Bound to Shadows

'Are you going to open the door or not, Riley?'

His voice was like a good red wine—rich and smooth—and it touched places deep inside that no one, not even Quinn, could reach. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then complied.

He stood in a halo of sunshine, his golden skin glowing with warmth and the dark red of his hair running with brighter highlights. He was a golden man with chilling amber eyes set in a face that was handsome and yet uncaring.

But not unfeeling.

Because I could feel his hunger. I felt it rip through my body before it settled down low. It was a fierce and unwanted ache that had nothing to do with my heart's desire and everything to do with my werewolf soul. But while she had wanted this feeling, she didn't want this man. That made it a little easier to ignore the hunger.

And if I kept telling myself that, I might eventually believe it.

'What are you doing here, Kye?' My white-knuckled grip on the edge of the door belied the calmness of my voice.

'I might ask you the same question.' He glanced from me to the squirming, barking dog in my arm. 'Found yourself a pet, have you?'

'He belongs to the owner of the house.' I glanced down at the almost frantic terrier and scratched his head. 'And he doesn't seem all that happy to see you.'

'Neither do you,' he said, voice dry. 'I would have thought you'd at least have a smile for the man of your destiny.'

'Destiny can bite my ass.'

He laughed. It was a soft, seductive and altogether dangerous sound. 'Ah, Riley, it's nice to see you haven't changed.'

'No, I'm still a guardian, and you're still interfering in Directorate business.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'And what business would the Directorate have with a vampire who has obviously been dead for several days?'

I opened my mouth to ask how he knew Gateway was dead then snapped it closed again. Kye was a werewolf, so he'd smell the decay even if he couldn't see the body.

'And my questions to you would have to be: why are you here to see him, and did you have anything to do with his death?'

His sudden smile made my stomach lurch, and it was all I could do not to drop the little dog and step into Kye's arms. They would be waiting for me, despite the outward indifference and the distance we were keeping between us.

'Vampires like him hardly ever require my style of killing.' He crossed his arms and leaned casually against the doorframe, the leather of his old jacket straining deliciously across his shoulders. 'Besides, from what I've heard, he's been too busy drowning himself in alcohol of late to make the effort of hunting him worthwhile.'

Because for men like him, the hunt was almost as important as the fee. Almost. 'And how would you know he's been drinking to excess?'

He raised an eyebrow, amusement setting his golden eyes ablaze. 'I can smell the booze.'

'Liar.' Alcohol was the one scent not present in this house. Rotting vampire, unwashed dog and a little bit of mold, maybe, but not booze.

The smile was still flirting with his lips, and a whole lot of me ached to kiss him. 'Then maybe I know he was a drunk because I do my homework when I'm following a lead.'

'What sort of lead?' I glanced down at the still squirming dog, and wondered whether his intense reaction came from having another male on his turf or something more sinister. Whatever it was, scratching his head didn't seem to be calming him down. I stepped back, deposited him in the front bedroom, and quickly closed the door. He continued barking, and started scratching at the door.

'That dog seriously dislikes you,' I added, crossing my arms as I faced Kye again.

He shrugged. 'The alpha always defends his territory.'

The steely edge in his voice suddenly had me wondering if I were one of those territories that needed defending. Was that why he'd suddenly reappeared? To reclaim what was his?

The thought made me shiver. His gaze swept me, then rose to linger on my mouth. His hunger swirled around me, thick and strong, and little droplets of sweat broke out along my spine.

I wanted him. God, how I wanted him.

I clenched my fists a little bit tighter, digging my nails into my palm, using the pain to offset my desire.

It was a useless thing to do, really, when he was a werewolf and we were connected on more than a base level.

'I'm chasing a missing person,' he said softly. 'Did the vamp inside kill himself or did someone help him along?'

'I don't know. And since when did you start taking on missing persons cases?'

'I go where the cash is. And don't play games with me, Riley. You've been in the business long enough now to make an informed guess.'

'It's a Directorate case, Kye. I can't discuss it.'

'No, you won't discuss it. Not with me, anyway.'

He had that right. 'How long are you in town?'

'Why? Did you miss me?'

'No.' Yes. Given the nail-digging wasn't achieving much, I flexed my fingers instead, but it didn't help release the tension rolling through me. 'Why are you here, Kye?'

'As I said, I'm simply following a lead. Nothing more, nothing less.' But his gaze met mine and, in those golden depths, I saw the hunter. The possessor. A wolf who hungered to control the very same things that I did. It made a mockery of his words, and it was a sight that sent a chill through my heart.

I didn't want this.

I didn't want him.

Even if my soul ached with the need of his kiss, his caress, his body.

But the wolf wasn't the sum of me, and as much as I might hunger for Kye, there was another man in my life. One that I cared about, one that I loved. And that part of me was what I reached for now to keep me strong.

'Whatever it is you're doing,' I said, my voice harsh, 'make sure you keep out of my way.'

He laughed. It was a soft, cold sound that sent shivers up my spine and heat swirling through my body. 'Things haven't changed, have they, Riley? Your words say one thing, and your body another.'

'I'm not the only one adept at playing that game.'

'No,' he agreed. 'So what do you suggest we do?'

'Precisely what we're doing. Ignore and deny. You and I won't ever happen, Kye, and we both know it.'

He uncrossed his arms and reached out, his fingers caressing my cheek. My skin tingled with the heated contact and my breath froze in my throat.

'But we will. We must. We are each other's destiny, even if neither of us particularly wishes it.'

'As I said before, destiny can bite my ass.' I pulled away from his caress and glanced at my watch. 'Now, if you want to avoid Directorate scrutiny, I suggest you leave.'

'Then Gateway has been murdered?'

He studied me calmly, a small smile teasing his lips, and I wondered whether he was reading my thoughts again. Kye was a siphon, which meant he could take on the psychic . talents of others and use them to his own advantage. So when he was with me, he was telepathic. And despite the fact I had psychic shields strong enough to keep even the oldest vampires out, Kye seemed able to slip past them and catch any unwary thoughts.

Although if he could thread his way through the turmoil his reappearance was causing, he probably deserved to catch an unwary thought or two about the victim.

'I need to know what happened to him, Riley,' he added.

Tough was my automatic response, but I knew better than to say it. I might as well wave a red rag in front of a bull. I wanted Kye out of my life, not haunting me in an attempt to gain the information he needed.

'It'll take twenty-four hours for the report to come through. Call me.' I didn't bother giving him the number. I had no intention of making things easy for him.