Wanted: Undead or Alive

Phineas had nothing to gain from a relationship with her. Unless you counted gaining a bunch of enemies. Her father and his countless followers would want to kill him.

She sighed and nestled under the covers. It was for the best that he was staying away from her. They couldn’t be together. He knew it. She knew it. Her inner wolf knew it. They were from two different worlds.

How much did she actually know about him? Had he really been a drug dealer? Was it true there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest? It didn’t seem to fit the Phineas she knew. She’d always felt safe around him. She knew her brother and the Vamp guys liked and respected him. Angus MacKay had promoted him to head of security at Romatech. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t believe Phineas was absolutely trustworthy.

But how well could she trust him? He was the Love Doctor, the Blardonnay Guy. Hundreds of Vamp women would gladly throw themselves at him. She rolled over and punched a pillow. Lucky Phineas. He could see his brother whenever he wanted. She didn’t dare even contact her sister.

She must have dozed off, for when she next looked at the bedside clock, it was almost four. The cabin was totally dark. The bathroom door had been shut. And the water was running.

Phineas was back. And taking a shower. She pictured him the way he looked in the commercials with a towel wrapped low around his hips. And his chest, his glorious chest would glisten with droplets of water. A tiny rivulet would sluice down his chest, right between his man-boobs—

Her breath caught. The water had turned off. She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the edge of the loft.

The moon, now low in the sky, shone through the windows, softly illuminating the room below. He’d moved the couch back a few feet to cover up the trapdoor to the basement. And he’d moved the chairs back, too, so the whole arrangement would look normal.

The bathroom door opened, and the light switched off.

Her heart pounded, and she took a deep breath to try to stay calm. She didn’t want him to hear her racing heartbeat.

He moved into view, and her heart stuttered. He was wearing a towel, just like in the commercials. Oh God, his shoulders really were broad. And his back . . . so strong and muscular. She bit her lip. If only he would turn around so she could see his chest.

Suddenly, he yanked the towel off and rubbed it over his head. She gasped. His rear end was showing!

He stiffened and turned his head slightly.

She slapped a hand over her mouth. He must have heard her gasp. But oh my God, when he had stiffened, it had caused the muscles in his buttocks to flex. It was about the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.

“Brynley?” He turned toward her with the towel lowered to cover his groin.

She scrambled back onto the bed and held her breath. Her heart was beating too damned fast. He was going to hear it.

“Good night, Brynley,” he said softly.

The cabin was quiet. She strained her ears, but heard only crickets chirping outside. And an owl hooting.

She eased back to the railing and peeked over. The room was empty. He must have teleported into the basement.

She crawled back into bed and lay there, staring at the ceiling. If she had the nerve, she’d shove the couch aside, open the trapdoor, and jump down into the basement. Straight into his arms.

But she couldn’t. She squeezed her eyes shut, and the vision of his naked back and buttocks filled her mind.

With a moan, she pulled the covers over her head. Easy to resist, she’d told him. What a big fat liar.

She’d never wanted anyone as badly as she did Phineas.

Chapter Nine

The next evening, Brynley sat on her sleeping bag at the camp she’d established at the base of Cloud Peak and watched the sun slip over the horizon. Any second now, Phineas would be waking from his death-sleep. She’d give him a few minutes to dress and drink some blood before calling him.

She breathed deeply of air scented with spruce and lodgepole pine. The two horses munched on the green grass of the meadow where she’d camped. Far up the side of the mountain, nestled in a beautiful cirque, the glacier gleamed white in the moonlight. Patches of snow still dotted the mountainside. Tiny bits of ice sparkled as if a divine hand had tossed a stash of diamonds across the side of the mountain.

Beautiful. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the crisp night breeze that nipped at her cheeks. Home. Her inner wolf trembled with joy. It knew instinctively that she’d returned, and it was eager for the full moon that would come in two nights. Eager to burst free from her human skin and run wild through the forests, chasing deer and elk.

She would have to explain to Phineas that she needed the night off. It wasn’t a choice for her. On the first night of a full moon, she shifted, no matter where she was.

The teaching job at Dragon Nest Academy was perfect for her since she was able to live in the same building with her brother and the banished werewolf boys. She shifted with them every month and roamed the extensive grounds around the school. It was fun being with her brother, but she missed her sister. And the Adirondacks were not the same as the mountains out West. Her inner wolf knew the difference and had longed for her to return home.

While the wolf celebrated, her human half tensed. She was taking a terrible risk. If she stayed here, her father might find her. And if he captured her, he’d make it extremely hard for her to escape a second time. He knew not to trust her now.

A twinge of paranoia skittered through her. She stood and surveyed the woods that encircled her camp, her extra-keen eyesight adjusting to the darkness. She listened with her extra-sharp hearing. A rustling in the grass as a field mouse scurried to its home, the beating of the air as an owl took wing.

“Hurry, little mouse,” she whispered. She knew the feeling of being stalked, the terror of being hunted. Princess, my ass. Phineas had no idea. In her father’s world, she was prey.

She felt a sudden need to have Phineas there with her. He’d said he would never allow her to be forced into a marriage against her will. He would protect her.

Because he wants you for himself. And why should she object? A spark of rebelliousness ignited inside her, inciting an urge to tell the world to buzz off. She wanted Phineas.

But since when did she ever get what she wanted?

She grabbed the sat phone off the sleeping bag and called him.

“Hello, Brynley.”

His voice did the usual warm, fluttery things to her stomach. “You’re all right! I was so worried about leaving you all alone in the cabin. I’m glad you’re okay. Are you ready to come here?”

“I already have.”

Her heart lurched and the phone tumbled from her hand as she whirled around and found him standing behind her. “Don’t do that! I told you to never sneak up behind me!”

“It wasn’t on purpose.” He pocketed his sat phone. “I’m never exactly sure where I’ll end up when I teleport.”

“Oh.” She pressed a hand to her chest as she willed her heart to stop pounding. Great. She’d freaked out again.

“Are you all right?” He was regarding her curiously, so she quickly changed the subject.

“It’s beautiful around here, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” He glanced around quickly, then focused again on her. “Are you sure—”

“There’s the glacier over there,” she interrupted, motioning to the cirque. “I’m not sure where Jason was attacked. The mountain still has a lot of snow on it. I can’t imagine anyone trying to hike up there in the dark, so I’m figuring Jason was attacked somewhere down here. I’m glad you wore that heavy coat. It’s pretty chilly.”

He studied her silently for a while, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. She was babbling, and he knew it.