Freelance

A Mercenary Novella

By Becca Vincenza

Freelance

A Mercenary Novella

Freelance

Copyright

Also by Becca Vincenza

The Rebirth Series

Standalones

Chapter 1

Dominic

Chapter 2

Eden

Chapter 3

Dominic

Chapter 4

Eden

Chapter 5

Dominic

Chapter 6

Eden

Chapter 7

Dominic

Chapter 8

Eden

Chapter 9

Dominic

Chapter 10

Eden

Chapter 11

Dominic

Chapter 12

Eden

Chapter 13

Dominic

Epilogue

Dominic

Coming Soon

Hired

Contracted

Authorized

Stuff about the Author

Freelance

Finally free from her overprotective shifter parents, Eden is ready to discover what it means to live like a human. However, a night out at a club brings her face to face with a shifter mercenary claiming she’s his mark. The human world isn’t all she’d hoped it would be, but it will take a lot more than some hitman to make her give up her freedom and go running home.

Dominic has completed every job he’s ever accepted, gaining respect and notoriety as a mercenary. He lives by his motto: Mercs don’t ask questions; money gets any job done. When he discovers his next mark is human and his mate, he realized there might be something more important than his reputation.

Copyright

Copyright © 2016 Becca Vincenza

Cover done by: Melissa Haag

Editing: There for You Editing

Proof Reader: Melanie Williams

All rights reserved. The book may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The books are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Also by Becca Vincenza

The Rebirth Series:

Damaged

Healed

Stolen

Standalones:

Hexed Hearts

Chapter 1

Dominic

A droplet of condensation rolled down the glass onto the scarred bar top. The tumbler was still filled with the whiskey I had ordered. The amber-colored liquor should be burning my throat, warming my belly as I roamed the bar for my latest conquest. Instead it sat in the glass, untouched, much like I was.

Fuck, I needed to get laid.

Badly.

“You got that prowl look on your face. Not the best place to be picking up the ladies.” Lucas, a friend and colleague of mine, slapped his hand down on my shoulder as he took the barstool next to me. He raised a finger to Moss, the bartender, who nodded in return.

“Who says I’m here for a fuck and not for a job?” I growled, grabbing my drink and dumping it back. Maybe four more of those and I would actually feel something.

“One in the same, my man.”

Moss dropped off Lucas’s drink and stalked off, knowing better than to stick around us. Lucas’s dirty blond hair and ridiculous eyebrow piercing should stand out in this dark alley bar, but he didn’t. People knew of us. Stayed the fuck away from us. The dark lit, backwards bar tucked away in the middle of nowhere was made for people like us—the unsavory types. As it was meant to be.

An overhead light flickered on for a moment, revealing the water rings and crumbs on the worn bar’s surface. I leaned back on my stool to study Lucas. The furniture creaked under my weight but held. The place might be shitty and run down, but everything in here was made sturdy for the clientele. Paranormals, shifters like me and Lucas, came in two sizes: extra-large and super-sized.

“Why are you here, Lucas?”

Three types of people came to the Leviathan. Mercenaries like myself and Lucas. Here was a sort of no-man’s land—not quite a safe-haven, but a place we could exchange and pass off information. More importantly it happened to be a hot stop for drop offs; deals made by those who knew the location of the seedy bar, and its true purpose. So the second being our customers. And third were women who often were scouting for the worst type of men to spend a night in their bed. The kind that didn’t ask questions … well, mainly they asked one.

Lucas often ended up here looking for exactly that. Yet his focus was on me.

Taking an all-important sip of the drink that Moss dropped off to him, he kept his gaze directed at me. He was still silent a moment after he finished swallowing. Odd behavior from the often vocal Cajun. Quentin was the one in our trio of friends who was the silent, brooding type.

“During our last job you seemed distracted.”

I grunted, not sure how to answer him. How the fuck do I respond to that one? Truth was I was unfocused. Having a job, coming home from it left me buzzed with a sated energy. It was a calming sensation for my animal. Yet he wasn’t satisfied. I wasn’t.

“My friend, brother, if something is bothering you—”

“What? Going to be my fucking shrink? I’m fine. Just need to find some more treasure. Maybe get away from your swampy ass.”

Clapping his hand on my shoulder, he grabbed his drink. He knocked it back with a grimace. He laughed once, a loud, cheerful sound that only he could make in a place like this.

And I thought I was fucking insane.

The floorboards creaked a couple feet to the left from us. I tried to pull in the scent of the person who had enough balls to get this close to us, but he was still a little out of my reach with all the surrounding smells. Both Lucas and I were apex shifters—big, dangerous, and top of the food chain shifters. The kind that even other shifters were wary of.

As he lowered the glass, his gaze shifted to the man behind me. The footfalls were quiet; not shifter quiet but a trained sort.

Hmm, interesting. Closer now I could smell him better. Human. My, my. Well, this evening certainly took the turn for the fucking odd.

“Well, my friend, looks like you have client. We’ll talk soon.” Lucas winked, heading toward a shifter woman wearing a short skirt and a shirt to match. He was a womanizer and never had problem finding a lay.

An average, nondescript man walked over to me. He had plain brown hair, cut in a basic short style that didn’t stand out. Even his eyes were a bland brown hue, which made him easily forgettable. I eyed the human.

“My employer will give you a call.”

Fuck, even his voice was neutral and basic.

“And if I don’t want the call?”

“My employer will give you a call.”

Setting the disposal phone down, he walked to the other end of the bar, and I kept my sights on him. He sat quietly, didn’t even draw the attention of the bartender or look at the woman who had a leg wrapped around Lucas. He didn’t do anything but stare straight ahead.

I’d thought Moss, the bartender, was a quiet man. But the plain man at the end of the bar was in his own league. Moss at least seemed like he had thoughts running through his head. The plain man, he seemed empty. It set my animal on edge.

“Moss.”

None of the Mercs knew much about Moss. Whether he owned the bar or not, he was the best resource for information.

The tall shifter turned his head in my direction, but didn’t move from his spot. His bright green eyes—which prompted his nickname—flashed with his animal. There was no doubt he was an apex shifter, high on the food chain, but I was the highest.

“Do you know him?”

Moss glanced at the plain man then back to me. With a quick shake of his head, he confirmed what I already knew: this man was a stranger to these parts. The wood creaked under me as I shifted my weight.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

When the cell’s screen flashed with a phone number, the man didn’t react in any way. The phone continued to break the hum of odd quiet of the bar. Moss glared at it.

Snatching the cell off the table, I pressed the talk button. Who even had phones with fucking buttons anymore? Apparently, the plain man and his utter boringness.

“What do you want?”

Fuck, I was tense. I needed an outlet.

“I have a job for you.” The voice was modified with a voice-changer that sounded like something straight from a bad suspense movie. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. This was already annoying, but in truth, a job might just be the distraction I needed. It had been a while since I had done anything solo.

Plus, I was bored.

“Go on.”

“I need you to kidnap a woman.”

Unease touched me for a moment. Odd. No job was too dirty for me.

Moss’s bright green gaze pinned me and I sensed his judgement. The mysterious bartender had no right to judge me.

“Go on.”

***

The whole cloak and dagger aspect of my job was the tedious part that annoyed me to no end. Clients who hired shifters usually did it with extra protection to maintain their anonymity. All their efforts were pointless, though. I didn’t have a nose like a wolf but I could still track my prey well enough. And any client who didn’t pay would most definitely become by prey.

But because of my client’s caution, I found myself at a post office. Pulling out the small metal ring I’d been given, I slid the attached key into the PO Box and twisted the lock. It opened easily.

A curvy little human walked up to a box not far from me. She smiled softly when I glanced her way. I gave her a small nod before removing the folded piece of newspaper, the only object inside. It weighed more than it should have, and I saw an envelope tucked inside. It probably contained documents about my job. Usually, I had no qualms about the jobs I took. Pay me the right price, and I would do what was needed. No matter what it was. This one was making me edgy though.

I rolled up the paper and strolled out of the post office, giving the human one last glance before walking out. She looked welcoming enough. I could go back in there and easily sweet talk her into a quick fuck in the back of my truck … but the idea was unappealing to me. Which made no fucking sense. My animal crawled under my skin furthering to discourage me from the sexy human.

I shook my head. Whatever. If my animal didn’t want her, then I didn’t either.

As I walked out of the post office, the newspaper was still rolled in my fist. My black Ford Super Duty truck had been parked at the end of the building. I waited until I’d climbed inside and slapped the newspaper down on the leather seats to pull out the envelope. Tearing open the top, I dumped out the documents.

The first document was information about her build, her looks, and where she might frequent. I snorted. She looked like a regular, “just turned twenty and was learning how to live without her over-protective parents around” type of girl. The notes stated she had been going to clubs … shifter clubs. That was odd. Humans tended to steer clear of shifters.

Over a half a century ago when the paranormal council decided to come out of the shadows, humans had been wary. The short period of time didn’t soothe the centuries of evolution. We were predators; they were prey, even though no shifters I knew actually ate humans.

So perhaps this little human was a groupie? Had an adventurous side? From the list of clubs she frequented, it was very possible.

There was a list of different clubs, and the address of her apartment. Only a fool or a newbie would try to take her from her home. Still, it was good information to have. I went through the rest of the documents until I found the instruction sheet.

Gods, whoever wanted this girl was being annoying particular about it.

She wasn’t to be harmed in any way. Strange.

The client wanted me to hold her for a couple days until they contacted me for the trade. Annoying, but I supposed that was the point of the kidnapping.

They included a fucking emergency number if she needed something. Her, not me.

I would be contacted by the disposal phone I was given. Fuck, need to find that. Pretty sure I left it at the bar. Maybe Moss kept it around.

I rummaged through the rest of the notes, taking another look at my mark, which I shouldn’t be doing in the post office parking lot. Fuck, what’s wrong with me? I shook my head, a fog settling over my mind. As I pulled in a deep breath, I caught a slight scent.

What is that?

Hunger roared in my veins as if I had been starved for months. No, fuck … years even. My cock jerked in my pants. I glared down at the ravenous bastard.

Yeah, got it. I needed to get laid.

I shook my head again. I needed to take a very cold shower, probably take care of myself in there while I was at it, and then focus on my job.

The drive home was painful. Not only did my dick remain painfully hard, my animal moved restlessly, heating my blood. It needed something. The obvious answer—a lay—didn’t fit because it hadn’t been interested in the curvy human. My finger tapped against the leather steering wheel while my other hand was clenched painfully into a fist as I tried to think of anything else but a hot, welcoming body beneath mine.

As soon as I pulled into the parking garage connected to the apartment I used while in the city, I climbed out of my truck, readjusting before I walked over to the elevator. My heavy boots clomped loudly against the concrete floors. Some of the tension and hunger I’d felt started to ease.

Huh.

Taking a calming breath, I relaxed my fists.

Oh fuck. I forgot the documents in the truck. What the hell was wrong with me? I had never been so off my game. I headed back to the truck. When I opened the door, I caught the sweet scent that had filled the cab. Hmm … don’t remember that. The scent made me eager to find its source, if only so I could reconstruct it.

I shut the door, relocking the car as I shoved the documents between the folds of the newspaper. I left the empty envelope on the passenger side of my truck. My mind was on two things: shower and a quick jerk off so I could actually think. Lengthening my stride, I cursed my animal.

Should have fucked that lady from the post office. Too late now.

The elevator doors shut together and lifted me upwards.

I’d deal with this problem, then go on the hunt for my new target.

Chapter 2

Eden

“Eden, are you even listening to me?” my father’s gruff voice filtered over the line.

I sighed quietly, making sure to do it far from the speaker on the phone. He probably would hear it anyway, but at least I tried.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Then what I did I just say?”

“That you wished I hadn’t moved out of the compound. That it isn’t safe for me out here. That there are humans who still don’t care for the shifters of the world, and that they might see me as a target. Never travel without Bonnie. So on and so forth. The same thing you tell me every time you call.”

His worry wasn’t completely unfounded. There were a lot of protestors even nowadays. Hunters—humans who used their fear as a defense mechanism.

I thought of yesterday when Bonnie, my friend and bear shifter roommate, went out to shop. There were protestors outside of the shifter government building. They had angry snarls and picket signs. After having being raised with shifters, I knew how to tell them apart from the humans. However, to an untrained eye it would be harder. They came in all shapes and sizes, but for the most part they were built bigger and had an air of danger to them. Under extreme emotions their eyes would flash with their animals.

“You know why I say these things, child.”

“I know.”

He missed me. Both he and my mom had told me countless times. They wanted me to come back home and live on the compound with them. I worried my lip, guilt eating away at me as I thought of my strong, capable mother. She, like my father, was a bear-shifter. She was strong with a tightly toned body; her bright blue eyes and hair, the color of dark chocolate, made her absolutely stunning. But I remembered the tears that had filled her eyes when I’d told her and my father that I wanted to move out.

Not just move out, but leave the compound. I loved home … missed it with every fiber of my being, but I wasn’t truly happy there. I didn’t quite belong there, yet I was learning I didn’t fit in the human world, either. I released a tiny sigh.

“Your mother misses you … Brady misses you.”

My top lip curled back into a sneer he couldn’t see. Ugh, Brady. The bulking Kodiak shifter who worked with my father. He was training to be on the council like my father, but more times than not, I wasn’t entirely sure he knew how to spell his own name. Either way, Brady would not be the reason I returned home.

My parents hoped that I would get back with Brady, my ex-boyfriend, who was originally set up with me because of my father. Getting back together with him would mean I would be close to home. But I needed to experience how humans really lived.

