Page 9

The EMT woman returned and discharged her. Olivia rose from her seat with heavy limbs. Adrenaline had long abandoned her, leaving only exhaustion behind.

She checked the time and sighed. If she went home now, she might get three hours of sleep before getting up for her flight. Though, at the rate tonight was going, she might as well chug another coffee and stay up to finish some work. Then she could pass out like the dead on the plane.

Olivia looked around for a second to orient herself. Her car was parked around the side of the building, away from the police cars and ambulances. Maybe she could ask one of the officers to escort her?

Don’t be silly.There’s nothing to be afraid of.

Whoever had broken into her lab must be miles away by now.

She picked her way through the parked vehicles toward her car. At one point, she passed by three men in dark suits who looked familiar. Some higher up executives at Zylotech, probably.

No one stopped her or asked her any questions. Everyone had other important things to do. One random woman in a Zylotech lab coat amidst them didn’t raise any suspicions.

Soon she was out of the cluster of cars and people. Her steps slowed as she neared the corner of the building. Olivia glanced back, chewing her bottom lip. Maybe she should have asked someone after all?

She shook her head. It was completely safe. Just residual nerves from earlier. Besides, it wasn’t even that dark. Sure, only two out of the five light poles worked, but her blue sedan was parked under a working one.

Less than twenty feet separate her from the car. Olivia forced herself to put one foot in front of another. Halfway across the parking lot, she felt an ominous presence and eyes on her. Her steps faltered. Her heart stuttered then careened out of control.

Before she could whirl around and run, an iron band locked around her waist. A large hand covered her mouth, smothering her scream. She registered a hard body behind her. A man. Strong. Powerful. Overwhelmingly so.

“Be quiet.” The low, dangerous growl sent shivers down her spine.

Thud.

Another growl rumbled up Marek’s chest. Thud. The booming noise almost drowned out the woman’s blood rushing in her veins. His fangs dropped, aching to taste her.

To claim her.

Mate. His mate.

Thud. His heartbeat. A sound he hadn’t heard in seven centuries.

Unbridled lust gripped him, tangling together with the violent urge to feed. Bloodlust and sex. The two were inescapable and inseparable. Marek felt like an out-of-control, newly turned vampire.

Her mouthwatering scent. The curve of her body against his.

Want her. Must taste her, his vampire crooned with excitement.

Marek opened his mouth, ready to bite, when her whimpers of fear lanced through the mating frenzy, to the man beneath the vampire.

What the—?Marek shook his head to clear away the fog. His cock was rock-hard, the need to claim his mate setting his body on fire. His awareness of his surroundings returned.

He’d returned to Zylotech after ensuring his team’s escape, driven by an instinct that something was wrong. He could have no more ignored it than the silver acid in his blood. From the roof, he’d observed everything until he’d spotted her…

Then the vampire had taken over.

Another whimper.

His heart, the organ unused for centuries, seized with terror. He’d almost bit an innocent woman! Almost completed the mating bond!

Innocent? No, not innocent. His mate worked for Zylotech. Murderous rage swelled and threatened to destroy his hard-gained control. He was certain the lab in the left wing was hers. Had she been in the building? If so, how had she eluded him?

Pain exploded in his stomach. Then his toes. His breath whooshed out of him. The woman had elbowed him and stomped on his foot.

His hold on her loosened. Even as admiration and annoyance competed within him, she released an ear-splitting scream.

“Damn it!” Marek snarled. He heard the police shouting orders. Pounding feet headed his way.