STORY EXCERPT

“You’re gonna to have to call the cops,” Angelo said as he stood beside me in the dark alley. It was a warm Saturday night, and the heat had sweat clinging to my body. It was always sweltering in midsummer and tonight was no exception. “He’s human. If you try and cover this up, theywill find out.”

They, meaning the KGI.

I stared down into Jared’s lifeless, milky-white eyes and wondered who could have done something like this. What kind of monster existed who would kill someone and just dump the body? I had an urge to reach down and close Jared’s eyes but didn’t want to mess with the crime scene. “I have no intention of covering this up,” I said.

I just wasn’t looking forward to having the cops crawl through my club. It was bad for business. I cared that it was Jared who was the victim, but I didn’t know him that well. He had been working at Blue Moon only about two months. But he’d been a humorous man who loved to tease and joke.

This was a tragic loss.

“I’ll go make the call.”

I nodded as I continued to stare into Jared’s eyes. He’d been one of my bouncers.

This was the second body in a week that I’d discovered back here, and this was going to cast suspicion on my club. The detectives were still working the other cases, trying to figure out the clues.

A second body just might have the Blue Moon shut down. I was the only human club owner in the Vampire District. While most humans thought I was insane for owning a business in a vampire community, the money was too good to pass up and the other club owners didn’t look at my business as a threat.

They actually thought it was quite laughable that a human would have the balls to open a strip joint in an area owned and operated by vampires.

When Angelo returned, he placed his beefy hand on my shoulder and turned me away from Jared’s lifeless body. “Stop staring at him, Lacee.”

I turned away and strode back inside. The music was still playing, and Brandywine was on stage, only halfway through her number. The patrons had no clue that a dead body lay out back. They continued to enjoy themselves, ignorant to what had happened. I wanted to keep it that way. “We’re going to have to clear everyone out,” I said to Angelo. “I’d rather the customers think that we shut down for other reasons than murder.”

“Not good for business,” Angelo muttered as he walked over to the DJ booth and had a private word with Eric.

By the time the club was cleared out, I had three patrol cars sitting out back, lights flashing, drawing the kind of attention to Blue Moon I’d rather do without.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the KGI had shown up.

Detective Nate Sullivan stood by the body as he talked with his partner. The KGI normally investigated preternatural cases. Jared was human. I could only guess that they were here because my club resided in the Vampire District.

The KGI were a group of hard-nosed investigators comprised of werewolves. They weren’t funded by the government like the police force and other official agencies. The human taxpayers who still dominated most of the United States refused to waste their hard-earned money on abominations.

Close-minded but true.

The wealthy vampires and the alphas of the various Were population funded the KGI. Even though I was human, I still contributed to that fund. I’d just never thought I would need their services.

Brandywine and a few of the other dancers gathered around me in the dim hallway that led out back, trying to get a look at the commotion outside. Not only was I the only human proprietor down here, but I was also the only person who employed transgender vampire strippers. What can I say? It was a lucrative business.

Brandywine placed her hand over her mouth as tears gathered in her heavily made-up eyes. “That’s Jared.”

“You guys go home for the night,” I said as I turned and ushered them away from the door. I knew Brandywine would take this the hardest. She and Jared had a thing for each other. It had been hot and heavy between them for the last month.

When Brandywine began to break down, I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tight hug. She was much taller than me and had to bend down, but she needed the comfort.

A throat cleared behind me.

I released Brandywine and waved for them to go. The girls clambered down the hallway before I turned to see Detective Sullivan standing at the back door. His shoulders filled the frame, and they also filled the faded leather he was wearing. His amber eyes were inscrutable as he tucked the small notebook into his jacket.

“Mr. Blue.” He nodded toward me. My heart began to beat harder at his deep, masculine tone. I sighed, knowing I didn’t have a chance in hell with this guy.

Weres didn’t mingle with anyone outside their own kind. But what I wouldn’t give to have a roll in the sheets with him. He was sexy, enigmatic, and anyone’s wet dream. I’d heard through rumors that Weres were aggressive and dominant in bed, but I was still willing to take that chance for one night with Detective Handsome.

“Yes?” My voice was a bit breathy as I tried to slow my pulse. But the closer he approached, the less I could think, let alone calm my reaction to his presence.

“Can you tell me what happened?” He placed his strong hands on his lean hips, making his jacket part to show the badge attached to his belt and a gun holster strapped around his shoulder.

Angelo rolled his eyes before taking a stance behind me. He knew I had the hots for this detective and couldn’t understand my infatuation. Angelo was a vampire, my head bouncer, and took my protection seriously. It could be the fact that I paid him well, but I’d like to think some of his concern stemmed from the fact that we were friends.

“It’s just like last time,” I said.

“Walk me through it anyway,” Sullivan replied in his businesslike tone.