“Daddy—”

“You said you would try it for a couple months, a year at most, Eden. And your mother and I worry. The protestors …” And he was going to tell me all the same things again.

My father was on the council as the bear representative. When shifters came out to the world, the human government couldn’t control them and decided to work with the shifters. In the time that they’d come out, the shifters had created a governing council that worked in conjunction with the human government. My father had been elected to be the bear shifter representative. My parents could never get pregnant and they were supposed to be adopting a shifter like them, but faith had other plans.

My mother said the agency had messed up the meet and greet. So my parents were presented with me when it should have been a shifter baby, who had been taken to see the human parents. My mother said she fell deeply in love with me, and her bear agreed. There was no parting a mother bear from her child, so the agency conceded.

“I gotta go. Bonnie just got back, and we were going to go out for dinner.”

“Think about what I said, Eden.”

“I will, Daddy. I love you, and tell Mom I love her, too.”

Bonnie sat across from me with her eyebrows raised as I tapped to end the call.

“What?”

She glanced over at the door then back at me.

“Why’d use me as an excuse? He’s my Alpha, too, you know. I have to answer him truthfully to anything he asks.”

“I know.” And guilt started to bite at me again. Bonnie had been my friend since we were five years old, but she was more than that. Because she was a bear-shifter she could handle her stuff. She wasn’t someone to mess around with, and my father hadn’t just sent her along with me because of our friendship, but because he trusted her with my life. This also meant she had to report to him when he asked.

“It’s okay.” She smiled brightly, her teeth gleaming in the light of our apartment.

I hated to admit it, but we needed my father’s help to keep our place. We had both graduated from university, but our jobs had been in the compound. We were still finding our feet out here.

“I know how you can make it up to me.”

I didn’t like it when she smiled like that.

***

Yup, I was right. I knew I wouldn’t like when she smiled at me like she did. It was a predatory smile that meant she had something up her sleeve. My cheeks were puffed with air as we stood in line to get into a hot new shifters club. Or bar? It was called Lucky’s and the line was long. When Bonnie bounced in her higher than high heels, I glanced down at my flat feet.

Bonnie had tried to convince me to wear high heels … well, shorter heels than hers but still high heels. I politely declined. I owed her for throwing her under the bus when it came to my father. But she might have been blowing it a bit out of proportion. As much as I called her a friend, she knew how to take advantage of me. I shifted my weight, my right leg bending at the knee while the left went rid-rod straight.

“Glad you agreed to come with me.” Bonnie winked.

She wasn’t technically allowed to leave me alone. It was one of the rules my father had when I said I wanted to move out. Bonnie was excited to be away from the shifters she had known her whole life. I was excited to have an idea of freedom.

I wanted to mutter that I didn’t have much of a choice since she was the one who guilted me into coming in the first place. However, I bit my tongue in order to hold in my tiny bit of resentment. I shouldn’t be mad. Bonnie had lived in the same compound as me, and she was just as stifled. She was excited; she was willing to explore, wanted to have fun. I was the one who held her back.

The line moved forward and the bouncer came into view. He was giant, a thick barrel chest, with a closely shaved head. For all intents and purposes he was downright intimating, and yet his eyes roamed over the line with softness to them. Catching his gaze, Bonnie plastered on her best smile. His nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep breath.

Shifter then. It didn’t surprise me. While Lucky’s was meant for shifters in the first place, the line was filled with more humans than shifters. Most of the women who were wearing far too little clothing shivered in the chilly night air. It wasn’t even that cold yet, and Bonnie who was wearing just as little didn’t even seem fazed. He nodded to us and tilted his chin to the doorway. Grabbing my hand, Bonnie ushered me to follow her up to the front of the line.

“Thanks for looking out,” Bonnie said, grasping his bicep before heading into the club. I ducked my head, embarrassed that we cut and that my friend had just openly flirted with the semi-terrifying shifter. Bonnie didn’t have much to fear, though; she was an apex predator, and she could handle her own. It was something I was very used to, considering the people I had lived with for my entire life.

The club was stifling. Inside it was drastically hotter than it was outside. My glasses started to fog up, and I puffed my cheeks with air, releasing it with an annoyed breath. Removing the chunky black frames, I cleaned them with my shirt. Sure it was frowned upon … okay, totally not what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t have my cleaning supplies with me. The world around me was a blurred mess unless it was three feet away from me, and even then it was hard to see distinct features. I should have worn my contacts, but I rarely liked to wear them.

Placing my glasses back on the bridge of my nose, I scanned the room. Bonnie was draped over the industrial style bar. It appeared to be made out of sheet metal, and the countertops were poured concrete. The outside of the bar looked like a worn down warehouse. Inside it had been renovated with shiny new floors that stuck with the entire industrial style. There were large pillars made of wood, which some girls had their backs to as a man crowded them, teasing their hair.

The dance floor was filled with writhing bodies, some far too close to be in public. The music thrummed but it felt lost among the crowds. If Lucky’s was meant to be a shifter club, it would make sense the music wasn’t as cranked as a regular club. Shifters had heightened senses, and if music at a regular club made me want to rip out my own eardrums, I imagined it was so much worse for them.

Bonnie took the shot she ordered from the bartender, slammed it back, and slid the glass back to the beautiful woman behind the bar. The girl raised a brow but gave her another. Weaving my way through the mass of bodies, and with the minimal light of the club, I made it to my friend. She was already on her fourth shot and hadn’t even started to waver. Another fun thing for shifters. One of those little shots and I would be tipsy and wobbling. Not Bonnie.

Bonnie twisted her body around, her hand trailing up her lithe body as she took in the crowd. Her animal was shining through her brightly lit eyes. I could see the hunger-filling gaze. I swallowed.

I might be going home alone tonight.

“Hey there, gorgeous.” A deep timber came behind me. I craned my neck to peer up at the tall, beefy man whose eyes were pinned on Bonnie’s trailing hand. She smiled brightly; thankfully fangs were put away.

“Hey there, stud,” she answered in her sultry tone that I was convinced she practiced. How could she be such a natural at being sensual? The man offered his hand around me, and Bonnie fluttered her lashes as she took it.

Oh joy. I loved the club.

Taking the stool at the bar, I pulled out my phone. I opened my Kindle app and started to read the book I had abandoned for our night out. The empty noises of the club drifted away, the smell of sex and bad body odor dissipated. For a good amount of time, I was on a barren planet with sexy aliens and kickass heroines.

“Your friend looks like she needs to leave,” a voice said, breaking me out of my trace.

I blinked a couple times, trying to situate myself. The pretty bartender was there, her red hair and green eyes shone under the bright lights from the ceiling above the bar.

“Huh?”

She pointed past me and into the crowd. Bonnie was swaying, but not in a sexy way anymore. She slapped her hand over her mouth as she laughed uncontrollably.

“She had about five more strong shots. Maybe take her home?”

The bartender didn’t say it meanly; she seemed genuinely concerned. Easy for her to say. She didn’t have to drag a drunk bear shifter home. I closed up my app with a sad sigh. This probably wasn’t the best place to lose myself into a book.

I hopped off the uncomfortable stool.

The crowds had slimmed down since we arrived. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten until I saw that most of the people left were moving about as lazily and uncoordinated as Bonnie was. The stud she had been dancing with had been replaced. The guy was tall, slim, and his eyes were cold. I shivered looking at them.

“Bonnie.” I tugged on the hem of her shirt. She whipped around, throwing her arm around my shoulders.

“Chris, this is my girl. The one I was telling you about.”

He gave me an appraising look.

“She is nice, but I still would like to take you home.” His eyes were still on me, though.

“We are going home without company,” I said sternly, wrapping my arm around Bonnie’s trim waist. As I pulled her toward the exit, she wobbled with me, giggling. She threw me off balance when she attempted to wave good-bye to the man she left on the dancefloor. We tilted to the left where she corrected herself then me before I could take a nosedive between her boobs. My ankle rolled, and I hissed at the pain.

“You,” hiccup, “should watch yourself,” hiccup, “you’re a bit unbalanced there, babe.”

Pressing my lips together, I patted her on the back. “Good thing I got you.”

She hugged me close, snuggling her nose into my hair. A lot of bear shifters did it—I wasn’t sure if it was a bear thing or a shifter thing. Either way, the tension in Bonnie’s body melted away.

“I was worried you didn’t have fun. You know …” she drifted off.

“Let’s get a cab and get you home.”

We stepped outside of the club. The night air was chilly, and the stars were high and bright in the sky. Would it be too late for us to get a cab? I worried my bottom lip as I held onto Bonnie, knowing I wouldn’t able to drag her to our apartment which was a couple blocks away. The bouncer still sat on the stool outside. Taking one look at us, he stepped to the curb. With a wave of his hand, a cab came up in front of him.

“You girls get home.”

“Thank you so much!” I felt the urge to reach out and give him a hug. Living on the compound with shifters all the time made me partial to their habits, and I was very touchy feely.

“No problem.”

“Thankz youu, smexy shifttterrrr.”

My eyes went wide with mortification for my friend. Reaching up, she petted his arm. He didn’t seem offended at all, just offered us another smile and helped me get Bonnie into the cab. I was thankful for his help and waved to him once we were settled into the cab.

Bonnie dozed off during the short trip to our apartment. When we arrived, I woke her with a gentle shake of her shoulder. She was still half asleep, but that was better than drunk as a skunk. Luckily, she came with me and didn’t have to lean too heavily on me as we climbed the stairs to our loft. At our doorway she leaned against the frame as I unlocked the door. I glanced at my oldest friend. Her tanned face was smoothed with an innocence, but it was erased when she became alert. Any anger I felt melted away. She had a sheltered life just as I did, and eventually we would have to return to the compound. Women bear shifters were rare as it was. This was her time to really get to be free from our family responsibilities.

“Thank you, Eden. I know you don’t like these sorts of things,” she whispered, eyes still shut.

“Anything for you, Bon-Bon.”

She snorted loudly as I opened the door and tumbled inside.

“I’m off to bed … if I can find it.” She staggered in the right direction, and when she found the latch to her bedroom, I left to go to my own room.

I brushed my teeth and cleaned my face before bouncing into bed with my phone already glowing with the book I had to leave earlier. Snuggling under my covers, I held the phone close to my nose as I picked up where I left off.

Chapter 3

Dominic

Lucky’s. Who the fuck named their club, Lucky’s?

My lips peeled back in an annoyed sneer. Did others think going to a club name Lucky’s would get them lucky? I rolled my eyes.

Perhaps it was more frustration than annoyance at this point. Resorting to using my hand to ease the pain in my pants before I left to scope out the clubs had left me feeling unsatisfied. The scent that had haunted me from my truck left me deliriously hungry for flesh: a hot, welcoming body.

Reaching down, I palmed my junk, readjusting myself. Yeah, jacking off didn’t fucking help.

The line to the club was nonexistent. The bouncer—a shifter from the smell of him—nodded to me, allowing my entrance. I stepped inside and immediately regretted it.

That fucking scent.

Like a lurking ghost, it followed me here, too. Shaking my head, I stalked over to the sheet metal bar and raised a brow. A redhead with forest green eyes lifted her head. Her nostrils flared, and she gave me the once over. Seeming satisfied with what she saw, she sauntered over to me.

“What brings you by, stranger?”

“Hmm, familiar with your patrons?” I asked, dropping my voice down to a seductive whisper. She moved a little closer, her low cut top presenting me with a generous view of her assets. She leaned her arm in front, but not hiding them away. It was more of a display to catch my attention. And oddly enough, my dick that had been awake and alert for the past twenty-four fucking hours, dropped like lead.

Stifling my surprise, I kept my focus on the bartender in front of me.

“Hon, I’m just a bartender.”

I gauged her. Her scent was shifter, hints of fur and animal in her otherwise feminine scent. I believed her when she said she was just a bartender. But they happened to be some of the best people to get information from. Half their job was meant to be a fly on the wall … there, but not really. Slipping a couple twenties from my pocket, I pressed them to the palm of my hand and reached over to her fisted hand.

“I wasn’t looking for anything more than some information.”

She pulled her hand back, taking the money subtly and quietly. She took a step backward and crossed her arms under her breasts, accentuating them once again. From her standoffish attitude, she wasn’t coming on to me anymore. Nope, purely business now.

“Your girl cheating on you?” She hooked a brow. Her name plate, pinned above her collar bone, shone in the light.

“Not my girl, Mazy. I don’t have one.”

She pursed her lips, still not taking the bait. I don’t even know why I was trying to bait her. My dick wasn’t coming alive at her obvious sexual display. The hints of that scent still teased my nose. Whoever the scent belonged to, she had been here.

“How unfortunate for you.”

“Just looking out for my buddy. His girl, Eden, average height, blonde hair, frequents here. He was worried that she might be cheating on him. You know how humans are, so fickle.” I let my animal push forward just enough to let my eyes burn with him shining through.

Mazy stepped back again.

“I see a lot of blondes in here. Lot of humans as well. Might want to tell your friend if he suspects she is cheating, ask her. Women are very honest like that,” she stated, her tone growing bitter. Time for me to leave.

“Well, Mazy, it was nice talking to you. And if you happen to see my friend’s girl, give me a call.” I set down a blank business card with my burner’s number scrawled on it. She glared up to me then back to the number. With a wink, I turned to head out, but not before that scent hit me once more.

Fuck …

Now I had to walk home with another fucking boner. And no relief in sight.

***

My skin felt tight.

My wings wanted out.

And my fucking dick was hard, again.

That fucking tantalizing scent that had been distracting me for the last couple of days was back. Flaunting in its unattainableness. If I could just find the owner of the scent.

