Something had to be done before the Weres disappeared entirely.
That was why Salvatore had been sent to America from Rome. It was his duty to ensure that the Weres didn't become extinct. And one part of that plan depended upon Darcy Smith.
He had to get his hands on her. And soon.
The door opened and the cur he had scented strolled into the room.
She was a stunning vision. Tall and lithely muscled, she possessed black hair that fell in a smooth curtain to her waist and faintly oriental features that added an exotic beauty. At the moment she was garbed in nothing more than a thin, crimson silk robe that hit her midthigh, revealing the long, slender length of her legs.
Since his arrival in America she had shared his bed.
Why not?
She was beautiful, passionate, and an animal beneath the sheets. He had wakened more than once covered in deep scratches and bite marks.
Still, he was beginning to weary of her companionship. For all her charms, she had no appreciation for the heavy burden of responsibility he carried, and there was a growing possessiveness about her that he found chafing.
He would belong to no cur. He was a pureblood. He would accept no less in his mate.
Giving a toss of her hair, Jade crossed the room with a fluid grace before halting in front of his desk.
She didn't bow. A fact that Salvatore silently noted. The cur was growing entirely too comfortable in his presence. Perhaps it was time to remind her just who he was.
"Hess has returned, my lord," she purred in a voice that would make any male think of sex.
Of course, just having her in the same room was enough to make a man think of sex. It was a power that she used to full advantage.
He leaned back in his seat. "Send him in."
She allowed her gaze to stroke over his lean, dark features and black hair, which was smoothed into a tail, before she lowered to his hard body, covered in a silk suit.
A hungry, predatory smile curved her lips. "You look tense. Perhaps we should let Hess wait outside and I could help you to relax." With a practiced motion she tugged open the robe and allowed it to slide down her na**d body. "You know, ease some of those knots."
Salvatore's body reacted. Hell, a na**d woman was a na**d woman. But his expression never altered as he gave a small shrug.
"Tempting, but I fear I have no time for distractions. No matter how beautiful."
"No time, no time, no time," she gritted, her passions swiftly altering to rage. She was not a woman who took rejection well. In fact, the last man to turn down her advances was now at the bottom of the Mississippi River.
"I'm sick of those words. What sort of man doesn't have time for me?"
Salvatore narrowed his gaze. "One who has more important matters to consider. I am your leader, and that means I must put the good of the pack before my own pleasures."
Her expression became petulant. "Is that truly why you deny me?"
"What other reason could I have?"
Jade reached out to jab a polished red nail at a picture on his desk. "Her."
Salvatore rose to his feet, the air about him vibrating with danger. "Put your clothes on and get out, Jade."
"It's that... human, isn't it?"
"I do not answer to curs," he growled. "I am your king, and you will remember that."
Enraged beyond sense, she ignored the warning in his voice. "What is it with her? Ever since you've been on her trail you've changed. You're obsessed with her. It's sickening."
Salvatore clenched his hands at his sides. He could rip out her throat before she could even move, but he resisted the temptation. Unlike the curs, he possessed complete control over his baser instincts. He didn't need the inconvenience of dumping a dead body in the middle of Chicago.