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“So where were you last night?” Alexei leaned back in his chair to stare at Vadim as he entered their temporary office.

“Where do you think I was?” Vadim took off his jacket and placed it carefully over the back of his chair. Despite the air-conditioning it felt warm in the enclosed space.

Alexei inhaled. “You smell of Ella’s shower gel, so my guess would be you were with her.”

“Feehan asked me to stay with her.”

“How closely?” Alexei’s silver gaze narrowed. “You’re fucking her, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Vadim strengthened his mental barriers. If Liz had picked up on his bonding with Ella in her Fae-Web, Alexei must have too, but he wasn’t going to admit that to the devious Fae. “I stayed over at her place after we sorted out a sprite issue. I used her shower this morning.”

“Really.”

Vadim met Alexei’s skeptical gaze head on. “Yes, really. Ask her if you don’t believe me. I slept on the couch and it was damned uncomfortable.”

“You can’t afford to fuck this up, Vadim.”

“I know that.”

Alexei’s Fae-Web streamed out and encircled Vadim. “You are essential to this case.”

“I know that too.” He resisted the urge to blast the Fae-Web into pieces as it shimmered around him like a fisherman casting a lure. “Do you think I’d do anything to jeopardize my future after the last case?”

“I’m no longer sure.”

“Then go and tell tales to Madame Dubinsky. Just remember if she demands my return, this case is ruined and I’m a dead man.”

“I’ll do what I have to, Vadim.”

“Of course you will. You’re Fae. You have no conscience at all.” He rose from his seat. “Feehan called a meeting at ten. Are you coming?”

Alexei followed him out of the room, his expression petulant, his Fae-Web flashing like a thundercloud. Vadim stood back to let Liz and Ella enter ahead of him and then followed them in. The whiteboard had yet another picture attached to it. This one was a gruesome snap of Trini Yamada in her party hat, her dead eyes fixed on the afterworld.

He hardly listened as Feehan rattled through the details of Trini’s short life, her decision to come to San Francisco and the tragic consequences of that choice. Ella doodled flowers on her yellow notepad. Even without trying, he knew it was a front and inside she was grieving for all of her classmates and fellow empaths. She wouldn’t allow him to comfort her and he didn’t want Alexei picking up any stray communications between them. His Fae colleague was already too suspicious.

“So we have to assume that the Siren isn’t murdering his victims in alphabetical order,” Feehan concluded.

“I also want you all to know that I’ve alerted the other empaths who graduated with Ella and sent her twenty-four-hour protection. She’s not going to do anything but stay at home until I give her the all-clear.”

Ella looked up. “Has anyone contacted the two male empaths yet?”

Sam stuck up his hand. “I did. They are both alive and happily mated.”

“Good for them. But just because they are mated doesn’t mean they couldn’t have killed.”

“That’s true—” Vadim drew a black box on his legal pad, “—and they do know all of the American victims, which might explain why no one has put up a fight. Can we trace their movements for the past few weeks?”

“I’ve already got someone on that,” Feehan said. “I’ll let you know the results as soon as I get them.” He looked around the table. “So what else do we have to go on? What are the Fae-Webs telling us?”

Liz looked stricken. “That Ella will be next.”

“Oh great, thanks,” Ella said.

“The Fae-Web can be wrong, Ms. Walsh.” Vadim glared at Alexei and Liz.

“That’s right, and the way isn’t clear yet. Death is near Ella, but we both feel that she is the key to solving this mystery.”

“Over my dead body, right?”

“We’ll try and make sure that doesn’t happen, Ella.” Feehan’s smile was strained. “Now, is there anything else?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Well, let’s call it a wrap until tomorrow then.” Feehan beckoned to Vadim. “Could I speak to you for a moment, in private?”

Vadim could see no way of avoiding the request and reluctantly followed his superior out of the conference room.

* * *

Liz reached over to take Ella’s hand.

“I’m so sorry. That came out all wrong.”

“It’s okay. It’s not as if my chances were looking good anyway.”

