Sold mine long ago.

Blood. Screams. Death. Had the trade been worth it?

He lifted Sarah out of the tub, wrapped one of the threadbare towels around her, and carried her to the bed.

He put her down on the mattress and stepped back. She opened her arms, almost immediately, reaching for him.

Worth it?

He went to her and knew that nothing would keep him away from her. Not now. Not fucking ever.

He didn’t touch her with his hands. They could be too hard. The claws could break through flesh too easily. And the damn wolf always wanted her.

He used his mouth. Kissed her lips. Stroked her with his tongue. Then he licked his way down her throat. Her body arched against him, her hips and thighs shifting so that he felt the move right over his swollen cock.

The minute her clothes had hit the floor, he’d gotten hard for her. Blood, death . . . didn’t matter. He’d wanted her.

Would have killed to have her.

The thought didn’t give him any pause. After all, he’d known for a while now that he’d be killing for Sarah.

The towel had come loose and her nipples—tight, hard peaks that looked like perfect cherries—waited for him. He licked her nipple, the sound of her moans filling his ears.

Gentle.

His claws dug into the sheets.

He took her breast into his mouth. Sucked. Licked. The taste of her spilled onto his tongue. So fucking sweet. So . . . Sarah.

His breath blew over her nipple.

“Lucas . . .”

He turned his attention to the other breast.

The edge of his teeth scraped over her flesh.

She gasped, jerking.

Control.

His mouth left her flesh.

“No! No, Lucas, I liked—”

He kissed her stomach. Worked his way down her body, touching her with his mouth and tongue, caressing. Her legs parted for him and the scent of her arousal filled his nose and drove him wild.

Control.

“Open your legs wider.” His voice was a growl. Dammit.

But she opened her legs wider. She brought her hands between their bodies, and she used her fingertips to part her sex for him. “Kiss me, Lucas.”

Fuck, yes.

He did. His lips took her. He sucked her clitoris, used his tongue to taste and to take and her breath came faster, hitching, gasping as her lips lifted and she pressed closer to him.

He drove his tongue inside of her.

Her hands were in his hair now, urging him closer and she was saying . . .

“I want you, Lucas! Oh, yes, now, come on, I need you—”

He was starving for her. So he took more. More.

She came against his mouth. Her whole body tensed and a broken scream ripped from her throat. But he didn’t stop. Couldn’t. Because he had to have—

More.

His claws dug deeper into the mattress.

She trembled, whispering his name, and his mouth pressed against her. He’d take everything she’d give to him. Every damn thing.

So fucking sweet.

He waited until the shudders eased, until her nails pulled free from his flesh, then he rose up. Sweat slickened his back. His muscles were so tight and his cock felt like it was about to burst.

Take her.

The head of his cock lodged at her creamy core. He still had control—barely—he could do this right, he could—

“No.”

The word stopped him cold. Every muscle in his body locked and a distant roaring filled his ears. “Sarah?” She was turning him away? Now?

She pushed against his chest. “You’re not doing this to me.”

He’d tried to be gentle. Tried to show her that he was more than an animal. Couldn’t she see that?

“You’re not the only one who’s giving this time, Lucas.” Her eyes sparkled at him. A red flush stained her cheeks and her plump lips firmed. “This time, I’ll give to you.”

Her hands circled his wrists. His claws were still lodged in the mattress. Right then, he didn’t want her to see . . . him.

“It’s okay,” she whispered and pulled his wrists. She didn’t look at his claws.

Sarah pushed him onto the mattress. She rose above him. Her scent surrounded him, and he just wanted to take and take.

But he was more than an animal.

Her hands trailed down his chest and his cock jerked.

More than an animal—right?

Her lips feathered over his jaw. “I want to know everything about you, Lucas. I want to touch everything.” She nipped his chin. “I can handle you. I might not be a shifter, but I can handle you.”

