, his nostrils flaring as if he could pick up the scent of my arousal.

But he didn’t say anything about it, didn’t act on it.

And once again, despite the night we’d had and intimacy being the last thing that should’ve been on my mind, all I could think about was being with Cian. I couldn’t think of anything more freeing, nothing that would make me feel more alive, than being with the man who was irrevocably mine… the man I loved.

When he went to o er me another piece of fruit, I gently curled my fingers around his thick wrist, smiling as I shook

my head. “I’m full. You took care of me completely.” I could see the way his face softened as I said those words and knew that to him, seeing me comfortable and well taken care of by his hand was a pleasure in itself. He was proud about that.

He set the tray that room service had brought over on the bedside table and moved fully back so he was resting against the headboard. And then he opened his arms, urging me without saying a word to come to him.

I eagerly moved across the bed and settled against his side, my hand on the hard, rolling plains of his abdomen, my head resting on a pectoral muscle. He enveloped me with his big, strong arms and buried his nose in my hair. I heard him inhale deeply, and closed my eyes, awareness and something deep and satisfying, warm and loving filling me.

We stayed like that for long moments, the silence a heavy, comfortable balm surrounding me. I felt drowsiness start to claim me, that cloak of sleep taking me away. I fought it, blinking rapidly because I didn’t want this moment to end, where I was wrapped in Cian’s arms and where nothing could touch us.

“I want tae take ye back tae Scotland.” His low but deeply accented voice roused me, and I blinked a few times, adjusting myself so I could tilt my head back and look into his face.

There was a softness in his eyes, and the small smile he gave me, the one that gently curved the corner of his mouth, had my heart fluttering. How could it be possible to feel something so strong for someone so soon after meeting them? I felt like I’d asked myself that so many times since Cian had come into my life.

How did I get so lucky to have a man like him by my side?

“I want tae take ye back there tae ensure yer safety.” The way he looked at me and the tone of his voice told me there was more he had to say. “And then I’m going tae come back

here and help Odhran find his mate… just like he came here tae help me find ye.”

I was already shaking my head before he even finished.

“We just found each other, reunited. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want you to leave me.” He cupped my face, and it took everything in me not to close my eyes and just absorb the feeling of him holding me.

“Mo ghràidh, I don’t want tae leave ye. That’s the last thing I want.” His voice was firm, adamant.

I could tell how much he wanted me to trust and understand—to believe those words. I knew how much he needed me to.

“But it’s no’ safe for ye here, and I will no’ put yer life in jeopardy.” He rested his head back on the wall, his eyes focusing on something straight ahead. “No’ having ye by my side, even if I kno’ ye’re safe, even if I kno’ I’m coming back tae ye, it’s like somebody ripping out my heart.” He looked over at me, his head moving slowly. “Dramatic, I kno’, but the truth nonetheless.”

“I’m not leaving your side. I’ll stay here with you. I’ll help you.” The smile he gave me was soft, respectful, as if he was proud I was willing to step up. But I could also see the disapproval on his face, the denial that he would not allow me to do that. “Please,” I whispered. “I don’t want to be left alone. I don't want that for you either. I don’t want to be without you.”

Once again I was struck with the monumental feeling of how true and right those words felt. “I'm not leaving you,” I said again, harder, firmer this time. “You’re mine as I’m yours, so this is my fight too.” I rose slightly and rolled my shoulders back. “I’ll stand by your side to take down the people who are hurting what is now a part of my life.” I stared deeply, sincerely into his eyes, hoping he felt my

words. “Odhran protected me with his life, and I’ll fight for him too.”

Cian reached out and smoothed a finger along my cheek, his smile warm and… proud.

“God, how did I survive without ye?”

My heart jumped in my chest. “You’ll never have to know what that’s like again, because you’re mine, and I’m yours.”

“Forever.”

I nodded at the fierce words that came from him, and whispered, “Forever.”

“Ye’ll never be without me. Never.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, his mouth firm but soft.

I could tell the kiss was to seal that promise and not to start something more heated. That was clear by the tightness in his body as he attempted to control himself and pull away.

But didn’t he know I needed him right now?

I let my eyes close and slid my hand up his bare chest, feeling the ripples of muscles, his unrestrained strength. I tipped my head to the side and parted my lips to allow his tongue to slip inside.

He groaned once but ripped away from me, resting his head on the wall once more and closing his eyes. His breathing was a little faster, his chest muscles hard and clenching, the tightness in his body an aphrodisiac that made me want him even more.

I found it insanely attractive that he tried so hard to be gentle with me, that he tried to control himself.

Didn’t he know I wanted that feral part?

I looked at the hand that wasn’t curled around my hip, his fingers clenched tightly around the duvet on the bed, his knuckles white.

“We’ll stay here until ye’re healed enough tae travel, but then I’ll take ye back tae my home where ye’ll be protected.”

He sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth,

and when he opened his eyes, I saw how blown his pupils were. “Tae Scotland, where my clan can protect ye.”

He tried to deny this moment, but I knew if I looked down, I’d see a massive erection.

“Cian,” I whispered, not hiding the arousal-laced note in my voice.

“Evie, lass—” I silenced him by dipping my tongue farther into his mouth. “Ye’re healing.” His words were vibrations against my lips, but I didn’t allow him to stop this. I didn’t want him to.

“You’re not going to deny me, are you?” I knew it was wrong to ask him that, putting him in the situation if he didn’t want to. But I know he wants this, wants me. He was trying to be gentle with me, because he thought I was too hurt.

And although my body ached fiercely, all I could think about was being with Cian and solidifying that we were actually here together. That we were alive. And I couldn’t think of a better way to make that a reality than being with him in the most intimate, physical way that people who cared about each other shared.

“I’d never deny ye anything, lass, but I donna want tae hurt ye.”

I pulled back so I could look into his eyes when I heard the concern in his voice. I couldn’t help but give him a soft smile. He was always looking out for me, protecting me, and I knew it was this inherent, ingrained strength inside him.

It didn’t matter if we’d only known each other for an hour. I knew this man would have my back and my best interest always at heart. It would always be his priority. And I knew now as I looked into his blue eyes, as I felt his warmth surrounding me, seeping into me, that I would be there for him as well.

