And if I kept telling myself that, I might eventually believe it.
"What are you doing here, Kye?" My white-knuckled grip on the edge of the door belied the calmness of my voice.
"I might ask you the same question." He glanced from me to the squirming, barking dog in my arm. "Found yourself a pet, have you?"
"He belongs to the owner of the house." I glanced down at the almost frantic terrier and scratched his head. "And he doesn't seem all that happy to see you."
"Neither do you," he said, voice dry. "I would have thought you'd at least have a smile for the man of your destiny."
"Destiny can bite my ass."
He laughed. It was a soft, seductive and altogether dangerous sound. "Ah, Riley, it's nice to see you haven't changed."
"No, I'm still a guardian, and you're still interfering in Directorate business."
He raised his eyebrows. "And what business would the Directorate have with a vampire who has obviously been dead for several days?"
I opened my mouth to ask how he knew Gateway was dead then snapped it closed again. Kye was a werewolf, so he'd smell the decay even if he couldn't see the body.
"And my questions to you would have to be: why are you here to see him, and did you have anything to do with his death?"
His sudden smile made my stomach lurch, and it was all I could do not to drop the little dog and step into Kye's arms. They would be waiting for me, despite the outward indifference and the distance we were keeping between us.
"Vampires like him hardly ever require my style of killing." He crossed his arms and leaned casually against the doorframe, the leather of his old jacket straining deliciously across his shoulders. "Besides, from what I've heard, he's been too busy drowning himself in alcohol of late to make the effort of hunting him worthwhile."
Because for men like him, the hunt was almost as important as the fee. Almost. "And how would you know he's been drinking to excess?"
He raised an eyebrow, amusement setting his golden eyes ablaze. "I can smell the booze."
"Liar." Alcohol was the one scent not present in this house. Rotting vampire, unwashed dog and a little bit of mold, maybe, but not booze.
The smile was still flirting with his lips, and a whole lot of me ached to kiss him. "Then maybe I know he was a drunk because I do my homework when I'm following a lead."
"What sort of lead?" I glanced down at the still squirming dog, and wondered whether his intense reaction came from having another male on his turf or something more sinister. Whatever it was, scratching his head didn't seem to be calming him down. I stepped back, deposited him in the front bedroom, and quickly closed the door. He continued barking, and started scratching at the door.
"That dog seriously dislikes you," I added, crossing my arms as I faced Kye again.
He shrugged. "The alpha always defends his territory."
The steely edge in his voice suddenly had me wondering if I were one of those territories that needed defending. Was that why he'd suddenly reappeared? To reclaim what was his?
The thought made me shiver. His gaze swept me, then rose to linger on my mouth. His hunger swirled around me, thick and strong, and little droplets of sweat broke out along my spine.
I wanted him. God, how I wanted him.
I clenched my fists a little bit tighter, digging my nails into my palm, using the pain to offset my desire.
It was a useless thing to do, really, when he was a werewolf and we were connected on more than a base level.
"I'm chasing a missing person," he said softly. "Did the vamp inside kill himself or did someone help him along?"
"I don't know. And since when did you start taking on missing persons cases?"
"I go where the cash is. And don't play games with me, Riley. You've been in the business long enough now to make an informed guess."
"It's a Directorate case, Kye. I can't discuss it."
"No, you won't discuss it. Not with me, anyway."
He had that right. "How long are you in town?"
"Why? Did you miss me?"
"No." Yes. Given the nail-digging wasn't achieving much, I flexed my fingers instead, but it didn't help release the tension rolling through me. "Why are you here, Kye?"
"As I said, I'm simply following a lead. Nothing more, nothing less." But his gaze met mine and, in those golden depths, I saw the hunter. The possessor. A wolf who hungered to control the very same things that I did. It made a mockery of his words, and it was a sight that sent a chill through my heart.
I didn't want this.
I didn't want him.
Even if my soul ached with the need of his kiss, his caress, his body.
But the wolf wasn't the sum of me, and as much as I might hunger for Kye, there was another man in my life. One that I cared about, one that I loved. And that part of me was what I reached for now to keep me strong.
"Whatever it is you're doing," I said, my voice harsh, "make sure you keep out of my way."
He laughed. It was a soft, cold sound that sent shivers up my spine and heat swirling through my body. "Things haven't changed, have they, Riley? Your words say one thing, and your body another."
"I'm not the only one adept at playing that game."
"No," he agreed. "So what do you suggest we do?"
"Precisely what we're doing. Ignore and deny. You and I won't ever happen, Kye, and we both know it."
He uncrossed his arms and reached out, his fingers caressing my cheek. My skin tingled with the heated contact and my breath froze in my throat.
"But we will. We must. We are each other's destiny, even if neither of us particularly wishes it."
"As I said before, destiny can bite my ass." I pulled away from his caress and glanced at my watch. "Now, if you want to avoid Directorate scrutiny, I suggest you leave."
"Then Gateway has been murdered?"
He studied me calmly, a small smile teasing his lips, and I wondered whether he was reading my thoughts again. Kye was a siphon, which meant he could take on the psychic . talents of others and use them to his own advantage. So when he was with me, he was telepathic. And despite the fact I had psychic shields strong enough to keep even the oldest vampires out, Kye seemed able to slip past them and catch any unwary thoughts.
Although if he could thread his way through the turmoil his reappearance was causing, he probably deserved to catch an unwary thought or two about the victim.
"I need to know what happened to him, Riley," he added.
Tough was my automatic response, but I knew better than to say it. I might as well wave a red rag in front of a bull. I wanted Kye out of my life, not haunting me in an attempt to gain the information he needed.
"It'll take twenty-four hours for the report to come through. Call me." I didn't bother giving him the number. I had no intention of making things easy for him.