I tried to focus on the task at hand. I had a job to do. One that was paying handsomely, and I wasn’t going to let a scent throw me. I wasn’t some inexperienced whelp. Not even the tightness of my pants could deter me from my mark. Business first. Pleasure later. There’s always time for pleasure, later.

I shook my head. My jacket snapped in the wind.

Concentrate.

Normally it wasn’t this hard for me to shake even the lustiest of scents. Tonight was for a different girl, and she would not be enjoying my company. And as soon as she was free of mine, I’d be happier.

I was very good at my job. Fucking amazing, actually.

I was known for my skills. These were hardly necessary in the deserted streets, but I knew the clubs would be closing soon. My client told me exactly where I would be finding my prize tonight.

I had been doing my own intel the night before, when the scent had appeared in my truck and at the club. Fucking with me. Reminding me once again that tonight I’d be alone without warm flesh against mine.

I rotated my shoulders as I moved forward. My holster scraped the underside of my arm. I don’t normally carry human weapons; I believe in my own claws. The problem is, in such crowded places, I don’t want to draw too much attention. Shifters have been exposed, as humans like to say, for almost a half a century. But I’m not an everyday sort of shifter.

Even most of my clients only know that I am rare, nothing more. My current client, however, is new. Mercenaries I know hadn’t even heard of him. But he contacted me with the usual protocol, and nothing seemed too odd about the job until he told me more about my mark.

From all appearances she was nothing more than a twenty-something party girl. But there was a vagueness about her past that kept me wondering. She was either utterly boring or someone was taking great lengths to keep her past under wraps. Not that I gave a fuck as long as they paid well. And damn were they willing to pay top dollar. I had done kidnappings before, they weren’t new to me, but this type of mark was. I should have probably asked for more information, but that is the best fucking part about hiring me. I don’t ask questions.

Wanted someone killed? Done. I don’t give a fuck who they are, what they’ve done, or anything else. Wanted someone kidnapped and delivered? Done. Wanted someone tortured? Done. No limits. No questions. I get the job done, effectively and quietly. Nothing goes wrong. Nothing can, when you’re as good as I am.

This girl I was supposed to be going after was a daughter of someone powerful. My assumption, since she was human, was she had to be the daughter of someone on the council from the human side. I was supposed to extract her and hold her for a couple days while I waited for them to contact me again. It wasn’t my usual M.O. But it was what the client wanted, so it was what they were going to get.

A drunken girl stumbled on too-high heels into her friend, knocking both into my path. I groaned.

Although I was on the job, this annoyance only served to remind me what my mark would be like. It was one thing taking a sober, aware person. A drunken idiot, on the other hand, was not as easy. They didn’t get scared like they should, and they were fucking loud.

I exhaled through my nose, letting it out as I bypassed the drunken pair.

What I wouldn’t give to just take a fucking break and go for a fly. I missed the skies, I missed the freedom. After this mark, I would take a break from work, take a break from life. Not that I had much of a life. I thought again about the scent that set my blood on fire. Was I getting restless? Was that what this feeling was? I hoped not. The last thing I needed was a mate who would rely on me. I haven’t had anyone rely on me in a very, very long time. I liked it better that way.

I shook my head. I needed to keep my damn mind on the job at hand. Never been so fucking distracted my whole life. Ridiculous. A tantalizing scent and I get my head in the clouds thinking about a mate? Fuck, no.

I needed this. I wanted to keep this job. The thrill of it. The excitement. I did it because I was good at it. I didn’t think about the people I killed, about the people I tortured. These were paid jobs. I wouldn’t allow personal feelings to interfere with a little wet-work.

I turned the last corner. The building was run-down outside, with an old industrial feel. A fucking disguise for what really lay inside.

Club Lucky’s.

This club was where my mark liked to go the most. Thanks to her picture, I knew what she looked like. When I was here the night before, I caught a whiff of that … never mind. I hadn’t seen her the night before. I hoped like hell I would find her tonight. This was supposed to be an easy job.

Grab, hold, and hand off.

I was due to hand her off in three days. Apparently the girl lived with a friend in an apartment uptown. My client most likely wanted to give the parents enough time to freak the fuck out before they made demands. I didn’t care. They had only told me to keep the heat off them for a couple days. I’d hand her off when they gave me a call. Now I just had to find the girl.

As I slipped into the club, the bouncer gave me a once over before turning his head. One shifter to another. Neither he nor I got close enough to scent what each other was. Frankly, I doubted either of us cared. Things were rough enough for our kind.

The club was still alive even though it was near closing time. The dance floor was crowded with drunken girls, and their slightly less drunk male equivalents. I watched as some of the men tried to get a dance from a girl or two but always turned away rejected. I guess some of the women here hadn’t lost all their sense. The designated drivers were easy to pick out, and from the annoyed expressions on their faces, they were ready to leave. More than one drunk male made a sloppy, unsuccessful attempt at flirting with them. I had to move quickly; if she had come with friends and her DD decided it was time to go, I would lose my chance.

I slipped into the grinding crowd. Personally, I didn’t care for all the bodies pressed against mine. I wasn’t one for it. I liked a good fuck just like any other hot-blooded male, but this was uncomfortable. I hated being so enclosed.

I glanced down at the woman in the picture again.

A spritely little blonde, with dark brown eyes and a quirky smile. Yeah, she’ll be easy enough to spot in this crowd, I thought with sarcasm. I looked over the platinum blondes, sifted through the scents of dyed hair in the way only a shifter’s nose can. There were more naturals in this club than I had expected.

Then it hit me.

Fuck.

There went my dick again.

I rolled my shoulders. My restless wings tingled, wanting to assert their presence. Shit, I was in trouble. She was here, again.

What the hell is my mate doing in a place like this two nights in a row? Maybe she works here? All I knew was I needed to keep the hell away from her until I found my mark. If I laid eyes on my mate, I would be a goner. I would steal her away and take her for myself. I was a selfish bastard like that. And I didn’t think I would ever let another male look at her again. Let alone touch her.

I straightened my back. No time for this. Right now I needed to find this little blonde and get the hell out of here. I think my original plan was going straight to hell. I wanted to seduce my mark and take her back to my place. If I got a fuck out of her—consensual of course, I wasn’t a complete bastard—so be it. Now I couldn’t even think of a good pickup line. Of course my go-to lines weren’t the best. Usually it went something along the lines of “Hey, wanna fuck?”

What can I say? I’m a direct guy. I never play around, and I know exactly what I want. And I go for it. I’m not looking for long term, and the girls I went after weren’t either. There’s nothing wrong with finding pleasure in another’s body for a night or two.

A trail of blonde hair drew me out of my thoughts. I followed the line to her face. It was her all right. A subtle shift inside of me clicked into place, my mind solidifying what my eager body and animal already knew. That scent. A sweet mixture of cinnamon and sultry pinecones. It was her.

Fuck, of course it was her. Resolution settled on my shoulders.

Game fucking on.

Chapter 4

Eden

For the second time this week—two days in a row, in fact—I found myself at Lucky’s. I didn’t like to club, but Bonnie loved it. She also loved to get drunk off her ass and go home with random guys. Well, I’d quickly put a stop to that last night. I told Bonnie if she wanted to go out, fine, no big deal, but she needed to make sure she took a DD with her. And I had been awarded with that title.

I hadn’t minded at first, but now I was done … so done. I headed to the bar and ordered a whiskey sour. One small, tiny drink wouldn’t kill me. It was almost closing time, and I deserved a drink after putting on heels I hated and a dress I loathed even more, all for my friend.

I was too loyal. I shifted my weight and realized that doing so made my butt pop, further exciting unwanted male attention. But my left ankle hurt. I had twisted it the night before trying to get Bonnie to leave here at a reasonable hour. I hoped she grew out of this phase soon. As my eyes flitted over the crowd, I wondered why I’d never grown into this phase. It seemed like I had gone from surly teenager to adult in seconds flat. I enjoyed staying home with a good book. The adventures in those were enough for me.

Sighing, I took another sip of my drink. Maybe one night I would get someone else to be the designated driver and I would be out there with Bonnie and get so drunk I wouldn’t remember a thing. Maybe I’d even find a guy. I could use a one-night stand, to be honest. I was lonely—it had been a long time since I’d broken things off with Brady, my boyfriend of two years.

“Would you like to dance?” a darker than night voice asked behind me.

I felt a blush steal over my cheeks. A voice like that could melt panties. And gods help the girl he was speaking to. Obviously, she was doing something right to attract the sexiest sounding guy in this place.

Oh sure, I had plenty of guys approach me, but none of them sober enough to remember my name. Nor would they respect that I had standards. I wasn’t one to be groped in public. My ass and breasts were off limits in public places.

I had to know who the voice belonged to. Twisting around, I found a man gazing at me.

My eyes collided with bright jeweled blue chips. Oh, he was hotter than Hades. I wanted to start fanning myself, to be perfectly honest. Dark hair that matched his dark voice, a strong, proud jaw, and killer lips. There was an arrogant hook to his eyebrows, and a sinful promise to his voice. He was like the poster boy for bad boys, but damn if I didn’t find myself twitching my legs to relieve some of the tension that had built up.

What the hell? I never reacted so quickly to man before.

Oh, my, he was giving me that look! He was speaking to me! This had to be some sort of mistake. When I didn’t answer immediately, he raised one eyebrow. My mouth was dry. I should speak. Say something. Don’t just stare.

“Did I stutter?”

I made a sound of disgust and disbelief in the back of my throat. Ooh, there it was. He was an asshole. My chest deflated at the realization. I didn’t do assholes … even if he was built like a god, and tasty as sin. Too bad, but he was nice to look at for even a few seconds.

“You didn’t stutter, big boy. I just didn’t answer.”

I didn’t like the predatory smile spreading across his lips. Too many teeth were showing, and his canines looked deadly long in the club light. Something akin to desire and dread twisted and knotted in my belly. This was foolish. I wasn’t bringing this jerkarous home with me. He took a step closer to me and my back was pressed against the lip of the bar, his big, big body crowding me in the most delicious way.

“I will take that as a yes, then. Must have been rendered speechless.”

He brought his hand up, tracing my bare arm, leaving trails of heat behind. His fingers brushed against mine until he hooked them into his hand. The grip was oddly gentle where I was expecting it to be tight. Yet it was also domineering. I snorted very unladylike, but he also hit it almost right on the dot.

“You didn’t render me speechless. You made me throw up in my mouth. I was just trying to be a lady and choke it back down.”

He never lost that shit-eating grin as he tugged me closer. I kept my eyes shifted in his direction the whole time, unable to look away. When he slipped his head next to mine, I shivered.

His tongue touched my ear. “I can think of one thing in particular I’d like you to choke on.”

What did my body even want at the moment?

Torn between being turned on and completely offended, I jerked back from his hold and slapped him so hard that his face jerked back from the impact. The people who’d stood beside me at the bar started to slowly back away. My heart pounded in my chest, but it wasn’t out of fear. No … it was something else.

My hand still stung with the force of my slap on his thick head. Slowly, he turned to face me again. A light red imprint of my tiny hand stood out like a brand on his lightly whiskered cheek.

Cold blue eyes settled on me. Shouldn’t I be terrified right now? Instead, only tepid anger and an ever awaking desire flushed through me.

“I will cut off your dick if you ever speak to me like that again,” I snapped, uncaring that I had hit him. He could take it.

A slow smile curved his lips, making my insides burn a little hotter.

My chest heaved with my ragged breathing. Why was I so angry? Why was I acting on it? I never did stuff like this. Why was I even still here? I should have stalked off by now. Actually, that was exactly what I needed to do. With a parting narrowed eye glare, I stalked away from him searching for Bonnie. It was time to go. Like now.

Even as I walked away, my mind was still caught on what had happened. My goodness, I’d implied I would be speaking to him again! Why had I said that? Furthermore, why did the prospect of talking to him again get me all tingly inside again? I tucked my chin close to my shoulder; I could just sneak a peek to see if he was still there. Watching me walk away. A shiver of anticipation skated down my spine. No! I defiantly stared forward, searching for Bonnie.

Maybe being alone since Brady had effected more than I thought. Eventually I would need to find some relief, but not tonight. Not with him. Not when my cheek still burned with a fierce blush.

It didn’t take too long to find my raven-haired friend. She was wrapped around some frat boy. I rolled my eyes. She was twenty-four and still going after college boys. We had graduated and I thought she had been over this phase. I found them annoying. I did when we were in college, and if possible, I found them even more obnoxious now.

I attempted to take a step forward, but an arm banded around my waist, gently tugging me backwards.

“If you wanted to meet on the dance floor, you just had to say so,” the familiar sexy voice said. His soft lips brushed against the shell of my ear and I melted into him. My eyelids fluttered shut for a moment as his warmth seeped into me. I felt tiny compared his enormous size. And I was five feet, seven inches. Nothing to mess around with, especially in the three inch heels that Bonnie had wrangled me into wearing.

Sensing my resistance slipping, he pulled his arm back and captured a hip in one huge hand. I covered it with my own; his hands were a little dry, rough. Sexy. The music hummed through the floors, up into our bodies. A hazy fog clouded my mind. His body swayed gently with mine, his hand leading my hip in a slow rhythm, so different from the blood-rushing pounding music that surrounded us. He was making the quick beat into something sensual.

My mouth was dry, and for a moment I indulged because … well, even with a mouth that needed to be cleaned out with probably ten bars of soap, he was making my body hum.

“Sorry to disappoint, but that wasn’t an invitation.”

