Chapter 1. Lilac and Lace Boutique on Iberville

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Lilac and Lace Boutique on Iberville

The French Quarter

Eight months later

Stunned, Bride McTierney stared at the letter in her hand and blinked. She blinked again.

It couldn't really say what she thought it said.

Could it?

Was it a joke?

But as she read it again for the fourth time, she knew it wasn't. The rotten, cowardly SOB had actually broken up with her via her own FedEx account.

Sorry, Bride,

But I need a woman more in keeping with my celebrity image. I'm going places and I need the kind of woman at my side who will help me, not hinder me. I'll have your things delivered to your building. Here's some money for a hotel room tonight in case you don't have any vacant rooms.

Best,

Taylor

" You sorry, sycophantic, scum-sucking dog, " she snarled as she read it again and pain engulfed her so profoundly that it was all she could do not to burst into tears. Her boyfriend of five years was breaking up with her… through a letter that he'd charged to her business account?

" Damn you to hell, you filthy snake! " she snarled.

Normally Bride would sooner cut her own head off than cuss, but this… this warranted serious language.

And an ax to her ex-boyfriend's head.

She fought the urge to scream. And the need she felt to get into her SUV, go over to his television station, and pound him into itty-bitty bloody pieces.

Damn him!

A tear rolled down her cheek. Bride wiped it away and sniffed. She wouldn't cry over this. He so wasn't worth it.

Really, he wasn't, and deep inside she wasn't surprised. For the last six months, she'd known this was coming. Had felt it every time Taylor put her on another diet or signed her up for another exercise program.

Not to mention the important dinner party two weeks ago at the Aquarium where he had told her that he didn't want her to join him. " There's no need in you getting all dressed up for something so boring. Really. It's best that I go alone."

She'd known the minute he'd finished speaking that he wouldn't be around much longer.

Still it hurt. Still she ached. How could he do such a thing?

Like this! she thought angrily as she waved the letter around like a lunatic in the middle of her store.

But then she knew. Taylor had never really been happy with her. The only reason he had gone out with her was because her cousin was a manager at a local television station. Taylor had wanted a job there and, like a fool, she had helped him to get it.

Now that he was safely ensconced in his position and his ratings were at the top, he pulled this stunt.

Fine. She didn't need him anyway.

She was better off without him.

But all the arguments in the world didn't ease the bitter, awful pain in her chest that made her want to curl up into a ball and cry until she was spent.

" I won't do it, " she said, wiping away another tear. " I won't give him the satisfaction of crying."

Throwing the letter away, she seized her vacuum cleaner with a vengeance. Her little boutique needed cleaning.

You just vacuumed.

She could just vacuum again until the damned carpet was threadbare.

Vane Kattalakis felt like shit. He'd just left Grace Alexander's office where the good—and he used the word with full rancor—psychologist had told him there was nothing in the world that could heal his brother until his brother was willing to heal.

It wasn't what he needed to hear. Psychobabble was for humans, it wasn't for wolves who needed to get their stupid asses out of Dodge before they lost them.

Ever since Vane had crawled out of the swamp with his brother on Mardi Gras night, they had been lying tow at Sanctuary, a bar owned by a clan of Katagaria bears who welcomed in all strays, no matter where they came from: human, Daimon, Apollite, Dark-Hunter, Dream-Hunter, or Were-Hunter. So long as you Kept the peace and threatened no one, the bears allowed you to stay. And live.

But no matter what the Peltier bears told him, he knew the truth. Both he and Fang were living under a death sentence and there was no place safe for them. They had to get mobile before their father realized they were still alive.

The minute he did, a team of assassins would be sent for them. Vane could take them on, but not if he had to drag a hundred-and-twenty-pound comatose wolf behind him.

He needed Fang awake and alert. Most of all, he needed his brother willing to fight again.

But nothing seemed to reach Fang, who had yet to move out of his bed. Nothing.

" I miss you, Fang, " he whispered under his breath as his throat tightened with grief. It was so hard to make it alone in the world. To have no one to talk to. No one to trust.

He wanted his brother and sister back so badly that he would gladly sell his soul for it.

But they were both gone now. There was no one left for him. No one.

Sighing, he tucked his hands in his pockets and turned onto Iberville as he walked through the French Quarter.

He wasn't even sure why he cared anymore anyway. He might as well let his father have him. What difference did it make?

But Vane had spent the whole of his life fighting. It was all he knew or understood.

He couldn't do as Fang and just lie down and wait for death. There had to be something out there that could reach his brother.

Something out there that could make both of them want to live again.

Vane paused as he neared one of those women's shops that were scattered throughout the French Quarter. It was a large redbrick building trimmed in black and burgundy. The entire front of it was made of glass that showed inside where the store was littered with lacy women's things and delicate, feminine tchotchkes.

But it wasn't the merchandise that made him pause.

It was her.

The woman he'd thought he would never see again.

Bride.

