Vampires Never Cry Wolf (18 page)

Before Sadie could respond, Killian stood to his full height. She took a step back and watched with a mixture of curiosity and awe as Killian's eyes shifted into the glowing amber eyes of his wolf. A low growl rumbled around them and grew louder with each passing second. An instant later a blast of heat shot out of his body, along with a brilliant flash of light. Sadie squinted against the sudden illumination and when she looked back, allowing her eyes to adjust to the lighting, the tall, handsome man was gone. Instead, standing in front of her was a massive brown-and-black wolf with a pair of familiar glowing eyes. He had a thick, stocky build and a mouthful of sharp white teeth—teeth that could tear through a human or vampire with ease.

“Whoa,” Sadie murmured and took an involuntary step back. It had been centuries since she'd been this close to a werewolf in wolf form, and her gut instinct was to flee. Looking into those eyes though, Sadie knew she was safe. She licked her lips and folded her arms over her breasts in an effort to steady her nerves. “You're a lot bigger than I thought you'd be.”

You're not going to tell me what big teeth I have, are you?
Killian's growl stopped short, and his deep, soothing baritone filled her mind.
Because
that
line
is
played
out.

“No.” Sadie laughed. “Little Red Riding Hood I am not.” Rolling her eyes, she pointed to the pile of clothes. “Do you plan on walking into the construction site naked or in your wolf pelt? I can't imagine either of those going over well with the workers.”

Shit.
A growl rumbled and she could swear she saw a look of annoyance on his furry face when he looked at the pile of shredded clothing.
We'll have to make a detour. I'll have David meet us in the parking garage of my apartment building with some clothes. It's not that far from the club.

“Your apartment?” Sadie asked skeptically. “I guess. By that time the sun will be down and we can get to the club at street level. I should warn you, we're going to have to use the sewer tunnels for part of the trip.”

Sewer
tunnels? No thanks.

“Well, we're going to have to use the sewer tunnels to get into the parking garage of your apartment building.” Sadie raised both brows and put her hands on her hips. “You're not chicken, are you?”

Hardly.
Killian stuck his nose in the pile of clothes and came up with a leather wallet clenched between his teeth.
I
am
lacking
pockets
at
the
moment. Would you mind?

Nodding her agreement, Sadie swallowed the irrational lump of fear in her throat. She had no reason to be afraid of Killian, and yet as she reached toward his mouthful of teeth, she couldn't stop her body from shaking. Sensing her fear, Killian sat on his haunches and gave her time to acclimate. After a few seconds, he gently dropped the wallet into her hand and then did something far more surprising—he licked her fingers. Sadie stilled as his warm, wet tongue bathed her hand in a sweet, reassuring gesture.
I
would
never
hurt
you, Sadie.

“I know.” Gripping the wallet tightly, she met his fiery stare. “I mean I know you wouldn't hurt me intentionally. It's just going to take some getting used to, that's all.”

Understood.
Killian rose to all fours.
Lead
the
way.

“Alright, but I just hope you can keep up.” Sadie winked at him while slipping his wallet into the back pocket of her jeans. “Don't worry. I'll try not to go too fast.”

I
can
take
whatever
you
dish
out.
Killian growled and shook his furry body, readying himself for the run. He crouched low, a wolfish grin covering his face.
Just
say
the
word.

Sadie met his challenging stare and found herself more excited than she should be to race a wolf through the tunnels. As in all her other encounters with Killian, nothing was as it should be.

“Go,” Sadie whispered.

Bursting into a run, she raced down the tunnel with the typical speed of a vampire. She fully expected him to be a few lengths behind her, and yet again, Killian Bane was full of surprises. She glanced down to her right to see Killian matching her speed stride for stride, a focused and determined look on his adorable furry face.

I
told
you
I
was
fast.
Killian's confident rumble whisked into her mind, and without warning, he picked up his speed, inching ahead of her.
You're holding back, Sadie.

My
mistake.
Sadie pumped her legs harder and easily caught up to Killian.

