DarkHunger (7 page)

When Kayla moaned again, he knew that they were close to the point of no return. Her nails scraped down his back, the painful pleasure was almost his undoing. It took all of his willpower to pull away.

Kayla’s chest rose and fell with each breath she took.

Her desire wrapped around him, squeezing tightly. “Kayla,” his voice was deep with passion. “I can’t do this. Not now. As much as I want to take you to bed, I can’t.”

“You have a girlfriend?” Kayla’s voice had concern in it.

Ian thought for a moment and decided on what to say. “I had one, but she had been cheating on me for three years. I have decided to move on, but that’s not why I can’t. Call me old fashioned, but I like to court the females I’m interested in first.”

Kayla nodded. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, then looked down.

Ian touched the side of her face again, making her look at him. “What are you sorry for?”

“I don’t want you to think I’m a slut who sleeps around. I never—”

Ian placed a finger over her lips, preventing her from saying what he already knew. He knew she had never had sex before. “I believe you, Kayla. I am sure that you are saving yourself for someone you love. I respect you for that.”

She smiled again.

“Have a great night, Kayla, and I can’t wait for dinner.”

“You, too, Ian.”

Ian gave her a brief kiss on the lips before letting her go inside her home. He waited until he heard her lock the door before walking away. He got into his car, and drove back to his brother’s home.

* * * *

Kayla leaned against her bedroom door, thinking about the kiss of her life. She had had kisses before. Some, she thought, had rocked her world. How wrong was she? Ian’s kiss had put all her other kisses to shame. When they kissed something deep within her sparked to life. She would have done almost anything to be with Ian. Every feeling she ever experienced came out of her with that kiss. She poured it into the kiss hoping that Ian would feel it also. The longer they kissed, the more she wanted him.

The sound of knocking from her front door made her jump up. She smiled, thinking that Ian hadn’t left yet. Maybe the kiss had worked.

She raced downstairs and the moment her hand touched the knob, she thought about what would happen if she opened the door and Ian stood on the other side. She knew they would kiss again and that courting part would probably be over. If they kissed this time, she wouldn’t just let him leave, she would take him to her bed. She was prepared to give up her virginity to a stranger. A handsome stranger who made her body ache for him.

Ready, she unlocked the door, expecting to see Ian, but frowned when Tyler stood there. Talk about a bucket of ice water being poured over her head. “What do you want, Tyler?” She leaned against her doorframe.

She slapped Tyler before, now she wanted to kick his ass for getting her worked up over nothing. She wanted Ian to be standing there, not him!

Tyler looked at her, frowning. “I wanted to come to say I’m sorry. I let my jealousy get the best of me.”

Kayla crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, you did, Tyler.”

“Can we talk?”

Kayla lifted an eyebrow. “We
are
talking.”

“I mean can I come in and we talk?”

“No, not now. It’s almost three in the morning, and I’m going to bed. I have some things to prepare for tomorrow.”

“Oh, you have plans tomorrow?”

“Yes. I have a date with Ian. The guy you let drive me home.” Kayla knew telling Tyler this would make him upset, but after calling her a whore and hurting her wrist, she didn’t give a damn anymore. Tyler hurt her, and she would repay the favor.

Tyler’s eyes widened, his nose flared.

Kayla stepped back, knowing for sure he would yell or try to grab her again. If he did, no one was around to stop him this time.

“I guess I deserve this. I waited for you to try to fall in love with me as much as I am with you, but I guess that my love doesn’t mean that much to you.”

“Tyler—”

“Wait, let me finish. I love you, Kayla, have from the day we met. I have never meant to hurt you, and tonight, I let jealousy get the better of me and I hurt you.”

“You left us without a ride home, Tyler,” she added. “We had to catch a ride with complete strangers. Do you know how bad that is to be in the car with someone who you don’t know isn’t a killer?”

“I know, and when I thought about how wrong I was for doing that, I turned around. When I got back to the club and noticed you guys were gone, I drove down the road, looking for you all, but I thought maybe you got a ride or called a cab.”

“You know calling a cab would have been too expensive. The owner was nice enough to give us a ride.”

