Shifting Love's Hunger Read online

  Mark couldn’t control the boyish grin on his face.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Sorry, I was trying so hard to hold back that when I climaxed, I couldn’t help myself. I lost all control!”

  “Now you know what sex with a Vampire is like.”

  Mark closed his eyes. “Chloe, it was amazing. I am torn between wanting to do it again right now and just laying back and enjoying the feelings I’m having.”

  They both glistened with sweat and the afterglow was almost blinding. Her hunger was unusually sated.

  She snuggled her chin into his neck. “Let’s enjoy the moment. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

  She looked over and Mark was already asleep.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Morning After

  IT TOOK MARK a few minutes the next morning to understand where he was and why he smelled of sex. Rolling over, he noticed Chloe still asleep next to him. She looked so peaceful and so beautiful. What time was it? Looking around, he didn’t see a clock. Mark remembered his clothes and watch were on the living room floor.

  Why didn’t he bring over a change of clothes? Now, he needed to quickly run next door to pack up enough clothes to get him through the next few days. When it was more convenient, he could move what little else he had. Stumbling out of bed, he almost woke Chloe. He went and gathered up his stuff from the living room. The watch said it was only six thirty in the morning. Rushing into the bathroom to take a shower, he stopped in his tracks. No shower curtain! There was always a bath, but he looked around and the only thing to wash with was Chloe’s liquid soap. Smelling like Chloe’s soap would be embarrassing. Looking around the room, he realized there were no towels. Showering next door at his parent’s house was unavoidable.

  Which was worse: feeling stupid for the lack of planning, or knowing his mom would know he had sex with Chloe last night. His only hope was sneaking in and hitting the shower before his mom smelled him.

  After getting dressed, he went to tell Chloe where he was going. Mark didn’t want her to wake up and find him gone. He chuckled. It would be better than waking up in a strange place surrounded by strangers.

  He nudged her arm. “Chloe, wake up.”

  Her eyes opened and her face lit up as she saw him. “Good morning, my naughty Wolf. Ready for an encore performance?”

  Wow, what a woman! He could get used to that.

  “No, my angel. I need to run next door and take a shower and get a change of clothes.”

  “Huh? The tub not working?”

  “I don’t have any soap or a towel to dry off.”

  “What’s wrong with my soap? Never mind … no towel. You’re dressed. Why not go into work like this?”

  He pointed at his nose. “You don’t know how much teasing I would get going into work smelling of your scent and sex.”

  She grinned. “I would have thought you macho men would see it as a badge of honor.”

  “Not when the ceremony is still two days away. It’s a distraction I don’t need today. Why don’t you go back to sleep? I will bring you back a towel.”

  “Okay … one condition.”

  He really did not have time for this. His chances of making it past his mom were getting smaller every second. “I’ve really got to go. What do you need?”

  She pulled him back onto the bed. “Kiss me first, and no peck on the cheek.”

  There was no way he could say no to that smile. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her like it would be his last. His Wolf yearned for more sex. Exactly what he didn’t need right now. His inner naughty Wolf would have to wait until later.

  She let him get up from the bed and looked him up and down with a smile. “Maybe later then. Hurry back!”

  He rushed out the front door and got two steps before he remembered he should actually close the door. This was not his morning. The front door opened, as he jogged up keys in hand.

  “Come inside and get cleaned up, you naughty Wolf.”

  He looked down at his feet. “Yes, Mother.”

  “Is that her? The Vampire?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “Get cleaned up and grab a clean towel for her from the linen closet. I will make you some breakfast to take back with you. I expect you will have a busy day.”

  “Thanks, Mother. You’re the best!”

  Upstairs he pulled out something to wear for today and shoved as many clothes as would fit in his suitcase and gym bag. He quickly showered and took care to wash off Chloe’s scent. He needed to be extra professional today at work.

  When he came downstairs with the towel over his shoulder and his bags, the scent of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen made his mouth water.

  “I packed you both some breakfast. Did you at least buy some juice to go with it?”

  “Yes, Mother. We stopped at the store last night for some basic supplies.”

  “I see you did not bother with any curtains. Make sure you add them to your list.”

  “I will fit that in with the other furnishings I need to buy. We are going to stop at IKEA later today.”

  “I want you to bring her by before Friday. I want to spend a little time alone with the new addition to the family.”

  “She has a name, Mom. I will bring Chloe by soon.”

  “On second thought, dinner tonight. Don’t be late. Now off with you.”

  He kissed her on the cheek and grabbed the food to go.

