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Praise for Meghan O’Brien

“Meghan O’Brien has given her readers some very steamy

scenes in this fast-paced novel. Thirteen Hours is definitely a

walk on the wild side, which may have you looking twice at

those with whom you share an elevator.”— Just About Write

“Boy, if there was ever fiction that a lesbian needs during a

bed death rut or simply in need of some juicing up, Thirteen

Hours by Meghan O’Brien is the book I’d recommend to

my good friends.…If you are looking for good ole American

instant gratification, simple and not-at all-straight sexy lesbian

eroticism, revel in the sexiness that is Thirteen Hours.”— Tilted

World

“In The Three by Meghan O’Brien, we are treated to first-

rate storytelling that features scorching love scenes with three

main characters.…She hits her stride well in The Three with

a well-paced plot that never slows. She excels at giving us an

astounding tale that is tightly written and extremely sensual. I

highly recommend this unique book.”— Just About Write

By the Author

Infinite Loop

The Three

Thirteen Hours

Battle Scars

Wild

Visit us at www.boldstrokesbooks.com

WILD

by

Meghan O’Brien

2011

Wild

© 2011 By Meghan O’Brien. all rights reserved.

isBn 13: 978-1-60282-522-2

This ElEcTronic Book is PuBlishEd By

Bold sTrokEs Books, inc.

P.o. Box 249

VallEy Falls, ny 12185

FirsT EdiTion: JunE 2011

This is a Work oF FicTion. naMEs, characTErs, PlacEs, and

incidEnTs arE ThE ProducT oF ThE auThor’s iMaGinaTion or

arE usEd FicTiTiously. any rEsEMBlancE To acTual PErsons,

liVinG or dEad, BusinEss EsTaBlishMEnTs, EVEnTs, or localEs

is EnTirEly coincidEnTal.

This Book, or ParTs ThErEoF, May noT BE rEProducEd in any

ForM WiThouT PErMission.

Credits

EdiTor: shEllEy ThrashEr

ProducTion dEsiGn: sTacia sEaMan

coVEr dEsiGn By shEri (GraPhicarTisT2020@hoTMail.coM)

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I want to thank Shelley Thrasher for another

excellent editing experience. It’s truly a pleasure to watch my first draft

evolve with her guidance. Thanks, of course, to Radclyffe for being

both an inspiration and a fantastic source of support. Also to the rest of

the BSB crew, who work so hard to make us authors look good—thank

you!

I also need to thank my friends Ty Justice, K.E. Lane, and Sandy

Lowe for reading rough first drafts and offering feedback. Also, my

sister Kathleen for being generally awesome (and because I always

acknowledge Kathleen). Last but not least, thanks to my partner Angie

for engineering quiet time for me to write—not always easy with a five-

year-old in the house.

Dedication

To Angie, always.

WILD

• 9 •

Chapter One

Selene Rhodes hated the full moon. Not just what it did to her

after the sun went down, but the way it hijacked her body

during the long hours leading up to its appearance in the night sky. How

it had her in its grip from the moment she woke up in the morning, skin

too tight and nerve endings screaming. The sensations only intensified

as the sun arced overhead, bringing not pain but pleasure so intense

it nearly crippled her. By the time the escort arrived an hour before

sunset, she was so aroused that even the simple brush of fabric against

her arm threatened to usher her into mindless release, and that made

an already difficult appointment absolutely unbearable. No matter how

crazy the full moon made her, fucking wasn’t an option, not even with

a professional.

Tonight was particularly painful. Not only was it the perigee

moon, the biggest one of the year, but she had to train a new escort

for the first time in fourteen months. She was proud of the last girl for

graduating from medical school, but this change in routine had Selene

sick with worry. She had finally settled into some sort of rhythm and

hated to start from scratch again, especially while battling horniness

that would kill a weaker person.

And because the universe clearly hated her, the agency had sent

a redhead. A gorgeous, curvy one who stood on Selene’s porch oozing

sex and looking like she knew a secret that would make Selene happy

for the rest of her life. Selene suppressed a groan at the bolt of pleasure

that shot straight down to her toes. Next time she definitely needed to

request they send a blonde. This monthly ritual was hard enough as it

was.

Gathering all her strength, Selene said, “You’re late.”

• 10 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“I’m sorry. Traffic was a nightmare.” The escort stepped inside

Selene’s house with a subtle glance around. “I’m Renee, by the way.

Not sure if they told you who they were sending.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Renee.” Selene stayed calm even as she eyed

the wall clock. She didn’t have much time to explain the routine, but

what was done, was done. Now she had to focus on making it through

this next part. “I hope you don’t mind if we start immediately.”

“Not at all.” Renee searched Selene’s face but betrayed no reaction

other than attraction. She was very good at her job. “So you were one

of Kelli’s clients?”

“For over a year, yes. Really nice girl.” Selene hoped she sounded

polite and that it wasn’t obvious she was struggling to put one foot in

front of the other as she led Renee to her spare bedroom. “What did

they tell you about this appointment?”

“Only that you like to be dominated. Tied up.”

The smell of Renee’s shampoo briefly chased away thoughts of

the urgency of the situation. It would be so easy to push her up against

the wall, to kiss her full lips and slide a hand under her skirt. To take

her hard and fast while she still had time. She could smell that Renee

wanted it, not just because she was being paid. Selene stopped in front

of the guest room door and closed her eyes, exhaling.

Not an option.

“I think I’m going to enjoy tying you up, Selene.” Renee’s fingers

trailed lightly down Selene’s arm. “Very much.”

Selene pulled away sharply, gritting her teeth as her pussy

contracted and a weak orgasm rolled through her body. “Please

don’t—”

“Did you just…?” Renee’s grin reached her eyes. “Wow.”

Eager to put some distance between them, Selene opened the door

to her guest room. Then she turned to gauge Renee’s reaction to the

large metal table bolted to the center of the floor. This was the part she

hated, when the escort got her first notion that Selene wouldn’t be her

average client.

“Okay.” Renee flashed a seductive smile. She was definitely a

professional. No hesitation at all. “Why don’t you tell me what you

like?”Selene untied the belt of her robe, letting it slip off her shoulders

and fall to the ground. She picked up Renee’s quiet inhalation at the

sight of her nudity, then the quickening of Renee’s heartbeat. Resisting

Renee would be easier with her clothes on, but when Selene shifted

WILD

• 11 •

tonight, she would become very large. The clothes would tear, which

would lead to questions tomorrow morning. Naked, she would leave no

evidence, nothing to indicate that she was anything other than a garden-

variety fetishist.

“It’s very simple.” Without allowing her gaze to linger on the

woman who obviously yearned to give her exactly what she craved,

Selene hopped up to sit on the edge of the table. “I want you to secure

me with the wrist and ankle cuffs, then tie me down with rope as tight

as possible. Tighter than you think you should. Put the keys to the cuffs

in your pocket when you’re done. Then go home. You’ll take my house

key with you and lock up when you leave. In the morning you’ll come

back at eight o’clock and unlock my restraints.”

“That’s it?” Renee raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “You don’t

want me to get you off?”

Even the words made Selene want to come. It had been years since

she’d been with someone, and she burned to experience that closeness

again. But she’d learned a hard lesson the last time she allowed herself to

share such intimacy, one she never wanted to forget. Sex wasn’t purely

physical—at least not for Selene—and she refused to do anything that

might cause her to form an attachment to a human. It could only end

in heartbreak.

“No.” Selene kept her tone as brisk as possible. “It’s not about that

for me.” She pointed to a wad of bills and the house key she’d placed

on the end of the table. “Half your fee up front, half when you release

me in the morning.”

Renee picked up the money. Her throat moved as she thumbed

through the bills. “This is practically my entire fee right here.”

“I’m willing to pay extra for discretion.” Taking a deep breath,

Selene lay back and raised her arms above her head. She placed her

hands at the corners of the table, then spread her legs, lining her feet up

with the ankle cuffs. “And for very, very tight rope.”

Renee pocketed the money and the key. Her gaze ran down the

length of Selene’s body, then up until she met Selene’s eyes. Licking

her lips, Renee murmured, “You’re wet.”

That was an understatement. Selene’s inner thighs were slick

with arousal, and she could only imagine how she must look. “I take

pleasure from the loss of control.” Selene was so used to spouting the

lie, it rolled off her tongue easily. But it still embarrassed her to tell it. “I

like knowing I’m helpless in here, dependent on you to set me free.”

“And what if I get hit by a bus?” Renee laughed, but Selene heard

• 12 •

Meghan O’BrIen

genuine concern behind the question. “Not that I have any plans to get

killed tonight, but don’t you worry about that?”

“I have an arrangement with your boss.” Selene glanced at the

door to the room, wishing she could see the evening sky. No windows

in here, for her own safety. The sun had to be nearly down by now.

They needed to hurry or Renee would get a hell of a lot more than she

bargained for. “I’ll call her tomorrow after you untie me. If I don’t,

she’ll send someone to do it…and I imagine you’ll lose your job.”

Renee’s eyes hardened slightly, but Selene didn’t mean it as a

threat. She paid for high-price escorts from a reputable service for a

reason: She counted on their dependability and willingness to do what

she required without asking questions. And she wanted to put Renee

at ease, to convince her that she had no reason to fear leaving her

helpless and alone. Renee had to follow her instructions to the letter,

for everyone’s sake.

“Please,” Selene said quietly. “We need to hurry. Do you understand

what I require?”

“Yeah.” Renee grasped Selene’s wrist and fit it inside the metal

cuff attached to the corner of the table. This businesslike contact was

no less potent than the previous seductive caress, and Selene had to grit

her teeth not to react to the pleasure of warm fingers on her skin. “You

really want the rope, too? Seems like these cuffs are more than enough

to make sure you won’t go anywhere.”

“I need the rope. Yes.” The cuffs alone might not hold her once the

full moon rose and tore away the last of her humanity. She possessed

a frightening strength on these nights, and tonight—with the perigee

moon and the touch of a beautiful redhead lingering on her skin—she

would no doubt be nearly impossible to contain. “As tight as you can,

remember.”

Renee secured the cuffs on her other wrist and her ankles in

efficient silence. Then she picked up the rope and gave Selene a wary

look. “Okay.”

Selene concentrated on her breathing as Renee tentatively wrapped

the rope around her upper body, lashing her to the table. “Perfect.”

“Like this?” Renee tugged on the binds gently, then began to tie

her first knot. “Is this tight enough?”

“Tighter.” Renee was too tentative. The last girl hadn’t been afraid

to practically cut off her circulation, which was what she required.

Renee was treating her like a porcelain doll that might break if handled

too roughly. “I told you, tighter than you think you should.”

WILD

• 13 •

Renee cinched the rope down slightly, but not nearly enough.

“This will have to be good enough, Selene. I’m afraid you won’t be

able to breathe otherwise.”

Selene shook her head forcefully. “No, that’s not enough. You’ve

got to do better.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m paying you for a service, Renee.” Selene twisted her neck,

watching as Renee tied the knot. “Please do as I ask.”

“Listen, I don’t care how much you pay me. And don’t bother

to threaten my job again, either. You’re not the one who’s liable if

something happens to you. You want me to tie you down and leave you

for hours, fine. But I’m going to make damn sure you won’t suffocate

while I’m gone.”

Goddamn it. Renee didn’t intend to listen to her, and it was far too

late to call the agency to ask for a replacement. All Selene could do now

was send Renee on her way as quickly as possible and hope for the best.

“Fine. At least tie my legs, too. Okay?”

Renee clenched her jaw but did as she was told. She left the rope

just as loose around Selene’s lower body as it was on her chest, and

Selene knew these restraints wouldn’t hold her tonight. Not with the

pull of the full moon this strong. Her stomach churned, both at what

would inevitably happen and how much damage she would surely

cause.“There you are. All set.” Renee looked Selene up and down, then

sighed. “You’re sure you don’t want to just…” Her hand landed on

Selene’s forearm, tickling her bare skin and igniting a surge of lust so

fierce it took Selene’s breath away.

“No.” Selene’s voice came out harsher than she intended, but

Renee was killing her. And the clock was ticking. “It’s time for you to

leave. I’ll see you tomorrow. Eight o’clock.”

Renee blinked and stepped away from the table. “Fine.” She

walked to the door, glancing back with a strange expression before

stepping out of the room. “I’ll be here.”

Selene nodded, trying to conceal her tears of frustration. Whether

she would also be here tomorrow morning was doubtful. She closed her

eyes and listened for the sound of the front door. Only when she heard

Renee leave the house did she allow her tears to fall.

She was so tired of this. Tired of relying on strangers who could

never understand the stakes of the sex game she hired them to play.

Tired of worrying that the ropes were too loose or that she would

• 14 •

Meghan O’BrIen

wrench the metal cuffs free from yet another solid steel table. Tired

of being alone in the world with her terrible secret, of fearing that she

might be capable of doing something truly monstrous.

Tired of the goddamn moon.

WILD

• 15 •

Chapter tWO

Selene startled awake, opening her eyes to stare at gray sky

filtered through dark branches. A large rock dug into the

bare skin of her back, and her whole naked body ached. Turning her

head to the side, she exhaled shakily as she took in the grass and trees

surrounding her. Two years without incident, and now here she was,

waking up once again without any idea where she was or what she’d

done the night before.

Stomach turning, Selene fought not to vomit. She closed her eyes

and tried to filter through the meaningless jumble of memories that

flitted through her mind. There was Renee, of course, and the loose

rope. How scared she had been at the moment of transformation, and

how quickly the fear dissipated as nature took over and conscious

thought slipped away. But as for her night on the prowl, she had only

flashes: the moon, dark city streets, and the trees her beast-self always

sought out. She knew only that she was currently in Golden Gate Park,

unless she had run very far indeed.

Selene steeled herself, then sat up, checking her body for evidence

of the night’s activities. Dirt and bits of leaves were stuck to her skin

and in her hair, but she didn’t detect any blood. At least not much.

Selene studied a smear of crimson near her elbow. It was probably her

own, though she couldn’t find the source. That wasn’t surprising—only

a very recent wound would still be open. Along with the ability to shift

form, Selene was capable of rapidly accelerated healing.

