The Wolf Within (Purgatory 1)

Chapter Six

The bar was loud. Bursting with noise. Laughter. Music. The scent of alcohol and sex lingered in the air.

So did the scent of blood.

From the corner of her eye, Holly glanced over at Duncan. They’d followed the signal from Saul’s collar, but, honestly, she thought Duncan could have tracked the guy without it. His senses were seriously amped, and she was pretty sure that those enhanced senses could tell that—

I’m still turned on.

Because she was. No wonder Pate had tried to keep her away from werewolf blood. It was heady. Saul…Saul’s blood had amped up her body. Given her a boost that made her feel incredibly strong.

But Duncan’s blood? It had been like wine. Ecstasy. Her whole body had shuddered from the pleasure of tasting it.

She looked at him now and still wanted.

It was wrong on so many levels. She was on a mission. Her first, ever. This was her chance to show Pate that she could still be an asset, even as a vampire. That he didn’t have to keep hiding her in the lab with the karahydrelene-laced blood right by her side in case she had a meltdown.

This was her shot, but she was about to blow it because she kept lusting over the werewolf to her left.

“Can you control me?”

The quiet question was the last thing she’d expected right then. Her head turned fully toward him. They were across the street from the bar, waiting beneath a broken street light. The darkness surrounded them, and, though she knew he could see perfectly in that darkness, Holly could only see the outline of his body and face.

Vamps didn’t get the sensory kick that werewolves possessed. They got the enhanced strength and mind control bit instead.

“Can you?” Duncan pressed.

“I haven’t,” she said, hedging.

A rough laugh. “That means you could, if you wanted.”

Yes. Maybe. “I should confess something to you.” She’d sounded so confident with Pate because she’d had to sound that way. “I, uh, I’ve never tried to control anyone before.”

A rather painful silence, then, “Run that by me again.” His eyes were shining, like a cat’s, in the dark.

“I’ve only taken blood from you and Saul. The other blood—it came bagged or was given to me via an IV. There were no people there for me to try and control.” Her words tumbled over each other. “Theoretically, I should be able to do this. I mean, it’s something all vamps can do so—”

He swore, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into the nearest alley. Then he pushed her back against the rough brick wall. “Theoretically? Holly, this isn’t some experiment. You go up to that werewolf and you can’t control him, then he’s gonna go right for your heart.”

Or her head. Because one surefire way to kill a vamp? Take off the head.

“I can do this, okay?” Her heart was racing in her chest. His hands had curled around her shoulders and his head—and that sexy mouth of his—waited just inches from hers.

“Prove it.” His hold tightened on her. “You got my blood, and you got his. So if you can control me…”

“Then I can control Saul.” But she shook her head. “I don’t want to do that to you.”

He stared down at her.

“You’ve been through enough lately, ok? It’s just been over thirty-six hours since your change. I know what it’s like to have your life ripped away.” Oh, talk about being able to relate. Now she could finally tell him. “And I’m so sorry this happened to you.” Holly pulled in a deep breath. “That’s why I’m not going to control to you, okay? You don’t need me ripping into your mind, too.”

His hold tightened. He brought his head even closer to hers. “I want you in my mind.”

“Duncan—”

“If you can’t do it, then you aren’t going into that bar. I’ll call Pate. Tell him to come get you. Tell him the operation is off.”

Then what would happen to her? She’d get shoved back in her lab, and Pate would start forcing her to try his cures again.

“Make me step away from you.” Duncan’s words were a low whisper. Rumbling. Dark. Sexy. “You think that you linked with me when you took my blood? Then make me step back. That’s simple enough, right?”

Yes. But she hated the thought of forcing him to do anything, even something so small, against his will.

“I’m inviting you in, baby. Let’s see what you’ve got.” His body brushed against hers. “Make me stop.”

Then his mouth took hers. Light at first, then harder. His tongue skimmed over her lips. His hand slid down her body, his fingers skirting around the curve of her breast.

A moan rose in her throat.

Make him stop? She’d rather make him strip.

A door slammed then. A car horn honked. Voices drifted toward them.

“Make me,” he said against her lips.

She could feel his c**k swelling against her. Her body ached but…

Holly pulled her mouth from his. “S-step away from me.”

His whole body tightened.

Then his mouth found hers again as he kissed her harder.

Her heartbeat doubled. He wasn’t supposed to still be kissing her. This wasn’t the way it worked. She’d interviewed vamps at the facility. They’d all said…

Controlling prey is easy. Take the blood. Then just tell them what you want. They can’t resist. The blood is the link. The power.

They’d laughed about how easy it was to control humans.

Only…oh, crap, she wasn’t trying to control a human. She was dealing with a werewolf. Maybe she couldn’t control him through a compulsion.

He still had on his silver collar. Pate had given her another remote and had made sure it was tuned to be able to control both Saul and Duncan.

But she didn’t want to use the silver to control them.

His mouth lifted from hers. “Do you know…” Duncan growled against her lips, “that I want to bite you?”

Vampires weren’t the only ones who liked to bite.

“So what’s to stop me?” he murmured. His fingertips were suddenly at her throat. Trailing lightly over skin. No, not just his fingertips. She could feel the light scratch of his claws.

“There’s no one here. Just us. No other agents. No Pate.” The last was said with a touch of anger. “I can bite you. I can claim you. And you can’t stop me.”

What could have been a lick of fear shot through her. But, no, this was Duncan. He wouldn’t do anything to her.