Amy sat down hard in the chair behind her. She heard what Ivan said, but it didn't register. Her heart was beating like a hammer. Al raced into the room, looked at Marcus and growled. "It will be okay, Alba, pull your teeth in. Our guest is smarter than we realized and keeping secrets will only cause her to continue digging. We can't have that."Al bared her teeth, threatening Marcus.Marcus rose from his chair, pushing it back suddenly. It flew across the room and slammed into the wall. Amy jumped from her seat, thinking Marcus was going after the dog. She was staring at them both, not sure what to do. In the blink of an eye, the dog became a beautiful woman. The woman who cared for Amy the night she was attacked. She was not only gorgeous she was completely naked.Amy collapsed back into her chair. Spots were appearing before her eyes. She never believed people fainted over something they saw. She might be wrong."Alba, what are you doing? This is not good for you while you're pr
Despite having her world turned upside down, dinner arrived and it was delicious. The conversation flowed, though Amy never dreamed they could discuss this subject matter with no one ending up in a loony bin. She was a journalist, and her investigative mind set in. They answered every question she asked without hesitation and that surprised her more than anything."Does it hurt to change from wolf to human or back again? Are you allergic to silver? Do others exist?" The questions went on and on, at least about the wolves, vampires were another story. When Amy finished asking everything she could think of, she asked the one question in the back of her mind that would not leave.Looking at Marcus she said, "Do you drink blood?"He looked at her and simply said, "Yes.""Do you kill people when you do it?"Alba laughed this time and answered. "We take care of Marcus' needs. That is what the wolves do. We have cared for him for many years and will continue as long as he is alive."Alb
The arm holding Amy was firm but not tight. She could smell his body. It had a unique scent. She saw his nostrils flare and wondered if he smelled her too. He affected all her senses. She first noticed it when she saw him on the television screen. Having him this close was torture. She didn't know how to make him release her arm. It made her uncomfortable and she could feel the unexpected warmth of his hand. She thought vampires were cold. Her mind still had trouble processing what she saw and heard. She remembered reading a time travel novel many years ago. It was entirely too "way out there" for her, and she kept thinking while reading that the heroine too easily accepted the things that happened.Now, maybe she understood. How do you deny it when someone shoves it in your face? She had a lot to think about and wanted to get everything straight in her head. She did not want to be alone with Marcus.When they arrived outside her room, Amy hesitated. Marcus released her arm and opene
Marcus had an appointment to keep and he looked forward to it. Ivan would be waiting at the pit. It was the location of punishments, fights for position and fights to the death. He would not kill Ivan but he would make a statement. Occasionally it came to this with the wolf, he was the alpha of his pack and though he knew Marcus was stronger, it was in his blood to challenge. When they engaged in battle, it burned off steam and right now they both needed the release. He couldn't get Amy out of his mind. Her scent, her laugh and just her presence was more than he could take right now. Ivan also needed to know he was making his claim. Amy was off limits to all the wolves. She was his. He knew it as soon as he saw her again.Other wolves were already surrounding the pit. Word spread fast throughout the family when a fight or challenge occurred. The pit was about fifty feet in diameter and twenty feet deep. Its use to settle differences and establish the pecking order commenced more than
Amy woke at 4:00 am. It wasn't intentional, she just couldn't sleep. The sight of Marcus with his teeth imbedded in Ivan's throat made her think of pure sex. His eyes, at the moment he gazed up at her, were the amber glow she'd dreamed of. It was like nothing she had ever felt. Lying in bed for thirty more minutes did not dispel the alluring visual. She decided to leave the room. As she stirred, Alba touched her hand with a cold wet nose and a low whine, "I'm going to take a walk. Go back to sleep. You need to rest for the babies." Amy had awakened knowing that none of what happened the night before was a dream. Speaking to Alba just seemed natural. Yesterday she was sane and today she lived in an insane world. She could accept that, not that she had a choice. Amy put on a loose shirt and a pair of jeans then headed downstairs. She turned toward the back of the house, made several more turns, and then went out through a side door, where she could see a faint luminescence. She was surpr
After showering and getting dressed, she made telephone calls. Brian was not happy. He said he almost called the Arizona State Police to find her. He yelled for several minutes and Amy was unable to get a word in. When he finally took a breath, Amy told him she was staying for an extended vacation. If she thought he was angry before, she was mistaken."Have you lost your mind? You're hundreds of miles away. What possible story could you have that would connect Phoenix with your home. I can't do much for you from here and your last story almost got you killed, or have you forgotten?""I am not a child and you are not my keeper. If I'd known I would get this kind of lecture, I would have sent you a letter. Now get off my ass or you won't hear from me for a month.""I'm angry because I'm your friend and I'm worried you're in over your head." He didn't add the "again" but Amy knew he was thinking it.She knew Brian cared and she understood where his anger was coming from. But if she le
As Amy followed Ivan from the house, Alba joined them. She rubbed against Amy's side and in return, Amy ran her hand down her back. Alba was graceful and beautiful. She was also the largest wolf Amy had ever seen. "Are you as large as Alba in wolf form?" When she saw him as a wolf the night before it was at a distance and he had been surrounded by men, not by other wolves.Ivan stopped and reached for the bottom of his t-shirt pulling it over his head. Alba growled at him."I will happily show you whether or not Alba approves."Before Amy could begin to answer, Ivan had his pants down and a wolf, much larger than Alba was standing in his place. Alba didn't even bother to growl, she attacked.Amy let out a startled scream. To her, it seemed brutal. Within minutes Ivan had Alba on her back and his teeth at the smaller wolf's throat. Amy had had enough. She flew towards Ivan. She used her arms and legs and gave him a nice kick in his already sore ribs. She half fell to the ground and
After eating, Ivan told Amy he had some phone calls to make and left her to entertain herself. She decided to walk around the house and discover what she had missed. The place was massive. She wasn't sure how many rooms it had and knew it would be easy to get disoriented and lose her way so she was careful to keep track of her whereabouts as she went along. She explored the ground floor and then walked up the staircase. She turned right and went to the double doors at the far end of the hallway. She realized this must be Marcus' room. She glanced at the door handle and then turned it.One side of the double doors opened and Marcus was standing there. His hair was slightly mussed. He had on a pair of black silk pajama pants but his chest was bare. He had to be the sexiest man alive."It's probably rude of me to say so, but I smelled you. Don't run off, join me. I won't bite, I promise." With a predatory grin, belying his words, Marcus reached for her hand before she could back away.