I didn’t bother being as sleek as she was, cannonballing it as I jumped in. Her squeal was one of utter surprise. Delightful.

  Much like the woman herself.

  She tried to swim away, moving rapidly toward the waterfall. She should have known better. I yanked her by the ankle, using enough force I pulled her body into the air before she landed against my chest.

  “You’re not going anywhere until I allow you to.”

  “The big, bad Wolfman,” she cooed.

  “Something like that.”

  She spun us around in the water before wrapping her legs around my waist. “What do you want?”

  “All of you. What do you think?”

  “Then take it.”

  At this point, I wasn’t looking for her approval. It had gone on too long with my need, a hunger burning brightly inside. I drove the entire length of my cock deep inside, adoring the wild scream she issued.

  “Yes. Yes…”

  “Good girl. Tell the world how you feel.”

  “Mmm… What if we get arrested?” Sedona was breathless.

  “Then so be it. I’ll buy off the police.”

  Why was it that her laugh was one of the greatest sounds in the world to me? Maybe because I’d heard few people doing so in the last few years. I pulled out, driving into her again.

  The way she squeezed her thighs pulled me in even deeper. I was the breathless one, growling like some wild animal.

  She clung to my shoulders, biting her lower lip as I spun her around in the pool.

  When I thrust her against the side, allowing her to see an unobstructed view of the city she seemed to adore, she gasped.

  “Millions of people and none are having as much fun as we are.” I growled my words out and pulled her wet hair aside. In exposing her long neck, an entirely different kind of hunger shot to the surface.

  Sensing the other wolves had awakened the most primal need deep inside. I had full control, but just inhaling her sweet scent was enough to keep me electrified.

  We were on fire, our heated bodies warming the water more than before. I rubbed my body against hers, creating a delicious feeling of friction.

  She slowly extended her arms on the pool deck’s surface, undulating her hips in her usual taunting fashion.

  I’d never brought anyone here. I’d never wanted to share the location. With her, I could enjoy partaking in almost anything.

  Especially if carnal actions were involved.

  I lengthened my arms, clasping our fingers together. My stiff cock found her swollen folds easily. I pushed just inside, my body tensing just from hearing her reaction. She was made to be mine, the perfect woman for a brutal man.

  Or at least one who was ruthless and cunning.

  A smile crossed my lips as I plunged the entire length back inside. Her pussy was so wet, so explosive and my heart was thudding erratically. Controlling my actions would be more difficult than I’d thought.

  “Tell me what you feel,” I commanded before licking the shell of her ear.

  “Amazing. Electrified. Alive.”

  I pulled out, driving into her again. “Inhale the scents around you. What do you smell?”

  She nuzzled against my face, turning her head slightly so I could catch a glimpse of her pursed lips. While she obeyed me, I sensed she was holding back. There were hidden secrets that I’d yet to decipher.

  “Gasoline and pizza, trash and a sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine.”

  I was impressed. There was jasmine in the park across the street, but for her to be able to gather the scent from this distance was amazing.

  “What do you smell?”

  The truth was something I couldn’t reveal.

  Death.

  Decay.

  Wolves.

  “I only smell your longing, little creature.”

  I wanted to keep making her laugh. The lilting sound echoing in my ears was exactly what I needed.

  “I’m not a little creature. Well, maybe according to my daughter I’m a fire-breathing dragon.”

  “Be careful or I’ll use your skills,” I told her and thrust with enough force I shoved her against the pool.

  She expelled a moan, the sound just as incredible as her laughter.

  When I started fucking her in earnest, she met every deep plunge. I had my fingers wrapped around hers, so she wasn’t going anywhere, although I doubted that was on her mind.

  We were too connected, too in tune with one another.

  My cock was more swollen than normal, stretching her tight muscles. My actions became more manic, my animal attempting to breach the surface. I could easily hold back, doing this for hours.

  Panting, she licked her lips as beads of perspiration trickled down both sides of her lovely face. Every sound she made added extreme gasoline to the flames. We could easily combust, swirling toward infinity because of our needs.

  I almost lost myself in her, growling and grunting like a beast. Every thrust was rougher than the one before, every breath we took more labored.

  As her moans escalated, I sensed she was ready to come.

  “Come on my cock, Sedona. Slicken my shaft with your sweet nectar.”

  Her slight laugh was cut short, a deep and intense series of whimpers escaping her mouth. As her body stiffened, she dug her nails into my palms, gyrating in the water until it splashed over our bodies.

  Yet there was no cooling us down.

  We were like a live wire dancing in the middle of a thunderstorm.

  With every breathless moan, every wiggle of her hips, she was driven into a state of nirvana. She tossed her head from side to side, gasping for air as the orgasm rushed into her.

  And I didn’t stop, pounding her tight pussy over and over again.

  But I wanted more.

  I needed to claim every inch of her.

  Yes, I was a predator. There was no denying who or what I was.

  As her head lolled against my shoulder, her lips pursed, only then did I slow down.

  “You are… incredible,” she managed to whisper. Everything about her was seductive, including the way her long, dark eyelashes floated across her shimmering cheeks.