I’d never had a family, not a true one. It had always just been Darragh and me, but now she had started her life, found her other half, and would be creating a future with him. They’d create their own family, and that's what I wanted too. With Cian.

I sat back a little bit more and went for the tie of my robe, never breaking eye contact as I undid it and let the two halves of the plush material slip o my shoulders to pool around my waist. My pulse picked up, and my breathing came a little bit faster.

And all the while, Cian was still as stone in front of me, his face showing all his desire until it was like a physical touch. I didn’t miss how he lowered his gaze along my exposed breasts, or how he looked down across my waist, over my tucked-in hips, and settled between my thighs.

I was currently sitting on my legs, my bottom resting on the heels of my feet, my thighs closed, so I knew all he could see was the trimmed dark curls that covered the most intimate part of me. I felt bold in this moment as I braced my hands on my legs and slowly started to part my thighs, showing him that I was already dripping wet, my arousal a glossy sheen on my inner thighs.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed and stared at the obscene way I now sat. His eyes latched onto my pussy.

His nostrils flared as he inhaled, and I knew he could smell me, could smell the sweet yet slightly musky scent of my desire for him.

“So wet for me already, my female.” He didn’t look away from my pussy, so I grew even bolder and spread my legs wider, feeling my outer lips part so he could see how very pink I was on the inside, so he could see my pussy hole. He cursed in Gaelic, and I knew it was something bad and filthy, erotic, because he was having one hell of a time keeping it together.

He was so close to snapping, his jaw tight, his eyes flashing with his inner animal that turned me on immeasurably. It would only take me pushing him a little bit more, showing him how much I needed this, before he gave me what I wanted.

“Cian,” I whisper-moaned his name and moved my hands up my belly, over my ribs, and cupped my breasts. I could see his eyes flash with desire, but I could also see the concern on his face as he saw the bruising, as he took in the little cuts that lined my body. “I’m fine,” I reassured him as I massaged the globes. “I’m more than okay, now that we are together.”

He was close to giving me what I wanted. I could see that on his face, in the way he clenched his jaw, at the fact that his body was growing slightly bigger right before my eyes.

But I also knew my well-being was his priority. So I had to be firm with him, even if I liked it the other way around.

“I’m not leaving you,” I said again, feeling like I needed to emphasize that I wasn’t going to let him take me to Scotland if he wasn’t staying. We would do this together, fight whatever we had to… together.

I could see that the concerned-mate part of him wanted to shut this down, to argue his point that he wanted me safe above all else, but I stopped him from saying anything by reaching out and curling my fingers around the waistband of his sweats, my nails lightly scratching over his smooth, warm flesh. I never thought a man could look so sexy in a pair of lounge pants.

I curled my fingers around the material without pulling them down, just letting my gaze roam over the slabs of muscles of his abdomen, along his defined pectorals, up his thickly corded neck, and stared into his blue eyes. He looked so tense, as if he wanted to throw me down on the bed and rut between my thighs like the feral animal he really was.

But I also knew that I wanted this, that I needed to be the one to take the lead. At least in this instance.

I was more than happy to let my alpha be just that, and in fact I preferred him to take control. But after almost losing him, almost losing myself, I needed to feel like I had some part of my life in control. So while I held his gaze with mine, I worked his pants down and o his body.

Once the material was free of his thick length, his cock sprang back against his belly, slapping his firm, muscular skin once before settling against his abdomen, the crown of his dick exceeding his belly button, the slit at the tip already glossy with his pre-cum.

His erection was magnificent, with a thick vein that ran the entire underside of his cock, a sight that caused my pussy to clench hard and drip more wetness, preparing itself for all that massive cock to be wedged inside me. I remembered the feeling of how much he stretched and filled me, and how I’d been sore the next day because I still felt him deep in my body.

I curled my fingers around the base of his dick, my fingers unable to touch because of his size. I brought my hand up, squeezing as I went, being rewarded with a pearl of pre-cum at the tip.

My mouth watered at the sight of that crystalline drop, visual proof of how much he wanted me. I didn’t stop myself from leaning down and taking the crown into my mouth and curling my lips around the bulbous tip to suck gently, teasingly. He rewarded me with a husky growl and slid his hand into the heavy mass of my damp hair. His fingernails scraped against my scalp, and I felt that pain make way for pleasure right down to my pussy.

My inner muscles clenched, my clit throbbing in time with my heartbeat.

I hummed in pleasure and approval, feeling my pussy get embarrassingly wet, my juices dripping down my inner thighs. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a wet spot on the sheets beneath me. That aroused me even more, and I clenched my thighs together, feeling the way the skin of my inner legs was slippery from how much I wanted Cian… how much I wanted to be fucked by him.

I closed my eyes and lost myself in the feeling of him, in how my mouth was stretched wide around his girth, in how my jaw ached as I kept sinking down on his cock. His crown hit the back of my throat, and I gagged, saliva slipping out the corners of my mouth because I refused to back o him. I refused to stop this. Instead I tried to relax my throat, wanting to take him as far and as deep as I could.

“So good,” he groaned. “So fooking good.” He started lifting his hips up in time with my bobbing head, fucking me slow and easy. I could tell he was holding back. I found it even more attractive that he was trying so damn hard to keep his control.

I slid my hands along his abdomen, his muscles clenching under my fingertips. The sucking sounds of me giving him head filled the room in an erotic cacophony that couldn’t be ignored. He still held on to the blankets beneath him, as if they were the only thing keeping him from clutching me to him fiercely. But I wanted him to touch me so badly that I was rolling my hips as I ached between my thighs, hoping he’d just snap and take what he wanted.

As if he read my thoughts, he groaned again, deep, guttural. “If I touch ye while ye have my cock shoved down yer throat, I’ll come in a matter of seconds.”

I moaned at how arousing his words were, and when I moaned again, longer this time, the vibrations from my voice had his cock kicking against my tongue, more pre-cum coating the muscle in salty masculinity.

In the next second he gripped my arms and gently pulled me away, his chest pumping up and down hard as if he’d just run a marathon. His expression was so fierce I shivered, his lips parted, the flash of his straight white teeth and elongated canines having me moan out his name shamelessly.

“I need you.” My voice was a husky whisper, as if I was too out of it to think clearly. Which was exactly the case.

