CHAPTER FOUR

It was Sunday morning. Our weekend mornings typically started the same.

Showering, dressing and a trip to Charlotte‟s for breakfast, the same routine as yesterday. However, this morning was a little different. Daniel called his mother and informed her that we wouldn‟t be coming over for breakfast. He wanted to stay home and work on researching Miller‟s project, looking for any clues that might lead to his speculations concerning the werewolves.

Despite my lack of skill in the kitchen, I managed to pull together a satisfactory breakfast for my wolf man. A steak and cheese omelet with semi burnt toast. So I wasn‟t the best when it came to toast. At least the omelet turned out pretty good even with scorched marks of its own. One would think because I owned a kitchen built for a chef, I would learn how to cook. One would think, that is.

My father was particularly fond of a well cooked meal. He was a great cook, when he wanted. I remember as a child he mentioned to me the kitchen was designed by my mother. It was my father‟s gift to her. The 64-inch large gas/electric double oven stainless steel stove, a built in total refrigerator were all complemented by a built in freezer. Everything in the large kitchen was stainless steel, something he thought would look appropriate. I suppose he was right. The black countertops over the ginger stained wood cabinetry were set apart from other kitchens. Not to mention the sage green painted walls with white tile that contained painted green fern. I think my father meant to bring the outside in to this house.

I placed the plate of overly cooked food in front of Daniel. His eyes traveled from the folder to the olive colored stoneware plate. Half-heartedly, I expected him to grab his fork and dig in. With a little resistance, I held back the urge to ask if there was a problem, giving him a little time to adjust his view of the breakfast.

Daniel stared at the plate for a moment. Finally, he picked up his fork, while I waited patiently for his response. I think the moment he poked it with the fork was the moment I decided I would take it away from him. As I reached over to snatch the plate from him, he grabbed it with both hands.

“What are you doing?” he exclaimed in a little higher pitched voice.

“You‟re poking at it with your fork like it‟s not dead yet,” I seethed.

Daniel pulled the plate out of my hand. We both stared at the plate as red bloodlines dripped down onto the plate from the omelet.

“You were saying?” Daniel‟s lips twisted into a grin. “Did you actually cook the steak before you added it to the eggs?”

I stood there and glared at Daniel in disbelief. No one told me that you had to cook the meat before adding it to the omelet. Tears welled in my eyes. I knew that my career as a chef had ended before it began.

Daniel‟s humorous expression continued as he set the plate back down on the table.

He turned to me, wrapped his long arms lovingly around my waist and then pulled me closer to him.

“Sweetheart, it is okay. You did your best. Actually it smells really good.” He held me close to him as the tears streamed down my face. “I will eat it. Don‟t worry.”

The last thing I wanted was for Daniel to eat a half cooked meal. Even if the eggs were scorched a bit.

“No,” I sniffed. “I‟ll just toss it in the trash and try again.”

“Julie,” he began as he stood up. “Really, it is all right. I like my steak a little tartar anyway. Please just sit down.”

I pulled up a chair across from him and sat down. Daniel walked through the kitchen to the refrigerator. I couldn‟t imagine what he was looking for. The coffee creamer was sitting on the counter. I had already set his favorite jelly on the table to complement the burnt toast. Daniel raised his head and backed away from the refrigerator. Then I saw the revolting item in his hands. It added the absolute insult to injury for any cook. Ketchup. I watched as he proudly marched back to the table, seated himself and promptly opened the top and squirted the red goo on top of the omelet. I cringed at the sight of the ketchup as it piled high on the eggs.

I pushed myself away from the table and stood up. I refused to watch as he dug into the culinary disaster with a fork.

“You never put ketchup on anything your mother makes,” I mumbled as I headed out of the kitchen.

“That‟s not true!” he called out behind me.

“Like what?” I called back to him as I reached the living room.

“Meatloaf! I always put ketchup on her meatloaf!” he yelled back to me.

I let out a growl as I made my way through the living room to my father‟s office. If my memory served me correctly, Daniel never liked meatloaf! I inhaled a deep breath, fighting back my tears of rejection and plopped down behind my computer. At least I could try to put my focus on something other than this morning‟s breakfast debacle.