  “I’m not finished yet, baby. Not by a long shot.” When I pulled out, she exhaled. The sound was just as ragged as before.

  The moment I pressed my cockhead to her dark hole, she stiffened. Her moan was augmented by a hint of anxiety.

  “Don’t worry, little creature. I won’t hurt you.” My voice was not my own, the deep rasp something I hadn’t heard in a long time.

  But she loved it, shifting from side to side and opening her legs wider. In a blatant invitation. I planned on giving her what she’d yet to have and would crave again.

  I pressed my cock just inside, willing myself to maintain a sense of decency. I couldn’t think clearly, my mind such a frenetic blur that images pulsed through my brain one after another. The colorful display was distracting, a reminder that without a sense of humanity, all would be lost to the different kind of hunger.

  There was no holding back. Control was slipping. I thrust the remainder of my cock past the tight ring, fighting to hold on as she became used to the thickness.

  “Oh. My. So big. So…”

  Her words were as garbled as mine. Her entire body was shaking, quivering to my touch. As my cock pulsed, I squeezed her hands before pulling one free to brush my fingers down her arm.

  While she’d exhibited signs of inhibition, being locked inside of her was freeing for me in other ways. It allowed my wolf to breathe for the first time in years.

  There was no turning back, my need to fill her darkness with my seed the only thing remaining on my mind.

  The intensity was incredible, more so than at any other time.

  As I finally let go, erupting deep inside of her, the scent of wolves continued to jar my existence.

  However, there was no creature alive who would prevent me from protecting her.

  Not one.

  If they tried, they died.

  CHAPTER 17

  Sedona

  Crying.

  Whimpering.

  Yet he was watching.

  I stumbled toward the creature, snuffling back tears. I was afraid. So very afraid.

  “It’s okay, puppy. I won’t hurt you.” He was a big dog, bigger than any my mama had ever let me see. And black like the night.

  He wasn’t running.

  He wasn’t afraid like I was.

  He was watching me. His silver eyes were beautiful.

  “I’m afraid, puppy.” I slumped down in front of him, sobbing uncontrollably.

  The dog waited, still watching me.

  I reached out, longing to touch his fur. He was so beautiful.

  The puppy finally moved toward me and the moment I wrapped my arms around his neck, I knew I would be safe.

  I jerked up, taking several ragged breaths. Darkness. There was a slender stream of light, the glow almost enough for my eyes to become focused. I’d had a dream. The puppy had been a wolf. I hadn’t known it then. I’d thought the creature a big dog, yet to me he’d been just a puppy.

  And he’d saved me. How was that possible?

  My God.

  Another sound drew my attention. It also boosted my heart rate. My phone. A few seconds and another ring later and I realized where I was.

  His condo. One of his homes.

  The sexiest man alive.

  Finally, I was able to focus, remembering I’d insisted on placing my phone on the nightstand. I always worried about my little girl. Still half asleep, I managed to grab it as another sound permeated the darkness.

  “Hello?”

  “Doctor Willis. Agent Drummand.”

  Hearing her name and her voice woke me up completely. It also irritated the hell out of me. “Why are you calling me now? I told you not to bother me. Your boys took hours out of my schedule and I don’t appreciate that. If I hadn’t been there, they would have destroyed my lab and all my other work. Unacceptable.”

  “I’m sorry they inconvenienced you, but it was necessary. I’m calling you because I need your help again. It’s vital we meet at your office.”

  I almost laughed but resisted, the annoyance too great. “I thought I was clear in that I was not interested in helping the FBI in any continued way.”

  “We need your assistance. Only you can provide the information we need. Your expertise is above reproach.”

  Oh, it was, was it?

  She was grasping at straws. I could feel her tension across the phone lines.

  “Why in God’s name are you saying that? I’m one of a million medical examiners you could find. Secure someone else.”

  I thought I’d lost her and was happy about it, but she cleared her throat. She was doing a hard-core press and the scientist and resident bad girl inside of me was ready to demand knowing why.

  “Doctor Willis, the FBI is aware of your former career choice. That is an invaluable service to us and we aren’t likely to find the combination in anyone else. I was asked to convey this by the director of the FBI himself.”

  Okay, the woman had me intrigued. If the director was involved, they were nervous. “What are you talking about? What former career?”

  It wasn’t something I’d hidden, but why go digging?

  “You were studying to become a big game veterinarian. You’ve had experience with wild animals. You did a sabbatical in Africa, which allowed you to study some interesting species.”

  Not dead men who turn into some beast.

  The words were on the tip of my tongue.

  I laughed as my entire body stiffened. She’d been checking up on me. I should have known there was an ulterior motive in selecting me. The bitch. I was furious, but at least had my answer as to why I’d been picked out of a crowd of so many. Not that it made me any happier or more amenable to doing her bidding.

  “So what? That makes me the expert on weirdness? I’m not interested.”

  “I can require you to perform this autopsy, Doctor Willis. I can also make your life miserable if you refuse.”

  “Why in God’s name are you threatening me? Are you desperate?”

