Xander fell asleep, and I was nearly asleep, too, when Elias took my hand and motioned with his head for me to come with him. My legs were like jelly when I stood, but he caught me, keeping me from falling. Soon, I found my sea legs and let him lead me from the room."Where are we going?" I asked, my voice low. "I want to take care of you," Elias said, his voice soft. "Please, let me." He led me into the bathroom and one whole wall was the shower. He stood me by the far wall while he fired up the jets. Once they were warm, he took my hand and led me into the walk-in shower.The warm water felt heavenly as it rushed over my body, loosening my stiff muscles. Then he ran shampoo through my hair and gently washed, slow, sensual. Satisfied, he pulled me into the stream of water and rinsed my hair.Then he ran conditioner through my hair as the scent of coconuts wafted toward me. "You keep conditioner here?" I smirked. Elias shrugged. "What can I say? Xander's a diva."I burst out laughin
"Are you sure you want to know?" The savory taste of bacon filled my mouth as I nibbled on a slice."Yes, of course." Xander stabbed a pancake and slid it onto his plate. "Tell us everything."Elias waited patiently while buttering a biscuit, watching me as if I were a long-awaited movie. "Well, I'm a veterinarian...."Xander smirked, his eyebrows raising nearly into his hairline. "Seriously?"Elias chuckled, shaking his head as he laid a slice of bacon inside his biscuit and took a bite.I nodded, looking at them both as if they had four heads. "Yes. I put myself through college to become a veterinarian."Elias tilted his head to the side. "Why did you decide to become a veterinarian instead of a doctor?" He shrugged. "I'm a doctor, and it takes just as much education to become a veterinarian."I shrugged. "I guess it's because I've always had a closer connection with animals than with humans."Xander's expression suddenly turned serious. "How so?"I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've nev
We spent the rest of the evening laying around, sleeping, and making love in the most erotic weekend I'd ever had. Then Monday came around and it was time to go back to reality. "Morning, sunshine," Xander said, rolling over on me, careful to spare me of his full weight. "Morning." I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a long, lingering kiss. "I have to get ready for work."A mischievous smile played on his lips. "Now that's not a good wakeup call." He kissed down my neck and started rocking his hips against my center."Xander, I have to go to work." I started to get out of bed, but Elias stopped me, pulling me to his chest like a life-sized doll."Don't go just yet," he cooed in my ear. "Please?"I scoffed. "What is it with you two? Don't you have to go to work?" I teased. Elias chuckled, wagging his eyebrows as his lips curled into a sexy smile. "Yes, of course. But that doesn't mean we can't have a quickie."I laughed. "With you two, it's never quick."Xander propped him
As I drew near, the smoke was even more dense, as if it were still on fire. I hit the button on my Smartwatch and dialed nine-one-one."Hello, what's your emergency?" the woman answered on the other end. "Yes, there's a fire out here at on the outskirts of town on the other side of the oasis! The smoke is so dense I can't see two feet in front of me!" I slowed the car way down and kept an eye out to make sure I didn't hit another wolf... or worse."Yes, ma'am," the emergency operator reported. "The fire department and emergency medical personnel are already on their way.""Thank you... and please hurry!" I clicked off my phone, hoping and praying it wasn't my clinic. A moment later, I pulled into the long drive and flames shot up from the clinic. "No!" Slamming on the brakes, I threw the car into gear and cut it off. Then I jumped out and ran for the clinic, leaving the car door open. Flames shot out the windows of the clinic and suddenly the front windows blew out. I dove on the gr
Later in the afternoon, Xander made a call and more people arrive to help search for the dogs and other animals. "Dr. Carran," the fireman said. "Luckily, all of the animals had been set free before the fire. From what we can tell, no animals were in the building."I nodded. "Thank you. But how could that be? How did they get free and not Maria and Macy?"The fireman sighed. "I hate to say this, but it was arson. From the position of the bodies, it appears that the two ladies had been knocked unconscious before the fire was set, which would explain why you didn't hear any screams. Also, the arsonists probably set the animals free."I nodded as tears welled up behind my eyes. "Why would they set the animals free but not Maria and Macy? It just doesn't make sense." I couldn't imagine what Macy and Maria had gone through in their final moments, conscious or not. "Is there any evidence, anything at all, that could tell us who did this?"He shook his head. "No. But forensics is still worki
"Kalyssa?"The voice was somewhere... close. But I couldn't quite make out who it belonged to. It was as if I were hovering somewhere just out of my body, just out of reach."Kalyssa, honey. Can you hear me?"Yes, it was Elias. Then everything came rushing back. The clinic. Maria. Macy. The horror that had quickly become my life.I opened my eyes, and I was laying in the back of a van, and Elias was sitting by my side. "Where am I?""We're still at the clinic. Just wrapping things up," Xander said, sitting to my left. "How are you feeling? You scared the tar out of us.""I'm fine." I sat up and held my head. It was pounding. "But my head hurts.""Boss," Cruz said, taking a few steps closer. Xander let out a deep breath and turned to face him. "What did you find?""Well, we found a shell casing," Cruz said. "It's not much to go on, but maybe they can lift a print from it." He held it up and saw a small metal object in a plastic bag."I doubt it, but at least it's something." Xander si
When we pulled into the long drive of the Compound, I knew, somehow, that I wasn't going to be leaving for a while. The guys had me here and I was sure they weren't going to let me go. I had mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I wanted to keep my independence, but on the other hand, I didn't mind being with my men, either."Well, we're home," Xander said when we pulled up in front on the circle drive. Cruz had driven my car, and I drove with Xander and Elias in their van while Eve drove Cruz's car. I nodded, wondering if this was going to be a gilded cage, of sorts. But it was up to me to set the groundwork right away to make sure it wasn't. "I appreciate you letting me stay here until we find the perpetrators." I wanted to make sure they knew this wasn't permanent... yet. After all, I hadn't even known them a week.Xander glanced over at Elias and Elias shook his head slightly, but it hadn't escaped my notice. "Well, let's get you settled in first and maybe we can change your min
"Hey, hon," Xavier said, stretching out his arm to me. "Pizza's on the way. You want to relax and watch a movie while we eat?"Luckily, he didn't say anything about me walking in with Cruz. It was good to see that he was making an effort. "No. Not tonight." I shook my head, needing time. My best friends and colleagues were killed today, and I needed to know why. "Come sit down," Elias said, reading my mind without me having to say anything. He wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned my head against his shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay."I nodded, rising up. "Who could have done such a thing? Why did they 'scent' me? I'm not a wolf. If I were, I would have changed by now, right?"Elias sighed. "Not necessarily. Tell us about your upbringing." "But if you don't feel up to it, we completely understand." Xander rubbed my back and then gave Elias a warning look that I didn't miss. I think you've been through enough for one day."I nodded, giving him a weak smile. "Thanks." I shrug