“How nice of him,” Tyler snapped.

Tyler took a step towards her, making Kayla tense, ready to slam the door in his face if he reached for her.

Tyler must have noticed her reaction because he stopped advancing and hung his head for a moment. “I’m sorry, Kayla. I never wanted you to fear me. I didn’t mean to hurt your wrist.”

“I don’t fear you,” she lied, “but you hurt
me
, Tyler. I don’t know if I could trust being alone with you for a while. I am asking you to leave now, and I’ll see you in a couple of days when you come back to work. We are only co-workers until I feel more comfortable being around you again.”

Tyler sighed, then nodded. “I understand, but I ask you to do me a favor and stay away from those two at the club. You can date anyone but them.”

“What are you talking about? Do you know them?”

“I don’t know them personally, but I know they are not your type.”

Kayla laughed. “I know my type, and you have to understand that I’ll make my own decisions.”

“I know that, Kayla. Just know I told you so. They are not what they seem.” Tyler turned and walked back to his car.

Kayla didn’t wait for him to drive away before closing the door. She knew that Tyler would be jealous of her and Ian, but now she felt that Tyler would make it a lot more difficult than she wanted. No matter, she would spend time with Ian and as much as she wanted.

Kayla went upstairs, took a long shower and then went to bed, preparing herself for tomorrow’s date.

* * * *

“So you are telling me that she wanted you, and you said no? Are you mad, Ian?”

Ian looked at his brother as they walked through the wooded area. Why must his brother have a problem with everything he did? He was the oldest by three hundred years, yet Logan acted as if he were the oldest.

“Yes, I decided to wait. I thought you would be happy that I asked her on a date.”

“I
am
happy that you are finally coming out of your shell. The fact that she wanted to give you pussy, and you denied her disappoints me.”

“You think it’s all about fucking, don’t you? What about getting to know them first? To see if you are compatible in more ways than in the bedroom?”

Logan stopped walking. “Oh, I see it now. You and Meagan were great in bed together, and now that the spark is gone, you are finding out that you two have nothing in common.”

“That is part of it, and the fact that she is having sex with every male she comes in contact with also makes it hard for me.”

“I hope this Kayla thing works in some way. She seems nice, but I think that wolf is protecting her.”

“He seems to be in love with her, but I don’t get any sense that she feels the same for him.”

“Maybe not. Why would I want to become a wolf? Once a month, changing into some beast that eats anything that gets in my way is not a way of life. And don’t forget licking yourself clean.”

“I agree with you there.”

Ian took in a deep breath as a familiar sent hit his nose. “You smell that?”

Logan inhaled. “Fresh blood.”

“Too fresh.”

Ian took off running in the direction of the smell. They ran until they came upon a female body naked on the grass. The woman was on her back, eyes closed, thighs spread apart. Ian smelled a man’s release, letting him know that someone had raped her. Bruises were all over her body, but mostly on her thighs where he was sure that her attacker had forced himself on her. Her face was bloody, her lip split. Whoever killed her really did a number on her. He didn’t know who, but he knew what killed her, a wolf. The smell of the beast’s release sickened him. How could someone get off over beating a woman?

“Fuck!” Logan yelled, kneeling next to the woman. “Wolves are pissing me off with killing my customers.”

“You know her?”

“Yeah, she’s a regular, well, was a regular. They are not just killing, now they are taking their pleasure with the victims. I don’t know the scent of this wolf. I haven’t met his bloodline.”

Logan turned the young woman’s head, exposing the wolf’s bite on her neck. Whoever this wolf was, they tried to make it look like a vampire had bitten her. It’s different because a vampire’s bite heals in only seconds if they bite while the host is alive. Whoever did this had to be inexperienced. “He tried to make it seem like a vampire bit her.”

“Yeah, I see,” Logan shrugged out of his jacket, laying it over the dead body, then stood. “Let’s call the Council to let them know we have another dead one.”

Ian walked around the site, trying to find clues of who had killed this female. Then he caught the faint scent of the wolf that was at the club. Ian growled, letting his teeth emerge from his gums.

