Destined Mate

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Unfortunately she’d run from him before he could tell her that their differences didn’t matter. That he didn’t care what she’d become. He didn’t know for certain that’s why she’d left, but it was better than the idea she’d run off with a vamp over him. A little over fifty years ago he’d hunted her to Alaska but then he’d lost the trail. Some days he’d wondered if she was even still alive. The last thing he’d expected was for her to show up on his doorstep. Now that she was here, he wasn’t letting her go. “Day walker?”

She nodded tightly. “My maker was one so…” Her shoulders lifted in what he was sure she meant to be a casual shrug, but it came off jerky and unsteady.

He had so many questions for her, but he kept them to himself. By law, he could keep her as long as he wanted. She’d trespassed and gone against both their species’ laws.

“You will stay in my room—”

“No way, you freaking animal!”

Knowing she was baiting him, he took a deep breath. “Unless you wish me to lock you in our dungeon with the feral wolves waiting to be judged, you’ll stay in my room.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Because of his tone or the threat, he wasn’t sure. And he didn’t care. “Fine, but don’t think that means anything.”

He advanced on her, partially because he needed to assert his dominance but mainly because he wanted to touch her. To run his fingers all over her. He kept going until she bumped against the edge of the bed and before she could react, he had her pinned on the mattress. She yelped as he settled on top of her, pinning her back against the soft covers. She was leaner than he remembered. Stronger. But she was soft in all the right places. Her breasts pressed against him, making it hard to breathe. “You trespassed on my land, hurt members of my pack—”

“I used tranquilizers,” she hissed as she struggled against him.

“—and damaged my property. You will stay as long as I say.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you.” Her voice was cold, determined.

“Why not? We’ve done it before,” he murmured.

“So what? You’re going to force me?” Her voice slightly trembled.

Anger surged through him that she could actually ask that question. “I wouldn’t have to force you.”

Growling, she shoved at his chest. The strength behind her push shocked him to his core. Whoever had turned her must have been a powerful vampire. Considering she was a day walker, he had no doubt. Instead of moving off her, he tightened his thighs around her then leaned closer so that their noses touched. “I can smell how much you want me, Angel.” And he could. It was so potent, like fresh spring rain and it nearly bowled him over. She was doing her best to hide it from him but failing miserably.

“That means nothing,” she muttered.

Instead of pushing up from her, he shifted against her, letting her feel his erection. The heat and sudden burst of lust she emanated threw him off-kilter.

Taking him by surprise, she half smiled and rolled her hips against him. “Some things haven’t changed, I see.”

The way her soft pink lips curved up made his brain short-circuit. The abrupt change in her made him falter. Maybe she was remembering how good they’d been together. How was it that he’d been thinking about this moment for years but couldn’t think of one intelligent thing to say now? He’d always been better with actions anyway. As he leaned down, her pale eyes flared with heated desire. When he cupped her face, she reached out and splayed her fingers across his chest. Yeah, talking could definitely wait.

As their lips touched, he felt a sharp jolt through his groin as she kneed him. Before he could react, she twisted and elbowed him across the face. Using her momentum, she lunged up and flipped him over until they tumbled to the ground. The thud when they landed made his teeth rattle.

“I’m not some whore and if you think you can play with me, you’re wrong. I don’t care if you’re the Alpha of this pack or not, I’ll tear you to shreds if you try to touch me.” Angela’s words were laced with a deadly promise.

And that turned him on more than it should have. He could easily flip her off him but he liked the feel of her body on top of his. He couldn’t remember the name of the last woman he’d slept with. But he remembered everything about Angela. The way she’d willingly opened her body to him. What her tight sheath had felt like as he sank into her. How she moaned when she climaxed. “I didn’t realize I’d insinuated you were a whore, Angel. I’m simply offering you hospitality even when you don’t deserve it.”

His inner beast roared at him to assert dominance. He was almost always in control of his inner wolf but right now his human side agreed with his animal side. Snaking his arm around her waist, he jumped up and brought her with him. Her eyes widened but he didn’t give her a chance to fight before he threw her over his shoulder and jerked the door open.

Two young male pack members stood there, obviously eavesdropping. One cleared his throat as Angela pounded against his back with her fists.

“Uh, we weren’t sure if you’d need backup or anything,” the older of the two muttered as he averted his gaze to the floor.

Knox shook his head and easily subdued Angela’s attempts to get free. “As you can see, I’m fine. Tell Alaric to meet me in my study.” Without waiting for a response, he headed down the long hallway. His bedroom was on the opposite side of the house and he didn’t want to put Angela on display for longer than necessary.

“Let me go, you bastard!”

He ignored her and tightened his hold. When he felt her teeth sink into his back, he flinched and shook his head. “Hellcat,” he muttered, mildly annoyed.

“I changed my mind…put me in your stupid dungeon. Anything’s better than being stuck with you in your room!” She wriggled against him and bit him again. Harder this time.

Gritting his teeth, he swatted her butt. That only earned him another bite. Thank God vampire bites weren’t deadly to his kind.

He ignored the curious and blatantly surprised stares of the pack members milling around the house. Once he was finally inside his room he dropped her onto the big bed in an unceremonious heap.

When she scrambled to her knees and started shouting profanities at him, he headed right back for the door. A pillow hit him in the back of the head. When he turned back toward her, he had to duck a vase sailing through the air. It smashed against the wall by the door. “Make yourself comfortable, you’ll be here for a while. And don’t think about trying to escape. I’m putting two guards at the door and three more outside my windows. They’re under strict orders to shoot you if you try to escape. With silver bullets.” The last part wasn’t true but he didn’t want to deal with hunting her down. It would only waste time and prolong the inevitable.

As he shut and locked the door behind him, he scrubbed a hand over his face and had to bite back a smile. He’d missed her more than he’d realized. What the hell was he going to do with her now?

Chapter 3

Angela glanced at the antique wall pendulum clock in Knox’s room and silently seethed as she saw the time. He’d left her alone almost twelve hours ago. She’d snooped through all his stuff—not that she’d found anything interesting—and dozed for a few hours. At least when she’d been looking through his stuff she’d been able to distract herself from Natalia’s betrayal. Everything Angela had done tonight had been a complete waste of time. Now she was stuck under Knox’s roof awaiting whatever punishment he planned to dole out and she had one less friend. It stung more than she’d admit that her friend hadn’t trusted her enough to confide in her. Had Natalia really believed she’d just let her disappearance go? Angela didn’t have many friends and she’d always thought herself lucky to count Natalia as one. In immortal terms ten years wasn’t a particularly long time span but keeping a relationship that long had been a big deal to Angela. Obviously Natalia hadn’t viewed things the same. Steeling herself against those thoughts, Angela shoved all her reflections aside and locked them up tight. Right now she needed to focus on escaping, not worry about anything else.