He'd seen her only once and then only briefly as he guarded Sunshine Runningwolf in Jackson Square while the artist had sold her artwork to tourists. Oblivious to him, Bride had come up to Sunshine and the two of them had talked for a few minutes.

Then Bride had walked out of his life completely. Even though he'd wanted to follow after her, Vane had known better. Humans and wolves didn't mix.

And definitely not wolves who were as screwed up as he was.

So he'd sat idly by even while every molecule of his body had screamed out for him to go after her.

Bride had been the most beautiful woman Vane had ever seen.

She still was.

Her long auburn hair was pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head that left curls of it to caress her porcelain face. She wore a long, black dress that flowed around her body as she jerked a vacuum cleaner across the carpet.

Every animal instinct in his body roared to life as he saw her again. The feeling was primal. Demanding.

Needful.

And it wouldn't listen to reason.

Against his will, he found himself headed toward her. It wasn't until he had opened the burgundy door that he realized she was crying.

Fierce anger tore through him. It was bad enough that his life sucked, the last thing he wanted was to see someone like her cry.

Bride paused her vacuuming and looked up as she heard someone entering her shop. Her breath caught in her throat. Never in her life had she seen a more handsome man.

Never.

At first glance his hair was dark brown, but in reality it was made up of all colors: ash, auburn, black, brown, mahogany, even some blond. She'd never seen hair like that on anyone. Long and wavy, it was pulled back into a sexy ponytail.

Better yet, his white T-shirt was pulled tight over a body that most women only saw in the best magazine ads. It was a body that was meant for sex. Tall and lean, that body begged a woman to caress it just to see if it was as hard and perfect as it appeared.

His handsome features were sharp, chiseled, and he had a day's growth of beard on his face. It was the face of a rebel who didn't cater to current fashions… one who lived his life solely on his own terms. It was obvious that no one told this man how to do anything.

He… was… gorgeous.

Bride couldn't see his eyes for the dark sunglasses he wore, but she sensed his gaze. Felt it like a smoldering touch.

This man was tough. Fierce. And it sent a wave of panic through her.

Why would someone Like this be in a shop that specialized in women's accessories?

Surely he wasn't going to rob her?

The vacuum, which she hadn't moved a single millimeter since he'd entered her store, started to whine and smoke in protest. Drawing her breath in sharply, Bride quickly turned it off and fanned the motor with her hand.

" Can I help you? " she asked as she struggled to put it behind her counter.

Heat suffused her cheeks as the motor continued to smoke and spit. It added a not-so-pleasant odor of burning dust to the potpourri-scented candles she used.

She smiled lamely at the devastatingly hot god who stood so nonchalantly in her store. " Sorry about that."

Vane closed his eyes as he savored the melodic Southern lilt of her voice. It reached deep inside him, making his whole body burn for her. He was swollen with need and desire.

Swollen with a feral urge to take what he wanted, damn all consequences.

But she was scared of him. His animal half sensed it. And that was the last thing his human half wanted.

Reaching up, he pulled the sunglasses off and offered her a small smile. " Hi."

It didn't help. If anything, the sight of his eyes made her even more nervous.

Damn.

Bride was stunned. She wouldn't have thought he could ever become better looking, but with that devilish grin, he did.

Worse, the intense, feral look of that languid hazel-green gaze made her shivery and hot. Never in her life had she seen a man even one-tenth as good-looking as this one.

" Hi, " she said back, feeling like nine kinds of stupid.

His gaze finally left her and went around the store to her various displays.

" I'm looking for a present, " he said in that deeply hypnotic voice. She could have listened to him speak for hours, and for some reason she couldn't explain, she wanted to hear him say her name.

Bride cleared her throat and put those moronic thoughts away as she came out from behind her counter. If her cute ex couldn't stomach her looks, why would a god like this one give a rat's bottom about her?

So she decided to calm down before she embarrassed herself with him. " Who is it for? "

" Someone very special."

" Your girlfriend? "

His gaze came back to hers and made her tremble even more. He shook his head slightly. " I could never be so lucky, " he said, his tone low, beguiling.

What an odd thing for him to say. She couldn't imagine this guy having trouble getting any woman he wanted. Who on earth would say no to that?

On second thought, she hoped she never met a woman that attractive. If she did, she would be morally obligated to run her over in her car.

" How much are you wanting to spend? "

He shrugged. " Money doesn't mean anything to me."

Bride blinked at that. Gorgeous and loaded. Man, some woman out there was lucky.

" Okay. We have some necklaces. Those are always a nice gift."

Vane followed her over to an alcove against the far wall where she had a mirror set up, with a multitude of beaded chokers and earrings that were on cardboard stands around it.

The scent of her made him hard and hot. It was all he could do not to dip his head down to her shoulder and just inhale her scent until he was drunk with it. He focused his gaze on the bare, pale skin of her neck…

He licked his lips as he imagined what she would taste like. What it would feel like to have her lush curves pressed up against his body. To have her lips swollen from his kisses, her eyes dark and dreamy from passion as she looked up at him while he took her.