  Another moment of silence provided an answer, but I waited, determined to have her admit it. “The FBI has reached a dead end. The video you captured provided more clues than we’ve obtained to date. Your skills are needed.”

  In other words, they were desperate.

  “If I agree to this, you will tell me what the fuck is going on. Period. I’m not risking my life or anyone else’s for your wild goose chase. Or to provide some wacked-out answer that doesn’t make any scientific sense. Is that clear?”

  Agent Drummand sighed. “Completely understood. However, it’s not a wild goose chase. I assure you of that. I don’t need to remind you just how dangerous the situation is. I watched the video several times. If you’d been in that room when the man awakened, he could have killed you.”

  “He wasn’t human at that point, agent. As to how he rose from the dead, I’ll need to perform more tests without interference.”

  “They will need to be approved.”

  I laughed. “Then it’s a no go. I have full autonomy, or you can find someone else and do your best to try and tear me down. I’ll head straight to a reporter I know very well. Oh, he works for the New York Times.” There was no harm, no foul in embellishing the truth. Was there?

  “Fine. I’ll make certain you aren’t encumbered by FBI requirements, but in turn, you will keep this secret and provide us with every discovery.”

  “Deal. Now, you need to tell me what is going on.” I was being demanding, doing my best not to wake Jax, but she needed to understand I wasn’t a pushover. But with Jax, the last thing I needed was to be questioned about what the hell I was doing. He was my respite away from small town crazy.

  “How long before you can arrive at your facility, Doctor?”

  Why was I even considering doing this? Why was I stupid enough to put myself in harm’s way?

  The answer was rather sickening.

  Because I wanted to discover the truth. Now, more than before, the entire thought nagged at me, dragging up what should be considered a nightmare.

  Wolves.

  I had to be losing my mind to consider it.

  But I had and I would.

  I was a scientist after all.

  “One hour. You’ll tell me everything I want to know?”

  “Yes. One hour,” the agent repeated, immediately ending the call.

  I held the phone in my hand, staring at the blackened screen as if it was going to provide any decent answers.

  A shift behind me forced me to tense. I took a deep breath, returning the phone to the nightstand. My hands were shaking as much as my heart was thumping in my chest. I was a mess, an odd combination of fear and excitement churning through me. It felt a little like I was on the cutting edge of discovering something out of this world.

  Please, God. No aliens.

  I pressed my fingers over my lips to keep from laughing.

  “Is there a problem?” Jax asked, his sexy voice sounding sleepy. I took a deep breath, savoring the smell of our sex and his exotic scent, sweet and tangy with a dash of cinnamon.

  Sadly, the lurid images bolting through my mind had to be shoved away. This is where I knew I could come clean or lie.

  I chose the path of least resistance.

  Lying.

  “That was Mattie for real. I need to get back to my car and return home. Britney is having terrible nightmares and Mattie can’t calm her down. She’s gone through this on and off since being forced to move. It’s been a while, but I’m the only one who can stop her panic attack.”

  He touched my shoulder and the electricity was enough to jerk at my breath. “Don’t worry. We’ll leave in a few minutes. Is there anything I can do?”

  “No. Sometimes a little girl just needs her mommy.”

  “Understood. I’ll get dressed.”

  Secrets. Lies. I’d told myself a long time ago I’d never do that to anyone. I’d been the victim of a man who excelled in creating the most perfect lies.

  While I felt bad, I also knew there was no other choice at this point.

  I only hoped if he discovered my little white lie he’d forgive me.

  CHAPTER 18

  Sedona

  This had horror movie written all over it.

  Middle of the night—check.

  Quiet and bleak morgue with a flickering fluorescent light—check.

  Working on a cadaver that could return to life becoming a monster that might decide to eat me—double check.

  Jax hadn’t asked me any questions, remaining silent as he drove me back to my car. There weren’t any promises for the future or plans made. But he had cupped my face, kissing my forehead.

  I could swear the man read minds.

  His subtle butterfly kiss felt like I was being chastised. Later I’d be punished for lying to him.

  As I removed samples of tissue, I was completely cognizant the agent was watching me intently. That added to the eerie factor of the work I was performing. I’d made a mental list of chemicals that could enhance the DNA, but it would be tricky getting my hands on them. At least not without answering a significant number of questions I couldn’t answer.

  The stench this time was more powerful than before. Not just death and the coppery scent of blood but also of the earth. Dirt and sweat. Moss. Yes, a scent like the forest. Maybe that’s where he’d been half eaten alive.

  I had noticed their faces hadn’t been attacked. Maybe I had been watching too many movies. Or maybe they’d been told in some crazy language to leave the faces intact. I was chasing rainbows and unicorns at this point with my unstructured thoughts.

  Daphne would be proud of me for looking outside the box.

  I made a few notes, trying to concentrate on the condition of the man’s skin.

  There were similar claw marks on the man’s body. The addition was a bite mark that had ripped skin from the man’s abdomen. As I handled the remaining organs, I gathered a sense the kill had been about food this time. I had no reason to make that assumption at this point, but it seemed logical given half his intestines were missing.