He closed his eyes and smiled. Gladys had told him that tomorrow she would more than likely wake enough to go to the bathroom and then it would be a couple more before she took food. Alexis had given so much of herself to him that he couldn't help but want her to wake now. But also knew that her awake would mean an end to his sleeping arrangements. He slid into a deep sleep thinking about the child Darcy and her fear of her father.

His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was that Patrick Booth had a great deal of explaining to do and even more to be sorry about. And Gordon was planning to make the younger wolf feel sorry for a very long time.

"Come in," Gordon said to the office door when someone knocked the next morning. He was distracted or he might have looked up sooner when no one said anything. When he did finally realized he wasn't alone he looked at Tim and Jake.

"We come to talk to you. You hit me or my brother and I'll whoop your a.s.s."

Gordon fought the smile and leaned back in his chair, motioning to the two boys to take a seat across from him. He decided to ignore the cussing. This was going to be a serious conversation between men and he thought that it deserved serious words. "For the record, I don't hit. I punish, but not hit. You think I might have a reason to hit you?" The boys looked at each other and it was then that Gordon realized that he'd never heard the other boy speak. "You have something to add to this, Jake, or are you the strong silent type?"

"Our mom is dead." Jake glanced at his brother before he continued. "We don't have n.o.body to keep us 'cause the mean b.a.s.t.a.r.d won't let them."

Okay, he thought, he was suddenly in over his head. Gordon looked at each boy and knew without a doubt that this was going to be the changing of their lives. They would either trust him after this or not and he wanted their trust. He had a feeling he was going to be a huge part of their lives from now on.

"Why do you think your aunt Alexis won't want you? The b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I'm a.s.suming you mean your father?" Both nodded, looking relieved he was sure, about not being in trouble about the name calling or, for that matter, the word itself. "I'm very sorry about your mom. I love mine very much and I can see where you'd be worried. But I'm pretty sure you have a home with your aunt. She's trying to make sure that your father is out of the picture."

"He's very mean. Very." Tim said the word like it was a curse word. "And he...he can do stuff. Like we seen on television once. He can grow hair."

Gordon thought this was the perfect time to win their trust, or scare the s.h.i.t out of them. He pulled back his sleeve and told them to come closer to him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Okay, I'm going to show you something. Something that I don't share with many people, but I trust you guys to keep my secret. I don't want you to freak out." They both gave him the look that said, "please, we don't freak out," and he smiled. "I can grow hair too. I'm a wolf."

He let the change move along his arm. The hair sprouted quickly, thick and dark. Both boys took a step back, but surprisingly neither of them ran from the room. Jake was the first to take the step forward again, but Tim ran his fingers along the fur.

"Can you change all over like that?" Gordon nodded at Tim's question. "Does it hurt? I mean, you can probably take it, but it's gotta sting a little bit."

Gordon grinned. "Sometimes it hurts when I have to do it quickly. Like the other day when I wanted to protect your sister and Alexis. But I didn't let it bother me. I had to see to the womenfolk."

They nodded, understanding the role of a man better than he had at their age he was sure.

"Do you get to bite people? You could bite our dad and we wouldn't care one bit. He's not a nice person and I hate him."

Gordon wasn't sure how to answer Tim's request so he let it go. He covered his arm back up and called his beast to him. It really didn't hurt. At times when he was really stressed, sometimes his wolf would appear just to remind him he could help out, but he'd never lost control of him. He started to tell them that they needed to keep his secret once again, but he could suddenly smell Alexis. She was getting closer to him.

"Your aunt is awake. She's coming here now." They were all staring at the door when it opened. And with wide eyes Tim and Jake looked back at him. "Maybe you guys should go and ask Gladys if she has a snack for you. I think your aunt and I have to talk."

They didn't hesitate but flew out the door like the hounds of h.e.l.l were after them. Gordon couldn't blame them. He thought maybe he was in for it by the expression on her face. He stood and moved toward her.

"h.e.l.lo, love. Sleep well?" He was only a foot away when she moved. It was to move away from him, but he pulled her to him before she got far. "No. I need to taste you first." And he brushed his mouth over hers.

