Page 126 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

A smile flickered across her face, before melting into something sadder.

It was only then, as her fingers slid away from his, that he realized she’d been hanging around with vampires not because they were her friends but because she was one. That was why she didn’t smell like a wolf. He should let go of her hand and make a polite excuse to leave.

There were rules about vampires and wolves. Especially in his pack. Vampires were lesser, failed wolves, that existed to serve the pack, they were not to be dated.

“That was a long time ago. Things have changed,” Macey said with a tight voice.

And some things hadn’t. She’d never managed a shift. He didn’t want to be rude and brush her off again, but this attraction was a dangerous thing for a man in his situation.

He glanced over his shoulder trying to pinpoint his cousin, or worse his brother. But didn’t see either. “Which pack are you with?”

Her lips moved before any sound came out. “Green River. Quite a bit south. You?”

“Portland.” His father controlled an extensive area and an equally large number of wolves and vampires. But his father would never give up any territory so his second son could have his own pack. Owen had spent the last three years pressing boundaries and testing ideas, only to be rebuffed each time.

The silence formed again.

“I should probably go.” She brushed her dark curls off her face.

“Wait.” Now what was he going to say? He shouldn’t have said anything, he should let her go and forget this reckless lust.

Macey tilted her head. “What, you want to hang out later? Go for a midnight run?” her lips twisted into a bitter knot. She stepped closer, her teeth lengthening. “I’m not a wolf.”

He swallowed hard as his heart rate kicked up. If she’d been pretty before, now she was breathtaking—life-taking. He wanted to run with her even though it was the wrong thing to do.

“I know.” His father would be furious if he heard tales of his son spending time with vampires. Right now he didn’t care that Macey wasn’t a wolf. That she wasn’t might even be part of the allure. He’d never kissed a vampire, much less run with one. “That doesn’t mean we can’t talk, and I’ve heard that vampires can really run.”

She pressed her lips together and tilted her chin as though considering him and finding him unworthy. He wished he could see her eyes behind her sunglasses. “You wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

“I’d be willing to try.”

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