Lycan Packs 1: Lycan Instinct (22 page)

“Again,” he said, his voice husky.

With one strong stroke, he slipped inside to fill her completely. He gritted his teeth. His arms tensed. Her hands struggled to find purchase on the slick contours of his body. Deeper he plunged, driving them both wild. He took her, claimed her, and possessed her. Repeatedly, she met him thrust for thrust.

“Mine.” His fingers gripped her hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck. He kissed and sucked on the base of that slender column where hot blood pumped beneath the unmarred skin. Holding her in place, he drove her over the edge again. Seconds later, his seed pulsed into her depths, and he followed her into oblivion.

Mackenzie blinked the sleep from her eyes and stretched, not unlike the felines she feared. Her hand collided with cool sheets beside her.

Gone.

Her head pressed face-first into her feather pillow. Blindly, she felt for the pillow he’d used, tugged it toward her, and buried her nose in the downy softness. Sandalwood, a faint, but lingering scent.

It’s for the best, she told herself, despite the hitch in her heartbeat. Time to acknowledge her weakness, step back across that line she’d crossed, and never make the same mistake again. Rules were made for a reason, and that reason wasn’t so they could be broken.

She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and bolted from the bed.

“Shit!”

Feeling every ache and pain from her previous night’s activities, she forced herself into the bathroom, planted her hands on the counter, and stared at the face of disaster in the mirror. She’d slept like a baby, but now felt like a centenarian.

“I look like a melted box of crayons.” She scowled at the puffy redness surrounding the wound on her forehead and the black-and-blue marks left from the punishment she’d inflicted on her body. Then she lifted her chin to view the side of her neck.

“He gave me a goddamn hickey.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Mackenzie spun around, her hand flying to her side, but she wasn’t wearing her gun...or anything else for that matter.

Rafe leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, hair damp, a towel around his hips, and a lazy smirk on his face.

“Don’t you know better than to sneak up on a person like that?” She hated the waspishness in her voice, but damn it, there should be a law against looking that good in the morning.

“I didn’t sneak. I walked from the kitchen. You were too busy cursing me for that little love bite to notice.”

Love bite? Don’t go there, Mackenzie
. She gave him her best wrong-side-of-the-bed, don’t-mess-with-me look. When his smile widened and gaze dropped, she decided her lack of clothes ruined the look’s effect. Turning on the shower, she jumped behind the curtain before the water had time to warm, and muttered, “As if I need more color around my face.”

“Want me to wash your back?”

Mackenzie heard the grin in his offer over the shower’s spray. His words emblazoned on her mind an image of him dropping that towel from around his waist...his strong hands sliding up and down her back, rubbing away the pain and soreness, replacing it with another more sensuous ache.

Oh yes
.

“No,” she said, almost shouting, “I can manage.” She turned up the cold water until shivers racked her body.

Why was he still here? Things would’ve been so much easier if he’d left before she awoke. Why couldn’t he act like a normal man and disappear after he scored?

She snorted.

Because she’d hunt him down, and he knew it, no doubt. So that left her with one question. Now what? She’d really screwed up and had no idea how to correct her mistake. Worse, her body and heart were having a battle of wills with her mind over how she should proceed.

Making quick work of her shower, she turned off the water and listened to the silence in the apartment. She yanked a towel from the hook and wrapped herself in it before stepping out to see Rafe still in the doorway, although now, he held two cups of coffee.

“I thought you’d left.”
Hoped was more like it.

“Obviously.” He stepped forward, kissed the pout from her lips, and presented the coffee cup. “Have some caffeine, Detective. I imagine you’ll need it today.”

“Thanks.” Uncertain how to handle her morning-after edginess, she tried for nonchalance. Sipping the coffee, she savored the rich aroma and proceeded to get ready.

She disregarded the odd sensations that crept up her spine as he watched her. Unprepared for feelings of domesticity, she chose to focus her thoughts on the case. She had to fill Cooper in on the shooter, find out what he learned from the bookie, and check on whether they’d turned up anything at the warehouse this morning. And there was still Hahn to deal with whenever he popped up out of his hole. Turning off the hair dryer, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

“You may want to contact your partner soon.” Rafe’s voice made her glance toward the now-vacant doorway.