When her adoptive parents had found her the morning after her

first uncontrolled shift, sleeping near the carcasses of the dead family

sheep, Selene had been covered in blood. The sweet, pungent smell, so

difficult to wash off her skin, stank like the end of childhood, like the

severing of human ties. Since that day, her greatest fear was waking up

• 16 •

Meghan O’BrIen

with that scent in her nose again. That’s what her whole routine was

about, the charade she put on with call girls. She never wanted to harm

another living thing. The absence of blood now, after a night out in the

city, made her hope that her beast-self knew her human heart and had

simply run free among the trees, hurting no one.

“Miss?”

Selene jolted at the sound of a deep male voice. Heart racing, she

drew her knees to her chest, startled to see a dark-skinned man in a

T-shirt and sweatpants standing on a walking path not fifteen feet away.

Her senses were still heightened beyond normal, so he shouldn’t have

been able to surprise her like that.

The man held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare

you. Are you okay?” He shifted his weight nervously, clearly uncertain

about how to interact with a dirty, naked woman in public. Judging

from the light sheen of sweat on his forehead, he was in the middle of a

run. He kept his eyes locked on her face. “You look like you’re in some

trouble. May I help?”

“No, I’m fine.” Selene grimaced at the foreign sound of her voice

inside her head. It was always like this the morning after. She felt a

strange disconnect with the body that had so recently betrayed her, not

to mention the mind that withheld the details of what she’d just been

through. “I’m okay.”

“Do you…know where your clothes are?”

Selene exhaled, then shook her head. She knew exactly what the

man thought had happened to her and realized that she wasn’t likely to

convince him otherwise. She didn’t know what she would rather have

him believe. “No. I’m not sure.”

The man hesitated, then said, “I’m going to take off my shirt now.

But I am not going to hurt you. I just want to give you something to

wear, okay?”

Selene nodded, shamed by the kind gesture. Here this man thought

she was a victim of assault, when in reality she’d been the baddest

monster stalking the park last night. “Thank you.”

Stepping closer, the man held out his shirt and scanned her body.

He was obviously trying to be subtle, but she curled in on herself

slightly. She couldn’t imagine he would see anything that might give

away her true nature, but the scrutiny made her feel vulnerable and

unsettled.

“Do you know who did this to you?” The man dropped the shirt

next to her, then backed away, averting his eyes as she pulled it over her

WILD

• 17 •

head. He folded his arms over his bare chest, as though shielding her

from the sight of his skin. “We need to call the police.”

“No!” The ferocity of her refusal caught Selene off guard, so she

wasn’t surprised when the man flinched, too. While she appreciated his

genuine concern, she certainly didn’t want the police to start asking

questions about why she had woken up naked in the park. “Please

don’t. I don’t want to talk to the police.”

“But they need to find the guy who…hurt you.”

To get him to back off, she had to appeal to his obvious good

nature. He clearly didn’t want to upset her, so she let her emotion come

to the front. Standing up, she tugged down the hem of his shirt, thankful

that it covered the top of her thighs. “Please. After the night I just had…I

just want to go home. I’ll be fine there.”

“But—”

“It’s my decision.” Selene played up the genuine guilt she felt

at her deception, knowing he would interpret it as embarrassment or

shame. “Please.”

The man glanced helplessly up and down the path before nodding

reluctantly. “Okay. It’s your decision. But at least let me make sure you

get there all right.”

“That won’t be necessary. Really.”

He sighed and shook his head. Gripping the back of his neck, he

asked, “You always this stubborn?”

“Most of the time.” Selene smiled. It was ridiculous to try to

convince him that she was okay, but she needed him to believe she

could at least make her own way home. She didn’t want him to know

any more about her than he already did. It was bad enough that he’d

seen her like this. “Listen, I live near the park. I promise I can get there

myself, no problem.”

The way he stared at her made Selene worry that he was growing

suspicious of her behavior. After all, if she wasn’t a victim of something

terrible, if she really was all right, why would she be out here like this

so early in the morning? But then his eyes softened and he dropped

his hands to the waistband of his sweatpants. “Let me at least give you

these.”

Selene shook her head. She was lying to a man who would literally

give her his pants. This was a new low. “No. That’s okay.”

“I’ve got running shorts on underneath.” The man raised an

eyebrow. “Look, you want me to let you go alone, I get it. But I can’t in

good conscience leave you to wander through the park without panties

• 18 •

Meghan O’BrIen

on. I just can’t. So either take the sweats or allow me to walk you home.

Your choice.”

It wasn’t worth arguing over. And the longer Selene stayed in the

park, the greater the chance someone else would see her there. She

had no idea what kind of devastation she’d left in her wake, and she

didn’t want to be connected in any way with whatever her beast-self

had done.

“Okay,” Selene said. “I’ll wear them.”

The man blinked. “Yeah?” At her nod, he slowly pulled them off.

Selene took them quickly, tugging them on, then cinching the

waist tight. “I hate to take your clothes.”

“I’ll be fine. My car isn’t far from here.”

“Okay, then.” Selene glanced behind her at a stand of trees. She

had no idea where in the park she was at the moment, but she didn’t

want her Good Samaritan to know that. As soon as she was able to get

her head on straight, she’d figure it out. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The man laced his hands in front of his shorts,

glancing away. “Take care of yourself, okay? Think about calling the

police.”

“I will.” Selene hesitated, then said, “Is there some way I can

return these clothes to you?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just…what’s your name?”

“Michelle.” Selene hated to lie, but she couldn’t let him know

even that much about her identity.

“I’m Clarence. Just be safe. Okay, Michelle?”

Selene nodded. “Okay.”

Clarence stared at her a moment more, then gestured to his left.

“So I’ll just be going…”

“Thank you. Again.”

With a nod, Clarence jogged down the path. Selene exhaled as

she watched him go. She appreciated the clothing—it would be harder

to avoid drawing attention if she were naked. Worst-case scenario, she

could have shifted into a dog or even a bird for the journey home. But

it was better she didn’t have to. Shifting right after the full moon took

a lot out of her. And doing so in public, even when she sensed she

was alone, meant risking exposure. She rarely shifted these days, too

concerned about keeping her abilities a secret to enjoy using them.

Home. Selene winced and looked at the sky. The morning was

gray and overcast, and she couldn’t see the sun through the clouds to

WILD

• 19 •

know what time it was. Had Renee already come back to her house to

find her bonds broken, the room destroyed? She had to get back there

quickly if it was possible Renee hadn’t discovered the evidence yet. If

she could meet Renee at the door and concoct some story to explain

why she was out of her restraints, it would be far better than letting

Renee see the destruction she’d left behind.

Selene ran onto the walking path and set off in the opposite

direction of Clarence. She would be able to orient herself once she

had the presence of mind to trust her senses, but in the meantime, she

wanted to put some distance between them. Hopefully she’d be able to

avoid seeing anyone else.

Only thirty feet down the path, Selene was hit by the sickening

smell of fresh blood. It stopped her mid-step, and, for a moment, she

felt like vomiting. That smell—she knew exactly what it meant. It

was the same one that had covered her when she was sixteen and had

slaughtered those sheep. That heady, pungent scent left no doubt that

she’d killed again.

The thought sickened her. But she didn’t know what it meant yet.

Perhaps she’d torn open a squirrel as a meal—not acceptable, for sure,

but not nearly as horrible as killing a human being. Selene scanned

the trees and bushes surrounding her, but didn’t see anything out of

the ordinary. She stepped off the path, letting her nose lead her to the

source of that terrifying scent.

She would have given anything not to follow this trail. But her feet

moved of their own accord, even as she dreaded what she might find.

She couldn’t run away. She was most likely responsible for whatever

was bleeding. If it was still alive, she couldn’t just leave it to suffer.

As a human, Selene had senses much more acute than those of a

normal person. She preferred tracking as a dog but could easily follow

a scent trail even in her natural form, especially when she had such an

overpowering odor to work with. Selene brought a hand to her nose as

the smell strengthened, then skidded to a stop when she saw the body

lying at the base of a large eucalyptus tree.

At first she saw only the blood. Not the age or gender of the

corpse, or even the nature of the injuries. Just blood, soaking into the

ground, smeared over every bit of skin visible. Selene gagged, then

forced herself to take a breath and look closer. Maybe the person was

still alive and needed help.

It was a woman. In her thirties, maybe, with dark skin and hair,

• 20 •

Meghan O’BrIen

possibly Latina. Definitely beyond help, she stared with sightless eyes

up at the sky. Was the last thing they saw an inexplicably enormous

creature, fierce and unrelenting, under the full moon?

Selene stumbled backward, losing her balance and falling on her

ass. Numb, she simply sat where she landed. For all these years this

had been her greatest fear. If killing a couple of sheep had made her

a monster, she had no idea what she was now. A murderer. A demon.

Selene covered her face with her hands and moaned quietly. Even as

her beast-self, could she really have murdered this woman?

She didn’t know enough about how an animal attack would look

to say whether she was responsible. Multiple deep slices covered the

woman’s body, but it was hard for Selene to determine whether her

teeth or her claws could have made them. The sheep had looked torn

apart in a way this woman didn’t, almost as though whatever killed her

had used more precise instruments of death.

Who was she kidding? She stood with effort, weaving on shaky

legs. What were the chances that someone else had killed this woman

when Selene had woken up the morning after a full moon not even

three hundred yards from her body? It seemed naïve to hope that she

wasn’t the culprit. Then again, with this much blood, why wasn’t she

covered in the stuff?

No matter what had really happened, she had to call the police.

With that thought, her feet were already moving, walking her back to

the path like she was on autopilot. Calling the police was the right thing

to do. Turning herself in might also be right, but she wasn’t ready to

take that step yet. Not before she was absolutely certain of her own

guilt. She’d spent too long in hiding to throw everything away only on

probability, no matter how strong it was.

As Selene drew closer to the sound of early morning traffic, she

finally recognized where she was. Maybe a half mile down the road

from her house, which did indeed border Golden Gate Park—but on

the other side. She sighed. This would be a long walk without shoes. It

would be so much easier as a cat or, better yet, a bird.

Not having a watch, she could only guess how long it took her to

hurry back to her house. It felt like hours but was probably only twenty

minutes. She was out of breath when she reached her front door, but she

was relieved to see it still in one piece, and locked.

Obviously she’d escaped from her spare room somehow, but not out

the front. Thank the universe for small favors. Did her human concerns

guide her beast-self? As much as she feared terrible destruction, those

WILD

• 21 •

few times she did get loose she’d caused only minor damage. Almost as

though her beast-self knew to be cautious.

Selene walked to the side of her house. A windowsill jammed at

an awkward angle showed that she’d broken a pane and wrenched the

window open. Taking a quick look around, she pulled over a garbage

can and climbed up, boosting herself up and easing inside.

Now in her bathroom, she surveyed the minor mess—a towel

lying on the floor, toothbrush and facial wash in the sink, knocked off

the counter. She’d been in a hurry, but at least she hadn’t trashed the

place. She quickly tidied up, then walked to the spare room, steeling

herself.

The wooden door was ripped off the hinges, no surprise. A steel

door would have been better at keeping her in, but she couldn’t afford

that type of modification when paying San Francisco prices, especially

when it probably wouldn’t have held her, either. Her steel table was

still bolted to the floor, but she had torn the cuffs from its surface and

thrown them into a corner. The ineffectual rope lay scattered in pieces

across the floor. One wall had a hole she’d need to patch.

“Damn it,” Selene muttered. To her horror, tears welled in her

eyes. Not for her table or door or window, but for the poor dead woman

in the park, and for herself.

She gave herself exactly ten seconds to experience the full scope of

her grief and self-pity, then forced the tears back. Sniffling, she walked

to her closet and withdrew a wad of bills. The rest of Renee’s payment.

No matter how the evening had turned out, it wasn’t Renee’s fault. She

hadn’t understood the rules of the game they’d played, let alone the

stakes. Selene was solely responsible for the breach.

She went to the kitchen and checked the clock—only six thirty.

Renee wasn’t due for another hour and a half. That gave Selene time

to clean up a little, then do the thing that most weighed on her mind.

She had to call the police. Not with a confession, not yet. With a tip.

Once the police found the body and examined the crime scene, maybe

they would allow the media to provide some details about what had

happened, especially whether it was an animal attack. Maybe by then

she would know how to move forward if she really had done the

unthinkable.

If she made the call from the pay phone at the edge of the park,

nobody would be able to trace it to her. She put on her shoes, propped

the ruined door to her spare room against the splintered frame, and

headed out.

• 22 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter three

When the man in the ski mask tore out of the brush to her

left, Dr. Eve Thomas truly regretted not listening to her ex-

girlfriend about the dangers of Golden Gate Park at sunrise. Jac had

never liked Eve’s early morning strolls when they were together, so Eve

made them a daily ritual after they broke up. As the man intercepted her

on the walking path, drawing back his fist with hatred in his eyes, Eve

wished she hadn’t felt the need to flaunt her newfound freedom. Even

with pepper spray in her pocket, she was outmatched.

Eve was reaching for the canister when the man’s fist crashed into

her nose. The blow tore the glasses from her face, stealing her vision,

but she didn’t have time to panic before a second punch knocked her

off her feet. Her world went into slow motion, up until the moment

her back hit the pavement. Then everything sped up: The man grabbed

a fistful of her hair and dragged her toward the trees, and Eve’s one

recurring thought was that Jac would be so upset about what would

probably happen.

Once they were out of sight of the path, the man threw her onto the

ground. Then he was on top of her, pressing the sharp edge of a knife to

her throat. “Do I need to use this?”

Eve shook her head and swallowed. He had her arms pinned

beneath his bulk, and she would never reach the pepper spray before

he sliced her jugular. Her best bet for getting through this alive was to

cooperate.

She waited for the inevitable assault to begin. But he stayed

still, staring at her with piercing blue eyes that sent sick dread rushing

through her. She yearned to turn her face away, but didn’t want to

move. Not with that cold blade against her neck. Forced to look back

up at him, Eve studied what she could make out of his appearance,

WILD

• 23 •

already thinking about the statement she would give the police if she

survived. He was Caucasian, she could see that much. Taller than her,

and heavier.

“I can do anything I want.” His tone made it clear that he wasn’t

just talking about here and now, but in general. The way he looked at

her, like she was less than an animal, made her certain that he wouldn’t

hesitate to end her life. “Understand?”

