Thoughts ran through my head so fast I could barely comprehend them.

My body raged, held in check only by the thinnest thread of self-control. The hunt with my brothers tonight had been frustrating and worrisome, and I’d returned to the house with unspent energy coursing through my veins. The second I walked into this room and saw Willow, tantalizingly disheveled as she worked the heavy bag, I should’ve walked right back out again.

Nothing good could come of staying. I’d known that.

Yet I hadn’t been able to resist—had even convinced myself my motives were entirely selfless. The fact that we’d lost track of the shades meant Willow was in more danger than ever. We had no idea where our enemy lurked, and she needed to know how to defend herself.

I’d stifled the voice in my head that told me I was only doing this because I wanted to touch her smooth skin, to see the wild gleam in her hazel irises as she fought.

Now the wildcat stared up at me, her eyes wide and unblinking. She’d ceased her struggles, her body softening and giving way under mine. Only her chest moved, her perfect breasts rising and falling with her deep breaths.

She licked her lips, and desire roared through me at the sight of her pink tongue darting out to wet those perfect, bow-shaped lips. I clenched my jaw as my cock pulsed, holding myself stock still to keep from grinding into her.

“Mal…”

Willow’s voice was a breathy whisper. The rush of blood in her veins was a siren’s call.

“Malcolm,” I gritted out. It was the only damned thing I could manage to say.

Her brows furrowed, a little line appearing between them. “What?”

“Malcolm. My name is Malcolm.”

“Oh.” She blinked up at me, her mouth falling open.

My hands still held her wrists, and the sight of her lying so pliant and vulnerable—so trusting—beneath me made me ache to claim her.

To make her mine.

To bury my cock inside her soft warmth and stay there for eternity.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I heard Jerrett call you Mal, and I just assumed…” She trailed off, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “Jesus. We’ve never even been properly introduced.”

The laugh that burst from my lips should’ve tamed my arousal, but it only served to heighten it.

This was why Willow was so goddamned alluring. She constantly took me by surprise. We were sprawled across the floor of the training room, locked in a very compromising position as a cloud of lust hovered in the space between us, daring one of us to act.

And this insane woman was worried about being proper.

My laugh settled into a rumbling chuckle, and goose bumps broke out across her skin as her breath picked up again. The warm cherry and almond scent that was uniquely her invaded my nostrils, tinged with a combination of arousal and fear.

Smart girl. You should be frightened. Both of us should. Because I’m about to make a very big mistake.

“Wildcat…” My voice was low and thick, and I watched her pupils dilate in response to my words. “When you’re looking at me like that, you can call me whatever you want.”

Fuck. I can’t resist.

My head lowered, my gaze falling to her lips. Willow’s hands curled up reflexively, her wrists flexing against my palms as if trying to reach for me.

“Malcolm!” she gasped.

Whether the word was a plea or a warning, the sound of her breathy voice calling my name snapped the last thread of my self-restraint.

Her face rose to meet mine as I dipped my head lower, capturing her perfect mouth in a kiss. She tasted incredible. Sweet and exotic, like some kind of rare fruit—and underneath that, the tangy, coppery taste of the blood coursing through her veins.

I spread her lips with my tongue, her unique, addictive essence overwhelming my senses as she opened to me willingly.

My fangs dropped, and my lips curled back.

Then I froze.

It had been an instinct I couldn’t control, but fear lanced through me as I realized what I’d been about to do. Gasping, I wrenched my head away from hers, rolling off her.

“Goddamnit. I—”

But Willow wasn’t done.

Instead of letting go, she clung to me as I rolled, ending up on top of me again. Her warm body pressed against mine, the weight nothing, but the contact between us everything. She plunged her delicate fingers into my hair, tugging lightly at the thick strands as her lips met mine in another searing kiss that dissolved my restraint.

She wants more. How can I deny her?

My wildcat.

The thought thrummed in my mind as I skimmed my hands down the back of her body, palming her ass and pulling her hard against me, easing some of the ache in my balls. She gasped into my mouth, a little moan falling from her lips, and I claimed both sounds with my kiss.

I wanted them all. Every hot breath, every tortured moan.

I wanted to own her pleasure.

Fuck, she already owned mine.

She sat back quickly, grabbing the hem of my shirt and pulling it over my head. She gaped at the sight of my chest and abdomen, and a swell of pride warmed me. My appearance had made plenty of women stop in their tracks over the years, but the way Willow’s gaze flickered over my muscles, the way she blushed almost shyly, affected me in a way I hadn’t been prepared for.

Her fingertips brushed over my stomach, and a growl tore from my throat.

Wrapping my arms around her, I sat up and pressed her flush against me, grinding my cock into the warmth between her thighs. Only a few pieces of fabric separated us there, and I hated every single one of them.

My tongue delved into her mouth, as if somewhere deep in that kiss was the antidote to this unstoppable craving.

I rolled us again, our bodies still fused together like two halves of a whole. Bracing myself on my forearms, I buried my face in the crook of her neck, losing myself in her sweet scent. She cried out and bucked beneath me when I licked the soft skin, her nails digging into my back as her legs twined around me.

She was wearing too many damned clothes.

But I could fix that.

The fabric of her t-shirt tore like tissue paper as I ripped it down the front, exposing the light blue bra that had captured my attention so completely.

And who could fucking blame me?

The soft lace cupped her perfectly formed breasts, clinging to the sloping curves and revealing just a hint of her dusky pink nipples. They were peaked, hard, begging for attention.

I lowered my head to capture one in my mouth, sucking on it through the fabric of her bra.

“Oh my God…” Willow’s eyelids fluttered as she tossed her head restlessly back and forth.

My fangs were still extended, and every sound she made urged on the predator in me. I wanted to sink my teeth into the soft flesh of her breast and lap up the blood that welled. But I couldn’t allow myself to go that far. I’d made a vow many years ago, and even though a fog of lust muddled my brain, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I broke that promise.

And besides, the bond between us was too strong already. If I drank from her, I’d be lost entirely; I couldn’t afford to let that happen.

So I satisfied myself with using my sharp incisors to tear at the delicate lace of her bra, shredding it in long gashes as I dragged my teeth over her skin, leaving red marks across her breasts.

My marks.

They would fade quickly as her vampire healing set in, but for the moment, she was mine.

The wildcat was lost to her passion now, as helpless against the pull between us as I was. She’d given up on coherent words and was mumbling curses as she threaded her hands into my hair, trying to bring my mouth even closer to her flushed, tortured breasts. Her body worked against mine, and I could feel her heat and wetness, smell the intoxicating scent of her arousal.

The pattern of thin white scars decorating her body stood out against her flushed skin. I ran my hands down her sides as I traced a path up her neck with my tongue and gazed into her stormy, half-lidded hazel eyes.

I was about to claim another kiss when her expression changed.

Willow’s eyes widened at the same time they slipped out of focus, staring past me, unblinking. Her body jerked and went rigid as her breath caught in her throat.

Then she sagged beneath me, her eyelids sliding shut.