It only took moments for me get lost in balancing my accounts and transferring money. I was consumed with the thought of one day actually hiring an accountant to do these things, but for now, I still had the financial reports to review from the companies in which my father owned stock. This wasn‟t my favorite chore. From the looks of everything, the companies were still making money, and I was still collecting a sizeable return. The money was electronically posted into my account. Thank goodness my father gave Thomas temporary power of attorney to handle all the legal matters as well as financial ones until I understood what I was doing. Thomas did a great job setting up the new bank accounts and having my name added to each account.

I looked up as Daniel appeared in the doorway. My emotions had stabilized, no more tears. I had even let go of the breakfast incident.

“I am running over to the office this morning. I want to see if I can find any computer files that may give me a little more information on Miller‟s project,” he stated, as he had my full attention.

“Did you find anything?”

“Nothing more than what we already know. Brendan Phillips may be our only link to find out more. I will see if I can track him down. Hopefully before something happens to him and the Department of Defense starts climbing all over our ass.”

“Daniel, we‟re not connected to any of Dr. Miller‟s work. Why would they even trace it back to us? DalMar rejected his proposal,” I reminded him.

“Yes, I know. But, there is still some slight chance they would link his research to DalMar. I cannot take that chance. I will be back home in a few hours,” he said as he dashed away out of sight.

Why was he so worried about DalMar? Could Daniel‟s research actually be linked to Dr. Miller‟s? Then the thought occurred to me, Daniel never really told me where he obtained the DNA he used for his research. It was something I was going to look into the first chance I had. For right now, I had reports to finish.

It couldn‟t have been more than a few minutes, thirty or so at the most, after Daniel left, that the doorbell rang. It was probably Charlotte coming over to bring muffins because Daniel and I didn‟t make it over for breakfast. I pushed myself back from the computer, and headed out of the office door.

As I made my way into the living room, I glanced up and my heart froze in my chest. It was Richard. I swallowed hard and pushed myself toward the front door.

Through the glass, I could see him clearly in the daylight. He was so damn breathtakingly beautiful. It made no sense to me how one person could be so utterly gorgeous, even if he was a vampire.

When he caught sight of me, I watched as he slowly removed his sunglasses. I was already stunned to see him standing in front of the door with black jeans and a dark grey sweater. The sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, showing off the paleness of his skin.

My thoughts were shaken as I allowed my eyes to travel over his seemingly well-built body. His sexy appearance was enhanced by the way he combed his sandy blonde hair straight back. My heart fluttered again as I watched his lips curl into a smile. I guess it wouldn‟t have been so bad if I hadn‟t expected the worst out of him. My dream still lingered in my mind, flashing before me as I made my way to the door.

Hesitantly, I grabbed the door handle and opened it. What on earth did he want? I inhaled a deep breath, preparing myself the best I could. No mishaps this time. I was sure of it. If indeed this vampire had me on his menu, I would at least be prepared to defend myself.

“Hello.” I managed cordially.

Richard‟s gaze roved over me then his eyes settled back to mine. “Hello, Julie. I hope I‟m not disturbing you.”

My heart raced, and the palms of my hands beaded with sweat. The muscles inside my body trembled at the sound of his deep alluring voice. I wasn‟t sure if it was the smoothness of the tones, or the luxurious way he spoke my name. Either way, it was very sultry and sexy. His voice had an odd effect on me, one of which made me uncomfortable. The sound of his voice sang melodies to my soul, reaching deep inside of me. It called out and awakened something deep within me. Just being in his presence evoked a certain desire within me. There was an uncontrollably alluring aura surrounding him. It drew me to him like a moth to a flame.

“A-a-actually,” I stuttered. “I was… um…was um, working on a few office things.”

I shook my head to gain better control. “Was it something in particular you wanted?”

His lips twitched into a smile. I could only guess what he thought. From now on, mental note, watch what you say to a vampire. I always managed to say the wrong things to Richard. If I recalled correctly, the second time we met I had offered him something to drink! Now, I realized, I had the audacity to ask him if there was something in particular he wanted. Damn it! Of course there was!

“Well,” he softly purred. His voice was silky and sultry. “For starters, may I come in? I would like to speak to you concerning your little werewolf problem.”

