Calder stared down at me, our bare chests pressed together. I was panting but he didn’t seem to be exerted in the least. “Do you really want to leave?” he asked me quietly. “Tell me the truth.”

Abruptly, all the fight went out of my body and I melted beneath him. “No. I want to stay.”

He nodded and lowered his head, running his lips across my collarbone. “Good, because I wasn’t planning to let you go anytime soon.”

I lost my ability to think or respond when his mouth closed over my nipple and he began to do wicked things to my body with his hands. If this was my only night with this man, I would make it count.

For the first time since I’d lost my virginity at fifteen, I couldn’t get hard. I literally had nothing left in my body. In the last three hours, I’d fucked Ricki in as many positions, and as many times as possible.

She lay on her stomach next to me, her hair tangled around her head and her face turned away. The sheets were rumpled low around her hips, barely covering her ass. I could see small bruises on her flesh and realized they were from my fingers. The mark I’d left on her shoulder was obvious. I examined it after we finished the second round and realized that she would probably have a scar. The thought filled me with triumph. If she carried scars from my bite, others males would know that she belonged to someone else. To me.

If it hadn’t been for my enhanced hearing, I wouldn’t have heard her mumbled, “Am I dead?”

I didn’t even have the energy to laugh. “I think we killed each other.” My voice came out a dry croak. I needed water, but the nearest source was the fridge discreetly built into the enormous dresser. Conner didn’t do things by half measures, or at least his decorator didn’t. All the guest rooms were richly appointed with the best linens money could buy and a myriad of amenities, such as small refrigerators, single cup coffee makers, and toiletries from the most exclusive spas and stores.

Every time I spent the night here, I felt as though I were staying in a five-star hotel. I’d been threatening to move in since the first night I slept here. I quickly changed my mind. Conner was a control freak of the highest order. Everything in its place and a place for everything. I couldn’t stand how clean and perfect every room in the house seemed. It reminded me too much of things better left forgotten.

Now, I only stayed for a night or two when absolutely necessary. Tonight was a necessity. The Pack and The Council were discussing mutual enemies. For the first time in decades, weres and vamps were getting along. Still, it was a fragile truce, poised to go either way. Years of bad blood stood between the species. Personally, I had no problem with vamps, witches, or humans, but there were many members of our pack who didn’t share my tolerance.

At the moment I was feeling more than tolerant toward one particular human. Especially when she rolled to face me. I catalogued the marks on her body. When I realized how hot it made her, I didn’t hold back. Small red patches decorated her upper chest and breasts where my stubble had rubbed her skin. I’d also left a hickey on the inside of one breast and another on the flare of her hip. In addition to the mark I’d left at the base of her neck, there were several other love bites on her torso.

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. She said she enjoyed looking in the mirror and seeing the marks her lover left on her body, remembering the pleasure. Well, I made damn sure that she wouldn’t forget me any time soon.

“God, I’m thirsty.” Her voice was husky.

“Hang on.” Somehow, I managed to roll off the bed and stand up without falling. I went to the dresser and opened the mini fridge door, pulling out two bottles of cold water.

When I handed one to her, she smiled and said, “My hero.”

She sat up in bed, not bothering to pull the sheet up. I liked how comfortable she seemed with her nudity. The few humans I’d been around were modest, especially the women. Ricki wore her skin the same way a female shifter would, confidently and casually.

I cracked open my bottle and settled next to her on the bed, leaning against the padded headboard. We drank our water in silence.

This was a new experience for me. Usually, after fucking, female and male wolves would dress and go their separate ways. Females going into heat would sometimes have multiple partners in one night. It was the only way to keep them from going feral. While in heat they craved sex, needed it. Without it, their hunger would shift from a sexual one to the need to feed. Females denied sex would shift and hunt any and all prey that crossed their path, including the human kind.

Finally, I broke the silence. “I want to see you again, Ricki.”

She fidgeted with her half-empty bottle. “See me, as in have sex, or see me as in a date?”

I may not have had a lot of experience with human women, but I recognized when I should watch my words carefully. “Both. Either. I don’t care as long as I can see you again.”

Shit, I was fucking this up. Running a hand through my hair, I turned toward her, trying to figure out what I should say. Instead of looking pissed off or upset, she was smiling at me.

“Really?” she asked. “You just want to see me again? I could tell you I wanted to go to a yoga class, no sex, and you’d go?”

While yoga wasn’t how I liked to get my exercise, only a dumbass would refuse to go. Women in tight or skimpy clothing, bending over and twisting themselves into elaborate poses? It sounded fucking hot.

I nodded. “Absolutely. Though I’d probably drag you out of there after the first downward facing dog and fuck you in the closest bathroom.”

She snorted with laughter. “Okay, so yoga’s out.” Eyeing me speculatively, she asked, “But you would still want to see me, even if we weren’t going to have sex?”

I met her gaze levelly. “Yes.”

Her smile widened. She opened her mouth as though she were going to say something, but someone with a death wish chose that exact moment to pound on the door. I saw the knob jiggle and jumped up, shoving my legs into my jeans, and leaving them unbuttoned.

“If you open that door, I will rip your throat out!” I yelled.

There was a moment of silence, then, “We have trouble.”

Shit. Fuck. Shit. I should have known this would happen. The first time in years that weres and vamps were together, something was bound to go wrong.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Ricki shrugging into my shirt. It covered her from neck to mid-thigh and I knew her skin would smell like me for the rest of the night. I liked that idea.

Whoever was outside chose that moment to knock again.

“Ricki, do you mind going into the bathroom for a few minutes?” A hurt look crossed her face and made me feel like a complete ass. “Do you want to stay in here with a strange man, wearing only my shirt?”

Her eyes grew big and she shook her head. “I, uh, I’ll just…” she trailed off and scurried into the bathroom.

Goddammit. I would have to talk to her later, make her understand that I didn’t want her gone, I just didn’t want my packmates leering at her.

Jerking open the door, I snarled, “This better be fucking important.”

Brian, one of the younger pack members, stared at me with wide, frightened eyes. There was a bruise on his cheek and blood rimming one of his nostrils.

“Kyle got into it with a wolf from the Austin pack,” he said quickly. “I can’t find Lachlan or Conner and things are getting nasty.”

Jesus fucking Christ. Kyle was hot-tempered and slow-witted, not a good combination. I’d noticed him throwing back the booze earlier, but had gotten too distracted by Ricki to tell him to lay off or head home.

I looked at Brian. “Call Lachlan. Text him. Leave a fucking message, I don’t care. Just be sure you do everything in your power to get in touch with him. I have a good idea where Conner is, so I’ll grab him and meet you downstairs. Do the best you can to keep the pack members calm. Tell them to stand down or they’ll deal with me.”