haven:

Her Wild Magic

By

Karen Benjamin

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Her Wild Magic

Copyright© 2011 Karen Benjamin

ISBN:   978-1-60088-655-3

Cover Artist:  Sable Grey

Editor:  Leanne Salter

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

Cobblestone Press, LLC

www.cobblestone-press.com

Dedication

To my husband, Justus, for always believing in me.

This one’s for you, Babe.

Chapter One

Speed trap.

Max glanced in her rearview mirror and grimaced at the flashing lights of the black and white SUV pulling up behind her. No way had she done anything wrong.

Okay, maybe she’d been going slightly over the speed limit, but she had less than twenty-four hours to make it to Salinas, California for her first teaching assignment. If she missed the first day of orientation, she could lose her position. And in this economy, that meant another six months of waiting tables and living off her ever-dwindling savings.

Mumbling under her breath about corrupt small town sheriffs, Max pulled to the side of the road and dug through her purse, searching for her wallet. She found it, pulled out her license, and then checked its meager contents. She was nearly broke, and if she had to pay a speeding ticket, she wouldn’t have enough money to buy gas. Could the day get any worse?

“License and registration, ma’am.”

At the sound of the deep voice, Max looked up into a pair of eyes the color of aged honey, and like a deer caught in a car’s headlights, she froze. His face was burnished, his jaw squared, and he had a five o’clock shadow that looked permanent. He wore a wide-brimmed Stetson, had wide shoulders and a broad chest narrowing down to gunslinger hips.

Masculinity personified, with latent aggression in every cell of his well-muscled body. And to top it off, he smelled like a man ought to smell—fresh and woodsy, with just enough spice to let a woman know he might be too hot to handle.

Max’s hormones did a little happy dance, and she almost groaned as a wave of lust rolled down her spine and settled in her pussy.

What the hell was that?

Nothing had ever happened to her like that before, and frankly, it scared her shitless. She didn’t have time for men, or the drama associated with dating.

“Ma’am, I asked for your license and registration. Is there a problem?” This time his voice had a distinct edge to it, as if something had disturbed him.

“No problem, Officer.” Max handed over her identification and did her best to keep her eyes off the sheriff as he examined her paperwork, but it was difficult. There was something about him that attracted and repelled her all at the same time. She finally gave up trying, and openly stared at him.

His nametag identified him as Sheriff Caleb McCain of Haven County, and he was undoubtedly one of the tallest and biggest men she’d ever seen. In general, Max wasn’t attracted to men who needed to buy their clothes at the big and tall shops. They usually made tactless jokes about her five-foot-one height and found it funny to prop their elbows on her head. But this guy had her shifting uncomfortably in her seat and, for the first time in her life, understanding what guys meant when they talked about needing a cold shower.

He certainly fit the description of eye candy for most women, but she’d seen plenty of good-looking men, and none of them had affected her this way. The sheriff was different. And Max knew first hand that different could mean a whole lot of things—most of them bad.

“Maxine Juneau of Houma, Louisiana,” he read from her driver’s license. “You’re a long way from home.” His gaze flicked back to her. “What brings you to California?”

Max wanted to tell him it was none of his business, but she held her tongue, hoping to avoid a ticket. “I have a teaching job in Salinas waiting for me, and frankly, Sheriff, I’m in a bit of a hurry. Do you mind telling me why you pulled me over?” She heard the challenge in her voice and wondered what had come over her. She wouldn’t avoid a ticket by pissing the man off.

He handed her license and registration back, then took a step away from the car. “Get out of the vehicle, Ms. Juneau. There’s something I’d like you to see.”

Max hesitated, more than a little afraid. Not because she thought of him as physically threatening. Quite the opposite. Despite his size and intimidating manner, she felt completely safe. What alarmed her was her body’s reaction to him.

From the moment he’d spoken, the thing buried deep within her had abruptly shifted. She’d not only experienced attraction, she now realized, she was deeply aroused. So much so her nipples had hardened, and she squeezed her thighs together to ease her discomfort.

Insanity.

Whatever the sheriff was, he was having one hell of an effect on her, and she didn’t like it one bit. She sensed he wasn’t completely human, but exactly what he was, she had no idea.

“Ms. Juneau, I asked you to get out of the car.” He almost growled the words, and for the first time, Max noted he kept his eyes lowered, as if he didn’t want her to see them. Yet, he watched her from beneath his lowered lids with the intensity of a born predator.

“What is it you want me to see, Sheriff?” Max opened the car door, pleased at how calm she sounded when every cell in her body was on high alert. Something about the sheriff had roused the interest of the thing deep inside her. It was fully awake for the first time in over five years, and each time the sheriff spoke, it trembled with pleasure. Max wanted to flee, to run and to never look back. But she got out of the car, not really understanding why, but knowing, like a moth drawn inexplicably to a flame, she had to.

His.

This tiny woman with her big, hazel eyes and rich, creamed-coffee skin, was his mate.

When Caleb experienced the pull deep inside him, calling, urging him in this direction, he hadn’t known what to expect. At best, he’d thought he’d find someone who needed his help. Instead, he’d found her, and she was perfect in every way.

She had shoulder-length, dark brown curls, thick spirals, wild and untamed, and her heart-shaped face and little bow mouth made him think of an angel. But when he took note of her pointed chin and the I don’t know what the hell you are, but you better keep your distance look in her eyes, he knew his little darling was more likely to jab him with a pitchfork than to unfurl a pair of angelic wings.

Damn, he was a lucky man! Mother Nature had chosen well for him, and he was going to enjoy every inch of his mate.

First, though, he needed to mark her before the mating heat took all reason from him. He wanted to woo her gently, to give her time to accept him, but circumstances dictated he make her his on the next full moon. He had no choice but to rush things, but she wouldn’t like it. Hell, if it wasn’t for the fact her arousal filled his nostrils like the sweetest of wines, he’d doubt she even liked him. Even now, she shot guarded glances at him while trying to cope with the intense sexual need his were pheromones ignited in her.

He smiled inwardly. His mate was going to deny his claim and force his hand at every turn. She might look sweet enough to melt in the hot California sun, but he saw grit in the flash of her eyes and steel in the stiffness of her spine. Claiming her would be a wild ride, but he was an alpha male in his prime, and her denial was like fuel on a flame. In the end, she’d give him what he wanted, and he’d see to it she never regretted it.

Biting the inside of his lip to keep from grinning at his good fortune, he walked around to the back of her car and waited for her. The hunt was finally over. Time to claim his mate.

Max joined the sheriff at the back of her car and did her best to keep her mind focused on what he was saying. He was commenting on her car, something about it not being safe to drive, but each time he leaned forward to point out an area of concern, her gaze shifted to his firm backside. As derrieres went, it was definitely worth a second look, but Max was genuinely shocked when she had to shove her hands into the pockets of her jeans to keep from giving it an approving little pat.

What the hell was the matter with her? This guy wasn’t her type. The few men she’d dated spent their days behind a desk, avoided red meat, and drank bottled water. This guy looked as though he lived for the outdoors, ate whatever the hell he wanted, and washed it down with a cold beer. So why was her body so flushed with sexual need she actually ached?

“Ms. Juneau, are you listening to me?”

Max forced her gaze back to his and nodded. But since she’d missed most of what he’d said, she didn’t want to give herself away by opening her mouth.

He straightened to his full height, towering above her, and she had to tilt her head back to see his face. Up close and personal, he was even more impressive, and certainly intimidating. But he felt safe, which made absolutely no sense, since the sheriff was the most dangerous-looking man she’d ever seen.

“You have no brake lights, and it looks like someone rear ended you. Any idea when that happened?”

Max knew exactly when it had happened, but she wasn’t about to admit to Sheriff Six Feet Plus of Male Perfection that she sucked at driving a stick shift. Over the last three days, she’d shifted improperly, rolling back and banging into any number of things. And she hadn’t bothered to check for damages because one more dent in a car that looked like a rent-a-wreck wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“No idea at all,” Max lied. “But I promise to stop and get the brake lights fixed in the next town, if you let me off with a warning.”

His head titled as if he sniffed the air, and Max saw his lips twitch in amusement. He knew she was lying about the damage, and that narrowed the possibilities of what he was. Only shifters or were-folk could smell a lie.

“I’m not going to give you a ticket, Ms. Juneau. It’s clear to me you didn’t realize the full extent of the damage to your car. I do, however, expect you to stop in the next town and get your brake lights fixed. Haven’s the next town you’ll come to, about thirty miles up the road. The lights can be replaced in less than an hour, but you won’t get to Salinas today. We had a pretty bad storm last night, and it washed out the highway north of Haven. Work crews won’t have the debris cleared for at least twenty-four hours. No need to worry, though. Haven has a good motel. They’ll be able to put you up for the night.”

Max shook her head. “I’m not spending the night in Haven. I’ll just use one of the back roads around the damage.”

“There are no usable back roads. Staying the night in Haven is your only option.”

His tone was matter of fact, but Max noted the slight flaring of his nostrils when she’d dismissed his recommendation. He wanted her to spend the night in Haven, which was exactly why she wasn’t going to.

“Thanks for the help, Sheriff.” Max turned and moved toward her door, telling herself to walk, not run. With each step, she expected a hand to clamp down on her shoulder, or a muscular arm to wrap around her waist, but he did nothing to stop her. He was letting her go.

So where was the happy feeling, and why had the ache between her legs intensified?

Letting her walk away was the hardest thing Caleb had ever done, but somehow he’d managed it. She was human, and his world was not hers. He was letting her go, but only as far as Haven, and only there because it was his town, inhabited by people like him. In Haven, he could keep her safe from his enemies while easing her into his world.

He inhaled deeply, taking her lingering scent deep within him. She smelled of fear, innocence, and desire. To a predator, nothing was more arousing. She shook his control to the roots of its very foundation, and she probably always would.

Even now, his wolf was raging, demanding he claim her willing or not. But he ruthlessly forced it back. He had no choice but to mate her on the next full moon. Mother Nature demanded it, or he would become more beast than man. But he would give her what time he had, and do whatever he could to prepare her for the mating, but in the end, she would be his. It was their destiny, and after meeting her, he had no complaints about the hand dealt him.

More secure behind the locked door of her car, Max gripped the steering wheel and fought to gain control of her trembling body. She needed to leave, but her hand shook so badly she couldn’t put the key in the ignition. Had she imagined that, for just for a second when she’d turned to leave him, his eyes had actually glowed? And had her body tighten in response, flooding with need?

She took a deep breath and slowly released it. Did it matter? By noon tomorrow, she would have forgotten the sheriff and his unsettling presence.

She would have to stop in Haven though, maybe at a gas station, and only long enough to obtain a map of the back roads. Haven was, according to the map she’d consulted prior to getting on the road, a scenic little town offering many amenities for the weary traveler or historic-minded tourist.

She, however, remembered Haven for a different reason. When plotting her trip, she’d read the name of the town and felt an urgent need to go there. She’d pushed the feeling aside, determined to ignore it. It had seemed like a compulsion. And in her experience, compulsions always led to trouble.

Her grandmother, or Mama Willie as Max always called her, had taken a different tact. She’d eagerly explored such impulses, calling it her spiritual guide. She’d encouraged Max to do the same. But once Max had come of age, she took a long hard look at the nomadic, poverty-stricken life they’d led and decided to walk a different path. She’d hidden the ways she was different, and what she couldn’t hide, she’d buried deep inside herself. It was the only way she could live a normal life, and it had worked fairly well until now. Meeting the sheriff had shaken her a bit, but it changed nothing. By this time tomorrow, the sheriff and his effect on her would be a distant memory.

Once more in control of herself, Max managed to put her key in the ignition, but froze as the door to her car was ripped open.

Max looked down at the door hanging off its hinges and then up into the chillingly cold expression on the sheriff’s face. She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could utter a word, he grabbed her upper arms and dragged her from the car.

“Out!”

“Get your hands off me!” Max cried, struggling against him. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

He pulled her down behind the car and used his body to pin her in place.

“Quiet. I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered into her ear. He looked over her head, his gaze scanning a clutch of rocks on the other side of the highway. “We’re being watched.”

“So what?” Max snapped, trying to wiggle out from beneath him. “There’s no need to manhandle me.” She pressed back, trying to shift his weight, but froze in place when he growled deep in his throat. He sounded as if he was in pain, but the expanding bulge lodged between the cheeks of her buttocks told a different story.

“Okay, that does it,” Max said, managing to twist around until she faced him. “Let’s just step back and assess the situation for a moment. More than likely whoever is up there watching us is just some nosey hiker. I’ll get back in my car, and you get back in yours. We both forget this whole incident ever happened.”

When he made no comment, his gaze never shifting from the hillside, Max’s temper flared and she attempted to elbow him in the stomach. Her aim was off, and instead of connecting with his abdomen, her elbow landed considerably lower. He didn’t make a sound, but the blistering look he turned on her had Max struggling to swallow around the lump of fear in her throat.

“I’m not going to hurt you, so you can stop looking at me that way. I’d never hurt you, no matter what you did.” His gaze shifted back to the hillside. “He’s moved closer in, and when he realizes we’re alone out here, he’s going to let loose with everything he’s got.” He grasped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “I will keep you alive,” he said solemnly. “But you have to do exactly what I tell you. And no matter what happens, no matter what you see, stay close to me.”

When she continued to stare at him in amazement, he gripped her shoulder and gave her a none-too-gentle shake. “You got that?”

Max got it, and she was about to tell him exactly what he’d get if he didn’t stop manhandling her, when a blast exploded, bursting against her eardrums and slamming her body against his broad chest. She heard a roar—an inhuman sound filled with rage and anger—and a second later, a black fog blocked out the sun.

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was the sheriff’s yellow-gold eyes burning fiercely in a face that wasn’t human.

Chapter Two

Caleb stood within the shadows of the cabin, keeping watch over his mate as she slept. She hadn’t regained consciousness since the blast, but the mate bond assured him she was bruised but otherwise unharmed. Unfortunately, in order to protect her, he’d been forced to shift to his were form. Now, when she awakened, he’d have to deal not only with her resistance to their mating, but to her fear of him.

The road ahead wasn’t going to be an easy one, but at least he had the comfort of knowing she was safe for now. The cabin he’d brought her to lay hidden in the mountains high above Haven, its location known to only a trusted few. It wasn't much to look at, just the one room containing a bed, kitchenette, and a small adjoining bathroom off the back, but the strongest spells known to his kind protected it. He could leave her, confident she would come to no harm while he tracked and destroyed his enemy.

She murmured in her sleep, and he moved out of the shadows, seeking the reason for her unrest. When she moved her legs restlessly, rubbing her thighs together, he growled his approval. His little spitfire needed him, and he needed her. She was quickly becoming the center of his world, and God help anyone who tried to take her from him.

Giving in to the need to touch her, he squatted next to the bed and lightly traced a finger down the side of her cheek. She wrinkled her nose and swatted his hand away. He smiled, accepting the inevitable. She resisted him, even in her sleep. Not that he expected anything less; his mate was no submissive. She was a woman with a mind of her own, and that suited him just fine.

“Open your eyes, baby. We need to talk.”

“Later,” Max groaned, keeping her eyes firmly closed. “I hurt too much to talk.”

Caleb’s heart raced with alarm. He’d checked her thoroughly. There’d been no sign of broken bones or internal bleeding, but more importantly, as her mate, he’d felt nothing that indicated any serious damage. But what if he’d missed something?

“Where does it hurt, sweetheart?”

“Everywhere…I feel like—Oh, my God.” Max’s eyes popped open, and her gaze locked with his.

He almost flinched at the look of horror that crossed her face.

“You turned into a—” She sat up abruptly, her eyes wide with fear as she huddled against the headboard.

Caleb stood up slowly and took a step back. He knew his size alone was intimidating, and after what she’d seen, she had every reason to fear him.

“Easy, baby,” he said softly, holding his hands palm out. I know you must be scared, but you’re safe with me. You remember who I am, right? I’m Sheriff Caleb McCain.”

“I remember who and what you are.” She scrambled off the bed and snatched up the lamp sitting on the bedside table. “Just keep your distance!”

Caleb looked away, not wanting her to see the smile tugging at his lips. Did she really think she could injure him with a lamp? He weighed well over two-hundred pounds and stood close to seven feet tall. In his were form, he nearly doubled in size and was damn near impossible to kill. She, on the other hand, weighed next to nothing. The top of her head barely reached the middle of his chest. He admired her spunk, but his little darling needed to learn her limitations.

“Baby, put the lamp down. It weighs almost as much as you do, and I’d hate for you to hurt yourself.” Caleb tried to keep the amusement out of his voice, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but when she lifted the lamp higher and nearly lost her footing, he couldn’t keep a smile from forming on his lips.

She gave him a blistering look then snapped her arm back and threw the lamp at him, barely missing his head.

He ducked, and his condescending smile gave way to a scowl. “Woman, you almost hit my head.” He eyed the broken lamp. “That’s no way to treat a man who just saved your life.”

“Don’t come near me,” she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You’re a werewolf for God’s sake! If I had a gun, I’d shoot you.” She stilled suddenly, and her eyes widened. “Did you bite me?” She ran a hand over her neck and arms. “Am I going to turn furry on the next full moon?”

“No! I’d never—well, maybe not never,” he amended, thinking of the time he would claim her. “But I didn’t bite you. In any case, that whole turning furry thing from a were bite is an urban legend.”

When she continued to eye him warily, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair and decided to try a different approach. “Look, this isn’t going the way I planned. I assure you, I can explain everything. Just get back in bed, and I’ll get you something to eat. What you need now is nourishment and a few more hours of rest.”

She shook her head. “Not going to happen. Just step aside so I can get out of here.”