Hesitating, I opened the door for him. For reasons I couldn‟t explain, I allowed him entrance. At the same time I said a silent prayer he would behave himself. He stopped, paused for a moment, eyed me carefully then walked past me.

“We can talk in the office. That is, if you don‟t mind,” I stated flatly. I was sure he could hear the fear in my voice. Probably even smell it.

Richard followed me through the living room to my father‟s office. I immediately went to the desk, sat down and grabbed a folder. At least I felt a little safer with the dark cherry desk between us. Like a desk could offer me protection from this vampire.

Richard however, lingered in front of my father‟s massive book collection.

“Your father? He was a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe.”

“Yes, he was.”

“Ah, an old favorite? Dracula?” He teased as he pulled out the book.

I raised my eyebrow, astonished to see a vampire reading a book about a vampire.

Somehow, this was a very humorous moment for me. No one but me would find this amusing, but to see Richard, the most inhumanly beautiful creation I had ever seen, a vampire, reading Bram Stoker‟s Dracula… Unbelievable.

“Yes, it was one of my father‟s favorites. Have you read it?” I was almost teasing him, a point I couldn‟t resist.

“Actually, I have not. I really never liked the scary stuff.” His gaze caught mine. His lips twitched once or twice. “May I?” He gestured with the book.

“Please, be my guest.” I gestured with my hand.

Richard seated himself on the golden trimmed red sofa my father loved so much.

His right leg crossed over his left, poising himself comfortably as he opened the ancient book. Slowly he flipped through the pages. My computer screen blinked as the banking information came up. I wasn‟t sure exactly if it was Richard or I who was stalling.

“Richard, you mentioned the werewolves.” I broke the silence.

“Oh yes. I am terribly sorry. Forgive me, please.” He paused and looked up from his book. “I suppose I was somewhat side tracked. It appears there has been more activity in the area of the werewolves. They have been coming in from outside areas.”

My heart froze again. “What are you saying?”

“What I am saying is the werewolves are grouping together. More packs of them are coming into the area.” He closed the book then rose to his feet. With a few steps he was in front of the bookcase again, replacing the book in its rightful place.

“How do you know this?” My eyes widened.

“I have seen them.” He glanced up at me. “They are concentrating around the Fort Mountain area. Do you have any idea why?” He pulled out another book.

I sat back in my chair, clearly annoyed by his seeming lack of concern.

“I have no idea. Daniel and I were out there last night. We ran into two of them.”

“Hmm.” He chimed as he peered up from the book in his hand. “Maybe they were hunting you and Daniel.” His tone was more inferable than I would have liked to hear.

“And you know of this… how?” I leaned forward. My eyes narrowed as I glared in disbelief. “Unless, you were there.” I challenged.

Richard‟s gaze met mine. His eyes peered into my soul. A shiver ran through my body. He knew I was challenging him. My senses ran wild, igniting the wolf inside of me. The hair prickled on the back of my neck. I could almost sense the thrill of the hunt.

“Yes, I was there,” he stated firmly. There was no change in his expression. “They were hunting you. I had been following them. Lance and I killed three on the other side of the ridge. At first, we thought they were fleeing from us. I soon realized their attention was somewhere else. I followed them. Lance stayed behind. I caught your scent and immediately followed the two who split from the pack. “

“So you watched as we fought them?”

“Yes.”

“And you didn‟t help us?” I was astonished.

“It appeared to me you didn‟t need my help.” Tag.

Again, I rested back in my chair. My fingers drummed lightly on the armrests. I wasn‟t sure how to take Richard at this point. What if I did need his help? Was he waiting for me to be mortally injured before he stepped in? Worse yet, would he have waited for Daniel to be killed?

I watched his expressionless face turn back to the book in his hand. The pale fingers flipped through a few more pages. He stopped. Apparently, a specific passage caught his attention. The thrill of the hunt escaped me, replaced by my annoyance with his distraction.

“So what‟s up at Fort Mountain? Why were they there?” My voice was controlled.

“I was hoping you could tell me. It appears they were searching for something. I thought you might have an idea about this.”

“Nothing, I haven‟t a clue.” I was rather exasperated.