Even worse, he could sense her own desire and it whetted his appetites even more.

" Which is your favorite? " he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

There was a black Victorian choker that had her scent all over it. It was obvious she had tried it on recently.

" This one, " she said, reaching for it.

His cock hardened even more as her fingers brushed the black onyx stones. He wanted nothing more than to run his hand down her extended arm, to skim his palm over her soft, pale skin until he reached her hand. A hand he would love to nibble.

" Would you try it on for me? "

Bride trembled at the deep tone of his voice. What was it about him that made her so nervous?

But then she knew. He was intensely masculine and being under his direct scrutiny was as excruciating as it was disconcerting.

She tried to put the necklace on, but her hands shook so badly that she couldn't fasten it.

" May I help? " he asked.

She swallowed and nodded.

His warm hands touched hers, making her even more jittery. She looked in the mirror, catching sight of those hazel-green eyes that stared at her with a heat that made her both shiver and burn.

He was without a doubt the best-looking man to ever live and breathe and here he was touching her. It was enough to make her faint!

He deftly fastened the necklace. His fingers lingered at her neck for a minute before he met her gaze in the mirror and stepped back.

" Beautiful, " he murmured huskily, only he wasn't looking at the necklace. He was staring into the reflection of her eyes. " I'll take it."

Torn between relief and sadness, Bride looked away quickly as she reached to take it off. In truth, she loved this necklace and hated to see it go. She'd bought it for the store, but had wanted to keep it for herself.

But why bother? It was a six-hundred-dollar handmade work of art. She didn't have anywhere to wear it. It would be a waste, and the pragmatic Irishwoman in her wouldn't allow her to be so foolish.

Pulling it off, she swallowed the new lump in her throat and headed for the register.

Vane watched her intently. She was even sadder than before. Gods, how he wanted nothing more than to have her smile at him. What did a human male say to a human female to make her happy?

She-wolves didn't really smile, not like humans did. Their smiles were more devious, seductive. Inviting. His people didn't smile when they were happy.

They had sex when they were happy and that, to him, was the biggest benefit to being an animal—rather than a human. Humans had rules about intimacy that he had never fully understood.

She placed the necklace in a large white box with a cotton pad in the bottom. " Would you like it gift-wrapped? "

He nodded.

Carefully, she removed the price tag, set it next to the register, then pulled out a small piece of paper that had been pre-cut to the size of the box. Without looking up at him, she quickly wrapped the box and rang up his sale.

" Six hundred and twenty-three dollars and eighty-four cents, please."

Still she didn't look at him. Instead her gaze was focused on the ground near his feet.

Vane felt a strange urge to dip down until his face was in her line of sight. He refrained as he pulled his wallet out and handed her his American Express card.

It was laughable, really, that a wolf had a human credit card. But then, this was the twenty-first century and those who didn't blend quickly found themselves exterminated. Unlike many others of his kind, he had investments and property. Hell, he even had a personal banker.

Bride took the card and ran it through her computer terminal.

" You work here alone? " he asked, and quickly learned that was inappropriate since her fear returned with a scent so strong it almost made him curse out loud.

" No."

She was lying to him. He could smell it.

Good going, jackass. Humans. He'd never understand them. But then, they were weak, especially their females.

She handed him the receipt.

Aggravated at himself for making her even more uncomfortable, he signed his name and handed it back to her.

She compared his signature to his card and frowned. " Katta…"

" Kattalakis, " he said. " It's Greek."

Her eyes lighted up just a bit as she returned the card to him. " That's very different. You must have a hard time spelling it for people."

" Yeah."

She tucked the receipt into her drawer, then placed the wrapped box in a small bag with corded handles. " Thanks, " she said quietly, setting it on the counter in front of him. " Have a nice day, Mr. Kattalakis."

He nodded and headed for the door, his heart even heavier than before, because he had failed to make her happy.

" Wait! " she said as he touched the knob. " You left your necklace."

Vane looked back at her one last time, knowing he would never see her again. She was so beautiful there with large, amber eyes set in the pale face of a goddess. There was something about her that reminded him of a Rubens angel. She was ethereal and lovely.

And far too fragile for an animal.

" No, " he said quietly. " I left it with the woman I wanted to have it."

Bride felt her jaw go slack as his words hung in the air between them. " I can't take this."

He opened the door and headed out into the street.

Grabbing the bag from the counter, Bride ran after him. He was heading quickly down toward the center of the Quarter and it took her some serious rushing to catch up to him.

She took hold of his arm, amazed at the tautness of his biceps as she pulled him to a stop. Breathless, she looked up at him and those beguiling hazel-green eyes.

" I can't take this, " she said again, giving the bag to him. " It's way too much."

He refused to take it. " I want you to have it."

There was so much unfathomable sincerity in those words that she couldn't do anything more than gape at him. " Why? "

" Because beautiful women deserve beautiful things."