“I can’t do that. It’s not safe for you to leave the cabin, and besides, you can’t go out dressed like that.”

She glanced down at herself, and Caleb grimaced at the look on her face when she glared at him.

“Now before you get your panties in a knot, take note. I didn’t remove them or your bra, and I didn’t peek, despite the temptation.” He’d added the last bit about not peeking in hopes of earning a few brownie points for good behavior, but as her gaze moved over him, taking in the fact he wore a pair of baggy sweats and nothing else, he doubted even a testimonial from Mother Teresa would help him. Worse yet, the moment she’d jumped out of bed jiggling her goodies, he’d sported a hard-on the size of a nightstick.

“Did you do anything freaky to me while I slept?” she asked suspiciously, darting a quick glance at the front of his sweats.

Caleb almost groaned. He hadn’t thought he could get any harder, but she’d just made a liar out of him. His little darlin’ didn’t like the idea of his taking advantage while she was asleep, but the thought that he might have turned her on. He could smell her arousal, like honeysuckle in summer, and it was giving him a hard-on from hell. If he didn’t have her soon, he was going to disgrace himself like a pubescent wolf getting his first whiff of tail.

Caleb shifted his feet in an effort to ease the pressure in his groin and smiled at her. “Baby, you’re damn hard on a man’s ego, but let me assure you, if I’d done anything to you, your sweet little pussy would be quivering with satisfaction instead of aching with need. And I wouldn’t be standing here waving a flagpole in your face.”

“Smug bastard,” Max snapped, standing her ground, despite the rosy hue of embarrassment coloring her brown skin. “I’m not your baby, or anything else. My name is Maxine, Max will do, but baby is out. And as for sleeping while you got your freak on, well, let’s just say I believe in the old adage, the bigger the man, the smaller the package. In which case…” Her gaze dropped dismissingly to the bulge in his sweats. “…that’s probably a couple of rolled socks you’ve shoved down the front of your pants.”

Caleb didn’t even try to keep the grin off his face. She knew what he was, but werewolf or no werewolf, she wanted to kick his butt if he’d taken advantage of her. Damn, this woman pleased him, and seeing her in her pretty little granny panties made him want to strip her naked and spend hours buried in her sweet fire.

He’d always had a strong sexual appetite, but what he felt for this woman was more than lust. Mother Nature might have put a biological lock on his hormones, but she couldn’t control his emotions. This woman was the mate of his heart and the better half of his soul. Of that, he had no doubt.

“Baby—Max,” he amended when her eyes narrowed. “I know you think I’m a monster, but I did protect you from the blast, and if I’d wanted to harm you, I’ve had ample opportunity to do so. I won’t force you to get back in bed, but why not sit down? I’ll sit over there.” He nodded at the small kitchen table off the center of the room.

Max acted as if she hadn’t heard him, but Caleb saw her glance at the door. She was thinking of making a run for it, and Caleb opened his mouth to tell her not to bother, when it dawned on him that while he was worried about explaining things to her, she had a little explaining of her own to do.

“Max,” he said softly. “When you woke up, you didn’t ask me what I was. You accused me of being a werewolf. And that strikes me as odd, because most people don’t believe werewolves exist. Even if they saw one of my kind, they’d think they were hallucinating. But you didn’t doubt your sanity. You didn’t doubt what you’d seen. The moment you saw my face, you knew what I was. You knew exactly what I was. Now, how could that be?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just before I blacked out, I saw your face change. You transformed right before my eyes, and I really don’t know if I fainted in reaction or lost consciousness because of the blast.”

Caleb closed the distance between them, not crowding her but letting her know he would get an honest answer from her one way or the other. “To save our lives, I had no choice but to shift. The man who attacked meant to kill us. He would have, too, if I’d remained in my human form. Shifting allowed me to absorb the force of the blast and prevent it from shredding you to bits. But I’d bet the family farm that you already knew of my kind before you saw me change.”

He could see she wanted to deny it, and several long seconds passed before she finally sighed and looked at him with resignation in her eyes.

“Okay, you win. I’ll tell you what I know,” she murmured in a defeated tone. “But I want to get dressed first. I’m not having this conversation in my underwear.”

Caleb pulled a blanket from the bed and tossed it to her, making it clear he wasn’t going to wait for her to get dressed. Max caught it and wrapped it toga style around her body before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Okay, baby,” Caleb said, settling into one of the kitchen chairs and folding his arms across his chest. “Out with it. And don’t spare me the details. When it comes to you, I’ll decide what’s relevant.”

Chapter Three

Max didn’t want to reveal any of her secrets, but she didn’t see where she had much choice in the matter. She needed to find out what was happening to her and put an end to it.

“I’ll tell you what I know, but first you’ll have to answer a few of my questions.”

Caleb’s eyelids lowered, concealing his eyes, abut Max caught a glimpse of the predator lurking just below the good old boy demeanor. The sheriff didn’t like the idea of her questioning him not only because he was hiding something, but because he was Alpha. Alphas gave orders; they didn’t take them. Which was another reason she had to get away from him. He had plans for her, and he didn’t look the type to take no for an answer.

“Stalling for time, Max?” Caleb shook his head slowly. “Won’t do you any good, but I’ll bite. What do you want to know?”

“I’m not stalling. I’m just trying to think of the best way to put this.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “You have a disturbing effect on me.” She bit her bottom lip and glanced away before forcing her gaze to meet his again. “I’m drawn to you…as if my body needs yours.”

“It does, but you’ve nothing to fear. Your reaction is normal.”

Surprise made her eyes widen. “So women in general have this kind of reaction around you?”

He arched a dark eyebrow, but amusement lit his honey-gold eyes. “Can you make that a little plainer? Just spell it out. We’re all adults here.”

“Oh, what the hell!” Max threw up her hands in defeat. “What is it about you? Why do women want to have sex with you?”

The corners of Caleb’s lips slowly tugged upward into a sinfully wicked smile that had her crossing her legs and praying he couldn’t scent the moisture that had warmed her pussy.

“Do you want to have sex with me, Max?” His wicked smile slowly turned into a very naughty grin as his heated gaze caressed her body. “Because I sure as hell want to have sex with you.”

Max shot him an ugly look, annoyed that his words caused the ache between her legs to intensify. “Talk like that doesn’t help the situation. Now I ache so much it hurts, and I’m swollen in places I refuse to discuss with you. And you still haven’t answered my question.” She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “Do you…affect others this way?”

“Look at me, Max.”

Max slowly shifted her gaze back to him, lured by the gentleness of his voice and the knowledge that she had to deal with whatever was between them to regain control of her life.

“What you’re feeling is known as the burning to my people. And yes, human women are strongly attracted to the males of my species, but your reaction to the pheromones I exude is much greater. I know your need is becoming unbearable, and I will ease it. But first, I need to know how you learned of my people.”

Max nodded. “I understand your concern, but your people have nothing to fear from me. Mama Willie, my grandmother, told me stories about werewolves—and other things—that lived in the world between worlds. She always said she could see and hear things nobody else could because she was gifted with the shining.”

He arched a dark eyebrow. “The shinning?”

“It was her name for the people she saw, because they always had a shine or glow about them. She once told me that most of the beings she saw were friendly, but some of them—the dark ones she called them—didn’t like the fact she could see them. They frightened her, and she learned it was best to pretend not to see them. But she liked your people,” Max assured him, noting the sudden tensing of his features. “She even had a werewolf friend who visited her periodically over the years. I never met him, but he was the source of many of the things she told me about your people.”

“Is your grandmother still alive?”

“No,” Max said softly, her tone wistful. “Mama Willie was old even when I was a child. She passed away during my last year in high school, and I still miss her. She was quite a character, with her wild gray hair and her bags of smelly herbs. She was always talking about the things she saw and heard. And it didn’t bother her in the least that nobody believed her.”

“But you did. You believed her. And don’t bother denying it.”

Max pulled the blanket tighter around her and leaned back against the headboard. “I wasn’t going to. Anyway, Mama Willie always said a were could smell a lie before it was out of your mouth. Is that true?”

Caleb nodded. “We can smell the change in a person’s body chemistry when they lie, but only if we’re paying close attention.” He paused briefly, as if choosing his words carefully. “So you grew up being told stories about werewolves and beings that were pretty much invisible to most of the world.”

“I grew up in Louisiana, in a shack not three feet from the edge of the swamp. A slop jar under my bed served as a toilet, and the local raccoons and opossums were my playmates. We didn’t have much, but somehow just being with Mama Willie made everything seem…better. I’ll always be thankful to her for that. I only wish she’d spent more time in this world, with me. She did her best, but your world was so fascinating to her.”

“And you paid a price for that,” Caleb stated flatly. “Even now, I can see a haunted look in your eyes. It must have been difficult, living as you did, with a foot in both worlds.”

“Not at first. As a child, I accepted both worlds without question. But later, when I started school, I realized what I accepted as normal was anything but. I tried to fit in, to act like everybody else, but no matter what I did, I never really belonged.”

“You were different, Max. But in a good way.”

Max smiled sadly. “I was weird. I wore mish-matched clothes from the local garbage dump, and I smelled like the charcoal my Gran used to heat the house. My afro puff hair and facial features that said ethnically I belonged to no group, or to all groups, didn’t help much, either.” She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “But none of that matters now. What matters is that I know what you are and why you have to keep it secret. I grew up in a world filled with secrets. And really, even if I did tell anyone about you or your people, who would believe me?”

“Probably no one. And those who did would find themselves locked up right along with you. I never doubted you would keep my secret. But I needed to know how and what you knew, for the protection of both our worlds.”

Max stood and, keeping a secure grip on the blanket wrapped around her, moved to stand directly in front of him. “Then I can leave after you tell me what I need to do to rid myself of this attraction to you?”

“I’m sorry, Max. I can’t let you leave this cabin.”

“Why?” She frowned. “Your secret is safe with me. I’ll continue to Salinas, begin my new life there, and both of us can forget this whole incident ever happened.”

Caleb slowly shook his head. “Your grandmother told you stories that, as you grew older, you should have dismissed as fairy tales or the ramblings of a senile old woman, but you didn’t do that. You continued to believe her. You still believe her to this day. Why is that, baby? Is it because you have gifts of your own?”

Max stared at him, her pique draining away to be replaced by mounting fear. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do. And I’d bet you were probably born with a veil over your face?

“A veil?”

“That’s what the seers call it, but it’s actually a thin membrane, usually white in color, that completely covers a child’s face at birth. No one really knows what causes it, but my people believe a child born with a veil is blessed with the ability to see between worlds and is a source of great power.”

“Blessed?” Max snorted. “More like cursed.” She was silent for a moment, but his words intrigued her. “What do you mean, a child born with a veil is a source of great power?”

Caleb rose from his chair and held out a hand. “Come here.”

Max saw the look in his eyes and shook her head. If she walked into his embrace, the game was over, because she didn’t have the strength to fight him and herself.

She took a step back, angling for the door. “I’ll be leaving now.

He looked down at her, tilting his head in that peculiar way of his, as if he found her fascinating. “I don’t think so. It’s far too late for that.”

He walked toward her, his big body moving with the fluid grace of the born predator he was, and Max shook her head in refusal. But she didn’t back away.

“You are a veiled one.” With one hand, he drew her into a loose embrace. With the other, he gently tilted her chin upward until she met his gaze. “Denying it will change nothing. The veiled ones are revered by my people, the Lycanthropes, and that is quite an honor since we hold few in high regard. My people have walked the earth with man for thousands of years, always present but rarely seen. We are physically powerful, fierce in battle, and like our brother the wolf, when we mate, we mate for life. I know you will deny me, Maxine Ray Juneau, but I claim you as my mate.”

His words sounded like a declaration, or an oath of some kind, and Max opened her mouth to protest, but his lips fastened onto hers.

All reasonable thought fled. Had he been demanding, she would have found the strength to resist him, but his lips were light as a feather against hers, giving instead of taking, and his touch was filled with tenderness, as if he cherished her. It was an assault on the heart as well as the body. When he tenderly ended the kiss, she didn’t know how she would ever find the strength to leave him.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he soothed, resting his cheek atop her head and pulling her tighter into his embrace. “I know this thing between us frightens you, but I can’t let you leave. Your life is in danger.” When she remained silent, he swung her up into his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling her as if she were an infant.

“There’s a man searching for us. His name is Michael Tremont, and he’s one of the most powerful mages ever born. He is a master of the elements, a powerful weaver of spells. Unfortunately, he is also morally corrupt, and he plans to use his gifts to reshape the world to his liking. To him, mankind is little better than apes, and mages are the rightful rulers of Earth. I work for the Alliance of Others, which serves as a kind of policing agency among my people. It’s my job to stop Michael, and I’ve hunted him for months, never more than a step behind. But today he changed tactics. He attacked, hoping to kill my mate.”

Max lifted her head to look at him. “I’m not your mate.”

“Yes, you are,” Caleb said gently, brushing his lips against hers. “From the moment we met, you felt the connection, the desire to be with me. It’s called a mate bond, and the longer we’re together, the stronger the link will become. In time, we will be able to use it to communicate without words and, if we wish, share each other’s thoughts. We will always be able to sense the whereabouts of the other, and…we will always burn for each other.”

Max shook her head. “It’s just pheromones. I’m not a part of your world, and I can never be.”

“You will be. Both of us will have to make some adjustments, but I don’t doubt for a minute things will work out between us. I know you want to believe your attraction to me is a result of were pheromones, but what you’re experiencing, the intense sexual need, only happens when a strong match is made. There are things we can do to ease the burn, but we can’t join our bodies until the next full moon. It is a sacrament all weres fortunate enough to find their mates adhere to. It not only demonstrates to a mate his control over his wolf, but her acceptance of him in his moon-bound form is necessary to complete the mate bond. Once the sacrament is completed, my people believe the two are joined, in this life and the next.”

Max pushed his hands away and stood up. “I don’t want to know any more. I waited tables and cleaned toilets to pay for college because I wanted a normal life with none of this.” She waved a hand in his direction. “But it’s happening anyway.”

Filled with uncertainty, Max took a turn around the room, then walked over to the cabin’s only window and looked out. She needed to think clearly, to assess the situation rationally, but that seemed impossible when every moment was spent wrestling with the demands of her body. And now things had worsened.

The thing buried inside her was no longer dormant. It was awake and totally focused on Caleb. It watched his every move, as if he was something it had always hoped for but never thought it would find. And that just couldn’t be right, because the one thing she knew for certain was that the thing inside her didn’t have wants or needs, it simply reflected whatever she was feeling.

Caleb watched her closely, knowing she was in turmoil. The last couple of hours had been rough on her, and the next few days wouldn’t be much better. Theirs would be no gentle mating, and though he would never intentionally harm her, she was such a tiny thing. He only hoped when the time came, he would be more man than beast.

He crossed the room to her, gently laid his hands on her shoulders, and massaged the knotted muscles of her neck. “It will be all right. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Just stay away from me.” She shook off his hands and turned to face him. “Where are we anyway?”

“In the mountains above the town of Haven. Few people know of this cabin, and those who do would never tell a soul.”

“You sound so certain of that.”

“I am. I built this cabin with my own hands. It’s safe and protected in ways you can’t imagine. You’ll just have to trust me.”

A pointed look from her told him exactly what she thought of trusting him, and Caleb stifled a smile. His little spitfire was down but she wasn’t out. “How bad are you hurting, baby?”

“I can handle it. You must have taken the brunt of the blast.”

“But you’re achy, uncomfortable in your woman’s core?”

Max held up a hand. “Drop it. I’m not going there.”

“I can ease your need, Max, if you’ll let me.”

“I’ll just bet you can, Sheriff McCain, but if you really want to help me, you’ll stay away from me.”

“Caleb. I want you to use my Christian name.”

“Fine, but listen up, Caleb. I’m not staying, and I’m not mating with you. Are we straight on that?”

“You called to me.”

“I never—”

“You called to me. That’s why I was on that road.” At her disbelieving look, his eyes narrowed. “You did. You called to me. Do you think I usually give out traffic tickets? I went out on that highway because something deep inside of me told me I had to be there. That something or someone was waiting for me.” He moved closer to her. “Your need called to me.” He reached out and curved his hand around the nape of her neck, his head tilting toward her. “And no matter where I am, I will always come when you call.”

He saw the fear and uncertainty in her eyes, and it tugged at his heart, but there was little he could do about it. In time, she would learn her fears were unfounded. Until then, he would cherish her and pray the solace of his body would be enough to keep her at his side.

But to ease the demands of his wolf, he had to taste her again. Then he’d tell her all of it. How he believed she was the mage slayer foretold of in a six hundred-year-old prophesy. And that the strong sexual need she felt for him was only the beginning of a hunger that would bind them together in this life and the next. He’d tell her all of it, in just a little while, but first he’d ease her need…and his.

He brushed his lips against hers, his tongue gently seeking entry, and she opened for him with a hot little moan. He deepened the kiss, drawing her tongue into his mouth, and the taste of her nearly drove him to his knees.

Her legs began to tremble, and he lifted her into his arms, all the while tangling his tongue with hers in a dance of erotic delight. The kiss seemed to go on forever, and when he finally lifted his head to nibble along her throat, he knew it wouldn’t be enough.

“Bathe with me,” he rasped, placing little kisses against the side of her neck. “I’m too close to the edge to give you the pleasure you deserve. A shower will slow things down a bit.

She nodded, looking up at him with passion-glazed eyes, and Caleb growled his approval. He was were. And his woman was about to find out exactly what kind of wolf she’d mated.

Chapter Four

Max couldn’t believe what was happening. The man was a god damned werewolf and had a whopper of an erection tenting the front of his sweatpants. Yet, here she was, calmly letting him carry her off to the shower! Maybe she was crazy, or maybe she was drunk on pheromones. But she wanted this. She wanted him. More than anything she’d ever wanted in her life.

