Magnus woke up with a sensation he hadn’t felt in almost fifteen years. There was a warm, soft body in his arms, spooned in front of him so that his cock was nestled between generous ass cheeks, and his chest was pressed against silky soft skin, hair lightly tickling his nose.

More than that, though, was the feeling in his mind. The slight doubling, the sense that there was an open telephone line just starting to come into focus in his mind, and he knew things he’d not known the night before.

“Oh, no,” he whispered, sick to his stomach. “Oh, no.”

“Good morning to you too,” Kristina said lightly, turning her head to look him in the face with her beautiful gray eyes. “Feeling better?”

“What . . . what did I do?” Magnus moaned, pushing away from Kristina and rolling to his feet. He looked down at his cock, feeling the remains of their fucking—no, their mating—on his skin, and he looked at Kristina, who had rolled onto her back, her body stretched out and displayed for him in an erotic tableau that made his body yearn for her even as he recoiled at what he’d . . . he must have forced it on her somehow.

He thought back, trying to remember what had happened. He remembered leaving the Kenai meeting hall and Pauline approaching him, something about her touching him . . . but then his memories descended into a blurred haze of just needing to fuck, to empty his cock, to . . . “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Kristina asked, rolling over and sitting up. Her face studied his, and he felt her probing along their link, and her face fell. “Magnus . . . this link, it’s obviously not that strong. I need you to talk to me.”

“I forced the link on you,” Magnus said, shivering in disgust. “I . . . it’s unforgiveable.”

“No, you didn’t,” Kristina said, standing up. “Look in the link . . . I’ll try and let you see what happened.”

Kristina closed her eyes, and Magnus searched her mind as she recalled the memories of the night before. He saw how he was when he stumbled in the door, the pain and the desire of their first intense fucking, and how he was still so needy. His cock stiffened as he felt her reaction and her decision. “How do you know about how Lycans mate?”

Kristina opened her eyes, and she smiled hesitantly. “It’s not that big of a secret, you know. I mean, my people have lived next to the Kenai for a hundred years now, and while until Edward, no Aklark had ever mated with a Lycan, the Kenai have mated with humans, and people whisper. Besides, Aklark and Kenai have fucked before even if it’s normally been pretty clandestine, and we started putting two and two together. Why would it be that Lycans would never want doggy style?”

“And so last night you . . .” Magnus said, shocked. “You knew what you were doing?”

“Yes,” Kristina said, reaching out and wrapping her hand around his cock. She pumped it slowly, smiling hesitantly up at him. “Magnus, whatever it was that caused you to come in and start wrecking my house while we fucked, I could see that just regular fucking wasn’t going to be enough. It was in your eyes. You could have plowed me all night and still been caught in that daze. So, I made a choice.”

“But why?”

Kristina got down on her knees, looking up at him with naughty eyes as she licked her lips. “Two reasons. First, because I like you . . . a lot. We’ve spent enough time together over the past month that the first spark of attraction I felt for you . . . it’s become a lot more. But part of it is that I’ve always been a wolfy.”

“A what?” Magnus asked, his breath shuddering as Kristina leaned forward and licked the head of his cock with her tongue, licking around the head before leaning back, her face slightly pink with desire and embarrassment.

“It’s a taunt among the Aklark . . . it’s what we call Aklark who like the idea of being with a Lycan. There’s more than one reason I’m a pariah, you know.”

Kristina leaned forward to lick his cock again, but Magnus pulled back, horrified and feeling used. “You mean . . . you mean you knew how to mate with me, and you took advantage of me for . . . what? To say you got your rocks off, to take a walk on the wild side or something?”

“To help you!” Kristina said, hurt as Magnus stepped away from her. “Magnus, if I could have just let you fuck me once or twice and that been it, I would have. I could see you weren’t right in the head, and yeah, I made a choice. I like you, Magnus. Hell, the one thing I’ve wanted to do since our first kiss was to actually go out on a—call me stupid—an actual date with you! It didn’t have to be much. We could have gone to get pizza in the town near the manor or gone out last night. I thought you liked me too!”

“I do!” Magnus yelled, anger mixing with his intense need. His cock was throbbing again, and in front of him was a woman he knew was beautiful, even as much as he’d tried to deny his feelings. “Kristina, I think you’re prettier than any woman since . . .”

His voice faltered, and he looked around, grabbing his pants off the floor and pulling them on. “I shouldn’t have mated you, regardless of whatever happened to me. I need to take a shower and get myself under control.”

Magnus retreated to the bathroom, soaking himself under the ice cold water as he cursed himself over and over. He could feel Kristina trying to talk to him over the link, but he shut it down. She didn’t have that much control over their link yet.

As he showered, he wondered about what had happened. Had she taken advantage of him? Had he taken advantage of her?

The fact was, he did want her. His initial idea when he’d left for the Kenai Hall was to come back home and take Kristina out on a real date, like she’d mentioned. He’d even thought they’d end up in bed together at some point. He’d seen how she liked him. But not like last night, not the way it had happened.