Eve’s stomach turned over. “Take my purse. Please let me go.”

She doubted she could talk him out of whatever he had planned, but

she couldn’t think of anything else to do. If nothing else, she would

buy some time, maybe give someone a chance to discover them and

intervene. It had to be almost seven o’clock by now, so foot traffic was

bound to increase. She just had to keep him talking.

“I don’t want your goddamn purse.” The knife left her neck and

his free hand took its place. He dug his thumb into the center of her

throat, restricting her breathing and sending bright pinpricks of agony

to her brain. Just when her vision began to dim, the pressure eased and

she gasped in relief. “I can do anything. Nobody will stop me.”

Eyes burning, Eve whispered, “I have money. And an iPod.”

“I don’t want your iPod.” The man blinked, then bent so close she

could feel his breath through the black cotton mask. “I can fuck you.

Kill you.” He eased back, meeting her gaze again. “Make you cry.”

Terror invaded the pit of Eve’s stomach and squeezed painfully,

loosening a wave of intense nausea. She’d never felt this before, this

bone-deep fear: of pain, humiliation, maybe even her own end. She

wanted to scream, but the fear held her back. Possibly no one would

hear. And she would surely make him angry. The corners of his eyes

crinkled. He looked pleased.

“Scared?” He dragged the knife over the center of her chest,

snagging her shirt on its tip. Jerking the blade upward, he sliced through

the thin material like it was nothing. Eve yelped, then whimpered when

his hand shot up and caught her across the face. “Shut up.”

Eve turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. Tears

threatened to fall, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing

her cry. He grasped the front of her shirt and widened the tear he’d made

with the knife. She waited for him to maul her breasts, then stiffened

when instead the wicked edge of the blade traced a path from her cloth-

covered nipple to the bare skin that rose above the cup of her bra.

The anticipation was the worst part. Imagining all the things he

could do but not knowing which one would be her fate. He could strip

• 24 •

Meghan O’BrIen

her naked, rape her. Or maybe he got off on slow pain and would cut her

instead. What if he skipped the pleasantries and just plunged the knife

deep into her heart?

A scream rattled at the back of Eve’s throat, the sound of pure, total

terror, desperate to escape. Give it voice, and the man would probably

just finish her quickly. Even that thought didn’t quell her urge to call

out. How else to deal with his looming menace, with her sudden, sick

certainty of pain, then death?

“Look at me.” The man drew the point of the knife over her

clavicle, then placed the edge against her throat. “Open your eyes and

look at me.”

She did.

“This is easy for me.” He ran the knife down between her breasts.

His hand was steady, but a trace of uncertainty flickered in his eyes.

“All I have to do is push the knife in and you’re dead.”

Eve’s vision blurred as the tears she had been holding back came

to the front. “Please don’t.”

The man froze on top of her, halting the motion of his knife. Eve

held her breath, waiting to feel the sting of her skin being sliced open.

To her surprise, he raised his head and looked at something just past

Eve’s line of sight. She yearned to see what had caught his attention,

but stayed still, too scared to move.

A deep, rumbling growl cut through the noise of Eve’s pulse

pounding in her ears. Her attacker’s eyes bulged, then she exhaled as he

pulled his knife away from her chest. Another growl, like nothing Eve

had ever heard, not up close, not in real life. Taking a deep breath, Eve

craned her neck, then gasped at the animal standing not five feet away.

Without her glasses, she could make out only an indistinct gray

beast, almost certainly a canid, but not a dog. It looked like a wolf, no

matter how improbable that would be in the middle of San Francisco.

The beast snarled, drawing back its lips to reveal wicked teeth.

Eve’s heart pumped into overdrive. She had no idea how to react. A

wolf was fierce, wild, and out of place in Golden Gate Park. In some

ways it was just as dangerous as the masked man, yet its presence had

stopped the assault.

“Keep still.” The man shifted on top of her, clearly weighing his

next move. “Don’t provoke it.”

The wolf stepped closer, its watchful eyes fixed on her attacker,

challenging him. Eve held her breath, as frightened of being mauled as

WILD

• 25 •

she was of getting raped and murdered. But the wolf never looked at

her. It focused solely on the man in the ski mask, turning predator into

prey.

With a vicious snarl, the wolf leapt onto the man, knocking him

to the ground at Eve’s side. As soon his weight left her body, she could

breathe again. Brain finally engaged, she decided to run. She struggled

to her feet as man and wolf wrestled for dominance beside her. Searing

pain shot through her ankle as soon as she stepped down onto it.

Panicking, she stumbled, then hit the ground hard.

Eve watched helplessly as the wolf drew back and sank its teeth

into the man’s arm. He yelped in incoherent rage, slashing out at the

wolf. His knife sliced through the air in a frantic arc, but his aim was

off and the wolf danced away unharmed.

The wolf took another step backward, almost as though giving the

man a chance to escape. He took it. With a quick, angry noise, the man

in the ski mask broke into a stumbling run, disappearing into the trees

and out of Eve’s range of vision. She squinted after him, then turned her

attention to her new problem. The wolf.

To her surprise, it was sitting in front of her, staring at her with

quiet intensity. Startled, she fumbled in her pocket and withdrew the

canister of pepper spray. “Stay back.” Her voice wavered, hardly a

surprise when she was about to burst into tears. She raised her arm and

aimed. “Go away!”

The wolf tilted its head, then trotted off as though obeying her

command. Eve exhaled as it retreated. When she could no longer pick

out the wolf’s shape from among the trees, she finally dared to move.

Slowly, this time, Eve struggled to her feet. Careful to keep weight

off her ankle, she could finally stand unsupported, but pulling herself

together was a far more difficult task.

Caught between logic and the primitive, emotional need to fall

apart completely, she didn’t know what to do next. She desperately

wanted to run away from this place as fast as her injured ankle would

carry her, but she had to find her purse with her cell phone inside so she

could call for help. Without her glasses, she wouldn’t be able to drive.

She decided to give herself one minute to find her purse. More

than sixty seconds, to hell with it. She wasn’t about to wait around so

the man or the wolf could return.

Limping around the clearing, she conducted a frantic search before

concluding that he must have taken it when he ran. That meant he had

• 26 •

Meghan O’BrIen

all her most important stuff: her wallet, her identification card for work,

car keys, the contact list in her smartphone, even her spare tampon.

Everything.

Eve fought back despair as she turned in the direction of the

walking path. She couldn’t think about it now. She had to keep moving,

had to find help.

Taking slow, cautious steps through the brush, she tried not to

stumble on unseen obstacles. She hadn’t made it very far before the

unmistakable sound of someone approaching made her break into a

clumsy run, heart in her throat.

“Wait!”

Eve stopped immediately at the sound of a female voice. Turning,

she saw a woman emerge from behind a tree to her left. At the sight of

another person, someone who presumably didn’t want to harm her, Eve

put her hand on the trunk of a eucalyptus to steady her trembling legs.

“You look like you need some help.” The woman stepped closer,

holding up her hands as though pleading with Eve not to flee. “I won’t

hurt you.”

Eve couldn’t place the dark-haired woman’s accent, but her low,

soothing tone immediately lulled Eve into tentative safety. Swallowing,

Eve said, “We have to get out of here. Before he comes back.” Her

voice sounded harsh to her own ears. She could only imagine how

she must look, terrified, blood trickling down her face. “The man who

attacked me.”

The woman narrowed the distance between them. Quite beautiful,

with worried green eyes, she offered Eve her hand. “Let’s go, then.”

Eve took the woman’s hand, grateful for the warm, human

connection. Though it loosened her control on her emotions, it also

kept her tethered securely in the now. She was safe. “I lost my glasses

when he punched me. I can’t see without them.”

“Then we’d better find them.” The woman gave her fingers a

gentle squeeze. “I’m Selene.”

“Eve.”

“Eve, where were you when he hit you?”

“On the path.” She glanced over her shoulder as they emerged

from the trees, half expecting to see him. “He came out of nowhere. I

didn’t have time to react.”

“That must have been terrifying.”

“I’ve never been so scared in my life.” Eve’s throat ached as she

WILD

• 27 •

remembered being held down by the neck. “I thought he was going to

kill me.”

“But he didn’t.”

“No.” Eve took a deep breath as they approached the path. “I know

it sounds crazy, but a wolf…stopped him, chased him away.”

“A wolf?” Selene didn’t do a very good job of hiding her

skepticism. “I didn’t see anything like that. Just…you.”

“It ran off before you found me. And it looked like a wolf, but I

don’t know. Maybe someone in the city is keeping one illegally.”

“What matters is that you’re safe.” Selene tightened her fingers on

Eve’s as they approached the path, urging her to stop. “There they are.”

Selene knelt and picked up two objects. Rising, she held them out. One

hand cradled Eve’s damaged frames, the other, a single lens. “Looks

like the lens popped out. We can fix that. The other one’s scratched, so

you’ll need to have it replaced.”

At the sight of her broken glasses, Eve heaved a sigh. Severely

nearsighted since childhood, she’d grown up haunted by the fear of

being unable to see. Becoming an adult hadn’t eased that phobia.

Simply knocking her glasses behind the nightstand in the morning

could cause mild panic. Seeing them in pieces, especially after having

just experienced excruciating vulnerability, was more than enough to

shatter her control.

Eve’s legs gave out, and she would have hit the ground if Selene’s

reflexes weren’t lightning fast. At once, Selene held her in strong arms,

supporting her as though she weighed nothing.

“Shh,” Selene murmured, cradling her. “It’s all right, I’ve got you.

He can’t hurt you now.”

“We should go.” Even though she meant it, Eve buried her face in

Selene’s neck and returned the embrace. The coldly rational part of her

brain, the one she was used to relying on, recoiled in horror at the way

she sought comfort from a stranger. But her lizard brain, still reeling

from the threat of brutal slaughter, needed Selene like her lungs needed

air. “He could come back.”

“He won’t,” Selene murmured. Her hand stroked Eve’s hair. “It’s

okay. Give yourself a minute. Then we can walk.”

Eve allowed herself exactly five more seconds of her meltdown,

then stepped back and wiped away her tears. “I’m parked on Thirtieth

Avenue, not too far from here. If you could help me to my car…”

“Can you drive without your glasses?”

• 28 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“No.” Eve’s lip trembled when she remembered that she didn’t

have her car keys anyway. “And I think he took my purse. So I guess

I’m not going anywhere. Maybe you have a cell phone I could use?”

Selene fingered a lock of Eve’s hair, tucking it behind her ear.

“Come to my apartment. You can use my phone, and I’ll do what I can

to repair your glasses.”

“Thank you,” Eve said. She wasn’t about to refuse the offer.

Already her mind raced with things she needed to do: call Jac, order

new car keys, cancel her credit cards, change the lock on her apartment.

Amazing how five minutes in the park had upset the ordered balance of

her life. “I’d like to clean up my face, too.”

“Of course.” Selene placed a gentle hand on Eve’s arm. “May I

lead you?”

Eve nodded and hooked her arm into Selene’s. Gritting her teeth,

she tried to match Selene’s slow pace, determined not to show her pain.

“Thank you, Selene. Really.”

“You would do the same for me.” Selene glanced at her and

smiled. “I can tell.”

Eve surprised herself by returning the smile. “Let’s hope I never

have to.”

Selene led them to the edge of the park, where Eve was both

relieved and embarrassed to see the moderate traffic on Fulton Street.

Though the presence of so many people reassured her, she faltered as

a powerful wave of self-consciousness rolled over her. She used one

hand to pull the two halves of her shirt closed, covering the bra she only

now realized was showing.

“It’s okay,” Selene said, pulling her closer. Eve felt a surge of

unexpected strength from the contact and leaned into Selene hoping for

more. “My place is just a block away.”

Nodding, Eve held her head as high as she could as they walked

down the sidewalk. The few people they passed stared at her in concern,

but nobody said anything. Eve was almost glad not to be wearing her

glasses, so she wouldn’t have to see the questions in their eyes.

“Here we are.” Stopping in front of a light blue house, Selene

jogged up the short flight of steps and pushed open the front door.

“Home sweet home.”

“Do you usually leave your door unlocked?” Eve walked inside

carefully, wishing she still had Selene at her side. “If nothing else, I

hope you’ll reconsider that after this morning.”

WILD

• 29 •

Selene gave a nervous nod. “I had only just stepped out for a

moment. Or that was the plan, anyway.”

Eve limped out of the foyer into a hallway and glanced around.

Selene strode past her, to a room with a door propped within its open

entryway. She seemed embarrassed by the state of her apartment, and

Eve inhaled sharply as a pang of shame hit her squarely in the stomach.

The emotion was so intense it seemed almost foreign, as though it had

been forced upon her.

It disoriented her so completely that for a moment she didn’t

know herself. Was this post-attack Eve, full of volatile emotion, lacking

rationality? She hoped not. She normally clung to her sense of order and

reason, her controlled emotions, so she could excel at her job. Studying

dead people to help catch their killers was hardly a career for someone

who couldn’t detach.

“Excuse the mess.” Selene placed the door in the frame, blocking

Eve’s view of the room. “I’m in the middle of some home repairs.”

Eve managed an uneasy shrug. “I hate to intrude.”

“Not at all.” Selene walked to the door across the hall and pushed

it open. “Here’s the bathroom. Take your time.” She moved aside as

Eve approached. “I’ll go get you a shirt and be right back.”

“Thank you.” Eve paused in the doorway, not particularly wanting

to be separated from Selene. It was silly, but her presence made Eve

feel less afraid. She was nervous what would happen once Selene was

out of sight. “You’re a lifesaver. Literally.”

Selene’s face reddened. “All I did was walk you home.”

“It’s more than that.” Eve paused, unsure how to describe what

Selene was doing for her. Though she didn’t normally believe in such

things, she felt an instant connection to Selene and was sure it was the

only thing allowing her to function right now. “I don’t know what I

would’ve done if you hadn’t found me.”

Selene hesitated, then touched Eve’s hand gently. “I’m glad I

did.”Warm arousal, a welcome stranger that Eve hadn’t heard from in

months, inexplicably rushed through her and set her heart pounding.

Hand shaking, she drew away from Selene and backed into the

bathroom. “Me, too.”