Inside the bathroom he set her on her feet and stripped her, tearing her panties in the process.

“Hey!” Max gasped. “What am I supposed to wear later?”

“Nothing.” He dropped to his knees and buried his face against her abdomen, breathing deep, and making Max want to run. “I love the way you smell.”

Max tried to think of some sort of comeback to that, but it was impossible. And then he sat back on his heels and slowly let his heated gaze roam up her body. She wanted to snatch the towel off the rack and cover her body, shield it from him. She’d never been happy with her body, but when his gaze slowly moved upward and connected with hers, and she saw the blatant hunger in his eyes, she felt truly beautiful for the first time in her life.

“You take my breath away. You’re perfect, in every way.”

When her attention fell on the ever-enlarging bulge in the front of his sweatpants, unease blossomed in her gut. God, how big was it going to get?

Max swallowed around the lump in her throat and slowly lifted her eyes to his. “Caleb, you do know that I’m human, with a human-sized you-know-what?”

He laughed softly, clearly reading her fears. “It’ll fit, baby. Just leave everything to me.” He stood then and took her by the arm, intent on pulling her into the shower, but Max resisted.

“Wait,” she squeaked, trying to pull away from him. “Can we talk?”

“Later.” He lifted her against his chest, knocking the air from her lungs, and stepped into the shower. “We’ve got a fire to douse, and the longer we wait, the bigger it’s going to get.”

Max didn’t like the sound of that. It was already plenty big. She wanted the big guy—no scratch that, want was too tame a word. She craved the big guy. But she wasn’t suicidal.

Max tried to wiggle out of his arms, but he held her firmly against him with one hand as he adjusted the shower knob with the other.

“That feels good, doesn’t it?” he asked as a lukewarm spray of water washed over them. “We both needed to cool down a bit.”

“Especially you,” Max said, giving him a cheeky grin. “For a while there I thought you were trying to grow a third leg.”

“I can’t help what you do to me.” He bent his head and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Just try and relax.”

“Okay, but I still don’t think it’s going to fit.”

Caleb closed his eyes and groaned. “Baby, your mate is holding on to his self control by a thread. Talk like that doesn’t help.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault you’re hung like a horse?” Max mocked. She pushed against his chest, and he released her. “And don’t start that stuff again.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow in question and snagged a bar of soap off the shower caddy. “Start what stuff again?” he asked, soaping his hands. “My mind’s a little muddled right now. Can’t expect a man to think clearly when the woman of his dreams is flashing her goodies at him.”

Max wasn’t buying his innocent act, and when he reached for her, she slapped his hand away. “I mean it. Don’t start that mate stuff again. Sex is, well, sex. We’re going to have sex. I want it. You want it. We’ll deal with all that other stuff later. And stop that.” She slapped his big hand away again, this time as he reached for her breast. “I can wash myself.” She pointed a finger at his massive erection. “Your job is to get that down to human size.”

Caleb grunted. “I’m not sure what you think human size is, but you were made for me. Whatever I’m packing, you can handle.” He reached for her again, and a wave of pheromones hit her nostrils. She dropped all pretenses of resistance and melted into his arms.

“That’s it,” he murmured, running his soapy hands over her body. “Let me take care of you. You don’t have to do a thing.” His hands left her back and moved lower to wash her bottom, cupping and kneading until Max had to lock her knees to remain standing.

“You have a beautiful ass.” He palmed a butt cheek in each of his hands. “So soft and just the right size for a man to hold on to when he’s deep inside you. And these little beauties…” He slid his hands around to cup her breast. “…are just begging for attention.”

Max closed her eyes and arched into his touch. “Caleb, I…need—”

“I know what you need.” He moved a soaped hand down to cup her mons. “I know exactly what you need.”

Caleb’s calloused finger eased into her slick folds, and she bit down hard to keep from moaning with pleasure, but she couldn’t stop from moving desperately against his hand, seeking and finding a measure of relief. Yet it wasn’t enough. She needed more, and when he pulled his hand away to draw her into his arms, she cried out in frustration.

“I knew the moment I saw you it would be like this,” he rasped against her ear. “So much passion in such a small package.”

He rained hot kisses over her face and neck, and Max rubbed her body against his, shameless in her need.

“Touch me, baby. Show me how much you want me.”

Wanting to give him a measure of the pleasure he had given her, Max smiled and ran her hand boldly over the front of his soaked sweats, slowly measuring the length and width of him with her fingers, secretly pleased at the fierce evidence of his need for her.

With a knowing little smile, Max gripped the waistband of his sweatpants and tugged them downward, freeing his thick erection. His cock sprang free, rising from a nest of crisp dark hair to arch upward against washboard abs. It was a mouth-watering display of potent masculinity, and it was all hers.

Christmas in July. And it was the best gift she’d ever gotten!

Caleb guided her hands, his expression harsh with need. “Touch me. No place is off limits.”

Max took him at his word and moved one hand down to gently squeeze his sac, while her other hand caressed the pulsing vein running along its length. A dewy drop of pre-cum formed on the glistening head, and Max looked up, allowing him to see the wicked little smile playing about her lips.

“God help me,” Caleb groaned. “She’s found her woman’s power, and I’m in for it now.” He cupped the side of her face. “Just tell me you want this as badly as I do. Say it, baby. I need to hear it.”

“You know I do,” Max admitted, embarrassed by her need but determined to be honest. “I barely know you, but nothing has ever felt so right.”

Caleb smiled, clearly pleased by her admission, before he turned her swiftly, and embracing her from behind, pulled her body back against his. “Put your hands against the wall,” he commanded. “Yes, like that,” he encouraged as Max obeyed him. “Now lift your leg onto the rim of the tub.” When Max did as he asked, he pulled her lower body tighter into his, tucking her bottom against his groin. “Spread your thighs wider. Open for me, baby. Let me show you how good we can be together.”

He moved a hand over her mons, slowly trailing his fingers repeatedly through the crisp hairs at the junction of her thighs. Max twisted against him, frustrated that he didn’t do more, and he chuckled against her ear.

“You’re a demanding little thing.” He pushed the tip of his finger inside her, and her body clenched tightly. “Sloppy wet and so tight. Soon—very soon—I’m going to spread those pretty brown thighs and lap up every drop of your sweet cream. Would you like that? To have my mouth on you?”

Max closed her eyes and moaned, and he chuckled.

“I think that’s a yes.”

“Could you just shut up and give me what I want?” Max grumbled. “I’m burning up!”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “But you’re not going to call the shots. We’re going to take it slow and easy. I won’t risk hurting you.”

Desperate with need, Max reached between her legs and, before he could stop her, took hold of his cock. She attempted to impale herself on him, but her aim was slightly off. She got the reaction she sought, however, when his length slid between her slick folds.

He roared, pumping his hips against her buttocks as his fingers stroked and squeezed her clit.

Max pushed down against his hand, grinding against him, but it wasn’t enough. She tried again to take him into her body, but he easily evaded her hand. Max was embarrassingly close to begging him to take her, when he flicked his thumb over her clit and sent her careening over the edge. A second later Caleb roared again as he found his release.

When she finally floated back to earth, Caleb’s arms were wrapped around her, her head resting against his chest, and the cooling spray from the shower raining down over her body.

“Damn it, babe,” Caleb moaned, reaching around her to turn off the shower. “You damn near drove me to my knees. Thank God the next full moon is only hours away, because I don’t think I’ll be able to resist you much longer.” He pulled a towel off the rack and rubbed her down, spending so much time drying between her legs that Max snatched the towel out of his hand and rolled her eyes at him.

“Just thought I’d lend a hand by helping you dry those hard-to-reach places,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “I want you to know I’m not going to be one of those guys who have problems helping around the house.”

“Looks like you’re doing more to help yourself.” She flicked her gaze at his groin, indicating his once again growing erection. “Does it have an Off switch?”

He grinned and pulled her into his arms. “One of the perks of being were, babe. Recovery time is short. And since we still have several hours before the moon is in the right position for mating, we might as well spend it—”

“Driving each other crazy with need?” Max said dryly.

“I know it sucks, babe.” He placed a soft kiss in the palm of her hand before guiding it to his groin. “And since it’s all my fault, I deserve to be punished.”

Max arched an eyebrow at him in feigned innocence. “Caleb, are you asking me to…uh…spank the monkey…again?”

Caleb groaned dramatically and pressed her hand against his cock. “God, I love a woman who knows how to talk dirty. You were definitely made for me.”

Max shook her head in denial but closed her fingers around him. “You’re bad, Caleb. Really bad. You leave me no choice but to beat the bad out of you. And then I’ll have to lick you clean, just to make sure I get all the bad out.”

Caleb looked as if he wanted to rub his hands in glee, and Max couldn’t keep the grin from her face as she stroked his cock, enjoying the feel of his hard body and the sight of his muscular thighs tensed with need.

“Harder,” he growled, thrusting his hips in time to her strokes. She quickened her pace, using both hands.

“That’s it. Just like that,” he rasped, watching her. “So good.”

Captivated by the fierce evidence of his desire, Max watched as his hips bucked, his movements becoming less coordinated as he pushed himself into her hand. She had never seen anything so arousing, and as her own need rippled through her body, she lowered her head and drew him into her mouth.

The moment her lips touched him, Caleb stiffened, his muscles bulging, and a second later, he jerked his hips back, spewing his seed across the wall of the shower in a series of hot spurts. Max continued to hold him, thinking she had never seen anything more beautiful. Caleb was unashamed of his need and totally mesmerizing.

Whether she stayed with him or found the strength to move on, she knew she would never forget him.

After a while, his breathing eased into a normal pattern, and he kissed her briefly on the lips before pulling her from the shower. He shucked his soaked sweats onto the floor and then took her hand and led her out of the bathroom.

“I’m a horny bastard, and I don’t deserve you,” he said, tucking her into one of his shirts. “My intention was to give you ease, not the other way around.” He gave her a quick kiss by way of an apology. “Why don’t you get back in bed, and I’ll fix you something to eat.”

Max took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched as he moved about the small kitchen, quickly preparing a simple snack of bread and cheese. His naked body fascinated her. He was a big man, yet his movements were efficient and smoothly coordinated.

He set a plate, with enough food for two, on the bed next to her. “Eat up, babe. I’m going to put some steaks on.”

Max ate silently, but after a few bites, she put her plate aside. “Caleb, we need to talk.”

He turned to face her, a spatula in hand. “We can talk all you want, but it won’t change matters. What we did in the shower was just the beginning. The next full moon is only hours away. Once we mate, things will settle into place.”

“I want to be with you, Caleb, in every way. But I don’t want there to be any misconceptions between us. I might not have a job waiting for me in Salinas anymore, but I am going to teach. If not in Salinas, then somewhere else. This thing between us is not going to rule my life.”

Caleb sprawled in the chair next to the bed, and Max looked pointedly in the direction of his lap. “Do you mind?”

“What?” he asked, pretending not to understand, then looked down and shrugged. “It’s only natural. And anyway, it’s your fault. If you weren’t so beautiful, I wouldn’t keep getting this way around you.”

Max wasn’t beautiful. Her face was okay, but her breasts were too small, and she needed to drop a few pounds. Some of what she was thinking must have shown on her face, because he looked at her and then pointedly down at his crotch as if challenging her to deny the effect she had on him.

“You are beautiful, Max, and extremely desirable. I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror, but what I see makes me want to howl at the moon with joy. We’ve got everything going for us. This relationship is going to work.”

Max tossed a pillow from the bed onto his lap. “Just because I give you a massive hard-on doesn’t mean squat. You can’t build a relationship on sex.”

“Maybe humans can’t, but weres know their mates by smell, touch, and the unrelenting erections we get when we’re near them. Once we find our mate, we stay in a continuous state of arousal until we claim her. After that, things pretty much settle into place and we lead fairly normal lives, working and contributing to society just like anybody else. You…” He pointed a finger at her. “…are just pissed because you’ve had wet panties from the minute you met me. You want nothing to do with my world, and the fact you can’t keep your hands off me scares the hell out of you. Well, get used to it. I can stoke the embers smoldering in you into a firestorm in a nanosecond, and I’m going to keep it up until you admit you’re mine.”

“You conceited Neanderthal!” His words struck home, but she didn’t have to admit it. “Do you think because of this thing between us I’m going to do whatever you want, whenever you want it?”

He grinned. “No, but I’d like to find out.” He pushed the pillow off his lap and crooked a finger at her. “Why don’t we put it to a little test? Come over here. I think it’s about time I tasted that honey I’ve been smelling.”

Max shook her head and willed her traitorous body to stay right where it was. “Back off, Caleb. I’m not denying my attraction to you, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She waved her hand toward his lower body. “And cover that up, please. It’s hard to have a conversation with it standing between us.”

Caleb placed one of his hands over his groin, which did little to conceal his considerable assets when he continued to lounge comfortably, legs spread in a masculine pose. “Will that do?”

“Very funny,” Max said dryly and tossed another pillow onto his lap. “Can we talk like adults now?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, giving her another wicked grin. “If you’re certain talking is what you want to do.”

“It is,” Max lied. “Tell me about your people. Mama Willie told me werewolves live undetected among humans.”

“We do. One could be living right next door to you and you’d never know it. Largely because most of our ancestors were human, but at least one came from beyond the stars and had the ability to shift form. Humans called them Watchers, noting their arrival in the Bible around 1000 B.C. Their descendents—Rephaims we call ourselves—consider Earth home.”

Max nodded in understanding. “I remember now. Mama Willie said your people were hunted, nearly annihilated, hundreds of years ago because humans feared your abilities.”

“Many were killed merely because they were different. But many more, with the help of their human families, went into hiding and learned to mask their abilities. In time, they reemerged and taught mankind much to advance them socially and technologically.”

“Could all of them change shape?”

“No. The Rephaims were varied in their abilities. Some were giants, others were no larger than most men of the time but said to be able to move huge objects with their minds. And still others could foresee the future. Hercules, Nostradamus, Michelangelo all descended from Rephaims. There are few of us left with the full gifts of our ancestors, yet we survive and thrive on all the continents of the earth. For the most part, we use our abilities for the good of all. But some, like the dark mage who attacked us, go rogue and have to be neutralized.”

“Neutralized?” Max grimaced. “Is that a nice way of saying they have to be killed? Can’t the issue be resolved some other way?”

“Most of the time it is. But Michael Tremont has already done several things that hamper my people’s ability to continue their existence undetected.” Caleb’s eyes hardened. “He’s a threat to the peaceful co-existence between humans and Rephaims. He has to be stopped.”

“Tell me you’re not going after him alone,” Max demanded, her heart racing with fear. “Because he doesn’t sound like an easy guy to take down.”

“Neither am I,” he returned with a slightly affronted look. “But I’ve taken steps to ensure your safety. As long as you stay inside the cabin, he can’t touch you.”

“I’m not worried about my safety, and I don’t doubt your ability to do your job. Just don’t do anything rash because of what he did today.”

“Have a little faith, baby,” he murmured and pulled her across his lap. “But I like the fact you’re worried about me. You’re already acting like a mate.” He captured her lips with his, and after a token show of resistance, Max swiftly succumbed to his heated kisses.

Caleb didn’t just kiss her, his lips devoured her, and when he suddenly tensed, his head snapping up, Max looked at him, dazed and confused. .

“We’re about to have company.” He deposited her on the bed with an apologetic kiss on her forehead. Sorry, baby, but this won't wait. I have to go out to meet someone.”

Max watched him take a black T-shirt and jeans from a small cabinet and quickly pull them on. That he didn’t bother with underwear didn’t surprise her in the least. Caleb was a no frills kind of guy; going commando wouldn’t faze him in the least.

“Here,” he said, tossing a pair of gray sweats and a matching top onto the bed. “These are too big, but they’ll have to do. Your sneakers are under the bed. Take them and anything else you might need to the bathroom and get dressed.”

When Max made no effort to move, he paused in pulling on his boots and looked up at her. “Problem?”

“A little information would be appreciated here.” She climbed off the bed to stand across from him. “Like, who this person is you’re going to meet? When you’ll be back? What I’m supposed to do if you don’t come back.” The fear in her voice almost made her wince. What was the matter with her? She was acting like a wife, for God’s sake. If she didn’t get a grip, the big guy would have her barefoot and pregnant in no time flat.

Max shook her head in disgust and turned away from him. But before she could take a step, Caleb grabbed her from behind and buried his face in the curve of her neck.

“I’m meeting Stefan,” he said gruffly, nuzzling along the side of her throat. “He’s one of my oldest friends. I’ll be back within the hour, and if I’m not, Stefan will come for you.” He released her and then slapped her firmly on the bottom. “Questions answered, mate. Now move.”

Max tossed a dark look over her shoulder, pretending to be annoyed as she snatched up the clothes he’d tossed on the bed. “No need for police brutality, Sheriff McCain. I was moving.”

“But not fast enough to suit me,” Caleb shot back. “When I say move, woman, I mean move, or you’re going to feel the sting of my hand on that kissable little ass of yours.”

Max lifted her hand, flipping him off, and Caleb moaned.

“You gotta stop doing things like that, baby. It makes me hot as hell. Now I’ve got to meet my friend with a hard-on big enough to poke him in the eye. He’ll never let me live it down.”

Max rolled her eyes. “I’m beginning to think just about anything makes you hot as hell. You’ve probably spent half your life taking cold showers.”

Satisfied at having the last word, Max closed the bathroom door, intent on dressing, when she realized she had no idea what Stefan looked like. “Hey,” she called out, “if you send Stefan to get me, how am I supposed to recognize him? I mean, anyone could turn up claiming to be your friend.”

“Easy enough,” he shot back. “Stefan is a vampire.”