Alexis wanted to tell him no, but her body seemed to know it was going to be a losing battle. She had her arms around his neck and her length pressed to his before she could make a sound. His low growl made her heart pick up in speed and her nipples peak under her shirt. When his tongue slid along her lips she opened and let him in.

She'd been kissed before. Not a great deal, really. Her work had always come first. Men seemed to think she was okay looking, but she was usually bored to death by the first hour or so talking to them. Mostly she went to functions with people she worked with. When Gordon cupped her a.s.s and brought her softness to his hard c.o.c.k she moaned deep in her throat. No one had ever made her feel like this.

"Do you have any idea how hard I've been sleeping with you every night and not being able to make love to you?" He licked her neck and her entire body went into overdrive. "Alexis, I can smell you. Your heat, your arousal is making me ache to make you mine."

She pulled back slightly and his growl made her p.u.s.s.y wet. She couldn't seem to stop touching him, but she needed to make things clear to him. But every thought she had in her head flew out the window when he dropped to his knees before her.

"Gordon, you shouldn't-" Her pants were suddenly down and off. She was hanging onto his shoulder as he lifted her leg to remove them completely. Her body was like a live wire now. Need didn't just wash over her, but stormed over her like a torrential rain.

"A taste, love. I need to taste you." He lifted her leg and put it over his shoulder. She looked down at him as he said her name. "You belong to me, Alexis. Now and forever, you're mine. Say it. Say the words. Say you belong to me."

"Please, you've no idea-" He touched her inner thigh with his mouth. The kiss was wet, hot, and full of promise. She wanted him, wanted him to take her.

"Say it, Alexis. Say it for me so I can drink your sweet nectar and feel you come in my mouth." This time when he touched her with his mouth he ran his tongue up to the elastic of her panties. She could almost feel him there, taking her into his mouth.

"I'm yours. Now and forever." She grabbed a handful of his hair before he took her. "But know this, you are mine as well, understand me?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The panties, the only thing keeping him from her, were suddenly floating to the floor behind him. He'd ripped them from her. Before they touched the surface Alexis was being devoured by him.

His hands seemed to be everywhere. And as soon as his mouth covered her mound she started to shake. He suckled at her c.l.i.t and she cried out. Then when he slid his finger deep into her she felt the room tilt. Begging him now, begging him for everything and not really knowing what, she began to moan and ride him. He cupped her a.s.s even as she started to undulate into his mouth.

Before she could protest when he pulled his mouth away she found herself on the floor. He'd laid her down and had both her thighs over his shoulders now. Christ, she was in trouble. He ate at her like she was his last meal. Alexis palmed her breast. They ached, making her want to free them. Gordon seemed to understand, reached up with one hand and ripped her shirt open for her.

"Let me see you. Open up and show me your bounty." His voice was husky and low. She found she didn't want to disobey him, didn't want to displease him. "That's it, baby. Christ, I want to suckle at your nipples, but your taste is all I can think about. Come for me, baby. Let me drink my fill."

She nodded. He grinned at her, sinful and full of heat. He moved his mouth down to her navel. His tongue swirled there, making her sensitive hollow a surprising erotic zone. She moaned when he nipped at her skin.

"Please, you have to do something. I'm hurting. Please," she begged him. When he sat up on his knees, her breath caught. "You're beautiful."

He ripped his shirt open and his chest was furred, muscled, and her mouth watered with want to touch him. When she started to sit up to do just that he pressed her back down with a hand to her shoulder.

"Not this time. Next time you can have your way with me, but this time is for you. But I have to have a sample of you."

He crawled up her. Not really touching her, but making her very aware of his heat. She could have reached up and touched him, ran her hands along his skin, but she waited, watched, and held her breath. He touched her with his tongue at her shoulder and she nearly came up off the floor. When he sank his teeth into her with just a bit of pain, she did grab his head and pulled him tighter to her. Her world was spiraling out of control and he was her lifeline.

"Please," she begged him again.

This time when he pulled away she sat up with him. Her hands made short work of his belt and snap. She wanted him now. He moved her hands and ripped the zipper out; zipper teeth pinged over the hardwood floor and were barely noticed. It was his c.o.c.k, fully erect, that had her attention. He was thick and hard, and the stream at the tip of the engorged head made her lick her lips.