  ***

  Chloe decided to take a nice hot bath while she waited for Mark. It felt good to have a hot soak. The air mattress had not been very comfortable last night, but she sure had fun. She would never look at a wolf the same way again. Did Shapeshifters have sex with each other as Wolves? That would be strange, but if it was something normal for them, would Mark be disappointed she could not shift like him and do Wolf things together? She would make up for it in other ways. She had not shown him all she could do with her energy yet. Chloe felt the ring hanging from the chain around her neck. It pulsed with a life of its own. She wondered if she could send it energy like she could a Human. Chloe closed her eyes and pushed some of the excess energy into her hand holding the ring. The ring got warmer and she felt the energy flow out of her hand. Her hunger grumbled at the loss, but quieted back down when she stopped.

  Chloe took extra care in washing up. She didn’t want to embarrass Mark in front of the Wolves they might meet with today. They should be spending most of the day touring Clan businesses and shopping for the house. She didn’t want to spend another night on that air mattress. The water was very soothing and she was starting to nod off when she heard Mark come back.

  “I’m back and brought breakfast.”

  “I’m in the tub. Did you get the towel?”

  Mark entered the bathroom and at the last moment looked away. He had not seen her fully naked yet and must have been embarrassed by the situation. Not that the chemise had left much to the imagination.

  “What’s wrong? You stood on full display last night and it didn’t bother you. Is there a problem with how I look in the tub?”

  “I was worried about your feelings of privacy.”

  She held her hand out. “Give a girl a hand.”

  He got a good eyeful as he helped her up from the tub.

  She spun around to show off all of her body. “See anything you like?”

  His face turned red. “What’s not to like? Even dripping wet you’re beautiful.”

  She laughed. “Thank you. Please hand me the towel.”

  He gave her the towel and almost ran from the room. Mark was so full of contradictions! Would he have been this way if she was a girl from another Pack? She could smell breakfast. She dressed in what the Clan considered business wear. The same black dress she had on when Mark met her.

  She met him in the kitchen and saw him with three foil-wrapped packages.

  “You didn’t have to wait for me. That smells good.”

  “I wasn’t sure what you liked to drink in t
he morning. So I have coffee made, and we have soda and OJ. What can I get you?”

  “Coffee is fine, black.”

  He poured her a cup and grabbed a can of Coke for himself.

  He handed her one of the packages. She opened it up to find a large breakfast burrito. From the smell, it was filled with eggs, cheese, and bacon.

  “My mother was not sure how many to make. She assumed you would only need one and made two for me. I am happy to split my second one if you are still hungry.”

  “How come you eat so much?”

  “Wolves have a high metabolism and we need to eat a lot to support shapeshifting.”

  She smiled. “So you eat like hungry wolves.” Chloe took a bite. “This is wonderful! Please thank your mom for me.”

  “You can thank her yourself tonight over dinner.”

  Chloe frowned. “Are we going to have time for that?”

  “It doesn’t matter if we have time. When the Alpha invites you to dinner, it’s not a request but a command to be obeyed. We will have to work around it.”

  “I understand. We should talk about the day. We need to visit the nightclub and law office. We might be able to move visiting the porn set until tomorrow. We must get at least a bed ordered and delivered. I would rather not sleep on that thing again tonight.”

  “Sam will be happy about the tours. I will let him know we are doing that instead of coming into the office. That will save us time.”

  Mark called Sam and let him in on the plan. “Hey Chloe, Sam had an idea. What if we started at the law office and went to the nightclub after dinner? That way we see it during its prime time and can fit in the studio this afternoon?”

  “That should be fine. Greta wanted us to start with her first, but she will understand that change.”

  Mark relayed the information to Sam and ended the call. “Great, then we have a plan and should be able to fit in bed shopping.”

  “Then we better get a move on, mister!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Vampire Tour

  MARK PULLED INTO the parking at the Law Offices of Burke and Knightly as they opened to the public. He went around to open Chloe’s car door for her, but she waved him off.

  “We are partners here and I need to project that we are equals. If you keep opening doors for me, you will look like my submissive. I don’t think you want that.”

  Huh? Mark saw it as being dominant, but caring. This must be different to Vampires.

  “Thank you for the advice. Anything I need to know about this place?”

  “Everyone working here is a Vampire.”

  Mark let Chloe lead the way. Inside the office, everybody looked like they were missing from a fashion shoot. They walked up to the reception desk.

  “Hello, Chloe. Who is this hunk of a man you brought with you today?”

  “Hi, Jen! This is Mark Blackthorn.”

  “I have heard about him; he must be your new hubby.”

  Time to enter the conversation. “We will be mated on Friday.”

  Jen laughed. “And he talks! Now be a good Wolf and let the adults talk.”

  Mark’s eyes went hard. “Jen, is it? We are here on official business.”

  Jen looked at Mark and then shifted her eyes back to Chloe. “Is he always this forceful?”

  Chloe looked her right in the eye. “Jen, this has been fun, but we are here on Clan business. John should be expecting us.”

  Jen looked down. “Mark, I am sorry. I was just having fun. It’s not often we get non-Vampires here. I will tell John you are waiting.”