It was energizing to find someone who challenged her, pushed her to go faster and be better. Olivia and the girls in the coven were strong and steady, but no one challenged her. Everyone had their place and a job to do. Until recently, life had been all about following the rules in order to survive. Being with Killian was the exact opposite—it was all about breaking the rules.

A familiar and growing vibration in the tunnel captured her attention, marking the impending arrival of an oncoming train. It was coming at them from up ahead, and based on past experience, Sadie knew they had less than two minutes until the speeding contraption came around the bend.

Killian.
Sadie touched his mind with a now familiar ease.
A
train
is
headed
for
us. There's a utility-room doorway up ahead. If you shift, we should both be able to fit in the alcove and avoid the train.

I
see
it.

The rumbling of the train grew louder and the vibrations ricocheted through Sadie's body with bone-clattering strength. She spotted the lights of the train along the cement wall, knowing it would round the bend soon as she leaped into the safety of the doorway. Killian skidded to a halt, dirt and grime from the subway floor shooting out from beneath his paws. The light of the train gleamed over his body, giving him an almost unearthly glow. Panic welled. He wasn't going to make it.

“Shift, Killian!” Sadie screamed. “Now! Killian, shift and grab my hand.”

It felt like an earthquake as the train roared around the bend. Just when she thought Killian was going to get hit, a brilliant flash of light and heat blasted over her. The next second, Killian's tall, hard, naked body was pressed tightly against hers in the confined space. Sadie's back was pressed up against the metal utility-room door and her arms were being held over her head, Killian's hands curled around her wrists. Heat fired over her and through her, and she couldn't tell if it was from Killian or the train that was speeding past them.

Holding his heated stare, and with the flickering lights from the train and the ear-shattering noise of its engines surrounding them, Sadie felt like she was being consumed. Neither of them moved as the train, with its seemingly endless string of cars, roared past. She didn't dare move; if she did, it would be so she could lick and suckle at those firm lips of his.

His body hardened against her with each passing second, and the hot length of his erection pressed insistently against her lower belly. His muscular and perfectly sculpted form looked like it had been created by computer magic, not nature. How could nature have created someone so perfect? Everything about this man screamed sex and lust, and trying to ignore her attraction to him was an effort in futility.

The last car whisked past and a swirl of wind curled around them while they remained motionless in the shelter of the doorway. Killian's breathing had gotten notably faster, and his heart thundered through his chest like a jackhammer. He licked his lower lip and his heated, glowing gaze drifted over her face. One of them should move, she thought. She didn't trust herself to do it.

God help her, she wanted Killian more than she'd wanted anyone in her existence.

“That was close,” Killian murmured. His fingers around her wrists loosened and his thumb brushed over her palm. Sadie gasped with pleasure from even that tiny whisper of flesh over flesh. “I almost got run over, and wouldn't that have been a memorable first date?”

“You call this a date?” Sadie asked absently.

“It's a start.” Killian's chest heaved with effort as he struggled to catch his breath, and the gentle pressure against her breasts almost made her moan. “I promise our next date will be somewhere cleaner, with less traffic…and aboveground. With no danger of being run over.”

Sadie nodded curtly but couldn't bring herself to say anything. Desire hummed in her blood and her fangs vibrated, begging to be freed. She uncurled her fists, expecting Killian to release her. He didn't. Instead he slid his hands over hers, tangled their fingers together, and continued holding her arms over her head.

“Then again,” he whispered, “that's exactly how I've felt since that kiss on the roof.” Killian pressed his lips to her forehead and murmured, “Like I got hit by a train.”

“Killian,” Sadie whispered, the needy sound of her voice betraying her as the sex-hungry woman she'd become. Killian tilted his hips and slid his bare thigh between her jean-clad legs, putting pressure on exactly the right spot. A thready moan escaped her lips and she rasped, “This can't go anywhere…”

“Well, you're part right.” He grinned and flicked his tongue over her lips while rotating the hard plane of his thigh against her clit. Killian's grin widened when Sadie let out a moan of pleasure. She rode his thigh, shamelessly seeking more. “We can't take this any further
here
because I won't be able to or want to stop. I'll want to bury myself inside you and lose myself in every wickedly gorgeous inch of you. But when I make love to you for the first time, it will be somewhere safe, private, and beautiful, not in a subway tunnel under the city.”