“Oh?”

“He called earlier.”

“He what?” Panic widened her eyes. She hadn’t heard the phone ring.

“You were sleeping rather soundly. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

“You didn’t—”

He stepped into the doorway again. “I thought it best to let your answering machine pick it up.”

Relief swamped her. “Wise choice,” she said as she moved past him to gather her clothing. She hopped into a pair of jeans and tugged on a turtleneck.

“He plans to tear this place apart if he doesn’t hear from you within the next thirty minutes. He apparently tried to reach you late last night.”

“I didn’t check the machine.” She’d forgotten to set the alarm, too, which only proved how wrong she’d been to get involved with Rafe. He made her lose her mind. Turning, she caught sight of him fully clothed. “Where’d you get those?”

He finished buckling his belt and reached for a blazer. “I had Luc bring me a change of clothes this morning.”

“Oh, that’s just grand. Broadcast where you spent last night, why don’t you?”

“Calm down. He’s circumspect.”

She crossed her arms. “We are talking about Lucian Stone, right? AKA Lucifer?”

He chuckled, tugged on her hand, and pulled her reluctant body into a brief embrace. “Your secret’s safe with me, Detective.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about.”
Yeah, right
. She pushed away from him, started to put on her jacket, until she saw the blood stains on the collar. Tossing it aside, she headed for the door. “But I don’t have time to argue the matter now. I’ve gotta run. I’d drop you off somewhere, but I’m needed at the station.”

“That’s all right. I can manage on my own.”

She’d barely made it halfway down the hall when a knock sounded at the door.

“Mackenzie!” Cooper pounded on the door again.

“Guess he’s early,” Rafe murmured as he paused in the bedroom doorway behind her. Mackenzie felt the blood drain from her face.

“You think?”

“Mac? I know you’re in there. Open up, damn it.”

“Hide,” she ordered before moving slowly to the door. She cast a quick glance back to see Rafe move into the bathroom and out of sight. “Coming. Hold your horses.” Sucking in a deep breath, she opened the door.

“Where the hell have you been?” Cooper’s face twisted into a mask of fury, or worry.

“Good morning to you, too. What brings you out here?”

“I tried your house last night and this morning.” He stepped toward her, but she continued to block the door. “You didn’t answer.”

Yes, there was definitely concern in that voice, hidden beneath the quiver of anger.

“I tried to reach you, too, last night. Didn’t you get my message?”

“The one that said you were going to check out a tip from a snitch and would contact me later? Yeah, I got it, but you didn’t call back.”

“Guess I should’ve, but things got dicey, and I was beat. Long night. Got home late and sacked out. Forgot to set my alarm. Overslept.”

“You’ve been home all night?”

“Didn’t I just say that? Look, I’m sorry I missed your call this morning. Must’ve called while I was in the shower. Why the third degree?”

“I heard about the ambush from dispatch first thing this morning.” Cooper frowned as his hand rose to her face. “I was worried.”

“There was no reason to be. As you can see, I’m fine.”

He stared at the wound, letting his thumb caress her temple.

“What the hell was that?” Cooper’s hand dropped to his pistol.

She cast a quick glance over her shoulder. “What?”

“That sound. I know you heard that. You got someone in your place?”

“No.” Her grip tightened on the door, and she kept her expression blank. “It’s an old building...odd sounds are the norm.”

Cooper wasn’t buying it. “You gonna let me in?”

“What for? I’m on my way out.” She wondered how she could retrieve her keys and a coat without releasing the door.

“I know someone’s here, Mac. You gonna tell me what’s going on?”

She let sarcasm lace her voice. “Nothing’s going on, except for a pounding headache made worse by my partner who shows up with a bunch of pain-in-the-ass accusations that I don’t intend to dignify with a response.”

“What am I supposed to think? I come over here to check on you after hearing about last night and...what was that?”

With trepidation, Mackenzie looked over her shoulder and saw nothing. “What?”

“That flash. Don’t tell me you didn’t see it.”

“Bulb must’ve blown. It was flickering earlier.”