“But to just blurt it out like that!”

Ella squeezed her hand. “It’s okay , really.”

Liz’s expression cleared and her Fae-Web glittered brightly. “You feel different.”

“Really?” Ella tried to sound disinterested. She was all too aware of Alexei leaning in to overhear their conversation.

“As if you’re lighter or something.”

Ella winked at her. “I’ll tell you all about it later. We can do lunch.”

“That would be awesome.” Liz moved in closer. “Do you have a new man?”

“I think she does,” Alexei said.

Ella turned to meet his gaze. “And how would you know anything?”

“I talked to Vadim this morning.”

“About what?”

“I think you know.”

She rolled her eyes. “What is this? High school? If you have something to say, just spit it out.”

“Vadim stayed over with you last night.”

“Yeah, he did.”

“He smelled like you this morning.”

“That’s because even though I tell him it makes him smell like a girl, he uses my shower gel and stuff. What exactly are you getting at?”

“You’re dating him.”

Ella started laughing. “Dating Morosov? Hell no. I’d rather date you. At least I’d know where I stood.”

“There’s something going on between you. I see it in my Fae-Web.” Alexei’s web flowed out and meshed with Liz’s. “Yeah, there’s definitely something going on. Your fates are linked.”

“So everyone keeps telling me.”

Alexei’s expression darkened. “There’s no need to be sarcastic. You have no idea what Vadim Morosov is capable of, do you?”

“No, and I don’t want to know. He’s a pain in the ass.”

“He’s dangerous.”

“Right.” She went to get up and Alexei put out his hand.

“I’m serious. That incident, when the pair of you were stuck in the elevator together last week? That incident that no one else knows anything about, including the security cameras?”

“What about it?”

Alexei sat back in his chair, his silver eyes glittering. “Did it occur to you that Vadim might have orchestrated the whole thing?”

“Why on earth would he want to do that?”

“Think about it. He saves you, you’re grateful, he gets in your pants.”

She tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach. “You think he’s that desperate? Have you looked at him? Seriously ?”

“If it makes him look good, he’d do it. Underneath that bland exterior he’s as ruthless at getting what he wants as any Fae.”

Ella stood up and pushed in her chair. “It’s a great theory, but there’s a massive flaw in it. I’ve already asked Morosov to hook up with me, and he turned me down flat.”

“I thought you didn’t sleep with your colleagues.”

“I was drunk. He put me to bed and left me there. I’m glad he did. It would’ve been awkward otherwise.” She glanced over at Liz. “Shall we do lunch?”

Liz rose, as well, ignoring Alexei. “Sure. I’ll get us some sandwiches, and we can eat here.” She linked arms with Ella and together they walked out.

Over lunch, she managed to keep chatting with Liz, but it was an effort when her mind was dealing with a hundred possible scenarios. She had to assume that Alexei didn’t know what had really happened in the elevator or he would have gone for the jugular, not sought information. Would Vadim want to mate with her so badly that he’d arrange such an elaborate stunt? She couldn’t see why he’d bother when he was obviously as unprepared for the mating call as she had been.

But what if he wasn’t? What possible advantage could mating with her give Vadim? Ella considered his aversion to Otherworld. By allying himself with her was he escaping a more dangerous fate on the other side? Hadn’t that letter mentioned that the lucky bonded mate was eligible to live in either world? Another more insidious thought surfaced. What if they weren’t really truly mated and Vadim had set the whole thing up simply to get her through the case alive? According to Alexei, Vadim was both ruthless and powerful. Unfortunately she now knew that was true.

Ella picked up her phone and called Liz. “That party you are going to tonight with Doug at the shapeshifters’ place? Can I tag along? I’ll be safe surrounded by Doug’s pack.”

Liz squeaked in delight. “Awesome! Come home with me after work and we can get ready together. It’ll be fun!”

Ella sat back and contemplated her phone. It would also give her the opportunity to prove whether her mating with Vadim was real or a figment of her imagination.

