With that decision firmly in place, I took a short shower, brushed my teeth, and put my pjs on before crawling into bed. A quick check of my phone had my heart leaping when a text appeared from an unknown number.

Convinced it was Jakub, I swiped it open with a knot of dread balling in my stomach.

Hope you sleep well tonight. Kaillen

My breath rushed out of me. Not Jakub, but the Fire Wolf.

I looked at those words as I sat in stunned silence. The Fire Wolf had kept his distance since I’d fled the SF, but he was still wide awake considering his text came through only twenty minutes ago. He also didn’t seem to be taking the hint that we had no reason to communicate anymore.

As for how he’d gotten my phone number, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

But Kaillen, hmm? That was what Miranda, his vampire collaborator in Portland, had called him. So the Fire Wolf’s given name truly was Kaillen. And Commander Klebus had called him Mr. King.

Kaillen King.

So that was his birth name? And it was a name he’d now given to me to use, except I didn’t have any intention of keeping in touch.

Nibbling my lip, my stupid stomach flipped when another text came through from him.

Thinking of you.

Oh. My. Gods. He did not just say that, and my heartbeat did not just trip.

This was ridiculous. His wolf was ruling him. Two days ago, the man had found my arousal amusing. Now he wanted to bang my brains out. ’Cause his wolf told him to.

“Gods.” I flopped onto my pillows. Put your phone away.

I picked my phone back up and studied his number. It was an area code I didn’t recognize. A quick internet search placed the area code in Montana. Huh, who would have thought. I had assumed it would be Portland, Oregon, but it wasn’t, so what did that mean? Did he have another man cave in Montana?

Of course, I didn’t know, ’cause I’d only known the dude for three days.

But I did smirk that the menace of society had a cell phone and he texted. A few days ago, after I’d called Jenkins for a contact following Tessa’s abduction, Prisha had insisted that the Fire Wolf would have a phone despite Jenkins’ assurances that the Fire Wolf didn’t have a contact number.

Smart lady, my bestie.

But while replying to Mr. King was bad idea #1, I could save his number, which was actually a smart thing to do in case Jakub came knocking and took Tessa again. Even though I didn’t have the money to hire the hunter a second time, I could find a way to pay him again, somehow, if needed.

My ridiculous stomach did another dip when I saved his number in my contacts, although I didn’t call him Kaillen. That felt too familiar. Instead, I programed him in as I knew him—Fire Wolf.

I was about to put my phone away when another text rolled through.

Check your bank account.

Say what? Frowning, I did as he said and pulled it up. My mouth dropped, like seriously dropped, just like a cartoon character’s, when I saw that twenty thousand dollars had just been returned to my retirement account.

I sputtered and before I knew what I was doing, I was replying to his text.

Why did you give me the money back?

His response came immediately.

I don’t want it.

Why?

Because I enjoyed working with you.

That declaration hit me right in the gut. I put my phone on silent as fast as I could and flipped it over on my bedside table so the screen wouldn’t glow if he texted again. So many emotions were rolling through me. This was anything but a clean break, and despite my imagination wanting nothing more than to fantasize about a scorching fuck-fest with the scourge of society, I didn’t allow myself the luxury.

It was over between us, even if he’d returned the money. His wolf would move on, and when he did, the Fire Wolf would realize he’d never wanted me in the first place and would no doubt be freakin’ ecstatic that I’d saved him from the old ball and chain.

Reminding myself again that nothing good would come from an affair with the hunter—so no, I couldn’t pleasure myself by thinking about him—I pulled my covers up around me and rolled to my side.

∞     ∞     ∞

“Do you like that?” the Fire Wolf rumbled as he kissed along my neck, his erection rubbing against my entrance. The hunter straightened, still kneeling behind me as my body quivered on all fours. He palmed his length and rubbed me again, then slid the tip in.

I gasped.

“I take it that’s a yes.” I could hear the smile in his voice, and when I glanced over my shoulder, lust making my gaze clouded, he grinned.

He slid in deeper until I was moaning so low that the sound vibrated my entire body. His large frame leaned over me again, until his chest rubbed on my back and his mouth brushed against my ear. “I can make you come a dozen times between now and sunrise,” he whispered. “All you have to do is ask.” He pushed in more, his thick girth stretching me.

I arched, grinding my ass against him, begging him to enter me fully. My body felt so hot with need for him that my belly was aching.

“Please!” I panted. “Fuck me! Please!”

He chuckled, a deep, knowing rumble that rippled through my belly and went straight to my core.

“Anything for my mate.” He slammed his length inside me, his huge erection filling me to the hilt.

I screamed, then writhed and gyrated against him, wanting more, more, more, as he began to pound me in earnest. Oh, fuck, YES! This was what I wanted, what I needed, what I craved—

A scratching noise came from behind the hunter, and the dream began to fizzle.

No! Gods, this dream was amazing. I didn’t want it to end, but my ears pricked when I heard the noise again. A splintering sound?

The dream faded further. I reached out for the Fire Wolf, wanting the dream-fucking to continue, especially since a part of my conscience knew this was the only fucking I’d ever be getting from him.

But then the sound of my window creaking snapped my eyes wide open.

What the hell? I bolted upright, the dream disappearing completely just as two figures dove through my window, executing perfect somersaults before leaping with catlike grace toward me.

My foggy brain didn’t even know what was happening until they were on top of me. A lash of pain ensnared my limbs when one whipped a binding spell around me. The other slapped a hand over my mouth when I tried to scream.

I cried out in a muffled tone as I attempted to claw at his hand, but the binding spell held.

“No!” It was the only word I got out before all sounds died from my lips. Acid hit my tongue. My voice was gone. I screamed, or wanted to, but nothing came out. They’d taken my voice with a gag spell.

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.

My heart pounded as I became very awake.

“Take her out the window,” one of the men growled in a low voice.

I fought against the binding spell more, calling upon my magic. I tried to cry out too, but no sound came, and the acid taste grew. Fucking gag spell.

I was carried halfway across the room when reality hit me. These were Jakub’s men, and I was being taken. Just like Tessa had been. Without a doubt, the same outcome was the intention. I would be transported to a distant cage with Jakub as my master, which meant they knew that I held all the power. Not Tessa.

FUCK!

Panic exploded in my veins, and my magic erupted. It cut through the binding spell, and in a tidal wave of power, it shattered. I lashed out, my legs kicked, my entire body flailed as the binding spell cracked around me in a shower of sparks.