Richard‟s eyes lifted from the book. He carefully studied my face, then closed the book and replaced it on the shelf.

“Really, I do not understand where these authors acquire their information on vampires.” He turned to me again.

“Richard, you should know by now, a book is simply the imagination of the author.”

“Yes, I suppose you are correct. However, I must say I am a little disappointed.

Long and pointed fangs? Really.” He humorously snorted.

“Well, I suppose you could write one in better form. I mean, after all, you are a vampire. You have, shall we say, firsthand experience,” I challenged.

“Ah, yes. Right again.” He took a few steps toward the desk. “Let me give this a little thought.” He placed his right index finger across his lips.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I feared the moment to come. Again, Richard accepted this challenge and in some small way, I knew better than to challenge him. I couldn‟t help myself. Richard was just the kind of beautiful creation a woman couldn‟t resist. There was no way I could retract my words. When his lips twitched, fighting back a smile, I knew I was in trouble.

“Hmm,” he purred. “Let‟s see how this would work. A beautiful, yet strong, female…” Pausing only for a moment, he contemplated his plot. “Who comes into contact with a handsome, seductive and passionate vampire.” His right eyebrow rose slightly.

“And?” I gestured, pretending to be interested in his story. My heart raced, my hands beaded with moisture.

“She‟s captivated by his charm,” he softly purred. “And very curious about his seductive nature.” The words rolled off his tongue with such finesse. It was barely believable how such a man‟s words could draw someone in as deeply as he drew me to him.

“I see. Exactly how is she so curious about his seductive nature when they just met?” I couldn‟t help myself at this point. The hunt was on.

I actually wondered how far he would take this little game. It seemed like a game worth winning. A sly grin crossed his face. The expression on his face read “Welcome to my web, said the spider to the fly.”

“Well,” he moved closer to me. Richard had the sexiest walk I had ever seen. He moved and walked like a man of confidence. Sturdy and strong. Determined and virile.

Very virile. He moved behind my chair. “He was drawn to her scent.” Richard leaned closer to me. His face slowly moved to my neck. My spine stiffened. I braced myself for the impact of the coming moment.

“He wanted only to taste the blood of this beauty. The tempting fragrance of forbidden desire,” he murmured. His lips were on my neck, moving slowly and gently against my skin. “But the desire that flamed in his cold veins was more than just for her blood alone.”

The coolness of his breath tingled against my skin. His lips moved to my ear. My heart pounded loudly. My breath became hot pants of air. My fingers clutched tightly to the armrests of the chair, attempting to hold onto what sanity I had left.

“Mmm…” he purred again. The deep sultry vibrations of his voice ended in a low growl. “Her scent was a delicate dish. A dish he would savor. No, he did not want to devour this delicacy all at once. This vampire would keep her alive to taste the pleasure of her again another day.”

A small noise escaped my mouth. It strained out as I felt his lips move to my jaw.

Suddenly I found myself immobilized. The web of the spider had trapped me, leaving me unable to free myself from whatever doom waited.

“When he first laid eyes on her, he was captivated by her mere presence. The beauty that emanated from deep within her was as a soft melody. It was the type of melody that tamed his savage soul. To him, only possessing a beauty such as this could put an end to the desires he had. It was that very desire which burned inside his cold body, warming him to the very depth of his loins.”

Richard paused again. His hand gently cupped my chin, tilting my head slightly back. His lips lowered to mine. Gently, the coolness of his lips grazed over mine. A warm rush of excitement ran through my body. My pulse quickened with each breath.

The fire which pulsated through my veins sent me into a fevered state.

“As his lips touched hers,” he feathered his fingers against my jaw, “her heart raced wildly. And her racing heart sent more of her perfumed scent coursing through her veins. He inhaled deeply, savoring the scent as if it was a fine wine. His lips traveled from hers, leaving a trail of hot fire down to her throat. He followed the delightful fragrance to where it was the strongest.” He stopped and inhaled a deep breath. The coolness of his lips touched my fevered skin once again.

“Her blood…it called out to him. The vein in her neck arched to his lips, wanting him like a woman yielding herself voluntarily to her lover in their most passionate moment. Yes-s-s,” he hissed. “It was her blood that desired to satisfy the hunger that raged deep within him. But the vampire fought against his own desire so that she might live.”