* * *

Vadim nodded as Feehan went through his list of requirements for Ella’s safety again. Unless she was on SBLE property, he had no intention of leaving her unguarded for more than a second. Even if she declined his escort, he would be able to find her through their mated link. She had no idea that he could blast through her shields if he needed to and that he would guard her to the best of his considerable magical ability.

Feehan cleared his throat and shuffled some of the papers on his desk.

“There’s one more thing.”

Vadim tried to look approachable and willing. “What’s that, Mr. Feehan?”

“The head of the SBLE in the U.S., Drew Spencer, is aware of what is happening to the empaths, and is contemplating taking over the case. I’m sure you’ll agree that this would not be ideal for either of us or our future careers.”

“I’d rather we got to see it through ourselves.”

“I agree, but Mr. Spencer doesn’t think we are acting fast enough.”

“What does he expect us to do? This killer appears and disappears into thin air!”

Feehan turned off his computer. “I spoke with him on the phone this morning. He intends to come down and speak to us all tomorrow.”

Vadim fought to control his instant protest. “What good can he do? We had the head of the SBLE in Russia involved and it made no difference.”

“I did tell Mr. Spencer about that.” Feehan avoided his gaze. “I regret to say he suggested the Russian organization wasn’t as capable as ours, and that with our resources we wouldn’t have failed.”

“What’s he offering us—the Navy Seals?”

“I’m not sure exactly what he’s offering. All I know is that if all the twenty-seven year-old empaths in America are wiped out, heads will roll.”

Vadim sat back. “I can’t see Ms. Walsh liking this interference, can you?”

“Not at all. She is very protective of her kind, but if she chooses not to take a mate, her influence will be very short-lived anyway.”

Silence fell as he struggled to control his rage at Feehan’s offhand comment. No wonder Ella felt her life was dispensable when faced with the ignorance of the SBLE bureaucracy. He got to his feet.

“She’s been offered a mate. I hope to God she takes him. No one’s life should be considered expendable by the SBLE.”

He walked out and wondered where to go next. Alexei wouldn’t be pleased to see him and neither would Ella. He noticed Sam strolling along the hallway with a bag of popcorn and headed toward him.

“I thought I could help you with the research on the male empaths.”

Sam’s face broke into a smile. “That would be cool, Vad. Come into my cubby and pull up a chair.”

* * *

Ella pursed her lips in the mirror and added another layer of bright pink lipstick. She hardly ever bothered with makeup, but tonight was an exception. She wanted to be noticed, to get drunk and maybe even to get laid. Liz had lent her a sleeveless black dress, which came thigh high on the tall blonde, but skimmed Ella’s knees. It was made of some stretchy, clingy fabric that stuck to her boobs and tended to ride up. She’d also borrowed a pair of high-heeled sandals that were already making her feet hurt. Ella was satisfied with her appearance. She looked totally unlike herself.

Music thumped through the walls of the narrow row house where the party was being held, and even the stairs were full of people. Doug’s wolf pack was large, very social and remarkably tolerant of every other kind of magical power including Ella’s. She’d already had a beer and been introduced around by Doug to a lot of males who seemed more than happy to see her. Her purse vibrated again and she finally took out her phone and turned it off. It wouldn’t deter Vadim for long. He’d have no compunction in ignoring normal avenues of communication and finding her anyway.

She emerged from the bathroom and went down the stairs, wobbling on her high heels toward the kitchen to get herself another beer. Six months ago this would’ve been her idea of heaven. Good friends, alcohol and plenty of sex if she wanted it. Shapeshifters didn’t have the same narrow morals as humans and wouldn’t hold a one-night-stand against anyone. Having nothing to live for, she’d been happy to take whatever she could get and enjoyed it.

Big Jim Dresden, the second-in-command of the pack, held out a can of her favorite beer.

“Looking for this, or looking for me?”

She smiled at him. “Can I have both?”

His answering grin showed the sharp points of his canines. “Is that a promise?” He held the beer high over his head. “A kiss if you want the beer.”

