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  “I would keep your words in your mouth if I were you,” Robert warned him. None of the other members came forward to defend him. He didn’t care—he would fight them all.

  “How dare you speak to me like that?” Cedric said, red, puffy and outraged.

  “How dare I? How dare I?” Robert charged at the man and took him by the scruff of the neck. “For years I’ve done whatever the Council has told me to do. I’ve killed and I’ve worked with nothing but the Council’s good name in mind. My father taught me that there is nothing better in this world than pleasing the Council for the good of mankind.” He stopped and brought his face closer. “If we hadn’t started those rumours, if we had worked for the good of everyone, Katie wouldn’t have gone off the radar and she would have been safe and protected. A good man died today and a good, powerful witch was taken from us. I suggest you keep your tongue in your head before you start questioning people.” He shoved the man away from him, turning to the other members.

  “I think you should all go home. Spend time with your families and loved ones. The werewolves have just declared war. We have no choice but to fight back. Go home, rest, think about the future. And if you want a future without a threat from the wolves, then come back here and we’ll rebuild.”

  Robert went back to Sophie, taking her by the hand.

  “We’ve got to change. Otherwise, we won’t exist anymore. They’re coming for us whether we want them to or not and I refuse to go down without a fight.”

  Sophie was shaking uncontrollably. One by one they left, until only Sophie and Robert stood over the body of his father. She held his hand but remained silent. She obviously understood his need to think.

  “You can leave if you want,” he finally said.

  Sophie glanced over at him, but his gaze stayed firmly on his father’s remains.

  She licked her lips. “I don’t want to go.”

  He turned to her then.

  “It’s going to get ugly,” he warned.

  “I don’t care. I have nowhere else to go,” she admitted, tears streaming from her eyes. Katie was gone. Her parents wouldn’t understand. The only people she had in the world were Katie and Robert. She didn’t want to leave him.

  He kissed the top of her head. “This is going to be dangerous.”

  Sophie shrugged her shoulders. “Life is never supposed to be easy.”

  “I have to tell my mother.”

  “I’ll be there when you do. I promise, Robert, I will always be there for you.”

  She couldn’t believe that she was about to meet her other family—Robert’s family—and that she would be bringing them awful news. Sophie knew she’d met his mother back at the bonding ceremony, but she hadn’t talked to her at all. This would be the first time they would meet properly, and when she should be taking round a cake and offering to make tea, she would instead be part of giving news of death. Not the best way to start with the in-laws.

  Sophie thought of Katie. There was no way Katie was involved with or part of the wolves’ plans.

  She turned to Robert. This couldn’t wait. “I met her parents. Katie’s. Before they died. She looks so much like them. They were wonderful people, Robert. There is no way that man could be her father. No way her parents would ever deal with a man so evil,” she earnestly pleaded.

  Robert hugged her to his body, nodding his head. “He said it to cause a reaction. To make us doubt everything.”

  She circled her arms around him. She needed to know that he was alive and that everything was fine. She needed to reassure herself.

  “I’m fine,” he soothed, kissing the top of her head.

  “I’ve never been so scared in all of my life. I saw them coming and I didn’t know what to do,” she confessed. She inhaled his scent, loving the feel of him under her skin. “I’m sorry about your father,” she told him. Everything had happened so fast.

  “I can’t mourn him. I don’t have time to mourn him.” He looked into her eyes. “We’ll find Katie, I promise.”

  She ducked her head. “I know we will. I just hope she’s alive when we do.”

  He took her chin between his fingers. “Let’s go see Mother, then get you home.”

  His mother broke down. She was inconsolable. The tears refused to stop. His two sisters stayed silent but comforted their mother. He could see the despair on all of their faces. Rose stared at him with desperation shining in her eyes. The youngest female of them all, and yet her eyes held a world of knowledge.

  He went to her and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

  “He shouldn’t have died,” she cried.

  Dawn, his other sister, took her off his hands and all three women huddled together. Not able to cope with the loss in his heart at seeing his family broken, Robert turned away. He left Sophie with them while he and his other two brothers went into the study. William should have been here. Katie would be found and looked after, but William, as the next oldest brother, should be in this study with them, planning the next fight.

  “We could have been there to help,” said Jason, the youngest, cutting into Robert’s thoughts. Out of all the brothers Jason was the most likely to strike first and ask questions later. The one to run into battles without a plan.

  Robert placed a comforting hand on his arm. “It wouldn’t have mattered. Father would have died anyway.”

  “I can’t believe he’s really dead,” Adam whispered. The next brother after William. Adam was often silent, but when he spoke he made sense.

  “I need you to be ready. We’ve got a war on our hands and, when the time comes, we’ll need to strike back against them.”

  “What about this witch?” Jason asked.

  Robert shook his head. “I believe William has connected himself with the witch. He’s going to be doing nothing but trying to find her.”

  They fell silent, all of them thinking of Emma. The one person who had given William her heart, then taken it away. William, out of all of them, knew how to deal with loss, but he wouldn’t come here.

