Phantom Desires Read online

  “I had no idea.”

  “Nor did I want to make you aware of the brutality of our existence, but I will have honesty between us. There is no other way for true mates. You will come to know all this soon enough.”

  He kissed the side of her neck, making her shiver.

  “But come, we should make an appearance at the shifter party after they’re done with their hunt. I want them to know who you are and that you are under my protection.”

  “Do you think they would try to hurt me?” She felt the undercurrent of caution in his words and the slight connection between their minds.

  “Not if they want to live.” For a moment, his gaze went flat with death. “But no. I don’t think you have anything to fear from the were. In fact, I want them to know who you are so that they can keep an eye out during the day. Many of them prowl near your land. If they know you’re here alone and unprotected during the day, they may help if they see something amiss.”

  “So you think I’m in danger? From what?” She didn’t like the direction of this entire conversation.

  “I didn’t say that. I know of no direct threat against either myself or you, but having just found you, I can’t bear thinking of even the possibility. Please indulge my overabundance of caution. In times past, mates were targeted by enemies of my kind for they knew without our mates, most of us would not go on. Without you, my life is over, Carly.” He turned her in his arms and she searched his face.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Utterly. We are One. Where you go—even into the next realm—I will follow.”

  “Oh, Dmitri.” Fear struck her as she clung to him. She didn’t want to be responsible for his death or even the contemplation of it. She would do all in her power to keep him safe, even if it meant making friends with a grizzly bear who could turn into a pimply teenager. “Let’s get ready. We have a party to go to.”

  They went indoors, but it was some time before they got dressed in their party clothes. In between Dmitri had some very creative ways to dress her in silk scarves tied at her wrists and ankles. The man seemed to love tying her up, and she didn’t mind in the least, even though she’d never experimented with bondage before in her life. Dmitri made her want to try new things and made her enjoy each and every one of them.

  It was well after midnight when he ushered her into his car—hidden one level below her own spacious garage, which had originally been a small barn⎯and drove them down the deserted country road leading past her far pasture and into the woods. Every once in a while she saw animals running through the trees beside them. She even caught a few flashes of male wolves mounting females in a blatant display of animal lust. Why it turned her on, she didn’t know. Then she caught sight of pale skin through the trees dappled with moonlight and realized she was watching a naked woman bouncing up and down over an equally nude man. And they weren’t the only ones. As they drove, she saw more and more couples doing it out in the open, in the woods.

  “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what sort of hunt were they doing tonight?”

  Dmitri chuckled and she looked over at him. She didn’t doubt he’d also seen the pairs in the woods. “Well, they call it a mate hunt, but it’s more of a mating hunt. Few pairs find their perfect match during these kinds of events. Mostly they just hook up for the night. Weres are very open about sex. When they shift, they can’t bring their clothes with them like we can, so they don’t think much about nudity. It’s a very open society. But when they do find their mates, they’re as loyal to them as we are. I respect that.”

  “But not much else about them, right?”

  Dmitri seemed to think. “No. There’s a lot to be admired about the were. I suppose you’re picking up on old prejudices I didn’t even know I still had.” He shook his head. “At one time, in the distant past, they say we were close allies. But after we won the struggle against darkness, our peoples drifted apart, or so the story goes. Like I said, I have more contact with weres than most of my kind because of where I chose to live. They’re not bad people, but they can be stubborn about us. They aren’t immortal, though they are long-lived. Still, few alive now remember what once was. It’s kind of sad really.”

  “Well.” She reached over and lifted his hand into her lap, offering comfort. “We can change that. That is, if you want to.”

  “All I want is their assurance that if they see anything strange on your land, they’ll help you out. I think Jason is chivalrous enough to manage at least that. He and I have worked well together so far.”

  “Good. Then that’ll be our goal for this meeting.” She didn’t see the fuss. She felt perfectly safe on the farm, but if it would make Dmitri feel better, she’d do whatever it took.

  “For a minute there, I almost forgot you’re a high powered business woman.” Dmitri brought her hand to his lips for a tender kiss as he pulled into a long driveway. They shared a moment of silent communication, and she felt his admiration like a warm caress.

  “Where are we?” she asked as they came out into a clearing filled with cars in front of a large house with a gorgeous wraparound porch.

  “This is the pack house. They use it for parties, meetings and other kinds of get-togethers. Members of the pack can live here too, if they have a need. Orphans, widows and such. They all look out for each other. Packs are like big, extended families.”

  “Impressive.”

  “I like their social structure. Of course it would never work with our kind. For one thing, none of us are related. Some have families—when mates have children—but few have extended families. There are rumors of some in the old world that have that kind of network, but those of us who chose to strike out to the Americas haven’t had time to build anything comparable. We’re still like pioneers, even centuries after the first of us came here.”

  “Fascinating. I just figured…” she drifted off as he looked for a good place to park. “I guess I hadn’t really thought too much about it.”

  “We don’t have children often or easily. I guess that’s one of the many prices to be paid for immortality. But I have high hopes for your friends Lissa and Kelly. Atticus and Marc deserve a little happiness.”