Ella considered him. He wasn’t called Big Jim for nothing. He was at least six-four with hands and feet and, allegedly, other parts of his anatomy to size. She stood on tiptoe and put a hand on his shoulder to balance. He smelled of tobacco and mint. He obligingly bent his head and she allowed her mouth to brush his before kissing him properly. He tasted just fine and had some skills, but she drew back and studied his mouth.

“Can I have my beer now?”

He laughed and handed it over. “That was nice. Want to do it again?”

She held up the beer. “Maybe after I’ve drunk this, okay?”

He blew her a kiss and she walked over to the window, ostensibly to look outside, but really needing some space. Big Jim was the third guy she’d kissed in the past hour, and none of them had made her feel remotely sexy. She popped the can and drank thirstily. Maybe she needed to be drunk to do this properly. Or maybe, she couldn’t do it anymore because none of the males were Vadim Morosov…

She finished the rest of her beer. And what did that prove? That Vadim’s magic was strong enough to bind her to him, or that they were truly mated by Otherworld and no one else would do it for her anymore? She turned back to Big Jim, who was still lounging by the refrigerator handing out beer and advice to random partygoers. “Ready for another round, princess?” he asked. “You know the price now, right?”

“I do. Pucker up, baby.”

He grinned and bent down to her level. She wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and kissed him slowly until he started to kiss her back, his hand on her ass, drawing her closer. A sudden terrible coldness surrounded her and the hairs on the back of her neck bristled. She wasn’t the only one who was affected. Everyone in the small kitchen seemed to freeze into place. Ella slowly released Big Jim and turned around.

Vadim stood by the doorway, immaculate in his dark business suit, his expression cool, his hand fisted at his side.

“Jeez,” muttered Big Jim. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, that’s Morosov. He works with me.” She flicked a defiant glance at Vadim. “I didn’t know you were planning on coming to this party. You could’ve tagged along with me and Liz.”

“If I’d known that was what you planned, I would’ve done so.” Vadim walked over to her, his blue eyes like ice. No one else moved. “Unfortunately, I was under the mistaken impression that you’d gone home early with a headache.”

Big Jim shook his finger at Ella. “Naughty.”

She shrugged. “He doesn’t own me.”

“That’s correct but I am supposed to be guarding you.” He raised his cool gaze to Big Jim, who immediately held up both his hands and stepped back from Ella. “Any of these males could be a threat to you.”

Ella squared up to him. With her high heels she came up to his autocratic nose. “I know these guys. They’re Doug’s pack. I trust them all.”

“So I saw.”

She met his gaze and then wished she hadn’t. “I’m fine. If you’re so worried about my safety that you had to chase me down, you can go and wait in the hallway. I’ll find you when I’m ready to leave.”

“ Shit ,” Big Jim breathed in her ear. “You’ve got some balls. That is one scary powerful dude.”

“I don’t think so.”

Vadim took hold of her elbow.

The next moment they were alone somewhere in complete darkness. It was still close to the party because she could hear the music. She could smell a faint scent of Big Jim and wondered if they’d ended up in his bedroom at the top of the house.

“Don’t play games with me. Take me back, right now.”

Vadim didn’t say anything but stepped so close that she could feel every furious, vibrating inch of him from head to toe. Something soft touched her cheek and she realized the air was full of swirling black feathers.

“Why did you kiss that male?”

“What is it to you?”

He let out a very controlled breath. “We’re mated.”

“So you say.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

She pushed away from him, stumbled against the side of a bed and sat on the edge. “Don’t get all macho and possessive on me.”

“Ms. Walsh, if you had any idea how hard I am trying to stop myself getting ‘all macho and possessive on you’ right now you’d shut the fuck up.”

She glared at him. “There’s no need to swear either.”

“I apologize.” She’d never believed anyone could speak between gritted teeth before, but she believed it now.

“Here’s the thing, Morosov. I was conducting an experiment.”

“To see how many males you could fuck in one night?”

“There were only three and I only kissed them.”

He gave a bark of laughter. “Only three.”