Killian kissed the tip of her nose and released her hands before hopping down to the tracks. In a blinding flash of light and a rush of heat, he shifted into his wolf and that mischievous look came over his face.
I
want
to
take
my
time, and you deserve nothing less than perfection.

Unable to form a coherent sentence and feeling her flesh buzz with unfulfilled lust, Sadie squeezed her eyes shut and pressed herself deeper against the cool metal of the door. She needed something, anything to cool off her turned-on body. Thank God she'd left that watch monitor with Xavier. Otherwise it probably would have beeped like a damn fire alarm.

Are
you
coming?
Killian's teasing voice slipped into her mind and made her smile.

“Not yet,” Sadie sang. She hopped onto the tracks and winked at Killian. “But you can make it up to me later.”

Then, without letting him respond, she raced ahead. Moments later, Killian's strong, furred body was running alongside hers with the long, swift strides he executed so easily. Her body was already lost to him, and it was only a matter of time before she gave it to him completely.

She kept reminding herself that as long as she didn't feed on him again, they could explore their sexual attraction and have a little fun. There was no rule against that. But Sadie had to be sure that her bloodlust and physical lust remained separate. Blurring those lines would be a death sentence for both of them.

After meeting up with David in the parking garage, Killian made quick work of getting dressed before they drove over to the Loup Garou. They rode in the back of the limo in silence, and Sadie didn't miss the occasional looks from David. He was friendly enough, and Sadie supposed she couldn't blame him for being wary. To his credit, the guy didn't say anything. Although, based on Killian's body language at certain points, she suspected the men were telepathing. And that was more than a little annoying.

Hey.
Sadie, who kept to her corner of the black leather bench seat, smacked Killian on the leg and gestured toward David.
You
can
still
telepath
with
him
and
the
rest
of
your
pack?

Yes. Why?
Killian looked confused for a second before a look of understanding covered his face
. Right.
He pressed his lips together and let out a slow breath.
You
can't communicate telepathically with your coven anymore. Shit. I'm sorry…

“Hey, Boss!” David shouted from the driver's seat. “Christina has been looking for you all day.” He caught Sadie's gaze briefly in the rearview mirror before looking back at Killian. “I think she's kinda pissed. She's been up Ivan's ass all day trying to find you.”

Sadie fought the surge of jealousy that reared its ugly head and looked out the window, trying to act like she was totally uninterested. She had a feeling David brought up Christina more for her benefit than Killian's. He could have telepathed that information, so saying it out loud was totally for her benefit. He wanted to see what her reaction would be, so she didn't give him one. The men in Killian's pack probably knew there was more than a business relationship between Sadie and their prince. Shit. The scent of arousal practically clung to both of them, and it was so strong, a human could probably pick up on it.

She tried to calm the swirl of nerves in her gut, tapping her knuckles on the window and watching the New York City nightlife whiz past. Because she and Killian were bloodmates, her coven had been accepting enough of the thought of Sadie and Killian together, more so than she had even been herself. But what the hell would the wolves say about it? Probably nothing good. Wonderful, she thought with a roll of her eyes. She'd hoped to navigate her involvement with Killian without interference from the Werewolf Society. Not likely.

Damn it.

“I know, David.” Killian sighed. Sadie gritted her teeth but kept staring out the window. “Christina's been texting me all day.”

“Texting you?” David scoffed and turned onto Broadway. “I thought she would have been in your freaking head all day long. The woman is seriously tenacious.”

“Yeah,” Killian said absently. “You would think that, wouldn't you?”

“You got it, Boss.”

Killian?
Sensing his unease, Sadie turned in her seat to face him. Based on the somewhat sick look on his face, she had a feeling she knew exactly what had caused it.
You
never
heard
her
today, did you?