“I’ll be right back.” To Eve’s relief, Selene betrayed no sign that

she’d recognized Eve’s reaction for what it was. “You’ll be okay?”

Eve nodded, then shut the bathroom door. Alone inside, she fell

• 30 •

Meghan O’BrIen

back against the wall and closed her eyes. That was totally unlike

her. She usually didn’t feel instant attraction, especially after what

she’d just been through. What was it about Selene that inspired such

uncharacteristic behavior?

Whatever it was, Eve hoped she could make it out of Selene’s

apartment without making a fool of herself. Straightening, she walked

stiffly to the sink and steeled herself for her first look in the mirror.

Determined to assess the damage as unemotionally as possible, she still

had to stifle a gasp at the sight of her face.

A small, bloody cut marred her forehead, and the skin around

her eye was swollen and angry red. By tomorrow she’d have an ugly

shiner. A trail of dried blood from her nose painted her upper lip reddish

brown. Bits of leaves and twigs were tangled in her hair. None of that

even hinted at the damage she felt inside. She wouldn’t take any more

early morning walks in Golden Gate Park.

Suppressing the urge to fall into self-pity, she turned on the faucet

and began to gingerly scrub away the dirt and blood. Taming her hair

was a bigger challenge, but she did her best. It would be easier to put

on a brave face about going to work if she didn’t look like she’d just

been on the losing end of a brawl. And she was definitely still going,

just as soon as she picked up a new pair of glasses. She had to perform

an autopsy this morning, not to mention the mountain of case-related

paperwork waiting for her.

Going to work was about more than just a sense of duty, of course.

In a perfect world she’d run home and lick her wounds, happy not to

face anyone. Given that they had an open homicide case, Jac would

almost certainly come in to the medical examiner’s office today. Eve

couldn’t imagine seeing her like this. But in a perfect world, the man

who’d attacked her wouldn’t have her driver’s license and the keys

to her apartment. She couldn’t even think about going home until she

called a locksmith.

It wasn’t entirely about fear of being in her apartment, though.

Eve needed to go perform that autopsy to prove that she hadn’t lost the

essence of who she was, that the man in the park hadn’t stolen it from

her. She needed to reassure herself that she could still handle violence

and death in her professional life even after her terrifying personal

encounter with it. That he could have damaged her in that way hurt

far more than any physical wound he had inflicted. Her work was her

life. A knock on the door startled her so badly she gasped out loud.

WILD

• 31 •

Heart racing, she gripped the sides of the sink and exhaled. Calm down,

she chanted in time with her breathing. Just calm down.

“It’s only me, Eve. I have your glasses and a shirt.” The sound of

Selene’s apologetic voice instantly soothed her nerves. “I didn’t mean

to scare you.”

Checking herself in the mirror one last time, Eve opened the

bathroom door. “Not your fault.”

Selene stood awkwardly with Eve’s glasses in one hand and a

green shirt in the other. “I thought you’d probably want your glasses as

soon as I could get them to you.”

“You were right.” Eve took them from Selene, gratitude

overwhelming her. Regaining her vision was the first step to returning

to herself. Being able to see would ground her. “Thank you so much.”

“The frames are a little bent, and one of the lenses has a bad

scratch. But it’s better than nothing, I’m sure.” Selene shifted her

weight anxiously. “You clean up really well, by the way.”

Eve pushed back another strange twinge of arousal as she settled

her glasses on her nose. Then she lost the battle with her hormones

completely. Blurry, Selene had been beautiful. In sharp focus, she

was stunning. Eve had seen her brand of dark, exotic beauty only in

magazines, and even then, it had been nowhere as extraordinary as

what was now standing right in front of her.

Unable to speak, Eve fumbled with the front of her shirt, pulling

it closed. Her attraction to Selene made her feel powerfully self-

conscious, almost silly. After not having been enough to keep Jac

interested, entertaining the notion of being with a woman who looked

like Selene was positively delusional.

“I hope I didn’t embarrass you,” Selene said quietly.

Eve shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Eve shook her head again. “I’ll return your shirt as soon as I can.

I promise.”

“No worries.” Selene arched an eyebrow. “I have more.”

Incredibly, Selene’s good humor put Eve at ease. She loosened her

grip on her torn shirt and took the one Selene offered. “I’ll still return

it.” “I’d like that.”

Eve swallowed. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Selene was

flirting. But that wasn’t possible, was it? “If it’s all right, I’ll just leave

my shirt in your trash. I…don’t want it anymore.”

• 32 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“Of course. I get it.” Selene’s gaze wandered down to Eve’s chest,

but before Eve could feel bashful, Selene’s eyes widened. “He cut

you.”Eve looked down, allowing the two sides of her shirt to gap open.

For the first time she saw what had caught Selene’s attention: a small

slice along the curve of her breast where it rose above the cup of her

bra. A thin line of blood had been raised, the cut so small and shallow

she hadn’t even noticed him make it. Feeling as though she had a rock

in her throat, Eve struggled to breathe. “Oh.”

“I should have been there sooner.” The guilt in Selene’s voice

was palpable, far out of proportion with any reasonable sense of

responsibility. “I wish I’d known sooner.”

“You can’t blame yourself,” Eve said. For some reason, this

one minor injury shook her more than all the other cuts and bruises

combined. “I was the idiot who decided to walk alone in Golden Gate

Park at sunrise.”

Selene pulled Eve into a tight hug that should have made her

claustrophobic. For the second time that morning, her body was trapped

against a stranger’s. But discomfort was the last thing she felt about the

subtle, luscious joy of being in Selene’s arms.

“You’re not an idiot. What happened wasn’t your fault.” Selene

placed her hand against the center of Eve’s back. “He shouldn’t have

done that.”

It was true. It was exactly what Eve would tell the victim of a

violent crime, regardless of the circumstances. But that didn’t make it

any easier to believe. “I know better than to blame myself. I’ve helped

investigate dozens of homicides, and not once did I ever think someone

deserved to be victimized. It’s different when it’s me, I guess.”

Selene pulled back from their embrace. “You work for the

police?”

Eve wasn’t entirely surprised to see a slight reticence in Selene’s

eyes. Women rarely met her choice of profession with enthusiasm. “I’m

a forensic pathologist for the medical examiner’s office. I deal with a

lot of murders and accidental deaths.” She stopped there, not about

to tell Selene about her minor celebrity within the forensic world, the

result of having helped identify one of the most twisted serial killers

San Francisco had ever seen. That tidbit would almost certainly alienate

her from a woman she wanted to get to know.

“That’s fascinating,” Selene said. She appeared interested, but

Eve could feel her unease. “Do you enjoy your work?”

WILD

• 33 •

“I do.” Blushing, Eve stepped backward into the bathroom. “I

should change. And if I could use your phone to call the office and let

them know I’ll be late…”

“You’re going to work?” Selene searched her eyes. “Maybe you

should go home and get some rest.”

Eve shook her head. “I can’t. He has my purse, my keys…” At

Selene’s look of alarm, Eve said, “I’ll call a locksmith from the office.

And I’ll tell the police what happened. It’ll be fine.” She wasn’t sure

she believed that, but saying it helped. Worry remained etched across

Selene’s face.

“I…have an appointment in about a half hour. Or else I’d offer to

let you stay here—”

“Oh, no.” Eve laughed nervously. It was clear the offer was sincere,

but Eve couldn’t help feeling that she should leave. Whatever drew her

to Selene was like a drug, and she already worried about the withdrawal.

Eve didn’t want to depend on Selene for comfort, because she would be

left with no resources of her own when Selene was inevitably gone. “I

need to get to work. Corpses to examine, paperwork to fill out.”

Selene nodded politely, and a sick feeling of disgust flared in Eve,

then quickly vanished. Another foreign, fleeting emotion, so unlike

anything Eve had ever felt before. It was enough to make her feel crazy

and, even worse, illogical.

“Will you call me tonight and let me know that you’re okay?”

Selene handed her a cell phone. “That’s all I ask.”

Eve’s face heated as she took the phone. “Sure.”

“You calling a cab?” Selene looked down at her feet. “I wish I

could give you a ride, but with my appointment—”

“You’ve done more than enough for me,” Eve said. Tentatively, she

placed her hand on Selene’s arm. The simple touch sent desire shooting

through her body to pool between her legs. Shocked, she pulled back.

“Really. Thank you. A cab is a good idea.”

Selene lifted her gaze and stared, then stepped back. “I’ll let you

change. And make your call.”

Shaken by the way her body and thoughts no longer seemed under

her control, Eve nodded and quickly shut the bathroom door. She tossed

Selene’s shirt on the counter, then shrugged out of her torn top. Taking

a deep breath, she looked into the mirror. The pathetic sight of herself,

scared and half-naked and bleeding, made her finally break down and

cry.

• 34 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter FOur

Heart racing, Selene turned from the bathroom and tried to

ignore the pain, sorrow, and lingering desire emanating from

behind the closed door. She had always been sensitive to human emotion,

but never had she experienced such a deep empathetic connection with

anyone. Not even her first love, Carla. Something about Eve literally

called to Selene, a force that had almost certainly spared Eve from a

terrible fate.

Selene had first received a powerful wave of fear. She’d just hung

up the pay phone after leaving an anonymous tip about the body in the

park, and the transmission had knocked her back a step when terror

seized her gut. For a moment she’d worried she was finally losing it.

The years of keeping secrets, of worrying about what her beast-self was

capable of doing, were crashing down around her. Right in the midst of

a moon-hangover. In public. As she tried to catch her breath against the

rising panic, she concentrated on staying in control and in human form.

Strong emotion had once triggered her to shift, a terrifying moment she

never wanted to repeat.

Then her perception of the fear had changed. Though Selene

experienced it with every bit of her self, she wasn’t the source. The

source, she realized, was back in Golden Gate Park. And Selene had to

go to her. She had no choice.

As she had sprinted into the park, tracking that fear with an

accuracy she never doubted, she realized if someone had discovered

that dead body, that might cause her to feel this intense terror. However,

it should have ignited a brief flare-up, not the sustained, soul-wrenching

horror that rolled through her in waves. It was, however, possible that

the woman she’d murdered had been found. Maybe it wasn’t a good

idea to run in to help.

WILD

• 35 •

The possibility hadn’t stopped her. She needed to find the source

of the fear. Nothing else mattered. Knowing she was drawing close, she

had slowed long enough to study her surroundings. Finding nobody

within eyesight, she’d shed her clothing and, still moving, shifted into

a wolf. It was her go-to shape and would hopefully be intimidating

enough to repel a threat. Not knowing what she would find, she wanted

to stack the deck in her favor.

As soon as Selene had seen that man on top of Eve, using a viciously

sharp-looking knife to toy with her, she had known that shifting was the

right choice. She had broken her cardinal rule without thinking, but as

Eve’s relief at the interruption hit her square in the chest, Selene had no

regrets. Well, except that Eve was almost as afraid of her wolf as she

had been of the attacker.

Now that she had a quiet moment in the safety of her apartment,

Selene reviewed her fight with the man. He had been afraid of the wolf,

too. She could smell it on him. Though his fear was strong, his anger

about being interrupted was far more potent. Selene didn’t want to

imagine what plans she’d ruined.

Selene hadn’t wanted to let Eve’s attacker go but had craved to

chase him, to make him pay somehow. But Eve’s turbulent emotional

state held her back. The woman she had saved, the one who had called

her, was on the verge of falling apart. So Selene had slunk into the trees,

found her clothing, and dressed so she could run back and care for Eve

as a human being.

Now she wondered if that had been the right choice.

Eve was dangerous, no doubt about it. Not only because she was

beautiful, the first woman in years to whom Selene couldn’t control her

attraction, but also because of her profession. She was practically a cop

and would probably be the one who examined the dead woman from

the park, maybe as soon as later today. Dissecting Selene’s handiwork,

she would try to puzzle out how an animal that size had found its way

into Golden Gate Park.

Selene shuddered. More than being found out, she hated to imagine

Eve seeing her as just another killer. She’d known the woman for only

twenty traumatic minutes, but already she cared about what Eve would

think.This was exactly why she’d given up sex: too much emotional

attachment. But with Eve, sex wasn’t necessary. Selene already felt

strangely attached.

Selene turned around at the sound of the bathroom door opening.

• 36 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Eve stood there wearing her shirt and glasses, doing a very good

impression of someone who wasn’t holding on by a very thin thread.

Selene put on a friendly expression and tried to be calm. She sensed that

their empathetic link was a two-way street, which had to feel strange to

someone not accustomed to the supernatural. Deciding it was probably

in her best interest to control her emotions, in case Eve dwelt too long

on the notion that Selene was somehow different from other women,

Selene centered herself.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “Feeling better?”

“Much.” Eve closed the distance between them and handed Selene

her cell phone. “The cab will be here in about five minutes.”

Relief flooded Selene, then guilt. She was relieved that Eve would

be gone before Renee returned to pick up the other half of her money

and guilty that she had to worry about that potentially awkward moment

at all.Eve winced. “I…I need to sit down.”

“Of course.” Selene led her to the couch and perched on the arm,

torn between staying close and keeping a safe distance. This confirmed

Selene’s suspicion. Eve didn’t just transmit emotion, she received it

and was tuned in to Selene. From Eve’s perplexed expression, Selene

guessed that Eve had no idea what was happening. That was for the

best. Selene redoubled her efforts to stay neutral.

“You said you were planning to file a police report?” Selene

marveled at the way Eve kept her face stoic even as she broadcast a

wave of shame. “Is that correct?”

“I don’t think I’ll have much of a choice.” Eve looked away. “My

ex is a detective. Jac would never let me get away with not reporting

this.”“Well, Jac’s right.” Selene spoke in what she hoped was a

reassuring voice. She recalled Eve’s fear when she talked about her

attacker having her purse. Selene didn’t like that fact, either. “It’ll be

okay. They’ll find him.”

Eve shook her head and shrugged as though it was a nice notion,

but unlikely. She was probably right. “Well, I hope so. Unfortunately,

I’m not sure they’ll have much to go on from me. Chances are they’ll

have to wait until he tries again. Hopefully the next woman is as lucky

as I am.”

Selene’s jaw tightened as she flashed on what she might have found

had she arrived at the scene only moments later. “Yes, let’s hope.”