  He parked the car, coming around to escort her out of the car. She blindsided him, leaning up to give him a hard, fast kiss.

  “Not that I mind, but what was that for?” His laughing gaze sparkled down at her.

  “You deserve a little happiness too, Dmitri.”

  “That’s what I have you for.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless.

  A long, low wolf whistle reached Carly’s ears and made her pull back. Her head was spinning when she looked around to find Jason striding out of the woods, buttoning his button-fly jeans and grinning from ear to ear. A stunning girl followed behind, tying her halter-top and holding what had to be Jason’s shirt over one shoulder. It was more than obvious what they’d been up to.

  “I would’ve invited you two to the hunt if I’d known you were keen enough to be making out in my front yard.”

  Chapter Nine

  Carly half expected Dmitri to bristle at the werewolf’s teasing, but he surprised her by laughing.

  “Not that such an invitation wouldn’t be appreciated, but we bloodletters tend to conduct our affairs in more private settings.” He shot her a glance filled with mischief. “Most of the time.”

  Now just what the heck did that mean? Was he into exhibitionism in addition to bondage? And why did that idea make her squirm?

  She licked her lips as she watched Jason stride right up to them. The men shook hands, and Carly watched the way Jason’s bare muscles rippled all the way down his incredibly fit body.

  “Watch it, mate. You’re practically drooling over the puppy.”

  The voice in her mind made her gasp, but she could tell Dmitri was only teasing. He knew her heart well enough by now to know she wasn’t interested in anyone but him. Still, she couldn’t help but look when presented with such a feast for the feminine
eye.

  “Don’t worry, baby. I know who brung me to the dance.” She put a teasing, fake twang to her thoughts. “But I’d have to be dead not to look at all that beefcake. Hubba hubba. If he weren’t a dog, I’d love to set him up with Sally. She’d really go for a guy who could beat her at wrestling.”

  “Sally’s the cop, right?”

  “She’s a detective now. And an expert martial artist. She’s got that whole my body is my temple thing going on. She’s gorgeous. And all the pervs who hit on her think she’s a mindless bimbo. Too bad she can overpower them with her pinky. This guy, though, looks like he’d be able to give her a run for her money.”

  “No doubt.” She felt more than saw Dmitri trying to stifle a chuckle as he greeted the Alpha werewolf. He popped the trunk and the men walked around to the back of the car, leaving the two women to make their own introductions.

  “I’m Carly.” She made the first move toward the scantily dressed girl, holding out her hand in what she hoped was a friendly manner.

  The girl took it and started, then sniffed loudly. Carly was about to take offense when she realized she was talking to a werewolf. More than likely, the girl could smell something about her. Carly decided to wait and see. She didn’t want to cause trouble for Dmitri with these people.

  “You’re human.” The girl sounded genuinely surprised.

  “Um…yes.” Carly didn’t quite know how to answer. “I just moved here from California. What’s your name?” She tried to sound upbeat but was at sea with this weird conversation.

  “Oh, I’m Amy. Sorry. I was just surprised. I figured you’d be—” She broke off, blushing.

  “Like Dmitri, you mean? Immortal? Well, that’s not something we’ve come to yet in our relationship. To be honest, just the idea scares the hell out of me.”

  Carly could tell by the girl’s reaction that she’d said the right thing. Amy loosened up and was all eager curiosity after that. She asked Carly about her software business, and they started talking computers. Amy, it turned out, was majoring in computer science at the university. She’d even had Dmitri as a professor during her sophomore year but was close to graduating now.

  The men rejoined them, each carrying a box that tinkled as they walked toward the house and Carly realized Dmitri had brought two cases of wine to the party. He was such a thoughtful man.

  They led the way into the big house and Amy brought Carly with her. They were welcomed warmly, though Carly did sense a definite reserve in their attitude toward Dmitri. They were standoffish with her until they either got a whiff of her mortality or Amy clued them in. She became the center of attention for a while and made quite a few friends.

  Some of Amy’s friends were also into computers, and they ended up talking about the latest hardware for at least an hour while Dmitri watched from a corner where he was talking with the werewolf Alpha and some of the other higher ranked weres.

  She was comfortable enough, after a few glasses of wine, to make the connection between their minds to ask a question.

  “We haven’t discussed it, but I’d like to keep my business. I worked too long and hard to make it what it is today, even if it was burning me out.”

  “I wouldn’t ask you to give it up, my love. It is your decision.”

  “Well, I was thinking. A lot of these kids have the kinds of skills I need. Would you mind if I offered a few of them jobs?”

  Dmitri seemed genuinely surprised. “Not at all. In fact, I think it would endear you to their Alphas. Most of them wouldn’t be able to find work at their level around here, and it’s hard for weres to leave their families. Many would end up working in pack businesses in the area, not fully utilizing their educations. Your offer would probably be most welcome. I’ll mention it to Jason and see what he thinks.”