No
. Killian shook his head, confirming what Sadie suspected.
Actually, come to think of it, I've only telepathed today with David.

Good.
Sadie tried to suppress a smile and lifted one shoulder before looking out the window again. She knew she shouldn't celebrate the fact that Killian's telepathy was limited because of the bloodmate stuff, but at least she felt like the playing field had been evened.
I'll be honest. I'm not crazy about the idea of Christina, or any other woman, being in your head.

Neither
am
I.
Killian countered, his sexy baritone tickling her from the inside out.
The
only
woman
I
want
in
my
head, or anywhere else on my body, is you.

Easy
there, big guy
. Sadie shot a glance in his direction
. Let's take this one step at a time.

We
may
not
have
the
luxury
of
time.
Killian's tone changed to one of caution, which made all of the alarm bells in Sadie's head clang in warning.
I
was
planning
to
wait
before
I
spoke
to
my
father
about
what's happening between us, but circumstances may force that discussion sooner rather than later. If members of the society cannot reach me via telepathy…

Your
father?
Panic gathered in Sadie's chest and she shot him a warning look.
Killian, this thing, whatever it is, is only temporary.

No
it's not.
Killian pressed his lips together and shook his head playfully before looking out the window.
I've already told my sister, Naomi, about you. She's dying to meet you.

Your
sister? I didn't even know you had a sister to tell.
Sadie's mental voice squeaked, betraying her nerves
. Jesus, Killian. This is getting out of control. We're not committing to a bloodmate bond—we can't. There's no reason your father or anyone else has to know about our sex life—or possible sex life. Our business is just that. It's our business.

Sadie.
Killian reached across the seat and took her hand in his. The warmth of his flesh swiftly engulfed hers, reminding her of what bathing in the glow of the sun felt like.
You
and
I
both
know
that
what's happening between us is anything but temporary.

Gathering her hand in his was a remarkably disarming gesture that warmed her heart even more than her flesh. Her belly quivered while she stared into those kind caramel eyes, and she was terrified by her own emotions. Being sexually attracted to Killian was something she could deal with. After two centuries, sex wasn't a big deal. The tug in her chest, however, the one that clenched tighter with each moment of tenderness he displayed, that was another story entirely. The prospect of an emotional entanglement was far more terrifying than being unable to keep her bloodlust in check.

No, we don't, Killian. We have no idea what could or will happen. Actually, that's not true. We do know that your father and the rest of your people would never in a million years accept a vampire for their queen. And that's working under the assumption that I even want to attempt that lifestyle adjustment.
Sadie slipped her hand from his grasp and leveled a deadly serious look in his direction.
It
took
me
a
long
time
to
accept
who
and
what
I
am. I'm not going to grovel in front of your parents and beg for their approval or something. I'm a vampire, Killian. That will never change.

I
know
that.
A sad smile played over Killian's lips. He clasped his hands in his lap and let out a slow breath.
I
will
respect
your
wishes. I won't discuss our relationship with my father, if that's what you really want—at least not yet. However, I do plan on telling him that I'm relinquishing my place in line for the throne.

Sadie's mouth fell open in stunned silence. For the first time in her two centuries, she was actually speechless. Killian was planning to give up the throne for her?

The car came to a stop at the curb in front of the club, and David got out of the car, leaving them alone.

“You don't even know me,” Sadie whispered, her eyes searching his for some kind of explanation. “Killian, this is crazy.”

“No,” Killian murmured. “But I know enough to know that I want to learn more. I want to discover everything there is to know about you, Sadie. From finding out what music you love to figuring out what makes you laugh. That smile of yours, the one that lights up a room—I need to know what I can do to make sure I see it every day for the rest of my life. I have no interest in being king if I can't have you for my queen.”

Still not entirely sure she'd heard him correctly, Sadie stared at Killian with pure disbelief. She had a million questions running through her head, but before she could ask any of them, David opened the car door and the sounds of the city flooded the space.

“Let's go,” Killian said quietly. “We need to get those samples from the foreman before he leaves.”