“I’m glad you heard me.” Eve raised her eyes and met Selene’s

WILD

• 37 •

gaze shyly. “I was so afraid to make him angry, I didn’t think I’d called

out loud enough to attract any attention. It’s a miracle you were so

close.”

Selene hadn’t been close at all. It had taken her a full three minutes

of sprinting before she reached Eve. But she nodded anyway. “I’m glad

I decided to take a walk this morning.”

“I can’t say the same. But I am glad I met you.” Eve looked

surprised as the words left her mouth, and Selene felt her embarrassment

like a knife to the gut.

“Me, too.” The cell phone buzzed in Selene’s hand and she picked

it up without breaking eye contact. After a moment she hung up. “Your

cab is outside.”

Eve nodded. “Well…thank you again.”

“Of course.” Selene resisted the urge to gather Eve into another

embrace. As unnerving as it was to sense Eve’s mood so acutely, nothing

had ever felt so right as holding Eve in her arms. “You be safe.”

“I will.” Eve walked to the front door, then paused with her hand

on the knob. “Maybe I’ll see you again?”

It wouldn’t be wise, but Selene wanted nothing more than to say

yes. Forcing a casual smile, she said, “Maybe.”

Eve’s happiness washed over Selene, and she didn’t have to try so

hard to keep smiling. “All right, then. Good-bye.”

Selene stood at the open front door and watched Eve walk to the

cab. She didn’t allow herself to feel the disappointment of knowing

that seeing Eve again wasn’t a good idea, or worry for Eve’s safety. It

wasn’t fair to burden Eve with any of the turmoil that churned in her

stomach. As the cab driver pulled away from the curb, Eve gave her one

last wave good-bye, which Selene returned politely. Once Eve was out

of sight, she withdrew into her house and shut the door.

Selene missed her already.

• 38 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter FIve

He shouldn’t have hit her.

That was Kevin’s first mistake. When he had come up with

the Plan, the idea had been to leave the park immediately after he made

the kill. Get away fast, don’t hang around to looky-loo. And certainly

don’t end up in the background of any crime-scene photographs. Killers

got caught like that, and he refused to let anyone stop him. That’s what

the game was about: telling the world, but especially Dr. Eve Thomas,

that he could do whatever he wanted, to whomever he wanted.

All he had to do was stick to the Plan. Be logical. Stay calm.

Today, on his first kill, he had completely and utterly failed. As

Kevin had stood over his offering and stripped off the bloody sweatshirt

and gloves he would burn before he went home, a dark desire took

hold. Dr. Eve Thomas would begin her morning walk in a mere half

hour. The kill zone was far enough from her usual route that he could

hang around that area of the park another thirty minutes, if only to catch

a glimpse.

He had told himself that’s all he wanted. A glimpse.

He had burned to see Eve stroll through the park unaware of what

had just occurred, having no idea that he was watching from behind

a tree. Would she be frightened later when she realized her proximity

to the time and place of the crime? Angry? More determined to catch

him?The thought turned him on. To leave Eve the body of a woman

who could have just as easily been the good doctor herself, having

met a terrible fate so close to where she walked every morning, was a

masterstroke. A grand gesture from a killer who wouldn’t let science or

psychology outsmart him. Kevin loved grand gestures. It was probably

the one part of his Plan that was flawed. But what was the point of

WILD

• 39 •

showing the world you could do whatever you wanted if you didn’t

want to do anything big?

And what was the point of challenging somebody if you were

afraid to get near them?

That thought had made him deviate from the Plan. He could do

whatever he wanted, and what he had wanted then was to see Eve one

last time before their game really began. During the weeks he spent

learning her routine, he had watched her from a distance, fascinated.

They had a connection now. And he wanted to experience it one last

time before she became his adversary.

At first he told himself he just wanted a quick look to satisfy his

curiosity. To take a mental snapshot, something to remember later. No

big deal, certainly nothing that would jeopardize their game.

That had been the new Plan until the moment she walked into

view.Instead of satisfaction, he felt rage. Arousal. Excitement.

She thought she was so clever. Why? Because she’d helped catch a

serial killer? Charles Dunning had been an amateur, an embarrassment.

He was sloppy, and that’s why she’d discovered his patterns.

Not like Kevin. Nobody would stop him, especially not Dr. Eve

Thomas.

He didn’t remember consciously deciding to attack her. One

moment he was crouched behind the tree, then the next he was pulling

on his ski mask and running to intercept her. When he drew back his fist

and punched her in the face, he genuinely shocked himself. That hadn’t

been in the Plan, and yet there he was, improvising.

Back in his apartment, Kevin winced and touched his arm where

the wolf’s teeth had punctured the skin. Improvising. That was exactly

the kind of idiot move that would get him caught. Precisely the type of

misstep he always criticized guys like Charles Dunning for making.

Yet seeing the fear in her eyes had thrilled him. It was the most

delicious emotion he had ever witnessed. Certainly the best he had ever

caused. Not only was she a worthy adversary, but no one had ever given

him such pure, succulent terror before.

Already he wanted to experience it again.

That was a problem. Though he’d been angry about the wolf at

first, now that he was home safely, he wondered if the interruption had

been a sign that he had gone too far, that he was straying from his

meticulously crafted plans. Maybe the universe was trying to protect

him from his own impulses and keep him on the right path.

• 40 •

Meghan O’BrIen

How else to explain something so bizarre as a goddamn wolf in

Golden Gate Park?

It was too late to change what he’d done. Now he could only

wait and see how his actions would affect the Plan. He’d grabbed her

purse as he fled the scene, not because he needed anything inside it, but

because he hoped she might dismiss her assault as a simple mugging.

Realistically, he knew that threatening to fuck her and make her cry had

probably negated any step he could have taken to make his motive look

like robbery. Stealing her purse served a dual purpose, though: Not only

might it introduce doubt about his motives, but it would also shake her

up even further. Frighten her.

Kevin liked that idea a lot.

To be safe, he’d dumped it in a garbage can at the edge of the

park. No way would he hang on to it. He didn’t keep trophies. On a

day when he had broken so many rules, he remained steadfast about

the stupidity of trophies. If the cops discovered evidence in your home,

you’d practically confessed. Kevin didn’t want to find notoriety as a

captured serial killer. He preferred an air of mystique, like the Zodiac

Killer.Kevin sighed and picked up the book on his coffee table. Listening

to the Dead: Forensic Science and the Serial Murders of Charles

Dunning. By Dr. Eve Thomas. He flipped to the first page, ready to

give it yet another read.

The book was his bible, his blueprint. It was his secret weapon in

the battle to outsmart Eve Thomas.

And, he hoped, it would help him forget about how much he’d

enjoyed tracing his blade over her bare skin, how badly he wanted to

do it again.

She was his opponent, not his victim.

At least not yet.

WILD

• 41 •

Chapter sIx

Eve knew she was in trouble the moment she walked into the

morgue. Detective Jacqueline Battle was peering over Dr.

Wayne Black’s shoulder as he examined a fresh corpse, a bad habit she

had that always made Wayne nervous. Jac glanced up as Eve entered the

room, eyes going from concerned to angry in a millisecond. Instantly

Jac rushed to her side.

“What happened?” Before Eve could react, Jac cupped her face

between her hands. Eve looked away as Jac examined her injuries,

trying to ignore how comforting she found the touch of familiar brown

fingers. “Wayne said you were running late. He did not tell me about

this.”“That’s because he didn’t know,” Wayne said from behind Jac. He

pushed aside the magnifier he’d been looking through and stepped to

Jac’s side, genuine compassion in his eyes. “Did this happen in Golden

Gate Park?”

When Eve called in she’d told Wayne only that she was running

late and would be in before noon. He hadn’t questioned her further, but

clearly he regretted that omission now. Eve willed herself to appear far

calmer than she felt. “I’m fine—”

“Fine?” Jac dropped her hand to Eve’s chin, gently turning her

face so their eyes met. “This is not fine. Who did this to you?”

“A man attacked me in the park this morning.”

“Attacked you?” The panic and heartbreak in Jac’s eyes hit Eve

square in the stomach, a visceral reminder of the love she used to see

there every day. “What did he do?”

Blushing, Eve stepped back and adjusted her glasses. She read the

unspoken question in Jac’s eyes and shook her head. “Not that.”

“So it was a robbery?”

• 42 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“He did take my purse,” Eve said, trying to ignore the look of alarm

Jac failed to suppress. “But I don’t know if that was his motive.”

“What do you mean?”

“He…” Eve struggled to revisit those terrifying moments. “He

threatened me with a knife when he had me down on the ground. He

acted like he was getting off on my fear.”

Jac swallowed and the color seemed to drain from her face.

“Wayne was just examining a body we found in Golden Gate Park this

morning. It looks like she was slashed to death with a knife.”

For the second time that day, time seemed to slow to a turtle’s

pace around Eve. She put her hand out, hoping to find something to rest

against before her legs stopped working. Jac came to her side and led

her to the counter that held her forensic tools. Eve stared at her favorite

retractor and forced herself to calm down. That didn’t necessarily mean

anything. The victim’s murder and her own attack could easily be

isolated events. It was truly within the realm of possibility, Occam’s

razor be damned.

“It might not be the same guy.” Jac’s voice had gone from scolding

to reassuring. She’d always been good at knowing when not to push.

“But we’ll definitely want a statement from you. It might help.”

“Of course,” Eve said. Taking a deep breath, she straightened and

stepped away from the counter. She approached the examination table

quickly, not allowing herself to falter at the sight of the dead woman’s

violent wounds. Multiple cuts and stabs across the torso and face,

signifying a no doubt terrifying and painful last few moments. Two

vicious slashes to the neck, most likely the actual cause of death.

It could have been her on that table. Could Wayne and Jac have

brought themselves to examine her mutilated corpse?

Jac touched her back. “Maybe you should take the rest of the day

off. Nobody would blame you.”

Eve shrugged away from Jac’s hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m

fine.”Jac grasped her elbow and walked her to the corner of the room,

out of Wayne’s earshot. To Eve’s relief, he stepped back to the corpse

and continued his examination. At least one of them could proceed as

normal.

“Eve, I won’t pretend there isn’t a chance that your attacker is

also our killer. After what you went through this morning…” Jac’s chin

trembled and she instantly tightened her jaw. “You need to take care of

yourself. Looking at that woman’s body won’t help you right now.”

WILD

• 43 •

“Sure it will.” Work always helped. Eve just needed to distance

the victim from her own experience, even if they’d met the same man in

the park earlier. “I have to do something, Jac. I can’t go home yet.”

Jac nodded reluctantly. Then she said, “How did you get away?”

Eve cursed her fair skin when she felt her cheeks flush. She knew

her story was slightly incredible and didn’t want to look anything but

confident as she told it. “A wolf.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t know. My glasses were broken, but it looked like a wolf.

Maybe it was a dog. Anyway, it attacked the guy and knocked him

away from me. Then it bit his arm and the guy ran away.”

Jac swallowed, looking as though she might be sick. “That’s…

lucky.”

“I know.” Eve shuddered at her memory of the man’s weight on

top of her. “I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t shown

up.” “Personally, I hope it was a dog.” Jac grimaced. “Easier for animal

control to deal with.”

“It could have been, I guess.” Eve touched her temple, wincing at

the tenderness. “That would make more sense.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong. Even in that situation, I’m sure

you’d know the difference between a wolf and a dog.”

“Maybe it was a malamute. Or a wolf hybrid.”

“You think whatever it was could have killed our victim?”

Eve shook her head. “No, she was stabbed. With a knife.”

“I figured,” Jac said. “But I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“Besides, this wolf was…” Eve paused, unsure how to explain the

way the wolf had only seemed interested in scaring away her attacker.

“It wasn’t aggressive. At least not to me. It jumped on the guy who was

hurting me, then left as soon as I was safe.”

Jac stared intently at Eve’s face, probably trying to decide if her

story was credible or trauma-induced. It was a cop look, one Eve had

seen many times. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come and

picked you up. Taken you to get new glasses.”

She’d considered phoning Jac for only a moment. Then she’d

decided that it was a slippery slope back into Jac’s arms, and it was

better not to fall into old habits. “I’m not your responsibility anymore.

Remember?”

Pain flashed through Jac’s eyes, and Eve couldn’t decide how that

made her feel. The petty, mean-spirited part of her was happy. After all,

• 44 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Jac had hurt her worse than anyone ever had. But the part of her that

still loved Jac recoiled at her impulsive words. No matter how badly

Jac had screwed up their romantic relationship, she’d always been there

for Eve as a friend.

“I’m sorry,” Eve said. “A woman at the park helped me get cleaned

up and let me use her phone. I figured I would talk to you once I got to

work.”

Jac folded her arms over her chest, looking small and sad. “You

know, even though we aren’t together anymore, I do still care about

you. Deeply. I want to be there for you when you need me, Eve.”

Eve bit back the first comment that came to mind. I needed you

last year when you were cheating on me. I needed you to need me, and

you didn’t. Instead she said, “I appreciate that.”

“When are you going to talk to the police?”

“I thought I just did.”

Jac brushed the back of her fingers over Eve’s cheek. “To give an

official statement, I mean.”

“Soon, I guess. Maybe you could come with me.”

Jac’s throat tightened and her eyes filled with emotion. “Of

course.”

“Thank you.” Eve turned away quickly. She was too fragile to deal

with all that Jac was leaving unspoken. “You’re a good friend.”

She didn’t know what to make of their friendship these days.

When they first broke up, things between them had been chilly at best.

Eve was embarrassed and angry about Jac’s betrayal, and guilt made

Jac short-tempered and difficult to be around. Having to continue to see

one another professionally had been a real challenge, and more than

once Eve had questioned whether staying in San Francisco was good

for her own mental health. But about six months ago, Eve woke up one

morning ready to let things go. Shortly after that, Jac’s attitude had

changed as well.

Their conversations had become less formal, and their interactions

had become warm again. Now it almost seemed as though some of

the old love had returned to Jac’s eyes. Eve tried her best not to see it.

She’d forgiven Jac, but she refused to be lured back by the same charm

that Jac had wielded to seduce other women while they were together.

“Eve—”

“Let me just take another look at the victim before we go. Okay?”