He got out, dried off, and went out to the living room, where he found Kristina changed and her face sorrowful. “Magnus . . .”

“It’s okay,” Magnus said, coming over and putting his hands around her waist, looking into her eyes as she lifted to look into his eyes. “What happened, happened. Kristina, the fact is that I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and a lot more than just jacking off in a bathroom. I’ll be honest—I wouldn’t have mated you our first time. That’s not who I am, especially since the last time I mated.”

“You loved her, didn’t you?” Kristina asked, cupping his face. “The person you joined the Lockwoods over.”

Magnus nodded. “I did. And she was taken from me far too quickly. A traffic accident just weeks after we mated. I hadn’t even officially been accepted into the Lockwoods yet. We were linked intensely at the time, and I felt every instant of pain, everything she thought and felt. Since then . . . I haven’t mated until last night.”

“I’m sorry,” Kristina said apologetically. “You told me a little, but I had no real idea.”

Magnus shook his head. “You did it for all the right reasons. You were trying to help me out, and you guessed at the consequences. Now, we have a few choices to make.”

“What do you mean?” Kristina asked.

“Lycan mating is long-lasting, but it’s not permanent at first,” Magnus explained. “So . . . I’d like to keep seeing you as long as we’re here. We’ve still got a job to do. And I owe that bitch Pauline a little comeback for whatever she did to me. I still don’t know who the fuck she is. I just know she said a few words, touched my chest . . . and you know the results. But beyond that, we need to decide how this affects us. Kristina, if you want, I’ll go back to Lockwood Tower and you stay here, and in about a year, the link will fade. Eventually, it’ll be a tickle even if we’re in the same room.”

“What do you want?” Kristina asked, tilting her head. “I can’t be a Lycan female for you, Magnus. But I can be me.”

“You are the woman I wanted to take on a date and I enjoyed holding hands with when we walked through town. You’re the woman I enjoyed kissing and have been thrilled to work with the past few weeks. So no, you’re not Lycan. You’re still someone I’m enjoying spending time with.”

Kristina nodded. “Okay, I can accept that. But one promise.”

“What’s that?”

She smiled and put her head on his shoulder. “Next time, if we do, it’s when we’re not being influenced or whatever. Now, tell me about last night. I mean, before you burst into the house and I ripped your jacket off.”

“Yeah, you need to get me a new one of those, by the way,” Magnus said with a chuckle. They sat down, and he told her about the meeting with the Kenai, how Pauline had approached him, and his reactions. Kristina’s brow knit as he described the sensations, and when he was finished, she shook her head.

“What is she?”

Magnus shook his head. “I don’t know. But I need to check in with Edward anyway. Maybe they’ve got some more information for us.”

“Okay, I’ll get some breakfast ready while you do,” Kristina said, getting up off the couch. She went into the kitchen and went through her cabinets, looking for food to eat. She had a dozen eggs cracked and whipped in a bowl with some cream for another egg scramble. As she worked, she thought about what they’d said.

Magnus was right. Perhaps their mating wasn’t under ideal circumstances. Perhaps she should have known more about this woman in his past, his previous mate whom he’d apparently been pining over for so long.

But they were mated now, and she didn’t regret it. He didn’t regret it either. He’d opened up their link enough again on his side that she could sense that much. If there were any regrets, it was that it should have been done with zero outside influence. Also, if they didn’t want to be ‘mated’, they could let the link fade.

“Kristina?” Magnus called, and she set her bowl down, going back into the living room. She looked at his laptop and was surprised when there were two people on the screen, Edward on one side and Akiko Thornblood on the other. “Sorry, Dame Thornblood, but I felt it was important for Kristina to listen in on this too. Please continue.”

“Of course. This affects her people too,” Akiko said, her composed, grave face taking her in. “Please, have a seat, Kristina.”

Kristina came around the sofa and sat down, aware of how close Magnus’s knee was to hers as she squeezed in to see the screen. “What’s going on, Dame Thornblood?”

Akiko smiled an enigmatic smile, nodding. “Thank you for the politeness. As to what’s going on . . . I have information on this Pauline Desjardins. First, is this the woman?”

Akiko held up a photograph, and Magnus nodded. “That’s her. She’s changed her hair color though. She’s nearly platinum blonde right now.”

“That’s her natural hair color,” Akiko said. “Magnus, you are in very grave danger. Pauline Desjardins is French, and she’s a succubus.”

“A succubus?” Kristina asked, shocked. “Uh, those exist?”

“They do exist, although there aren’t many in North America,” Akiko said. “The ones my contacts know about, they usually stay in all-human places, where they can create a circle of feeds and survive quietly. They don’t come near Lycans normally.”

“Why?” Kristina asked, leaning forward. “What about Aklark?”

“Considering that the Thornbloods didn’t even know about the Aklark until recently, we don’t know,” Edward interjected. “But I need to get up there to help you. I’m going to be coming soon.”

“Why?” Magnus said. “And why am I in so much danger, Dame Thornblood?”