“Oh, right.” Sadie blinked and shook her head, having completely forgotten why the hell they had come there in the first place. “The samples for Xavier,” she said absently.

Killian offered her his hand and helped her from the limo, which made her feel surprisingly ladylike, even in her torn jeans and combat boots. Sadie was many things—tough, smart, capable, and tenacious—but she never really thought of herself as ladylike or sexy. Yet somehow Killian could make her feel like a desirable woman, instead of a scrappy, independent fighter.

Removing her hand from his far larger one, she captured his smiling gaze and realized that she felt positively delicate around him. How bizarre was that? Sadie could kick butt with the best of them, and except for silver, she was impervious to real injury from weapons. Like most vampires, she was a killing machine and tough as nails. Yet around Killian, she felt almost fragile.

“What do you think?” Killian asked with a broad smile and a sweeping gesture toward the building. “Is it too much?”

Sadie almost laughed out loud because even though he was talking about the sign for the club, she was still thinking about him. Tearing her eyes from his, she turned her attention to the massive signage that hung above the gleaming surface of the building. The front of the club was polished black granite that glittered in the light of the streetlamps, reminding her of a starry night. Hanging above the silver and black doors was an enormous sign that said “The Loup Garou.” The scrolled lettering was a brilliant, deep shade of cobalt blue, and looming behind it was the image of a luminous, electric full moon.

Slipping her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, Sadie nodded her approval and elbowed Killian in the ribs. “Not bad and not at all subtle.”

“Does that mean you like it?” he asked, folding his arms over his broad chest as he stood by her side, appraising it along with her. “And for the record, calling your club The Coven isn't exactly subtle either.”

“Touché, my friend.” Sadie squinted and moved closer to the slick granite that covered the front of the building. Upon closer inspection, she saw a design carved into the stone. She ran her fingertips along the cool surface, and sure enough, there were grooves. She was about to ask him what it was, when lights flickered and the design came to life. “Whoa.”

Sadie stepped back to take in the full sight and a smile bloomed slowly across her face. The front of the building no longer looked like some boring, old club in New York City. Instead of glittering granite, the front of the Loup Garou looked like a moonlit forest. Even the doors were incorporated into the design, and instead of plain, old doors, they looked like the entrance to a path through the trees.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” Sadie whispered. She barely noticed the humans who were gathering on the sidewalk to check out the stunning artwork. “I can't believe I haven't heard about this from anyone. It's…amazing. I mean, it looks like I could step right into that forest. Jeez, Killian. If the outside looks like this, what the hell does it look like inside?”

“A mess, actually,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to get the outside finished so we could generate some buzz. You haven't heard about it because tonight is the first night I lit it up.” Killian inched closer and lowered his voice to conspiratorial tones. “I wanted you to be among the first to see it.”

“Me?” Snapping her head toward him, Sadie's heart clenched in her chest as she captured Killian's stare. “Why me? I mean, I'm your competitor.”

“You are many things, Sadie,” Killian said slowly. “You are smart, beautiful, a savvy businesswoman, a devoted coven member, and tough as steel. I wanted you to see it first. I value and respect your opinion, because unlike most other people in my life, you won't feel obliged to lie to me and tell me you like it if you don't. Your honesty, though it's sometimes painful, is one of your most endearing traits.” His gaze flicked over the length of her body so swiftly and surely that she practically felt his eyes on her. Dropping his voice to barely above a whisper, he leaned closer. “Tonight, after David and Ivan are sent on their way, I'll show you what other qualities of yours I
admire
.”

Sadie's body hummed and desire burned brighter with each passing second. Terrified she'd lose her head and maul him right there on the sidewalk, she stepped back abruptly and shoved her hands in her pockets again. She moved toward the front doors, her stare affixed firmly to his. “Let's see if what you've got inside is as snazzy as what's on the outside.”

Turning on her heels, Sadie almost tripped over her own feet when she spotted David holding the door open. She'd completely forgotten the guy was standing there and likely watching her interaction with Killian. She practically groaned with embarrassment while moving past him and into the Loup Garou.