Instead of holding her, he patted her down. Turned her around as he checked every inch of her form for injury, a look of what she could swear was panic in his eyes.

Im fine, she laughed, her voice shaky. Honest, I am. G.o.d knows how, but I really am.

Thank G.o.d, he muttered and yanked her into his arms to hold her close.

For one perfect moment she clung to him, absorbing the strength from his powerful body as hers began to shake in reaction. She should be dead, she knew she should be, and her body was just beginning to realize that. Closing her eyes, she nestled against him. Despite the fact that four rogues lay dead around them, shed never felt safer in her life than she did wrapped in his embrace.

It didnt last nearly long enough though. With a growl he pushed her away, holding her by the upper arms and shaking her gently. His expression was fierce as he demanded, Now do you see why you have to stop this insanity?

She nodded slowly.

I agree. It is insanity" She held her hand up as a smug, satisfied expression flowed over his features. Its insanity to do this without the right training. So you can train me.

Are you freaking kidding me, lady? The rogues almost killed you, and rather than head home where youre safe like a sensible female, you want me to train you? Marak could hardly believe what he was hearing, shaking his head when she nodded silently, her lips set into a mulish line. He shook his head. Youre insane. Absolutely, and completely insane.

She nodded again. Probably, but Ill keep doing this, so you need to train me or Ill get myself killed.

The snarl slipped free before he could stop it, his primal side enraged by the idea of any harm coming to her. The thought made him pause and he smiled. She was playing with fire, counting on the well-known protective streak all warriors had. But they had another, darker side Stalking her suddenly, he backed her up against the wall, using his bigger body to corral her against the brick. Sudden fear flared in her eyes, but she quickly squashed it, lifting her head to look at him directly. Admiration flared in his chest. However crazy she was, she had guts. Hed give her that.

Are you sure you want a warrior to train you? Surely youve heard the stories about us She swallowed, her fear scenting the air, and he felt like a s.h.i.t for scaring her. But he had to. This path she was on would lead one place and one place only"her death. The thought of her, pale and lifeless in her coffin as they lowered her into the ground, made his heart clench. He couldnt let that happen. He couldnt let her die, not when it was within his power to stop it.

Youre just trying to scare me.

d.a.m.n right he was. The fact shed seen through his act, though, impressed him almost as much as her fighting ability had. Not that he would admit as much to her.

Please. Help me.

He expected her to rail at him angrily, to demand he train her and threaten to go it alone when he refused, but not for her to soften, look up at him with those warm chocolate eyes and beg for his help.

Please. They killed my little sister, she whispered brokenly, her voice tortured. She was so young but they didnt care. They killed her anyway.

The rogues would have done much more than kill her sister, but he didnt say anything. She didnt need him to add to her grief, I cant just do nothing. They need to pay. Please Ill do anything.

Anything? He couldnt help it. His voice dropped deeper, heat entering the tone as he moved closer. Perhaps if stories of kyn warriors wouldnt scare her off, blatant s.e.xual suggestions would. Are you sure about that?

She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze head on and nodded as a flush rode her cheeks. Anything.

His eyes narrowed. She was playing a dangerous game making such an offer to a warrior she knew nothing about, but did she know that? She was human. How could she know the stories that whispered through kyn society about warriors? That they were almost as brutal and b.l.o.o.d.y as the rogues themselves, just one step away from slipping into blood rage, with carnal appet.i.tes that were voracious and at times cruel She couldnt. Couldnt know anything about that, but even so, her own survival instincts had to be telling her that he was dangerous. Of all the races hed come across, humanity had the most highly developed survival instincts hed ever seen; perhaps because they were naturally weaponless, with no abilities to protect themselves. Throughout the ages, theyd been the prey of the night-races and had evolved accordingly.

But despite that, her gaze remained level on his. Her heart beat frantically, the surge of blood in the veins of her neck a call that made both his fangs and his c.o.c.k ache to be freed. Suddenly, he wanted to see how far she would take this. He had little experience of humans, but women he did know. For all her bravado and att.i.tude, there was a sweetness and innocence about her that said she wasnt the type to go for it up against the wall in a public place.

A kiss.