Akiko sighed, looking at the camera. “A succubus works by seduction, Magnus. But it doesn’t work on mated males. An active link allows the male to resist the succubus’s powers, rendering them useless since there’s a female presence in his mind already.”

“Which is why I’m coming,” Edward said. “I have Kim in my mind, and she can actively link with me the whole time.”

“Then how did she get in with the Kenai?” Kristina asked, and Akiko sighed.

“Peter Alces wasn’t mated, and as for the others . . . a succubus’s powers can be forced, but it requires sexual contact. I suspect there’s been a lot of collaboration between the succubus and those she was able to seduce regularly,” Akiko said. “She’s got a reason, too. My contacts traced her back. She had a brother, an incubus who was in Scotland.”

“And we killed it,” Edward said. “The Aklark were the first outside group to join with the Lycans for the war against the Hunters. And the Kenai were the clan to introduce the Lockwoods to the Aklark.”

Magnus shook his head. “We have to get the word out somehow. I need to confront Ben Stormstout. He’s got a demon living in his own home!”

“You do that, and you’re going to be another victim,” Akiko said. “You’re unmated, Magnus. You are vulnerable to her powers.”

Magnus looked over at Kristina, who swallowed nervously before nodding. “No . . . no, he’s not, Dame Thornblood. He almost fell victim once, but we . . . last night, Magnus and I mated.”

Akiko stopped, blinking for a moment, then nodded. “Then you have limited protection. Magnus, the level of protection depends on the strength of the link. Do you understand?”

Magnus nodded, looking at Kristina. “I understand. Edward, you can come here if you want . . . but there may not be time. I need to confront your father as soon as I can. The situation with the Kenai is . . . extreme.”

Edward nodded, sighing. “Fine. I’ll get there as soon as I can though. Magnus, be careful.”

“We will be,” Magnus said. “Dame Thornblood, please send me all the information you have on Pauline Desjardins. In the meantime, Kristina and I will do what we can to strengthen our link.”

They closed the call, and Magnus turned to Kristina. “This is going to make things more difficult.”

“How so?”

Magnus closed his mouth, and she felt him whisper in her mind. Because the more we use the link, the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets, the longer it takes to fade.

I don’t care. If it keeps you safe, Magnus, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes.

Kristina felt a wave of emotion sweep over her, and she gasped, looking into his eyes. You really feel that way?

I do. If you’re willing to forge a stronger bond between us, then I’m willing to take the risk again. I think you’re the most amazing woman I’ve met.

Kristina nodded. So we just have to keep linking? Won’t we get tired?

Magnus laughed lightly, shaking his head. No. It’s not like a muscle in that regard. It’s more like . . . well, there isn’t really an equivalent. Some people have said it’s like water in a riverbed. The more it flows, the deeper the water cuts into the rock, to the point that it can become permanent. Either way, for the rest of the day, as much as we can, let’s not use our voices at all.

Kristina nodded, and they went into the kitchen together. It was a struggle at first, remembering to use the link and not her voice, but at the same time, it was a fun struggle. Magnus did a wonderful job of ‘playing dumb’ as she instructed him around the kitchen to help with making breakfast, and after it was ready, they sat down together, chatting.

So Magnus, do you really think I’m pretty?

Magnus nodded and opened his mind more to her. Kristina gasped as she saw how she looked through Magnus’s eyes. There wasn’t the big waist or thin lips that were common to the Aklark, and there was no hesitation about the natural size of her back muscles or that she had arms bigger than most men. Instead, she saw the femininity of her curves, the way her breasts stretched her shirts, and the way her hips swelled out from her thick waist. She felt the heat Magnus felt when they’d kissed, and the memories in his mind, still hazy because of Pauline’s interference, but the feeling he’d gotten when they’d been fucking.

Oh, my God.

Yeah, you’re pretty hot. Sorry if I didn’t let you know that earlier. I was . . . well, hold on.

Kristina’s mind was flooded again with memories, this time of fifteen years ago, of another woman. Her moment of jealousy dimmed as she felt the depth of their love and the sacrifice that Magnus was willing to undergo to be with her. Then the pain of her death. The pain brought tears to her eyes, and when she blinked again, she realized it was hours later and they’d been sitting in the kitchen just linking the whole time.

Whoa. And the link is always like this?

When you want it to be. We mated last night, Kristina. Imagine what it’ll feel like having sex when you’re linked. I know you got a ghost of it . . . now imagine how intense it’ll be with a full, active, mature link?

Kristina swallowed, heat flushing her body. So last night might not be the last time?

Magnus shook his head. Not thinking it. Come on, the sun’s getting late in the sky. We need to get going. Can you drive me to the diner? That’s where Ben hangs out mostly, right?

We’ll have to talk outside, but sure.

“Then let’s get ready,” Magnus said, making Kristina gulp. His voice in her mind was almost exactly the same as over the link, and she felt another warm rush of desire flood her body. Magnus chuckled. She must be bleeding over some. “Yes, you are, and to answer your question . . . you learn to deal with it. But if you ever want to know how and why Lycans are so sexual all the time . . . well, now you know.”