Once Bitten (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #1)

“If she’s got her facts straight then she’ll know I’m president of the I hate Raoul Roberts fan club. Anyway, I’m going to give Kale and Jez a call. We can cover more ground that way.”


I was calling up a lot of manpower for one crazy ass hybrid, but I wasn’t willing to wait for another murder, particularly since Zoey had me in her sights. I’d kill her if I had to, but I expected that I’d have to kill Raoul, too. He wasn’t going to stand by and let me take her out.

“Kale, huh?” Ky grinned mischievously.

I met her gaze with a quizzical look. “Didn’t you just have a date with Tom last night? How did that go by the way?”

“We had a nice dinner, alright.” She rose to put her cup in the sink before fetching her keys from their hook above the microwave. “But, I don’t see much more than that. He is human, so how serious can that really get?”

I watched her gather her purse and straighten the jacket of her dressy skirt suit. “You’re working today?” I asked.

“I have to meet a client for lunch in the city. She caught her husband, red handed, in bed with his lover, so the divorce should be a pretty open and shut case.” She smiled then. “I love those. And, what might you be planning to do in my absence? Catch up on some much needed sleep?” She inclined her head toward the hall and winked.

I knew what she was getting at and so would Shaz if he was awake and listening. I forced the best scowl I could muster and pursed my lips. “You’d better hurry, Ky. Wouldn’t want you to be late for your meeting.”

“You’re in denial, Alexa. But, I’m sure you’ll come around.” She laughed and turned away in time to miss the finger that I held up for her.

“So, I’ll see you later then,” I continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Around sundown. Drive safe.”

Before returning to my bedroom, I poured a fresh cup of coffee for Shaz. If I was lucky, maybe I could grab a bit more sleep before hunting down Raoul’s nut-job offspring. When they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, they weren’t kidding.

Shaz was sprawled in the middle of my double bed, with his eyes closed and the blankets pushed down to his waist. I stole a moment to admire the view. He was gorgeous, lean and finely sculpted. He was such an amazing contrast to Arys’s dark beauty, and I blushed as an image formed in my mind of the two of them awaiting me in that bed together.

Under the weight of my gaze, Shaz slowly cracked open his eyes. His lazy smile enticed me into the bed. I leaned across him to place his coffee on the nightstand. His arms encircled my waist and he pulled me down on top of him. I startled and spilled the hot liquid on the back of my hand.

“Sorry about that.” His voice came out low, barely above a whisper. I could sense his wolf lurking there behind his eyes, and I licked my lips invitingly.

Our faces were inches apart, my br**sts crushed against his bare chest. I gasped as the energy of our wolves entwined and danced together. Shaz’s wolf stroked a part of me that was all about the beast within.

“Shaz, I-,”

He cut me off with a warm finger pressed lightly against my lips. The temptation to run my tongue along that finger was strong.

“Don’t talk. We don’t need to.” The intention in his green eyes had my pulse racing, and I found myself at a loss for words.

I wanted to ask him if he knew what he was saying, but he kissed me with an intensity that washed away my concerns. He tasted faintly of pine and wolf with a hint of cinnamon. I reveled in it.

I gave a small shriek when he rolled me over and pinned me beneath him. My heartbeat echoed inside my head as his tongue sought the soft hollow beneath my ear. He sought to dominate me, and by God, I was going to let him.

My nostrils filled with the scent of him, and an undeniable tingle started between my legs. Despite the ache, the urge to have him inside me after years of teasing torture, I wondered if we were making a mistake. Every part of me that was both human and wolf responded to him in full, and I knew that I’d be an idiot to open my mouth now. Words would break the spell that held us in its thrall. The last four years had been leading to this moment, and I’d be damned if I was going to be the one to stop it.

When he kissed me again, his warm, wet tongue slid between my lips. I threw myself into it whole-heartedly, no going back. He deftly slid a hand inside my robe to my br**sts, and a thrill shot through me simply from his uncharacteristic boldness. I returned his kiss with a hunger that I hadn’t known was possible. I moved to accommodate him as he pulled at my robe. He tossed it to the floor with careless abandon. My tank top followed, which left me clad in only my pink thong underwear.