She kicked her sandals off and wiggled her tortured toes. “I wanted to see if it felt any different.”

“Different to what?”

“Kissing you, of course. It was suggested to me today that you are way more powerful than you let on, which I knew already, and that you might have used your magical powers to convince me that we were mated when we weren’t.”

“And why would I do that?”

He moved until he was directly in front of her. She could see his expression now and it wasn’t very reassuring. “To make sure I got through the case without going nuts and saved your ass.”

Magic surged around her and caught at her hair, making it stand on end. She fought a shiver as she remembered how all the big tough shapeshifters downstairs had backed down in Vadim’s presence.

“Do you really think that badly of me?”

She forced herself to look at him and found her gaze fixated on his immaculate white shirt. “Obviously not, which is why I, a) didn’t storm off in a huff or, b) confront you and instead, c) conducted my experiment at this party.”

“And what are the results of your experiment?”

“None of them tasted right.”

He leaned in and licked a salacious line along the seam of her lips. “And what about now?”

She inhaled his now familiar scent and lust pooled in her stomach. “Mmm…”

He kissed her again, feather-light touches over her mouth and jaw, her nose, her eyelids. “And now?”

“I think I need to taste you again.”

He claimed her mouth in such a way that all thoughts of the other males disappeared, replaced by the ferociousness of his need, his power and her desire for him. He kept kissing her and she slid a hand into his hair and drew him close until he was right where she needed him between her open thighs.

Before she could stop him, he fell to his knees and she felt his teeth nipping her inner thigh. Her panties disappeared and his mouth was on her most intimate parts, sucking her clit, his tongue delving between her folds to push inside her. When he added his fingers to the mix, she writhed against him. He didn’t stop, making her climax twice more before crawling up over her body and kissing her.

He snapped his fingers and she was naked, her hands mysteriously bound over her head with his tie. Candles appeared beside the bed, illuminating her flesh.

“That’s not fair,” she gasped.

He straddled her and ripped off his jacket. “Do you think I care?”

She stared up at him as he yanked off his tie and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “Make your clothes disappear too. I want to see you.”

His smile was lethal. “You can damn well wait.”

She tried to pull against her bonds, but they were too strong and she couldn’t wiggle out of them either. Were Doug and Liz looking for her? Was anyone worried that she’d been literally magicked away?

Vadim knelt up to continue his leisurely striptease, pushing down his pants and underwear to reveal his already stiff cock. As he palmed himself a bead of moisture gathered at the tip. With a groan, he leaned forward and rubbed his wet thumb against her lips.

“Taste this, too.”

She sucked on his thumb until he replaced it with his cock and then she sucked on that until he took control and fucked her mouth, one hand moving between her breasts, pinching and shaping her nipples into hard peaks of need. She used her teeth on him and his breath hissed out. Removing his cock from her mouth he slid it between her breasts, cupping her rounded flesh tightly around him. He groaned her name and came. The sharp scent of the sea and a hint of citrus infused her skin.

“Let me loose now. I want to touch you,” Ella demanded.

He took no notice, only knelt between her legs and pushed them wide and over his shoulders before devouring her with his fingers and his mouth again until she screamed his name. Even before she finished coming, he slid his cock back inside her and took her that way, each stroke long and leisurely from tip to root, and then slamming into her, making her beg and scream and forget everything but his taste, his body and his mind claiming hers. So wet now, his clever fingers playing with her clit and the pucker of her ass, marking her as the other men had failed to do, in every way he could. She couldn’t escape his thoughts either, and he couldn’t control them as well as he controlled his body. She was becoming aware not only of his need for her, but the astounding depth of his magical powers. She bit down hard on his lip.

“You could destroy me.”

Vadim went still over her, his cock hard, his heart pounding against hers.

“I couldn’t.”

“Don’t lie.”

He kissed her already swollen mouth. “I couldn’t . I could kill anyone who touched you, though.”

“Is that a threat?”

He bit her back. “It just is.”