I broke away from his seductive hold and felt my lusty little mind clear a little once I took my hand away from his. Bonnie wasn’t far from me; once I snagged her, she and I could get the hell out of dodge. Refusing to get caught in those dangerous blue eyes, I took a step forward away from him.

This time both his hands gripped my hips, his fingers pressing deep into my fragile skin. He held with enough force to keep me in place, but not enough to really bite with pain … yet. The fear I should have felt earlier started to creep up on me now.

“Now, now, Eden,” his voice was gruff, “you don’t want me to hurt your friend, do you?”

His lips were at my ear again. His breath was warm with hints of mint.

I went stiff in his hold. Any lingering feelings of desire washed away with a settling of fear. For myself, but mostly for Bonnie. She would fight to protect me, it was part of her job and she cared about me. Still, whoever hired this man had to be an enemy of my father’s. Maybe all shifters and I happened to be the lucky target? My father was well-respected on the council; it made sense to target the weak link. But the predatory smile he gave me, the build of his body, everything about him to me screamed that there was animal buried under the human façade.

I tried to calm my racing heart, but it didn’t do any good. I had been lucky in the time I spent away from the compound—the couple years in college, no incidents. When we moved into the city, there were protestors; we had been spat at, threatened but nothing had ever been acted upon. This is what my father had been trying to protect me from.

Bonnie’s eyes met my own. They were no longer glazed over with lust, but shone with worry. Alert.

“How do you know who we are?” I whispered. My blood had run cold. I could feel my heart trying to race out of my chest. His nose pressed against my exposed shoulder and ran up my neck. I wanted to be disgusted by the movement, wanted to say the shiver I felt run up my spine was due to fear. It wasn’t though. And the urge to lean back was intense but avoidable.

“Doesn’t really matter, does it?” he replied.

“It matters to me.”

Bonnie untangled herself from her date and was moving toward us. His grip tightened and his nails dug into my skin. My eyes went wide. His grip was dangerous.

Little gusts of his laughter puffed at my hair.

“It’s not my first day on the job, little girl. Call off your friend or I will kill her.”

Meeting Bonnie’s eyes, I shook my head ever so slightly. I didn’t know what else to do. I was scared to call too much attention to us. I didn’t want him to do anything too rash. I also didn’t want her to get hurt. I would guess that he was some type of shifter and this wasn’t an accidental meeting. Someone was looking for a way to get at my father. Through me.

Dad would be pleased as punch, too, when he found out about this. I wanted to groan. Right now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that though. I had to find a way out of this current mess.

“Just let me go. I can pay you at least double whatever you were offered.”

I was getting desperate. I couldn’t afford to pay him, but I didn’t think my dad would be letting me out of his hands after this. Back to my sheltered life where the only prospects of adventure, again, would be inside of my books.

“That isn’t how this works, doll.”

As we spoke, the music thrummed and the crowd pulsed. The song was about to end and shift to a new one. In a stroke of luck, I knew the DJ. I knew the remix. And knew there was going to be a deafening finish. It might be my only shot. Twisting in my captor’s grip to face him, I gazed at him from under my lashes and let them flutter a little.

“I could offer you so much more.” The desire in my voice wasn’t entirely fake. The strong muscles that bunched under my touch helped my acting skills immensely. I slunk closer, feeling the firm ridges of muscle beneath the fabric of his shirt.

Lust lit his eyes, and a smooth smile graced his lips, exposing sharp canines and pearly whites. His grip on my hips loosened as he dragged his hands upwards to the side of my torso. One hand touched the underside of my breast. Even through the fabric of my dress, his heat penetrated and the sensation muddled my mind for a moment.

Wasn’t I doing something?

Oh … right. I blinked, surprised I had lost my train of thought so quickly, but enticed him with a slow smile as I rotated my hips against him. The evidence of his arousal, which had been pressing into my back, now fit snuggly against my tummy.

The song was getting dangerously close to its climax. My moment to strike was coming up. My knee pressed against his closed stance. He widened just a bit so my knee brushed against his inner thigh. Perfect. I rubbed against him some more.

With a boom from the song, and a quick upward jab of my knee, I killed his lust.

His lips tightened considerably, eyes flashing with his anger. There was a moment’s pause until he opened his mouth and roared. My heart pounded. Oh shit.

He doubled over in pain, releasing his hold on me. I scurried back.

Chapter 5

Dominic

Blinding, white-hot pain shot through me.

Fucking hell.

Childbirth had nothing on being kneed in the dick. Especially when you had a hard-on for the girl you were supposed to kidnap. I looked up at her from my position. Still doubled over in pain, I shot her a vicious smile. I hoped she got the hint. She needed to run, and she needed to run fucking fast.

When I caught her, she was going to pay.

My little human mate had some major balls, I’d give her that. I fully realized how fucked up this situation was. There was no part of me that was inclined to give her to the men who wanted her. But fuck, a job was a job; even if the mark was also my mate, my reputation was at stake. People would never hire me in this city again if I botched this job. At least that’s what I told myself.

Eden backed away from me, edging toward the she-bear she had come with. I didn’t know what this girl was involved with for someone to organize her kidnapping, but she kept strange company. The she-bear moved forward and looked like she was going to grab Eden.

Hell, no. I did not just get kicked in the dick for her to take away my prize. Sucking in a tight breath, I climbed back to my feet and straightened my shoulders.

“That would be a really fucking stupid idea,” I said.

The she-bear really took me in and fear entered her eyes. Her eyes flickered to her friend, then back to me. A growl built in my chest. How fucking dare that bear even think about touching my mate. My mark, even.

A booming shot rang out through the suddenly dead air in the club.

Eden screamed, ducking down. Her hands went over her head, and she made herself as small as possible. Squatting, the she-bear advanced toward her. I didn’t know that I trusted her not to take Eden while I dealt with the armed person behind us, but Eden’s safety was paramount.

Another few shots rang off. The music that had died away was playing again, so I figured it must had been a momentarily pause in the song. Either way all the noise made it hard to pinpoint where the gunshots were coming from. I snarled. I didn’t have time to worry about Eden with someone fucking shooting.

I turned toward the new assailant to find that it was three. They were all hooded, faces hidden in the dark lighting of the club. I hated the strobe lights. I couldn’t get my eyes to focus long enough in the dark before another burst of light. The one who had been shooting stood with his gun pointed upwards.

Immediately the other two started moving through the crowd. The clubbers were huddled in the same posture Eden had taken minutes before. A few of the men actually tried to cover some of the women. It was noble, but it wouldn’t last. The smell of fear coated all of them. Soon they would break. In the crowd, I was the only one still standing straight, though they hadn’t noticed me. Luckily, there was a large pillar in the way which hid us for a few precious seconds from the gunmen. I glanced back at Eden and the she-bear. From the information I had received, I was certain it was her roommate, Bonnie.

“Get her the fuck out of here,” I hissed at Bonnie. She peered up at me, eyes wide, a question at her lips. I shook my head and showed my fangs, hoping she understood I wasn’t fucking around. These people were looking for someone special, and I had a feeling that I wasn’t the only one hired to get this girl.

I was told the bare minimum. As per usual, I didn’t want a lot of information. I just needed to know who the mark was, and what had to be done. It seemed that I was going to have to find out more about my newest mark.

Eden flinched when Bonnie touched her shoulder. Seeing her friend, her face filled with relief, and she turned to her for comfort. I scowled and tried to control the rage building in my chest. As I turned back to the gunmen, I felt a twinge of jealousy as Eden sought comfort in her friend. We did not have time for them to take things slow.

“Move,” I growled. Eden’s eyes met mine, then returned to her friend’s, searching for an answer. “Don’t worry, little chickadee. I will be back for you.”

I waited until Bonnie had Eden covered, and then she started hustling her out to the exit in back. I rolled my eyes upwards. This was a complication I did not enjoy. My hide might be thick, but I hated being shot at.

When I stood, the shooter’s eyes locked on my own.

“Sit down.”

His voice was low as if he thought he could intimidate me. I found that almost laughable. I stared him down. I could give him a little credit for not cowering, but I had my mark and now she was leaving. There was a good chance that her friend wasn’t stupid enough to take her back home, and their trail would be hard to pick up. But she was more than just a mark.

She was my fucking mate.

Yeah, this bastard was going to die, and he was going to die quickly.

“Don’t think so,” I snarled, annoyance and rage fueling me and my animal.

The leader leveled his gun to my chest. The gun was steady, but his hand kept rewrapping around the handle of the gun. I raised a brow.

“Get on the fucking floor!” he roared, thinking it would intimidate me to ground.

“Drop the gun.”

“I said get on the floor!”

While he shook in his boots, I felt a half transformation take over me. My skin hardened, scales rippling over my human flesh making me even more durable.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Probably shouldn’t goad him on, but he was getting on my nerves. Either he better shoot me or get the fuck out of my way.

Another gunshot rang out.

He shot.

The bullet hit over my heart. The powerful blast was like a punch to my chest. I snarled as the rippling effects of the bullet traveled down my body. The fucker actually shot me. While it didn’t do any actual damage because of my scales, the pain still echoed in my body. I glanced down to where there was now a hole in my shirt.

My eyes met the fucker who shot me. Fear crept into his eyes, hand tightened on the gun, and he brought up his other hand to wrap around the gun that now shook in his grip.

“That really won’t help you, and it will only piss me off.”

I waited until the idiot lowered his gun.

“She ran off by the way. If you ever think of touching her, I will kill you myself.”

The other two had stopped their search and turned toward their central partner. I wasn’t entirely positive they were looking for Eden. I was taking a guess. From the looks they shared between themselves, their stinking stench, and from the criminal slump of their shoulders, I knew I was right. I didn’t know what the hell they wanted with my mate and my mark, but I was going to make sure that they knew I meant business. When I strode forward, the gunman pointed his gun at me again. This time he aimed higher.

I debated letting a half transformation take me. It would show my horns, but there were too many human eyes for that. There were too many potential enemies here that I couldn’t have knowing what I really was. A shifter—they might know that much, but they didn’t need to know what kind I was.

“You really want to try that?”

The idiot didn’t answer but kept the gun trained at my head. I felt half my mouth lift to a smile before I moved faster than they could think.

I felt the sweet snap of his wrist in my hand, and the gun dropped to the floor. His eyes jerked wide and his mouth popped open with a scream of agony. Music to my ears.

Smiling, I brought his arm backwards and twisted so that he was in front of me. He was a smaller man compared to me, but he was a useful shield all the same. The other two finally understood what was happening, moving forward to help their leader. I twisted his arm a little more, causing him to grunt.

“Now, boys, would you rather die tonight or would you rather forget you were ever paid to lay eyes on my mark?”

I wanted to call her something else. I wasn’t fucking stupid though. If they thought she was more to than just a mark, things could get messy. But one mercenary to another, they would know I was serious by calling her my mark. And these boys didn’t seem stupid enough to fail to realize that I was going to get my fucking job done.

Mate or no mate.

The two who were free looked at each other before they spared a glance at the one I held. I glared down at them, trying to both intimidate and also seem uninterested by this exchange. Finally, they relented. Not that I accepted their compliance easily.

I broke the arm of the man I held. Then I pushed him forward into the one on the right, gut punching the one on the left and knocking my elbow into his nose. Drawing back my fist, I rammed into the untouched man. I left them grumbling as I turned toward the exit.

I was going after my mark.

My fucking mate.

Chapter 6

Eden

Adrenaline filled my blood, made me want to run faster, made me want to keep moving until I couldn’t breathe. Made me giddy. I slowed down a little, dragging Bonnie with me. She was moving at a steady pace, but my head spun. What was it? Was it sneaking out with that jackass’s help? The excitement at the club? Or the jackass himself? Something had my head lighter than ever and my heart racing like it never had before.

This night was exhilarating. Utterly addicting. The fear that should have been present was absent. Bonnie tugged at my arm, trying to pull me with her. I didn’t want to move. I needed breath. I wanted this feeling of lightness to fill me up. I had such a sheltered life before I convinced my father to let me out of the community. Still I held onto the rules, patterns, and values that had been ingrained in me since I was a baby.

“Come on, Eden. We have to get you home.”

Bonnie pulled me again. She had superior strength, but she never used it against me. Now I felt how she was barely containing just dragging me along where she wanted to go. I yanked my hand out of hers.

“Isn’t that the first place he would go?”

Bonnie went silent as she bent her head down in shame.

“Not that home, Eden.”

Shaking my head, I backed away from her. If my parents found out what happened tonight, if they knew half the places that Bonnie had dragged me to, and that I was sometimes a willing participant, they would never let me leave again. I wanted to prove that I could live out in the real world without their help. I hated that part of the deal I had struck with my dad was that I would allow him to pay for an apartment. Of his choosing. It was everything he wanted for me, but it wasn’t what I had wanted.

“No, please. We can handle this.”

The lie slipped out easily, but I didn’t believe a word of it, and she wouldn’t either. She leveled a look at me that said it all.

“We can’t. Please don’t make me call him. Let’s just go home.”

I bit my lip and nibbled on it. If she called my dad, it would be over. That would be it. He would never even let me out of the house without a bodyguard. But …

“We will go home for the weekend.” Bonnie opened her mouth to interrupt, but I put my hand up. “Wait, let me finish. We will go home for a long weekend. We can call my dad and tell him we were going to come up tomorrow. We will wait this out. If those men see I’m headed home, I’m sure they’ll give up.”

I hoped. I didn’t know for sure. I was also hoping that my dad wouldn’t see through our reason for coming home.

Bonnie glared at me for a bit before she let out a long breath. “Fine, but we are hitting the road tonight and not stopping until we get there.”

I held in my squeal of delight.