No one unrelated to her had ever said anything so kind. Today more than any other, she needed to hear it. She'd never thought any man would ever think of her that way. And to hear it from this gorgeous stranger meant the world to her.

Those words reached so deep inside her that… that…

She burst into tears.

Vane stood there feeling completely at a loss. What was this? Wolves didn't cry. A she-wolf might tear out a man's throat for pissing her off, but she never cried and especially not when someone had complimented her.

" I'm sorry, " he said, completely confused by what he'd done wrong. " I thought it would make you happy. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

She cried even more.

What was he supposed to do now? He looked around him, but there was no one to ask.

Screw the human in him. He didn't comprehend that part of himself, either. Instead, he listened to the animal part that only knew instinctively how to take care of someone when they were hurt.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back toward her store. Animals always did better in their native environment so it only stood to reason that a human might, as well. It was easier to cope with familiar things around.

She latched on to his neck as he carried her and wept even harder. Her hot tears raised chills on his skin and he ached for her.

How could he make this better?

Bride hated herself for breaking down like this. What the hell was wrong with her? Worse, he was carrying her!

Carrying her! And he wasn't complaining that she was fat and heavy, or grunting from the strain of it. She'd jokingly asked Taylor to carry her over the threshold when they had moved in together and he had laughed, then asked her if she was trying to give him a hernia.

Later that night, Taylor had agreed to do it only if she bought him a forklift for it.

And yet here this total stranger carried her with ease down the street. For the first time in her life, she almost felt petite.

But she wasn't that delusional. Bride McTierney hadn't been petite since she was six months old.

He opened her door, stepped inside, then closed it with his boot heel. Without breaking stride, he took her to the tall stool behind her register. He sat her down with care, then untucked his white T-shirt and used the end of it to blot her eyes.

" Ow! " she said as he almost poked her right eye out. It was a good thing she didn't wear contacts or she'd be blind.

He looked contrite. " Sorry."

" No, " she said, looking up at him through her tears.

" I'm the one who needs to apologize. I didn't mean to have a nervous breakdown on you."

" Is that what this is? "

Was he serious? He definitely appeared so.

She drew in a ragged breath and wiped her eyes with her hands. " No, this is me being stupid. I'm so sorry."

He offered her a small, seductive grin. " It's okay. Really. I think."

Bride stared at him in disbelief. Why was this man in her store being so kind to her? It didn't make sense.

Was this a dream?

Trying to regain some of her dignity, she pulled his credit slip from the register box. " Here, " she said, handing it to him.

" Why are you giving me this? "

" Oh, come on. No one buys a necklace this expensive for a complete stranger."

Again he didn't take it. Instead, he reached inside the bag and took out the box. She watched as he unwrapped it, then placed the choker around her neck again. The contrast between his hot hands and the cool beads made her shiver.

He laced his fingers through the tendrils of her hair while gazing at her like she was some delectable dessert that he was dying to taste.

No one had ever given her such a hot look before. It wasn't natural for a man this handsome to look at her like that.

" It belongs on you. No other woman could do it justice."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back before he called the psycho ward on her. The heat of his hand against her neck was searing. " What? Did you lose a bet or something? "

" No."

" Then why are you being so nice to me? "

He cocked his head as if puzzled by her question. " Do I need a reason? "

" Yes."

Vane was completely baffled. Humans needed a reason to be nice to each other? No wonder his kind avoided them.

" I don't know what to say, " he admitted. " I didn't know there were rules for giving gifts or for trying to make someone feel better. You looked so sad as I walked by that I only wanted to make you smile."

He took a deep breath and handed her the credit slip. " Keep the necklace, please. It looks good on you, and I have no one else to give it to. I'm sure my brother wouldn't want it. He'd probably shove it someplace real uncomfortable if I gave it to him. And if he didn't, that would scare me even more."

Finally, she laughed. The sound lightened his heart instantly.

" Is that a smile? " he asked.

She nodded and sniffed delicately before she laughed again.

Returning her smile, Vane reached out and cupped her cool cheek. She was so beautiful when she laughed. Her dark amber eyes sparkled. Before he could stop himself, he leaned down and kissed the tears from her lashes.

Bride couldn't breathe as she felt the heat of his lips against her skin. No man had ever treated her like this. Not even Taylor, whom she had hoped to marry.

She inhaled the warm scent of Vane's skin. It was tinged with some sort of aftershave and a rich, masculine scent.

God, it felt so good to be held right now when her whole life was falling apart.

Before she realized what she was doing, she had her arms wrapped around his lean waist and had laid her head against his strong chest. His heart pounded heavily under her ear. She felt strangely safe here. Warm. Most of all, she felt desirable. As if maybe she weren't a total loser, after all.

He didn't protest her hold. Instead, he held her there with his hand still on her face while his thumb gently stroked her cheekbone. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head.

Heat flooded her. A deep-seated need tore through her body. It was one she didn't understand.

In all her life, Bride McTierney had never done anything other than what she was supposed to. She'd graduated high school and lived at home with her parents while she went to Tulane, where she had seldom dated and had spent more nights than not in the library.