ADULT EXCERPT

There really wasn’t much to the plan. Sullivan would gather his pack and announce me as his lupine. Benedetto would back off. How Marcus defeated the elder was his business. After all, the coven leader had left me for dead. Let the bastard deal with Benedetto.

I wasn’t sure why I thought we would make plans and then I could go on my merry way. Stupid me for thinking things could go that easily. Nothing had lately, and I should have known I wasn’t going to get out of Sullivan’s with a “thanks for helping me” and a wave.

Some days I wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box.

The detective wasn’t going to make it that easy on me. He pushed from the floor and turned, pinning me to the couch.

“What are you doing?” It was obvious what Sullivan was up to, but that had been a knee-jerk question.

“I am willing to let you go if this isn’t what you truly want. But I’m not going to lie to my pack about you truly being my lupine. We will at least consummate things between us.”

“No biting?”

“No biting,” Sullivan’s voice became softer as he brushed his knuckles over my cheek. I’d fallen back into the couch, lying there like a timid little cat who was afraid of the big bad wolf. Which I was, but I wasn’t admitting that out loud.

At his touch, I became putty in his hands. I arched my back, my body pulsing as I moaned. I wanted my pants off, but I didn’t want to break the connection long enough to remove them. I had never been so aware of my own pulse, the blood flowing through my veins. It was as if my body was no longer my own, but Sullivan’s. It danced to the man’s touch, swayed to his lips, and hungered to be caressed by this man.

His lips traveled over my throat, inhaling me, his canines scraping along my skin. I had just enough wits not to beg the man to bite me. That quickly I was lost in him.

Sullivan’s eyes blazed before he reared back and flipped me to my stomach, pinning me down to the cushions. An animalistic growl ripped from the man’s chest. I shuddered and moaned as Sullivan’s weight settled over me. I wanted nothing more than to get rid of the barrier of clothes.

“You will accept me into your body.” Sullivan’s words were growly and low.

I jerked backward, grinding my ass into Sullivan’s groin. I understood nothing the man said and wasn’t going to bother trying to decipher it right now. I was too far-gone and would have agreed to be the man’s footstool just as long as Sullivan didn’t stop.

That said a lot about my control. It didn’t exist. Not when the heat of Sullivan’s body was soaking into me, driving me insane.

“Will you agree to be my lupine?”

Oh fuck. Would the man just shut up and get on with it? I had been lusting after Sullivan for far too long. And now that I had the man crushing me into the couch, I didn’t want to bother with anything coherent. “Yes!”

Sullivan clamped his teeth down on my shoulder. He didn’t break skin, but I had gotten the point. Submit. Hadn’t I already shown Sullivan that I was fine with the man taking control? Did I have to spell it out for the guy?

My body jerked and quivered as Sullivan curled his fingers into the waistband of my pants and then yanked them down my legs. I felt the cool rush of air slide over my ass. Now we were getting down to business. I hoped that Sullivan remembered lube or I was going to beat the crap out of the guy. I was too wound up, primed and ready to go. I didn’t want to wait around as the man fumbled for some sort of lubrication.

A lightning bolt shot through me when Sullivan’s hand slid down the crease of my ass. I tried to spread my legs in invitation, but Sullivan had me pinned. I struggled, but that only seemed to excite him. He released my shoulder as his fingers formed a bruising grip on my waist.

I bucked wildly, desperate to feel Sullivan’s fingers deep inside of me. I cried out in frustration as I curled my fingers into fists. “Stop teasing me!”

The man hadn’t put a shirt on. His chest crushed into my back, and I moaned at the skin-to-skin contact. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. As long as Sullivan didn’t bite me and finish the binding, I was okay with hot, salacious sex.

Hell, I was begging for it. I’d had sex only once, and that had been three years ago. Talk about overdue. I couldn’t even explain why I’d held out for so long, but my dry spell was about to end.

My eyes went wide, and I looked over my shoulder when I felt the blunt head of his cock poking me. “Lube?” To my utter shock and amazement, I felt a small spurt of something wet.

“Already taken care of,” he assured me. The man was kneeling behind me, his hands on my hips, his eyes riveted to where we would soon be joined. I felt myself blush at how Sullivan was gazing at my most intimate area.

Another spurt.

“What is that?”

Liquid heat filled Sullivan’s eyes, making them glow with arousal. The man appeared to be fighting for control as he knelt there, unmoving. I was trapped in his gaze, falling into the man, being consumed by him. But it wasn’t the same kind of ensnarement I’d felt with Benedetto. Sullivan wasn’t using any mind games. He wasn’t forcing his way into my mind. I was welcoming him to me, in me.

Another spurt.

The man didn’t answer my question, but his face was an open book. He didn’t bother to hide the raw pleasure consuming him as he held tightly to my waist. I had a feeling it was pre-cum but couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, it not only lubed me but relaxed my tender muscles.

My eyes fluttered closed as the head of Sullivan’s cock began to enter me.