Eve walked to the examination table, nodding curtly at Wayne’s

sympathetic look. He straightened, all business. That was the great

WILD

• 45 •

thing about him. He understood that work was therapy for her, and he

always allowed her to get lost in it. “What have we got, Dr. Black?”

“Victim is in her early thirties, Latina. She’s been dead about six

hours. Multiple stab wounds and shallow slices, double-edged blade.”

He tilted his head and studied her face. “It appears she died from the

slashes on her throat, though there is evidence of petechiae on the face

and eyelids.”

Eve assessed the pinpoint hemorrhages that marred the woman’s

tan skin, then glanced at what remained of her throat to confirm bruising.

“So she was strangled as well as stabbed.”

“Yes.” Wayne hesitated, then said, “The killer was on top of her

when he asphyxiated her. Two hands around her neck.”

Eve touched her own throat where her attacker had dug his thumbs

in, restricting her breathing. She had a terrifying flash of memory: being

unable to breathe, thinking she was about to die. Jac gently rubbed her

lower back, pulling Eve into the present. Eve dropped her hand and

took a deep breath.

“We didn’t find any identification on the body,” Jac said. “We

don’t know who she is. Her body was left in a heavily wooded area of

the park, very secluded. I doubt we would have found her already if it

hadn’t been for the phone tip.”

Eve moved away from Jac, pretending to study the stab wounds.

She tried to remember the knife her attacker had used to nick her

breast, but knew she wouldn’t be able to determine if it had been the

murder weapon. The details were just too fuzzy. “Someone reported

the body?”

“A woman.” Jac walked around to the other side of the table so she

could meet Eve’s gaze. “She didn’t leave her name. Said she was taking

her morning jog when she found the body.”

Hearing Jac’s skepticism, Eve said, “You don’t believe her?”

“That’s an awfully secluded jogging route for a woman to take at

six thirty in the morning. She’s either lying or foolish beyond belief.”

Eve stiffened. Jac wasn’t directly rebuking her for choosing to walk

in Golden Gate Park alone, but her voice held a definite undertone of

judgment. Grateful for the reminder that Jac wasn’t her knight in shining

armor, Eve turned to Wayne. “Any evidence of sexual assault?”

He shook his head. “No. She was found naked, but with no bodily

fluids or evidence of penetration.”

“Okay.” Eve walked to the counter to pick up her purse, then

remembered she no longer had it. Feeling naked, she tugged at the

• 46 •

Meghan O’BrIen

hem of her borrowed shirt and took a moment to collect herself. “Start

gathering hair and fiber evidence. I’m leaving to go talk to the police,

and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Looking to Jac, she said, “Let’s get

this part over with.”

Nodding, Jac tentatively approached her. “Eve, what I said before,

about the tipster—”

“Don’t worry about it, Detective Battle.” Eve put on her best

neutral expression, ignoring the way Jac winced at the formality. “I

understand.”

Jac let her walk out the lab door without comment, but as soon as

they were in the hallway, she grabbed Eve’s arm and tugged her to a

stop. Shaken by the unexpected contact, Eve pulled away sharply.

Jac held her hands up and took a step backward. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Eve exhaled. She had to get a grip. If she wanted

Jac to believe she was okay, she had to act the part. “I’m still a little

shaken up.”

“Understandably.” Jac gave her a contrite grimace, ducking her

head. “I meant that I’m sorry if I upset you in there. I know we used to

argue about your walks, but I don’t want you to think—”

“I don’t.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Eve. And I’m glad you’re okay. It never once

crossed my mind to say I told you so or anything shitty like that.” Jac

tugged on an unruly sprig of her kinky hair, a nervous gesture Eve knew

well. “I promise.”

Though Jac’s promises had ceased to mean very much months

ago, Eve took her hand and squeezed gently. She let go after a single

beat. “Thank you.”

“You should stay at my place tonight.” Clearly reading her

reaction, Jac said, “I’ll sleep on the couch. Totally innocent. I just…

don’t think you should be alone.”

Warmed by the offer, and more tempted than she wanted to admit,

Eve shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m fine. Really.”

“Are you sure?”

Stay strong. She increasingly found herself repeating this mantra

around Jac. Stay strong, and whatever you do, don’t say yes. “I’m sure.

If I need anything, I’ll call you.”

“Okay.” Jac frowned. “But I don’t like it.”

“Noted.” Shoving aside her conflicted feelings for the moment,

Eve gestured down the hallway. “Shall we go to the station?”

To her relief, Jac turned and led the way.

WILD

• 47 •

Chapter seven

Selene couldn’t concentrate. She saved the changes she’d

made to the corporate logo she was designing and shut down

Photoshop, then her computer. Her deadline was in three days, but she

wasn’t in the mood to keep pretending that she might make progress.

Right now, work was the last thing on her mind. Refusing to give her

a moment’s peace, images of the body in the park filled her thoughts,

along with worry about the odd look Renee had given her that morning

when she returned to find Selene untied and waiting with the rest of her

payment at the front door. But most of all, thoughts of Eve distracted

Selene.

True to her word, Eve had called Selene at eight o’clock the night

before to check in. Terrified to let things escalate between them, Selene

had let the call go to voice mail. And she’d regretted it every minute

since. For fifteen years now she’d believed she just wasn’t meant to be

with anyone, but Eve was undeniably different. They had a connection,

and Selene was almost positive it went both ways. Would it be possible

for Eve to accept Selene for who she was, or did she represent yet

another heartbreak?

She couldn’t know without allowing Eve into her life. And that

was the one thing she wasn’t sure she could do.

Trying not to think about how badly she wanted to return Eve’s

call, Selene wondered instead about the man in the ski mask. What

had he wanted? Judging from the way he hadn’t attempted to remove

any clothing past tearing Eve’s shirt, it seemed unlikely that he had

intended to rape her. If he had, Selene would have expected him to be

actively working toward that goal when she came upon them. But he’d

been focused on tracing his knife over Eve’s chest, watching her face.

Clearly Eve’s fear aroused him.

• 48 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Though he’d taken Eve’s purse, he probably hadn’t intended to

rob her, either. The time he had obviously spent with her on the ground

suggested that his interest had been Eve, not her bag. He had reminded

Selene of a predator on the hunt, and she couldn’t help but worry that

his ultimate goal had been murder.

Maybe she hadn’t killed the woman in the park. What if Eve’s

attacker had?

The thought brought sick, momentary relief, then worry. As much

as she didn’t want to believe she was capable of murdering someone, if

that man was responsible for the dead woman, a killer had targeted Eve.

And he knew where she lived.

Selene pushed back from her desk and stood up. More than

twenty-four hours had passed since the attack, but the weather had been

typical San Francisco: cool and damp. Surely his scent would still be

there. Doing nothing wasn’t an option, so she walked to her window

and opened it slightly. Then she stepped away from the curtains to

undress.

If she were smart, she’d try to forget about Eve and move on with

her life. Especially if she hadn’t murdered that poor woman in the park.

She could still slip back into the shadows unnoticed, call to the police

notwithstanding. She had already broken her rules once for Eve, shifting

into wolf form in public. If she wanted to keep her secret, she needed

to not make a habit of it. Simply having anything more to do with Eve

would violate her ultimate rule: Relationships lead to heartache and

pain, so avoid them at all costs, romantic ones in particular.

A relationship with Eve would quickly turn romantic. The

connection between them was intense, and that force would surely pull

them together physically. Selene wouldn’t have the strength to resist it.

Eve wouldn’t realize that she should.

Then what? How would Selene explain to Eve why she always

disappeared the day before a full moon, only to return the day after? A

lover would want to know such things. That was why Selene never let

herself get involved.

But Selene was already involved—whether she liked it or not.

Even now, she could feel the faintest hum of Eve’s emotion at the edge

of her consciousness. She tried not to tune into it, didn’t want Eve

inside her head, but the transmission was persistent. It was also faint,

which made Selene want to focus in even more to make sure Eve was

all right.

“Damn it.” Selene pulled off her panties and tossed them on the

WILD

• 49 •

couch with the rest of her clothing. She glanced at the window, steeling

her nerves before breaking another rule. “What are you doing to me,

Eve?”

She wanted to see if she could follow the man’s trail through

Golden Gate Park after he left the scene of the attack. She didn’t have a

plan. Chances were she would follow his scent to the edge of the park

only to lose it on the street or at a BART station, but she had to try.

Even if she managed to never contact Eve again, Selene wanted to do

everything she could to protect her. This was the only place she knew

to start.

Taking a deep breath, Selene shifted into a sparrow. Nothing

flashy. Leaving her apartment as a bird seemed easiest, as the open

window would allow her to come and go undetected. Once in the park,

she would find a secluded area and shift into a dog to do her tracking.

To be honest, that shift couldn’t come soon enough. She didn’t like to

fly.

Still, as she soared out the window and over the street, a powerful

rush of exhilaration hit her. She spent so much time hating the baggage

of her ability—that one night a month when she lost control of it

altogether—that she rarely allowed herself to enjoy the wondrous,

innocuous things she could do. Being able to experience nature as

something other than human had its perks. Pity it came at such a cost.

She quickly located the spot where Eve had been attacked and,

with a quick look around, swooped down to land at the trunk of a large

eucalyptus tree. Having seen nobody within eyesight, she immediately

shifted into a familiar shape: a hound, with the best nose possible at her

disposal. She lowered her head to the ground and sniffed.

Just as she’d suspected, the man’s scent still hung heavy in the

damp shade of the trees. She took a good whiff and her lips curled

instinctively, then she bared her teeth in a growl. The fur on her back

rose and sent a shiver through her body. If evil had a smell, this was it.

Selene let her nose lead her through the trees near where she’d

rescued Eve. She’d watched the man stumble away in the direction the

scent was taking her, so she was on the right track. The odor remained

strong long past the spot the man had disappeared from Selene’s view,

winding through the trees toward the opposite edge of the park. She

trotted along after it, only needing to slow down and really start paying

attention when she reached a sidewalk at the edge of the park.

The trail led her to a metal garbage can at the corner of the block.

The man’s scent was all over it, along with something else. The faint,

• 50 •

Meghan O’BrIen

sweet smell of Eve. Selene jumped up on the can, placing her front paws

on the opening and taking a good whiff. As a human, she would have

found the smell of garbage putrid. But as a dog, well, she understood

the appeal. On sensory overload, she had to take a few long sniffs to

sort out the dizzying array of odors.

She definitely detected a hint of Eve. Her purse. But she also

picked up the obvious: The garbage can had been emptied sometime

recently, so Eve’s purse was already gone. Only a trace of its smell

remained, as well as the intense odor of discarded Starbucks coffee.

Selene stepped back and let her paws hit the pavement. All she

could do now was follow the trail until it disappeared. If she was lucky,

the guy had walked home. She had no idea what she would tell the

police if she actually found him, but she would think of something. She

had to do whatever she could to protect Eve.

Selene followed the trail to Ninth Avenue, where it disappeared at

the Muni stop on the N Judah line. She wasn’t surprised. Public transit

was a popular mode of travel in the city. Unfortunately, it rendered his

trail completely useless. She had no way of knowing which car he’d

entered, at which stop he disembarked, or even if he’d transferred to

BART at some point.

In other words, she was out of luck.

“Here, girl.”

Selene turned her head and saw an older woman standing in the

open doorway of a taquería, bent low with her hand outstretched. She

clicked her tongue when Selene looked up at her, and Selene sighed

internally. This was definitely the drawback of being a dog. Everyone

wanted to rescue her.

“It’s okay, puppy. Are you lost?”

Selene turned and darted back in the direction of the park. The

woman was calling after her, but she didn’t turn around. She certainly

didn’t need anyone to take her to the shelter or, worse, have a well-

meaning animal lover adopt her.

Running back into the park, she waited until she was deep among

the trees before she returned to bird form. As she flew back to her

apartment, she wondered what to do next. She had little hope of actually

finding Eve’s purse or the man who took it. It interested her that he had

thrown her purse away so quickly, but she didn’t know what that meant.

And she couldn’t tell Eve any of what she’d found, for fear of sounding

absolutely insane.

So that left her with nothing to do, except try to forget about the

WILD

• 51 •

woman who haunted her waking life, who even now sent unknowing

transmissions to her, like a siren’s song.

Selene was used to denying herself things she wanted. She hoped

she had the strength to be content to watch over Eve from afar. That

would have to be enough.

• 52 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter eIght

Three days after her attack in Golden Gate Park, Eve was

frustrated by the lack of progress they’d made on their murder

victim. They knew her name was Yasmin Mandujano and that she had

been single, but they had very little to go on as far as identifying her

killer.The body had been free of any significant hair or fibers. The lack

of physical evidence collected at the scene suggested a killer who

was careful, even meticulous. Definitely not an amateur. Despite the

amount of blood present around the body, he hadn’t left a trail. With

the exception of poor, broken Yasmin, he didn’t leave them a goddamn

thing. As far as the police and the medical examiner’s office were

concerned, someone had stabbed Yasmin eighteen times with a knife,

all but two of the wounds too superficial to have actually killed her,

then vanished.

Unfortunately, Eve couldn’t shake her growing certainty that he

had walked almost a mile away to punch her in the face and drag her

into the trees. As much as she didn’t want to subscribe to that theory,

it had a certain logic. Yasmin’s killer had restricted her breathing at

some point, and he had obviously enjoyed using his knife to torment,

not just kill. Just like her own attacker. Though Jac didn’t say so, Eve

could see that she had reached a similar conclusion. Her attacker and

the murderer were almost certainly the same person.

Eve didn’t know how to process that information. It brought her

no closer to identifying the man, and it certainly left her worried about

the implications. What kind of killer would attack two women in a

public place within an hour, leaving a total bloody mess at the first

scene, then manage to escape undetected? If he was the meticulous

serial killer he appeared to be, Eve would have expected him to stop at

WILD

• 53 •

one kill. If it had been a spree, she wouldn’t have expected him to stop

at all. Something wasn’t right about the situation, but she couldn’t put

her finger on it. Nothing about what had happened made sense, least of

all how a wolf had appeared in Golden Gate Park at exactly the right

moment to save her.