  “Who is the witch helping James?” Adam questioned.

  Robert shook his head. “I’ve no idea. Without Katie, we’re powerless against them. Attacks will increase now. They’ll see the Valentines as weak. Not only the wolves, but others as well. They are strong, my brothers. Stronger than anything we’re used to. If you see one of them, you must promise to run away.”

  He could tell he’d shocked them. Never before would he have allowed them to run. He hated giving the order. But he’d seen first-hand what they could do. He didn’t want to risk any more of his family. The truth was, the Valentines weren’t ready for a battle. If anything, the vampires had become complacent about their power. All of that was about to change.

  They both nodded. All of them were scared, not knowing what the future held. Their father would have told them what to do and why they were doing it. But he was gone. They only had each other now.

  “I noticed your bond mate,” Jason said, changing the subject.

  Robert smiled. Sophie was the only thing he had to smile about lately. “You must find a mate of your own.”

  “How does it feel?” Adam asked. They both seemed intrigued by the prospect of a bond mate. They had all heard stories of how wonderful it could be.

  “It’s wonderful.” Robert smiled at his brother before going back to kiss his mother goodnight.

  He took Sophie with him to his apartment above the club.

  “Your mom seemed nice.” Sophie spoke first to break the silence.

  Robert went to her and kissed her on the lips, tasting her. “I don’t want to talk. I want to forget about the past few hours. I just want to feel you in my arms. Do you understand?”

  Sophie nodded.

  Robert took her in his arms. “You’re the only good thing about tonight. I couldn’t bear losing you.” He kissed her over and over again, making sure she was really there, in his apartment, in his arms.

  “I’m here
, Robert and I’m never leaving you.” She responded to his kiss. She stripped off his shorts and scored her nails into his flesh. “Feel me. I’m here, with you.” She laid loving kisses where her nails had raked the skin. She lavished attention on him.

  “More, Sophie. I need more.”

  She smoothed her lips along his chest, her hands going to the buckle on his trousers. She pushed his trousers down past his ankles, stood up to kiss him. She lifted her arms so he could remove her dress. Sophie wore nothing underneath. Naked, they pressed against each other head to toe.

  He cupped her ass, prompting her to jump and wrap her legs around his waist.

  They didn’t have time to get to the bedroom. Robert took her against the wall, positioning his hardened shaft at her entrance and plunging into her pussy, going right to the hilt. They both cried out at the contact, forgetting in that instant together about the troubles that lay ahead.

  Robert and Sophie climbed the wall of fulfilment until they collapsed in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Ten

  Sophie woke up wrapped in Robert’s arms. Had it really been three days since she’d come back to him? How could her life have changed so much in such a short amount of time? She’d become his mate, the Council had been attacked and Katie had been kidnapped.

  She was sad and angry, but her heart was happy. She was in love with this man.

  Three years ago she’d been awoken by him, protected by him. Within seventy-two hours, he’d captured her heart and now he owned her.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked, reaching for her as soon as he woke up.

  “How much our lives have changed in three simple days.” She stroked the arm lying across her naked belly. He was warm to the touch.

  “Welcome to the world of vampires. Life moves a little too quickly sometimes.”

  She smiled. “I’m conflicted,” she admitted.

  “Why, my love?”

  “Am I your love?” she asked.

  “I’ve attached myself to you for eternity, Sophie.”

  She smiled.

  She was going to tell him.

  Taking a deep breath, she let the words roll off her tongue. “I love you.”

  Silence met her confession. She waited, tense, unsure.

  He kissed her, stopping her from vocalising her thoughts. “I told you your mind would soon know what your body and heart knew already.”

  She laughed.

  “I love you, too, my sweet Sophie.”

  Sophie rolled him onto his back, resting up on her arms. She smiled down at him.

  “Everything is going to change now,” she whispered, staring out at the starlit sky.

  Sophie felt him sigh.

  “Yes, I feel it is.”

  “I’ve only just found you and I feel like I’m going to lose you.”

  He tightened his hold on her. “I’ll never leave you.”

  “Do you swear?”

  “You have my word.”

  It wasn’t enough, but for the moment it would have to do. Sophie snuggled close to him, relishing the comfort and warmth he supplied, knowing in her heart that something drastic was going to happen to change it all.

  * * * *

  William paced in his house, feeling as though he was losing his sanity. The whisky and brandy bottles lay at his feet, empty. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He should have protected her. Found some way to save her. No matter what he thought, he could only come to the same conclusion—he was destined to fail every female he cared about. But he refused to give up. Katie needed him.

  He had just stood there, unable to move while his worst enemy had taken another woman away from him. It was Emma all over again. He couldn’t allow it to happen this time. He couldn’t let her die, let history repeat itself. Katie wasn’t dead and he wouldn’t give up until he’d done everything he could to get her back.

  Katie wasn’t a werewolf. He knew it. So why did he feel there was something he was missing?

  Where would they take her? His brain scrambled to figure out the answer.

