Page 30 (1/2)

Yeah, different Nice, easy word for her situation

Because she’d always been different

"You’re different…human and shifter So what makes you so sure that you’d mate like the others? What makes you so sure you’d only have one mate?"

Her lips parted in surprise "Jude" What was he telling himself? No, no, he had to see--shifters only had one mate One chance for children Fate didn’t care if a shifter’swas forever

The beast inside her had recognized the wolf That part was the , she hadn’t told Jude Her body had known the wolf shifter at the first touch No, not her body, but the dormant beast inside Erin had been horrified, afraid, but, dammit, aware of him An instinctual response she couldn’t control One that azein his eyes Understanding and a banked rage Erin licked her lips

"I know," he continued, "but I also kno your body responds to me, and I know the beast It’s ahen I’ht

Erin rocked back on her heels, banging her hip into the desk She’d thought the sex was just great because she wasn’t having to hold back and because, well, Jude was freaking fantastic, but what if there was soot two e one shift

"Forget the ," Jude told her and his eyes burned with intensity "Theisn’t what matters anyway"

He’d know He’d seen firsthand just horong those fatedfor a mate for the beast"

But with full-blood shifters, the beast was never separate froainst his chest "I’ for someone who--"

"Get the fuck out of aze locked on her closed door That voice…she hadn’t heard that deep baritone in onna have to hurt you" Zane Loud, confident, pissed

"What the hell?" Jude strode toward the door

Erin,Always

"Try it, asswipe I’er on me and--"

Jude yanked open the door, a snarl on his lips

Erin scraht of the two , alet even worse

The throbbing in her teain Harder Aspirin Need aspirin

"Zane!" Jude’s voice snapped "Who the hell is this guy?" His nostrils flared and Erin kneas trying to catch a scent

But he’d only smell a huh and through

Ben shoved Zane out of his way and locked his warer

She eased to Jude’s side, far too conscious of all the curious stares Way too many people were around Amy Another assistant, Donna And Karrie, the ADA next door was also peering in, though it looked like she was trying real hard not to be obvious "Ah, Ben, it’s been a while"

"A while since you leftout in a hospital bed, you er She stiffened and took the hit because the way she figured it, she deserved his rage He’d been hurt because of her

"Aw, Jude, come on! Let me take this prick outside and teach hie "I’rinned and stepped eagerly forward The fact that Ben was a cop didn’t seem to matter much to his were braced apart Hands loose at his sides

Ben’s gaze raked hi with Erin now?"

Amy sucked in a sharp breath

Jude just smiled "Yeah, I a around with ed

Erin kneas ti herself between Jude and Ben

Ben He looked the sa brown hair A diood cop

Human

Not for me

He didn’t understand her Never would

Not like Jude

"Ben, perhaps we should go intoeyes and straining ears

He pulled in a deep breath His fingers whitened around his badge "Yeah, yeah, let’s do that" His head cocked to the right A move she’d seen a hundred tie to a suspect

Her heart thudded too hard in her chest He’d coo talk, Erin, and you can tell ation this weekend and why the hell I found your picture clutched in the hands of a dead man"

Ah, that would be why

Chapter 16

His claanted to spring free Jude could feel the burn beneath his fingertips, but he held onto his control

The cop The one he knew Erin had cared for back in Lillian They were in Erin’s office now The guy stood less than five feet away--and he atching Erin with far too e in his eyes

"Jude, do you mind if I speak with Ben alone?"

Yeah, he did He crossed his arht back up at him "I need to speak with him alone"

Daht outside" He glanced at the cop The guy had ers skimmed over his arm "Thank you"

Territorial The word echoed in his head The lady had no idea just how territorial he was feeling right then or how badly he wanted to rip into the cop

Her lover He knew it He could see it in the man’s eyes The detective had been with Erin Hell, maybe he’d even loved her Jude had heard the way the asshole first said her nas were over with the cop because she couldn’t fit into his "nored for "norht Claied inside

But he wasto prove that to Erin Besides, she had her own choices to make

He clenched his teeth and stepped back "If you need ht outside" Course, she’d be able to take down a hue wasn’t so aze held the otherthe door shut behind hi insane?" Zane deonna let that cop stay in there alone with your woood fu--"

Jude turned his stare on the demon, and Zane wisely shut the hell up

Then Jude crossed his arreed to stay outside, but it wasn’t like the thin walls would give Erin much privacy Not to soain, Jude was going inside, and the claould be co her voice cool and easing into her desk chair