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her demonic nature surged. She drank in the stench as she drew his sizzling energy into her body. He was wild, savage in his determination to come, and she fed deeply.
    He cried out again, shuddering violently as he came. The condom caught his seed, which ruined the ending for her. Why must humans be so paranoid?
    “Wow.” He climbed off her and helped her up from the ground as aftershocks trembled through him. “That was…unbelievable.” He dragged off the condom and tossed it aside as if it contained nothing more precious than piss.
    She righted her clothing, hands shaking, a red haze obscuring her vision. Energy thrummed through her, power like she hadn’t enjoyed in years. Matt had been too easily overwhelmed but Sean had been aggressive and ruthless. He’d tasted strangely sweet, his energy concentrated and potent.
    It had been her intention to feed and then wipe their minds of the encounter. But her demonic nature was not yet satisfied. With a powerful mental pulse she froze both humans in place. They were motionless but aware. Fear made a human’s mind more malleable, so she always let her victims see her coming.
    She turned toward Matt first. He’d recovered enough to right his clothing, though his expression was still somewhat dazed. It would be simple to scrub his memory, but how would he react to the disappearance of his friend? No. Dead bodies provided fewer clues than confused witnesses.
    Conjuring a long, thin blade, she paused as terror blossomed in his gaze. How she loved that look and that smell. She inhaled deeply, allowing fear’s stench to coat her nose and throat. Once she was surrounded in Matt’s horror, she thrust the knife into his stomach and his chest. He gasped and gurgled, blood rising into his throat.
    She paused again, savoring the coppery tang and his futile struggle for survival. He couldn’t move, so the conflict was internal. She could hear his manic thoughts and chaotic emotions. This was better than sex. Well, better than some of the sex she’d endured down through the years.
    Matt coughed, his blood spattering her face. She laughed. It was unlikely he’d planned the final insult but she wasn’t going to let it stand. She drove the blade through his right eye socket and deep into his brain. He shuddered then stilled, lifeless, useless. She released her hold on him and watched him collapse at her feet.
    Sean made distressed sounds, frantically struggling against her paralyzing thrall. Walking toward the handsome blond, she gazed into his eyes as she licked the blood from her blade. His features revealed fear then disbelief and finally anguish. Where was her savage lover now?
    “And you, my fine young stud, are going to come with me.” His eyes widened and he tried to shake his head. “There’s an unusual richness in your energy. I’m going to tie you to my bed and ride you hard and fast until I figure out what it is.”
    She ignored his muffled screams as she wrapped her arms around him and unfurled her wings.
    * * * * *
     
    Jake drew his tiger to the surface as he waited for Heather to respond to his question. He had no doubt she’d told him the truth so far, but there was no telling how long her honesty would last. It was easy to picture a large group of Therian wolves gathered in the forest, beating each other to a bloody pulp for the right to claim a female. Of all Therian shifters, and there were many types, wolf packs were wildest and least interested in being civilized.
    Still, the crux of the issue remained. Why had she chosen him as her protector? His interactions with wolves were few and far between. Silverthorne was one hundred thirty miles from Aspen. He stayed out of their way and, for the most part, they did the same.
    “You passed the largest concentration of cougars in the state, an irritable jaguar and a raptor on your way to me,” he listed when she continued in silence, stubbornly avoiding his gaze.
    She fiddled with the bathrobe’s belt then