Eve made a note in the victim’s chart, then flipped it shut. They

couldn’t discover anything more on her body or at the scene, it seemed,

so they now needed to give Ms. Mandujano’s family the comfort of a

proper burial. Eve needed to simply try to reassure herself that even if

the murderer had attacked her, she was safe now. And chances were, he

wouldn’t risk coming back to finish what he’d started.

At least she hoped not.

“Hey.”

Having let her guard down in the safety of the lab, Eve startled at

Wayne’s voice just behind her. She swiveled in her chair and pushed

back with her feet, putting some distance between them. Wayne winced

sympathetically.

“Don’t.” Eve was tired of the apologies, tired of feeling scared.

Everyone had been tiptoeing around her, though she had given them

several reasons to think it was necessary. She was jumpy, irritable,

and, most of all, frighteningly out of control of her emotions. And she

burned to regain that control with every cell in her body. “I’m fine. Just

drifted away for a moment.”

He nodded. “I have that report on the Williams case for you to

review, when you have a chance.” He offered her a folder, which she

took with an admirably steady hand.

“Thank you.” As much as Eve hated to admit it, she didn’t want

to be at work. While poring over the details of other people’s deaths

usually removed her from her own problems, it now reminded her of

her own mortality. If not for a random twist of fate, she would be as dead

as Yasmin Mandujano. “I’ll get this back to you tomorrow morning.”

Wayne reclined in his chair, watching curiously as she stood and

put on her jacket. “Taking off early today?”

Eve tried to act nonchalant. “Yeah, I have a few errands to run.”

“Not a problem. I’ll hold down the fort.” He hesitated, then

touched her hand before she could move away. “You need anything

from me, Dr. Thomas?”

Though their relationship was strictly professional, Eve also

considered Wayne a friend. He wasn’t the kind of guy to express his

emotions easily, but Eve could see his concern. Acknowledging that

• 54 •

Meghan O’BrIen

she also wasn’t very good at letting others in, Eve forced herself to drop

her mask ever so slightly.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Eve said. “It helps.”

He tipped his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“See you.”

Eve limped out of the medical examiner’s office building without

a clue as to where she would go. The new lock had been installed on

her apartment three days ago, but she still didn’t feel comfortable going

home. She wasn’t afraid her attacker would come to her apartment, but

she couldn’t stand to be alone with her imagination.

Surrounded by the mundane artifacts of her newly single life, Eve

had spent the past two evenings sitting on her couch imagining what

could have happened. Though she had escaped with only minor cuts and

bruises, she mentally felt the pain of rape, the agony of strong hands

wrapped around her throat, the terror of her blood pouring out onto the

dirt. When she had nothing to do but think, the scene replayed itself

incessantly, each nightmare scenario more horrifying than the last. All

of them were probable outcomes had that wolf not shown up.

As Eve walked into the parking lot, she pulled her spare car key

from her spare purse and sighed. She wanted to feel safe again, to be

the person she’d been before that man turned her life upside down. She

wanted to be the woman who didn’t think twice about walking alone

in the park, but she wasn’t that person anymore. And she hadn’t felt

secure since she left Selene’s apartment.

Eve got into the driver’s seat and started the car. She put her

hand on the gearshift, then paused. Selene. The only thing that could

pull her mind away from the assault was the memory of the beautiful

woman from the park. Eve couldn’t stop thinking about her. Not only

her inexplicable attraction toward her, but also how being with Selene

had made everything seem better.

True to her word, Eve had called Selene’s cell phone after she got

home the night of the attack. Disappointed to get Selene’s voice mail,

she’d left a brief message that she was all right and thanked Selene

again for her kindness. Eve had hoped to get a call back, but wasn’t

shocked when it never came. Surely a woman like Selene led a full,

busy life, with little time for socially awkward forensic pathologists.

Eve had told herself she should forget Selene and move on. But

she’d also washed Selene’s shirt and placed it in the trunk of her car,

just in case. Every evening since then she thought about returning it, but

WILD

• 55 •

until now, she hadn’t been able to work up the courage. Selene hadn’t

called back. That meant she wasn’t interested in seeing Eve again. And

who could blame her? She was gorgeous, breathtaking. So Selene had

been kind when Eve had needed help. What would she want with Eve

now?Probably nothing. But who was Eve to say? And she had promised

to return Selene’s shirt.

Perhaps this was the perfect first step to regaining control over

her life. Eve would do something uncharacteristic and drop by Selene’s

place to thank her again. If nothing else, she owed Selene that, and

maybe a chocolate cake.

Decision made, Eve pulled out of the lot and headed for Selene’s

apartment. It was possible she would make a complete fool of herself

by showing up unannounced, but seeing Selene again felt important in

a way she didn’t understand. The pull toward Selene was even more

powerful than her shyness around beautiful women.

In other words, it was damn overwhelming.

Here’s to taking control, Eve thought, and didn’t look back.

v

The last thing Eve expected to see when Selene opened her front

door was genuine, unabashed joy. Selene’s happiness to see her was

palpable, making Eve feel as though she was reuniting with an old

friend instead of potentially disturbing a near stranger. Any doubts

about dropping in on Selene instantly vanished.

“Eve.” Selene took the pink bakery box out of Eve’s hands and set

it on a small table in the entryway, then held her by the shoulders and

pulled her into a gentle embrace. “I’m so happy to see you again. How

are you?”

Caught off guard, Eve surprised herself by returning Selene’s hug

easily. Because she usually didn’t enjoy physical contact with anyone

except the most intimate friends, she didn’t understand why holding

Selene would feel so comfortable. But it did. Despite the supple curves

pressed against her body and the heady scent of Selene’s dark hair, Eve

didn’t feel nervous. Instead she felt reconnected, at peace.

Nothing except work had ever taken her to such a balanced place.

Shaken by her obvious attachment to Selene after having spent only

about twenty-five minutes with her, Eve drew away. “I’m sorry to drop

in on you, but I wanted to return your shirt—”

• 56 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“I told you to keep it.” Selene stepped out of their embrace but

kept her hands on Eve’s shoulders.

But I wanted to see you. Eve’s face heated as she struggled to

explain how she couldn’t stay away. “I brought cake.”

Selene grinned slowly. “That’s an excellent reason to drop by.”

“I hope you like chocolate.” Eve gestured at the pink box. “It’s

from the bakery down the street.”

“Chocolate is my kryptonite,” Selene said. She picked up the

box and indicated that Eve should follow her inside. “Let’s go have a

piece.”

Selene led Eve deeper into her apartment, and this time Eve had

the presence of mind to look around. Framed photographs, mostly

nature shots, many of them spectacular, covered the walls. In the corner

of the front room sat a massive desk covered in computer and camera

equipment, leading Eve to assume that the photographs surrounding

them were probably Selene’s work. She saw no pictures of people, no

hint of family or friends.

“You’re a photographer?” Eve said, pausing to examine a photo

of a large gray wolf. It didn’t look exactly like the one she’d seen in the

park, but its piercing stare sent shivers rolling down Eve’s spine. “This

is an amazing shot.”

“Thanks. I like taking pictures, but I’m not sure I’d call myself

a photographer.” Selene paused with her hand on the kitchen door.

“Professionally I do graphic design. Photography is just a hobby.”

“These are excellent. As good as anything I’ve seen in National

Geographic. Have you ever tried to make it your profession?”

“I’ve thought about it,” Selene said. “But it would mean a lot of

travel, and I enjoy staying close to home.”

Nodding, Eve followed Selene through the kitchen door. The

place was spotless, with a faint antiseptic scent that reminded Eve of

her lab. Jac had always been the consummate slob, so to discover such

tidy perfection aroused Eve more than she would ever admit out loud.

She walked to the bar and took a seat on a tall stool, watching as Selene

opened the pink box.

“Oh, yes. This was a very good reason to drop by.” Selene pulled a

large knife from the block on the counter and cut into the cake, her face

the picture of sinful pleasure. “Thank you.”

Eve realized she was staring with her mouth agape. With effort,

she tore her attention away from what she decided was the most blatant

WILD

• 57 •

display of unconscious sexuality she’d ever witnessed. “It’s the least I

could do.”

Selene moved a large slice of cake onto a plate, then plucked two

forks from the drawer next to the sink. “Do you mind sharing?”

Eve shook her head, struck dumb by how very much the idea

appealed to her. Dimly she thought about how uncharacteristic this

situation was for her, everything from pursuing a woman to sharing a

dessert, but that didn’t make it feel any less natural. Nothing had ever

been easier. “That sounds perfect.”

Selene brought the plate to the counter and set it between them,

then handed Eve a fork. “So how are you doing? Really?”

Eve waited for Selene to take the first bite before spearing a small

piece for herself. “I’m fine. Honestly.”

Searching Eve’s face as she chewed, Selene said, “You’re not

wearing your glasses today.”

“Oh.” Eve touched the bridge of her nose. “What happened in the

park has finally inspired me to try contact lenses. I’m still getting used

to them.”

“I like being able to see your eyes. I didn’t realize they were so

blue.”Her face burning, Eve said, “Thank you.”

Selene used her fork to point at the cake. “That’s delicious.”

“Yes, it is.” Eve took another bite. She’d never eaten anything so

incredible. Almost as though being with Selene made everything taste

better. “You may have to wrestle me for the last bite.”

Selene gave her a smoky look that whetted Eve’s appetite for

something more decadent than chocolate. “Oh, I could take you.”

Eve’s pussy clenched and she gasped slightly, dropping her gaze

to stare at her fork. Since when did she engage in flirtatious banter and

inspire double entendres? She had never been comfortable expressing

herself sexually, and the ease with which Selene aroused her was

startling. Eve took another bite so she wouldn’t have to answer.

“Tell me the truth,” Selene said quietly. “Because I know you’re

not just fine after what happened. Are you?”

“I’m…worried.” Eve exhaled, almost relieved to have Selene

call her out on the subject. She was glad that Wayne was mostly

leaving it alone, and she hadn’t wanted to depend too much on Jac by

admitting how badly the attack had shaken her, but Eve appreciated

the opportunity to talk it through with someone. Even though they had

• 58 •

Meghan O’BrIen

just met, Eve sensed Selene was the perfect confidante. “Physically

I’m feeling better, but emotionally…I can’t stop thinking about what

happened.”

“That’s to be expected. Are you sleeping?”

“Enough,” Eve said, though that wasn’t entirely true. For the past

few nights, sleep hadn’t come easily, and more than once nightmares

had torn her out of slumber. “It’s getting easier.”

“Did you have your locks changed?”

“I did.” Eve took another bite of cake, surprised she still had her

appetite. “Nothing else has happened, really. As far as I know, the guy’s

long gone.”

“But you’re still worried. Why?”

“The police found a body in the park the morning I was

attacked.”

“I know,” Selene said, and Eve’s stomach twisted with a surge

of fear, though she didn’t understand why. Despite their topic of

conversation, she felt safer than she had in days. Incredibly, she sensed

that she was picking up on Selene’s disquiet. “I read about it in the

paper. A woman, right?”

“Yes.” Eve watched Selene’s face, trying to decide how she

knew that Selene was afraid. Selene didn’t show any outward signs of

emotional turmoil, but somehow Eve felt it just the same. “I don’t want

to upset you.”

“No,” Selene murmured, visibly relaxing. “It’s just…unnerving.

So close to my house and all.”

“Of course.”

“The newspaper didn’t say much. Only that it looked like a

homicide.”

Eve set down her fork and Selene did the same. “She was

murdered at least an hour before I was attacked. The police received an

anonymous tip that led them to her body.”

Selene stared down at their plate, studying the last of the cake.

“What do they think happened?”

“I examined the body,” Eve said, matter-of-factly. It was hard to

talk about Yasmin Mandujano. Retreating into the cold, hard facts would

allow her to keep her voice steady. “Someone stabbed her. Strangled

her, too, but that’s not what killed her.”

“You told me there was a wolf in the park that morning. Is it

possible—”

WILD

• 59 •

“No. I almost wish that were the case. Whoever killed that woman

was definitely an animal, but also very much a human being.”

Selene picked up her fork and took another tentative bite, watching

Eve’s eyes. “You think the man who murdered that woman is the same

one who hurt you.”

“It’s a definite possibility.” Trying to act more nonchalant than she

felt, Eve speared another bite of their disappearing cake. It couldn’t be

healthy, how much better the rich dessert made her feel. “It’s hard to

say. He didn’t leave much evidence behind.”

“So what now?” Selene touched Eve’s arm. “How do you catch

him?”“Maybe we get lucky,” Eve said. She met Selene’s gaze and

instantly fell into her green eyes. Unless she was mistaken, her attraction

wasn’t one-sided. And suddenly the attack was the last thing on her

mind. “Otherwise we wait for him to kill again.”

“He won’t come after you,” Selene said with conviction. But Eve

could feel a palpable sliver of doubt running through Selene’s words.

“He would be foolish to try anything now that you’ve alerted the

police.”

“I hope you’re right.” Eve hesitated, then gave in to impulse and

covered Selene’s hand with her own. The touch was electric. “If you

don’t mind, I really don’t want to think about it right now.”

“Of course.” Selene glanced down at Eve’s hand and exhaled.

“I’m sorry I didn’t return your call. I was so glad to hear from you, but

I…wasn’t sure what to say.”

Staggered to hear anxiety in Selene’s voice, Eve tried to imagine

where it was coming from. When had she ever made a woman nervous?

“I hope I didn’t throw you, just showing up like this.”

Selene regarded Eve with a warmth that left no doubt that dropping

in had been the right thing to do. “Only in the very best way.”

“Good.” Eve set down her fork, ready to cede the final bite to

Selene. “This isn’t typical behavior for me. Being social. I’m not

convinced I’ve got what it takes to be successful at it.”

“You’re brilliant at being social.” Selene impaled the remaining

chunk of cake and moved her fork close to Eve’s lips. “Now have the

last bite.”

The idea of having Selene feed her was almost painfully sexy.

Eve bit her lip and hesitated, unsure whether to accept Selene’s offer or

deflect it with humor. Nothing about Selene’s intense stare suggested

• 60 •

Meghan O’BrIen

that Eve was misreading the unmistakable heat between them. Though

Eve normally became shy when a woman even hinted at seduction,

whatever drew her to Selene also emboldened her to play along.

Leaning forward, Eve carefully took the cake between her teeth,

then pulled back. She chewed slowly, never breaking eye contact.