“Ha, ha very funny,” Max said jerking open the bathroom door to poke her head out. But the room was empty.

Max frowned. He was joking, right?

Chapter Five

Caleb waited, concealed in the dense pines surrounding the cabin. When he heard the click of the bathroom door lock, he closed his eyes and focused inward, checking the strength of the wards safeguarding the cabin. They held, stronger than ever, and some of the tension eased from his shoulders.

Certain he’d done everything possible to keep her safe, he put on a burst of speed that blurred his image as he ran though the heavy foliage and up the hills overshadowing the cabin. His passage was silent, his image so vague it blended almost seamlessly into his surroundings. In a matter of seconds, he was nearly a mile away, standing on a rocky ledge high above the town of Haven.

“Stefan,” Caleb whispered, his senses confirming what he already knew. “You never cease to amaze me. My senses tell me you are near, yet I cannot pinpoint your exact location.”

A man materialized directly in front of him, no more than six feet away. He was unusually tall, dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and elegant dark slacks. His face was that of a fallen angel, harsh, aristocratic, yet too beautiful in its perfection to be entirely human. He appeared no more than thirty-five, but he had walked the earth for over a century.

“Time grows short,” Stephan replied in a lightly accented voice. “Is there a problem?”

“Is the team in place?” Caleb queried smoothly. He knew what Stefan was asking. He just didn’t want to discuss it. Not now when he burned with unfamiliar emotions barely held in check. And not when he needed to be at his peak but instead found his mind and body consumed with thoughts of claiming his mate.

“All is in place, but this distraction is most inopportune.”

“Max is not a distraction. She’s my mate.” Caleb spoke softly, but Stefan’s words angered him. Stefan was one of his oldest friends, part of his extended family, but he could allow no one to disparage his mate.

Stefan inclined his head slightly by way of apology. “We have found Michael’s stronghold, but it is protected by the Stone of Asreal. If we attempt to breach it, many will die. Yet we need to finish this. Too many lives have already been lost. Too many lives still hang in the balance.”

Caleb fought back his rising anger at the censure in Stefan’s tone. He’d fought countless battles for the Alliance over the years, and not once had he shirked his duties. That wouldn’t change now that he had a mate, but her needs came first. “I know the risk, Stefan, but I’m going to give her what time I can.”

Stefan stared at him, his onyx eyes unblinking. “The mating fire burns fiercely in you. I sense your need.”

“Is that why you demanded this meeting? Did you come to make sure I was still more man than beast? Or did you think I would forget my duty because I burn for my mate?”

“I requested this meeting to offer aid to one I consider more than a friend. We have helped each other many times in the past, and you have never questioned my intent. The fact that you do so now speaks clearly of your state of mind. Have you told her you must claim her on the next full moon or risk becoming more beast than man? Or is she one who demands the rite of courtship, no matter the cost? You are were, Caleb. Do not ape the humans to appease your mate. Mark her, willing or not. In time, all will be forgiven.”

Caleb felt his canines lengthen, his body going into a partial shift as his beast rose, angered to hear his mate spoken of in such a manner. He ruthlessly forced it back, knowing Stefan spoke from concern and a deep friendship forged in their childhood. “She knows I need her, and at the moment, that’s enough for her to deal with.” Caleb turned away, looking out over the valley below. “Though I will admit, claiming a mate is not the simple matter I thought it would be.”

Stefan joined him on the edge of the cliff, his harsh, aristocratic features softening as he surveyed the beauty of the valley below. “Women. Such fascinating creatures. They are mysterious, delightful—”

“And complicated,” Caleb broke in, rubbing a hand over the nape of his neck. He wondered if Max had obeyed him and remained safely tucked away in the cabin. Or was she having second thoughts about mating with him and planning her escape?

“Tell me of your mate. Perhaps in the telling, you may come to understand her better.”

Caleb smiled softly. “Max is not what I expected. She’s quite small, almost childlike in size, but shaped like a woman with curves in all the right places. And like a woman who knows her worth, she challenges me at every turn. I love her take-no-shit attitude, and I won’t deny that I was filled with pride when the seers told me my mate was destined to be the next mage slayer. But now, since finding her, I can’t imagine anything worse than having my mate go into battle with me.”

“You already care for this woman,” Stefan stated, his tone slightly surprised.

When Caleb gave him a dark look, Stefan shook his head slightly.

“Do not bother to deny it. We have known each other too long to prevaricate in such a manner. It is clear you are experiencing more than the fever of the mating bond. Nature may have chosen her as your mate, but your heart has chosen her as well.”

“Yeah, I care,” Caleb admitted, amazed at how little reluctance he felt in saying the words. “And the little hellion is smart enough to use that to her advantage.”

“Does she know of the prophesy?”

“Only the bare bones. I’ve been afraid to tell her everything.”

“Tell her. Whether she becomes the mage slayer of legend is yet to be seen.”

“You know the seers have never been wrong. I fear if I tell her the whole of it she’ll panic and run.”

“If she is still at your side after learning what you are, she is not faint of heart. I think you underestimate her.”

“You may be right, but although I don’t like giving her half truths, it’s a risk I’m not willing to take right now. Max has never had a normal life, and because of it, she craves normalcy. But once I claim her, a normal life is the one thing she will never have.”

“Unfortunate, but if the prophesy is to be believed, she will have little say in the matter.”

“She has a choice in this, Stefan. I won’t allow the Alliance to use her, prophecy or not.”

“You will claim her, because you must, and because destiny will not be denied. As for the Alliance, it uses us all, my friend. Never doubt it.” Stefan’s image began to waver, his body becoming transparent as he took his leave. “The Alliance is ruthless in its protection of Rephaims and mankind alike. My life, your life, all is expendable in the protection of Earth’s sentient life forms. In this, they do not waver. They do not hesitate. It is why we serve them. I as an assassin, you as their enforcer.”

Chapter Six

Max sat on the bathroom floor, back to the door and knees drawn protectively against her chest. She’d dressed hastily, and with nothing left to do, she kept replaying the last twenty-four hours in her mind. No matter how she looked at it, things didn’t look good. Worse yet, with every passing second, she was certain Caleb was in great danger. Why the thought of Caleb in danger should bother her so much was something she didn’t want to think about, but she knew she couldn’t cower in the bathroom any longer. Not when there was a chance she might be able to help him.

Fearing the worst, Max unlocked the bathroom door and searched the cabin for something she could use as a weapon. She found a gun in the drawer of the bedside table and gasped in alarm. Had the idiot gone out without his gun? Sure, he was meeting a friend, but didn’t he know enemies often masqueraded as friends? Did he think just because he was twice the size of everyone else he couldn’t be taken down?

Max knew different. On more than one occasion she’d faced a bully at school who dwarfed her in size. Each time she’d managed to hold her own because her small stature made people underestimate her, but mostly because she made up in cunning what she lacked in size.

Max picked up the gun and examined it, making sure she kept the barrel pointed downward. She’d never touched a weapon of any kind before, but she’d seen enough movies to figure out how to check the chamber for bullets. It was loaded, with the safety on. Good thing too, because it was one big ass gun, and she felt uncomfortable just holding it. If she had to put bullets in it, she’d have tossed it back in the drawer.

Instead, she pulled on a windbreaker she found in the closet, tucked the gun in the pocket, and slipped quietly out the door. Once outside, she felt a tug—a mental push—to return to the cabin, but recognized it as the protective wards Caleb had warned her about. She pushed easily through them and, with a full moon to light her way, moved at a steady clip up the hill behind the cabin. Caleb was up there somewhere, facing danger, and she intended to help him whether he wanted it or not.

She’d gone less than a mile when she sensed someone following her. She ducked behind a tree, and less than a minute later, a tall, hooded figure moved into view. Max waited until the figure moved past her, then she stepped from behind the tree.

“If you’re following me, I’m over here,” Max called out, surprised at the firmness of her voice when she was shaking like a leaf inside. She was facing off with God only knew what. Having a gun made her feel less vulnerable, but that didn’t mean it was much protection against things that weren’t entirely human.

The figure spun around, causing the hood to slip off. Her stalker was a woman, and she was quite beautiful, but not in the classical sense. Her hair, bound in a braid draped over her shoulder, was the color of the moonlight overhead, and her large blue eyes, sitting in a heart-shaped face, were titled upward. She was human, yet she had the look of the fey about her.

“Why are you following me?”

The woman held her hands out in a gesture of peace. “My name is Kayla, and I mean you no harm. You are Max, Caleb’s mate, and I am a member of his pack.”

Max didn’t like the sound of that. The girl was the kind of woman people expected to see with a man like Caleb. Her beauty and fragile femininity would be a perfect foil for his blatant masculinity. Max felt the green horns of jealousy prodding her, and she reminded herself nothing was settled between her and Caleb, no matter what her damn hormones thought.

“I’ll ask you again. Why are you following me?” Max pulled the gun from her pocket and held it at her side. She didn’t intend to use it, but just in case the girl had any ideas about attempting to overpower her, she wanted her to think twice. “And you’d better hope I like the answer, because since meeting the big guy, I’ve been attacked, kidnapped, and drafted into the ranks of the unemployed and homeless. Shooting you won’t change any of that, but I don’t think it would bother me much either.”

The girl smiled, clearly amused, and Max seriously considered shooting her if for no other reason than it would make her feel better.

Something of what Max was feeling must have shown on her face, because Kayla suddenly wiped the smile off her face and eyed her soberly. “I’m not laughing at you, so please put the gun away. I was just thinking how perfect you are for Caleb.” The smile returned to her face. “You must drive him crazy. Do you call him the big guy to his face?”

“None of your business. Are you alone?” Max allowed her senses to flare outward, attempting to sense the presence of Others. She’d always had the ability, but she hadn’t cultivated her gift. Instead, she’d hidden it behind a wall of denial, determined to be normal. At the time, it had seemed the right thing to do; now it seemed just as right to tear down that wall to help Caleb.

“I came alone.”

Max arched a skeptical brow. “And I should believe you because…?”

“I can’t give you a rational reason why you should trust me, but I’m betting you already sense that I’m telling the truth. You’re Caleb’s mate and not without powers of your own. I don’t know why he’s left you, but these woods are not safe. You should not be out here alone.”

Max slid the gun back into her pocket, but she kept her hand on it. She sensed Kayla was no threat, but they weren’t alone. Someone was watching them, from a distance, and power of that magnitude, whether friend or foe, made Max uncomfortable.

“He didn’t leave me unprotected. I sensed he was in danger and decided to go after him.” Max nodded at the hills behind Kayla. “He’s up there somewhere, and I know he’s in trouble.” Max tried to keep the fear from her voice, but the look of sympathy in Kayla’s eyes told her she’d failed miserably.

“Be at peace,” Kayla said, closing the distance between them. “Caleb may be in danger, but he’s a seasoned warrior. There are few equal to him in battle, and those who are, he calls brother. He may be in danger, but he’s not alone.”

“You seem to know a lot about him.” Max heard the jealousy in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. The girl was not only beautiful, she had a generous spirit.

Kayla smiled gently. “I should. He’s been father and big brother to me since my parents died when I was eight. Now that I’m grown up, I keep an eye on him, just in case he needs me.”

Max shot her a dark look, and she laughed outright. “He must love that possessive streak in you, and I’m going to enjoy teasing you, sister of my heart. But right now we need to find Caleb.”

In that, they were in total agreement, and Max moved off without comment, making her way up the hill with Kayla at her side. They jogged for several minutes, with Kayla taking the lead with a long-legged, athletic grace that had Max struggling to keep up. But whenever Kayla hesitated, as if unsure which way to turn, Max burst ahead, knowing her bond with Caleb would lead her in the right direction.

After traveling for several minutes, they came to a crop of large stones encircling a small clearing. Kayla signaled Max to remain silent and scrambled to the top of one of the boulders and peered down. When she flattened her body until it lay flush against the stone, Max joined her, certain she’d found Caleb.

He stood at an angle to them, only a few yards away from their hiding place. And although he’d shifted partially, nearly doubling in size and growing wickedly long claws at the ends of his fingers, it was still Caleb. He appeared unharmed, but a new fear quickly replaced the relief she felt at seeing him.

Facing him were three men dressed in flowing red robes and holding long, intricately carved staffs in their hands. Max glanced at Kayla, and the grim look on her face confirmed what she already suspected. These men were mages, and the thunderous black auras surrounding them held little light.

The one in the center had the darkest aura, and judging by his arrogant stance, he was their leader. His staff was more intricately carved than the others’ were, and it pulsed with an eerie glow, lighting up the clearing as bright as day.

Max allowed her senses to flare out, attempting to reach Caleb though their developing bond, but he kept his mind closed to her. She sensed only cold rage and the tightly leashed fury of the predator rippling just beneath the surface of his skin. He and his wolf were probably angry that she had followed him, and she was certain there would be hell to pay later, but none of that mattered now. He was safe, and she was going to do everything she could to keep it that way.

She slipped the gun from her pocket and aimed it at the leader.

“Join us,” the leader of the mages enjoined. “Service to the master has many rewards.”

“Master? You have a master, Renault?” Caleb queried in a mocking voice. “And you called me a dog.”

Renault’s eyes narrowed. “You will regret your insolence.”

“I doubt it. But you already know I’m not going to join Michael’s little insurrection. So why the speech? Or could it be you’re just stalling, waiting for reinforcements? Because if you are, I gotta tell you, they ain’t coming.”

Renault’s face showed no reaction to Caleb’s words, but the two mages at his side lacked his control. They glanced at Renault, clearly expecting a denial.

“Don’t bother looking to him,” Caleb scoffed. “Renault is a zealot. He probably sat at Michael’s feet and helped plan your deaths while rejoicing at the thought of his martyrdom.”

Renault’s body stiffened with anger, but he didn’t deny Caleb’s words.

Instead, he widened his stance, clearly bracing for a fight. “We won’t go without a fight, Enforcer.”

“Oh, I hope not,” Caleb returned smoothly. “You have been sentenced to death for breaking the most sacred laws of our people, but you also threatened the life of my mate. That’s a game changer. No mercy will be shown.”

“Dog,” Renault spat. “What happens here does not matter. In the end, we will be hailed as heroes who helped to free our people from servitude to the human monkeys. Michael has foreseen it.”

“God, you sound like a bad B movie,” Caleb drawled. “And Michael hasn’t seen shit. He made up that drivel about being able to see visions. You’ll be remembered as traitors to our people, and fools for following Michael.”

The next instant, Caleb’s body blurred and reformed. Her hiding place afforded her a full view of his body but only a partial view of his face, but it was enough to cause her to stare, mouth agape. Long, razor-sharp teeth protruded from a snouted face, claws gleaming like steel tipped each finger, and coarse black hair covered eight feet plus of jacked-up muscle. Damn, he was one badass werewolf! And Max said a silent prayer of thanks that the anger reflected in his glowing red eyes was directed at the mages, not her.

Max noted the two weaker mages seemed to be having a similar reaction to hers, as both men wore a look of abject horror on their faces. Renault, however, looked triumphant.

“You are of the royal line!” Renault cried. “It is as Michael claimed. There are others born with the pure seed of the Watchers. We can take back what is ours.”

“Idiot,” Caleb growled, his voice distorted by his changed form. “Whatever happens, you won’t live to see it. Michael’s sent you to your death. The only question is why.”

“This is why,” Renault shouted, and he aimed his staff at the boulders behind Caleb. A blood-red blast of energy shot from the tip, and Max ducked, praying she didn’t end up looking like burnt toast.

Caleb had anticipated the action, knowing as the mage did that both women watched from their hiding place. But he didn’t bother to block the blast. He knew Kayla could protect herself and Max with her magic. He’d personally trained her and had confidence in her abilities. What worried him was the risk a protracted battle posed to Max.

His woman had the heart of a warrior and would, if she thought it necessary, join the fight. That he couldn’t allow; his heart would never survive it. Once he’d trained her, however, and she came fully into her powers, things would be different. He would never stand in the way of her fulfilling her destiny. But for now, she was his to protect. And protect her he would, even if it meant tying her to his side until she learned the discipline of a warrior.

Determined to dispatch the threat posed to his mate, he moved with swiftness, his clawed hand neatly severing Renault’s head from his shoulders with a single swipe. Each mage died before the scream of terror could rise from their throats, their mouths open, and their eyes bulging in disbelief.

Caleb looked down at their decapitated corpses and felt no regret. They were traitors. And although they deserved a hard death, to ensure Max’s safety he’d ended their lives quickly. Now there was only his mate to deal with, and he intended to give the matter of her disobedience his full attention.

Fully aware of how fierce he looked with his body covered in hair and his face more beast than man, he met the eyes of his mate across the clearing and bared his teeth in a low growl of disapproval. When Max’s eyes widened and the scent of her fear filled his nostrils, Caleb grunted in satisfaction.

It was good she was afraid. He’d told her to stay in the cabin, and she’d disobeyed him. She could have been injured, or worse yet, killed. The thought was unbearable, unacceptable, and it filled him anew with rage. Her safety came first, above everything else, and before the night was out, he would make sure she understood that.

Max didn’t scare easily. Being different had made her grow a spine, and a stiff one at that. Else she would’ve ended up dog meat for every bully who crossed her path. But Caleb was the scariest thing she’d ever seen. Not because she thought he would hurt her—the big guy would never do that—but because even in his were form she felt an overwhelming attraction to him.

Maybe, if his altered form had been that of a hulking beast drooling with rage, she would have been repulsed. Or if his face had been that of a hideous monster, she would have recoiled. His face was inhuman, yet beautiful, and his body was sculpted to perfection with hard lines and massive muscles. Not to mention, his jutting erection had her hormones going into overdrive. He was magnificent. He scared the hell out of her and made her hot as hell at the same time.

