Aphrodite's Hunt by Jennifer Blackstream Page A

didn’t allow himself to dwell on it. If the tiny female invaded his room again, he would deal with her then. He was the lord of this house and, by God, he would have order. He checked his reflection one last time, making certain there was no fear or doubt etched into his face before striding out of the room.
     
    With every step he took toward the dining room, he reminded himself of his sire’s training. Years of hard and bloody lessons combined with an unforgiving attitude toward weakness floated across time to steel him even further against temptation. He would not allow this barbaric female to take the respectability he’d fought so hard for. Cossette’s face flashed into his mind and he stumbled. He knew the price of disregarding his sire’s lessons. He’d learned.
     
    Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to suffer the pain of her loss, using it to beat back the feelings of attraction ensnaring him toward Gia. He’d already allowed a woman to destroy him once. It would not happen again.
     
    By the time he opened the door to the dining room, he was once again calm and collected. He looked and felt like a man, master of his home and ruler of his destiny. He would put aside his bestial thoughts and show Gia the respect he would show a human woman. Perhaps if he led by example, she would rise above her animal nature and they could proceed—
     
    Black claws dragged down his chest, shredding his flesh as easily as his silken shirt. Agony tore his mouth open in a scream and he threw his head back and closed his eyes. For a moment all he could feel was the fire of his wounds, the hot breath of the pony-sized wolf as it snapped its jaws in front of his face.
     
    Before he could recover enough to fight back, the wolf vanished off his chest. He fought to sit up despite the pain, opening his eyes to find a large wolf watching him, golden eyes alert and shining with animosity.
     
    He would have known those eyes anywhere, fearful as he’d been that they would haunt his sleep for the rest of eternity. Just as she was a beautiful woman, Gia was also a beautiful wolf. From her tail to the top of her head, she was a pale shade of grey with a dusting of black fur, and from her throat down to the pads of her feet she was a stunning white. The grey fur circled down like a delicate muff to cover part of her chest, breaking up the stark paleness of her white fur. The effect was breathtaking.
     
    His oddly-timed admiration faded as a growl trickled from her throat. Her ears stood straight up, her forehead and nose wrinkling as she bared her teeth. Tension crackled between them as her fur bristled and she fixed him with a stare that would have melted iron.
     
    The obvious threat in her body language reminded him of the vicious surprise attack she’d launched on him. His momentary distraction from the pain in his chest ended in the blink of an eye. He put a hand to his chest, staring down at the damage she’d done, even as his skin began to heal itself.
     
    The tatters of his shirt floated about him like little white flags signaling the surrender of his gentlemanly façade. The sight of his pale skin, ravaged by the claws of a beast, made the blood pulse in his head like a heathen drum beat. Warmth spread behind his eyes, the heat of a responding anger building inside him. His eyes widened as the scent of his own blood filled the room. The metallic taste of it coated his lips and he couldn’t stop himself from licking them in hungry anticipation. The motion sounded the death knell of his respectability and his anger exploded.
     
    “Godammit, woman,” he screamed. He shoved himself off the ground, a dark rage coming from somewhere deep inside him. “I realize you are half beast, but I will have a modicum of decorum!” He glared down at her, openly challenging the threat in her eyes. “This is my home! I will not have you turning it into a den of iniquity, staining my honor with your bestial violence and sex.