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  Caleb looked as if he wanted to rub his hands in glee, and Max couldn’t keep the grin from her face as she stroked his cock, enjoying the feel of his hard body and the sight of his muscular thighs tensed with need.

  “Harder,” he growled, thrusting his hips in time to her strokes. She quickened her pace, using both hands.

  “That’s it. Just like that,” he rasped, watching her. “So good.”

  Captivated by the fierce evidence of his desire, Max watched as his hips bucked, his movements becoming less coordinated as he pushed himself into her hand. She had never seen anything so arousing, and as her own need rippled through her body, she lowered her head and drew him into her mouth.

  The moment her lips touched him, Caleb stiffened, his muscles bulging, and a second later, he jerked his hips back, spewing his seed across the wall of the shower in a series of hot spurts. Max continued to hold him, thinking she had never seen anything more beautiful. Caleb was unashamed of his need and totally mesmerizing.

  Whether she stayed with him or found the strength to move on, she knew she would never forget him.

  After a while, his breathing eased into a normal pattern, and he kissed her briefly on the lips before pulling her from the shower. He shucked his soaked sweats onto the floor and then took her hand and led her out of the bathroom.

  “I’m a horny bastard, and I don’t deserve you,” he said, tucking her into one of his shirts. “My intention was to give you ease, not the other way around.” He gave her a quick kiss by way of an apology. “Why don’t you get back in bed, and I’ll fix you something to eat.”

  Max took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched as he moved about the small kitchen, quickly preparing a simple snack of bread and cheese. His naked body fascinated her. He was a big man, yet his movements were efficient and smoothly coordinated.

  He set a plate, with enough food for two, on the bed next to her. “Eat up, babe. I’m going to put some steaks on.”

  Max ate silently, but after a few bites, she put her plate aside. “Caleb, we need to talk.”

  He turned to face her, a spatula in hand. “We can talk all you want, but it won’t change matters. What we did in the shower was just the beginning. The next full moon is only hours away. Once we mate, things will settle into place.”

  “I want to be with you, Caleb, in every way. But I don’t want there to be any misconceptions between us. I might not have a job waiting for me in Salinas anymore, but I am going to teach. If not in Salinas, then somewhere else. This thing between us is not going to rule my life.”

  Caleb sprawled in the chair next to the bed, and Max looked pointedly in the direction of his lap. “Do you mind?”

  “What?” he asked, pretending not to understand, then looked down and shrugged. “It’s only natural. And anyway, it’s your fault. If you weren’t so beautiful, I wouldn’t keep getting this way around you.”

  Max wasn’t beautiful. Her face was okay, but her breasts were too small, and she needed to drop a few pounds. Some of what she was thinking must have shown on her face, because he looked at her and then pointedly down at his crotch as if challenging her to deny the effect she had on him.

  “You are beautiful, Max, and extremely desirable. I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror, but what I see makes me want to howl at the moon with joy. We’ve got everything going for us. This relationship is going to work.”

  Max tossed a pillow from the bed onto his lap. “Just because I give you a massive hard-on doesn’t mean squat. You can’t build a relationship on sex.”

  “Maybe humans can’t, but weres know their mates by smell, touch, and the unrelenting erections we get when we’re near them. Once we find our mate, we stay in a continuous state of arousal until we claim her. After that, things pretty much settle into place and we lead fairly normal lives, working and contributing to society just like anybody else. You…” He pointed a finger at her. “…are just pissed because you’ve had wet panties from the minute you met me. You want nothing to do with my world, and the fact you can’t keep your hands off me scares the hell out of you. Well, get used to it. I can stoke the embers smoldering in you into a firestorm in a nanosecond, and I’m going to keep it up until you admit you’re mine.”

  “You conceited Neanderthal!” His words struck home, but she didn’t have to admit it. “Do you think because of this thing between us I’m going to do whatever you want, whenever you want it?”

  He grinned. “No, but I’d like to find out.” He pushed the pillow off his lap and crooked a finger at her. “Why don’t we put it to a little test? Come over here. I think it’s about time I tasted that honey I’ve been smelling.”