Confusion flooded my mind. The air I consumed came in heavy pants. The sweaty palms of my hands gripped the chair tightly. Did he really want to kill me? At this point, I couldn‟t even concentrate on the thought. Fear ran through me. I couldn‟t move! Dear Fate! I was paralyzed. Richard unlocked a tremendous need that welled deep inside of me. A need I feared the most. My animalistic side had been unleashed, the side that needed to be controlled. The dangerous passion which burned and raged inside of me slowly surfaced.

With one swift motion, Richard pulled me from the chair, turning my helpless body around to face him. He eyed me carefully. I was putty in his hands. I watched helplessly as he leaned closer to my neck.

“Mmm-yes,” he growled against my flesh. “He reached around her fevered body, so hot and tempting she was to him. He pressed his lips closer to hers…” He paused when his lips touched mine.

Wearily, I opened my eyes to see the evil grin on his face. Heat burned my checks from the fact he could turn me on like a water faucet, worse yet, a light switch. One word, one touch and I melted into his clutches. It was his spell, the spell of a vampire. I was sure of it. There had to be a way out. Had help eluded me? Had Fate left me to my own demise? I shuddered against the thought.

“Julie,” the deep rich and sultry voice cooed. “You will call out my name before I let you go,” he softly whispered against my ear. A promise I was sure I was going to regret.

Richard pulled my body closer to his. His penetrating gaze deepened. The tinted contacts he wore couldn‟t hide the hunger present in those blue diamond gems. His taut muscular body pressed tightly against mine. I could feel the full length of his hardness strapped against the inside of his jeans. A thrill of excitement ran through me. The wonder. The curiosity of whether the rumors were true about vampires. From what I felt, they very well could be true. Richard was, without a doubt, well endowed.

The coolness of his breath lingered against my face again. The soft floral scent drove my mind into a whirlwind. My body weakened. I couldn‟t think. I couldn‟t move.

I tried hard to regain my will. It was a battle, to say the least. A battle I was losing ever second I remained in his arms.

Gingerly his mouth met my neck again. The soft caress of his lips moved to that sweet spot. The coolness of his tongue ran softly over the erogenous zone. Chills danced up my spine, thrilling nerve endings I never knew existed. Every nerve in my body was a fire tipped flame, even my teeth ached. It was the slow ache of my canines emerging, the wolf emerging. His mouth opened against my neck. The coolness of his teeth grazed over the sweet spot. Fire burned in my soul, and the burning sensation flew across my body. But there was something inside of me willing my body back to reality. Was it strong enough to free itself from the clutches of this inhumanely beautiful vampire? The vampire who was going to adorn himself with my blood, draw from me the beauty inside my veins.

With a quick motion, I grabbed Richard. In a flash, I had him pinned against the wall. I blinked a couple of times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the black and white vision.

Richard seemed taken by surprise at my sudden response. He moved slowly as he backed away from me and pulled my arms down to my side. Our breaths were a series of quick pants. I knew my quick pant was an overactive sex drive. I wasn‟t exactly sure if his was the same. His jaw remained tightly clenched for a moment, and his eyes were wild. Richard had lost control. Slowly, he relaxed, allowing his grip to loosen around my arms.

“I suggest,” I growled as my teeth clicked, “you might want to reconsider your advances, my vampire friend.”

Richard studied my eyes for a moment. I could only imagine what he saw, the blackness, and the darkness in my eyes. The things he didn‟t know about me, or any Lycan for that matter. It took every ounce of strength I had to control myself. I was already over the edge. The battle raged within me to regain control. Trying to control the animal that wanted to tear into him was almost a futile effort. He had no idea what he had encountered. The burning rage inside of me wanted to devour every inch of him.

Take him like the animal I was. My teeth ached to taste the flesh of this vampire.

“You seemed to have made your point very clear.” He spoke in a controlled manner, still staring cautiously into my eyes.

“Richard. You have no idea the point I‟m trying to make.” My teeth clicked again.

“I am sure,” the brown eyebrows met into a frown as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits, “I am well aware of it, now.” He moved.