***

Bonnie was running around the apartment, getting all her things together. I wondered briefly if she wanted to go home for good. I looked over at her. Our kind … well, her kind really, weren’t known for pack existence. Even so, I had been an outsider my whole life. I knew how it felt to be alone in a place that was crowded. I wondered if she felt that way out here. I watched her from the couch as she ran from her room to the bathroom. I wanted to laugh at the frantic expression on her face, but honestly I was over my adrenaline high and was feeling a little empty. It was more than feeling empty. I felt drained. Completely exhausted. I needed to get up and pack.

I still had yet to call my parents. I was hoping to talk to my mom because I was certain Dad could detect lies over the phone, even though he said he couldn’t. Bonnie was in her bedroom when there was a knock on our door. I looked at it, wondering who would be knocking so late at night. Or early in the morning? I didn’t think it was our neighbor—she was an elderly lady who lived like a hermit.

Rising, I went over to the door and peered through the peephole. There was a hand covering it. A sensation rose and tingled across my skin. Without a doubt, I knew who was on the other side of that door. Surprise filtered through me. Surprise, fear, and hints of desire.

I rushed away from the door, but didn’t make it far before there was a loud crash. Stopping, I looked over my shoulder. The door had been kicked open, the jam on the doorframe hanging at an awkward angle. I backed away as it slowly swung open, revealing the very tall and annoyingly handsome shifter from the bar.

“Bonnie!” I turned my head, calling out for her without taking my eyes off of the large man who stood in the doorway.

His eyes flashed a deep crimson red and fear shot right down into my toes. I continued to inch backwards, never taking my eyes off of Jackass.

With a burst of fear and a kick of adrenaline, I twisted around ready to make a run for Bonnie’s room. But I’d backed myself right into the pathway of one of our side tables and I tripped. A startled yelp escaped my lips as I fell to the floor. Throwing my hands out in front of me to break the fall, I squeezed my eyes shut.

A steel band wrapped around my gut, halting my progress and pulling a loud grunt from me. My hair whipped forward as I was pulled backwards and cradled against a strong, solid form. Breaths coming in rapid pants, I tried to register what had happened. My cheek was hot against his thick powerful chest. Why did I feel so safe with him?

“Eden!”

Bonnie’s voice pulled me from my shock and my eyes blinked open. Bonnie stood in front of our large window—which led to a small outside porch—blocking the night view. My head lay in the middle of his chest, gently. I was still in shock. That had to be it. Otherwise I would have been pressing my head away from him.

I started to struggle in his grip and tried to push away. He didn’t even seem to notice my efforts, but growled at Bonnie. His canines were exposed; I was right earlier in the club, they were long and deadly. Swallowing hard, I continued to wiggle against him. His blood red eyes shot down to mine and I saw desire there.

“Better stop those movements, chickadee.”

His hips pressed a little closer. I was certain that was not a gun pressed against my stomach. I let out a surprised squeak as I tried again to push away from him.

“Let her go,” Bonnie roared. Her voice had become morphed, the vocal cords scratching together, and it now sounded more animalistic.

My attention was stolen from the problem nestled underneath me and went to my friend who was trying to control her shift. Fur sprouted from every pore, her muscles expanding as skin gave way to fur. Sharp, deadly claws gutted from her hands, which were slowly turning into thick, heavy paws. Dread pooled in my gut.

The man, who I was sitting on, obviously was a shifter, but still it worried me that she was exposing herself to this stranger. I understood that it was instinct—fear or anger had pushed her into the shift—but … I was scared for him. I couldn’t possibly begin to point out why I felt that way, yet I did.

Even further, my father. He would know the moment one of his bears shifted. He would send guards over here to extract both Bonnie and me. Did I want that?

The man who held me hadn’t actually hurt me, but had still threatened my friend. Broken down our door. Uncertainty swamped me. There was too much to think about. Too much I didn’t know.

Bonnie, a giant raven black Kodiak bear, stood on her hind legs in our living room. Our spacious apartment looked teeny-tiny now. She opened her maw and released a loud, angry roar. The sound echoed around our place and bounced painfully in my ears. I slapped my hands over my ears trying to lessen the pain. He looked to Bonnie then to me. The man who held me peered down at me with flecks of concern, as his lips tipped down, until they steadied into a scowl.

I stared at him defiantly. I might not be able to shift myself, but I wasn’t scared of him. He shocked me even more by what he said next.

“You’re human and totally unafraid of the Kodiak bear in your house. Color me impressed.”

I didn’t know what he wanted me to say. This was normal. My entire family were Kodiak bears. I grew up in a community of shifters. I was the only human.

“She really isn’t that scary … to me,” I answered. Bonnie, who stood on her hind legs, was now well over seven feet tall. I glanced back at the man who held me. He appeared entirely bored.

“What do you plan to do, bear?” His voice took on a bit of a hiss.

His blood red eyes hadn’t just changed color. His pupils were slits, like a reptile’s. He had some serious gumption if he wasn’t scared of the seven feet tall Kodiak bear who took up more than half of our living room. She was my friend, family member, and even I felt fear slither down my spine.

What kind of shifter was he if he wasn’t scared of one of the biggest apex shifters out there?

Jackass never loosened his grip as horns sprouted out his forehead and wings shot out from his back. My eyes gaped. Tingles started in my fingertips and twisted up my arms. Holy … this was unreal. Unbelievable. He seemed to get bigger, but he never shredded his skin. Half transformations were next to impossible, but he was more than impossible.

“Dragon,” I whispered, wishing that I could escape his hold more than ever. However, a small, totally illogical part of me wanted to snuggle closer.

“My name is Dominic.” His eyes met mine for a moment before he looked at my stunned roommate.

He bent his knees as he glared over his shoulder. My nails raked over his shoulders and I struggled in his hold. No. No. No, no, no.

Ignoring my frantic movements, he hissed angrily at Bonnie who took a lumbering step forward, wide brown eyes on me. His large hands gripped me tighter, in attempt to stop my movements or to get a better grip on me, I wasn’t sure.

His wings folded over around us as he leaped upwards. I squeezed my eyes shut—not that I could see with his dark wings blotting out the lights. Wind streamed past us; it whistled in my ears. Glass shattered and a scream was torn from my throat.

My body shook with fear, and wet trails adjourned my cheeks. The air was calmer out here, silent. My head swam, nausea pooled in my gut. Gods, I didn’t want to be sick. The tingles that had been in my hands continued their upwards crawl. Too much. I held onto the only thing I could.

Dominic.

Chapter 7

Dominic

She passed out in my arms.

Part of me wanted to roll my eyes. But the protective part of me pulled her closer. I sort of thought that part of it was my dick. I looked down at the blonde in my arms. She seemed so delicate and small.

I shook my head, dislodging those sort of thoughts. I had a job to do, and I was already headed in the wrong direction. Literally.

I had a safe house for these sort of things, with a prison built in the basement. The upstairs was sparse, but it was perfect for holding people. And yet I was headed to my house. My very hidden, remotely located house. Outside the city. Not even my two closest friends knew where it was located.

The flight out to my remote cabin didn’t take long, but it took longer than normal. During the flight I tried to convince myself to fly in the other direction to my safe house. To put her in the basement, throw away the key, and keep her forever.

Fuck! I meant keep her there until the exchange. Instead my wings started a slow beat, the air catching to slow my progression downwards. The top of my secluded house came into view in the clearing where I had chopped down a nestle of trees to make my home. It was one of many, but it was my main home. One I should not be bringing a target to.

But definitely one I should bring my mate to.

My feet touched the hard earth, and I felt the jolt of the impact radiate up my legs. The small, two bedrooms, one bath, with an open living room and kitchen cabin sat peacefully in front of me. The outside was made of thick wood, enhanced with strong metal, but it was meant to blend with nature. For the most part it did.

The wood was covered with moss; I left the trees that butted up to the backside of the house. The cabin was nestled near small formations of tall hills that were often mistaken for mountains. It was several hours’ drive, but only a couple hours’ flight for me from the city I had stolen my mate from. Fuck … mark.

I should retreat. And instead I surged forward with my mark cradled in my arms. She was feather-light and so fucking fragile. What the hell am I going to do with her? I pushed the thought away as I opened the door to my house.

I stomped through the living room to the back of the house where the bedrooms were located. The interior of the house was exposed wood, dark as the wood on the outside. My dragon preferred the darkness like a cave even in my human form. Just like outside, there was a lot of exposed, industrial metal.

Once inside my bedroom, I placed her on a bed built to accommodate play. Built for my tastes. She was draped perfectly across my black silk sheets. I covered her—for gods knew what reason, I don’t even want to begin to fucking think about. Instead I turned away and shut the door quietly behind me.

I rubbed the back of my neck. Associated with bears. She didn’t even seem fazed by the fact that her roommate was one. That concerned me. Bears were positioned pretty high on the paranormal council. I didn’t fuck around with the legal shit of our world. I did my kind of work discreetly. I stayed under the radar.

She was someone of importance, since I was told she was human and I was supposed to handle her with care. I just had to hope like fuck I could do this without screwing everything up. That little human in there was my fucking mate. Her scent called out to me and made me want to take her. Just like the very first moment I caught the scent in my truck. I had the same reaction. My blood ran hot, eager, my cock pressing against the zipper of my pants, adding a horrible pinching pain to my already straining dick. Fuck. If her scent drove me insane, to actually see her curves? Fuck, she was gorgeous.

I shook my head. Job first.

I didn’t need to bring a mate into my life. She wouldn’t want to share a life with me murdering, kidnapping, and torturing for money. And I couldn’t live without it. It gave my beast an outlet. It gave me a semblance of peace.

Pulling out the disposable phone that my employer gave me, I dialed a number I had committed to memory. I was very safe with my clients.

“Hello.” A voice modifier was being used. I wanted to roll my eyes. Even though they have already used it, it still resurfaced old annoyances. I shouldn’t give a fuck one way or another. But this time it really got under my skin. Fuckers were messing with my mate.

“I got the girl. Where are we doing the hand off and when?” I demanded. I needed to get her out of here before I did something really fucking stupid. I couldn’t help considering it. Her scent lingered on my clothes, as did the warmth of her touch. I ran hotter than most. I never really felt cold before until she was out of my arms.

“Hold her for two days, then meet us at the south edge of Three Rivers Park. We will make the exchange there.” Just like the document had said. Maybe it was the plain man on the other line.

The phone clicked dead.

Two fucking days.

I could hold out until then.

At least I thought I could.

My dick strained in desperate protest.

Fuck.

***

I found myself watching her sleep. I was a sick, sadistic bastard. Who watched their captive sleep? Who the hell thought about slipping into bed with them and holding them close? I didn’t. The gods must have been playing a joke for some shits and giggles.

Things were spiraling. I had to remember she was just a job. But she wasn’t just a fucking job or I wouldn’t have brought her here, to my home. I wouldn’t be watching her like she was precious. I wouldn’t be having fantasies of plunging deep inside of her, making sure everyone knew who the fuck she belonged to.

I readjusted myself for about the hundredth time. She had been asleep for almost eight hours. I was ready to wake her up. It would be easier for me if she slept, but damn I wanted her awake for some unimaginable reason. I was trying to convince myself because I wanted more information about her. Not because I wanted to see those sinfully dark brown eyes again, or see those pink, plump lips upturned in a smile.

Eden started to stir. Her breathing changed a little. This was it. She was finally waking up.

Chapter 8

Eden

I stretched.

I had dreamt of a shooting at a club, a shifter that was a dragon, and that I was held captive by him. I wanted to laugh. I didn’t remember my dreams usually, but I remembered these in high definition. It seemed funny to me I would dream up such a sexy guy, but make him an asshole. He had a strong name, though. Dominic. The thought of him sent zings of pleasure right down to my gut. I twisted my legs together trying to forget the feeling. Or relieve it.

I reached over to grab my glasses, but in my hazy state, I must’ve missed my nightstand. I gave up and soon was nearly asleep again, my hands tracing patterns in the delicate fabric. That’s when it hit me: this was not my bed. These pornographically sensual sheets were not mine. I sat bolt upright, blinking my eyes furiously. My contacts blurred my surroundings. I never slept in them. I was paranoid about it, to the point that it annoyed Bonnie. Finally, things got a little clearer and the burning in my eyes subsided.

When my eyes finally cleared, I was certain that even the white ceiling, like so many other white ceilings but not like my own, belonged to someone else. I gulped, my heart was racing in my chest like I had just run a couple miles. I looked to the right. Then to the left. This was so not home. I scooted up and stared down at the sheets pooling around my waist.

I was still in my clothes from last night, which was something. Of course I wouldn’t normally wear this skimpy dress. The back was cut into ribbons so there was a lot of exposure, and while the front was shoulder draped and covered my chest completely, it was still a pretty short dress. It only went about to my mid thighs. I spent half the night pulling it down over the spandex shorts that I had slipped on while Bonnie wasn’t looking. The sheets were silky soothe against my bare legs.

I didn’t have sheets like this. I mean, who did?

Black, silk sheets?

I swallowed hard. Dread swam in my stomach, making it turn, making me feel sick.

I finally lifted my head and met startling blue eyes.

Oh … he wasn’t a dream.

We stared at one another for a while. I didn’t speak and neither did he. His eyes had darkened considerably, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know why. Having a staring contest with a shifter was a bad idea, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. For some reason, I was determined to hold his gaze.

“You got a lot of spunk for a little chickadee.” His voice surprised me. I wasn’t expecting him to talk and I jumped. He let out a brash laugh, but his eyes never left mine. Something about his voice and his laugh had me squirming in my seat.

“Who are you?” I asked, trying to make my voice seem more confident than I felt.