  Max shook her head and willed her traitorous body to stay right where it was. “Back off, Caleb. I’m not denying my attraction to you, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She waved her hand toward his lower body. “And cover that up, please. It’s hard to have a conversation with it standing between us.”

  Caleb placed one of his hands over his groin, which did little to conceal his considerable assets when he continued to lounge comfortably, legs spread in a masculine pose. “Will that do?”

  “Very funny,” Max said dryly and tossed another pillow onto his lap. “Can we talk like adults now?”

  “Yes ma’am,” he said, giving her another wicked grin. “If you’re certain talking is what you want to do.”

  “It is,” Max lied. “Tell me about your people. Mama Willie told me werewolves live undetected among humans.”

  “We do. One could be living right next door to you and you’d never know it. Largely because most of our ancestors were human, but at least one came from beyond the stars and had the ability to shift form. Humans called them Watchers, noting their arrival in the Bible around 1000 B.C. Their descendents—Rephaims we call ourselves—consider Earth home.”

  Max nodded in understanding. “I remember now. Mama Willie said your people were hunted, nearly annihilated, hundreds of years ago because humans feared your abilities.”

  “Many were killed merely because they were different. But many more, with the help of their human families, went into hiding and learned to mask their abilities. In time, they reemerged and taught mankind much to advance them socially and technologically.”

  “Could all of them change shape?”

  “No. The Rephaims were varied in their abilities. Some were giants, others were no larger than most men of the time but said to be able to move huge objects with their minds. And still others could foresee the future. Hercules, Nostradamus, Michelangelo all descended from Rephaims. There are few of us left with the full gifts of our ancestors, yet we survive and thrive on all the continents of the earth. For the most part, we use our abilities for the good of all. But some, like the dark mage who attacked us, go rogue and have to be neutralized.”

  “Neutralized?” Max grimaced. “Is that a nice way of saying they have to be killed? Can’t the issue be resolved some other way?”

  “Most of the time it is. But Michael Tremont has already done several things that hamper my people’s ability to continue their existence undetected.” Caleb’s eyes hardened. “He’s a threat to the peaceful co-existence between humans and Rephaims. He has to be stopped.”

  “Tell me you’re not going after him alone,” Max demanded, her heart racing with fear. “Because he doesn’t sound like an easy guy to take down.”

  “Neither am I,” he returned with a slightly affronted look. “But I’ve taken steps to ensure your safety. As long as you stay inside the cabin, he can’t touch you.”

  “I’m not worried about my safety, and I don’t doubt your ability to do your job. Just don’t do anything rash because of what he did today.”

  “Have a little faith, baby,” he murmured and pulled her across his lap. “But I like the fact you’re worried about me. You’re already acting like a mate.” He captured her lips with his, and after a token show of resistance, Max swiftly succumbed to his heated kisses.<
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  Caleb didn’t just kiss her, his lips devoured her, and when he suddenly tensed, his head snapping up, Max looked at him, dazed and confused. .

  “We’re about to have company.” He deposited her on the bed with an apologetic kiss on her forehead. Sorry, baby, but this won't wait. I have to go out to meet someone.”

  Max watched him take a black T-shirt and jeans from a small cabinet and quickly pull them on. That he didn’t bother with underwear didn’t surprise her in the least. Caleb was a no frills kind of guy; going commando wouldn’t faze him in the least.

  “Here,” he said, tossing a pair of gray sweats and a matching top onto the bed. “These are too big, but they’ll have to do. Your sneakers are under the bed. Take them and anything else you might need to the bathroom and get dressed.”

  When Max made no effort to move, he paused in pulling on his boots and looked up at her. “Problem?”

  “A little information would be appreciated here.” She climbed off the bed to stand across from him. “Like, who this person is you’re going to meet? When you’ll be back? What I’m supposed to do if you don’t come back.” The fear in her voice almost made her wince. What was the matter with her? She was acting like a wife, for God’s sake. If she didn’t get a grip, the big guy would have her barefoot and pregnant in no time flat.

