The Wolf Within (Purgatory #1)(25)

She had fangs.

He stood on the side of the bed. The covers he’d ripped were in his hands, dangling from his fingers.

She healed too quickly. The slashes on Holly’s side and her arm were gone, and now that he wasn’t thinking so much with his cock, he realized that her wrist wasn’t broken. Not even bruised.

She grabbed for some of the covers—the ones he hadn’t ripped—and wrapped them around her body. Her eyes looked even darker than before.

She’d had blood on her lips. Blood she’d licked away.

He probably shouldn’t have found that move sexy. He had. He found everything about her sexy, even the fact that—

“You’re a vampire,” he said.

She flinched, but, after a brief moment, Holly nodded.

His heart beat—which had just slowed—slammed right into his chest. What. The. Fuck.

“I guess you’re not the only monster in the room,” she whispered.

He was on her in less than a second’s time. He leapt back to the bed. Caged her with his body. “You’re not a monster.”

She was beautiful. Sexy.

And a vampire? Since when?

Did Pate know? Hell, he had to know.

“Yes.” Her smile was sad. “I am.” Her little fangs were still peeking out. Her gaze dropped to his throat.

His fingers rose. Touched the skin. It felt slightly tender, but that little pain was a small price to pay for the avalanche of pleasure she’d given him. As soon as she’d bit him, he’d come. And kept coming…until her mouth left him.

“I-I need to get dressed.”

Duncan shook his head. The haze of lust and rage had cleared enough for him to think. Mostly. “You’re not going anywhere.” He finally had Holly just where he wanted her. Naked. In bed.

Her lashes lifted. Her gaze locked on his. Narrowed. “You don’t want to push me now.”

Actually, that was exactly what he wanted to do.

Except he heard the squeal of brakes outside. The cavalry? Finally coming to the rescue?

Car doors slammed.

Footsteps thudded as people raced toward her house—and into her house.

“Holly!” Pate’s voice. Desperate. Afraid.

Horror widened Holly’s eyes. “No, he’ll find us…like this…”

So?

Her gaze flew around the room.

The agents—and it was more than one, probably three, judging by those thudding footsteps—were rushing up the stairs. There wasn’t time to dress. Wasn’t time to do anything but jump out of the bed and spin toward that door. Only he’d pretty much splintered that wooden door to hell and back when he’d burst inside before.

“Stay out!” Duncan yelled.

But Pate was already there. Staring at him with wide eyes, then looking over Duncan’s shoulder. “Holly?”

The shock in his voice had Duncan’s shoulders tensing. He put his body in front of Holly. “I said…stay out.” The wolf’s growl rumbled in those words.

But Pate must have been having one real slow night. Because he just stood in the doorway. Shane was behind him, craning his fool neck to see inside.

“Holly, what have you done?” Pate asked her, voice wooden.

Duncan didn’t move. Holly did. He heard the faint rustle of her movement and then her hand was on his shoulder. Her fingers trembled.

Pate pushed into the room, shoving the broken door out of his way.

Holly’s nails dug into Duncan’s flesh.

“Take another step,” Duncan said, “and you’ll regret it.”

Pate stiffened. He held up his hand, indicating that Shane should move back. “Go downstairs. Wait with the others.”

Shane hurriedly stepped back and got out of there. Good. Shane wasn’t a complete dipshit.

“You’re the one who’s going to regret this,” Pate said. The guy had a gun out. One that was aimed at Duncan’s chest. Were those bullets made out of silver? Or wood? Those were the two prime choices for agents in their unit. “You should have never touched her.”

“Pate!” Fear tinged Holly’s voice.

“Did you drink from him?” His voice was hushed.

So Pate did know.

But that whisper said he didn’t want Shane and the other agent to find out Holly’s secret.

“She did,” Duncan answered, cocking his head. And I loved it. Who would have thought? The bite of a vampire…

It could be one major turn-on.

“Why aren’t you shocked?” Pate demanded. That gun was still pointing right at Duncan. “From the look of things, you just screwed a vampire.”

And it was the way he said it that pissed off Duncan. The anger, that tightly leashed fury.

“Watch it,” Duncan warned him. His beast had been calmed by Holly’s touch, but the wolf was ready to come out again.

“You just turned into an alpha! Sonofabitch! Don’t you know what this means? You had sex with her—” Pate’s eyes widened as he broke off. “She bit you.” Muttered. He took another step toward them. “Did you bite her, too?” Intensity sharpened his words.

That gun was too close to comfort, and he was real tired of being on the receiving end of Pate’s rage.

Duncan lunged toward him and snatched the gun right out of Pate’s hand. He was getting rather used to his werewolf speed. “Don’t point that damn thing at me or her again.”