No, she couldn’t. If his control shattered, if the wolf ever took over and he became psychotic, there was no way she’d be able handle him. No one could. Wolves that pushed past that boundary were put down. Pack law. The law he’d directed because he’d seen what happened when madness ruled.

“I know so much about you,” she told him, her voice like sin in the dark. “More than you realize.”

She’d been FBI. Was there anything she didn’t know? Her breasts pressed against his chest, the nipples still tight and hard, and he growled.

She licked the skin just under his jaw. “All your life, you had to be the strong one.” Her lips kissed a path up his jaw. She licked his right earlobe.

Lucas tensed. “Sarah, don’t.” Because she didn’t—

Her mouth whispered over the torn remains of his ear, kissing lightly. Such soft, tender kisses.

“You were too young for so much pain.”

No. He wouldn’t remember. He grabbed her hips and yanked her close.

But she kissed his ear again. “Everything you’ve done,” she told him, the words a breath in his ear. “Just made you stronger.”

There was no revulsion from her. Her mouth pressed against the torn edges of flesh. “So strong.”

Sarah. “I want you, now.” The wolf was fighting free. The man didn’t want to hold him back. The hot clasp of her sex was too close, pleasure waiting—within his reach. Release. Hunger. Her.

She pulled back and stared into his eyes. “They whisper about you. In the other packs, they talk about the alpha who should have died years ago. The boy who proved to be stronger than the wolves after him.”

He hadn’t been strong. He’d been desperate. He’d had to go back and protect his friend. Dane—they’d tortured Dane, sliced him to pieces because he wouldn’t betray—

“I don’t want you going back to that place right now.” Sarah’s voice had his eyes rising up to meet hers. She licked her lips. “No pain now, okay? Only pleasure.”

Then she eased down his body, her hair sliding over his skin. Just like silk. Soft and sensual and so cool, while her mouth—

Fuck.

Her mouth closed around the tip of his cock. Hot and wet and she took him inside, sucking and licking.

“Sarah!” A roar.

She didn’t stop. Her mouth widened and she took him in deeper. Her lips closed around him and her palm curved around the base of his cock. Her hand squeezed him, pumped and her mouth tasted and tasted—

His hips arched up, and his cock drove into her mouth. So damn good. She was taking him in, pulling at his flesh and the pleasure had his spine tightening and his chest burning. He was going to come in her mouth. Fuck.

Her tongue swirled over the head of his cock and she swallowed.

He caught her arms—too rough, slow down, ease up—and pushed her back. His hands were shaking with a need too strong to ignore. “In you . . . got to be buried in you . . .” He could hardly get the words out. His voice was far more wolf-growl than anything else.

But Sarah understood. She always understood. She smiled at him and she climbed up his body, straddling his hips. Her creamy flesh teased his cock.

Take it easy, go slow, not too deep—

“Hard, Lucas. Hard and wild and deep.”

His control shattered and he surged into her as deeply as he could. His fingers bit into her hips. He lifted her up and down, forcing her to match the speed of his thrusts.

But she was laughing and driving down with her body and meeting him thrust for thrust. Her sex closed around him, so tight, so hot, and she squeezed his cock.

He lowered her onto the bed and caught her hands, pinning them to the bed. Her gaze met his. No fear. Just need. Animal need.

Lust.

But...

More. Desire. Hunger. Passion.

Trust?

“More, Lucas.” She arched her neck. Her heels dug into his ass. “More!”

He gave her more. The bed squeaked and slammed into the wall. His heart thundered in his chest. He drove into her, again and again, deeper, so deep, and the feel of her sex squeezing him was fucking fantastic. His mouth pressed against her throat. Pressed over the pulse that raced so fast.

He could taste her lust.

He licked her. Let her feel the edge of his teeth.

She shuddered against him, but didn’t tell him to stop. Didn’t fight—no, she pushed her throat to his mouth. She wanted him.

Everything.

He found her sweet spot, the soft curve where neck and shoulder met. Lucas bit.

She came beneath him, a hard ripple of her sex that stroked every inch of his cock.