Max heard a tiny gasp, and she turned to find a red-faced Kayla doing her best to look anywhere except in Caleb’s direction. “Err…Max, I think I’d better go now,” she said, waving her hand to dissolve the protective shield she’d erected. “Caleb will see you safely back to the cabin.” Before Max could utter a word, Kayla moved off quickly, headed in the direction from which they’d come. Then she stopped and looked over her shoulder at Max. “A word of warning. Don’t run. To a mated were, it’s an aphrodisiac.” A second later, she disappeared into the thick foliage.

It took Max less than a second to decide she had the right idea. Because no matter what her raging hormones wanted, and no matter what Kayla had said, she was taking off. Her talk with Caleb could wait until he cooled off…and downsized.

Max turned, intent on following Kayla, but before she could take a step, a massive arm wrapped around her waist from behind. Her feet left the ground, and she was hauled against a rock-hard chest.

“I want you to run,” he growled against her neck. “God help me, nothing would please me more, but you’re too young and inexperienced to mate with a Lycan in full heat. But I will teach you obedience, woman. Your safety and protection comes first. Always. And before this night is over, I’ll hear the promise of future obedience from your lips.”

He turned her around until she faced him, and Max almost sighed in relief when she saw he’d shifted, becoming more human-like. His eyes still glowed like hot coals, but he was no longer covered in hair, and he looked like himself, only harsher.

Though he was still furious with her, it was clear he’d shifted to ease her fear of him, and Max’s determination to flee crumbled. She framed his face with her hands and pulled his head down until she could look into his eyes. “Caleb, you’re angry,” she whispered. “Let’s go back to the cabin and discuss this. In light of what’s happened today, we both need a breather.”

Caleb grunted and pulled his head out of her grasp to pin her with a stare that clearly said her day of reckoning had arrived. “No. We mate here and now. And don’t try to pretend you don’t want me. The smell of your arousal says otherwise.”

He released her to take a step back, and Max titled her head to stare up into his hooded eyes burning with need and determination. He could wait no longer.

“The moon is full, and the time of joining is upon us. We mate, as my kind have since the beginning. I will give; you will willingly take. In so doing, the bond between us will be sealed in this life and the next.” He spoke solemnly, his words clearly a declaration spoken by countless generations of were to their mates.

When her eyes remained locked with his, giving him the answer he sought, he used a clawed finger to shred the clothes from her body. Max stood before him bare and trembling with need, but without the slightest embarrassment. She wanted him, and the hunger in his eyes told her better than words how beautiful he found her.

The desire to be with him rose like a living thing within her, answering the musky odor of sexual need pouring from him, and Max knew without his asking exactly what he needed—what they both needed.

She turned and dropped to her hands and knees, boldly and unashamedly exposing herself to him. Of her own volition, she spread her legs wide, thrusting her bottom into the air as she lowered her chest to the ground.

He roared an inhuman sound of triumphant as she signaled her submission, and her body responded by flooding her channel with slick heat. He reached between her legs, one clawed finger stroking her swollen folds with a feather-light touch that said she was safe with him no matter what form he was in, no matter how great his need.

“Wet, dripping with need, but still so tight,” he said, then groaned as he replaced his finger with the head of his cock. “Don’t think I didn’t realize that for all your boldness I’m your first. Our mates are often virgins, since other males are unable to arouse them. It’s nature’s way of ensuring the continuation of the species.”

“Stop…talking.” Max panted, trying to deepen his penetration with a downward push of her hips. “I need…you.”

“I know, babe. But you’re a small woman, and I need to prepare you. I’ve partially shifted to ease the joining, but the ritual demands I take you as were.” He flexed his hips, continuing to penetrate her with shallow thrust. “Just a bit more. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He continued for some time, thrusting and receding, each time opening her further, readying her. It eased the ache in her, but it wasn’t enough. And when he suddenly stopped and withdrew, Max cried out in frustration. Her cry quickly turned to a moan of pleasure as he replaced his cock with his lips.

He suckled her as if he were kissing her mouth, and waves of pleasure spiraled through her body. He held her in place, his big hands spreading her buttocks wide apart, his mouth ravishing her. It was more pleasure than she had ever dreamed of and still, it wasn’t enough.

“Caleb, please!” She wept, beyond shame as her body clenched relentlessly with need. “I can’t wait any longer.”

Caleb growled an expletive, but he answered her with a forceful flex of his hips that plunged him into her core.

Overwhelmed with pleasure, Max arched her back and groaned long and hard, savoring the bliss that spiraled out into every cell of her body. He held still within her, his big body trembling as he obviously fought for control, but Max would have none of it. She needed all of him, and instinct told her the fire inside of her would never be appeased by half measures.

With a twist of her hips, she clenched her cunt tightly, squeezing and then releasing his cock. She mercilessly milked him, her body undulating in invitation, until he uttered a string of curses as the last threads of his control snapped.

“Damn you,” he snarled, thrusting into her with so much force her knees bounced off the ground. “I wanted to go slow.” He pulled back and slammed into her again. “Now I can’t stop. God help me.” He groaned. “I can’t stop.”

He pistoned into her, and Max gave herself up to the intense gratification washing over her until she didn’t know where his body ended and hers began. They were as one, and nothing had ever felt so right.

Somewhere in the haze of mindless bliss that had become her world, she became aware that he was chanting. She didn’t recognize the language, but the words were clearly part of the ritual that sealed their bond. With each thrust and every word, she felt the link between them knitting, becoming stronger. And the thing she kept locked away deep within her swelled, purring with pleasure, and oddly enough, contentment.

When his hot seed jettisoned into her, it seemed perfectly natural to scream her acceptance of him as he flung his head back and howled.

* * * * *

Max fought her way back to consciousness to the feel of bristly hairs against her cheek and a warm, masculine body beneath her. She was back in the cabin, sprawled atop Caleb, and judging by the amount of hard flesh she was in contact with, neither of them had a stitch of clothing on.

“Caleb.”

“Yes, love.” He gently stroked her back with one hand, while his other cupped her bottom, holding her securely in place against him.

“I feel wonderful.” She stretched slightly then winced. “Sore, but wonderful.” She folded her arms atop his chest, using them as a prop for her chin, and smiled impishly at him. “But please tell me what we did was the result of some sort of weird werewolf mojo. Because I’m a southern girl, and we don’t have wild monkey sex with men in open fields unless some kind of mind-altering substance is involved.”

Caleb grinned, his honey-gold eyes lit with laughter. “Sorry, love, no mojo. But if it makes you feel any better, when you screamed your demands, it was done in a very lady-like manner.”

“Very funny,” Max quipped with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “But as I recall, you did some screaming of your own.” Max smiled smugly. “Guess I rocked your world.”

“That you did, baby.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Now go back to sleep. The ritual was hard on you. We’ll talk later.”

Stifling a yawn, Max decided later was okay. Something told her she was going to need all the rest she could get if she was going to keep up with the big guy.

She moved, snuggling deeper into his embrace, and her hand inadvertently brushed against his lower body. He inhaled sharply, and she hid her smile. Now she understood the we’ll talk later command. The big guy had a morning hard-on and probably feared she was too sore to help him get rid of it.

She was sore, but the burn he ignited in her was never far from the surface. Already it was building, filling her with a need only he could assuage. She wasn’t a morning person, but the big guy was sporting several inches of powerful incentive. It would be a shame to waste it.

“Caleb?” Max purred, nuzzling his neck. “I like a man who knows how to take orders as well as give them.”

His body stiffened. “You’re sore, Max. We can’t.”

“Oh, I think we can.” She pushed slightly away from him and pointedly eyed the blatant need he could no longer conceal. “Your mate has a need. It’s your job to take care of it.”

His eyes narrowed, and he reached out to catch her hand as it moved toward his cock. “I said no, baby. I’m a big man, and last night I didn’t leave an inch of you untouched. My dick gets hard enough to pound nails just looking at you, but I will always place your health and safety before my needs. And don’t think I’ve forgotten you disobeyed me and left the cabin. We will discuss that later, and if I don’t get a good answer for what you did, your tight little ass is mine.”

Max grinned, not in the least intimidated. “Hell, Sheriff, you’re getting me all hot and bothered with your caveman talk.”

Max slid down his body until her lips were less than an inch away from his cock. She flicked her tongue out, lapping at the drops of pre-cum seeping from the head and grinned in wicked delight when he groaned.

“You really are a big man, Sheriff.” She ran her hand over his erection. “And I guess that old saying is true.” She cupped his sac, eliciting another groan from him. “The bigger the man, the harder he falls.”

Caleb opened his mouth, no doubt intending to put her in her place, but Max seized the moment to draw him into her mouth. He didn’t taste as good as coffee, but the sight of his big body falling back onto the bed like a redwood topping over from a mighty blow was definitely worth the effort. It wasn’t going to turn her into a morning person, but it would certainly make getting up a hell of a lot easier.

Chapter Seven

Max awoke abruptly and sensed she was alone. She spotted a piece of paper tacked to the cabin door, and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she hurried over to read it. The jerk! He’d left her again, and he was ordering her to stay put until his return. Not the best tactic to take with a lover on the morning after, but she’d give the big guy a pass this time.

He had a thing about keeping her safe, and after last night’s run-in with the dark mages, she was in no hurry for a repeat performance. Besides, if he needed her, she’d sense it as she had last night. Caleb was out doing his thing, but he wasn’t in danger. Good thing, too, because without her morning cup of coffee and food, she wasn’t much help to anyone.

Intent on putting some food in her grumbling stomach, Max pulled on one of Caleb’s shirts and headed toward the cabin’s tiny kitchen. When she heard a soft cry, as if someone was in pain, she walked over to the cabin’s only window and pulled the curtain back. What she saw caused her heart to leap painfully in her chest.

A tall man stood a few yards from the cabin door gripping Kayla so tightly by the forearm she hung like a lifeless rag doll at his side. She still wore the hooded jacket and pants from the night before. But her clothes were filthy, and her eyes were filled with pain and disbelief.

The man holding Kayla kept his head bent as he spoke to her, but Max didn’t need to hear what he was saying to know he taunted her. Auras were an intricate part of her gift, and Max read them the way other people read the newspaper. This man was a dark mage and ten times more powerful than Renault. There was no light in his aura, and it hung about him like a shroud, darkly malevolent, wholly evil. Yet, when he lifted his head to look at her, his face was so hauntingly beautiful Max could barely believe her eyes. It had to be an illusion, but knowing that didn’t lessen the impact.

“I know you see me, Caleb’s mate,” he called out softly, his dulcet voice a perfect match for his otherworldly beauty. “You fear for your friend, and rightly so. She has fought well for one so young, but her disobedience will only earn her more pain. Remove the protective wards surrounding the cabin, and I promise no further harm will come to her.”

Max slowly released the curtain and moved toward the door. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but doing nothing wasn’t an option. She opened the door and stood in the entryway, fully aware she held Kayla’s life in her hands.

“Caleb isn’t here,” she stated flatly. “And whatever you want, she has no part in it.”

“Ah, but there you are quite mistaken,” the man said softly. “Caleb destroyed what belonged to me. Now I destroy what belongs to him. A pity really. I do not enjoy destroying beautiful things.” He glanced at Kayla. “And she is quite beautiful.”

Max fought to keep her expression bland, knowing any show of fear would be seen as a weakness to be exploited. And the knowledge that Caleb wasn’t far away helped to steady her nerves. She could sense his presence, moving nearer at an incredible pace, while he used the mate bond between them to blanket her mind with a single command.

Stay in the cabin. I’m coming.

Max didn’t make an effort to respond. She did not intend to give the mage what he wanted by leaving the cabin. But she wasn’t going to let him hurt Kayla if she could help it, and that meant keeping his attention focused on her and off Kayla. Problem was, she had never been good at small talk, and dealing with a powerful, pissed off mage hadn’t been part of Life Skills 101.

“You seem to know who I am, but I don’t remember meeting you,” Max said. “That puts me at a distinct disadvantage.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “Come now, do not attempt to play games. You know I am Michael. Caleb would not leave his mate ignorant of his greatest enemy.”

Max shrugged. “He spoke of a Michael, but he didn’t say anything about your being his greatest enemy. I got the impression you worked for someone. Kind of like a personal assistant.” It was risky to insult the bastard, but she needed to keep his attention focused on her.

Michael arched a single dark eyebrow at Max, as if amused by the insult. He removed his hand from Kayla’s arm and turned her face toward him, manipulating her frozen body as if she were a mannequin. Then, when he had her face positioned such so, he backhanded her so forcefully across the face the ornate ring on his finger opened a gash on her cheek. Immobile as she was, unable to defend herself in any way, the blow was an act of unnecessary cruelty.

“You bastard,” Max hissed. “I hope Caleb kills you.”

“He has tried.”

“So I’ve heard. And he must be closing in for the kill, or I doubt you’d be here.”

“Your bravado is charming, little one, but I do not fear Caleb. I have the means to bring the wolf to heel.” He turned toward Kayla. “This one has great courage.” He stroked along the gash on Kayla’s bloody cheek. “But sometimes courage is not enough.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and casually wiped the blood from his hand before looking back at Max. “You will remove the wards surrounding the cabin. Now. This instant. Or I will bring her such pain she will beg me to end her life.” He spoke softly, his words devoid of all human emotion, yet he managed to convey so much menace Max actually flinched.

“Don’t,” Max pleaded when he turned back to Kayla. “The wards were placed by Caleb’s people. I don’t know how to remove them.”

He stared at Max, his black eyes narrowed. Then he smiled. “Come to me then.” The words formed in Max’s mind, pushing all other thoughts aside. “The wards will not harm you. Step over the threshold, and the girl will be spared. You know it is what you want to do. It is what you must do.”

Max leaned forward, drawn to the sound of his voice. It was so beautiful, so pure. So—Compulsion.

Mama Willie had warned her there were beings able to control others with their voice, but until now, she’d never encountered one. In truth, she’d doubted their existence, but her grandmother had insisted she learn to mind shield. And despite her thoughts on the matter, she’d been a good student.

“Good try, Michael, but not good enough.” Max smirked, shaking off his control. “And since Caleb will be here any minute, maybe you should call it a day.”

“I will call it a day, as you say, because you have revealed to me what I came to learn.” His gaze slid to Kayla. “But before I leave, this one will pay for your insolence. You do not have the power to stop me, and Caleb will not arrive in time to prevent my stripping the magic from her soul. I will leave her as barren as a field in winter. Little more than a husk of her former self. For a child of the fey such as she, there is no worse fate.”

Max saw the horror of his words reflected in Kayla’s eyes. He spoke the truth, and she had to find some way of stopping him, even if it meant opening a doorway she had sworn to keep forever locked.

With no other options open, Max reached for the thing buried deep inside her. It unfurled swiftly, eager to escape the bonds of a lifetime, and Max did nothing to hold it back. She simply locked her gaze on the mage, making sure there was little doubt as to where it should direct its ire.

Michael flexed his fingers, the movement almost imperceptible. But Max felt a rush of power as a silver web, pulsing with enough energy to withstand a nuclear blast, formed around him. It was an impressive show of power, and the smile on Michael’s face said he knew it.

“I see you have found the courage to unleash the hellhound buried inside you, daughter of Morrigan, but it will do you little good. You are a fledgling, and I am at the height of my power. There can be only one outcome.”

Max didn’t bother with a comeback. Whatever she had unleashed had full control of her body, and speech was no longer an option.

From behind her eyes, it watched Michael with the predatory patience of a born killer, and only Caleb’s fierce growls pouring into her mind, demanding she wait for his arrival, seemed to have an effect on it. It listened to Caleb, seeming to defer to him. But when Michael lifted a hand toward Kayla, it severed the link with Caleb.

Max’s arms snapped outward, and a stream of white light shot from her fingertips. It surged toward Michael, coalescing around his feet into a mass of writhing white flames that slowly crept up his legs.

Michael waved his hands, calling on his magic to disperse the flames, but his actions seemed to have the reverse effect. The flames flared wildly, increasing in intensity. Michael moved his hands faster, franticly weaving one spell after another, but to no avail. He was burning alive, and the considerable magic at his disposal seemed to have no effect. In less than a minute, a living cocoon of white encased him.

“Mage Slayer!” Michael called out from within the flames. “You have won this day, but this war is far from over. Before it is done, I will see you and your mate well rewarded for what you have done here today. Savor your victory here today. It will be your last.”

A second later, he disappeared as if plucked from the flames by an invisible hand. And just as quickly, the white flames became wisps of smoke and drifted away as if they had never been.

The power receded within Max, leaving her once again in control of her body and the recipient of Caleb’s fury. Her wolf man would be putting in an appearance any second, and he was beyond furious that she had put herself at risk. Max threw up a flimsy mind block, tuning his tirade down several notches. The big guy had it bad for her. He was almost drooling with rage, but he was also half out of his mind with worry. Max smiled. The make-up sex was going to be great.

Kayla called out to her, pulling her thoughts back to the present, and Max turned to find her struggling to come to a sitting position on the ground. Max rushed to her and, wrapping an arm around her waist, helped her to stand.

“He’s gone, Kayla,” Max whispered, needing to hear the words of assurance as much as Kayla.” You’re going to be all right.”

Kayla nodded, and both women clung to each other as they made their way into the cabin. Once inside, Max helped Kayla into a chair at the kitchen table before heading to the tiny bathroom in search of a first aid kit.

“The cut on your cheek isn’t bad,” Max called out, while inspecting the items in the medicine cabinet. “But we need to get it cleaned up.” She poked her head out of the bathroom. “No first aid kit in here. Do you know where Caleb keeps it?”

“No,” Kayla said, using a paper napkin to wipe the blood from her cheek. “But it isn’t needed. Like the weres, my kind heals quickly.”