She tried to jerk her head away but he wouldn’t let her. “I’m not human. You know that, and I’m now a bonded male. Ask Doug, ask any of those men downstairs what that means and what they would do for their mate. I’m no different.”

She stared into his eyes. “So this is you being nice?” He pushed himself deep inside her until she moaned.

“Yes.”

“Winning me over with fantastic sex?”

“ Yes .” He gazed down at her. “I don’t think you would enjoy any of the alternatives. Most bonded males would consider me to be within my rights to slaughter the three men you kissed and beat you soundly.”

She bared her teeth at him. “Go ahead, if you want me to castrate you with the bread knife.”

* * *

Vadim realized his black mood was evaporating when he was able to smile at her. “I’m no fool, Ms. Walsh. I’ll take what I can get.” He released her hands from their bonds. “And I have you right where I want you, under me, wet from my seed and begging.”

She opened her mouth—no doubt to argue with him—but he kissed her instead and increased the pace of his thrusts until she was coming all around his shaft. He came with her, fusing his thoughts with hers and making the floor shake with the combined power of their magic.

Reluctantly he rolled away from her and found their clothes. He handed Ella her bra and the sexy black dress she must have borrowed from Liz and placed her shoes neatly in front of her.

“Don’t tell me there isn’t a shower here.” Ella stepped into her shoes.

He raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately not.”

“And you’re okay with that, Mr. Clean?”

He stepped into his underwear and pants, dusting the black feathers off as he dressed. “We’ll be home soon. We can shower then.”

She narrowed her eyes at him as she struggled into her black bra. “You’re up to something.”

He continued dressing, zipping her into her dress without a murmur when she ordered him to. Was it petty of him to like the thought of walking her down the stairs, through the rest of the party guests and out the door when she smelled of him? That all the males would know she was his mate and keep away?

Yes, it probably was, and most unlike him, but he was going to make sure it happened.

“Morosov, where are my panties?”

He stopped smiling and studied his indignant colleague, who now stood in front of him, hands on her hips in a stance he knew meant danger.

“I’ve no idea. Where did you put them?”

“You took them.”

“I don’t remember that.” He tried to look sympathetic. “Does it matter?”

“Not if you can whisk us right out of here and straight home.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because this room is warded and we have to let Liz and Doug know you are safe and going home with me.”

“Can’t you just Fae-interface with Liz or something?” Ella was tapping her foot now, irritation clear on her face. He was enjoying himself.

“No.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He just looked at her and then went over to the door and opened it. “Shall we?”

She clomped down the narrow stairs behind him. Judging from the noise, the party was still going strong. “They’ll know what we’ve been doing.”

“I suppose they might, but Liz can keep it to herself, can’t she?” He spotted Liz sitting on one of the couches kissing Doug and pushed his way through to her.

“Liz?”

“Vadim!” She scrambled to untangle herself from Doug, slapping his hand away from her thigh and rearranging the neck of her dress. “I didn’t know you were here!”

“I came to collect Ella. Feehan asked me to.” He made a face. “I just wanted you to know that we were going now.” He waved a vague hand behind him. “Ella’s just over there.”

Liz tried to look around him at Ella but he made it impossible for her to see much. “Sure! We’ll see you in the morning.”

Vadim inclined his head. “Good night Liz, Doug.”

He sensed Ella was already working her way down to the kitchen and hurried to catch up with her. The same group of guys was hanging around the refrigerator and they went quiet when they saw him. He liked that. He wondered what they had been saying to her, and what she’d said in return. Ignoring the stares, he walked right up to her and took her hand, bent to kiss the luscious curve between her shoulder and neck. He’d marked her there with his teeth. She obviously hadn’t noticed yet. “Ready to go, Ms. Walsh?”

He nodded at Big Jim whom he hoped was busy inhaling their bonding scent and getting the correct message.

Ella tried to pull out of his grasp but he held on and followed her out into the street, casting one last meaningful glance over his shoulder at the silent shapeshifters. He didn’t think any of them would let Ella kiss them again.