Forever Bound Series 1-4(53)

He smiled and knew that his own sharpened teeth would flash. “Death doesn’t come for free. In the supernatural world, there’s always a price.”

He heard the slight hitch of her breath. “And what do you want?”

You.

But he wanted to play the game longer and see just what she’d offer him. “What have you got?”

Her gaze fell to his chest, but while she wasn’t looking at him, her slender shoulders straightened in a move he remembered. Pride. “I have some money. Not much, but a few thousand that I can pay–”

Drake laughed at that. A hard, deep laugh that sent her bouncing on him. Really? A few thousand to take out a vamp? She didn’t quite understand the paranormal market value. Most assassins wouldn’t touch a vamp for less than fifty grand.

Unless those assassins were werewolves.

Sometimes we do those hits for free. Depending on the vamp…and the blood and death that the bastard had left in his wake.

But she didn’t need to know about the free hits. That knowledge wouldn’t work in his favor.

“I can–I can fight with you. Help your pack.” Her gaze rose to meet his and a light flush still covered her cheeks. Her voice had hardened, probably because she was pissed by his laughter. “Having a vampire on your side wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

The laughter faded away and Drake knew his gaze hardened as he said, “I don’t want your strength.” She’d always had strength, even as a human. A solid core that had drawn him to her. Paige’s parents had both been killed when she was just thirteen. They’d only been in Alaska for a little over a year before their accident. Her parents had promised her that they’d all get a fresh start in America’s last frontier.

They’d only gotten death.

After their funeral, he knew that she’d bounced around the foster care system and never found a real home. But all that pain, it had never weakened her.

Wolves were attracted to strength.

“Then what do you want?”

Did she realize that her nails were digging into his shoulders? The wolf inside growled.

He liked that.

Time to take what he wanted. Drake stared up at her and said, “I want to f*ck you.” Endlessly. Again and again until the ache for her, that damn gnawing ache that had kept his body tense and hungry for her–for years–finally vanished.

She stared down at him. Swallowed.

And nodded.





Chapter Three


So, what? Did the wolf think that she was gonna pull some kind of shocked, Oh, no, you can’t have sex with me! routine on him? When she’d been dreaming about him for so long?

Guess again, wolf. If he beheaded that sick freak Gabe and gave her the passion that she’d been yearning for, well that was just win-win in her book.

But she didn’t want to look too eager. A girl had her pride, after all, and she’d already had to come dragging into his compound looking for some werewolf strength.

Paige swallowed back that eagerness and slowly said, “Well, I guess once we can–”

“Not once, sweet, not even close.”

Sweet. He’d called her that, so long before. Only then the word had whispered with affection, and not held the tight, tense edge that honed the endearment now.

“H-how many times?” So she could plan. Savor.

His eyes burned up at her. His cock was also shoving right at the junction of her legs. It was all she could do not to rub against him. If she told him that there’d never been anyone since him, Drake wouldn’t believe her.

Even if the words were the truth.

Her body was starving. She was already wet for him. Just the touch of his hands had sent a shiver sliding over her. She wanted more. Just how much more would she get?

“As many times as I want,” Drake told her, voice rough and dark. “Until you can’t breathe without feeling me on every inch of your body.”

Her nipples ached. She wanted his hands on them. His mouth.

Did he smell her arousal? Those wolves…

His lips curled in the faintest of smiles. Damn him, he did.

His hands rose and tangled in her hair. He began to pull her toward him. Toward his mouth.

Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. They had a deal, and finally, she’d have him.

His lips were so close. She could already taste him on her tongue. Would taste him. And he’d taste her. He’d–

A shrill alarm cut through the room.

Sonofbitch.

She blinked, confused, aroused and–

Drake pushed her to the side of the bed and jumped to his feet. “Stay here,” he ordered and rushed for the door as the alarm kept shrieking.

Stay? She was a vampire, not a dog. Paige jumped up and raced after him.

He was already thundering down the stairs. More men and women were out now, all racing toward the main level of the house. She joined them, and hoped no one decided to attack the vamp in their midst.

“Fire!” Someone shouted even as she caught the scent of smoke drifting in the air.

Then they were shoving open the front doors and hurrying into the darkness that waited outside of the main house. She saw the flames then, rising quickly, burning right up that thick wall that surrounded their compound. Red and gold flames, burning in a world of snow.

Paige stumbled to a stop even as the wolves fought the blaze. They had buckets of water. Hoses. The water blasted at the flames, but the fire kept attacking all around the compound walls. To the left. To the right.