She relaxed into the comfort of the bed and thought of the burning fire that had blazed behind his eyes when they’d been intertwined. He was good—damn good. Those large muscular arms, his silky auburn hair, and those toned abs he’d put to such good use... She’d peaked faster and harder than she ever had. His touch had sent ecstasy coursing through her veins, and she’d ridden on a natural high for so long she hadn’t been able to think of anything but him.
He stirred, and her whole body tensed. Rolling over on his side, he flopped on the mattress, his deep sleep unbroken. She bit her lower lip. As much as she longed to stay by his side, she knew better. Her loyalty lay with her pack.
This could be her last chance to escape.
Placing her feet on the ground, she slid off the bed. The hardwood floor squealed underneath her, and she froze.
Nothing. He didn’t even twitch. She snatched his shirt off the floor and pulled it on. The smell of the material wafted into her nose—cigarettes, whiskey, musky cologne and the woodsy scent of his skin. She clutched the shirt to her body without buttoning it.
Tiptoeing to the door, she grabbed the handle and it creaked open. Thank goodness he hadn’t locked the door from the inside again after he’d stormed back up last night. A sliver of light from the hallway crept in. She paused and considered turning around. A large lump filled her throat. The way they’d made love had been so intimate, so personal. But now she was leaving, without him even knowing her real name. She swallowed past the pain and hurried out the door before she could change her mind.
The latch clicked, and she rushed down the stairs. Her spine cracked into place, courtesy of Jace’s inventive positions. She couldn’t even count how many times they’d done the horizontal mambo or a variety of other dances that burned up the sheets. She grinned, but the wave of sadness caught back up with her, washing her smile away. She jogged from the building, the cold night air nipping at her hot skin.
She scanned the area. How would she get home? Streetlights tinted the concrete orange. Cars, trash cans and buildings. No people.
She eyed the Hummer, then remembered that it had an alarm. Glancing over her surroundings one more time, she stripped off the shirt, knelt to the ground and concentrated on the adrenaline buzz.
The burn erupted inside her, and she winced at the feeling of her bones snapping, her appendages ripping apart. The excruciating pain led to relief when her fur sprouted into place, blocking out the cold air. The usual heightened smells and sounds barreled over her senses. She let out a breath and collected herself, then bolted down the road. The calluses on the pads of her paws scuffed against the pavement.
She ran for blocks, until her muscles strained. The thought of her home, her warm bed, soft sheets and silky nightgown comforted her. She wanted to fall onto her mattress and curl up into a ball, but she had something to do first. She rounded the final corner, then dashed down the alleyway. The backpack sat exactly where she left it, untouched. She had to move quickly in case the cops were nearby, checking out the body. One whiff and she knew she was in the clear, but that could change.
Moving behind the Dumpster, she crouched down on her hind legs. Her wolf form filled her with adrenaline, and she thrived on the energy. She focused on the calm in the eye of the storm and allowed herself to shift into her human skin. She fell against the wall of a bakery, exhausted.
Exhaling a long breath, she grabbed her clothes, and pulled on the jeans, tank top and jacket. She left her jewelry and lingerie in the backpack. She didn’t give a shit about a bra.
That was all she wanted. There she could escape the sadness and anxiety balling up in her chest. Why had she slept with Jace?
She wasn’t that kind of girl. She’d worked hard not to be.
She threw the bag over her shoulder and sprinted down the road toward her apartment. It wasn’t far. When she reached the entrance, she jammed the key into the lock and fumbled with the handle.
She scrambled up the stairs, then strode down the hallway to her door.
Her muscles weakened, threatening to collapse. She pushed the door open and stopped. Her keys hit the floor.
“No. No. No. This isn’t... No.” Her eyes locked onto the phrase painted across her wall. Bile rose up in her throat, and her stomach flipped.
JACE JOLTED AWAKE. Cold sweat poured over his skin as he snapped upright, and he fought to calm his breathing. Fuck. The dreams had gotten the best of him again. He flopped back down onto the bed with a sigh, eyes closed. He wracked his brain to remember the names of the man and woman. Damn. The image of himself lying dead and bloody invaded his thoughts. It was so vivid. If he could just get back to sleep... Without nightmares.
He rolled onto his side and tried to let sleep reclaim him, but it was no use. He lay there, still groggy, until his bedside alarm blared like a damn foghorn. He cracked one eye open and glared at the clock. 3:00 p.m. He smacked at the buttons until he hit the right one. Why the hell had he set the alarm to go off this early in the afternoon? A nocturnal creature in all senses of the word, he waged an ongoing war against the sun, vowing to ignore its existence.
He sat up and stretched, his muscles tight. What the hell had he done last night? He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced down at his morning wood.
He’d fucked a werewolf. His vision spun.
He slid off the bed and stumbled into the kitchen. Whiskey. He needed whiskey. Yeah, his head would clear after a swig.
Placing his hands on the countertop, he looked up at the top shelf. What the...? A small prickle of pain cut into his hand, and a droplet of blood pooled on his pinkie finger. Broken shards of glass and sticky, dried liquor covered the counter. Shit. The last bottle had broken when he’d...
His cock throbbed. She was so tight, and she’d ridden him like a pro. Those full breasts and those sweet, pink nipples had jumped like mad as he slammed into her. He could run his tongue over her all night long. He cracked a smile.