“Your worst fucking nightmare.” He sobered immediately, those bright blue eyes flashing red. I remembered everything from last night now. He was a dragon, a dragon named Dominic who was planning on kidnapping me. And apparently had.

“Why am I here?” I tried again.

“You really don’t want to know.” He didn’t seem apologetic, but a little annoyed. I wanted to get more information from him, needed to know what was going on.

“Tell me.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?”

I gave him my best what the hell face. It didn’t do anything though. The left side of his mouth curled up a bit, amused.

“You will be with me for a couple days, then I’m handing you off. That is all you need to know. If you try to escape, I will find you.”

Suddenly he was right in front of me.

“And you won’t like it when I do.”

His voice was a whisper against my skin. I felt a dark promise buzz down to my toes and back up again. I wanted to shiver, but for some reason it filled me with desire instead of fear. I was losing my mind, yet I baited the beast and licked my lips.

“What will you do to me?”

“You couldn’t even begin to imagine.” His voice was husky. His lips brushed against my ear. I did shiver this time and turned to him. My eyes dropped to his lips, and I thought about how they would feel against mine. I was never so brazen with a man. I was never so forward in general. Something about him made me feel brave, sexy, and sort of terrified. But a good sort of terrified.

“You are testing very dangerous waters, little chickadee.”

I peeked up at him through my lashes. The lusty side of myself—the one I was losing the battle with—wanted him. I couldn’t even begin to fathom when my mind said to stop talking, my heart even led me forward, urging me into his strong arms. Maybe the rebellious teenage years I had skipped were finally emerging. And hell of a time for them to!

“Maybe I want to.”

Chapter 9

Dominic

Who the fuck was this girl?

She should be meek. Scared. Terrified even. But she was fucking seducing me.

My hands clenched around the fabric covering those long, sexy legs. Legs I imagined wrapped around my hips, heels pressed into my ass, pulling me closer.

Shit. Growling, I pushed away from the bed. I’d warned her. I’d fucking warned her.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I was certain that she would back the fuck down. No one challenged me. Yet her brown eyes were steady. I wouldn’t fail to answer this challenge. I felt my dick stir in my pants, again painfully too tight. She wanted to test me?

“You sure about that?”

It was so silent that I thought I’d scared her with my question. She jumped, but I watched as her breathing grew heavy. Her chest heaved. It demanded my attention. My eyes flicked down to her bosom. Her nipples were hard. They peeked through the thin material. My little mate wasn’t wearing a bra. I should really fucking punish her for exposing herself so thoroughly to other males.

“Oh, I am certain.”

She bit her lip, like it was a normal fucking thing to do. Like it wouldn’t drive me to the fucking edge. How did she expect me not to answer her call? How could I not fill her need?

I moved forward fast, capturing her lips with mine. Forcing open her lips, I thrust my tongue forward. I took charge and dominated her mouth quickly. Moaning, she melted against me. I had her … until the throaty groan that escaped her proved to be my undoing. I was hooked. I would have done anything for her in that moment if she would grant me the mercy of her blissful release. Instead, I needed to keep my goddamned head in the game and keep my dick in my pants. At least somewhat in my pants. Or not in my pants at all. I could not help but play.

Nothing was going to stop me now.

My hand crept up her stomach to her left breast. I cupped it gently at first. She moaned and moved even closer, giving me permission I didn’t need. She was mine and I knew that. Soon she would, too. First, though, I had deal with this no-bra nonsense. With me she could do it. But she had been in public like this.

I pinched her raised nipple in my fingers. She yelped before a delicious groan swept through her. I could smell desire flooding her body. I was about to pull away when her lips wrapped around my tongue. And she pulled, and sucked.

Fuck.

I was going to come in my pants like a teenager.

Growling, I spread her legs. I wouldn’t go any further than a heavy make-out session. At least that is what I told myself at first. Could I resist this woman? The woman who was made for me, and me alone? Her hand moved across my chest, and I shuddered when her nails dug into my shoulder. They bit into my flesh, sending pleasure straight through me, and I fucking loved it.

Releasing her breast, I went for the already half off strap. I pulled it down farther, freeing her creamy, smooth skin. Removing my lips from hers, I let my tongue glide over the arch of her neck. She shivered and shuddered in my arms.

I pressed a small kiss where her neck met shoulder. My lips skimmed over the skin from her shoulder to her exposed front. Her hands moved to the back of my head, her nails scraping and urging me lower. I went willingly. When I wrapped my lips against her nipple and sucked, she screamed my name.

She fucking screamed my name.

My eyes shut in ecstasy. How could a tiny little chickadee like her make me so weak? I didn’t fucking care.

I tasted her, my tongue circling her nipple and my teeth teasing. I tugged and licked as she squirmed under me. She kept mewling from my caresses, and if I didn’t stop soon, I wouldn’t be able to stop at all.

The thought of being inside of her was overwhelming.

I covered her other breast with my hand and massaged it, working that nipple hard again. She squeaked when I tweaked it, while nipping at the other. I felt her shudder and release. Her body softened under me.

Pulling away, I covered her body, even though I wanted to devour her with my eyes. Instead I found her half-hooded gaze and lazy grin. It hit me over the fucking head.

This wasn’t a fucking pleasure cruise. This was a fucking job.

When I climbed off her body, she released a quiet groan of displeasure. Well what was I supposed to do? My body and my dragon roared for me to go back to her willing, hot body. Instead I shook my head, tearing my gaze from her exposed breasts, which were calling me back like a siren.

I stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut between us. I wouldn’t be able to focus if she was staring at me with those big eyes, her inviting tits begging me back into the room. I pulled my phone from my pocket. I would not fucking last with that little vixen in my house. I would take her and never let her go again. If they wanted her, they better come for her tonight. Otherwise, I would do something I never had before.

I would fail to complete my job.

“We contact you, not the other way around.”

The voice on the line sounded annoyed. I really didn’t give a fuck or two. I almost had my mate, and if I did, they’d never get her. And I would never get paid. One thing I learned early in this business, you follow the job through. After that, you forget about it. My eyes slid back to my shut door. But how the fuck was I supposed to forget her?

“You want the girl, we meet tonight. If not, then I keep her.”

“What could you possibly want with her?”

This was new. They didn’t sound curious. It was hard to tell with the modifier, but it almost sounded like they were concerned.

“That really isn’t any of your fucking business. But that is the deal. Tonight or I keep her. Let’s just say I have a better fucking deal if you decide to back out.”

I hung up.

They would show tonight if they wanted her. If they didn’t, then I would get her. It was win-win for me. However, the money was less appealing the longer I thought about her blonde locks. Those brown eyes. She had a fucking killer body—a generous-sized chest, curves, and long legs. It was more than that, though.

Eden had more spunk than I originally thought. Sure, she was meek, but she kept surprising me. A few minutes ago in the bedroom being a perfect example. Shaking my head, I tried to dislodge the images of her licking her lips and screaming my name.

Fuck, she would be my undoing.

I knew she would be the moment I caught her scent.

My mate.

It was fucking laughable … of course this was how the Fates would lay everything out. Not only was my mate my mark, she was also a human. A dragon and a human. I was sure it wasn’t unheard of. A lot of shifters found their mates to be humans; there’s nothing wrong with it.

It had to be her though.

I spent the rest of the day avoiding the bedroom. I was certain if I saw her in there again—in my bed—nothing would stop me from taking her. She was quiet and moved around a little. I didn’t want to be as curious as I was about what she was doing. When I brought her a simple lunch, I wished that I had more in my house then raw meat. She didn’t seem to turn her nose up at the turkey sandwich I made her, so I was glad that at least she ate meat. Vegetables and fruits weren’t part of my diet.

It was getting dark out and it was time. I had to prep her, even though I wasn’t sure how I would be able to let her go. My need to keep her was growing. The beast side of me wanted her.

Entering the bedroom, my eyes swept over the room. She was curled up in the chair, gazing out the window. She seemed so damn peaceful. I was certain that I was losing my mind. She looked perfect even in captivity. She belonged in my house.

She turned her head toward me, her eyes squinting so that I wasn’t even sure they were open. I cocked my head, not understanding what she was doing. She laughed. The sound was like bells; it was light, feminine, and incredibly sexy.

“Sorry, I took my contacts out.” Standing, she brushed her long locks behind her ear. “I’m near-sighted.”

Eden moved around the bed, holding onto the frame and walking toward the bathroom. Once she got there, she plucked her contacts from a disposal cup. I cringed as I watched her widen her eye to put her contact in. My insides squirmed and I glanced away. She turned to me after blinking a couple of times.

“So are you finally going to tell me what I’m doing here?”

Her hands were twisting together in front of her, and she wouldn’t look me directly in the eye. She kept biting her lip and nibbling on it. It brought forth a lot of other images, and I shifted my weight. Shit, just being the same room as her got me harder than I thought possible.

“You are my mark. I’m being paid to kidnap you and hand you off.”

She took a step back, and I could see real fear creeping into her eyes.

“I am not a nice guy, Eden. I am not going to fuck with your head either. I don’t know what the people who paid me to kidnap you want from you. But …” Pausing, I really looked at her. Hope shone through those brown eyes. I wasn’t sure that I could tell her I was her mate, that I would do anything in order to protect her. I couldn’t because I wasn’t sure how much I even believed it. I wanted to pretend to be the good guy. The one who would change at the drop of a fucking hat and do anything to save her. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep the act up forever, and the woman who stood in front of me deserved the fucking best life could give her. She didn’t deserve some murdering mate who didn’t give two fucks about anyone but himself for years.

I strode forward. Pressing against her jaw, I pushed her head upwards. I raked a hand through her golden locks and kept the heel of my hand behind the back of her skull.

“I will not let them hurt you.”

Leaning down, I claimed her in an unapologetic kiss to her lips. It was a harsh movement. Dangerous. Demanding. All-consuming. All I could taste, smell, feel was her. Fuck, it was like flying without having left the ground.

She was so careful with her response. Her tentative touches were delicate, hesitant. I plunged forward into her mouth, my tongue dancing with hers. The wet, hot heat of her mouth was just a preview. She submitted to me, quietly moving with a restrained dance. The vixen who had captured me earlier was gone. I hoped that I didn’t steal her courage.

The tips of her fingers brushed against my forearms. Her tongue moved, inexperienced and nervous. I found it all the more endearing. She was sweet in a way that I wanted to find sickening, but instead it fueled my need to protect—my need to claim.

Pulling her waist tight against my hips, my erection pushed against her softness, and I groaned into the kiss, dipping deeper. My waist moved closer to hers, my hand holding her in place. She wiggled against me as if she was unsure what she was doing. I was painfully hard now. Touching her and tasting her was not going to be enough. If I didn’t stop right fucking now, I would take her. I would take her hard, fast, and dirty, and make sure she never forgot my name.

She would never belong to another.

I tore my lips from hers and walked out of the room without looking back.

How the fuck was I supposed to give her up?

I shook my head. I would find a fucking way. That was how. I would get my damn money—a fucking king’s ransom—and then I’d get her the hell out of there. Take her someplace safe. Where, I was not yet sure, but I would find her some haven far from me.

Chapter 10

Eden

I touched my lips.

I had never been kissed like that. Earlier, the kiss was something completely different. I felt my face flame. That was crude passion. This was something so different.

I had my share of kisses; I had lost my virginity when I turned nineteen, and it was an awkward, horrible experience. I hated recalling it because in the end I knew it wasn’t with someone I really loved. I thought I did. But he was just using me. I was too stupid to believe that he wasn’t. Until one night I found him with another girl. After that, I sort of swore off men. I didn’t want to be used for my father’s position, and my father was very strict as well. It was just a horrible experience all around. My father had approved of Brady for a while. He was from a good, respectable family of grizzlies. I was infatuated. He had paid me a lot of attention, told me that he loved me, wanted me.

In all the time we dated, he never kissed me like that.

I’ve never felt such passion, or such demand in a kiss before. Dominic had owned my very body in a single kiss. I wanted to laugh, but laughter seemed an insufficient gesture for what I felt. That wasn’t just a kiss. It was like heaven on Earth. It was like sex in a kiss. Allowing him to do what he had done earlier was so unlike me. I flushed again to think how much I loved it.

It didn’t escape my attention that he seemed to be protecting me from the moment I met him. While he was crass, he also saved me and Bonnie from the gunmen at the club. He flew from the apartment, protecting me with his taut, strong wings. He even told me that he was going to protect me. I knew he could be trusted. I didn’t trust my instincts often, not after Brady, but things were different now. I had someone to rely on.

My dragon protector.

***

Almost an hour later he returned. This time he brought something with him. I backed away the moment I saw it, and while my body sort of fluttered in response, my mind was screaming no way. A silk black blindfold dangled from his hand. I was blushing fiercely. I might not be a virgin, but that was too extreme for me. I wasn’t ready for that sort of trust. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to sleep with him.

Oh, who was I kidding? Of course I did.

Dominic raised an eyebrow as he watched me back away with my hands out and low.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked.

“I am not letting you put that on me.”

Gods, was he serious? Yes we shared one seriously hot make-out session, but I was not ready for that.

“Of course I have to blindfold you if I’m going to make the trade. Get over here.” His eyes darkened when he realized what I thought he was trying to do. My face was completely red now. I was certain that I looked like a tomato. Embarrassed that the thought had even entered my mind, I averted my gaze. I was even more embarrassed about the heat in his eyes. Did he want me as badly as I desired him?