“DON‟T!” I snapped. “I‟m not in control of myself!” The rage continued to boil in my veins, burning to the depth of my very soul. The muscles in my body trembled, fighting the urge to lunge for his neck.

“My… what big teeth you have,” he teased. “Are you planning on eating me?” His mouth twitched into a sly grin.

“Don‟t tempt me!” A growl erupted deep in my throat as I moved closer to his face, my eyes narrowing as I met his gaze. How could I explain to him that I saw him as my prey?

My heightened senses flamed into torture as I glared into his eyes. I licked my lips, wetting them lightly as I bore down on the rage again trying to gain control. Richard may be fighting the urge to drink my blood, but I was fighting the urge to kill him.

His gaze lowered to my mouth. I thought my canines would be enough to intimidate him, but in one blurring motion, he grabbed the back of my head and pressed his mouth to mine. My breath caught in my throat with surprise. Nope, I was wrong.

This vampire wasn‟t going to give up so easily. Ever so quickly, his lips parted mine and his tongue searched the inside of my mouth. With his tongue, he gently stroked it over my extended canines. My body shivered with each gentle stroke.

The sweetness of his tongue caught me off guard. The taste. A brief gasp of air came from me. The flavor was nothing like I had ever indulged in before. My tongue chased his with delight. It was a delightful taste, light and sweet. It was sweet like the finest of gourmet desserts. Delicate like a summer rosebud. Smooth like a fine French wine.

Fresh like the morning air after a first snow. Rich like the finest chocolates in the world.

Nothing in all my years tasted like him. Nothing could compare to the exotic nature of his flavor that tingled against my taste buds. I gave in to the kiss, delighting myself with this newfound flavor. A flavor I wanted to completely devour. To consume and enjoy it as long as I could. If a vampire‟s kiss was this good, then I should have kissed one a long time ago. Then again, it may be only Richard who had such an exotic appeal to me.

Slowly he caressed my tongue with his. His hand held me firmly in place as he inhaled a deep breath, intoxicating himself on my scent. He drew my breath deeper inside of his lungs. A low growl rumbled in his throat followed by a husky groan as his tongue wrapped around mine and pulled it into his mouth.

A soft moan escaped me as I explored his mouth to the fullest, tasting more of the desirable flavor. My body ached and trembled inside, as the coolness of his hands slid from the back of my neck down to the small of my back. My body molded itself to his, every part of his body fit against mine with perfection. The muscles in his chest flexed against my breasts as his strong arms wrapped tighter around me. With each stroke of his fingers against my back, I melted into the illusive creation of this vampire.

Tremors overtook me, an impossible thing. Wave after wave, my world slipped away. The coolness of his hand pressed against the side of my face. His fingers feathered the softness of my cheek. Finally, it happened. I fell into an abyss of sensual and erotic pleasure. I released a soft moan as my body quickened under his control. With just one kiss from Richard, I softly and irreverently came. It was one of the gentlest ways I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

The muscles in his arms flexed underneath my fingers as I dug my fingertips into his flesh. He moaned with excitement. Carefully, he released me. I swayed in his arms, my eyelids fluttered as the room around me faded. In all my twenty-four years, no one has ever kissed me like Richard. There was no thought that I could comprehend. No words I could use to describe the moment. My mind was at a loss, with one exception.

“Richard. ” My words were but a whisper before my world swirled into utter darkness.

* * *

My eyes fluttered opened, realizing I was lying on my back on the sofa in the living room. I rose and looked around. Richard was gone. My hand went to my neck, checking for any bite marks, puncture wounds, anything that may have happened to me. After my relief of realizing Richard kept my virtue in tack, I released a long sigh of relief.

I sat up on the sofa and put my head in my hands. I couldn‟t believe what happened. I fainted! For Fate‟s sake, I fainted! There was something about Richard.

Something about that vampire. He possessed a strange ability to bring out the animal desire in me. Daniel was right. Richard was dangerous. I didn‟t know how much more I could take of him. If he had wanted to, he could have bit me, or even worse, raped me. I laughed lightly to myself. Richard was not that kind of vampire. But he still had fangs and he seduced me. What else could he do? I was helpless under his control!