  Max shook her head in disgust and turned away from him. But before she could take a step, Caleb grabbed her from behind and buried his face in the curve of her neck.

  “I’m meeting Stefan,” he said gruffly, nuzzling along the side of her throat. “He’s one of my oldest friends. I’ll be back within the hour, and if I’m not, Stefan will come for you.” He released her and then slapped her firmly on the bottom. “Questions answered, mate. Now move.”

  Max tossed a dark look over her shoulder, pretending to be annoyed as she snatched up the clothes he’d tossed on the bed. “No need for police brutality, Sheriff McCain. I was moving.”

  “But not fast enough to suit me,” Caleb shot back. “When I say move, woman, I mean move, or you’re going to feel the sting of my hand on that kissable little ass of yours.”

  Max lifted her hand, flipping him off, and Caleb moaned.

  “You gotta stop doing things like that, baby. It makes me hot as hell. Now I’ve got to meet my friend with a hard-on big enough to poke him in the eye. He’ll never let me live it down.”

  Max rolled her eyes. “I’m beginning to think just about anything makes you hot as hell. You’ve probably spent half your life taking cold showers.”

  Satisfied at having the last word, Max closed the bathroom door, intent on dressing, when she realized she had no idea what Stefan looked like. “Hey,” she called out, “if you send Stefan to get me, how am I supposed to recognize him? I mean, anyone could turn up claiming to be your friend.”

  “Easy enough,” he shot back. “Stefan is a vampire.”

  “Ha, ha very funny,” Max said jerking open the bathroom door to poke her head out. But the room was empty.

  Max frowned. He was joking, right?

  Chapter Five

  Caleb waited, concealed in the dense pines surrounding the cabin. When he heard the click of the bathroom door lock, he closed his eyes and focused inward, checking the strength of the wards safeguarding the cabin. They held, stronger than ever, and some of the tension eased from his shoulders.

  Certain he’d done everything possible to keep her safe, he put on a burst of speed that blurred his image as he ran though the heavy foliage and up the hills overshadowing the cabin. His passage was silent, his image so vague it blended almost seamlessly into his surroundings. In a matter of seconds, he was nearly a mile away, standing on a rocky ledge high above the town of Haven.

  “Stefan,” Caleb whispered, his senses confirming what he already knew. “You never cease to amaze me. My senses tell me you are near, yet I cannot pinpoint your exact location.”

  A man materialized directly in front of him, no more than six feet away. He was unusually tall, dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and elegant dark slacks. His face was that of a fallen angel, harsh, aristocratic, yet too beautiful in its perfection to be entirely human. He appeared no more than thirty-five, but he had walked the earth for over a century.

  “Time grows short,” Stephan replied in a lightly accented voice. “Is there a problem?”

  “Is the team in place?” Caleb queried smoothly. He knew what Stefan was asking. He just didn’t want to discuss it. Not now when he burned with unfamiliar emotions barely held in check. And not when he needed to be at his peak but instead found his mind and body consumed with thoughts of claiming his mate.

  “All is in place, but this distraction is most inopportune.”

  “Max is not a distraction. She’s my mate.” Caleb spoke softly, but Stefan’s words angered him. Stefan was one of his oldest friends, part of his extended family, but he could allow no one to disparage his mate.

  Stefan inclined his head slightly by way of apology. “We have found Michael’s stronghold, but it is protected by the Stone of Asreal. If we attempt to breach it, many will die. Yet we need to finish this. Too many lives have already been lost. Too many lives still hang in the balance.”

  Caleb fought back his rising anger at the censure in Stefan’s tone. He’d fought countless battles for the Alliance over the years, and not once had he shirked his duties. That wouldn’t change now that he had a mate, but her needs came first. “I know the risk, Stefan, but I’m going to give her what time I can.”

  Stefan stared at him, his onyx eyes unblinking. “The mating fire burns fiercely in you. I sense your need.”