After taking tentative steps forward, I stood in front of him. When I looked up at him, I knew it was a mistake. I was staring at his lips. I wondered if I stared long enough and willed him, if by my desire alone he would react. I didn’t want to completely admit it, but I was trying to use the force on him. But it wasn’t working, so I turned my back to him instead.

Dominic’s arms moved to the sides of my head, and I watched the black material descend and press against my nose. It covered my eyes, but I had already shut them in fear. His fingertips brushed lightly against my forehead and cheeks. I shivered against the fiery trails they left behind. The fabric knotted, and I felt weak in my knees.

Dominic moved around so I was certain I was facing him. Bringing my hands up, I pressed them against his chest. I felt his heart race under my palm. I wondered if I affected him as much as he did me.

“Come on, we don’t have a lot of time.” He pulled me closer and lifted me up. I’d never felt so weightless as I did then. He cradled me close. I had to trust in him.

The night air wrapped around me as he moved with me in his arms. Feeling his muscles shift and flex under my body, I tried to control the urge to move closer. To feel him everywhere.

“Don’t be scared,” he whispered against my ear. I didn’t know what he meant, but his grip tightened and I felt the air rush past us. I yelped and held him tighter. It was a scary experience, flying while blind. I was completely at his mercy. I only had him.

I was scared.

But his heat seeped into my skin. His chest expanded and contracted in deep, even breaths. For reasons unknown I trusted him. He would take care of me. I found myself trusting in that.

***

When we hit ground, his knees bent, and he held me a little closer. I swallowed hard as he let my legs slip through his grasp and touch down gently. I held onto his arm, still unable to see. I wanted him to take off the blindfold. I wasn’t even sure why we needed it as we flew. I wouldn’t have been able to make anything out. Unfortunately, even though we were safely back on land, I wasn’t really ready to run from him. Something about him called out to me, begged me to explore a little more.

“Hand the girl over, and we will give you the money.”

The voice was more robotic than human. Flinching, I moved a little closer to Dominic. I knew logically he was going to give me up—I wasn’t his to keep—but the devil I knew was safer than the devil I didn’t. I would stick with Dominic as long as I had the choice.

“The money first, or you’ll never see her again. I’ve never backed out of a deal, you know that. But I don’t know you at all.”

Dominic’s voice was loud, demanding, and so unafraid. Fear iced my veins, from my head to my bare feet—which was better than the heels that I was wearing the night before. It still didn’t make it easier to run.

I wanted to pull the blindfold away to get a look at the people who were paying him to kidnap me. Before I could put my hands up to pull down the blindfold, there was a loud bang. Shuddering, I moved into what I thought was Dominic.

I brought my hands up and removed the blindfold.

I blinked a couple of times before the scene came into focus. There were three men across from us—one held a briefcase and the other two stood on either side of him. I wanted to laugh a little at the briefcase. I didn’t think that was a real thing. But there’s a first time for everything when it’s amateur hour.

We stood in a forested area; the crickets had gone silent, and the trees barely shook even with a cold breeze cutting through me. The moonlight was the only thing that offered me a semblance of what was happening. Even with the absurdity of the briefcase, my fear rose higher like a room filling with water. It was babbling under my chin, threatening to drown in seconds.

In unison, the three men across from us turned their heads to the right. Moments later I heard the creaking and breaking of branches. What fresh heck is this? Worried, I scooted a little closer to Dominic. Five new bodies stepped out into the clearing. They were built huge, I could see the outlines of big guns strapped across their chest. The two flanking the man in front held hand guns between their hands. All this for me? My head swam as I tried to think of something, anything to get out of here.

Peering up at Dominic, I saw that his eyes were blazing red. I swallowed when he glanced down at me. He was showing his teeth, his canines had grown, and I saw the anger in his eyes.

I noticed his arm braced on his other bicep. It was red with blood. My eyes flew up to his again. I was about to ask if he was okay when the leader of the group of five spoke up.

“Give us the girl.” His gun was pointed at Dominic’s head.

I swallowed. I wasn’t going to let them kill him for me. A surge of protectiveness washed over me, and I gathered my courage. I had to do this to protect Dominic. I took a step forward toward the new group, while still keeping an eye on the first group. I didn’t make it far before Dominic reached out and grabbed my arm with his bloodied hand. Sickness swamped my tummy. My poor Dom, he was bleeding because of me. No, not mine. I just felt protective because he was nice. He was the only one I was pretty certain wouldn’t hurt me. Physically at least.

“Fuck you,” he growled, showing his teeth again.

The group cocked their guns, pointing them at me, but in an instant I was shielded by Dominic. I could barely peek around him to see what was happening when the man across the way fired his gun. I screamed and jumped behind him all the way.

I wouldn’t let him die for me. Slipping around him before he could grab me, I held my hands up.

“Move and I shoot her,” the leader of the group of five stated. He kept the barrel of the gun trained at my head. Dominic’s roar echoed around us, sending quiet trends of fear even through me. I twisted to face him and walked backwards, already pleading with him not to come after me … not to do anything dumb. The man behind me grabbed my arm and yanked me back.

Dominic’s gaze narrowed to where the man held my arm a little too tightly. His eyes flashed to that dangerous shade of red. He seemed to grow bigger as he stood there, his nostrils flaring. His fist tightened until he released them, showing off shiny black talons that were growing. Bones cracked and snapped as they reformed. His face morphed, elongating. Scales emerged. The shift was long, but quick at the same time. His wings sprouted from his back growing bigger in size than they had when I first saw them. He was doing a full body transition.

Bursting from his skin, a giant blue-black scaled beast, with wicked looking spikes along his back and down his tail emerged. His larger than life wings unfolding stirred up the wind, until he tucked them close to his body.

Holy … wow.

The men around me tensed up, and the front man who had a hold of my arm pulled me backwards into the circle of them. Bodies rippled as they all started to sprout fur and shift around me. My heart slammed in my chest. While they were distracted, I slipped around them. Unfortunately the opening led me close to the first group of men who had arrived. I edged away from them, hoping they were too distracted by Dominic to see me scurry past them.

The men finished their shifts, and now stood five huge Kodiak bears that I knew from anywhere. They had been masked before, but I knew their bears almost as well as I knew their human faces. My stomach dropped to my feet. These were my father’s most trusted guards. Men I had considered family. What they hell were they doing here? Had the man who hired Dominic tried to double cross him? I was confused, brokenhearted, and desperate to get away from these men.

Had they double crossed my father?

The only person … shifter out here that I trusted was the big, hulking dragon whose attention was on the group of Kodiaks growling loudly. My heart hammered in my chest as I kept my eyes on him. I needed to get to him. My leg muscles bunched as I readied to launch myself in his direction. Before I could run toward him, I was swung around by a hand clasping my shoulder, twirling me around.

It was the leader from the third group. I twisted my lips as I struggled under his hold. Distracted by the dragon, and perhaps not expecting me to fight back, I managed to put enough space between us. In a move that was all too familiar to me, I bent my knee and brought it upwards in an alarming speed. The man let out a quiet squeak as he fell to the ground cupping what was left of his balls. A dangerous swell of pride snuggled in my chest.

Unable to help myself, I reached down to unmask the man who’d hired Dominic to kidnap me. My hair fell forward as I tugged back the mask. A familiar scrunched up face writhed on the ground, whining in pain.

“Brady?”

What in the hell is going on?

I took off before one of his friends decided to make a grab for me. Dominic watched my progression and slammed his tail down between me and the Kodiaks. They all looked as murderous as the dragon did. I didn’t know whose side they were on, but I wasn’t willing to take any chances. The only person I trusted was Dom, and he didn’t seem like he was going to let the others get to me either.

I rushed to his side, unsure of what I should do. He was a hired gun. Would he be willing for me to pay him to get me the hell out of here? The dragon kept his eye on me as the Kodiak bears growled and roared the protest.

Breathless, I stood before the giant dragon.

“Dominic, I will pay you whatever you want if you will help me escape.”

Leaning his head down, smoke billowed from his nostrils. His wings unfolded and he flapped them heavily against the wind, his knees bent as he lifted off.

“Dom! Pl—”

My plea was cut off when he grabbed me gently between his front claws, cradling me, but also holding me tight. I wrapped my arms around his claws as he started to fly off into the night sky. Suddenly, I was wishing for that stupid blindfold. The height we were at made my stomach drop, but more than that I felt the deep sorrow at the events of the night. Brady and my father’s closest guards and friends, did they betray my father? Or had he betrayed me?

Chapter 11

Dominic

I didn’t want her damn money.

The moment someone honestly threatened my mate, I knew I was never going to let her go. Openly defying me, she slipped from my grip and went to the fools wielding guns. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I did know my mate was in trouble. I was getting her out of there as soon as possible. I flew faster than I had in centuries, and when I set her down in front of my cabin, I shifted even quicker. I wouldn’t wait another moment.

As soon as I regained my human form I was on her. Pulling her close, I kissed her hard. I wasn’t letting her go without letting her know she was mine. Her knees went weak with the weight of my kiss and I scooped her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist and my arms were under her ass. I moved us into the house without breaking the kiss, walking through the main area without pulling away from her. I knew exactly where I was headed and how to get there.

I rushed forward into her open, wanting mouth, over and over again. At first I was fast, and then I slowed. She whimpered as I teased her, my rock hard dick twitching.

She likes it fast and hard. Good to know.

As I rocked my hips into her core, she screamed into my mouth. She wasn’t quite there yet, but she was turned on, that much I could tell. She whimpered when I pulled away, and I knew that she wanted this. Wanted me.

Fuck. I need her.

I sat her on the bed and ripped the offending dress down the middle, pushing it off her skin. She was panting, her breasts heaving. Cupping one, I pinched the nipple. She let out the gasp I was looking for. My dick throbbed as her eyes rolled backwards.

Mouthing her free breast, I took the nipple between my teeth and rolled it. I flicked it with my tongue and her moans urged me on. My free hand slipped into her spandex shorts and cupped her mound. She gyrated against my hand and I felt her sleek, wet heat.

Primed and ready.

I kept my mouth on her while my hands tore off her spandex shorts and panties. Her delicate little hands brushed over my biceps and chest. Her head was thrown back in pleasure, her hips mine to take. And fuck I would take them.

The little vixen moved her hand down my chest, trailing right to my hard cock. I let go of her breast and pushed two fingers inside of her. She gripped me and pulled upwards as I moved inside of her. She was screaming those little ohs and I smiled. I worked fast, pumping her harder, faster. I felt her muscles tense and knew she was close, so I pulled out.

She whimpered and I moved up her body. I let my tongue trail against her stomach and I felt her tremble. Knocking her frantic hands away from my dick, I forced them over her head. I kept her small wrists in my one hand as I explored her body.

Eden breathed heavily while I took my time licking and biting. I nipped at her hips and she rotated them, desperate to get me closer to her mound. I smiled at the thought. Soon, but not yet. I moved to the underside of her breast and let my tongue outline them. Her hips jerked against me. She needed me.

Moving fast, I put her legs over my shoulders. I plunged my tongue deep inside of her and she cried out. I licked, lapped, and teased. She came quickly and screamed my name. It was like a fucking drug. I needed to be inside of her, but I also wanted to taste as deeply from her sweetness as I could.

I flipped her, her sexy ass in prime view.

“On your fucking knees,” I hissed as I leaned over her. She cooed and did as she was told. My blood was like lava in my dick. She would do this for me. She would please me as I had her. I would make this so fucking right for her.

I barely had any control. Then she turned her head so she was peering through her feathered blonde bangs at me.

“I want your cock,” she whispered, and a sweet little blush stole across her cheeks. I guessed she wasn’t used to dirty talk, but fuck did it turn me on. She seeped with juices as she readied for me.

“Tell me where you want it,” I said, gripping her hips.

“Inside of me,” she said. I let my tongue glide against her spine. She shuddered.

“That’s not what you want. Tell me exactly where you want me.”

“I want your cock.”

“That’s what you want, little chickadee, but how do you want it?”

“Hard!” She was panting now. Right where I wanted her. “Oh gods, I want you! I need you buried deep inside of my pussy. Fuck. Take me!” Her hips wiggled between my hands.

I held her tight and plunged deep inside of her. Her muscles gripped me and held me close. It didn’t take long before the beast inside of me took over and I was rocking into her fast and hard. She didn’t complain; instead, she moved in time. Her little ass pressed into me as she rocked backwards.

My hands held her hips as I controlled her movements. Reaching around her, I pinched her pendulous breasts in my hands. She arched her back farther, taking my cock deeper. I held in a roar of pleasure. My free hand roamed down her supple, sweet body as I touched her most sensitive nub. She cried out when I pinched it hard and shoved deep inside of her. Her noises were music to my ears.

“What do you want, baby?” I growled leaning over her.

“You,” she panted. I pinched again. She would learn. “Your cock. Gods, fuck me hard with your cock.” She screamed with abandon. I felt the fire set across my skin. My balls drew tight and I knew I was coming close to finishing. But not before her, never before her.

She came right before me, and I let out a roar as I came deep inside of her.

We breathed heavily as I rolled us. She lay on top of me.

“Wow …” She started to drift after that.

Tomorrow I would figure everything out. Tonight was about being with my mate. I kissed her forehead as she fell asleep on my chest.

***

“Dad, how could you?”

I groaned at hearing her distress. I was still half asleep, but forced myself up on my elbows. Eden was pacing the room with my disposal phone next to her ear. She was biting her nail as she spoke, but the gleam in her eyes told me she wasn’t nervous.

She was pissed.

“Well, your plan failed. I don’t know what the hell you thought this would accomplish, but—” A loud male voice cut her off. I could hear some of the words he spoke, but not all them. “I don’t know what I’ll do, but maybe I will just disappear.”