Max opened her mouth to ask her exactly what my kind meant, when a man materialized out of thin air less than six feet away, and directly in front of her.

Max screamed and stumbled backwards, but Kayla came to her feet bristling with anger.

“Stefan! You nearly scared Max to death. And what are you doing here? I thought you were in Europe.”

“No doubt,” the vampire snapped, his black eyes flashing. “Or you would not have risked my wrath by acting in such a foolish manner.”

Max released the breath she had been holding and forced herself to relax. Stefan wasn’t a threat. Although, it was obvious he and Kayla had issues of the man/woman type.

Suddenly exhausted, Max took a seat on the edge of the bed, quite happy to be a spectator in the battle of wills between the couple. Both of them looked mad enough to burst into flames, but Max put her money on Kayla. She was fighting mad, but he was out of his mind with worry, and Max didn’t need to read his aura to know it.

“I was a fool to listen to you,” Stefan snarled, taking hold of Kayla’s shoulders to give her a little shake. “I should never have allowed you such freedom.”

Kayla broke free of his hold, appearing not in the least intimidated by the tumultuous power emanating from the tall vampire. “I am my own person, Stefan. I can take care of myself.”

“As you did when Michael enthralled you?”

Kayla’s eyes widened in surprise, and Stefan’s lips turned up in a cruel facsimile of a smile. “Oh yes, I saw everything that happened. And because I was foolish enough to honor your request to delay our bonding, I could not prevent your capture. As it was, I was hard pressed to protect you from serious injury. But I will listen to no more of your prattle about the rights of women. I allowed you the freedom you sought, and you did not even have the good sense to keep your wards in place!”

“I did not drop my wards,” Kayla denied hotly. “Michael has found a way to circumvent the patterns that have protected our people for centuries. And what do you mean you allowed me the freedom I sought? You do not own me, Stefan. I am a free woman, no matter what you may think.”

“We will see about that.”

Stefan reached for her, but Kayla deftly avoided his hands and made a dash for the door. He caught her midstride, and they both vanished into thin air.

Max walked over and inspected the area where they’d stood, thinking she knew exactly how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole. Maybe if she pinched herself hard enough she’d awaken to find she’d dreamed the whole thing as well.

With a shake of her head, she turned and nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Caleb standing in the open door of the cabin. He was in human form, but his eyes were wild, and his claw-tipped hands bore traces of blood.

“Caleb! Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Max cried. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Caleb closed the distance between them and hoisted her up by the armpits to glare directly into her face. “I should put you over my knee and spank that little butt of yours so hard you can’t sit for a week,” he snarled, between clenched teeth. “What were you thinking?”

Max glared back at him. “What are you so mad about? I’m the one who was abandoned. And put me down. You’re treating me like a doggie toy.”

Caleb snarled at her again, this time flashing an impressive set of canines, and Max decided a tactical retreat was in order. She knew his anger was fueled by the fear that she might have been hurt—or worse. But he was mad enough to give her a serious spanking. And since his hands were as big and well developed as the rest of him, that was something she wanted to avoid.

“Okay, my bad. I apologize for breaking my promise to stay in the cabin. But you did abandon me.” Max added the last bit, hoping to deflect some of his anger. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from grinning when Caleb’s angry expression gave way to a frown of uncertainty.

He allowed her feet to touch the floor, but when she tried to move away from him, he gripped her waist, anchoring her in place.

“You were not abandoned, woman. I left you a note.”

“Leaving a woman the morning after with a, Stay in the cabin or else, Post-it note on the door is abandonment.” Max pushed against his chest. “Let me go. I’ve decided I don’t like you anymore.”

“Too bad, you’re stuck with me.” He jerked her into his arms for a jarring hug. “I could have lost you.”

“Now I’m beginning to feel like a yo-yo,” Max gasped with her face smashed against his chest. “And lighten up a bit on the rib-cracking hug, wolf man. I’m breakable.”

Caleb loosened his hold, but he rested his cheek against the top of her head in a gesture Max secretly craved. Whenever he did it, she felt cherished right down to the tips of her toes.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” Caleb said. “I need you, babe.”

Max sighed heavily and returned his embrace. She’d been ready to give him a piece of her mind about his leaving her, but how could she yell at him when he was holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him?

“I had to help Kayla. Otherwise I never would have left the cabin to face a scary dude like Michael. But I heard you calling to me through our bond. I knew you were doing everything you could to get to me.”

“Moving at preternatural speed, I would have reached you in seconds, but Michael sacrificed several of his followers to slow me down. Each time I dispatched one, another took his place. His goal was to delay me long enough to capture you and Kayla. With the two most important women in my life held hostage, he could keep me at bay.” Caleb rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. “His plan might have succeeded, if he hadn’t underestimated you.

Max snuggled against his broad chest, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her. “I don’t want to talk about what happened. I think I’ll just stay here for a while and enjoy the moment. Unless…” She titled her head back to smile suggestively up at him. “…you have something better in mind?”

He kissed the tip of her nose and gently eased her away from him. “We need to talk. But first I want to thank you for saving Kayla.”

Max sighed, accepting the inevitable. She knew what that meant. He wanted to discuss exactly how she’d saved Kayla. And the expression on his face said later wasn’t an option.

“You don’t have to thank me. I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.”

“Others might have, but you are a true daughter of Morrigan.”

“Michael called me that. He also called me a mage slayer, but I don’t understand what either term means.”

“Morrigan was one of my people. A woman born with the heart of a lion and the soul of a saint. She protected the innocent against insurmountable odds. But it was her ability to turn a dark mage’s powers against him that earned her the title of Mage Slayer. I believe you have untapped powers similar to hers, and more than likely she was one of your ancestors.”

“So that’s what I did,” she murmured thoughtfully. “I turned Michael’s own powers against him.” Max looked up at Caleb, her eyes filled with unease. “But to defeat him, I had to do something I’d vowed never to do. And I can see by your guarded expression you know exactly what I’m talking about. My guess is you’ve known all along there was something powerful buried inside me.”

When he remained silent, his face expressionless, Max shook her head in resignation. “Well, it’s out now. The question is, can I put it back?”

Caleb closed the distance between them. “Do you really want to put it back?”

She opened her mouth to answer him, but he placed a finger against her lips.

“On second thought, don’t answer that. You’re a daughter of Morrigan. Of that, I have no doubt. But I also believe you’re the human mage slayer prophesized to mate a Lycan and fight at his side in the coming Great War.” He pulled Max into his arms, his hands molding her against the hard contours of his body and the blatant evidence of his need. “But none of that matters now. All that matters is that you’re safe and,” he whispered softly against her neck, “the smell of your arousal tells me you are very much in need of the comfort only your mate can give you.”

“God, could you please stop smelling me.” Max moaned, burying her face in his chest. “And anyway, we can’t do that now.”

“Why not, babe? It’s what we both need.”

Max tilted her head back to look at him in dismay. “Have you forgotten Kayla? We need to check on her. Stefan was very angry when he flashed her out of here. She might need rescuing.”

“We’ll be seeing them both in a few hours. Stefan and Kayla are both part of the Alliance, and the team is meeting here at the cabin to discuss the best way to handle Michael. But in any case, you needn’t worry about Kayla. Stefan would sooner cut off his arm than hurt her. He’s just upset that she won’t sit by the fire while he goes out and slays the dragons of the world.”

“Kinda like somebody we know,” Max said, arching an eyebrow.

“Exactly like someone we know,” Caleb said, sliding his hands over her bottom. “But in my case, I know I’m mated to a little spitfire who’s going to need her tight little ass spanked on a regular basis. Stefan, on the other hand, is still trying to figure out what the hell happened to turn his sweet little bride into a ball buster.”

“So they’re already married?” Max asked, doing her best to ignore her body’s heated response to his marauding hands. It was a losing battle, but she couldn’t just bend over and drop her drawers every time the man curled his finger at her. Even though, God help me, that’s exactly what I want to do.

“They’re better than married,” Caleb informed her with a knowing little smile that said he wasn’t in the least fooled by her resistance. “A vampire’s bride is literally the other half of his soul. They will mate, but at the moment they’re having a bit of a problem merging their worlds. Stefan has rigid ideas about a woman’s place in the world, and delicate little Kayla has blossomed into a steel magnolia. But I have no doubt they’ll mate. There’s just going to be plenty of fireworks while they work out their differences.”

He leaned in, inhaling deeply as he nuzzled her neck. “But that’s enough talk about Stefan and Kayla for now. I smell something delicious. Could it be my baby has the same problem I do?”

“You always have a problem,” Max quipped, tilting her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. “But me first. I’m the injured party here.”

Caleb smiled down at her and slid a hand beneath the shirt she was wearing, his hand stroking the curls at the junction of her thighs. “I don’t think so. You’ve been a very bad girl. And bad girls don’t get to call the shots.”

“Okay-y,” she moaned, savoring the feel of his thumb stroking over her folds. “I have been pretty bad, but I’m ready to accept my punishment.”

“That’s good, baby, because your punishment is going to be long and hard.” He took her hand and led her over to the bed. “And if you really do a good job of showing me how sorry you are, I won’t use the handcuffs…until later.”

Chapter Eight

The first to arrive was Stefan and Kayla. The tension between them was palpable, but while Stefan’s face was completely devoid of expression, Kayla looked like a thundercloud ready to burst. Stefan greeted them with a regal nod, but before Kayla could utter a word, he maneuvered her toward the back of the cabin.

Max jerked her head toward the couple, indicating her concern, but Caleb merely winked before opening the door again. This time a strikingly handsome man dressed in the red robes of a mage entered. His power preceded him into the room, rolling in like a gentle wave washing ashore. He was a mage of great power. But he was also something more, and the power within her rose to the forefront to challenge him, demanding to know if he was friend or foe.

“Peace, little sister,” the mage said, ignoring Caleb’s low growl of warning as he walked calmly toward Max. “I am Mage, but I do not serve the dark ones.” He lifted a hand, and the power within her receded. Whatever he was, he wasn’t a danger to her, or the thing within her would never have acquiesced so easily, but he was too powerful for her to feel totally comfortable with.

“That could come in handy,” Max said, extending her hand to Noori. “Maybe, later, you’ll tell me how you did it.”

Noori smiled and took her hand in his, but he examined her with more than just his eyes. Max would have been offended, but Noori’s eyes held approval and the unspoken offer of friendship.

“I’m Max, by the way,” she offered, when he continued to stare at her.

“I am Noori, Caleb’s blood brother.” He glanced at Caleb from beneath heavily lashed eyelids that any woman would kill for. “And I can see the positive effect you have had on him already. Perhaps there is hope for him yet.” He brushed Max’s hand lightly with a kiss before releasing it. “You are a very courageous woman to mate with one such as him, and if you ever require my assistance, you have only to ask.” He glanced in amusement at Caleb. “I have experience in dealing with wild animals.”

Caleb raised his finger and flipped Noori off, but the mage merely smiled and watched as Caleb pulled Max against his side. “Put a lid on it, Noori. My mate doesn’t need to hear any of your B.S. Were you able to contact Ronan?”

“He is on his way, and I have kept him fully aware of the situation.” He stepped around Caleb and angled his head as he looked at Stefan. “Kayla, my love, is that you the wicked vampire has pinned in the corner?” His eyes lit with delight as Kayla managed to dart around Stefan and, with a small cry of joy, ran to him.

“Noori, I’ve missed you so much!” She gave him a fierce hug. “Thank God you’re home. Stefan is being unreasonable again!”

Noori returned her hug, all the while openly grinning at Stefan over her head. “I can see you have had your hands full, little one. Clearly, awakening the dark one’s emotions has not improved his disposition.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead before holding her at arm’s length. “But look at you! You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman. We will go to Las Vegas to celebrate, a sort of coming out party. Vegas is a very wicked city but—” He slid a sly chance at Stefan. “—we will only be a little wicked.”

Kayla laughed, clearly delighted at his words. “And don’t forget your promise to me.”

“Never. It will be my pleasure to instruct you in whatever you wish.”

“Like hell, you will,” Stefan said, his voice frigid as he closed the distance between them. “Kayla is my bride, and you will respect that. Remove your hands from her, or I will see that you do so.”

Noori released Kayla, but he didn’t move away from her. Instead, he leaned over to whisper loudly in her ear, “The dark one is the jealous type, but he is much too cold-blooded to mate you. Do you wish me to rid you of him, little one? I would make you a much better groom.”

At that moment, Max wondered if Noori was completely sane. He chatted away, planning a trip to Vegas with Kayla, while Stefan watched him with the stone-cold eyes of a killer. And judging by the powerful auras encompassing both men, if the two of them tangled, it would be the equivalent of setting off a nuclear blast in the small cabin.

Caleb must have thought the same thing, because he moved to place himself between Noori and Stefan. In the same moment, Kayla whirled to face a snarling Stefan, knocking a chair over in the process, and Max moved to the other side of the room.

She wasn’t worried about her safety, she knew how to shield, but the big guy needed maneuvering space if he was going to keep a lid on the situation. In any case, things were bound to get broken, and Max didn’t plan to be one of them.

“I see I have arrived just in time.”

Max tried to move, to turn toward the doorway from where the voice had come, but she found she couldn’t move a muscle.

A hooded, dark skinned man, garbed in the brown robe of a monk, walked across her field of vision, and the battle-ready tension wafting off the men in the room changed to blistering anger. Whoever the newcomer was, he was not unknown, but Max didn’t know if he’d survive the day. Stefan and Caleb looked ready to tear him apart, and Noori had a look in his eyes that said he was more than willing to lend a hand.

“Noori, you are incorrigible,” the man said, coming to a halt next to the mage. “I know you seek to help Stefan at this difficult time, but try not to get yourself killed in the process.” He waved his hand, removing the force keeping them in place, and all three men turned to glare at him with the promise of retribution in their eyes.

Caleb was the first to speak, his voice distorted as he brought the urge to shift under control. “Ronan, I told you not to use any of that time-shifting shit on me again or I’d rip you a new asshole. And what the hell took you so long? You should have been here over an hour ago.”

“I am pleased to see you as well,” Ronan said dryly, appearing not the least bit disturbed by the three large men glaring daggers at him. “And I am aware of every threat you have ever made to my person. Please forgive my abrupt intervention, but we have females present, and I could not permit them to be further stressed.” He nodded toward a clearly relieved Kayla, and then turned to Max. “We have yet to be introduced, Caleb’s mate. I am Ronan, and I welcome you to our dysfunctional family.”

Max acknowledged his greeting with a small smile, but she moved closer to Caleb. Ronan was a warlock, and despite the pleasant smile on his gaunt face, his aura said he was as dark of spirit as Noori was bright. When Caleb had told her about those who would be present at this meeting, he’d informed her that Ronan was a good man, but he was often called to battle forces so dark his friends feared for his health—and his soul. After meeting him, she understood Caleb’s warning. Ronan was a powerful warlock, but he was not alone in his body. His was a deeply personal battle with evil, and the outcome was far from certain.

Caleb called the meeting to order, and though it was clear the men were still more than a little pissed off at Ronan, they took up places around the room, directing only a few lingering glares in his direction.

Caleb seated Max next to Kayla, but he remained standing and faced the group. “We all know why we’re here, so there’s no need to rehash what’s already been agreed upon. Once I destroy the stone of Asreal, it will be safe for the rest of you to enter. Just remember, Michael is mine.” His gaze touched briefly on each member of his team as if to re-enforce his words. “Now, is everyone clear on what they need to do?”

They all nodded, but when Max glanced around the room, she noted the men avoided looking in her direction. Kayla gave her a reassuring smile before glancing away.

“Okay,” Max said, directing a steely look at Caleb. “Why do I have the feeling I haven’t been kept completely in the loop? And what do you mean, We all know why we’re here? I thought we were here to formulate a plan. But clearly, everything is a done deal. And now that I think on it, you shut down the mate bond between us for several minutes this afternoon. Care to explain why you did that?”

“Babe,” Caleb admonished, “I thought you understood I mind linked earlier with the others and discussed our options. Everything is settled. I leave immediately for Michael’s stronghold. The others will follow when I give the signal.”

Max shook her head, fighting to contain the fear that gripped her. “You can’t go in alone. There has to be another way.”

“I wish there was, but now that Michael has the stone of Asreal, his power is growing exponentially. We could destroy him with the magical equivalent of a nuclear blast, but that would mean everyone in the stronghold would die. Many of the mages who follow him are foolish young men with no knowledge of Michael’s true plans. They don’t deserve to die, and no one wants that to happen. A surgical strike is risky, but it minimizes the loss of life.”

“You make him sound invincible,” Stefan scoffed, leaning casually against the back wall of the cabin. “Your were senses may make you immune to most of the effects of the stone, but none of us have been controlled for more than a few seconds by its influence. There’s no need for you to go in alone. I, for one, am willing to risk it.”

“But I’m not,” Caleb said flatly, giving him a look that brooked no argument. “And as the Alliance’s hand of justice, it’s my job to deal with Michael. I appreciate your help…but the decision is mine.”

Stefan looked far from pleased, but he acquiesced with a nod of his head, and the room quickly emptied, leaving Caleb and Max alone.

“I still don’t like it, Caleb,” Max grumbled. “What if—”

“It’s too late for what ifs, babe,” Caleb said, pulling her into his arms. “Michael must be stopped before any more innocent blood is shed. Now be a good little hellion and shut up. Your man needs a kiss before he leaves.”

“Good thing you didn’t ask for a goodbye kiss,” Max said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, “because I’m coming with you. And don’t try and stop me. I know you’re a tough guy, but you never know when a Mage Slayer might come in handy.”

Caleb rested his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. “Much as I’d like to, I’m not going to try and keep you here in the cabin. I already tried that, and trouble found you anyway.” He released her and, with a slap on the butt, turned her toward the door. “You’ll remain with the others, though, and this time you will not disobey me.”