Before I could stop myself or think about how bold I was being, I rose up onto my knees and swung my leg over him, straddling his waist. I felt his hard cock jerk between my legs, the heavy length pressing against my folds. We both sucked in a sharp breath at the contact, and I closed my eyes, letting my head tip back slightly on my neck as I closed my eyes and sank down fully against him.

The heavy weight of his erection slipped through my folds, my wetness making everything so slick that he slid against my pussy e ortlessly. I started moving my hips back and forth, rocking over him and gasping at the sensation as the base of his erection bumped against my clit every time I rolled my hips forward.

I didn’t bother holding in the sounds that spilled from me. They were feminine and sexual, being brought forth from something deep inside me, a part of me that bloomed and opened up only for Cian.

“That's it,” he murmured, and I forced my eyes open and lifted my head so I could look at his face. His gaze was locked on mine, this rapturous expression covering his face as he kept lifting his hips up every time I pressed down against him. “I want tae see ye come like this. I want ye tae come all over my cock without me even being inside of ye, lass.”

His words were sharp and strong, like gasoline being poured over a fire and instantly igniting the flames.

I felt his hands slide up the curves of my waist, but I didn't break eye contact with him. He moved his fingers over my ribs and cupped my breasts. I wasn’t overly endowed on top, but he made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Cian’s hands were so large that he dwarfed my breasts as he molded those calloused palms and fingers against me, as he pulled and plucked at my nipples until I cried out from the pleasure. I was going to come like this, I could feel it, taste that pleasure on the tip of my tongue, an intoxicating sensation.

I let my hands rest behind me on his muscular thighs, felt his flesh clench from that small touch, heard his groan because it turned him on as well. My mate was receptive to me, to the lightest touches I gave him. And God was that a heady, powerful feeling.

“Keep going, baby,” he purred in approval. “Rock those hips over me as you seek yer pleasure. Rub that pussy all over my cock.” I kept rolling my hips, his words making the ecstasy even more intense. “Fook,” he growled. “Yer soaking my dick, yer pussy cream all over my length.” He gave my nipples one last tweak before sliding his hands down to grip my waist. “Ye’re drenching me, baby, and hell, it’s hot as fook.”

I was grinding myself against his cock harder now, feeling my orgasm so close to the surface. The slippery sounds of me working my pussy over him were dirty in the best kind of way.

“Put me inside of ye, lass.” Cian wasn’t the type to beg, but right now, in this moment, he most certainly pleaded with me. Then again, I didn’t miss the thinly veiled dominant demand.

I rose up on my knees and gripped the heavy length of him. He tipped his head back but still kept eye contact with

me, the muscles in his neck straining, his teeth gritted. All from me holding his cock in my hand.

“Yeah,” he groaned when I tightened my fingers. “That’s it. Go on, lass. Put me inside yer tight little pussy.”

I angled the tip of his shaft right up with my soaked hole, my juices sliding down his length obscenely, causing both of us to groan at the erotic feeling and the knowledge of how dirty this actually was. And then I sank down on him in one hard, fluid motion, taking him sinfully into my body, feeling that ever-present burn and stretch as his thickness tunneled into my tight pussy.

And when I sat fully on him, my inner muscles tightening and spasming around him at how deliciously full I felt, I let out a long, low moan.

“Ride me and come all over my cock.”

I gasped at his filthy words. And then I did exactly what he wanted.

I braced my hands on his pectoral muscles, feeling how hard they were, like granite under my fingertips. I started rising and falling on him, my pussy suctioning against the hard length of him, my juices making an obscene sound as I bounced on his dick.

Sweat lined my hairline and slid down my temples, and he growled low at the sight. I knew it turned him on to see me like this, to see my body this way. And then with a great surge, he was lifting his upper body so our sweat-slicked chests were pressed together. I felt his tongue on the side of my face as he licked a trail up my cheek and to my forehead, lapping up the beads of sweat and humming in pleasure.

“So fooking sweet.”

He slid his hand around my nape and swept up the heavy fall of my hair to grab the strands. Cian jerked my head back and to the side, exposing the long line of my throat before he latched his mouth onto the mating mark he’d given me.

Every time I slammed down on him, he lifted his hips up, driving himself even harder into me, the pain and pleasure mixing as one. His hand tightened around the strands of my hair, his mouth and tongue, teeth nipping at my neck. I was so close, my orgasm right there at the surface.

My clit rubbed along the length of him as he tunneled back into my pussy, the slippery, almost sloppy sounds of us fucking filling the hotel room and driving my lust higher. My breasts bounced, my nipples hard as they scraped along his sweat-slickened chest. We both panted and groaned, moaned and made the most erotic noises as we fucked.

And that's what this felt like. Fucking.

It wasn’t just being with my mate. It wasn’t just making love. It was hard and fast fucking as we came together after almost losing each other. It was rough and raw, fierce and primal. It was the pleasure and pain of being alive and knowing that at any moment that could change, that the world could open up, and we’d never be the same.

My life wasn’t the same because of Cian. And it was the greatest feeling in the world.

“Come for me,” he growled and used his hand in my hair to jerk my head toward him, his lips crashing against mine, his tongue sliding deep between my lips. I sucked on his tongue, moaning at his flavor, at how wet the kiss was, how fast and hard he thrust up into me with his cock.

I slammed my pussy down hard, grinding myself against him, letting my clit rub along the root of his shaft while he was deep in my body. I keened at how painful and pleasurefilled it was.

“Come for me,” he said, harsher, more demanding and dominant.

And I did. I came hard and long, letting my head fall back as my pussy spasmed and milked his cock.

My eyes were closed, my hearing going in and out as the ecstasy stole reality from me. I was aware of his gru shout, felt his erection thicken in me as he came, the hot, thick jets of his cum bathing my insides and washing into my womb.

The sensation and knowledge that he marked me as his like I was his property shouldn’t have turned me on. But it did and caused another orgasm to explode within me. All I could do was hold on as I rode it out.

Cian’s orgasm seemed to go on forever, so strong and powerful that even though he was buried in my body, I felt his seed slip out of my pussy, the copious amounts of that hot, thick cum sliding out from where our bodies were connected to cover my inner thighs. He grunted and growled, keeping my body clutched tightly to his. I’d been vaguely aware that I was scratching his back, holding on as my nails dug into his skin, as my pleasure took me higher than I ever imagined.