The front door opened as an excited Daniel barreled into the house. The stack of papers he carried in his arms told me he had found something. Weakly, I stood to my feet.

“Did you find anything?” I already knew the answer as he made his way to the kitchen.

“Yes!” he called back excitedly.

I was glad he was not within eye‟s view, I stumbled a couple of times before I managed to get a grip on my mobility. Moving slowly, I made it to the kitchen where Daniel had laid out several small stacks of papers.

“What did you find?” I asked moving closer to the table.

“It turns out, Dr. Miller had quite a research theory. I found a couple of files in the deleted section of his computer. These files are the blueprints to how he created the vaccine he was planning to sell to the Department of Defense. The Interior Office called CalCom was the DOD‟s code. It seems that Brendan was a volunteer.”

“But I thought that Dr. Miller saved his life and…”

“No. Just saving Brendan‟s life was not all there was to it. I guess Brendan did not have much of a choice. Dr. Miller introduced him to the project. He set up a series of injections. It turns out that somehow with these injections, he kept Brendan from turning into a werewolf. Apparently Dr. Miller‟s research was not complete, because he could not figure out how to change back the men he already turned into werewolves.”

“What do you mean Daniel? You‟re babbling.”

“Julie, what I am trying to tell you is, once Dr. Miller turned someone into a werewolf, he could not figure out how to reverse the process. Even with the Lycan venom, he could not reverse it. What Miller did find out was that the Lycan venom could prevent the human from turning into a werewolf with the added bonus of regeneration.

This is why he was so amped to sell it to the D.O.D.

“According to what I have found, Brendan was in a group of ten volunteers. All of the volunteers successfully made the DNA modification change. My concern is, since Miller is gone, how are they obtaining the injections?”

I shifted slightly and braced myself against the doorframe. “Who manufactured the vaccine?” I added, frowning to myself as I tried to gain more control.

Daniel looked up from the papers to see my troubled look. “Julie? Are you okay?”

I nodded. It didn‟t do any good to lie to him. Instantly I could feel his thoughts as they swept over me. He was searching mine, looking for some explanation as to my wooziness. With every ounce of strength I had in me, I blocked my thoughts. Daniel frowned slightly.

“Well,” his attention went back to his papers. “CalCom is the manufacturer, and it seems that it is still in the experimental stage. From the looks of it, CalCom is privately owned, but somehow connected with the D.O.D.”

“So what now? I mean, are you going to contact them? How do we find out if they‟ve mass marketed this vaccine?”

“They have not, at least not yet. I already called Dad, and gave him the details. He has his contacts. Right now the only thing we have to do is find CalCom, or worse yet, Brendan, and see if we can‟t put a stop to all this before it‟s too late. If these guys find out exactly what will happen when they stop taking this vaccine, who knows what the DOD

will do.”

“Daniel, they are always looking for ways to make better soldiers. Have you ever considered the possibility that they already know what they are dealing with? I mean, think about it, a team of super soldiers. They would be something new in warfare,” I added as I moved toward the table.

Daniel raised his head and eyed me carefully. He sniffed the air as I came closer.

Suddenly his eyes narrowed. This was it. I needed to prepare myself for the worst. His thoughts gave him away. He could smell Richard. Apparently, I was still carrying Richard‟s scent. The scent of a vampire, lilies and carnations.

“Richard was here?” Daniel threw out sharply.

There was no sense in lying. I nodded.

“Damn it, Julie! What did he do? What in the hell did he want? Did he harm you?”

His voice was tense and filled with concern.

“NO! He didn‟t harm me. He told me he was in the woods last night and saw us.

He said the werewolves were hunting for something. Richard said they caught our scent and came after us. Richard followed the two that attacked us. He said they were hunting us.”

I watched Daniel‟s eyes narrow into tight slits. “What?”

“Richard said…”

“I heard you the first time. This is just great! Now we have a pack of werewolves on our ass. I need to get a sample from one of them. Find out if this is a strand of Miller‟s work. We need to find out what they are up to.”

“Daniel, Richard said they were searching for something.” I tried to distract him from his own thoughts of anger.

“Searching for what?”

“He didn‟t say. He was going to find out.”