"I don't want to hurt you. I know you're a virgin, but I...baby, I don't know how gentle I can be entering you." She was shaking her head at him even before he finished. "Alexis, this is a mating. When I take you, everyone, every supernatural, will know it."

"They'll hear us?" she asked him incredibly. Then she flushed, knowing immediately what he'd meant. But he didn't make fun of her. He only lifted her chin and took her mouth gently.

"Alexis, I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm in love with you. And I will never hurt you or any of your family." She tried to pull away from his words and his hand. "No, don't. I don't expect you to understand us. We're a breed of predators, but we love with all of our hearts. You have mine. Now and forever."

He took her mouth again and she was sure he could taste her tears. She hadn't realized that they were going backward until her back touched the cool floor again. He continued kissing her, his mouth moving along her jaw until he was at the place that ached for his teeth. She knew he was going to bite her and she knew when he did it this time she'd be his.

He shifted again, his hips rocked into her until she could feel the tip of his c.o.c.k at her entrance. She wanted to beg him to take her. She canted her hips, hoping he'd get the message. He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes.

"Mine," was all he said as he plunged deep into her. Her scream tore from her throat. Not in pain, though there was a great deal of it, but from the climax that roared through her, over her. When he licked her throat she tensed, waiting for his teeth. He rocked into her again and again until she was nearing the pinnacle. When she dropped over the edge he sank his fangs deep into her as his c.o.c.k spilled inside of her.

She heard him say "mine" again just before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Chapter 8.

Gordon came awake in small degrees. First, he couldn't understand what was going on. The darkness of the room, the scents, were familiar to him, but not really home. He heard a moan, deep and full of heat, and reached for the woman who lay beside him. Before he could do more than move his arm he realized that he was hard and that she was over him. Reaching now for her hips, he came fully awake and sat up.

"Christ, you learn fast." He took her nipple in his mouth and suckled hard, letting it go with a small pop. He slowed down her ride over his c.o.c.k and showed her how to do it. "That's it, honey. Slow and easy, slow and easy."

"You were so hard and you said I could-oh Christ, yes," she screamed when he rolled her to her back. "Pleaseohpleaseohplease."

Lacing his fingers into hers, he lifted her arms above her head. When he wrapped her fingers around the headboard he ran his hands back down to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He moved in and out of her slowly even as she tried to get him to go deeper.

"Do you have any idea what waking up with you on my c.o.c.k does to me? If you could manage to wake me up like this every morning for the rest of my days I will die a happy wolf." She whimpered when he pinched her nipple. "I love the noises you make when I touch you. The small sounds that escape when you don't want them to."

"You are going much too slow. I need to come. Please, Gordon, please help me to come." She grinned up at him. "I'll take your c.o.c.k in my mouth."

"You will anyway, love. I saw the way you looked at me. Hungry. Are you hungry for me, Alexis? Do you want to feel my c.u.m slide down the back of your throat?" He rocked a little faster, his game with her backfiring slightly. When she brought her hands down to him he stopped moving. She put them back and he rocked again. "My rules, love. I want to enjoy you tonight. You rushed me too much last night and I didn't get my fill of you."

"You bit me again." He felt her embarra.s.sment, the heat of it. "Why? Why did you bite me again after you had already marked me?"

"Did I hurt you?" She shook her head no. He knew that he had, at least a little. "I had to mark you again because of that other wolf touching you. He..." Gordon took a deep breath, reining in his temper. "He licked you and marked you. A wolf does not do that to someone else's mate."

She turned away from him as he rocked deeper. He knew she was thinking and he didn't want her thinking of anything or anyone but him in their bed. He leaned down, took her nipple, and rolled it on the top of his mouth. When she arched up but held the headboard he lazily suckled at her while he pinched at her other peak. He lifted his head and waited for her to look at him.

"You need to know something. Something about me." He moved in and out several times, hard then slow, fast then softly. "Something important."

He smiled when she looked ready to brain him. "Tell me," she said between clenched teeth. "Tell me or f.u.c.k me, but for the love of peter, do something."