After graduation, she'd gotten a job as a manager at the mall until her grandmother had died and left her the building that now housed her shop. And here she had worked every day without fail. No matter how sick or tired she was.

Bride had never taken a step on the wild side. Fear and responsibility had ruled her life from the moment of her birth.

Yet here she sat, holding a complete stranger in her arms. A gorgeous stranger who had been kinder to her than anyone else.

And she wanted to taste him. To know just once what it was like to actually kiss a man who looked like this.

Lifting her head, she looked up at him and trembled with a deep-seated desire she didn't comprehend. But she felt it all the way through her.

Don't…

She squelched the voice of reason, reached up and pulled the band from his hair. Freed, those long dark strands framed the face of heaven.

The heat of his hazel-green eyes scorched her. He dipped his head down until his lips hovered dangerously close to hers, as if he were asking her permission.

Breathless, she closed the distance and laid her lips against his. He growled deep in his throat like some animal before his kiss turned hungry, passionate.

Bride was thrilled and amazed by his reaction. No man had ever seemed to enjoy kissing her as much as this one did. His strong hands cupped her head as he ravished her mouth as if he were starving for her and her alone.

Vane pulled her to him as the animal inside him roared to life. It wanted her with a desperation that bordered on madness. He could taste her own passion on his tongue. Hear her heart beating in rapid time to his.

Most of all, he could smell her desire and he wanted more. The animal inside him wouldn't be satisfied until it tasted her fully.

In his world, sex had no emotional meaning. It was a biological act between two creatures to ease a female's fertile time and a male's urges. If the two wolves weren't mates, then there was no chance of pregnancy, nor was there any form of sexually transmitted diseases between them.

If Bride were one of his people, he'd already have her naked on the floor.

But she wasn't a she-wolf…

Human females were different. He'd never made love to one of them and he wasn't sure how she would react if he took her the way he would one of their females. Her kind was very frail in comparison.

In all honesty, he didn't know why he was so hot for her now. It wasn't normal. Not once in all the centuries he had lived had he ever even contemplated taking a human lover.

But this one…

He couldn't stop himself. Every instinct he possessed demanded he take her.

His wolf's soul wanted to taste her. It wanted to breathe her in and let her softness ease the loneliness that had filled his heart these past months while he grieved for his sister and brother.

Just for one moment, he wanted to feel unalone again.

Bride shivered as Vane left her lips and trailed his kisses to her throat where he nibbled the sensitive skin there. His whiskers gently scraped her skin, making her burn even more as her breasts tightened with need. Good grief, he was so innately masculine. So incredibly hot. And every lick he delivered to her skin made her stomach contract.

This was so out of character for her. She didn't usually neck with men she knew like this. Never mind a perfect stranger.

And yet she didn't want to push him away. Just once in her life, she wanted something out of the ordinary. Deep inside she knew Vane would be spectacular.

Terrified of what she was about to do, she took a deep breath and braced herself for his rejection.

" Would you make love to me? "

Instead of the laughter she expected, he pulled back from nibbling her throat to look at the open windows of her shop. " You don't mind? "

Heat exploded across her face as she realized it was dark outside and anyone passing by on the street had a perfect view of the two of them necking like horny teenagers.

" Hold on, " she said, scooting out of his arms to lock her door, flip her Open sign around to say Closed, and dim the lights.

She wished she still had an apartment to take him to, but maybe this was better. If they left here together, she would most likely chicken out, which would be the smart thing to do.

Or he might change his mind.

No, she wanted to do this. She wanted him.

Taking his hand, she led him through her shop, toward the door to the back room.

As she opened the door, he pulled her to a stop.

Bride looked back to see him staring into the dressing room that was to her right. A wicked grin spread across his face.

Walking backward, he led her into the room and shut the curtains.

" What are you doing? " she asked.

He pulled his T-shirt off, over his head.

Oh, dear heaven! Bride couldn't breathe as she got her first look at his bared chest. She'd known he had a great body, but this…

It exceeded anything from her dreams. His broad shoulders tapered to a washboard stomach that could do enough laundry for an entire nation. Forget six-pack, this man had eight, and they rippled with every breath he took. His entire torso was lightly covered by hair, making him look even more masculine and raw.

There were several deep scars that curved around his left shoulder and biceps, and one that looked strangely like an animal bite of some kind.

It was all she could do not to drool.

Or faint.

Really, no mere mortal woman should be in the presence of someone this fine and not need oxygen.

He opened the button on his jeans, then pulled her back into his arms.

" Don't be afraid, " he whispered. " I'll be gentle."

But that wasn't what she was afraid of. What she feared was his reaction when he saw what she looked like naked. Good grief, he didn't have an ounce of fat on him and here she was a good, solid size eighteen.

He was going to run screaming for the door any minute.

Instead, he reached up and pulled her hair down around her shoulders. Running his hands through it, he pulled her lips to his so that he could ravage her mouth again.