  “Is that why you demanded this meeting? Did you come to make sure I was still more man than beast? Or did you think I would forget my duty because I burn for my mate?”

  “I requested this meeting to offer aid to one I consider more than a friend. We have helped each other many times in the past, and you have never questioned my intent. The fact that you do so now speaks clearly of your state of mind. Have you told her you must claim her on the next full moon or risk becoming more beast than man? Or is she one who demands the rite of courtship, no matter the cost? You are were, Caleb. Do not ape the humans to appease your mate. Mark her, willing or not. In time, all will be forgiven.”

  Caleb felt his canines lengthen, his body going into a partial shift as his beast rose, angered to hear his mate spoken of in such a manner. He ruthlessly forced it back, knowing Stefan spoke from concern and a deep friendship forged in their childhood. “She knows I need her, and at the moment, that’s enough for her to deal with.” Caleb turned away, looking out over the valley below. “Though I will admit, claiming a mate is not the simple matter I thought it would be.”

  Stefan joined him on the edge of the cliff, his harsh, aristocratic features softening as he surveyed the beauty of the valley below. “Women. Such fascinating creatures. They are mysterious, delightful—”

  “And complicated,” Caleb broke in, rubbing a hand over the nape of his neck. He wondered if Max had obeyed him and remained safely tucked away in the cabin. Or was she having second thoughts about mating with him and planning her escape?

  “Tell me of your mate. Perhaps in the telling, you may come to understand her better.”

  Caleb smiled softly. “Max is not what I expected. She’s quite small, almost childlike in size, but shaped like a woman with curves in all the right places. And like a woman who knows her worth, she challenges me at every turn. I love her take-no-shit attitude, and I won’t deny that I was filled with pride when the seers told me my mate was destined to be the next mage slayer. But now, since finding her, I can’t imagine anything worse than having my mate go into battle with me.”

  “You already care for this woman,” Stefan stated, his tone slightly surprised.

  When Caleb gave him a dark look, Stefan shook his head slightly.

  “Do not bother to deny it. We have known each other too long to prevaricate in such a manner. It is clea
r you are experiencing more than the fever of the mating bond. Nature may have chosen her as your mate, but your heart has chosen her as well.”

  “Yeah, I care,” Caleb admitted, amazed at how little reluctance he felt in saying the words. “And the little hellion is smart enough to use that to her advantage.”

  “Does she know of the prophesy?”

  “Only the bare bones. I’ve been afraid to tell her everything.”

  “Tell her. Whether she becomes the mage slayer of legend is yet to be seen.”

  “You know the seers have never been wrong. I fear if I tell her the whole of it she’ll panic and run.”

  “If she is still at your side after learning what you are, she is not faint of heart. I think you underestimate her.”

  “You may be right, but although I don’t like giving her half truths, it’s a risk I’m not willing to take right now. Max has never had a normal life, and because of it, she craves normalcy. But once I claim her, a normal life is the one thing she will never have.”

  “Unfortunate, but if the prophesy is to be believed, she will have little say in the matter.”

  “She has a choice in this, Stefan. I won’t allow the Alliance to use her, prophecy or not.”

  “You will claim her, because you must, and because destiny will not be denied. As for the Alliance, it uses us all, my friend. Never doubt it.” Stefan’s image began to waver, his body becoming transparent as he took his leave. “The Alliance is ruthless in its protection of Rephaims and mankind alike. My life, your life, all is expendable in the protection of Earth’s sentient life forms. In this, they do not waver. They do not hesitate. It is why we serve them. I as an assassin, you as their enforcer.”

  Chapter Six

  Max sat on the bathroom floor, back to the door and knees drawn protectively against her chest. She’d dressed hastily, and with nothing left to do, she kept replaying the last twenty-four hours in her mind. No matter how she looked at it, things didn’t look good. Worse yet, with every passing second, she was certain Caleb was in great danger. Why the thought of Caleb in danger should bother her so much was something she didn’t want to think about, but she knew she couldn’t cower in the bathroom any longer. Not when there was a chance she might be able to help him.