“Let me in, and I’ll check it out.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll handle it. Let me get...” The words died in her throat as she turned to see a black, devilish wolf appear.

She was going to skin Rafe alive for this.

Cooper cursed and pushed around her to stand between her and the wolf. The animal growled.

“Stop it,” she hissed, grabbing her partner’s arm and yanking him aside.

“What’s that doing here?”

Mackenzie moved between them with her back to the animal. For some unknown reason, she felt it more necessary to keep an eye on the man rather the wolf. That was until Rafe nudged her backside with his muzzle.

“Rafe,” she growled.

“Rafe?” Cooper asked.

Caught off guard, Mackenzie stared, dumbfounded, at her partner.

Tell him I gave you the animal temporarily.

“Uh...He loaned me the dog.”

“Why?” Cooper crossed his arms and eyed the animal, which sat beside Mackenzie and returned the man’s scrutiny.
Her mind drew another blank. “Good question.”

To prove that the breed can be safe.

“He said he wanted to prove to me that his animals are safe.”

“And you believe that?” Cooper’s look said he wasn’t believing a word, even though the wolf repositioned himself, stretching out carelessly on the floor.

Mackenzie let her nervous irritation show. “I don’t know. Maybe he just needed a babysitter for the mutt.”

Rafe growled.
Mutt
?

“Oh yeah. He’s safe all right.” Cooper closed the door behind him but continued to watch the wolf. “This is ludicrous. You can’t keep a wolf in the city.”

“Wolf? All I know is that he’s a well-trained canine.”

“Well trained to kill, you mean. What the hell were you thinking, Mac? Did you even tell Mr. High and Mighty Murder Suspect that you’re allergic to animals?”

“Not exactly. Apparently, I’m only allergic to cat dander, not canine fur.”

“So what? He just shows up on the doorstep with a wolf?”

“No. I...uh...I wound up with him after dinner. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

That’s because you didn’t say no last night
.

She nudged the arrogant wolf with her foot.

“Where was the dog while you were out trading shots with the snitch?”

“In the car,” she lied.

Cooper leaned in for a closer look until Rafe sat up suddenly, causing the cop to step back. Mackenzie could almost hear the snicker in the wolf’s panting.

Cooper pointed. “I don’t recall seeing this one at Stone’s estate.”

She smiled. “You wouldn’t. He wasn’t there.”

The wolf whined.

“Where was he?”

Thinking quickly, Mackenzie said, “At the vet supposedly.”

“He was hiding this one?”

“I doubt that, since he gave him to me last night.”

I gave you more than that last night.

She let her smile turn into a smirk. “You got a field kit with you, Coop?”

“Yeah.”

You wouldn’t
.

“Go get it. Might as well use this chance to get a sample for testing.”

“Ah. Now I see. You’re a sly one, Mac.”

“Just following every lead as always, partner.”

When the door closed behind Cooper, Mackenzie turned on the wolf. “You just had to make a noise, didn’t you?”

It was an accident, which is more than I can say for your field kit threat. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you
?

“Oh yeah, I just love nearly getting caught having a tryst with a prime suspect in a murder I’m investigating. And the field kit isn’t a threat. What did you expect me to do when you pranced in here on four legs?”

You don’t think of me as a suspect any more. I don’t prance. And I’m not a mutt
.

“You’re still high on Cooper’s list of suspects and don’t be so sensitive. What did you expect me to say? You show yourself as a wolf in my home knowing that my partner thinks I’m allergic to animals. I couldn’t just cuddle up with you and say, ‘He followed me home. Isn’t he cute?’”

Cute, huh
?

She rolled her eyes as laughter erupted in her mind. “Try to behave.”

I will if you will
.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You behave, and I will, too
.
Don’t let him touch you again.

“You saw that?” Her moment of shock turned quickly to frustration. “You were supposed to hide, not peek around corners. What if he’d seen you?”

He didn’t
.

“He could’ve.” She fisted her hand and scowled, and then felt foolish for fighting with a dog. “Ugh! I can’t fight with you when you look like that.”

If a wolf could smirk, the one in front of her was a master.