  He glanced down at her blood-soaked clothes. There was more at stake now. James, leader of the Beyer West pack, had just signed his own death warrant. William was now determined to be the one to end that fucking wolf’s life if it was the last thing he did. First, he would find Katie and he’d make sure she still breathed before he went for the wolf.

  They were connected by blood. William had to calm down. He must put all of his energy into opening the bridge he’d kept numb and closed off for centuries. Rubbing his hands together, he thought about what had happened the last time he’d opened it up. No, he couldn’t think of Emma. Emma was dead, but Katie…she was still living.

  Sitting in the centre of his living room, he focussed on everything he knew about Katie. Hair the colour of amber honey, soft to the touch. His knuckles tingled as he imagined the slide of her hair against his hand. Her eyes, wide and fearful but, when happy, filled with a feisty heat he craved. Her figure was petite from years of draining her resources, but he also saw a woman who would face any battle. She was strong and fiery, weak and brave. Vulnerable and alone.

  The connection brightened like a spark. He felt her. He knew her.

  She was travelling in a locked van, her eyes covered. He could feel her fear and it was choking him. Her hands were bound. She didn’t know where she was.

  William came out of the vision gasping for breath. It was too much. Katie might be physically weak but her mind was strong. Too strong. He was fearful. Her mind was strong like a light bulb shining the brightest just before it blows.

  He needed to get to Katie, and fast.

  If she used more magic it would consume her and Katie would fall, like many witches before her, into the pits of hell.

  He got up from his place on the carpet and left his life and world behind, in search of the woman who could answer not only the world’s prayers—but also his own.

  Epilogue

  “Let go of me,” she begged, over and over again. No one answered. She was trapped in a room with nothing for company but the glass walls keeping her caged in. Her chest felt tight all the time. The room was too small, the air too thin.

  They were treating her like an animal, giving her food in bowls. Horrible sludge she wouldn’t even feed to a dog.

  She hadn’t showered in days and men kept coming and looking at her, like a pet in a zoo. She hated them. Their looks.

  When she was alone, she tried to think of ways to escape, but she wasn’t allowed out of this room.

  The only time anyone spoke to her was when he came to the room.

  “Hello, my princess.”

  He was softly spoken but he scared the living daylights out of her. He tried to get her to use her magic, but warning bells kept going off in her head. Using her magic didn’t feel right.

  “What do you want from me?” she screamed when he came to her with more needles and more tests.

  Afterwards he would come back and try to soothe her. Katie was too exhausted to move, let alone flinch away from his touch.

  She missed Sophie. She missed her parents’ house. She prayed for hours for them to come and find her.

  She missed William. The horrible vampire with the bad attitude. At least he had given her freedom.

  Katie wanted to live. She didn’t want this. She just wanted to be normal.

  Finally, after another day of tests, she collapsed in a ball on the floor. He returned, moving into the room, and he looked happy.

  “You’re the one. The one I’ve been searching for, for so long.” He knelt beside her and cupped her cheeks. They were dry from the lack of sun.

  How long had she been stuck down here, anyway?

  “I want to go home,” she pleaded with him again.

  He lifted her up off the dirt floor and carried her out of the room. Katie didn’t know what to do or where to turn.

  She just hoped with all her heart that William would find her before they killed her.

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  Office Hours

  Sam Crescent

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  “What the hell is this?” Anya King stormed into her boss’s office carrying the offending memo and slammed it with as much force as she could muster onto his desk.

  Nathan Banks stopped typing to glance at his personal assistant, then at the memo he’d left on her desk while she went out to lunch. “It’s about a team-building weekend. It’s a new scheme to help colleagues work together better.”

  “I can clearly see what it’s about, Mr Banks. What I want to know is why my name is on that list?” Anya placed a hand on her hip. She needed to keep her head, relax and breathe.

  “I signed us up for the course as a team.” He pushed the paper away, looking at her with calm composure. Anya felt anything but calm.

  “You did this without even consulting me?” She swallowed down her anger, keeping her fiery temper at bay. Work relationships were supposed to be kept professional. It wouldn’t do for her to lose her temper.

  “ In case you hadn’t noticed, Miss King, I happen to own this company, what I say goes and if I think this weekend will benefit my company, as my personal assistant you’ll be accompanying me. No questions asked.” He looked pointedly at the memo until she picked it up again.

  Anya watched him go back to his computer, his sure, sturdy hands typing purposefully away. Clever hands that could bring a woman all kinds of sexual pleasure, if all of the rumours floating around the office were true. Anya tried not to think about her boss and sex. It was wrong and unprofessional, but sometimes when she was alone images of Nathan crept into her mind, and not all of them in employer-employee situations.

  “I have plans this weekend.” She folded her arms underneath her full breasts. She needed this weekend! There was only so long she could resist her natural urges. Face it, she was over-sexed. Images of Nathan fucking her had entered her mind one too many times of late. Time away with another man, or men, should put her system back to rights. Nathan could go back to being just a man she happened to work for.