And when he gave one final shudder, his big body shaking as he let o a long exhale, his tongue swiping over the mating mark once more in a slow, languid motion, only then did I finally suck in a great lungful of air. I relaxed fully against him, my arms wrapped around his shoulders, his wound around mine.

I felt so small against him as I wrapped my legs around his waist, keeping us as close as possible, because it was unbearable to think of him moving away, of us being separated.

I didn’t know how long we sat there, his cock still semihard in me, our frantic breathing tapering o to something even and identical, but when we finally did separate, he gave a disgruntled sound, and I couldn’t help but smile.

I let my body fall back on the bed, and a euphoric feeling washed through me. I was sore but in the best possible way.

He moved close to me and slipped his hand between my thighs as he held my gaze with his. His expression was so serious as he gathered his cum and smoothed his fingers around my pussy hole, along my lips, over my inner thighs, even up along my belly, his index finger swirling a circle around my navel.

“I like knowing my cum is covering yer skin, that ye smell like me.” His voice dropped lower as he gru y said, “Because ye are mine, Evie. Ye’re mine, and I’ll take down anyone who thinks di erently.”

My breath hitched at the truth in his words.

“I want my marks all over ye, baby. All over this pretty skin until there’s no doubt in yer mind—” “There’s no doubt,” I said before he was finished. “I am yours.” I spread my thighs wider and gave him better access, wanting the physical proof of what we shared drying on my flesh. He hummed in approval and then leaned down and kissed me, his lips firm but pillow-soft as he kept stroking me between my thighs and slipped his tongue into my mouth.

He gathered me into his arms once more and buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. This was my truth and reality now. This was what I’d always been after for my happily ever after.

“Mine,” he grumbled out.

I shivered and whispered, “Yours.”

29

Evelyn A few days later

I

stared out the hotel window at the sprawling cityscape before me. We weren’t deep in the city, only an hour or so out from the rural area we’d previously been. I equally loved and hated it.

Although it reminded me of the atmosphere I’d always been surrounded by, it also brought up memories of how isolated I’d always felt, even though I always had someone— albeit strangers—an arm’s length away.

“That’s insane,” Darragh breathed out.

I drew myself back to the present and focused down at the screen of my phone. Darragh lay on a massive bed, staring at me with wide eyes.

“I mean, Cian told Caelan everything, but there were so many details I didn’t know until you just mentioned them.”

She exhaled and shook her head. “Fucking insane.”

I snorted. I’d just finished telling her about the last few days and everything that had happened since the last time

we’d spoken. “Yeah. That’s one way to put it.” I laughed softly.

“I’m so glad you’re okay—well, relatively speaking.”

Even on the video, I could see her gaze searching my face and what she could see of my body, the cuts and bruises looking worse over the last couple of days, so I knew she was worried.

“I’m fine. Promise,” I said again, because I knew she needed that a rmation. I felt my face heat and knew I was blushing as I thought about how I was really okay, because Cian had ensured that… more than once a day since we’d been at the hotel.

“I just wish I was there with you.”

I smiled and nodded, then said, “Me too.” We both started laughing. “I feel like we just had this same conversation.”

Darragh became serious and sat up on the bed. “Do you know when you plan on coming here? Cian said something about bringing you to Scotland, but—” “I won’t leave him while he’s here helping Odhran.” My throat tightened as I thought about the other Lycan. “It’s…”

I didn't know what to say, hell, how to even say it.

“Yeah, Caelan told me all about it,” Darragh said softly.

“It’s heartbreaking, and I don’t blame you for wanting to stand by your man and help.”

My throat tightened again. “Yeah.” It was all I could say.

A moment of silence passed, and it was as if we were paying some small respect to Odhran, or maybe saying a prayer to a higher power that would help make his way easier.

“Tell me about all the wonderful things that are happening there,” I finally said.

I listened as she talked about her relationship with her father, Colin, and how it was strange and heartbreaking to

hear his side of things and why he wasn’t in her life. I was insurmountably happy for her that she’d found that piece of her family. She deserved all the happiness.

The sound of the shower running drew my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder to stare at the partially closed door that led to the bathroom. Steam billowed out from the crack, and my body instantly heated at the images of him under the spray of water as it slid over his hard, muscular form.

“You must be thinking of something really nice to put that kind of smile on your face,” Darragh teased, and I laughed softly before looking down at the screen again.

“I’m just thinking about how much has changed in such a short time and how afraid I was at first, but I’m now so grateful.” Even with the poor connection and fuzzy screen, I could see her smile was genuine and that she understood exactly what I was talking about. She knew where I was coming from, because she’d gone through something monumental and kind of crazy herself.

“Who would have thought our truths would be stranger than fiction?”

I laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly. “Yeah, life has a way of turning your world upside down without you realizing it.

It’s scary as hell, but the end result is pretty damn fantastic.”

I glanced back out at the window, the sun having set an hour before, the lights of the city flaring like little flames scattered throughout the night sky.

“We’re leaving the hotel tomorrow and supposed to go to Adryan’s nightclub tomorrow night.” I looked at the screen again just in time to see her cringe before she masked her expression. “Yeah… I know.”

“Good luck with that. I’ve heard enough stories from Caelan about his uncle that if I never saw Adryan for the rest

of my life, it would be like hitting the lottery.”

I couldn’t even say she was exaggerating. “I guess he wanted to personally invite us to check it out, but I know it’s also so he and Cian can talk about the next plans concerning Odhran and the Assembly.” We were both silent at the mention of that evil entity. I cleared my throat. “Although I’m not a club person, so it’s gonna be even more awkward for sure. And I think he sees us as… friends?” I didn't miss how I wasn't even sure enough about that statement, because I'd phrased it like a question.

She started laughing. “Or his version of a friend, I guess.

He’s too arrogant and twisted to have any real friends. I’m pretty sure you have to be sane to make those kinds of connections.”

“Agreed. Adryan is sooo not the type to have friends, but I like to think that maybe he’s turning over a new leaf.” We were both frozen after I said that and then burst out laughing.

“More than likely, he’s just making nice in case he needs something from you two in the future.”

