Wulfric pulled away from her mouth, and with his eyes closed he put his forehead to hers. His chest heaved as he fought to regain his breath. Holding her still against him, he brought himself back under control. Once he opened his eyes, his eyesight had gone back to normal, and his claws had receded.
With a force of will, he set Cydney at arm’s length. He looked at her lips, which were swollen from his kisses, and her cheeks were colored with her arousal. The scent of it played havoc with the control he held over himself. “I’ll call you late in the morning tomorrow,” he said, his voice husky.
She nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”
Knowing he’d better leave before he broke down and yanked her back into his arms again, Wulfric turned her toward the club’s entrance and sent her on her way with a gentle swat to her backside. He watched her go until she was safely back inside the building. It was going to be a hell of a long night.
Chapter Two
After he’d sent Cydney on her way, Wulfric tried to pick up the werewolf’s scent. Even though he’d planned to search the club, there was no way he could go back inside. Not with Cydney still in there. She’d be all over him again, and he didn’t think he’d be able to resist her a second time.
It didn’t take him long to realize the scent trail he’d followed to the club had long since been obliterated. Too many others had crisscrossed it. The only way he would have had a remote chance of picking it up again would have been if it were fresh, which it hadn’t really been.
Giving that particular prey up as a lost cause, Wulfric headed to where he’d parked his Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The silver two-seater sports car was a recent purchase of his, and one of the many things he loved about this modern world. Having been alive since the 500s A.D. he’d seen many changes in the world around him. Some good, and some not. The World Wars had not been a joy to live through. Still a warrior of old at heart, he felt wars were better fought with swords where you could look the enemy in the eyes before you killed them. There was more honor in it, in his opinion.
Driving to the next place in the area of Norwich he hunted, Wulfric had just parked at the curb when his mobile went off. He fished it out of his pocket and smiled when he saw who called. It was Dolf, one of his fellow warriors, and his best friend. He felt as if the others were like brothers to him as well, but he’d always been closer to Dolf. Even when mortal, when they served under Raed—their leader to this day, who had once been King of East Anglia—they’d been close. That didn’t mean they didn’t have their fights, coming to physical blows at times, but they were quick to get over it.
To be honest, Wulfric figured pounding on each other was what kept them best of friends. They didn’t keep their feelings hidden to save the other’s ego.
Wulfric flipped open the phone. “What’s up, you slacker?”
“You’re the slacker, wanker. Where are you?”
“Why? Do you miss me already?”
“I thought we could get a head start on our little once a month competition tonight.”
During the night of the full moon, Dolf and he competed to see who could take out the most werewolves. They both had a competitive streak a mile long, and had been doing this for centuries, ever since they’d learned about and hunted the creatures.
“I’m game, but it won’t count for next week. Let’s call it a warm-up.”
“All right. Where shall we meet?”
“I’m just outside the first park in my hunting area. How about you meet me there? It might provide us with some prey.”
“I’m about five minutes away. See you when I get there.”
Wulfric closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. He didn’t have to wait long before he saw the headlights of Dolf’s car in his rearview mirror. He got out of the Mercedes and stood on the sidewalk to wait for his friend to join him.
Dolf smiled as he slammed his car door shut. He was three inches shorter than Wulfric, but he was just as muscular. Where Wulfric’s light-blond hair was long, Dolf wore his wavy reddish-brown locks short. Once he joined him, Dolf’s gaze—his eyes were so dark brown they almost appeared black—shot toward the park at Wulfric’s back before he focused on him once again.
“Smell or hear anything?” Dolf asked.
“Not yet, but we still have the whole park to search.”
Without another word, they walked through the gate. Wulfric kept his senses alert just as he knew Dolf did. That didn’t last long, though. After a couple of minutes, he found his thoughts straying to Cydney. He’d been alone for so long. Even in his mortal life he’d never found a woman he’d wanted to bind himself to through marriage.
And it hadn’t been from lack of trying, either. The women he’d taken to his bed over the long years, he hadn’t wanted much from them except for a good fuck, then he sent them on their way after it was over. None of them had ever lingered in his thoughts afterward—as Cydney did.
Wulfric let out a grunt of pain as Dolf’s fist connected with his ribs. He blocked the next punch aimed at him. “What the hell did you do that for?”
“To wake you up. I said your name and you didn’t seem to hear me, but I figured you wouldn’t be able to ignore my fist.”
“I guess I was a bit distracted.”
“I’d say more than a bit. One of Fenris’ get could have stepped out in front of you and you wouldn’t have noticed.”
“Bullshit. I was quite capable of picking up a scent trail of one earlier…until I lost it at the nightclub…and Cyd—” Wulfric cut himself off, but he feared he might have already said too much to get away with it.
“Syd, who?” Dolf asked.
Wulfric blew out a breath. There really wasn’t much point in keeping the fact he’d found his mate from Dolf. All the warriors would find out sooner rather than later.
They all lived together in a manor house and not much ended up being kept secret there.
“Cydney. As in my mate.” Realizing Dolf had stopped walking, Wulfric turned to look at him. “What?”
Dolf wore a look of incredulity. “Your mate is a man?”
“Why the hell would you think that? Have I ever given you an indication I’d be into men?”
“Sydney is a man’s name.” Dolf gave him a lopsided smile. “I don’t know, I think I’ve caught you checking me out a few times.”
With a low growl deep in his chest, Wulfric launched himself at Dolf, his fist clipping the warrior’s chin. “My Cydney is definitely a woman, and the only reason why I’d ever check out your unsightly body is if I needed a reason to throw up.”
He pulled back his fist to hit Dolf once again, but went still as the wind blew in their direction.
Dolf had frozen in place as well. “Two of them,” he said quietly.
Wulfric nodded. “I’m picking up the two scents as well.” He lowered his arm.
“How do you want to do this? Use our swords right away, making it a quick death, or have some fun with them first?”
Part of the abilities Tiw had gifted them with was the ability to will their swords away when they didn’t need them, and the opposite as well. The silver mixed in with the steel was deadly to all of Fenris’ get. A strike through the heart was enough to permanently put them down.
“I vote for a little fun,” Dolf replied.
“Then let’s go kick some werewolf arse.”
They both willed their clothes away at the same time and shifted into their half wolf and half human forms. A woman’s high, shrill scream reached Wulfric’s ears as he and Dolf took off at a run, following the scent of the two werewolves. He put on a greater burst of speed, hoping they could reach the woman before she was bitten. Since there wasn’t a cure, death was the only option.