  Jen went to go find John.

  “Chloe, did I do something wrong with Jen?”

  “It’s okay, Mark. You need to expect some pushback from the Vampires you meet. They don’t understand why outsiders are being invited in. It was good you took a commanding tone with her. Sorry, I didn’t expect it. I am still new at this myself.”

  “Here comes the guy from The Second Circle.”

  John waved for them to come to his office. “Welcome to B&K, please take a seat. Is there anything I can get for you?”

  Mark shook his head. “Not for me. Chloe?”

  “I am fine as well.”

  “Then let us get started. We have a basic security alarm system, but that is about it. I think we need something more.”

  They talked for about an hour and then took a tour of the building and parking areas. Mark made a list of improvements and told John he would supply a project plan by Friday. They finished up back in John’s office.

  “Chloe, can I have a moment alone with Mark?”

  “Sure thing! I will go have a talk with Jen.”

  “Mark, can you close the door for me?”

  Mark closed the door and sat. He squirmed in his chair. It felt like a meeting with the Alpha who was going to say something about a fault they saw.

  “It seems like you’re a little out of your depth and I wanted to offer you some advice.”

  Mark realized he had been holding his breath and let it out and smiled. “I welcome your advice.”

  “You are at a higher position in your Pack than anyone here other than myself. In general, you will be higher in rank with the Vampires unless Greta, Onyx, or me are around. Don’t let any Vampires push you around. Don’t be rude, but you need to show strength around them. Always stay professional here.”

  “I understand.”

  John shook his head. “I don’t think you do. The Clan is run by our women, and the women you encounter will automatically see you as inferior or a plaything. You need to put out a feeling of strength and respect. If you stay professional, you will gain respect here over time, but you need to act as if you have it.”

  “What about Chloe? How does she fit in?”

  “Chloe would be somewhat equal to the other women in this office. With her new job, she has been elevated in rank. She knows this and for the most part can demand their respect, once she understands her position.”

  Mark looked John in the eye. “I really value your advice.”

  “One last thing before you go. Chloe is a special woman and I am happy Greta selected her to be with you. She is not like the other Vampires here. Don’t expect her to fall in love with you any time soon. She will care about you and will be a great partner with you, but she has been taught from an early age not to fall in love with a Human.”

  “But I am not Human, am I safe?”

  “We all know that and it would be safe for her to love you, but she will be fighting the laws she grew up with to do it.”

  “Why are you forbidden to love?”

  “When we fall in love with Humans, they tend to go insane and become a threat to the Clan. To fall in love with a Human is a death sentence for that Human.”

  “But I am safe?”

  “From what I have heard, you are perfectly safe. I know our agreement is taking away your chance to marry someone you love, but in your position, you knew it was a possibility with someone from another Pack. I expect over time, you will come to love Chloe, but be warned she may not come to that point as the same time as you, if ever.”

  Mark stood and extended his hand to John. “Thank you. I will keep that in mind. It’s been a pleasure to see you again.”

  John shook his hand. “Good luck. I look forward to seeing your project plan.”

  Now that was unexpected. He never thought a high-ranking Vampire would be so open with him. Maybe they weren’t all bad. From what he could tell, Chloe was different than the other Vampires he had met here. It was good John spoke up. Mark could tell he already had feelings for Chloe. There was something about her that spoke to his inner Wolf and his Wolf had never let him down. It was like she needed saving from the Clan. Mark was already feeling protective of her.

  ***

  They arrived at the studio. It was hidden in an industrial district of Seattle.

  “Chloe, is there anything I should know before we go in? I was a little blindsided at the law office.”

 
“I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were going to be received like that. I expected them to show you more respect.”

  “What should I expect here?”

  “I don’t know if they are shooting today or not. You might walk in on a bunch of naked Vampires fucking or just walking around. Don’t let them con you into joining in. Don’t be surprised if they try to get me to. Let me be the one to put them in their place if that happens. I will also push you as being my superior.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Mark noticed there were security cameras on the outside of the building; this studio should be easier to secure than the B&K. They walked in the front door to a reception desk. The rest of the studio was behind closed doors. That was another good sign.

  Chloe approached the desk first. “We are here on Greta’s orders to look into your security situation. Please call the manager.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The receptionist called someone and hung up the phone. She pointed to a book on the table. “Please sign in here.”

  Chloe signed in for them both.

  A burly man came through the door. “This way, please. No cameras may be used inside.”

  They followed him past a few doors that had red lights over them, which were lit to indicate filming was in progress. They came to an office labeled Nadine Manning, Studio Executive. A woman who could have been Greta’s sister sat behind the desk.

  “Please sit. Welcome to our humble studio. You may call me Nadine.”

  Mark could feel strong energy from her. “Thank you for meeting with us. It will be an honor to help you with your security.”