“I smell him, too, Ian.”

“Put your fangs away, vampire.”

Ian growled loudly, wanting to tear Tyler’s throat out because he could smell Kayla on him. He knew that they drove together to the club, but he didn’t want her scent on the wolf at all.

“What are you doing here?” Logan asked.

“I smelled fresh blood and followed the scent. I have been trying to find out who’s killing also.”

“It’s your kind,” Ian snapped.

Tyler walked up to Ian, his eyes blazing red. They stared at each other, each not letting a moment of weakness show.

“But it’s not my clan.”

“You two, take it easy.” Logan walked between them. “We are all looking to stop these murders before humans find out what we are, and if they do, all our asses will be up a creek. So you two better put your little fight behind you and work together.”

“I agree.”

The new male’s voice made Ian tense up, ready to strike. Ian turned to another wolf walking from the darkness of the forest.

“I’m Jack McDaniels.” The black haired man made his way up to them. “I see you have already met my son, Tyler.”

“Yes we have,” Logan spoke.

“I apologize for his actions. You know young wolves tend to get aggressive when they turn.”

“We understand,” Ian said.

“Yes, we do, but if he can’t control his issues, he needs to go to the den until he can,” Logan suggested.

“I agree, and if I see it getting out of control over the next couple of weeks, I’ll take him to the den and make him stay until he can control his anger.”

“Father!” Tyler yelled, but his father’s hand made him quiet.

“It is done. Control it or you are going to the den until you
can
control it.”

Tyler didn’t speak again. He walked to the far side of the site to get away from them.

“What do we have?” Jack asked.

“Another werewolf killing,” Ian told him. “Have any idea of the wolf?”

Jack inhaled deeply, frowned, then shook his head.

Ian had a feeling Jack was lying to protect someone.

“I’ll keep an eye out for anyone talking about recent kills. I’ll be in touch with you guys.” Jack walked over to Tyler, grabbing him by the collar and tugging him back into the woods.

“That was strange,” Logan said.

“Yes, it was.
Too
strange. I think Jack knows something he’s not telling us.”

“You think it could be someone in his pack?”

“Never know. It might be some allies, but I doubt they would turn in their own pack to a vampire council.”

“You’re right. I’m sure that this wolf will slip up sooner or later.”

Ian nodded. He only wished that the victim had some life in her. Vampires had visions, and if they took the blood of the living, they could see their past. That’s why Ian drank from pouches. He learned that if the blood didn’t come directly from the donor, then he didn’t have visions.

“Why don’t you go home, brother? I am going to go see Emily and stay with her during the day. She has her home set up for me. You have a big night tomorrow.”

“You’re right. Are you going to stay for the cleanup?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m thinking of calling Cage into the battle.”

“Cage Vasser?”

“Yes.”

“Why him?”

“He’s one of the best at detecting clans by smell. He is the only vampire clairvoyant I know. I think it would be a good thing bringing him in.”

“If you think he would help.”

“I do.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow then, Logan.” Ian made his way out of the wooded area and back to his car. It would be hard for him to sleep when, now, he only thought about Kayla.

Chapter 5

Kayla moaned when a warm mouth covered her nipple. Keeping her eyes closed, she reached, running her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to her. Never in her life had she felt anything so good. She rocked against his body, feeling his erection pressing against her soaking passage.

His tongue swirled around it before pressing it flat against the roof of his mouth. She moaned softly and arched her body pushing the nipple deeper into his mouth. One hand molded the full swell of her other breast.

He teased her breast, sucking it until she thought she would explode from the passion. He soon switched breasts, attacking her nipple with the same urgency as the other.

She gritted her teeth and held back as much as she could, willing herself to let him take his time and bring her slowly to the brink of ecstasy. A low sigh left her lips at the feel of the tip of his cock sliding against her wet folds. She rotated her hips, trying to take him inside her.

He moved his mouth back to the other nipple and trailed his hand down her body over the soft swell of her tummy to the wet slit of her pussy. She blushed knowing how wet he would find her. She was rewarded with a low groan from him.