Max said nothing, allowing him to believe she agreed with him, but as she headed out the door, she quietly began making plans of her own. Caleb was hers. And she’d learned long ago that you protect what was yours.

* * * * *

Over two hours had come and gone since Caleb had entered the cave, and still no signal. Max had spent the time pacing nervously, peering constantly into the darkened interior of the cave as if she could will him to appear. She’d even sent up a few fervent prayers, promising all matter of things. But the minutes had slowly changed into hours, and still no sign of Caleb.

Fighting back tears of frustration, Max sat on a small boulder near the cave’s entrance and tried to think of a rescue plan that the others would agree to. She wasn’t surprised when Noori walked out of the thick foliage ringing the cave and sat down beside her. Since Caleb had left, he’d kept a silent vigil, never more than a few feet from her side.

“Caleb is a fortunate man,” he said softly. “He has a mate who cares deeply for him.”

Max turned to look at the man sitting next to her and, not for the first time, wondered why it was the bad boys of the world always had velvety voices and impossibly long eyelashes. Not to mention, he had a smile never far from his lips that would make a saint think of forbidden pleasures. His black hair, held by a strip of leather at his neck, looked as if it would flow like silk down his back when unbound. He was as potent as a shot of Jack Daniels, and handsome enough to make a nun lust in her heart. But he wasn’t Caleb. He didn’t growl protectively when another male got too close to her, he didn’t inhale her scent as if it was the finest of perfumes, and he didn’t look at her as though she was the very air he needed to breathe.

“He will return,” Noori assured her when she remained silent. “He has no equal when it comes to sheer cunning and ferocity in battle.” He turned to look at her. “But more importantly, he has found you. He will not leave the one thing he has always hoped for but never really believed he would find.”

“You speak as if you’ve known Caleb a long time.”

“I believe I have always known him, but in this life we met as small boys, heralded by our seers to be the ones who would stand on the front lines in the coming war against the dark mages. I came from Peru, Stefan from England, Ronan from Africa, and Caleb from America to spend our formative years together and learn from our greatest teachers. It was a wise decision. When you are envied for your birthright and feared for the power you wield, the world can be a lonely place.”

“You were feared…even as children?”

Noori nodded solemnly. “We came into our powers at an early age, and like all children, we made mistakes. Not many, but enough that we were kept separate from the others of our kind until we learned discipline.”

“I know what it’s like to be feared because you’re different, but at least you had each other.”

“Forgive me, Max.” He touched her lightly on the shoulder, his manner comforting. “That was thoughtless of me. But we will speak of other things now, such as your plan to go after Caleb.”

Max looked at him in mild surprise. “Is mind reading one of your gifts?”

His lips turned up in a wicked smile. “Many who have found pleasure in my bed believe so, but the truth is you have an open face. I believe you are right to be concerned. And the others believe something has gone wrong also, but they won’t discuss it in your presence. They think to protect you.”

“He needs my help, Noori. My mate bond with him tells me he’s alive, but my body burns with the danger surrounding him.”

Noori shook his head. “I know I am going to regret it, but I will ask anyway. What is your plan, little sister?”

“I wish I could say I’ve thought of something extraordinary, but the truth is, I’m so worried I can barely think. But if you can open a vortex for me, similar to the one you opened for Caleb, I know I can find him and get him out of there. And don’t ask me how I know that, I just do. Just as I know that without my help, he won’t make it out of alive.”

His eyes narrowed, and Max knew he was seeing her with his magic, delving into the deepest corner of her soul, before answering her. Something he saw there must have convinced him to help her, because he took her hand in his and rose to his feet.

“I will help you, but I don’t know if the others will. And I will need their aid to create another vortex.”

When Kayla, Stefan, and Ronan suddenly appeared in a circle around her, Max realized Noori had silently communicated with them. It was a little disconcerting the way they talked to each other without words, but Max found comfort in Caleb’s claim that as her gift grew in strength, she too would gain the ability to mind link with others.

Stefan broke from the circle and walked over to stand directly in front of her, his gaze unblinking as he looked down at her. “Caleb will not be pleased,” he stated flatly, his tone so cold a shiver raced down her spine. “I—” He winced, as if someone had screamed in his ear, and he shot a cool glance at Kayla before continuing. “I do not think your plan is wise, little sister, but my bride has reminded me that I owe you a boon for saving her life. I will aid you in whatever way I can, but you are mate to my brother, and it is his wish that your life be placed before his. If at any time I deem the risk too great, I will remove you to a place of safety.”

Max gave him a small nod of thanks, but she smiled at Kayla before looking across at Ronan. The Warlock stood off to her left, hands folded into the sleeves of his robe, his head bowed. He looked to be meditating, but Max knew he was aware of everything that happened around him and that he could, and would, stop her if he deemed it necessary.

“I can do this, Ronan.” Max tried to sound confident, but she had a feeling the warlock knew she had locked her knees to keep them from shaking. “You know what the prophesy says. You know what I did to Michael.”

Ronan lifted his head, his bleak eyes giving nothing away as his gaze met hers. “I know you are impetuous and overflowing with a wild magic you have yet to master. Are you certain you wish to do this?”

“No, but I am certain I’m the only one who can do what needs to be done. I admit I’m impetuous and don’t have full control of my gifts, but I can disrupt mage power. So check your egos at the door. I’m Caleb’s best chance of getting out alive, and your best chance at avoiding a bloodbath. So unless one of you has a better plan, let’s get on with it. Anyway—” Max shrugged. “—if I fail, you can always fall back on plan B.”

Stefan hissed, clearly displeased with her words, and Max narrowed her eyes at him.

“What? Do you think I don’t know you guys have a Plan B? I may be the new kid on the block, but it doesn’t take much of a brain to see Noori is a master manipulator, Stefan’s middle name is Tyrant, and Ronan is a really scary combination of the two. I know you guys have a plan B, you’re just not sharing it with me.”

For several long seconds nobody said a word, and Max realized they were doing the mind link thing again. Max tried not to let it bother her, but she had just about run out of patience when Kayla spoke out.

“Forgive our rudeness, Max, but we were attempting once again to communicate with Caleb. The spell blocking us is impenetrable, and since none of us believed that was even possible, our Plan B, as you call it, needed some revising. We are in agreement now. We’ll form a vortex for you, but you’ll have to agree to a blood link.”

Max frowned. “You mean you want Stefan to take my blood?”

“No, that’s not what she means,” Stefan snapped. “I am not Dracula. You have only to prick your thumb, and one of us can link with your essence.”

“Sorry,” Max said with a sheepish grin, “I didn’t mean to offend. I’m relieved to know forming a link doesn’t involve blood sucking. But even if it did, I’m sure Caleb would understand. You’re his brothers, and all that stuff about weres being territorial and unable to tolerate other males near their mates doesn’t apply.”

Max looked at the others for confirmation, but no one said a word.

It was Kayla, her eyes alight with suppressed laughter, who stepped forward to prick Max’s thumb with a small dagger. The men remained at a respectful distance.

* * * * *

Max stood with Ronan, watching as little wisps of white smoke coalesced and swirled in a circular pattern at the entrance to the cave. The others stood several feet off to the side, heads bowed and eyes closed as they channeled energy into the forming vortex.

“It is quite deceptive in appearance,” Ronan said, studying the whirling mass. “But it is quite literally a door across time and space. When you exit the vortex, you will be in the cellar of Michael’s ancestral home. His home is heavily warded and possessed of a malevolent magic. So take care to keep your gift buried deep inside you until it is needed.” He pulled a dark, hooded cape seemingly out of the air and draped it over her shoulders. “Wear this with the hood pulled about your face. The garment is identical to the kind worn by Michael’s human servants, and as long as you keep to the shadows, no one should question your presence. If you are stopped, keep your eyes downcast and address everyone as Master or Mistress. And remember, you have only an hour to find Caleb. After that, we attack with whatever force is needed to destroy the Stone of Asreal.”

She gathered the cape around her, but before she could step into the vortex, Stefan blocked her path.

“Take this.” He held out a small tube filled with some sort of dark red liquid. “It will mask your life force and magical essence from the dark mages. To anyone using magic to scan for intruders, you will be undetectable.”

Max nodded her thanks and, with a deep breath to steady her nerves, stepped into the whirling wisps of smoke. It was like walking into a cloud on the ground, and she literally had no idea where each footfall would land. But she kept moving forward, praying with each step that she reached Caleb in time.

She had walked only a few feet, when the whirling wisps of white smoke dispersed, and she found herself standing in a small dark room. Damn. Max breathed through her mouth to combat the stench that assailed her nostrils. Ronan had told her she would exit into a cellar, but he failed to mention it would smell like a sewer and look like a medieval dungeon.

Fortunately, a small vent afforded some light from the outside, and Max was able to make her way up a flight of narrow stairs to the room’s only door. She carefully cracked it open and peered out into a narrow hallway lined with several doors. No one was about, and she stepped out into the corridor, allowing her senses to flare outward in search of Caleb.

To her surprise, he was only a few yards away, behind one of the nondescript doors lining the hallway. Remembering Ronan’s instructions, she pulled the hood over her head before making her way along the poorly lit passageway. If anyone saw her, she was certain her disguise would hold, but she doubted anyone would stop her. She’d worked as a maid on more than one occasion, and she knew servants were expected to be seen everywhere and as a result were seen nowhere.

Max had taken only a few steps when a door along the corridor swung open. Two men dressed in the blood-red robes of the dark mages came out.

“What are you doing here?” the one closet to Max asked. His tone was only slightly suspicious, and his companion looked annoyed that he’d even bothered to speak to her.

Max walked over to the two men, making sure she kept her eyes downcast and her head bowed subserviently. She knew from the cool gray of the men’s auras her presence didn’t alarm them, but that didn’t stop her heart from racing with fear.

“The master wishes a report on the status of the prisoner. Your presence is requested at once.” Max told the lie without hesitation. She knew Caleb was in the room the men had exited, and it was a safe bet these men were his jailers. If she could get them to leave, even for a few minutes, the team could swish them to safety in seconds.

“May our magic protect us,” he said on a heartfelt groan. He looked at his companion, his fear evident in the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “He will not be pleased with our lack of success.”

“No doubt,” the other mumbled, pulling the door closed behind him. “But I do not think he will be surprised. The Lycan is like no other. I only wish there was time for us to have a meal. I haven’t eaten since noon, and the way things are going I doubt we will be allowed to dine with the master.” He fell silent, and Max sensed his eyes on her, but she kept her head bent in the manner of a well-trained servant. “Girl, there is no need for you to return immediately to your master. We will inform him of our progress, and you will go to the kitchen and gather sustenance for us. A simple meal of bread and cheese will suffice. Wait here for our return, but do not attempt to enter the room. It is heavily warded against intruders and could well cost you your life.”

“And bring plenty of wine,” the other added. “Breaking the bastard is hard work, and I intend to burn every inch of flesh from his bones if necessary. He probably won’t tell us much of anything, but it is work I will enjoy. I lost my brother less than a year ago to his damned hand of justice, and he will pay dearly for my loss.”

The two men hurried off, and Max waited until they had taken the stairs leading to the upper floors before reaching for the doorknob. As soon has her hand made contact, she felt the sting of a thousand hot needles piercing her arm. She held on, despite the pain, and reached for her gift. It rose swiftly, and almost at once the burning eased.

Max silently said a small prayer of thanks and slipped inside the room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Caleb lay unconscious atop a high wooden table, his nude body covered from the chest down in a series of red markings resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Max hurried to his side and did a quick assessment of his body for injuries. He didn’t appear to have any broken bones or serious injuries, but what she had thought were markings drawn on his body with red paint were actually symbols burned into his flesh. Bastards. They’d pay for what they’d done to him, but first she had to get Caleb out of harm’s way.

“Caleb.” She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “Caleb, wake up! We have to get out of here.”

He slowly opened his eyes, and Max bit back a cry of anguish at the pain reflected in them. “Caleb, honey, we have to get out of here. The mages could return at any moment.”

“Max, what are you doing here?” He groaned weakly. Then more forcefully, as he came to full consciousness, he said, “God, I’m going to kill them for letting you come here.”

“Yea, well, you’ll have to get out of here first. Do you think you can stand?”

He shook his head. “They’ve bound my powers, and my strength has been siphoned away. Don’t know how they’ve done it, but somehow they’ve managed to bind me using my own blood.” He paused to fill his lungs with air, and Max realized even breathing was difficult for him. “Leave me. It’s more important to get a message to the others. Tell Ronan he was right. Michael is the front man, and the real danger lies with the one he serves. I don’t know who he is, but he has the undiluted strength of a Watcher.” He coughed, and Max lifted his head off the table, hoping to make it easier for him to breathe, but he tried to pull away from her. “Don’t worry about me. I can hold out until the others get here. Go now. I’ll be okay.”

“Like hell you will,” Max snapped. “I’m not leaving you here for them to burn all the flesh from your bones. If I go, you go. Do you think by disrupting the wards I could undo what they’ve done to you?”

“No, just go. Whatever Michael used, you’re no match for it. I can hold out until the others get here.”

“You’re lying. You forget this mate bond thing works both ways. How do I free you? And make it quick. Your jailers could return at any moment.”

Caleb’s eyes narrowed, and Max knew there’d be hell to pay later, but he dropped the machismo and answered her.

“Your gift is mostly wild magic. If anything can release me, it can. But the risk to you—”

“Drop it, Caleb. The only thing I want to know is whether my magic is dangerous to you.”

He shook his head. “Lycans are impervious to most forms of magic. That’s one of the reasons dark mages hate us so much. But power comes at a price. To release me, you’ll have to fully embrace your gift. Once you do that, there is no going back. It will live as you live, and die as you die.”

“Will we be able to be together?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then nothing else matters.” Max stepped away from him and reached for the thing locked away inside her. She whispered her willingness to accept it as a part of her and asked forgiveness for the years she’d kept it a prisoner behind a wall of ignorance and fear.

“Max, don’t!”

She heard Caleb calling to her, but his voice sounded far away. He feared she would lose herself to the thing rising up to cover her like a warm blanket. But he was worrying needlessly. She had lost nothing and gained everything.

The word home whispered through her mind, and Max opened her eyes and smiled. It was home. For the first time in her life, she felt whole.

“Max, someone is coming,” Caleb whispered, bringing her back to the present. “Hide behind the curtains. If we’re lucky, they won’t scan for intruders.”

Still slightly disoriented, Max stumbled across the floor and hid behind the heavy tapestries adorning the room. She managed to make a small opening between panels, just enough to give her a view of Caleb and the room beyond. She was well hidden, and though Caleb didn’t know it, with Stefan’s vial in her pocket, a magical scan wouldn’t detect her.

She had barely managed to conceal herself when Michael entered the room, followed closely by the two mages Max had met earlier. A third figure, completely cloaked in a deep purple robe, followed several steps behind. Max was certain it was a woman, not only because of the exotic perfume that filtered through the room, but because the air was suddenly charged with sexual tension.

Michael went to Caleb and waved a hand over him. The burns covering his body faded slightly, and his breathing grew easier.

“You will find speaking easier now,” he informed Caleb. “But movement will remain impossible, and any further efforts to escape, will be met with swift punishment.” Not bothering to wait for a response, Michael turned and waved the purple-clad figure forward. “I have brought you a gift.”

“No thanks,” Caleb said dryly. “I’ve already been the beneficiary of several of your gifts.”

“But unlike my previous gifts, you will like this one immensely. Sasha, my dear, come closer and let Caleb get a good look at you.”

The purple-robed woman took a step forward, drawing back her hood to reveal a face of astonishing beauty.

“She is exquisite, is she not?” Michael purred, untying the strings that held her cape in place. “But the best is yet to come.” With a dramatic flair, he snatched the cape away, leaving the women completely nude except for the coverage provided by her waist-length black hair and a thin gold chain that hung low across her hips. Max expected the woman to show some reaction to being bared before the men, but she merely appeared bored by the adulation in the lust-filled eyes of the two lesser mages.

Michael kept his attention on Caleb, clearly gauging his reaction to the woman. When Caleb merely arched a questioning brow at him, Michael’s face hardened. “Sasha’s beauty commands a high price in our world, yet I see you are unmoved. When we toured the brothels of Europe in our youth, I don’t recall you being so difficult to please.”

“I am a mated were. Your gift offends me.”

Max couldn’t keep the grin from her face. When this was all over, she was going to make sure the big guy got something good for that remark. He was definitely a keeper.

“Yes, I have met your mate.” Michael sneered. “It is unacceptable that one of your pure bloodline, destined to be a future king of the Lycans, should mate with a mixed-race human of no standing. But Sasha will ensure your line remains untainted. It would have made things easier if you had felt some attraction to her, but it isn’t necessary. She is a skilled whore and will do whatever it takes to earn her fee.”

Sasha sent an ugly look Michael’s way, but with his attention focused on Caleb, he missed it. Max doubted it would have had any effect on him anyway. Michael was a megalomaniac who clearly didn’t give a damn about anything except his twisted plans.

“I am aware of the quaint mating habits of the were,” Michael continued, “but Sasha is succubae. You will not be able to resist her. But before Sasha earns her fee, you will assuage my curiosity. Did your spies inform you of the role you will play in the coming war?”

“Why don’t you tell me your plans, Michael? There’s nothing better than first-hand information.”

“Not my plan, Caleb, but the plan of one who is greater than any who has come before. He will create a master race, and you will help him.”

“Don’t think so. And I hate to burst your bubble, but the master race thing has been tried before, more than once, and the outcome was the same.”