I figured as much. Before I disconnected the call we did a little bit more small talk before we promised to speak again soon. I missed her terribly, but I meant it when I said I wasn’t going to leave Cian. I set the phone down on the edge of the bed and walked toward the bathroom, placing my hand on the door and slowly pushing it open.

The humidity and warmth that immediately surrounded me in a hazy, hot cloud of moisture had me inhaling deeply. I smelled the body wash Cian used, and although it had notes of feminine subtlety, it was impossible to mask the masculine aroma that always surrounded him.

He stood behind the frosted glass doors of the shower, his form big and imposing, his shoulders wide, and his chest so broad he took up the confines of the small space.

I was like Pavlov’s dog, my body awakening, becoming aroused just from looking at Cian… from just thinking of him.

I quickly took o the oversize shirt I wore—his T-shirt— and let it drop unceremoniously to the ground. And then I padded softly over to the shower, pulled the sliding glass door open, and stepped into the humid, hot confines to stand behind him.

I stared at the broad, massive width of his muscular back, my nipples tingling and tightening, my pussy becoming soaked, my inner muscles clenching. I was sore between my thighs from the numerous times we’d fucked, had sex… made love, but still I wanted more. That pain only led to more pleasure.

His head wasn’t low as he rinsed o the shampoo from his hair, his biceps flexing from the subtle motions. I didn’t stop myself from lifting my hands and pacing my palms flat on his back. He didn’t flinch, but I did notice the twitch of his muscles from that small touch.

“My Evie,” he said softly, yet I heard the clear desire and yearning in his voice through the rush of the water.

I knew he’d been aware of my presence as soon as I opened the bathroom door. He finished rinsing his hair after only a second and turned around to look at me. I had to tip my head back to stare into his eyes. And the expression reflected on his face was one of pure, unadulterated rapture.

Water sluiced o his square jaw and along his full lips before sliding down the planes and slabs of muscles. At that moment I wanted to be water, droplets and beads moving sexually, erotically over his well-honed, powerful body. I was impossibly wet, so drenched that my inner thighs were coated with my arousal. I clenched my thighs to ease the pressure that settled there, but all that did was pinch my clit between my delicate folds, drawing a moan from me.

We said nothing as we continued to stare at each other, the heat from the shower incomparable to how hot I was for Cian. I looked down to trace the rolling hills of his abdominal muscles and stopped at his insanely huge and fully erect cock. The appendage twitched the longer I stared at it, growing impossibly thicker, harder.

I watched as the droplets of water continued to move along that length that stood straight out from his groin and pointed at me. I was jealous of those droplets and was about to drop to my knees and pay respect to Cian’s dick, when he growled low and had me in his arms a second later.

The startled sound that left me was one of pleasure and need as he pressed my back to the ceramic tile of the shower, my legs braced on either side of his waist, his mouth crashing against mine.

He started rolling his hip, grinding that hardness at the soft spot between my thighs until I was moaning and groaning against his lips, pleading and begging for him to fuck me.

He kept hold of me as he moved down my body, shifting me slightly so my ass was now resting on an outcropping shelf, the little bottles of shampoo and body wash clattering to the tiled floor.

My feet were braced on his shoulders as he settled between my thighs. I could feel his hot breath move across my exposed and spread pussy, and another shiver moved through me. I looked down at the top of his head, his form so big that even though he was on his knees, he still dwarfed me and the shower stall.

And then he started eating me out, worshipping my pussy like it was the only altar he’d pray at, like I was his goddess and he’d forever revere me.

And so I closed my eyes and let my mate take me away to what I was sure was heaven.

30

Evelyn

I

t felt… o to be willingly stepping into Adryan’s domain, but here I was, Cian by my side, his hand curled protectively and possessively around my waist as we were led through Sinner, Adryan’s nightclub.

After he’d eaten me out in the shower, he turned me around, bent me over so I had grabbed my ankles, then fucked me long and hard, his passion like another wild animal he housed inside. And I accepted it all greedily, crying out for more, for him to fuck me as hard as he could. And he had. God… he had.

He’d fed me by hand again, taken me once more on the bed, and then he held me all night. We slept in, and it had been the warm sunlight streaming through the window and the feeling of Cian trailing his hands along my exposed back, tickling me softly, that had finally roused me.

And then we left, and here we were, going right into the viper’s den. I walked beside Cian, so sore and sensitive between my thighs it brought a smile to my mouth.

As if he sensed my thoughts, he glanced down at me with hooded eyes and growled low before dipping and whispering in my ear, “Be good, mo ghràidh.” He ran his tongue along the shell of my ear before straightening, and I bit o a moan, focusing ahead and not allowing my body and need for Cian to dictate things right now. Even if I really wouldn't have minded.

Although we weren’t in the main part of the club where the patrons and clubgoers were, I could hear the heavy beat of music and bass coming through the walls.

After we checked into another hotel once we entered the city, we’d eaten dinner and rested some more—on Cian’s orders, which had just made me smile at his possessiveness.

When we arrived at the club, there had been a massive line stretching around the side of the huge brick building. After the bouncer had spoken into his radio, he ushered us inside, where another man—a vampire, presumably—led us away to a side door where we were cut o from everyone else.

The hallways we walked through all had the same black and red aesthetic I noticed through the entire interior. And then we came to a halt in front of massive double doors. The man in front of us knocked twice before a deep, echoing voice boomed from the other side. He pushed one of the doors open and stepped aside, staring at me with a bland expression on his face, because he felt no threat coming from my way—but I didn’t miss the tightening of his body as he stared at Cian.

I followed Cian inside and felt his hand tighten against my waist, his protectiveness fierce and moving around me.

We both stopped in the center of the room as we stared at Adryan, who sat in this throne-like chair behind a massive desk. I couldn't help it… I snorted at the sight. What an arrogant asshole.

As if he read my thoughts, he grinned and winked before standing and walking around the desk toward us. That was when I saw the biggest fucking dog following right at his heels, the beast of a canine so large that his head damn near came up to Adryan’s upper thigh. His golden coat was thick, and the hair around his face looked like a lion’s mane.

“I am so fucking glad you two could come to my club,” Adryan said and stopped a few feet from us, clapping once as if our presence had just brightened his day. But I wasn’t fooled by the sociopath.

Cian, once again, kept his body partially in front of mine in a protective stance but allowed me enough room so that I could see what was happening.

