Deadly Desire

The words stopped. For a moment that knife didn't move, just stayed high above me, glittering brightly in the semilight of the room.

Then it came down.

Fast.

I barely caught it. Whether it was the dust she'd sprinkled over me or the weakness washing though my body thanks to the silver, the fact was, the blade was inches from my flesh when I stopped it.

And I didn't stop it by the hilt, but by the blade itself, and the metal sliced into my flesh as easily as butter. Blood seeped past my clenched fingers and began to run into the bowl under my right hand. I didn't care. I ripped the weapon from her fingers, flipped the blade, and stabbed her.

But again I was too slow. She moved at the last moment, and the blow meant to pierce her heart got her in the side instead. A nasty wound, but not a deadly one.

She grunted and staggered backward, once again out of my reach. She slapped one hand against the wound, but it didn't stop the bleeding.

"For that," she hissed, "you will die horribly."

She raised her free hand and blue sparks began to dance across her fingertips. I drew back the knife, taking aim, knowing it was a risk to lose my one weapon but having little choice.

But before I could release the blade, something hit the door-hard-and the whole frame shuddered. Ha

Revealing the man I'd thought dead.

Kye.

He didn't even come into the room, just raised his gun and fired in one smooth motion. The bullet hit Ha

As her body slumped to the floor, I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. I'd been saved. Maybe not in the ma

"Any other problems I should know about?" he said, still standing, gun at the ready, in the doorway.

"Not that I know of. But you're the one sensitive to magic. For all I know, this room could have zombies hidden in the walls as well."

"I can't feel that sort of dark magic, and there's no pentagram on the floor." He lowered the weapon and his gaze met mine. "You look like shit."

I laughed softly and dropped the knife onto the metal tabletop. The clang rang out like a bell as I squeezed my hand shut, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Says the man who's covered in blood and missing a chunk of hair and flesh from the side of his head."

He holstered the weapon and walked toward me. Despite the scent of blood and sweat that lingered on him-or maybe even because of them-he smelled good.

"Silver cuffs?" he said, eyeing the chains intently.

"And a silver bullet in my shoulder. You need to get that out first."

He looked at me, his expression all cool efficiency. "There's only one easy way to do that, I'm afraid."

"There's no easy way to do it, and we both know it."

He gave me a cold smile. "And once again, you're wrong."

"Oh, will you just cut the crap and get on with it?"

"As you wish," he said, as he raised a fist and hit me hard. I was out before I could even swear at the bastard.

When I finally came to, I was in wolf form, which meant the bullet and the cuffs were both gone. The hard metal surface of the tabletop had been replaced by an even harder, colder tiled floor. My fur might have protected me from the chill of it a little better than my human skin, but the ache in my bones suggested I had been lying there for a while.

The air itself was also cold, and ripe with the scent of blood, death, and man-one man, no more. Kye hadn't called in help and I wasn't sure why I thought he might. He was a contract killer. Helping the Directorate and its people in any way, shape, or form would be a consideration only if it suited his own aims. I had no doubt he'd helped me because it was the only way he could get his kill and claim his payment.

And removing the bullet? Well, if he hadn't it might have killed me, and that wouldn't have been good for his health. He had no idea just how much I'd told the Directorate about his involvement in this case, and he was ca

I opened my eyes. Ha

Kye squatted against the wall opposite, watching me, his expression that of a predator sizing up an adversary. His dark red hair was still matted with blood, as were his clothes, and his face was battered and bruised.

I wanted him. And hated myself for it.

I closed my eyes and reached for my other form. Once the change had swept over my body, I sat upright and hugged my knees close to my chest. His very nearness had awareness tingling across my skin, and I could only thank God the moon heat had passed. Otherwise my crazy hormones might not have been so easy to control.

"I need to call the Directorate in," I said, my voice clipped. "If you don't want to be involved, you'd better leave."

"We need to talk first."

"Kye, there's nothing you and I need to talk about. Nothing."

Especially not the heat that simmered between us, nor the fact that he'd saved my life and I now owed him.

I dropped my gaze from his and concentrated instead on rotating my shoulder, trying to ease the stiffness out of it. At least I could move my arm and fingers again, even if the tips still felt a little numb. Given my sensitivity to silver, it was surprising the aftereffects hadn't lasted a whole lot longer. In fact, I felt amazingly strong, and given the blood I'd lost through the wound, that shouldn't have been the case.

"There's something very vital we need to discuss, and you know it."

His voice was flat, yet there was an edge in it that made me glance up at him again. His golden eyes burned with heat and passion, and something else, something else I really couldn't put a finger on. In any other man I would have called it fear, but this man didn't fear. Not anyone or anything.

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Kye."

And yet I did. He was talking about the heat and the lust that still burned. It was a flame that only seemed to be getting stronger the longer we were together. It was as if our bodies were calling to each other, something that neither of us really wanted and yet couldn't fight.

"And you really do need to go," I added. Almost desperately.

"I can't go before I know for sure."

He rose as he said it, and part of me wanted to scoot backward and keep the distance between us.

"There's nothing to know, Kye. Just leave it and go."

"I cant." The words were as desperate as mine. He didn't want this any more than I did, and yet this man-this wolf, who was as cold and as unemotional as any good killer could be-was as helpless against it as I was.

He stopped in front of me and offered me a hand. I ignored it, looking up at him instead. What I saw there-not just heat, not just desire, not even fear, but something stronger, deeper, and far scarier-made my heart stutter and my blood surge.

Because it was nothing less than fate looking out at me from those golden depths.

And suddenly, just like him, I had to know.

I placed my hand in his. He hauled me upright, into his arms. I barely had time to draw a breath against the fire of contact when his lips were on mine, the kiss harsh, fierce, and oh so passionate. The force of it drove me backward, until my back hit the wall. My barely healed shoulder took the brunt of the blow and pain slithered through me. But I didn't care, because it was nothing compared to the ache begi