“Home. I want to sleep in our bed.”
“And make love to your husband?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” he growled.
But she only laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him and willed herself to their lair.
He was right behind her. She had no sooner materialized in the living room than she was lying naked beneath a fully aroused male in front of a roaring fire. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“QuotingStar Warsnow?”
He laughed softly.
And then all thought of Jedi’s fled her mind as he began a slow exploration of her body, his hands and lips teasing and caressing until she was hotter than the hearth fire. She clutched his shoulders, wanting him to be closer, closer.
“Now,” she begged, and let out a gasp as he buried himself deep inside her, sending shockwaves of sensual pleasure through every fiber of her being.
~ * ~
It was hours until dawn when Saintcrow woke abruptly, overcome with a sudden urge to hunt. He’d been feeling pretty good the last few days and had harbored a secret hope that whatever had been plaguing him was losing its power. But now, staring into the darkness, he felt the hunger rise within him, an overpowering need to exert his power, to drink until he was drunk on human blood. To plunge his fangs into a mortal’s throat and feel the life slowly drain out of him...The depths of his need, the urgency, scared the hell out of him.
Slipping, out of bed, he padded naked up the stairs to the living room where he paced the floor. And then, feeling the need to be surrounded by the night, he stepped outside. Morgan Creek lay dark and quiet below. Nothing moved save a lone coyote prowling the empty streets. Another predator, he mused, hunting for prey.
He licked his lips at the thought of fresh, warm blood flowing over his tongue, the music of a frightened mortal heart beating a wild tattoo, the scent of fear in the air.
Predator.
“Rylan?”
Kadie’s voice. He turned his back toward her, not wanting her to see his face which would surely betray his thoughts.
“Rylan, come back to bed.”
“Later.”
She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, felt his whole body stiffen at her touch. She could sense the blood lust pounding within him. People would die this night if she couldn’t get him inside. She closed her eyes. She had been so sure he was getting better....
“Kadie, go to bed.” His voice quivered with his effort to stay calm, afraid if he lost control now, he might hurt her.
“Not without you. You can fight this, Rylan. You’re strong, stronger and more powerful than anyone or anything. I know you can fight this if you want to. Please, love, do it for me.”
He clenched his hands into tight fists. “Keep talking.”
“I love you. You know that. You were so wonderful today at the tournament. My knight, my hero. I was so proud of you. Would it help if we...” Her voice trailed off. She had been about to suggest they shift into wolf form and go hunting, but perhaps that wasn’t a good idea just now.
He was reading her mind again, she thought, as a black wolf suddenly appeared where he had been standing.
With a smile, she shed her human form and followed him down the stairs and around the house to the narrow path that led up into the hills behind the town. She knew immediately it had been the right thing to do. She felt the tension drain out of him as they ran effortlessly through the thick brush, jumping over rocks and fallen trees, padding across a narrow stream. He caught a fish and swallowed it whole, and then they were running again.
They ran for miles until he flushed a jackrabbit. He caught the critter in his powerful jaws and broke its neck. Sitting on his haunches, he indicated she should go first, but she shook her head.It’s your kill. You take it. I can find my own.
With a wolfish grin, he devoured the rabbit in a couple of bites.
Kadie watched curiously, wondering why he could eat meat in wolf form but not as a vampire. She rarely dined on wildlife. When he finished, she licked the blood from his muzzle. And, with a toss of his head, they were off again.