“Come on and check it out since last time you and Odhran had sticks up your asses.” He looked between the two of us, his grin still wide. I wondered if he bothered shielding those smiles among humans. It would be impossible to hide those massive fangs he sported. Then again, with this day and age, I assumed most probably thought he was one of those people who had a vampire obsession and wanted to be like one.

They just wouldn't believe he actually was one of those creatures. He wouldn't seduce them like they’d want. No, he’d rip out their throats and bathe in their blood.

He didn’t wait for us to respond as he turned and made his way toward the wall behind his desk, which was nothing but glass. I could tell it was tinted, probably one of those two-way mirrors to allow creepy-ass Adryan to spy on his customers like the psycho he was.

Cian looked down at me for a second before squeezing my waist and ushering me forward. He kept his body between mine and Adryan’s as we stood in front of that massive glass wall and stared down at the club below. Neon flashes of lights and lasers arced through the huge room.

The space looked industrial with the open metal beams crisscrossing the ceiling, the place one open area as if the interior of a warehouse had been gutted to accommodate the hundreds of bodies that writhed and danced sexually against each other.

“I haven’t spoken tae Odhran,” Cian finally said, breaking up the cold, fragile silence that surrounded us.

It was the kind of silence that was like a sheet of ice, cracking with the barest pressure, those standing on it too afraid they’d fall right through.

“And I’m staying stateside with my mate until Odhran finds his female.” I could tell how hard it was for Cian to say those words and knew it was because he was worried about my safety. “As much as me and my wolf hate risking our female and possibly having her in harm's way with these fookers, my Evie is strong and determined and wants tae stand by my side. And I canna deny her anything.”

Adryan hummed. “Females… mates… such a weakness.”

I looked over at Adryan to see he was still focused on his club below. I, too, looked back at the club, staring at the massive bar that encompassed one entire wall.

The glowing neon lights behind the mirror made it seem as if you could walk right through, the illusion of a bigger space, a less claustrophobic atmosphere, I presumed. I wondered what the humans would do if they realized the people they danced with, the bouncers, sta , the bartenders, and so many others were actually creatures they thought were from myth and lore, from movies and Hollywood.

And as I looked around the interior, I realized I could spot these Otherworld creatures. They were more ethereal, bigger, with this air of violence and danger that was just below the surface. I was shocked that I hadn’t ever noticed them before, that I hadn’t seen what was right in front of my eyes.

“She’s a force to be reckoned with, your female,” Adryan said, low and deep. “I can appreciate that quality in someone, especially a human female.” He was silent for a long moment after that before saying, “Odhran’s been AWOL for the past few days. But he did reach out the other night, anxious to have a go at Matteo and the Shepherd bastards.”

Adryan turned around then, and although I could sense that Cian did as well so the two men were facing each other, I stayed facing forward.

I looked over the vampire leader, his hands clasped behind his back, his face that ever-present steely mask.

“Have ye found anything more out about the Assembly, the interior details of their whereabouts, any new information about the property yer soldiers located?” Cian asked.

Adryan didn’t speak for a long second, and I felt this weird, heavy presence come from him. He always had this strange, powerful energy that seemed to surround him, a sickness that made you uncomfortable and feel contaminated by it just by being in the same room with him.

“My men are looking at every possible point of reference.

We’re not only looking at the property we found, but we’re going beyond that and seeing what turns up years, decades before that. In fact, we’ve located Assembly presence in Europe more than a century before, and I'm sure with more digging, we can find even more.” He smirked. “Technology… it’s a great fucking thing, even if I hate the shit.” He faced the club again. “But I think it’s safe to say these fuckers have been operating for a long time, and it’s due time we put a stop to that, yeah?” His voice was low, menacing.

“Dinna we assume as much?”

I could picture Cian’s face after he said that, an arrogant point that didn’t go unnoticed by Adryan, as the vampire turned and faced him once more and chuckled low.

“Yeah, we assumed as much.”

Cian nodded once and reached out to curl his hand around my waist, as if he needed my presence to ground him, or maybe to keep him in control. I could tell he didn’t like Adryan, and vice versa, and I knew it wouldn't take much for the two oversize Otherworld males to come to fists.

So I took Cian’s hand in mine and curled my fingers through his, giving him a gentle squeeze and hoping it delivered a little bit of calm in a raging storm of emotion and alpha supremacy.

“Ye know how tae contact me,” Cian said. “I’m calling in some of the Guard tae fly in tae help with this. I’ll take care of setting them up and ensure they have the gear and weapons needed, but we are working together on this.”

There was no hesitance in Cian’s voice, no room for disagreement. “We need tae work together so let me kno’ what the next step is.”

Adryan tipped his chin down in a subtle nod, his gaze sliding over to me, but he didn’t wink, didn’t give me his trademark arrogant smirk. The smile he gave me… was empty. Frightening.

I could look at the vampire leader and know he was made up of many layers, ones he probably never allowed anyone to see, ones he probably didn’t even know existed.

And once again I questioned myself on if those layers had good or bad intentions, on if Adryan was the type of male who could think of others before himself without having an ulterior motive.

Because if he ever revealed those layers, I knew they’d either change him for the better, or it would literally be like opening Pandora’s box.

And God help whoever was in his path.

31

Adryan

I

let the smile slip o my face as my o ce door closed and the wolf and his human mate left. Keeping up the facade that I gave a fuck was taxing, exhausting. There was a single knock on the door, and I knew it was Kane and Sebastian. I grunted for my cousins and righthand enforcers to enter before I turned away and walked back to the window that overlooked my domain.

The door swung open, and I sensed the two massive males step inside, not bothering to close the door.

“Everything go well with the Lycan?” Kane asked, and I grunted my a rmation. I continued to stare out at the crush of humans and curled my lip.

“The other wolf has been asking about dealing with the Shepherds we captured,” Sebastian was the one to say.

I turned around then and inclined my head. “So give him a few of the bastards. What he wants.” I held my hands out, palms upward. “Let him tear them up. What the fuck do I care if a few humans get destroyed?”

Kane furrowed his brow. “Okay, but can I ask why the hell you’re giving the wolves anything? Seems like a gift to me, and although the truce between our two kinds is there, it's fucking thin at best.”