His lips moved without the intervention of his brain, the simple request surprising him.

What? She looked just as surprised as he felt, blinking up at him in confusion. A kiss? Thats all you want?

He slammed his hands into the bricks above her head, making her flinch, and growled. What I want would make you run screaming in terror. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he looked at her again. But Im not a monster, so yes, a kiss will suffice.

She held still for a long moment, her eyes dark and unreadable as she looked up at him. He knew what he must look like, covered in blood and with the red tinge of blood-l.u.s.t in his eyes. No woman in her right mind would want to come anywhere near him why should he expect her to?

He was about to push off from the wall, telling her the deal was off when she moved. Holding himself perfectly still so as not to scare her off, he watched as she lifted on her tiptoes, her delicate hands cupping his cheeks softly as she pressed her mouth to his.

As soon as her lips touched his, he was lost. Soft and warm, her kiss held him immobile, frozen by the smallest touch as his body flared to life. More. He wanted no, he needed more. A moan escaped his chest as his hands slid down the wall behind her, caging her as he moved closer. He tilted his head, parting his lips under hers in silent invitation. He didnt push. She had to make the choice to let him in or not herself. He had to be invited She murmured softly, little more than a sigh, and moved closer. Her smaller body fit perfectly against his, soft curves a perfect match for the hard lines and muscles of his. The gentle brush of her tongue against his lower lip sent heat spiraling through him and broke the iron grip he had on his control.

A groan caught in the back of his throat. He pulled her against him, holding her close as he reversed their roles and plundered her mouth. A hard sweep of his tongue parted her soft lips and gave him access to the sweet recess beyond. He thrust deep, her taste exploding on his tongue as he sought hers. She tasted of crisp, cold water and the warmth of a hot summers afternoon in bed, the sun beating down on the shades at the windows. Nights filled with cool sheets and sweat on skin as he moved over her, his body buried deeply in hers as he f.u.c.ked her over and over again She tasted of s.e.x and pure carnal sin enough to hold any warrior, even him, in thrall.

He broke away with a gasp.

Was that was that okay? Her soft voice brought him back to the present and he looked down at her, easily reading her confusion.

Abruptly, he stepped back before he gave into temptation and took her up against the wall without a care for anything else in the world. She wouldnt be able to fight him off, the dark voice in his head said. He could take what he wanted. She was only human Tomorrow night, he said brusquely. The alley where we first met. Well start your training there.

Wait, she called out as he started to walk away. What should I call you?

His steps faltered for a half second, the instinctive need to protect his ident.i.ty from even this human roaring to the fore. He turned his head, speaking over his shoulder.

Mikal. You can call me Mikal.

A week later Maria was still as confused by Mikal as she had been the first night theyd met. Each night, theyd met up in the alley, and hed taken her to a different location to train, pointing out the pitfalls and strengths of hunting rogues in each. From the wide-open s.p.a.ces of the citys parks, to the enclosed underpa.s.ses and subways, right down into the sewers, hed drilled her relentlessly in both situational awareness and fighting technique.

Tonight, they were in an abandoned warehouse, running and fighting along gangways high above the concrete floor. It was treacherous work. Not only did she have the clawed gloves Mikal was wearing to simulate how to fight a rogue vampire to contend with, but the metal itself was rusted and slippery. One misstep would send her crashing to the hard floor below where shed either shatter bones like a human would or have to explain why such a fall hadnt killed her. Even she didnt know which it would be. Dhampir physiology was unpredictable that way. Sometimes she healed as a vampire, sometimes as a human, and she could never predict which way it would go.

It made her day-to-day life that little bit more interesting.

Running full tilt down the walkway, she ignored the darkness around and below her, using every instinct she had to sense her surroundings. Mikal was out there somewhere, hiding in the shadows, and his attack could come from any direction without warning. How the h.e.l.l he could move so silently for such a big man, she had no clue but he did. He was utterly lethal.

Turning a corner on the walkway, her instincts screamed at her and she leaped, sliding feet first along the metal as razor-sharp claws split the air above her head.

Haaa! She flipped to her feet in a heartbeat, swords already up and blocking as Mikal emerged out of the darkness, slashing at her with the claws.