She jutted out her chin as if he could see her. I wanted to growl at the thought of her disappearing. Instead, I rolled off the bed and plucked the phone from her hand.

“She will remain with her mate.” I looked her in the eye when I said this. And then I crushed the phone.

“Mate?” she squeaked.

I nodded once. I have her, and I won’t ever let her go.

Fuck the rest of the world, this little human was mine.

Chapter 12

Eden

I woke up in the most pleasant way—my head was cushioned on Dominic’s chest. I thought of the night before. The many times we had been together. I flushed remembering our first time. I had never tried dirty talk before, but with him I felt completely free; all rational thoughts abandoned me. I was exactly what he wanted me to be; I was exactly what I secretly dreamt of being. Even with my limited experience, I knew that with Dominic it was the best I would ever have. He was attentive, but demanding.

I pressed my smile into his naked chest and gave him a small kiss. I hoped that the feelings now unfurling in my gut would stop soon. I couldn’t stop my mind from racing, though. Last night was insane. My father’s security team had been there. Brady had been there. I didn’t understand what was happening, and I needed to know. Slipping away from Dominic, I searched for a phone. When I saw one next to him on the night stand, I snatched it. I couldn’t bring myself to leave the room. He gave me courage.

Last night he protected me. He got shot, and yet he continued to stand in front of me. When I had asked him and … well, bribed him to save me, he did. I shouldn’t trust him as much as I did, but I couldn’t help it. Somehow I figured if he were in the same room as me, I would be safe.

I dialed one of the few numbers I knew by heart and waited.

“You failed,” a robotic voice answered.

“Dad?” I whispered, my stomach dropping down to my toes. I felt lightheaded as I got over my shock. I tried to wrap my head around it. My dad knew this number. He spoke with a voice modifier.

“Eden?” His voice immediately filled my ears. I could hear concern, but I was getting over my shock. Red hot anger took its place. I started to pace.

“Dad, how could you?” I hissed. I was trying to be quiet for Dominic’s sake. I mean, I wasn’t even sure what was happening between us. I hope that he didn’t think when I said I would pay him that I was offering my body. I mean, I did … ugh! I shook my head. I couldn’t even begin to process that thought. I started to pace as I waited for his answer. I bit my nail, an old habit I thought I had broken myself of.

“This wasn’t the plan. I was worried sick about you, Eden. You have to realize that you are a target. My plan was just to scare you back home. That man I hired would never have hurt you. He is only in it for the money.”

My father’s voice took on a new tone. I didn’t like how he sneered and spoke with disgust. A protective instinct rose within me making me want to lash out. One night with a guy … well, one really amazing night with a guy shouldn’t make me feel so protective. Yet I was. I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of girl anyway. I liked attachments. I liked waking up in the same arms every morning.

“Well, your plan failed. I don’t know what the hell you thought this would accomplish, but—”

I wasn’t going to go running back to him. That is exactly what he wanted, and it was the complete opposite of what I would actually do. I was pissed, and I was only getting more upset when he cut me off.

“You know what I want, baby girl. Next time, it will be someone who doesn’t give two cares about your welfare. They will hurt you to hurt me. Can’t you see I’m trying to protect you? What are you going to do?” I could hear that annoying hmm-tone in his voice, like he wanted to goad me into answering him so he could prove me wrong.

“I don’t know what I’ll do, but maybe I will just disappear.”

I didn’t notice that Dominic was awake until I saw him roll out of bed. My mind went blank as I watched his very naked form come at me. His dick was already awake and seemed to have a mind of its own. It bobbed, as if waving hello. I squealed and looked into his murderous gaze. He plucked the phone from my hands. I thought he was pissed at me. I backed away, nervous of what he would do.

“She will remain with her mate,” he growled, looking right at me.

What? What did he just call me? My heart stopped, then started beating furiously. My breathing was ragged as he crushed the phone between his fingers. Deliciously, devilish fingers I remembered from last night. When he looked at me with his eyes dark with desire, it was like I could feel the ghost of his touches all over again.

“Mate?” I squeaked. I was breathing hard.

He nodded once.

He directed his gaze down at the shirt I had stolen from him. When I glanced down, my face flamed as I realized how heavy my breasts had grown and that my nipples were poking through the thin material. His hungry eyes devoured them as he moved forward. He got on his knees, putting him a little lower than eye level to my aching tips. I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to move. My legs were trembling under me, my sex clenched with desire. I felt hollow without him inside of me.

His large, callused hands ran up my legs, and they threatened to give out. My mouth went dry when his fingers toyed with the edge of the shirt I wore. It stopped only inches below my sex. I was going hazy with need.

“I am going to make you come first, then I’m going to take you as a mate should be taken.”

He whispered this as he peered up at me. I felt his devotion in his words and the sexual promise stretched all the way down to my toes. His hands disappeared under the shirt as they continued their torturous movement upwards. I breathed heavily.

His skin felt hot against mine, the palm of his hands pressing a little more as he continued upwards. His hands brushed my breasts and I arched my back, craving more. His hot mouth took a nipple through the shirt and sucked, hard. I cried out as the feeling bolted through my whole body. My sex ached at its emptiness.

Dominic started to scoot forward, forcing me backward until my knees hit the bed. I sat down, but he never broke his attention. His hand replaced his mouth as my own hands went to his head. My fingers slipped through his startlingly silky hair. He made his way back to my needy sex. His hot breath ghosted over it, and I shuddered. I couldn’t think.

My head thrashed. I waited for more.

“Tell me what you want,” he whispered, his lips brushing me.

How was I supposed to speak?

“Tell me, Eden.”

“I want you to …” Oh gods, he was right there. His fingers were still toying with my nipples, sending jolts of electric fire down to my clit. His movements slowed as he waited for me to finish. Oh, I didn’t want him to stop, he couldn’t.

“I want you to fuck me with your mouth!” I screamed, frustrated that he wasn’t moving. My hips wiggled in invitation.

The scruff on his jaw scraped my thigh as he laughed. His tongue plunged deep and I screamed out. He licked me top to bottom and rotated. Gods. Oh, my gods.

“I’m not your god, and there is only one name you should be calling.”

He pulled one hand away from kneading my breast. I hadn’t even realized I was moaning that out loud. Before I could blush, he pushed two large digits in and I screamed his name this time.

He rewarded me by sucking my clitoris. I came undone right then. I was breathing hard when I felt Dominic climb up next to me.

“So, you’re dragon.”

I didn’t know what else to say at that moment.

“So, you’re human.”

We were silent, our ragged breaths the only thing filling their air.

“Does that bother you?” I didn’t want to look at him. I couldn’t handle seeing disgust or revulsion in his eyes.

“Never.”

He tilted my head in his direction and I smiled. He gazed at me with love and kindness. My heart thickened with joy. When he pressed a sweet kiss to my lips, I knew that I had lucked out. I had a mate … a powerful, sexy, dragon mate. One who had pleasured me more times than I could count in the short time I’d known him. It was my turn to return the favor. His member was still hard and wanting. It jolted once again when my eyes roamed over it.

I couldn’t wait.

Chapter 13

Dominic

Fuck it all to hell. She was staring at my cock again.

The girl had hunger written all over her face the first time she saw it, same as now. She realized she was mine and I was hers. Something changed in that glance, and I wasn’t going to stop her. I didn’t have the strength to. My dick shuddered as her eyes roamed over its uncut length. When she rolled over and assumed a position similar to what I had just been in almost twenty minutes ago, my dragon roared with delight. I was right fucking there with it.

She seemed so innocent as she struggled with it at first. But I was going to push her to her limits. She was a big fucking girl. She would figure it out. I wasn’t here to coddle her, and she knew that. Her hands tentatively wrapped around my base. Fuck, it was like being held by silk. She stroked gently at first. She was too soft. She had to know that I liked it hard by now. When her eyes peeked up at me, I saw a glint of mischief in them.

Fuck. She was going to be my goddamn undoing. If she didn’t start soon, I would finish her off before she had a chance to work me over.

But then that fucking pink little tongue of hers slipped out and wet those lips. She looked like she was near drooling and my dick responded. My balls drew tight, pre-come dribbling out. Her eyes took it all in.

I watched as that sinful tongue flattened over the head of my dick. My eyes rolled back when she wrapped her tight mouth around me. She was adventurous. She tried to take me as deep as she could, first try. I felt my dick touch the back of her throat and she pulled back. Her tongue moved in a seductive dance.

Then she did the fucking unbelievable.

She fucking moaned.

And took me down as far as she could go again.

And fucking again.

I was resisting bucking into her. I knew she was trying to take in as much as she could. When she started to pull off, I wrapped my hand in her hair and kept her close to my groin. She placed small, delicate kisses on the bulging vein underneath and all the way down, and back up again.

I was so close to coming. She kept her movements sensual. I didn’t want to come there, though. I needed to be inside of her, I had to make sure my scent coated her from the inside out. Yanking her up, I positioned her wet pussy over my throbbing cock. I pushed her down and watched as her eyes roll backwards and her head tossed back.

I slammed forward into her. Crying out, her nails dug into my skin. It was like fucking heaven. I moved again and she was moving right in time with me. Together we pushed each other to the edge only to pull ourselves back, again and again. Finally I couldn’t stand it, and I think she was at her limit. I reached between us and flicked her little nub and thrust forward. I released within her as she milked me for all I was worth. I had never felt so satisfied in my life.

She leaned down. My member, though soft, didn’t slip from her. I couldn’t bear to take it out. I needed to be close to her. And this had been more than simple fucking—this was making sure she knew who she belonged to now. To let her know that because I found her, I wasn’t ever fucking letting her go.

Her brown eyes slipped behind heavy eyelids, and she slept soundly on my chest.

This was the most content I had ever been in all my long, long years.

I finally had my mate and nothing was going to take her from me.

Epilogue

Dominic

My lip curled over my teeth in a satisfied smile, glad I exhausted Eden to the point she didn’t even want to come with me anymore. My little human mate had overtaken me.

Quentin, a business partner of mine, had been calling. Lucas had been emailing all to get my attention. Moss had people asking for me. And my clientele weren’t the patient kind.

But fuck them. I had my mate and I wasn’t going to willingly leave her side for anything. Well this, only to get the fuckers off my back. I asked both of them to show up at Leviathan so I could have them take over any contracts that were dropped off. Only if they were interested. Also I had to confer with Lucas to make sure my mate’s name was secure and off any bounty sites.

The creaking door to the Leviathan opened, with a hard push from me, revealing the dark lit bar. Moss immediately glared at me, his anger evident in the way his rubbed the cup in his hand. The glass creaked under the weight of his hold.

“Well, well, well. Don’t you look satisfied.” Lucas called out, drawing the attention of the meager crowd. The body behind Lucas leaned back in his barstool. Quentin, the Grade-A asshole, and snob of our homey group.

“Finally found a fuck?” Quentin asked.

“More than that.”

“Oh yeah?” Lucas asked, a glittering gleam in his eye. I walked over to them. As I took my seat, the barstool groaning under my weight, I let them wait.

Moss stepped over with a tumbler in his hand, which he set upright in front of me. Carefully, he started to pour my whiskey.

“Found my mate.”

Moss met my gaze; a muscle ticked in his temple. For a spilt second I wondered if I saw fear in his eyes. But this was Moss, who might own a mercenary shifter bar. I doubted me having a mate would scare him.

“Well, shit,” Lucas hooted as he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me slightly.

“Now we are all fucked. You know what they say … it happens in threes,” Quentin mumbled.

The End

Coming Soon

Hired

A Mercenary Novella

Quentin and Winnie

All Winifred wants is a fresh start and a way to earn the money needed to pay off an old debt. But her new job at Lucky gives her more than she bargained for when she accidentally interrupts a fight. With the attention of a group of slave-trading shifters suddenly on her, she knowns she needs help. Yet, accepting help from a mercenary might be just as dangerous as the slave-traders.

Quentin gets paid for his services. Protection. Hitman. Whatever the buyer wants. But when he scents curvaceous Winifred, he knows he’s in trouble and any thought of a paid gig goes out the window. He’ll do anything it takes to keep her safe from the gang hunting her down…because no one messes with a tiger shifter’s mate.

Contracted

A Mercenary Novella

Lucas and Mazy

Mazy’s been paying off a loan shark for several years with no problems. However, an attempt to help a friend lands her in a heap more trouble that’s jeopardizing everything. If she doesn’t make her next payment on time, the gang of shifter slave-traders now after her will be the least of her worries. She needs help, but the last person she wants it from is the sexy Cajun shifter who’s been getting under her skin.

Lucas has watched Mazy for a long time. Having a chance to bring her home, even under the pretense of protection is just what the mercenary needs to win her over. Only, she wants nothing to do with him. First chance she gets, she runs, and as he tracks her, he realizes she’s in more trouble than he’d first thought. Nothing will stop him from protecting his mate. Not even her.

Authorized

A Mercenary Novella

Apollo and Mallory

After months of being in coma, Mallory is finally awake and in more danger than ever. The loan shark who had kept her alive doesn’t want payment. He wants her as his mate. Stolen only hours after awakening, her only hope for rescue lays in a stranger’s voice, she can barely remember.

Apollo only needs to watch over the girl in the hospital bed to repay a debt. However, there’s something about her that calls to his wolf. When the girl is taken, Apollo will do anything to get her back. Sweet Mallory is his, and he isn’t letting her go without a fight.

Stuff about the Author

Becca Vincenza lives in wonderful Michigan. She has an obsession with candy, her animals and of course books. When she's not wearing her author hat, she's working to pay off her student loans for her acquired English degree.