She moaned in bliss. This man certainly knew how to use his tongue to his advantage. She could have kissed him all day.

Bride ran her hands over the lean muscles of his chest, amazed at how good they felt. She flicked her fingertips over and around his hardened nipples, delighting in the deep moan she heard from him.

He moved to unbutton her dress.

" It's darker in the back room, " she said.

" Why would I want it darker? "

She shrugged. Taylor had always insisted on absolute darkness whenever they made love.

She shivered as he unbuttoned her dress and dropped it to the ground. She expected him to pull away.

He didn't. He still wore that hot, hungry look as he stared at her in her underwear. Thank goodness it actually matched and it wasn't her old stuff.

Vane had never been more unsure of himself than he was at this moment. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her carefully, afraid he might hurt her. Ever since he'd hit puberty, he'd heard stories of wolves who had killed human partners accidentally while mating with them.

Human bones lacked the density of his kind. Their skin bruised much more easily.

Carefully, he pressed her back against the wall so that he could feel every inch of her lush curves against his hardness. The smell of her perfume and skin intoxicated him. It was all he could do not to howl in triumph.

He nibbled his way from her delicate mouth, down her jaw, while he reached behind her and unhooked her bra. He heard her sharp intake of breath as her breasts were freed. They were a lush bounty. Pale and swollen, they overflowed his hands. He'd never seen anything more beautiful. She laced her hands in his hair while he dipped his head down to suckle her.

Closing his eyes, he groaned in pleasure as he ran his tongue around her puckered nipple.

He hadn't touched a female in almost a year—a record for him. But since the night his sister had died, his life had shot from bad to worse and there hadn't been anyone who appealed to him.

Not to mention that memories of Bride the one time he had seen her in the Square had haunted him. Midnight fantasies of him taking her in every position known. Of him exploring every single inch of her succulent body.

He'd spent hours damning himself for not leaving Sunshine to her own devices and following after this woman.

Protecting Sunshine had cost him everything, and for what? For a damned Dark-Hunter's happiness?

No good deed goes unpunished.

It was Fury's favorite saying. A rogue wolf, Fury was as unreliable and selfish as any, but there were times when the wolf was amazingly astute.

But now as Vane held Bride in his arms and felt her soft, tender body against his, he felt a strange sense of comfort that had eluded him all these past months.

It didn't erase the pain he felt at the loss of his siblings, but it lightened it.

And that alone made her priceless to him.

Bride couldn't think straight as she watched Vane savoring her breasts. He looked as if he were tasting divinity. Her body burned in rich desire. He was spectacular.

His eyes were hooded and dark She stared at his back in the mirror and wondered at the scars that marred his smooth, tanned flesh. She touched the ridges of them while he moved from her right to her left breast.

What had happened to him to cause so many scars? She'd never seen anything like it. Some of the scars were obviously claw and bite marks that looked like he had been mauled by some kind of wild animal. One in particular was deep and large. It went down his shoulder blade, up under his arm.

There was something so deadly about him and yet he held her with a gentle touch. He ran his hand down her stomach, burning a trail over her skin.

Her eyes half-closed, she watched him in the mirror as he dipped his tanned hand under the elastic of her black panties and touched her intimately.

Bride groaned at the sensation of his long, tapered fingers separating the tender folds of her body so that he could caress her. At the sight of his hand playing there in the mirror as he gently sank his fingers deep inside her.

She moaned at the sight and feel of him.

It was so odd to be able to see him from so many different angles. To see herself being loved by him.

She should be embarrassed and yet she wasn't. She didn't even feel self-conscious. If anything, she felt strangely empowered by it.

A man like this so hungry for her.

It was unimaginable.

Vane kissed his way down her stomach. Moving his hand, he actually pulled her underwear off with his teeth. He removed her sandals, taking time to rub the arches of her feet before he tossed them over his shoulder.

He crouched on the floor in front of her, looking up with a hot, devouring, intense stare. He still wore his jeans and boots while she was completely naked.

Vane couldn't breathe as he watched her. There was still a tinge of fear in her, but it was overshadowed by her desire.

He wanted to pull her to him roughly and take her like the animal he was. He wanted to show her how his people mated, forcefully and with dominance.

But he didn't want to scare her. Most of all, he didn't want to hurt her.

She was so vulnerable.

A she-wolf would take human form for the mating. She would walk seductively around the available males, making them crazy with lust until they were ready to kill each other to have her.

Sometimes they did.

There was always a battle for the female. Then she would pick whichever male had impressed her most with his beauty and skill. Usually it was the victor who mated with her, but not always. Vane's first lover had claimed him even though he had lost the fight because she had liked the passion he had shown while trying to win her.

Once her choice was made, the she-wolf would remove her clothes and offer herself to her champion. The male would pin her down and spend the rest of the night showing her just how much stamina and power he had. The female would spend the night testing him. She would try to throw him off or out of her and it was his duty to make sure she didn't. If he tired before morning or before she was fully sated, another male would be Drought in.