"I'm possessive." He took her hard. His c.o.c.k slid into her wet heat faster. When his b.a.l.l.s tightened close to his body, the tingling in his spine telling him he was close, he leaned down and nipped at her ear lobe. "Bite me, Alexis. Please sink those beautiful teeth into me and bite."

The pain was surprising. He felt her mouth seal to his throat and she sucked hard. He didn't have a moment to think about what was happening. His body clenched tight. Then his climax grabbed him and soared though him quickly. He f.u.c.ked her hard now, not stopping until she came twice then a third time before he collapsed on top of her. He barely had the strength to raise his head.

Blood was on her chin, his blood. His c.o.c.k surged again, making him groan. When their eyes met she started to turn away and he stopped her with a word. She looked back at him with tears. He kissed her gently and laid his head on her breast, but not before glimpsing her teeth. His mate had canines like his.

Phil looked down at the notes he'd taken on the Dark family. There wasn't a great deal about them other than the few things he'd been able to track down at the county office in Montana. Then he picked up the second stack of notes. The Strong family, which he'd just happened upon, had a long and ill.u.s.trious line. And he'd found out from his mother they didn't just have the last name as Strong, they were a breed of beings that were actual Strongs.

Alexis Strong Dark was a shifter, he just knew it.

He got up and walked around his desk. He loved his home and it had been his for over three hundred years. But he was lonely. Lonely for a mate and even lonelier because he knew who she was. Grabbing up his brief case he went to the door and thought he'd try and get some more information from Austin on where Holly was. It was high time that little miss Holly Force came to terms with who her mate was. And d.a.m.n the girl for making him the heavy. Before he knew it Phil was knocking on the front door of the Dark home. Just as he thought, everyone was in the kitchen when he'd been let into the family home.

"You here for some home cooking, blood-boy?" Gladys had taken to calling him that a few days ago. He tried to not let it bother him, but today he just couldn't help himself.

"Yes. What type are you anyway? I've a craving for..." He sniffed the air. "Humm, my favorite. Type B positive."

She paled slightly and he felt bad, but before he could apologize she slapped him on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. "You can't tell what my type is from sniffing the air. You're a card all right, Mr. Campbell. I think I might grow to like you."

He sighed. He was afraid she might grow on him too and he just didn't want to think about losing another friend. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, giving a little of his magic to her. She would never know and he would have her around for a bit longer. He also made a mental note to do the same to Jessie as well.

He had the gift of longevity. Not many vampires possessed his power, especially not half breeds as he was. He had given the gift to CJ and Austin, also to the other boys in the house. Nancy Force he had not. She knew that he'd been doing it slowly over the months and told him if he did that to her she'd hurt him.

"I want to go to my husband soon. Well, not soon, but when my time is right. You keep your voodoo and leave me to my own death." He'd kissed her cheek, but kept this gift to himself. "Now go and make me a grandma before I die, will you?"

That had been three months ago and he was no closer to keeping his promise to her than he'd been back then. He walked into the dining room just as they were sitting down. He glanced at Darcy and knew that the girl was watching him. She was another puzzle he wanted to solve.

"Well, Alexis my dear, have you and your mate given any thought to my offer?" He needed her blood now more than ever. He was worried when she glanced at Gordon. He could feel the tension between them. "What is it?"

Gordon cleared his throat and handed a plate to Tim. "Why don't we bench this until after dinner? Then we can go out onto the deck and talk. And Tim here has an announcement to make."

The boy grinned. The first happy grin Phil had seen from any of the children since he'd met them. But something had happened to the couple at the head of the table. They would barely look at one another and they didn't speak to each other. He knew that they had mated, become a true mated pair, but their scent was different. It was more. Phil couldn't help but wonder if they'd found out something about Patrick Booth. But he doubted it would be that easy.

"I got an A plus on my math test today. Gordon helped me with figuring out how to add them up without using my fingers so the teacher would catch me."

"Really?" Alexis asked. "You taught him to cheat without being caught. Great. What's next, are you going to show him how to shoot your gun?"

"Can you?" Tim asked excitedly. He realized they were kidding about the same time Alexis shot him a look. "Oh. Well, that's not fair to get a kid's hopes all up then take 'em away."

