***
The restlessness set in almost as soon as Conall arrived at Fangs, one of the many establishments he owned. It was also one of the few places that opened its doors to all creatures: weres, vampires, witches—on occasion—and humans. Anyone with peaceful intentions was welcomed, and anyone looking for a brawl was removed and treated to one by the wolves working there.
Hours later, as Xorax, the were who supervised and oversaw the dealings at Fangs, debriefed him on the minor skirmishes that had occurred while he was away, Conall found he could take no more. He had to leave for Cedar Creek…soon. He’d never been at ease in any city, but today the unease was heightened. In fact, if he hadn’t known better, he would think his instincts were warning him of some danger. Perhaps, the vampires or witches had reneged on their oaths to the Council and his agitation was due to that. But he knew better. They would not renege, not because they did not wish to, but because the weres currently outnumbered them. As little as twenty years ago, that would have been Conall’s first reaction to the unease he felt, followed by a call to his pack, and the packs that bordered his. So, with that possibility out of his mind, he could only wonder at the cause for his feelings. As soon as Xorax was through with the debriefing, Conall headed from the office, already seeing Cedar Creek in his mind.
Years ago, when the pack had first moved to New York, he’d hired contractors to create what was now the Cedar Creek Estates, a community thirty minutes outside of the city that housed the members of his pack. It had been acres of grassy open land when Conall first laid eyes on it, but with the work of landscape architects and brilliant designers, the community had become a haven. Twenty-five houses varying in size and build, all surrounding a curved street, camouflaged by tall trees and shrubs, along with educational and medical facilities, made up the Estates. Although it was a gated community, the gates were never locked. No creature who was not pack had ever stepped into their territory unless by invite, and though some humans had driven as far as the gate, they never entered. Although they didn’t have the heighted instincts of immortals, humans had a “sixth sense” that usually kept them alive. As Conall stepped from behind the door that would take him to the exit, he stopped to speak with Joshua about Eli. Since Eli wouldn’t be returning with him, he told Joshua to keep an eye on the pup. In the past years, Eli had gotten into a fair share of interesting arguments, which usually resulted in brawls at Fangs. Although he’d never seen Eli exhibit even the hint of a temper, he’d heard his nephew had mouthed off to older, stronger weres before, which usually led to the pack defending Eli….
His thoughts halted abruptly as the most intoxicating scent hit him.
He’d caught it the moment he’d stepped through the doors. It had been subtle, like a human-made perfume, and although distracting, he’d found it easy to ignore. But it had continued to grow, more and more, and he could no longer think, or speak. His unease increased tenfold. Something strange was happening. His beast tried to fight its way out. He froze and closed his eyes, willing the wolf to be at peace, but still he struggled. Man and beast warred for dominance as Conall pinpointed the scent. Female. Behind him. He pivoted and his gaze locked on wide brown eyes and a soft mouth that was opened in a breathy “oh.”
He inhaled again, a long draw that pulled her scent into him. It was the woman from last night—the human Eli had chased into his lair, but today, something was different. Very different. Her scent was changed, heightened, and it came at him in great, seductive waves.
The beast demanded release once more. Conall fought it, lowering his head and willing him away. Through the black hair that had fallen into his face, he watched her. She was moving to him. He couldn’t turn away even if he wanted to.
Before she could take another step, he moved, beast and man in agreement on one thing: they wanted her. He came to a stop before her, resisting the urge to pull her to him, to take her upstairs, to see if he’d imagined correctly how her naked body would look under his.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly, and Conall heard the tremor in her voice as she addressed him. Human. Mortal. He subdued the beast.
“Hi,” he replied, testing the word. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d engaged in polite conversation with a human. Especially a human female. His only encounters with human females had been physical, and he’d found he preferred his own kind, as humans were…fragile.
“Thanks.” Her lids drooped slightly as she stared at him. She stepped closer. “For—ah—helping me last night.”