His face was a mask of concentration and she knew he was noting everything about the fight"her reactions, where she was slow, how quickly she moved to plug gaps in her defense before he could get a claw through. Later, they would go through it step by step and hed teach her what she did wrong and how to fix it. An intensive course in warrior training, it made her head buzz and caused her to drop into her bed at the end of each night, exhausted beyond belief. Her body was bruised and battered, screaming for some relief, but at dusk each evening she made her way out to meet him again, eager for everything he had to teach her.

Yeah, right. Its just about the training, is it? The little voice in the back of her head chuckled. Nothing to do with the fact hes the s.e.xiest male youve ever seen in your life. AND, he kissed you Oh G.o.d, that kiss. She almost missed a block at the thought, twisting to knock away claws that were headed for her side. Backing up quickly, heat rolled lazily through her body as the memory unfurled in her mind. The feel of his hot, hard body against hers had haunted her dreams for days. The feel of his lips on hers was branded into her memory for the rest of her life.

Hed kissed her, but she doubted he would again. He saw her as human, a pet project, not as a female worthy of him. Longing filled her. Mikal saw her as a project, Verran as a pity case, but once, just once, she wanted a man to look at her for who she was. Want her for who she was, what she was, and not try and change her.

Well done, Mikal commented, dropping his guard. That was the signal that tonights training was done.

Not before time either. Every inch of her body ached. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sheathed her swords over her back as they headed down to ground level.

The ladder up to the catwalk was rusted and broken at the bottom so Mikal held out a hand to aid her the last couple of feet. You did well tonight.

Yeah? You think? She hid her shiver as she slid her hand into his. It dwarfed hers, the latent strength thrilling her. Let me hunt with you then. Im ready.

His expression froze for a second and then he shook his head. Youre good, but its too dangerous.

She dropped his hand like it had burned her, turning to face him with her hands on her hips. You said I did well, and I know you hunt each night when we finish. Just before dawn. How is that not dangerous for you?

He huffed, folded his arms across his ma.s.sive chest and gave her one of his disapproving looks. Thats different. Im a fully trained warrior with years of experience. The rogues will eat you for breakfast They. Will. Not. She growled back at him, surprising even herself with the anger that gripped her tightly. I can do this. You have to let me try.

You think youre good enough? His eyes glittered dangerously as he stripped off the gloves, dropping them unheeded to the dirty concrete beneath their feet. You think youre ready?

She lifted her chin and glared at him, refusing to be intimidated. Yes. I am.

He moved without warning. One moment he just stood there, the next he was a blur of movement. Instinct made her go for her swords but before her hands had closed around the grips over her shoulders he was on her. A strong arm wrapped around her raised hands while his leg hooked hers and knocked her off balance. Half a second later she found herself flat on her back, hands pinned above her head with one of his around her throat.

See? he murmured menacingly, his eyes dark and unreadable. I could do anything I wanted to you, and you dont stand a chance of stopping me, do you?

She didnt move, her eyes wide as she watched him warily. His gaze flicked down to her lips and heat blossomed in his eyes. I could turn you here and now, he whispered, but the words were soft, almost as though he spoke to himself. Take you for myself and who would stop me?

Leaning down, he whispered his lips over the soft skin of her throat. Not a kiss exactly, but something else. Something driven by a darker need inherent in all vampire kind. She bit her lip, holding in the whimper that wanted to escape as he dragged a fang across her throat. He was going to bite her Need welled up, catching her in its insidious coils and her body softened under his.

He groaned at the movement, shoving a hard knee between her thighs to part them as he pressed his mouth against her throat, right over the pulse that throbbed wildly.

Please, Mikal she whispered, too far gone to care that she might blow her cover. She needed him to bite her, more than she needed her next breath. d.a.m.n the consequencesand the fact that even one bite from a full blooded warrior could tip her totally over into the kyn world, or cause her freakish dhampir blood to crash and burn, killing her.

He froze at the sound of her voice and in the next heartbeat, he was gone, shoving himself away with such force that he left a handprint in the concrete by her head.

Were done, he growled, and with a swish of his jacket through the air, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Maria lying alone and bereft on the concrete.