It was the greatest shame not to please a she-wolf, to have to call out for a second.

Vane had never been shamed.

And he had never taken a woman like Bride. One who wasn't biting and clawing at him as she demanded he please her. Something inside him relished the rarity of this.

The gentleness.

In a life where violence and territory and blood wars reigned, it was nice to have a reprieve. A tender lover's touch.

The human side of him craved this.

It craved her.

Bride bit her bottom lip as Vane nudged her legs apart. His breath scorched her thighs. He closed his eyes and laid his head against her thigh as if he were savoring just being with her. The tenderness of that action brought a lump to her throat.

She ran her fingers down his stubbled cheek, letting the manly feel warm her even more. He nipped her fingers playfully.

She smiled down at him until he nudged her legs farther apart and took her into his mouth. Bride hissed in pleasure as her legs went weak.

It was all she could do not to fall. He devoured her. There was no other word for it. He licked and teased until her head spun, and when she came for him, it was forceful and deep. Bride cried out as her body was turned inside out by his touch.

Vane growled at the sound of her pleasure, at the taste of it. Like all males of his kind, he took pride in her orgasm. There was nothing sweeter than hearing the screams of a lover climaxing. Nothing sweeter than knowing a male could fulfill the female.

He kissed his way up her body slowly until he was again on his feet. She looked up at him with awe shining bright in the amber depths of her eyes. He took her hand into his and led it to his throbbing erection.

Bride swallowed as she sank her hand deep into the denim. His short, crisp hairs teased her fingers as she found what she sought. He growled deep in his throat like a wild animal as she wrapped her hand around the hard length of him. The man was huge and he was already wet and straining.

Cupping her face, he kissed her passionately while she stroked him. Her body thrummed with heat at the thought of having his hard cock deep inside her.

He pulled away from her, then quickly jerked his boots off. Bride held her breath as he reached for his fly and unzipped it.

She watched in a passion-numbed daze as he slid his pants down and she caught her first sight of him in all his glory.

Commando!

There was nothing sexier than a man who dared to wear nothing under his clothes. Then again, there was nothing sexier than the man in front of her.

He was bold and commanding. Wild. And he made her shiver uncontrollably.

Tossing his pants into the corner, he moved her away from the wall. Bride was thankful her dressing room was larger than most. It had been designed to accommodate women with baby strollers or toddlers. And it gave them plenty of room to maneuver.

Vane moved around to her back. She stared at him in the mirror. He was a full head taller than she was and the sideways, hungry grin on his face undid her.

" You are so beautiful, " he said, his voice deep and hungry.

She'd never felt that way. Normally, she avoided looking at herself in mirrors. But there was something terribly erotic about seeing the two of them reflected in the three mirrored walls.

He brushed her hair from her neck, then nibbled the sensitive flesh there. He slid his tongue around the beads of the necklace.

His hands cupped her breasts before he trailed one hand back to the dark auburn triangle of hair between her legs.

Somehow, he lowered them slowly, in unison, to the floor. She wasn't really sure how he did it without breaking his hold. The man was incredibly strong. She leaned back against him where his body was hot and prickly. Masculine.

His tongue swirled around her ear, then plunged deep inside at the same time he entered her from behind. Bride cried out in pleasure at the sensation of him filling her.

He lifted his head so that he could watch her face as he thrust himself even deeper.

Bride couldn't speak or think as pleasure overwhelmed her. All she could do was watch him make love to her. Watch his hand pleasure her in time to his forceful thrusts.

Vane growled again at the feel of her wet, welcoming body. Her body was much softer than a she-wolf's. Born fighters, they were hard-muscled and tough. A she-wolf would be trying to bite him. She would be clawing his arm, demanding he give her more satisfaction. Demanding he move faster and harder until she came again.

But not Bride.

She didn't make any demands as he took his time, with slow and easy strokes. She didn't try to throw him out. Instead, she leaned back against his chest and made the most incredible sounds of pleasure with every stroke his body delivered to hers. She completely surrendered herself to him.

The trust it took for her to do that…

He'd never known anything like it.

He'd spent so many months dreaming of what she would be like in his arms. Now he knew.

She was divine. She reached over her head to sink her hand in his hair so that she could hold him close. " Oh, Vane, " she breathed, nuzzling her cheek against his.

He felt his powers growing as he kissed her cheek, and he quickened his fingers. She jerked and moaned in response to him. He felt himself growing even larger. The wolf in him was snarling in satisfaction.

It howled at the feel of her hot, wet body wrapped around his. And as always, it gave his magical powers a surge. Sex always charged his species, making them stronger.

More dangerous.

She covered his hand with hers. The sight of her spread out while he thrust into her made his heart pound even harder. His powers shivered through his body, sparking and dancing until he was raw from it.

Bride couldn't breathe from the intensity of her pleasure. This was the most incredible encounter of her life. He was so thick and hard inside her. So commanding. And oddly enough, he felt as if he were getting bigger. He filled her to capacity, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the least.