"If you bring home two more As I'll show you how to throw a knife," Jessie said without missing a beat. "In my day I was quite the shot." She put peas on Phil's plate as she continued talking to Tim. "I could knock the eyeball out of a rat a yard away."

"Oh for heaven's sake, you could not. Why you can barely thread a needle much less throw a knife." Gladys turned to Tim as she took the peas off Phil's plate. It was dizzying how fast the two women teamed up on his food. "You stay away from her, son, when she has a knife. She's more likely to cut your p.e.c.k.e.r off than to throw it with any kind of accuracy."

Phil looked around the table at the stunned faces. While the silence reigned he had a pork chop put on his plate and taken off as well as a pile of mashed potatoes that would have fed a small army. He finally took his plate and moved far away from the two older women. He wasn't even hungry, but they were making him nuts with the switches.

Tim nodded and didn't say another thing about learning to throw a knife or shoot a gun. Phil did notice that he cupped himself whenever his aunt got close to him. The rest of the dinner was made in relative chaos, but the kind that he had seen in hundreds of families over the centuries. After dinner and the kids were set up with a movie, he went out into the warm night with the adults. Austin and CJ came just in time for dessert.

"How true is it that Caroline found Alexis and is not her real mother? Or you for that matter?" Phil would know if she was lying and could see the slight tension in Jessie's shoulders before she smiled at him. "If you lie to me, I will without a doubt know it. And will do whatever necessary to get the real truth from you."

The sharp intake of breath to his left told him that Gladys hadn't known. Or at least he a.s.sumed she didn't. He was beginning to realize that this family had secrets that even he wasn't aware of. His quick glance at Alexis made him think she didn't either, but she'd suspected. Jessie looked around the group of people and then sat down hard in the chair next to her.

"She was Caroline's daughter. And before you ask me, yes I know who your father is. We never meant for you to find out. It was supposed to be-"

"Wait. No, no, no. That can't be right. You told us that she was...you found her. The whole story was too wonderful to be...tell them you've made a mistake, Mr. Campbell. Tell them that..." Gladys looked around and then at Alexis. "You knew, didn't you? They told you."

"No. I never knew. But there were times... I look like her. I remember saying that to her once, to mom, that I looked a great deal like her and that wasn't that wonderful? She smiled at me and told me that it could be my curse too. That I would be recognized for that and that it could be her downfall." Alexis looked at him. "Tell us what you know and I'm sure that Jessie can fill in the blanks of what you don't have."

"I can't. I know that you want the information, but I was sworn to secrecy. I have to continue to protect you until such a time that you're called upon." Jessie stood then sat again. "He'll find you. Or at the very least he'll come here. I've been watching over you for so long that... Phil, you should have asked me first and not told her. Why did you do that?"

The energy rolled off of Jessie and hit Phil hard. It wasn't the power that he was surprised by, but the amount of it. Jessie was at least part shifter too and he knew that he was going to hurt very soon now. He closed his eyes against the a.s.sault. But as the power slid over him it moved away just as quickly. He opened his eyes slowly. Alexis was standing before him.

"Stop it. Stop it right now." Jessie stood, faced her niece, and then turned and walked away. The closing of the door was a soft click in the otherwise silent night. Alexis turned to him, anger in her eyes. "Tell me what you know. Tell me what I am and how you figured it out."

Her voice was hard, but he could feel her fear. She really had no idea that what he knew was going to irrevocably change all their lives forever. He nodded to Gordon as he took a seat. "You've mated with her. You want to tell me what the problem is?" Gordon stiffened, as did Alexis. He knew that he was going to tell him it was none of his business, but right now he didn't care. "Jessie is right. Alexis is going to need help. If you aren't going to stand behind her or beside her, now would be the time to bail on her."

"She's my mate. I can't let her get hurt. Tell me what I need to know to make sure she's safe." Gordon glanced at Alexis then quickly away before he continued. "Our issues have nothing to do with whatever is going on right now."

"I bit him. He and I had s.e.x and I bit him. With my teeth, and I...I drank his blood." Alexis looked at him as tears fell. "Am I part vampire too? Is that why he is so repulsed by me?"