Daniel released sigh. He pushed back from the table. The sound of the chair sliding against the wood floor sent shivers up my spine. The dark eyebrows knitted into a frown as he crossed the room and took me in his arms. Deeply the hazel gems peered into mine. There was no need in me wondering if he was upset.

Daniel pressed my body against his. The slow rhythm of his heart beat steadily against my chest. Fear gripped my heart as I heard him inhale a deep breath.

“Julie,” his voice was soft, yet firm. “When are you going to learn to trust me?

When are you going to learn to talk to me?”

A tremor ran through my body, shivering against his. Daniel pulled more out of me than I was willing to give at this point. The shards of pain stabbed at my heart, deeply penetrating the core of my emotions. The tears threatened my eyes. How could I tell him the truth? What could I say?

“I…” I began as he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

“Julie, what did Richard do to you? I need to know.” His voice was firm and controlled.

My teary eyes searched his, carefully taking note of any changes in his eye color.

The beautiful eyes were still a soft hazel. Why was it so hard for me to be honest with him?

“He…Daniel…” I turned my head. There was no way I could penetrate the fear inside of me to tell him Richard seduced me. Or the worse part, that I enjoyed the kiss.

“Jewels, what is it that you fear so badly? Are you afraid I will become angry? Tell me, please. Do you realize how crazy this makes me feel?”

Daniel‟s eyes clearly were the windows to his soul. As I stared into those beautiful gems, the hot tears fell, streaming down my cheeks.

“Sweetheart,” his voice softened. “No matter what you tell me, I will never leave you. I do not care how ugly it might be, I will never let you go. I love you too damn much.” He let out a painful sigh. “I just wish you would trust me enough to talk to me.”

“He…” My gaze drifted as I turned my head to the side. Daniel gingerly took my face in his hands. Softly his lips pressed to my cheek and kissed the tear that trailed from my eye.

“If I have to stand here all day and kiss each tear from your eyes I will,” he softly whispered in my ear.

More tears fell as my arms tightly wrapped around him. My body trembled as his arms pulled me closer to him, providing the assurance and protection I needed.

“I love you so much,” I cried into his chest. “I don‟t know what happened. Richard began…then he… I couldn‟t stop him. The kiss…Daniel?” I stammered as the painful fear flowed through my words.

“He kissed you?” Daniel softly asked against my ear.

I nodded. “I couldn‟t move. There is something about him. He made me want him, like some type of drug.”

“Did he do anything else?” His voice was still soft and assuring.

“No. I fainted,” I finally told him.

Daniel shifted his weight and pulled me up in his arms. My heart raced as he carried me toward the sofa and sat down with me in his lap.

“There is no way I am going to leave you alone again, at least not until he‟s gone and out of your life for good. I will make sure this never happens again.” He pressed a soft kiss on the top of my head. “Do you still want to go to Mom‟s tonight?”

“Yes, we need to be there.”

“Are you going to be all right?”

I nodded again.

“We need to leave in a couple of hours for the gathering. Then afterwards, I want to make another run to the mountain. I want to take a closer look at our werewolves.

Maybe I will get lucky and get a blood sample.”

“Exactly how are you going to do that as a wolf? Where do you think you are going to put the syringe?”

“I have some ideas.” He raised his eyebrow.

For some reason, I really didn‟t want to know. This was going to be one long night.

It may do well for us to have a couple of vampires with us when we go to the mountain tonight. At least they could keep the werewolves busy while Daniel and I attempted to find out more about their interest in the mountain.

There was also the possibility of Daniel drawing a blood sample. I suppose we were going to walk up to one of the stinky beasts, and ask them to be perfectly still while we took a sample. To accomplish this feat, someone had to be human. I hope he didn‟t think I was going to volunteer. When it comes to dealing with a werewolf, I would rather keep my wolf form. Anyway, my human form would probably scream and run away. That was another drawback to being a Lycan; the women appeared to have bad nerves.

Deadly killers as wolves, but they made for very nervous humans.

Tonight‟s adventures waited. The gathering at Charlotte‟s to celebrate the upcoming wedding, followed by a lovely romantic evening with werewolves. What more could a woman want? For some reason, I just knew this evening would be entertaining to say the least.