MERCURY`S WAR

ugh for the bed, dresser and small attached bath. Her room was the master suite, with a king-sized bed, full bath a

ffel bag onto the thick comforter that covere

ins over them and moving back into the living room. Ria pre

he kitchen, closing all the shades and pulli

e told her before hea

d; after all, if the Supremacists could get lucky enough to kill him, it would be a major feather in the murderer's cap.

er was one of Vanderale's and the finest that could be found. So far, there had been no listening device developed that could

ked, watching as he ran it along

m L. Vanderale." He growled the name. It seemed Mercury had had a run-

lieve he would consider cutt

isions, I just follow

e rest of the house before apparently hav

d to his belt before staring back at her, his gaze hooded, his

ere are a few groceries in the kitchen and d

headed toward

't eat d

m. What was that thread of emotion she hea

line

ed high, his shoulders thrown back. His expression was cool, almost bland, but something in

always recognized within herself. A need, h

d no idea. She knew, though, that the longer she stayed here, the more she fe

ing to her, and she

hunched over her computer and fought with the files she had stolen thr

zza place in town while I shower? I'll wat

n't work; she knew it the

before he gets here," h

do you want on yours?"

shrugged. "Just get what you like; I'll

the phone and punched in

el, she stalked to the bedroom, wondering if s

e time to entertain a Breed grievi

something that didn't exist, for a mate that had died long ago. That wasn't her problem and she couldn't

could

*

as fu

of silky hair falling to the middle of her back. She was dressed in light gray cotton pants,

mned near shapeles

as damned shapeless as the pants. God, he hoped

me. Lots of it. Red and bl

e like that." A flush covered her f

t been aware that he was stari

itchen and pulling two beers from the fridge. "A month in your co

. "What color is

k, her expression outraged. "That is none of you

at the jeans he

dn't get into the habit of

the beers on the table, as he crossed

ly muttered. "Th

y, he understood that, Cassie Sincla

ou were wonderi

I was

lie was easy to dete

just loved b

really aggravating, do you know that? Didn

e took the beer and def

onas's underwear," he chuckled. "So t

about mine." If her face cou

ned back in his chair and sta

I can smell it

ed as she turned and moved to the cabinets for plate

able before facing him agai

ing you

at the relaxed, sensual animal he had become, as though changing from the enforc

ly. "Let's be honest here. There's not a chance of anything between us besid

y, as though he could possibly u

her own beer and took a quick drink. Sh

utomatically think I'm not capable of caring for you? Not that I'm saying I do.

lready mated. I've re

," Ria answered, keeping her voice soft, q

es darkened and narrowed, c

snapped. "It doesn't mean I'm dead o

x will always be

led. It wasn't just a deeper tone as it was with some men, it was a

elf from the fierce frown on his face. "For me, sex has to mean more. I have to feel more than just

r had a one-

oose not to have sex with you. See why I didn't want you here? Why I preferred

xed facade dropping in the blink of an eye. "I

what you have to do to get me in bed, you'll do it. Forget how it might hurt me, or how it will affect how I do my job." She stopp

ortable sight. But neither was the heartache a

e had already lost that part of hi

onas's fucking gi

hip as she set the beer down

e of his enforcers has seduced a mark to get what Jonas wanted. He's cold, calculating and manipu

ollected from Leo before his escape from the labs a century before. From the reports she had read

puppet for Jonas Wya

e didn't do a

s pis

've been here a month and you're just now getting

, shoving that damned shapeless skirt over your ass and watching my cock sink balls-deep into your hot little pussy." His lips lifted

ad. Oh God, she would never be able t

cusingly, fighting for

had been, what was the

ting

perverted, sweetheart, but I can wo

ising to her mouth. She wanted to berate him. Wanted to assure him she wanted nothing to do with his mangy Bre

forced out. "Better yet, try not to th

king his beer from the table and taking a healthy drink. "Insane is smelling that hot pussy wanting me and trying to

s mort

es. Just because I want to doesn't mean I should. Hell, I want cheesecake but I

e comparing me to cheesecake?" Offended ma

l, the same prin

offensive or anything.

chocolate c

ell it

evade the arms that jerked her into his embr

an, could

ngue rasping over lips, pushing against them, s

the curves there and lifting her to him, pulling her to her

m her throat as her lips parted for him, then his tongue was twining with hers, lick

nsumed her, nipped at her, growled when her lips closed around his tongue and she su

s he bent to her, rolling his hips to press the heated length against h

a need so imperative it was all she could do to keep from tearing at his clot

's here. Are you

back, almost throwing her into the relative safety of the kitchen as

s filled with amusement as he stared back at Mercury. "You didn't answer the door for the p

elt heat flame in her f

d another damned

o," Lawe offered

bring food?" M

eat pizza?" Lawe's expression seemed to fall.

He wagged his brows toward Ria as she glared at him

s holster as a growl vibrated from

he muttered. "Not

It was over, or she was going to end up with more than a broken heart.

*

n between its hunger and its certainty that pati

t that the beast still lurked

ger slept that nightmare sleep where there was no waking. Soon, the man wou

*

ng room after Ria had

beneath the door and kn

d be doing that took so much damne

Exactly what she was he wasn't certain

. Too quick. And

gh him. It was an uncomfortable sensation, prickles of awareness tha

ed her

those hot little moans came from her throat. He wanted to feel her palms on his naked flesh, her

nd Ria's bedroom door. It wasn't outside where he could run, where he could be free in the darkness of the night. No, freed

f pleasure he needed t

that small growls were vibrating from his chest. Predatory, primal, g

e, and he had not chose

balance and a nearly overwhelming urge to forc

bed, bare her pretty

determined, forceful stride toward that door. He had never, at any

women, Breed and non-Breed, that he could h

out for him as he moved into their luscious bo

not the same

front door and flung it open before stepping into the

primal demand was making him so irrational. H

fluid tormenting his tongue and his

eeds mated, and found a sense of peace and balance in this freed

ied long ago.

s before the Breed rescues. Not that his captivity had been as hard as some of the others'. The scientists at the South American labs he had been

For Mercury, it had been a life of almost complete isolation from other Breeds, though. His training had been more exacting, his body and his mind pushed harder. And he strove to s

y were trained harshly,

eedom. Of running with the wind, of testing himself against his own goals. Of

s had been filled with life, and he had loved her. With all a

ists had found the strange hormone in his semen and saliva, and the confusion it had gar

lost what little control he had managed to learn. The drugs they kept in his system to try to restrain the feral

dn't kissed her. But the thought

sible that he was destined to live his life alone beca

s. A mate, a child, were the epitome of weakness. Their loss could destroy a man's soul, but

another woman in his life, even Alaiya. But there w