He nodded and pushed away from the doorframe. "I'll talk to you later, then."
I didn't reply, just watched as he turned and walked away.
And tried not to think about the way his jeans clung to his butt, or the loose-limbed, sexy way he walked.
Once he was through the gate and out of sight, I blew out a relieved breath and closed the door. The little dog had finally stopped barking, but the minute I opened the bedroom door, he charged out, making a beeline for his dead master. I scooped him up. "And what are we going to do with you, then?"
He glanced at me and whined. He really was a cute little thing, and while I couldn't leave him here, I didn't particularly want to dump him at a shelter, either. Which meant either taking him with me or finding him a home.
Dogs and a pack of wolves generally weren't a good idea, and although he didn't seem to have a problem with me, his reaction to Kye suggested it would be a different matter when it came to Rhoan and his mate, Liander.
So he needed a home. It'd be nice if I could find him another vampire...
The thought stalled and I grinned.
I knew the perfect person.
* * *
To say Sal was surprised to find me standing on her doorstep would be the understatement of the year. She and I had a whole lot to do with each other on a professional level - she'd taken over my position as Jack's main assistant, and generally handled a good percentage of my calls - but we weren't friends, and weren't ever likely to be.
"Riley," she said, her normally sultry tones decidedly frosty. "I'm on vacation. From you, and from the Directorate."
"I know. I just thought you might be able to help out a friend," I said, the little dog still half-hidden under my jacket.
Her gaze narrowed. "And why would you think I'd be interested in helping out one of your friends?"
"Because his master's just been killed, and I don't really want to dump him in a shelter." I pulled the little dog out from under cover and offered him to her. "His previous owner was a vamp, so he has no fear of us non-humans . "
A point he proceeded to prove with his ecstatic tail wagging and happy little panting. Obviously, it was just Kye he had a problem with.
"God, he's darling," Sal all but purred as she plucked him from my arms and snuggled him against her. Then her gaze narrowed. "What's the catch?"
"Nothing. I just figured he deserved a good home, and I knew you liked dogs."
"Thanks," she said, then added tartly. "But don't think you can start dumping any old stray you're feeling sorry for on my doorstep. I'm not a half-way house for the abandoned."
"Got it," I said, knowing that if I ever did turn up with another stray, Sal wouldn't turn him away. She might be a hard-headed bitch when she was dealing with me, but when it came to real dogs she was the biggest softie around. And that made her a good person in my books - even if I'd never tell her.
"Glad we're clear about that," Sal said, tossing her caramel colored hair out of her eyes. "Now go away."
I grinned and left. No one was home when I got there, but I knew both Rhoan and Liander would be back for dinner so I left them a note to wake me and went to bed.
It seemed that no sooner had I hit the pillow when something hard was hitting me upside the head. I opened a bleary eye and found myself staring at a shoe. A rather grimy and sweat drenched running shoe, to be precise.
"I know that smell and I do not appreciate it sitting on my pillow," I muttered, swatting the shoe off my bed. "Go away and leave me alone."
"You're the one that wanted to be woken for dinner," Rhoan said, his voice gratingly cheerful. "Liander's just about to serve."
"What time is it?" I tried glaring at the clock, but it was facing the window rather than me and I didn't have the energy to reach out and grab it.
"It's six-thirty," he said, suddenly appearing in my vision as he bent down to retrieve his shoe. He was wearing old sweat pants that clung to his lean, muscular legs and a blue muscle shirt that was darkened with sweat. My nose twitched, drawing in the familiar scent of him, feeling the security of it wrap around me like an old, but much-loved blanket. All wolves needed their pack, but for too many years Rhoan and I had only had each other. And while we now had Liander and Quinn sharing our lives, we'd been alone for so long that I really didn't think we could ever live apart.
Which was why Liander now lived in our apartment, why Quinn was spending more and more time here, and why we were seriously considering getting a bigger place. With the four of us, it was getting a little cramped.
"You're not showering before you eat?" I mumbled, dragging my pillow closer in a last ditch effort to retain some threads of sleepiness. I didn't want to get up. I felt like crap. Dreams had disturbed my sleep, and it felt like I hadn't got any rest at all.
The bed bounced as Rhoan plopped his sweaty self down. "Liander likes the odor of hard work, so no, not just yet. Did you write up your report for Jack?"
My eyes flew open and I groaned. "God, no. Totally forgot about it."
"Which would explain the irate phone call we got a few minutes go. I don't think you're his favorite guardian right at this moment."
"Am I ever?" I muttered, and dragged myself upright. Every muscle in my body protested the movement. Anyone would think I'd gone twelve rounds in the boxing ring or had a night of rough and tumble sex.
"You look like shit," Rhoan said, eying me with a frown. "What happened last night?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing strenuous." I rubbed a hand across gritty eyes. "I just feel drained and tired."
"How long were you asleep?"
"Nearly six hours."
"Maybe you're coming down with something." His gaze went to my neck, although if he was looking for bite marks, there were none to be found. I healed extraordinarily quickly these days. "Quinn's not taking too much blood again, is he?"
"Quinn's still substituting synth blood for mine a couple of days a week, so no, he's not taking too much." I yawned. "Maybe I just need coffee and food."
"Maybe." Rhoan pushed to his feet. "We've got roast lamb tonight."
Roast lamb was my one of my favorites, and it was usually something we saved for special occasions, simply because the price was so high these days. "What are we celebrating?"
"Nothing," he said, his eyes twinkling as he all but danced out the door.
I scrambled out of bed and threw on some clothes. Something was going on, and I needed to find out what. Liander was setting side plates down on the table, but he glanced up as I walked in, a smile he couldn't quite control dancing about his lips.