and the pack had spent most of it running in the forest; he hadn’t had an opportunity to appreciate Roman’s

talent at interior design.

Climbing soundlessly down to the floor, Kevin made his four-legged way to the bed and climbed over the

antique steamer trunk at the foot. He paused as Roman stirred in his sleep and turned over. He was

gloriously naked, golden tan and sleekly muscled, the white satin sheets bunched down low around his

lean hips. His long black hair lay in spirals on the pillow around his head and the fur of his groin was a

nest of darkness for the thick, lightly weeping erection that lay flat against his lower belly. He smelled

like forest, and man, and lust. Kevin immediately felt his cock throb and spring to life.

He had to muffle a whine of desire. He licked himself between the legs, hoping to cool the lust building

like a low-grade flame inside him, but it did no good. One look at Roman and he felt his resolve weaken.

No! He had to set his desires aside. He told himself he was on a mission, that he might need to intimidate

Roman as a way to protect Hannah and his own life. But as he crawled across the bedclothes toward his

sleeping lover, his desire steadily mounted and his hunger increased.

Soon he loomed over Roman’s sleeping human form, drool dripping down the sides of his jaws. It was all

he could do to keep from panting with desire and ravaging Roman where he lay, his lust was so strong. He

imagined thrusting inside Roman hot, beautiful body while in his werewolf form while Roman scratched

his back and ass with his fingernails. Never in his life had he felt so out of control.

He shook his head, forced himself to concentrate on the mission. Reaching out, he closed his huge, clawed

hand around his lover’s throat—not tight, but enough to cut off Roman’s breathing.

Roman’s eyes were open. Kevin realized belatedly that they had been open for some time. He simply

hadn’t noticed. Roman had also managed to subtlety moved his hand. Kevin could feel Roman gripping

his balls tightly between his legs. His strength made Kevin go very still.

“Would be a shame to harm such beautiful things, Golden Eyes,” Roman said. “I find them quite

pleasurable.”

He didn’t immediately release Roman, so Roman gave his testes a harsh squeeze. A pulse of pleasure and

pain in equal measures surged through Kevin’s body, making him groan low in his wide, furry, wolfen

chest. Slowly, Kevin let Roman go, removing his hand from his throat.

Roman loosened his own hold, but not by much. He caressed Kevin’s balls and said, “Shift so we may

better speak, young wolf.”

Kevin obeyed. It was almost a relief to have been outdone by his alpha. Kevin realized that in his heart of

hearts, he hadn’t really wanted to hurt Roman. He probably wouldn’t have been able to go through with it.

“Fenrir attacked me and my sister yesterday,” he hissed. “I’m simply returning the favor.”

“I know,” Roman answered. “I sent him.”

Roman’s words confused him. “Why?” His heart thudded in his throat at the revelation.

“To discourage you from joining the pack. And I did not send him to attack your sister, only you.”

Kevin thought about that a moment. “And the dead man?”

“That, too, was sanctioned by me.”

“That makes no sense, Roman! Why invite me to be one of you and then try and drive me off?”

“Anya,” Roman growled, and Kevin saw real emotion in his eyes. Real fear.

“I don’t understand. Are you afraid of her?”

“More afraid for you.” Roman hissed air between his elongated teeth in frustration. “You have no idea

how dangerous she really is. Anya is ten thousand years old, and her name isn’t Anya, anyway, it’s

Freki.”

“Odin’s wolf?” Kevin found the idea of a Norse myth come to life just a little hard to believe.

“The same.” Roman nodded. “She is Freki the Gluttonous—the ancient god-wolf turned woman who

devours all those who cross her. She even devoured her mate Geri when he displeased her.”

Kevin sat back, trying to digest that. At first, he thought maybe Roman was pulling his leg, or that he was

insane. He couldn’t seem to resolve the image of petite, blonde Anya with a demonic she-wolf, but the

fear in Roman’s face told him he was telling the truth. He smelled like he was telling the truth. He smelled

like fear. He went back over what Roman had said. “You commanded Fenrir to harass me? You’ve been

behind this the whole time?”

“It was a necessary evil. Otherwise, you would have soon become Anya’s pet, Anya’s pawn, like the rest

of us.” He sighed and shook his head. “Her instructions to me were to convince you to give up your human

life when you joined the pack as the others have and live with us, be her wolf. I told her you were a

Pedigree and Orphan, that you were too stubborn, but she refused to listen. I was right, of course. I knew,

with a little encouragement, you would do no such thing.”

Kevin gave him a sidelong look. “Why are you telling me this now? What’s changed?”

“After you left us the last time, she started talking about forcibly abducting you. I can’t let that happen.”

When Roman realized he wasn’t catching on, he added, “She wants you because you’re a Pedigree. You

can give her a Pedigree child.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes. “I thought that was your job?”

Again Roman shook his head. He listened for a moment to make certain no one was lurking in the halls

outside before saying, “Anya can’t carry to term, some physical defect, perhaps, or because she was the

first, the Eve of our kind and she can only bear children with Geri, we aren’t sure…”

“What makes her think I would be any better a mate than you?”

“Because she doesn’t blame herself. She blames me. She thought if she could make you a permanent part

of the pack, she could convince you to mate with her. She thinks you might be more viable than I.”

Kevin felt a surge of anger, but quickly stamped it out. “Well, she’s wrong. I have no desire to be her

mate. And if do have children someday, it’ll be on my own terms. Have you talked to her about this…

madness?”

“Anya cannot be reasoned with. The only things she respects are the taste of prey in her mouth and her

own desires.” Roman’s eyes gleamed. “She has the bit in her mouth and she won’t let this go. She never

lets go of anything she wants.”

Kevin swallowed hard. Then a thought more horrible than anything occurred to her. “Honeypot.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a term I hear a lot of cops at the club use. It means trapping someone by using sex.” Kevin glared at

Roman. “Is that you, Roman? Are you Anya’s honeypot? Her way of entrapping me?”

Roman reached for Kevin’s arm, but Kevin yanked it away while steadily looking at the other man.

“Kevin…”

“Answer the question.”

Roman narrowed his golden-yellow eyes. Kevin could smell the wolf strong on him, but whether it was

fear or desire, he couldn’t tell. “I did as she bade me at first because that is always what I’ve done in the