She came and he bit her again, and the need broke free. He surged into her, drove deep, and let the pleasure rip through him.

When he climaxed, when his body shook and he pumped into her core, he finally realized the truth.

He wouldn’t just kill for Sarah King.

Very slowly, Lucas lifted his head and he stared at the mark he’d made on her flesh. A claiming mark. The way of the wolf. His gaze met hers. Sated green. Wide open, seeing all of him, accepting all.

No, he wouldn’t just kill for her.

If he had to, he’d fucking die for her.

After all, it wasn’t every day that a wolf found his mate. And when he found her, he knew to hold on tight.

Because if he lost her, only madness would be left.

The scent of blood was like a punch in the face. Dane narrowed his eyes as he studied the bodies still lying on the twisting road. No big surprise that the dead shifters hadn’t been found by someone else. Most folks stayed the hell off this road.

It was known to be a hunting ground. Humans who got lost on this trek didn’t always make it back out. And the Other, they either came there to hunt or to die.

The coyotes had been there to hunt, but the dumb sonsofbitches had wound up prey.

“A silver bullet right between the eyes,” Jordan said, staring down at the body. “Yeah, that’ll take you out, no matter if you’re coyote or wolf.” He glanced up at Dane. “Sarah’s a good shot.”

“And Lucas is a fucking brutal killer.” He turned away from the younger shifter and stared at the remains of the other coyote. Rage had been riding Lucas hard when he’d made this kill. Because the assholes had threatened Sarah?

Did the guy even realize how important she’d become to him? Maybe, if he was smart, he did.

“I guess that’s from Marley’s fire.”

Dane’s gaze tracked to the right. The demon had sure been burning wild. Those scorchmarks were all over the place. The scent of ash lingered in the air, tangling with the blood. He inhaled, drawing the scents in deeper. He’d have to get past the blood and fire first, then he’d find Marley. He’d get a lock on her and run the demon down.

His eyes closed and he inhaled.

“Fuck!” Dane’s eyes flew open. His heart had kicked hard in his chest and his claws burst out.

“Dane? What is it? What’s—”

He grabbed the silver knife that had been tossed onto the side of the road. He barely felt the burn on his hand.

“Drop that, Dane!” Jordan shoved at his hand. “Are you crazy? That’s silver!”

“Blood.”

“Yeah, there’s blood all over the place out here. Now let’s get the bodies moved and find that demon.”

Dane shook his head. “Her blood.”

Jordan’s eyes widened. “Marley? You’ve already got a lock on her?”

It wasn’t Marley’s blood. “Lucas didn’t tell me she was here.”

Jordan tensed.

“He didn’t tell me.”

“Dude, he told us to come and get Marley, what the hell are you—”

“Karen!” Not Marley. He didn’t give a shit about her.

“Her blood—it’s everywhere.” Too much blood. Human blood. He’d never forget her scent.

“Karen?” Jordan grabbed Dane’s fist and ripped the knife away. He hissed out a breath at the scorch of the silver and tossed the weapon into the woods. “That woman you found with the coyotes?”

The thunder of his heartbeat filled Dane’s ears. “Sarah’s knife was used on her.”

“On Marley?” Jordan shook his head. “You’re losing me here.”

Dane’s teeth snapped together. “On Karen.” She’d been attacked but she was gone now. No body. Just blood. Was she alive? What the hell had happened out there?

Trap.

Karen had worked with the coyotes before. Had she been in on the attack? Had Sarah fought back and stabbed her? Was she dead?

“Dammit, I don’t know!” Jordan yelled, grabbing his shoulders and Dane realized he’d been snarling his questions. “We’re not here to find her.” Jordan shook him. “We’re here to find Marley. Dammit, Mar-ley. The demon bitch that is after my brother, our pack. Karen . . .” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know her. She doesn’t matter.”

She does to me. “Only two people really matter to you.” The words flew out. “Lucas and Cammie.” Oh, he knew all about Jordan. The wolf who’d left them a boy and come back a broken man.