I didn’t hold back the low sound of warning that spilled from me. “That may be, but have you forgotten my sister, your cousin, is mated to Banner, the Scottish Lycan king?”

The growl was thick in my voice. “You forget that as much as we may not like their kind, I have nephews and a niece who are half-wolf, and I’d die protecting them.” I bared my teeth.

“So a war—even if you two fuckers may want some bloodshed—isn’t going to happen. Got it?”

Sebastian, the stoic fucker he was, didn’t speak, just kept his hands clasped behind his back as he inclined his head.

“Like you don’t want a bloody fight as well,” Kane muttered. “Like you aren’t hard up to kill.” I kept still, quiet, as he kept talking out of his ass. “I saw the fearsome brutality toward those human Assembly fuckers on the road.

I could smell how you got o on it, Cousin.”

I was in front of Kane in the next instant, my hand wrapped around his throat, his body lifted up and o the ground as I pressed him against the wall and brought my face close to his. I kept my expression even, my voice matching the cold brutality I was known for.

“You forget because you’re family and I’ve been lenient with you, but I’m in charge, Kane.” I stared him in the eyes, and although all who were in this position would cower before me, Kane kept his face a blank mask. “I can’t control what you think, Cousin, but family or not, you'd do well to keep your thoughts to yourself, you feel me?” I tightened my hand on his throat to drive the point home, watching his face redden, his lips darken from lack of oxygen. And still he stared at me, not moving or fighting me o .

I was o him a second later, his body sliding down the wall before he caught himself. He sucked in a ragged breath and rubbed at his thickly muscled neck. “Yeah, I feel you,” he finally muttered in a strained voice as he continued to rub his throat.

I looked at Sebastian, only a year younger than Kane, yet the two could have been twins. Sebastian, ever the stone wall where emotions were concerned, smirked. I didn't have to tell them to get the fuck out. They left a second later, closing the door behind them and leaving me with my foul-ass mood still in place.

I walked back over to the window and stared down at the humans for long moments, my mind drifting to nothingness, this rare moment where shit wasn’t hitting the fan, a precious gift I latched onto.

I thought about Cian and his mate, about my sister, Luna, her Lycan mate, and their four hybrid children. Two had already found their Linked Mates, the term Lycans had for finding their fated ones. I wasn’t foolish enough that I’d ever be gifted my female. My Coveted One. I was too much of a killer, and my emotional capacity was fucking zero. I wouldn't be able to cherish a female who was deemed by fate as mine and mine alone.

But I was curious about such a thing, a connection two people in the Otherworld had. I’d watched Cian with his mate, saw the way he looked at her, that protectiveness and the possession in his eyes. He didn't care who saw. In fact, I was pretty sure he wanted others to see and know, to fucking feel that she was his.

What I knew for sure was if I ever found my female, she’d be sure to hate me, to loathe who and what I was. She’d look into my cold, dead eyes and know I didn't have a heart to give. Of course, instinctively I'd be drawn to her, the need to protect her taking over. I’d heard enough about the mating

phenomenon to know how it worked. But to care for her wholly? To love her?

I wasn't capable of such emotions. I wasn't capable of any.

I stood there a few more moments, staring at the gyrating bodies, seeing nothing but livestock below, bags of flesh and blood, short life spans, and hollow dreams. The doors to the main club room opened and broke up the flashing lights and hazy atmosphere of the interior. The hallway from those doors to the front ones that led outside was short and allowed me a momentary glimpse of the long line of customers salivating to get inside.

Two patrons, a man and a woman, were allowed entrance, and the next two waiting to come in stepped up to the red velvet rope blocking o the double doors.

I saw a flash of long golden-brown hair, glimpsed strips of too much alabaster skin on display. She was tiny, waiting behind those ropes, the bouncer Ivan dwarfing her so she looked like a fragile, breakable doll. Ivan unhooked the rope and gestured to her and the women behind her. Every predator instinct in me fired up as I tracked her down that short hallway to the opening of the main club floor.

I felt something in my body shift, come alive. Although my heart had been beating for a century and a half, this was the first time it functioned other than keeping me alive. It beat for her. The air I took into my lungs was for her. Every single thing I did from this point on would always be with her in mind, for her protection, her happiness… her pleasure.

My eyes glowed red, illuminating my o ce in a hazy ruby glow as I tracked her through the club, took in every single inch of her as if I hadn’t consumed a drop of blood in a millennium and was so starved I was a dried-out husk inside.

My dick hardened, the first time I’d ever had any kind of arousal, the ache in my balls painful. I panted and braced my hands on the glass, curling my fingers against it until I worried I’d crack the partition separating me from everyone else, like releasing a beast on the vulnerable.

Mine. Mine. Mineminemine!

That one word was a roar in my head, filling my body, coursing through my veins. I’d never known bloodlust like this… never felt desire like what was licking at my fingers and toes and spreading inward to consume my very dark and dangerous soul.

Things had gotten exponentially more interesting.

And as I tracked her through the club, unable to look away, knowing what I’d do and the lengths I’d go to link her to me, to fuse our bodies and souls as one, I knew the situation had just gotten very real and very dangerous for that tiny—very human—female.

Only mine.

Oh, I’d make her mine, and she’d hate me for it. I’d take her body but wouldn't be able to give her my heart. How could you, when it wasn’t something you had to o er?

And so I let my feral grin spread even more over my lips as anticipation for the hunt of my prey took root in my body.

She didn’t know it yet, but she’d just become the mate to the most dangerous vampire in the world.

EPILOGUE

Cian Several weeks later

I

’d never been a male who looked forward to anything, who felt excitement or nervousness. I’d felt yearning, hoping to one day have a mate, to be lucky enough to be gifted such a thing, but I was realist enough to know that probably would never happen.

But it did, and I had the proof of having that hope sitting right beside me as I drove Evie and myself down the long, graveled driveway to her surprise.

“I hate surprises, FYI,” Evie said softly and looked over at me with a teasing note in her eyes.

“I promise ye’ll like it, lass.” I hoped she did, anyway.

The fact that I hadn’t asked her input on this particular thing was damn near giving me hives, but I hoped that once she saw it, she’d fall in love and see her future with me.