Chapter 4.

He shouldnt have kissed her.

Marak sighed and ran his hand through his hair, staring moodily into the fire in his bedroom. It was unlit, so there were no flames to watch but he didnt care. His attention wasnt on what was in front of him. He shouldnt have kissed Maria, not at all. Hed been telling himself that all week. Actually, he shouldnt have scared her either, but he definitely shouldnt have kissed her. Again.

The memory of her soft body beneath his and the pulse of her blood under his lips made him snarl and adjust his position in the chair. He was so d.a.m.n hard he could have punched holes through a steel plate. h.e.l.l, even the scent of her fear hanging in the air hadnt deterred him. He was a sick f.u.c.k, still turned on even though he knew shed been scared.

No, it wasnt that, he admitted to himself. Her fear hadnt lasted long enough to be anything but a pa.s.sing fragrance, barely caught before it was washed away by the darker, hotter scent of desire. The smell of her need had almost driven him out of his mind, the primal drive to claim her riding him hard. The feel of her moving beneath him, moaning as she offered him her throat He dropped his head back with a groan.

Hed have taken everything she had to give until shed called him another mans name.

s.h.i.t.

Surging to his feet, he stalked over to the cabinet and poured himself a whiskey. Looking at the level of amber fluid in the gla.s.s, he sighed and kept on pouring. He couldnt get drunk, not really. Unless the stuff was in the blood he drank, his vampire physiology ensured that alcohol would burn out of his system before the buzz truly hit. But he could try. He needed to try and forget the feel of Maria lying under him, her soft moans as she begged for his bite. He forced his mind away from the image, concentrating on something, anything, else as he started to drink.

Their weeks training had gone well. Better than hed expected in fact. Maria had turned out to be an apt pupil, eager to learn and quick on the uptake. She was also h.e.l.lishly fast with those short swords of hers, more so than any human hed ever seen. So fast that more than once hed suspected her of paranormal blood, watching her reactions and movements carefully to see if he could catch a glimpse of lycanthrope, or succubi, maybe even something rarer, like a Valkyrie. But there was nothing, no sleight of hand, or unusual strength, no shimmer in her eyes or nonhuman sounds that would indicate she was anything other than what she claimed to be"plain old human.

Hed even consideredno, hopedthat she might be a bond-mate. Sometimes women who could be converted to kyn displayed increased speed and reflexes even before they were brought over into the night world, but her hands and wrists where the mark typically displayed were unmarked. His hopes were dashed.

She was just human.

He sighed. And because she was just human, he needed to leave her alone. Forget his little fantasy of taking her on as a mistress. Hed known her all of a week but after mere moments hed known she wasnt the kind of woman a man made his mistress. She was the kind of woman a man dreamed of taking as his wife, and to do anything less would dishonor her. She was human.

His lip curled back into a snarl, his fingers gripping his gla.s.s tightly enough to make the it creak, which meant he couldnt marry her. And if he couldnt marry her, it wasnt fair to either of them to carry on as they were. He was playing a dangerous game himself by humoring her pretensions to be a hunter and destroy the rogues.

Anger surged. Hurling the gla.s.s at the fireplace, he watched it shatter in the grate, the whiskey pooling and spreading out over the stone to leave a dark stain. Like the one he would have to become in her memories. Tomorrow, he decided, he would tell her they were done. No more training. No more meeting up. It would kill him not to see her again, but it was for her own good.

The door behind him opened quietly. He didnt bother turning around. The delicate scent of lilac perfume and the soft sweep of skirts on the floor were enough to tell him who it was. Lavinia, the council-approved courtesan who served his needs for both blood and s.e.x, padded barefoot around him until she stood in front of his chair. Dispa.s.sionately, he looked up at her, noting the willowy figure and pale blonde hair that tumbled around her shoulders. She was beautiful, in the cla.s.sical kyn sense, with clear, pale eyes and soft, white skin.