And when she came this time, it was even more forceful than the last. She screamed out with such satisfaction that it made her hoarse. Weak. Her body shook uncontrollably as he continued to give her even more.

" That's it, baby, " he whispered to her. " Come for me."

And she did. In a way she had never orgasmed before. It was so primal and powerful she wasn't even sure how she survived it. Oh mercy! How could anything feel so wonderful?

Every stroke he continued to give her only made her orgasm more. Made her entire body sensitive. This had to be the longest climax of her life!

Vane kept a tight grip on her as he felt his own pleasure mounting. He quickened his strokes as he neared the peak.

Bride turned her face into his and laid the sweetest kiss imaginable on his lips. It sent him careening over the edge.

He wrapped her in his arms as he released himself deep inside her body. Unlike a human, he wouldn't be finished quickly with this. His orgasm would last for several minutes.

Holding her tight, he used his powers to heighten her pleasure and to hide the time he stayed inside her while his body spent itself. He leaned his head against her neck and just reveled in her scent. Reveled in her.

He buried himself deep, then gently rocked her in his arms while he let his release and an unfounded sense of peace and comfort wash through him.

Vane couldn't take his eyes off Bride as his body finally relaxed. Slowly. Peacefully.

He held her in his lap and watched the slight smile that still hovered on the edges of her lips. This woman was a goddess. Pure and simple. Lush and full, she was everything a man could ever desire.

" That was incredible, " she breathed, reaching up to run her fingers along his jaw.

" Yes, it was, " he breathed gently, still amazed at what he had felt inside a human female.

Maybe Acheron had been right after all. Maybe there was more human in him than he thought. It was the only reason he could think of for why he felt the way he did right now.

A phone rang from outside the dressing room.

She jumped in his arms, then checked her wristwatch. " Oh no, " she breathed. " That's probably Tabitha. I'm supposed to meet her and her sister for dinner tonight."

Vane sighed. For some reason he couldn't name, he didn't want to let her go. Didn't want her to leave his side.

If she were one of his people, she wouldn't even think about leaving until dawn.

But she wasn't.

And wanting to stay here was crazy. He was a wolf under a death sentence and she was a human.

What they had shared had been exceptional, but it was time he put her out of his thoughts.

Forever.

Kissing her cheek, he withdrew from her and got up to dress.

Bride felt a bit awkward as Vane handed her her clothes. He didn't ask her for her number or for anything else as he pulled on his pants and boots.

Did he regret what they had done?

She wanted to ask him for his number, but her pride wouldn't let her. Maybe she was being stupid, but given Taylor's actions she didn't want to risk another dent to her ego tonight.

Vane buttoned her dress, then pulled his shirt on over his head. " Is your car nearby? " he asked.

" It's parked in the back, but I was just going to walk over to the restaurant. It's only a few blocks away."

He brushed her hair with his fingers. There was an air of sudden sadness to him. " Would you like me walk with you? "

She nodded.

He held the curtain open for her. She ducked out and turned to watch while he tucked his T-shirt into his jeans. He raked his hand through his hair to settle it back into place.

All the playfulness was gone from him now. There was something almost predatorial about him.

He went to wait outside while she set the alarm and locked the door.

She felt even more awkward as she straightened to smile at him outside her store. The air was a bit chilly, but he didn't seem to notice. He draped an arm around her shoulders as they headed toward Tabitha's favorite restaurant, Acme Oyster House.

They didn't speak while they walked. Bride wanted to, but what did a woman say to a guy who had just given her the best sex of her life?

A guy she didn't know.

A guy she would most likely never see again.

Oh, how she hated this. This was the first time in her life she'd ever had a one-night stand. It was disconcerting to have been so intimate with a complete stranger.

He slowed as they neared the restaurant.

Bride peeked in the large, painted window. She'd been right, her friends were already there and she saw Tabitha dialing a cell phone. No doubt Tabitha had been the one calling, and if Bride didn't go in soon, she would start to worry.

" Well, " she said, pulling away from Vane. " I guess this is where we say goodbye."

He nodded and offered her a kind smile. " Thank you, Bride."

" No, " she said, touching her necklace that he had given her. " Thank you."

He kissed her hand, then turned, tucked his hands inside his pockets, and walked slowly down the street toward Bourbon. Her heart heavy, she watched that deadly masculine swagger.

" Bride? "

She turned to see Mina Devereaux standing in the open doorway. " You okay? " she asked.

Nodding, Bride forced herself to go inside. Mina led her to a table near the window where her sister, Tabitha, was seated.

" Hey, Bride, " Tabitha said in greeting as she unwrapped a cracker. " You okay? You look a little distracted."

" I don't know, " Bride said as she took a seat across the table from Tabitha. " I've had the strangest day of my life and I think I may have just made the biggest mistake of all time."

Only she wasn't sure if the mistake was sleeping with someone she didn't know or letting him leave her.