And then the sprawling ranch-style house came into view as the driveway peaked at the top of the hill. I heard the soft gasp come from Evie, and I couldn’t hold in my smile. My mate was pleased, and it was the best fucking feeling.

The one-story house had a wraparound porch and was surrounded by fifty acres of wooded land, and it even had a small pond behind the house.

I pulled to a stop in front of the porch, cut the engine to the SUV, and just sat there staring at my female as she looked out the front windshield with her large, gorgeously blue eyes full of wonder.

“I’ve never been to a place that had so much space.” She looked at me then, and her shock made way for a beautiful smile that made my heart beat faster.

I didn’t stop myself from leaning in and cupping the back of her head to pull her closer and steal a kiss. The fact that I could do this whenever I wanted to, that I could kiss her, touch her, spoil her unconditionally, had a surge of possessiveness moving through me. It had my wolf stirring in approval.

We finally have her. We’re never letting her go.

And when I felt her tongue pressing gently against the seam of my mouth, wanting access, it took a hell of a lot of strength I was shocked I even possessed to pull away.

Because if we started that, we’d never get out of the vehicle.

I was out of the SUV and making my way over to the passenger-side door before she could open it. Then again, she still looked starstruck as I helped her out and pulled her into my arms to bury my nose in her hair and inhale deeply.

I’d never get tired of her scent, a sweet, floral aroma that not only aroused me immensely but also had me falling even more in love with her than I already was.

“Let me show ye around.” I forced myself to pull back and took her hand in mine as I led her up the steps and into the house. I tugged her inside, the door already unlocked, an observation she didn’t point out. The house still had a few large pieces of furniture from the first owners, drop cloths covering them to keep the dust o . The scent of artificial

lemon cleaner filled the interior, and the sight of gleaming natural wood flooring and framework caught the sunlight that streamed through the large picture window at the rear of the open floor plan.

I let Evie walk through the rooms, marveling at how good it felt to see her smile and know she thought the place was beautiful. Once we left the inside, she walked around the porch until she was at the back. She leaned on the banister and stared out at the pond and property.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered dreamily. “Who owns this place?” she asked softly but didn't turn around.

I followed silently behind her, knowing damn well I had a big smile on my face. I couldn't help it though. Just seeing her happy did incredible things to me. She stopped at the railing and leaned against it, staring out at the several acres of cleared lawn that made way for the pond and then the wooded acreage well beyond that and on either side of the house.

“Cian?” She looked over her shoulder, that gorgeous smile still in place.

I found myself lifting a hand and rubbing the spot right over my heart, and when she saw the act, her expression softened.

“We do,” I finally answered her question.

Her brows furrowed, and she turned around fully. “We do? What do you mean?” She glanced around the property, her forehead creased from her confusion. “Like, I understand what you're saying, but I don’t understand.”

I moved over to her in three big strides.

I cupped her face in both my big palms, my female so small compared to me, so fragile and delicate, even though she had an inner strength that rivaled any fully grown Lycan male. I wanted to keep her safe. Always. I wanted to wrap her up so nothing could touch her, wanted to kill everyone for

the simple fact that they may, at some point, try to take her from me. I felt like a lunatic where she was concerned, crazy in my possessiveness toward her. It was like another being housed with me, my wolf allowing it, because this other entity had one sole purpose. Protect Evie and keep her mine at all costs.

“I bought this place for us while we are in the States. I wanted a place for ye, mo ghràidh, somewhere ye’d have a warm bed and land tae roam, tae plant flowers tae grow, where ye could be happy.” I stared into her eyes and felt my heart beat for her. “A place where, while here, you have a home.” Her eyes glistened, and I leaned down just as she closed her eyes. I kissed her lids gently, twin diamond tears sliding down her pearlescent skin. I trailed my lips down her face in featherlight kisses to her chin before dragging my tongue up her cheek to gather her tears and take them into myself.

“Cian,” she breathed, and I sealed my lips against hers, swiping my tongue on her mouth before slipping it inside and letting her taste both of our flavors mixed as one.

Because that's what we were now. One body, soul… one entity, because our lives were now eternally linked.

“Although I'd love for us tae live in Scotland too, a home in the woods, I’ll follow ye wherever ye want tae go, Evie.” I kissed her once more before pulling back and looking into her eyes. “Because my home is wherever ye are. Always.”

She exhaled shakily and rested her forehead in the center of my chest. I just held her, my hand cradling the back of her head, the warm breeze bringing up the scents of pine and honeysuckle, sunlight and my mate.

I held her a little tighter as I stared at the property, imagining so many possibilities—creating a family with my Evie, watching our bairns run free, little girls who looked as beautiful as their mother, and little rowdy boys who were

strong and fierce enough to protect the females in their lives.

I wanted that so badly I could taste it. Little hybrid babies I’d love so fiercely they’d never know what being alone felt like.

“I’d love that, Cian, love to have a home no matter where we’re at.” She pulled back and tipped her head so she could look in my eyes. “I want it all, Cian… with you. The house with the white picket fence, or in this case, lots of land so you can run and I can watch my big, strong Lycan enjoy the freedom of life.”

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. “Ye make me unbelievably happy, lass. Ye fill those dark spots, cause my heart to beat and my lungs tae fill with air.” I rested my forehead against hers and whispered, “I live for ye.” I closed my eyes and breathed her in, that sweet, floral scent that had every part of me relaxing in contentment.

“We can fill this house with all the things ye love—” “We can fill this house and one in Scotland with our happily ever after.”

I pulled back and stared into her eyes, knowing I surely had a look of wonder in mine and splattered across my face.

“Aye.” I smoothed my thumbs under her eyes, her skin silky-smooth. “I’m going tae give ye the greatest happily ever after, lass.” Her smile was as bright as the sun, and I leaned in and captured it against my lips, taking that wholesome, good energy into me.

“I love you,” she whispered, and I groaned, instantly lifting her up, resting her pert bottom on the banister, and deepening the kiss. She giggled against my lips, then moaned when I ground my hard dick against the softness between her thighs.

“I love ye, lass.” And then I showed her with my body, my touches, and my words, that truer words had never been spoken before.

The End.

Want to read more in The Lycans series?

Check out BITE MARKS, Adryan’s story coming January 2022!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Find Jenika at: www.JenikaSnow.com Jenika_Snow@yahoo.com