Sire, she murmured and dropped gracefully to her knees, slender hands reaching for the fly of his pants. He watched, without interest, as she unb.u.t.toned him. Normally the sight of her would have had him hard in a heartbeat, the twin calls of blood and s.e.x enough to rouse his body, but this evening there was nothing. Worse, as soon as her soft fingers brushed the skin of his lower stomach through his open fly, a wave of revulsion washed over him so strong it almost robbed him of breath.

No, he sat up, brushing her away. Not tonight. Im not in the mood.

She didnt complain, merely nodded her head and sat back on her heels. Slowly, deliberately, she opened the neck of her thin nightgown and bared her throat. Perhaps some blood then?

His gaze latched onto the blue vein pulsing beneath the pale skin, but again, nausea rose. He didnt want her blood, didnt want any blood but Marias. f.u.c.k. He was screwed six ways to Sunday.

I fed already, he said coldly, standing up and walking away from her. You may leave.

Mikal was gorgeous, with a hot, ripped body that would have any red-blooded woman, of whatever species, drooling as he pa.s.sed, not to mention that he kissed like the devil himself. Which was a pity since he was such a freaking jerk. Watching the sunset from the shielded windows of her fathers conservatory, Maria growled to herself and shredded the rose in her hands. She shouldnt even be thinking of Mikal. Shed tossed and turned enough through the day because of him, her night of lost sleep leaving dark smudges under her eyes. a.s.shole. Not content with trying to ruin her revenge on the rogues, his a.s.sholeness was ruining her looks as well. What little amount she had anyway.

I really hope youre not thinking of me Huh?

She jumped and turned at the deep male voice behind her, surprised at being snuck up on. Even though she was only half-kyn, her hearing was excellent. Most people couldnt surprise her. Just warriors and, tonight it seemed, knight commanders. Verran stood behind her, uniform perfect and his hands clasped behind his back.

Thinking of you?

I would hope that I dont bring such thoughts to your mind that you need to rend and destroy. He nodded toward the ruined rose in her hands.

She smiled, dropping it back into the flowerbed. No, no. Not at all.

Expecting him to turn and leave her alone as he usually did, she was surprised when he stepped up to stand beside her, looking out into the expansive gardens beyond the shielded gla.s.s. The wonders of modern technology. In years past, they wouldnt have been able to even look out until the sun had gone down, but now they could stand here in broad daylight without risk of death.

Youre up and about early tonight, she commented lightly when he didnt appear to be going to say anything.

She glanced sideways. Even though the gla.s.s protected them from the suns deadly rays, he looked uncomfortable even being here. Not surprising. Verran was a pure-blooded kyn, born to the night. The sun was anathema to him, not the source of curiosity it was to her. Turning, she gave him all her attention.

He caught her looking at him and offered a small smile. Sorry, this place gives me the creeps. The sun you know.

Of course. Reaching out, she triggered the shutters, watching the tension drain out of Verrans shoulders as they clanked and clattered over the gla.s.s. Im sorry. I forget sometimes" She cut the sentence off and kicked herself. Just another example of her freakishness. No born vampire would forget the sun was deadly.

Think nothing of it. He brushed off her concern with an elegant motion of his hand. Moving a little closer, he reached out to palm her upper arm gently. You know, if you need someone to talk to, Im here I know weve not always been close, but Ive been looking out for your family for years.

Surprised, she looked up. His expression was open and honest, sincerity in his eyes as he looked down at her. Before she could find her tongue and reply, he looked away, a slight flush on his cheeks. His hand dropped to his side and he cleared his throat, obviously discomforted. Look, Im no good at courting women. Never have been. But, youre of an age to marry and His pale gaze speared her. And I was hoping you might consider my offer for your hand.

Oh h.e.l.l. Maria froze like a rabbit in a cars headlamps. For years growing up, shed dreamed of a day like this. A day where a kyn n.o.bleman took her hand in his and asked her to marry him, looked at her like Verran was looking at her now.

He was handsome. Tall and blond, he was the epitome of a kyn n.o.bleman and everything shed told herself for years she wanted. She wasnt the same girl she had been, though. Now she saw past the romance of the moment and saw the stilted formality of it. He wasnt in love with her. Oh, he might care for her, but he didnt love her. And she wanted that. She wanted pa.s.sion and firewanted a primal warrior full of rage, not controlled civility.