“What the human monkeys attempted with their world wars cannot be compared to what will be achieved,” Michael snapped, obviously angered by Caleb’s words. “In the past year, Sasha has visited those of our kind known for the strength of their gifts. She appears to them in the guise of an erotic dream, but the release of their seed into her body is all too real. They are left sterile, and their harvested seed is used by the master to breed Rephaims with the strength of the old ones. And since no others of comparable strength will be born—”

“He rules unchallenged,” Caleb broke in.

“For the most part,” Michael replied with a sly smile. “But nothing will be left to chance. From your seed an elite guard of pure-blooded Lycans will be bred. They will be invincible, and they will be loyal protectors of the master. I see by your reaction, this does not entirely surprise you. But here is something your spies could not have told you because no one except the master and I know the full scope of his plans.

“Using the stone of Asreal, he has the power to bring his elite guard from babe to adulthood in a matter of months. The Rephaims who stand against him will have no chance against warriors bred from the seed of our most gifted. Those who manage to survive the coming war will serve his will, just as the human monkeys will learn to serve their betters.”

“Never thought you’d go into the bootlicking business, Michael. You were always so proud of your family and its position in the Alliance. What caused the about face?”

“It is better to serve one who is worthy than to serve the offshoots of apes.” He turned to the two mages standing off to the side. “Leave us. I no longer require your presence, and the smell of your arousal offends me. Find a servant girl and relieve yourselves, but bring her here when you are finished. After the ceremony is performed, I will need a human to restore my strength.”

The men left, but both of them glanced repeatedly back at the woman, clearly reluctant to leave her presence. Sasha was certainly beautiful, but Max had a feeling the heavily scented perfume she wore was a powerful pheromone that intensified their sexual attraction to her and clouded their judgment.

As the door closed behind the two men, Michael nodded to Sasha. “He can no longer speak, but I will need a moment to secure my control over him. His mind is impenetrable.” He parted his robe to reveal a blood-red stone suspended from a chain around his neck. “But the Stone of Asreal will force a reaction from his body. Milk him dry. Leave him impotent as well as sterile as an example to others who would stand in my way. Your fee will be doubled.”

Max forced aside the horror of Michael’s words as she watched him move his hands in an intricate pattern, gathering his power. She had to find a way to stop him, but how? And even if she managed to hold Michael at bay until help arrived, there was Sasha. Even now, the woman was crawling atop Caleb’s body, her eyes gleaming with avarice.

Caleb snarled, drawing her attention back to him, and Max saw his canine’s had elongated and his eyes glowed. He couldn’t speak nor move, but he unnerved Sasha enough that she glanced at Michael for reassurance. Michael’s eyes remained closed, one hand now clenching the glowing Stone of Asreal, but something she saw must have reassured her, because she turned back to Caleb with a smug smile on her lips.

“The mated Lycan does not want what other men have killed for,” Sasha mocked, running a hand over her breasts and across her stomach as she leaned over Caleb. “But despite his anger, his great strength is harnessed. He cannot speak, he cannot move, and he cannot deny me his seed. I will take what I want. And though I no longer enjoy the bodies of men, I think I will very much enjoy this coupling. Your anger fires my blood better than the sweetest of wines.”

“Don’t worry,” Max whispered, hoping to connect with Caleb and provide him some measure of comfort. “When I’m done frying this bitch, she’ll be so thin you can roll her up and smoke her.”

“Relax honey,” Caleb returned. “This woman is no threat to what we have. And may I say, I like your new skill. I can’t wait to hear the naughty thoughts running through your mind when we make love.”

“You can think of love making at a time like this?”

“When it comes to you, it’s never far from my mind. You’ve become my world.”

“You’re going to make me cry, and that’s the last thing I need when I’m thinking about putting my foot up Sasha’s rear end.”

“I know, babe, but I’ve managed to connect with the others. Help is on the way. And although I can’t stop Michael, I can slow him down. Remain hidden.”

“I don’t know if I can. My gift really doesn’t like her touching you.”

“You and it are one and the same. It feels what you feel, and loves where you love. Just as my wolf and I love you.”

“Great, now you tell me when you have a belly rolling whore crawling all over you! When we get out of this, I am so going to make you say it again.”

“For the rest of my life, babe…and as often as you like.”

Max was left speechless by that, while Michael, as if on cue, raised the stone of Asreal to his lips and began to chant out loud.

Caleb’s body jerked suddenly, and his eyes widened. Max bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as she watched Caleb’s body began to contort, his bones and muscles shifting against his will. Caleb fought back, using what strength he had left to block Michael’s power, but Max could see he was losing the battle.

“Babe,” Caleb whispered into her mind, his voice laden with pain was almost unrecognizable. “You must remain hidden. No matter what happens. Remain hidden!”

Max didn’t answer him. She couldn’t. Her mind was filled with the horror of what was happening to him. She could hear the crunch of bones and sinew twisting and contorting as Caleb’s body became a battleground. The bastard was literally tearing his body apart in an effort to control him.

“Sorry, big guy,” Max finally managed to whisper. “Looks like the posse has been delayed. I have to do something or there won’t be anything left of you to rescue.”

Knowing Caleb would continue to press her to remain hidden, Max shut down the mind link between them and reached for her gift. In nearly the same moment, Sasha flung her head back and laughed triumphantly. Caleb had lost the battle to retain control of his body, and his cock rose fully erect.

Afraid of delaying a second longer, Max flung the heavy drape back and leaped onto the table. Her gaze never left Michael, but she grabbed a startled Sasha by the roots of her long black hair and forced her into a kneeling position at her feet.

“Michael, you will release Caleb or the whore of Babylon will be practicing her profession in the afterlife. And don’t think I won’t do it. Watching you tear into Caleb has put me in a really ugly mood.”

Michael remained where he was, his face devoid of all expression, but Max sensed he was surprised he hadn’t detected her presence. It was another mark against her, and this time Michael wouldn’t back down.

He moved his hand, a barely discernible movement. Sasha’s form wavered and then disappeared. Max was left holding…nothing.

“As you can see, my powers have increased considerably since the last time we met,” Michael said with a small smile. “It would be quite satisfying to correct your earlier impression of me, but I am well aware that my home is being invaded by your allies.”

He angled his head, the red stone hanging around his neck glowing as the sounds of battle rang out from the floors above them. He was drawing on the power of the stone, attempting to shore up the defensive wards encasing the room, but she hesitated to make a move to stop him while Caleb lay vulnerable to attack.

“I must leave you now. But when we meet again, the score will be settled between us.”

Max shook her head. “I don’t think it’s going to be that simple.” She allowed her power to rise, hoping it would siphon enough of Michael’s power to delay his departure until help arrived. “You can’t just walk away from what you’ve done.”

Michael’s gaze shifted pointedly toward Caleb. “I know that in your rage over what was done to Caleb you want revenge, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Your mate is weak and defenseless, barely conscious. It is possible you might succeed in harming me, but if you strike at me, I will strike at him. And in his current state, it would be a killing blow.”

He was right; she did want to punish him for what he’d done to Caleb, but she was willing to leave that to others. Keeping Caleb safe was all that mattered. She climbed down from the table, and took a protective position in front of Caleb. Totally focused on Michael, she was slightly surprised when Caleb’s voice poured into her mind.

“Babe, you know better than to fall for his drivel. He’s little more than a mage on steroids. Being in your presence has weakened his power. I can feel the wards loosening. Add your power to mine, and the wards will fall away. When I shift, I will be restored to full strength.”

“But I don’t know how to do that!”

“Visualize the wards. See them as a chain holding me down. Then imagine them dropping away. Your gift will do the rest, but keep your eyes on Michael. He won’t go without a parting shot.”

Max kept her gaze trained on Michael, but in her mind she drew a picture of chains breaking all around Caleb. In the next second he stood at her side, fully shifted to were, completely unscathed, and staring at Michael with bloodlust in his eyes.

Michael shouted a dark incantation, and a blast of pure red fire shot from the stone around his neck. It hit Caleb in the center of his chest. Max screamed, certain her worst nightmare had come to fruition, but Caleb did nothing to douse the flames racing over his body. Instead, he stood like a warrior of old, fiercely proud, with his inhumanly beautiful eyes locked onto his prey.

“Got anything else you want to try?” Caleb growled as the flames died out, leaving him unscathed. “Cause I gotta tell you, if that’s the best you’ve got, your ass is mine.”

Michael snatched the stone from around his neck and stared at it incredulously. “Impossible. The fire from the Stone of Asreal is indomitable. You should not have been able to extinguish its flames.”

“You’re right, but that’s not the Stone of Asreal.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Not the stone? But my master—”

“Lied to you. He stole the Stone of Asreal from the Alliance’s vault, but he also took another stone. The stone in your hand is sister to the Stone of Asreal and nearly identical in appearance, but unlike the Stone of Asreal, each time you use it, it grows weaker. Which means your master put that pretty bauble in your hand and sent you off to war knowing you wouldn’t make it home for dinner.”

Michael’s eyes darkened with rage, and he flung the stone against the nearest wall, where it shattered into pieces. When he looked again at Caleb, the glamour maintaining his facial perfection had dropped away. Unadorned, Michael’s face was austere, his eyes tainted with madness.

“It appears your assessment of the situation is correct, and the master will answer to me for his actions, but neither of you will live to see it.” He threw his arms out, clearly intending to strike a killing blow, but this time Max was ready for him.

She mirrored his actions and found her magic flowing seamlessly out her fingertips in a stream of white-red fire. The opposing powers clashed, and Max felt a jolt of pleasure as if her wild magic reveled in the confrontation.

“Max,” Caleb called out over the roar caused by the clashing forces. “Can you hold him?”

“I’ve got him,” she shouted back. There was no going back now. No denying who and what she was. She was Mage Slayer. And God help her, she loved it!

“Good girl.” Caleb grinned down at her. “Just save some of that fire for later, because that kick-butt look on your face has got me hard as nails.”

Max rolled her eyes mockingly in disbelief, but Caleb only laughed. A second later, Michael’s head hit the floor, ripped from his body by a single blow of Caleb’s clawed hand.

Max called her magic back, but it didn’t respond immediately. Instead, it lightly caressed Caleb along the side of his face, before returning to Max.

“Eww,” Max said, turning away from Michael’s headless body. “Did you have to do that? I had him locked down. He wasn’t going anywhere.”

Caleb shifted back to human and tried to pull her into his arms, but Max resisted him, more than a little annoyed at him. “Why did you intervene? I’m Mage Slayer here. If this thing between us is going to work, I’m going to have to be allowed to do my thing.”

He brushed aside her efforts to keep him at bay and pulled her into his arms. “You’re not a killer, Max. You’re resilient, determined, and just looking at you starts a fire in me that will never be quenched. But you’re not a killer. One day you will have no choice in the matter, but I want to spare you that fate for as long as I can.”

“Okay,” Max said, allowing his words to soothe her. “But I’m in this thing with you as a full partner. I can hold up my end.”

Caleb chuckled and gave her a sexy wink. “That you can, and it was one of the prettiest sights I’ve ever seen.”

Max pushed him away, feigning disgust. “Back off, wolf man. We still have work to do. We need to help the others finish this thing before you drag me off to your lair.”

Caleb shook his head, still smiling at her. “I’m going to help the others. You are going back to the cabin.”

Max’s eyes flashed with anger. “I thought we just came to an agreement. And in case you missed it, I just held my own against the number two bad guy in this war.”

“You wiped the floor with him, babe, but you need training. Some of the mages fighting on the floors above us are on our side, and I know you’d never forgive yourself if you harmed one of them because you didn’t have full control of your magic.”

“I guess you’re right,” Max conceded reluctantly, and then she did her best to look wistful. “But maybe I can just hang around, you know, learn a few things by watching you guys in action?”

Caleb eyes narrowed at her obvious attempt to manipulate him, and Max dropped the pretense with a sigh. “It was worth a try.”

“If you say so.” Caleb planted a brief kiss on the tip of her nose. “But Stefan is on his way, and you are going back to the cabin.”

Stefan materialized as Caleb spoke, and Max was glad he’d warned her of his impending arrival. People popping in and out like bread from a toaster put her nerves on edge.

“Take her to the cabin,” Caleb told Stefan. “If she resists, you have my permission to put her under.”

Max opened her mouth to protest, but Stefan tapped her forehead with his finger, and the world went blank.

Chapter Nine

Max awoke to the feel of a hard body beneath her, and she inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh, masculine scent that was pure Caleb. A calloused hand moved over her bottom, causing a familiar dampness to settle between her legs and Max moaned as pleasure spiraled up her spine. If this was the way Caleb planned to wake her each morning, she’d probably never get out of bed. The man smelled better than her morning cup of Joe, and she certainly liked the way he pushed her alarm button. Max rubbed herself against him, smiling at the thought that she was acting like a cat in heat, when her memory suddenly came rushing back.

“A-hole!” she screeched, trying to knee him. “You had Stefan knock me out!”

Caleb blocked her knee effortlessly with one hand and rolled her beneath him in one smooth movement.

“And I’ll do it again if you ever try to argue with me in the middle of a battle.”

“You had no right!” Max shouted, glaring up at him.

“I had every right, woman. You belong to me.”

“Says who?” Max said, trying to push him away. “This is the twenty-first century, not the dark ages.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Caleb shot back. “You’re my mate, and nothing is more important to me than your safety.” Caleb grabbed her flailing arms and pinned them above her head. “And stop trying to fight me, you know you can’t win.”

“I’m not trying to fight you,” Max retorted, trying to twist from beneath him. “I’m trying to kill you.”

Caleb grinned down at her, clearly amused by her anger, and Max did her best to head butt him, but he jerked back with a shout of laughter.

“Woman, one day you’ll be the death of me, but until then, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of taming you.” He rolled off her and, ignoring her efforts to strike him, pulled her into a sitting position. “I know you’re pissed, babe, but before you try to take my head off again, don’t you want to know how the battle ended?”

Max stilled, all the fight going out of her. “God, Caleb,” she whispered, her eyes filled with concern. “Is everyone all right?”

“We didn’t lose a man, and the dark mage’s are considerably fewer in number. But the leader got away. We still don’t know who he is, but I caught his scent. He can run, but hiding from me is going to be a lot harder from now on.”

“But he’s not going to stop, is he? The prophesy is coming true. There will be a battle to end all battles.”

Caleb sighed wearily and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, babe. I wish things were different. I wish I could give you the normal life you’ve longed for but—”

Max placed a finger against his lips, effectively cutting off his words. “You’ve given me everything I need, Caleb. Everything. And I’ve come to realize I’m not cut out for a life in the suburbs with two-point-one kids. Instead, I’m going to be a mage slayer, perhaps the Mage Slayer foretold of in a six hundred-year-old prophesy, and mate a future Lycan king. And in my off hours, I’m going to teach third grade and raise little wolfies who look just like their daddy.” Grinning, she said, “Not bad for a mutt from the back waters of Louisiana. Think you can keep up with me.”

Caleb snorted and pressed her down onto the bed. “Why don’t we put it to a little test?”

“Okay,” Max said, hiding her smile as a plan quickly formed in her mind, “But if this is going to be a test, we need to establish a few rules.”

“Such as?”

“I’ll be the big bad wolf, which means I get to be on top. And you get to be Little Red Riding Hood.” She flashed him a saucy grin. “That means you get to be on the bottom. First one to drop their basket of goodies, so to speak, is the loser.”

“Baby you don’t have the right equipment to be a big bad wolf.” He shifted, positioning his erection at the junction of her thighs. “I on the other hand, have what it takes and then some.”

“Show off.” Max moaned, as he rubbed the head of his penis against her creamy heat. “Having a penis doesn’t make you a big bad wolf. It just means you have a smaller brain. Anyway, this is my game, so I get to make the rules. Get off me.”

Caleb reversed their positions, grinning widely, as Max quickly straddled him. She positioned his erection at the opening to her body and with a blissful look on her face, closed her eyes and sank slowly down, seating herself to the hilt. With her head thrown back, and her eyes closed, she rode him relentlessly, using the muscles of her feminine core to squeeze and release his cock until they were both panting with need.

Caleb let out a deep moan, a sound of impending surrender, and Max opened her eyes to look down at him with a smirk of satisfaction on her face.

“Looks like you’re going to lose the bet big man. The games barely begun and you’re close to begging for mercy.” She propped her elbows on his chest and grinned into his face. “Guess this makes me one badass wolf cause I just pussy whupped a future Lycan King.”

“Max?”

“Yea, babe.”

“I can prove I’m the better wolf by making you come with just four little words.”

Smiling widely, she shook her head in denial; certain she had the upper hand. Caleb tightened his hold on her hips, holding her against him as his gaze met hers.

“Do you want to know what those four words are?”

She did, but despite her efforts to look unaffected, her body was on fire. She was ready to end the game so he could give her what she wanted, but she didn’t want him to know it. She liked to win. And since she had a feeling she wouldn’t be winning many bets against the big guy in the future, she wanted this one to count.

She nodded slowly, uncertain what to expect as his yellow-gold eyes deepened, turning the color of aged honey and a smile, filled with joy slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. He stared at her for a long second, and finally, he whispered,” I love you, Max.”

Damn, if he wasn’t right.

Her body flooded with warmth, and the thing resting just below the surface of her skin rippled, signaling its approval. She’d lost the bet, but that was okay. She and her wild magic were finally home.

The End

Author Bio

I live in the beautiful hills of La Mesa, California. I have always enjoyed writing, but as a navy wife and working mother of two, there was never enough time. The kids are grown now, the husband is semi-retired, and writing the kind of stories I love to read has become a reality. To me, reading a well-written romance is the equivalent of popping my favorite chocolate into my mouth. Writing one is to savor each bite. Satisfaction without the calories. It totally works for me!

Table of Contents

Her Wild Magic

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Author Bio