  Within minutes, Carly had the beginnings of a staff for her new headquarters. She hadn’t intended to stay permanently when she moved here. She’d just been floating, really, drawn to the old farmhouse and unsure of where she’d go from there. But now she had a plan. She’d keep her office in California—she didn’t have the heart to fire anyone⎯as a branch office, but she’d move her base of operations here. All she needed to do was find some office space.

  “Or better yet, add on to the house and work from home. There’s plenty of room on the farm. And I won’t object to a work crew made up of weres. Jason has a construction business that does excellent work, as a matter of fact. If he knows he’s building a place where his people can find employment, I bet he’ll give you a break on the cost as well.”

  “This is all working out even better than I expected.”

  She didn’t object to the way Dmitri entered her mind that time and listened in on her thoughts. Little by little, she was becoming more used to it, and it didn’t startle her. Plus, she’d been the one to initiate conversation this time. She was beginning to see distinct advantages in being able to talk silently to him without anyone being the wiser.

  She hung out with Amy and her friends most of the night, truly enjoying their company. They even managed time for a little girl talk.

  “So…you and Jason?” Carly raised one eyebrow toward the hunky leader of the pack.

  But Amy looked startled. “Me and the Alpha? No!” She laughed. “I’m nowhere near an Alpha bitch.”

  “Oh, sorry. When I saw you two coming out of the woods I just assumed.”

  “Nah. He was just being nice to me.” She waved away the comment with an offhanded smile.

  “Nice?” Carly wondered how screwing a girl in the woods was being nice to her.

  “I forgot you’re human. See, at the full moon the mating urge…well…it gets pretty intense. We get together at howls like this so we can all help each other. When the Alpha hunted me down in the woods tonight, he was doing me a big favor.”

  “I don’t follow.” Just when she thought things couldn’t get any weirder, Amy dropped this new strangeness on her.

  “Well, what would happen in a human high school if the star quarterback suddenly started dating the nerdiest girl in school? People would start taking a second look at her, right? By hunting me tonight, the Alpha just gave my nonexistent reputation a big boost. Next time, some of the more suitable males will start sniffing around and I won’t end up with the losers of the group, like I usually do. Jason’s a good Alpha. He helps a lot of the younger girls like this when he can.”

  “I’ll just bet he does.” Carly couldn’t help the judgmental tone of her voice as she looked at the Alpha asshole in question.

  “Oh, no! You’ve got it all wrong, Carly. He really does help. Think of it this way. Instead of winding up with one of the other desperate singles like me tonight, I got to be with the primest of the prime Alphas. And I got to protect him too. By choosing me tonight—someone he could never mate—there won’t be any speculation tomorrow about whether or not he intends to mate one of the Alpha bitches that have been sniffing after him all his life. We helped each other, you see?”

  “I still think he’s getting away with something here, but I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Carly, my pack only has two bitches with Alpha potential right now.” She pointed them out. One was a brassy blonde named, appropriately enough, Candy, and the other was a dour looking older woman with what seemed a perpetual scowl on her face. “I don’t care to take orders from either one of them, which I’d have to do if they somehow managed to corner Jason and make him mate her.”

  “I didn’t think that kind of thing could be forced.”

  “Not forced, exactly, but a desperate enough person could find a way to coerce it out of someone in a moment of weakness. And once mated, we’re stuck for life. I wouldn’t want to see Jason bonded to either one of those women and both have been hatching plans for some time to get him alone. During the full moon, we’re all especially vulnerable. Even the Alpha. Being with him is certainly no hardship for me and if it keeps him safe from those designing bitches, it keeps me safe from having one of
them as my Alpha as well. Everybody wins.”

  “Except those other girls.” Carly chuckled, understanding a bit of what motivated this totally unorthodox attitude toward casual sex in the woods.

  Amy laughed too and that was how Dmitri found them some time later, when they were about ready to leave. They’d agreed only to stay for an hour or two, leaving the weres to their fun.

  Carly left the party with a plan for her company’s future that looked bright indeed. Amy had already agreed to work for her part-time while she finished school, and Jason was sending someone by to give her an estimate for the addition to the house the next week.

  They made love the rest of the night and when Dmitri left her just before dawn, he left her smiling.

  She worked on business plans for the rest of the week and building plans as well. Things were moving along, but Dmitri still made time for the two of them to spend some quality time alone. He’d sit with her and watch movies or just talk. Sometimes he took her out on the town. They’d seen a few concerts, even dined in some of the local restaurants and attended a play at the university. She loved going out with him. It felt like dating, but there was none of the uncertainty. She knew Dmitri loved her, and she knew it was forever. She’d never felt so secure in a relationship or with a man. He was slowly but surely bringing her out of her nerdy shell and she loved him for it, and for his patience.

  He hadn’t brought up the topic of sharing their thoughts again, or of her becoming a vampire. She wasn’t quite ready to face any of that yet, but Dmitri was waging a winning battle, wearing down her defenses and making her love him more and more. His patience was a gift, his passion a pleasure.