Desire flared in Selene’s eyes, making it difficult for Eve to swallow.

As soon as she could form words, Eve whispered, “Please tell me you

feel this, too.”

“I feel this, too.”

Before she could second-guess the impulse, Eve captured Selene’s

mouth in a firm kiss. More shocking than her own impetuous action

was the passion with which Selene responded. Selene tangled her hands

in Eve’s hair and kissed back eagerly, letting out a groan of pure, carnal

pleasure.

Everything about the kiss felt right. Their mouths fit together

perfectly, and Eve felt none of the hesitation or uncertainty she usually

experienced with a new lover. It was as though they had done this a

thousand times—no first-kiss jitters for them—and yet it was also the

most thrilling moment of Eve’s life. Fierce, gnawing arousal bloomed in

her stomach, followed by a jolt of what felt a lot like love. The intensity

of the sensation Selene stirred inside Eve sparked a flicker of terror that

she was indeed losing her mind.

Selene broke away from the kiss as though burned. “I’m so sorry,

Eve. Forgive me. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Eve’s head spun from the sudden change in mood. Everything had

been so wonderful, but somehow her split second of doubt threatened

to ruin the moment. She hadn’t even been aware that she’d betrayed her

anxiety. “You didn’t.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.” Selene touched Eve’s cheek gently.

Clearly stricken, she looked as though she might cry. “Your face hasn’t

even healed yet. That was totally inappropriate, after what you’ve been

through.”

Selene’s self-flagellation hurt Eve’s heart. She grabbed Selene’s

hand and squeezed. “Hey. I kissed you. Remember?”

“Yes, well.” Selene blushed and studied their hands. “I shouldn’t

have gotten carried away. It just felt so—”

“Right.”

“Yeah.” Selene raised her face, searching Eve’s eyes. “But it

frightened you.”

WILD

• 61 •

“For a moment.” Reluctant to put her strange feelings into words,

Eve murmured, “I surprised myself, that’s all.”

“Being attracted to a woman?”

Eve laughed nervously. “No, I’ve always been attracted to women.

I’ve just never been so forward about it.” Or so instantly, inexplicably

infatuated.

“Me either.”

“I wouldn’t have pegged you as being particularly shy,” Eve

said. She sat back onto the stool, putting some distance between them.

“You’re very beautiful. You must have men and women throwing

themselves at you all the time.”

Selene rolled her eyes and picked up the empty cake plate. Carrying

it to the sink, she waited until her back was to Eve before she spoke. “I

don’t have a very active social life. To say the least.”

Eve picked up a hint of sadness in Selene’s voice. “By choice,

surely.”

“Yes,” Selene said. “By choice.” She turned and leaned against the

counter, folding her arms under her breasts. Her unreadable expression

set Eve’s heart thumping. “But there’s something about you.”

Eve didn’t understand how she could feel so strongly about

someone she barely knew. From the tone of Selene’s voice, she sensed

the confusion was mutual. “I know.”

Selene came around the bar and took Eve’s hand. “Let’s go talk in

the living room.”

Eve allowed Selene to lead her to the front room, reeling from

the turn things had taken. She didn’t know what she’d expected from

this visit, but it certainly hadn’t been this. She hadn’t kissed a woman

since the breakup with Jac, let alone entertained the idea of a new

relationship. She’d planned to focus on work for a good long while and

worry about women later. Much later.

Meeting Selene had thrown all that out the window. Now Eve

wanted only to feel Selene’s naked skin against hers.

Selene shivered, releasing her hand and gesturing at the couch.

“Sit.” Her voice had dropped to a bare whisper. “Please.”

Eve took a seat at one end, both relieved and disappointed when

Selene sat at the other. Unsure what to say, Eve mustered what hopefully

came off as a casual smile. “I hope I didn’t make things awkward.”

“No.” Selene laced her fingers on her lap and straightened. “Not

at all.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Eve could feel Selene’s discomfort and shifted closer, wanting

nothing more than to hold her. The idea that she could make a woman

like Selene nervous was hilarious, but Selene’s anxiety was definitely

real. The last of Eve’s fear dissipated with her desire to comfort

Selene.

“I’m sure you’re right.” Eve touched her throat, an unconscious

gesture she had noticed happened every time she thought of her attack.

“This is probably a strange time for me to have these feelings. But that

doesn’t change the fact that I’m having them.”

“And what are those feelings?” Selene’s voice had dropped

to a near whisper. She exuded a curious combination of hope and

trepidation. “Exactly?”

Unable to believe she was admitting it out loud, Eve said, “I want

you.”Selene licked her lips, sending toe-curling arousal through Eve’s

body. “I want you, too.”

“Not just tonight.”

Fear flickered in Selene’s eyes. “I’ve…never done that before.”

“Date?” It occurred to Eve that under normal circumstances, such

obvious ambivalence would make her newfound courage wither and

die. But she couldn’t imagine anything dissuading her from pursuing

Selene. Eve didn’t simply want Selene. She needed her, needed her

so desperately that instead of apprehension, all she could feel was

delicious anticipation. Whatever this was felt so right that Eve had no

doubt it would change her life for the better. “Dating can be fun. You

should try it.”

Selene’s laughter warmed Eve and steadied her resolve. Shaking

her head, Selene said, “I don’t think I’d be good for you.” Despite her

expression of humor, Selene’s tone turned deadly sober. “Seriously,

Eve. If you were smart, you’d stand up and leave right now.”

A twinge of apprehension curled in the pit of Eve’s stomach. After

Jac, Eve was terrified to trust someone wholly again, only to have that

trust broken. No matter how right Selene felt, hadn’t Jac also felt right?

Eve had thought they were happy until the moment she discovered Jac

was cheating. More than anything, her failed relationship with Jac had

taught her that nothing was certain, not even when you believed it with

everything inside you.

Selene seemed to recognize that her warning had hit the mark, but

instead of looking relieved, she radiated sadness. Regret. “I’d never

hurt you on purpose. I just—”

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• 63 •

“This scares you.” No matter how unnerving Selene’s attempt to

caution her away was, Eve sensed that pure worry motivated it. She

also knew that Selene meant what she said about not hurting her. All

her misgivings faded, bringing desire back to the front. “It scares me,

too. But not enough to make me walk out the door.” Eve shrugged.

“Sorry.”

“Well, I don’t want to be scared.” Now Selene shifted closer and,

after a brief hesitation, rested her hand on Eve’s. “I’m very drawn to

you, Eve. Unbelievably so.”

Too embarrassed to admit just how powerfully she felt the

connection between them, Eve nodded. “Maybe if we kissed again,

we’d realize that all this being-afraid stuff is kind of silly.”

Selene’s mouth twitched, then eased into a smile that made Eve’s

stomach flutter pleasantly. “It’s a theory, at least.”

“Well, I am a scientist.” Pushing aside any lingering doubt, Eve

closed the distance between them, pausing when her lips were mere

inches from Selene’s. “Testing theories is sort of my thing.”

“Mine, too.” Selene initiated their second kiss with a throaty moan

that threatened to bring Eve to orgasm the instant their mouths met.

Once again, lust and love surged through Eve’s veins, ratcheting

her desire to new, unknown heights. Sex with Jac had been good, at

least for her, but it had never come close to what Selene made her feel

with a simple kiss. All the inhibitions that forever held her back had

vanished, and for the first time in her life, Eve wanted nothing more

than to physically lose herself in someone else. Usually she faced the

prospect of sex with more than a little worry, but not now, not with

Selene. She wanted to take Selene—and be taken by her—so badly she

could hardly breathe.

Selene tightened her hands on Eve’s shoulders and pulled away.

“Perhaps we should take things slow—”

“If you need to take it slow, we can go slow.” Eve punctuated

her words with wet, hungry kisses across Selene’s throat. She would

respect Selene’s wishes, she really would, but she didn’t know how to

stop until Selene absolutely commanded her to. “I usually take things

slow. But—” Eve scraped her teeth over Selene’s earlobe, delighting

in the shiver the bold move elicited. “My new theory is that slow is

overrated.”

“So overrated.” Having apparently decided to stop fighting what

was happening between them, Selene pressed Eve back on the couch,

settling on top of her. Eve spread her legs on instinct and Selene eased

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Meghan O’BrIen

into the space between them. Then Selene placed a hand on either side

of Eve’s face and stared down into her eyes. “You’ll tell me if this is

too much, right?”

Eve ran her fingers through Selene’s hair. She knew exactly what

Selene was hinting at. The weight of Selene’s body on hers could evoke

memories of the man in the park, but it didn’t. Not even close. “I’m not

thinking about him.”

For the first time since the attack happened, it was far from Eve’s

mind. Much more immediate was the slick wetness between her legs,

the tight ache of her erect nipples. Selene’s touch kept her firmly in the

moment, safe from harm, and Eve wanted more.

Selene’s entire body relaxed. She kissed Eve slowly, as though

they had eons to explore, as though Eve wasn’t about to explode.

Selene rubbed her thumbs over Eve’s cheeks, touching her so tenderly,

so lovingly, soothing Eve’s fierce need and replacing it with the calm

desire to make this contact last. It was their first time together, hopefully

the first of many, and Eve wanted to savor it. She looped her arms

around Selene’s neck and moaned quietly, but loud enough for Selene

to hear. It was a shock to hear herself make noise like that, but also a

turn-on.

Jac used to tease her about being silent in bed, and Eve had always

felt powerfully self-conscious about giving voice to her pleasure.

But not now. Just one more way her feelings for Selene confounded

everything she thought she knew about herself.

Eve placed her hands on Selene’s chest, pushing gently. When

Selene broke away, Eve murmured, “Do you have a bed somewhere?”

“I do.” Selene nipped at Eve’s lower lip. “You sure that’s what

you want?”

“Take me there and I’ll show you exactly what I want.”

WILD

• 65 •

Chapter nIne

Selene hadn’t touched a woman’s body in fifteen years, so when

she pushed her hands under Eve’s shirt and cupped the heavy

weight of Eve’s breasts in her palms, it took everything she had not to

come. Being with Eve made her feel like a clumsy sixteen-year-old,

and it was no wonder. Selene had been a teenager the last time she’d

made love to someone, in what felt like another lifetime. She had only

vague memories of being with Carla—mostly that the other girl had

been just as young and innocent as she was, with a slim body that only

hinted at the womanly fullness of Eve’s curves. Everything about being

with Eve was different.

Particularly because Selene knew the stakes this time around. By

opening her heart to Eve, she risked the possibility of a loss so acute

she didn’t know how she would survive it. But Selene hardly had a

choice. No matter how she tried to resist Eve, she couldn’t. Their bond

was too strong. Selene had moved past want to need, and not even the

possibility of heartbreak would stop her from claiming what was hers.

Selene broke their kiss and gulped in much-needed air. Eve stared

up at her from under heavy lids, running her hands over Selene’s

sides.“You feel so good.” Eve placed her hands on top of Selene’s,

encouraging her to gently squeeze her breasts. “I’ve never been so

turned on.”

Face heating, Selene pushed her thumbs under the edge of Eve’s

bra and stroked her erect nipples. “Me, too.”

“We’re not moving too fast, are we?” Eve frowned as though

something unpleasant had just occurred to her. “I don’t mean to push

you.”Selene shook her head and moved her hands from beneath Eve’s

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Meghan O’BrIen

shirt, backing off so that Eve could prop herself up on her elbows. “I

want this,” Selene murmured. “Want you. Desperately. I just…I meant

it when I said I don’t usually do this.”

Understanding softened Eve’s gaze. “It’s been a while.”

“That’s an understatement.” Unable to stay away, Selene caressed

the soft skin of Eve’s belly. “You’re only my second lover. And the first

one…she was a long time ago.”

Eve radiated a strange mixture of sympathy, concern, and

impossibly ardent arousal. “We can take this at whatever pace you

need.”

Selene ducked her head and closed her eyes, wishing she could

explain to Eve that her fear went so much deeper than being uncertain

about her sexual prowess. Making herself vulnerable with a human

being went against every rule Selene had adopted for survival. She had

arrived at a crossroads between a lonely life of safety and the chance for

something more, and though she honestly felt no choice in the matter,

she wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Warm hands covered her own, prompting Selene to open her eyes

and meet Eve’s kind smile. “Why don’t you let me lead?”

Selene nodded silently.

Biting her lip, Eve pulled her shirt over her head, allowing Selene

to see the white cotton bra she had felt under her hands only moments

ago. Eve reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, watching

Selene’s eyes with a slow-spreading smirk.

“I’m used to being the shy one,” Eve said. She slipped her bra off

her shoulders, revealing milky white breasts topped with pebbled pink

nipples. Selene couldn’t stop staring, even though she sensed she was

making Eve a little nervous.

“I’m sorry.” Selene dragged her gaze to Eve’s face.

“Don’t be.” Eve straightened, projecting a wave of confidence that

splashed over Selene and emboldened her as well. “I kind of like not

being shy.”

Drawing strength from Eve, Selene danced her fingertips over the

slope of one breast, then used her other hand to cup its twin. “You’re

the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.” Disbelief radiated from Eve,

and Selene shook her head to put a stop to the doubt. “I mean it, Eve.

You’re stunning. Incredible.”

“Blushing,” Eve added, and indeed, her fair skin had turned rosy.

“Coming from you, well, that’s amazing.”

Selene knew that people generally found her attractive. Though

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• 67 •

she spent most of her time hiding from the world, when she did venture

out she inevitably dealt with come-ons and compliments from more

than a few people. Her features were pleasantly symmetrical, but

Selene sensed another explanation for her universal appeal. Whatever

imbued her with the power to shift form also seemed to grant her a

certain energy to which people responded. But she inspired a shallow

lust, more about sex than genuine interest. With Eve, the interest went

deeper.

For the first time in her life, the universe was giving her a gift. A

real one, something she hoped wasn’t also a curse. Choosing to trust in

how Eve made her feel rather than dwell on what might happen between

them in the future, Selene let go.

Selene gently massaged Eve’s bare breasts and kissed her throat.

“Just bear with me if I’m a little rusty.”

“You’re perfect.” Eve’s fingers curled beneath the hem of Selene’s

T-shirt. “May I take this off?”

Selene raised her arms and allowed Eve to pull it over her head.

Eve’s nostrils flared at the discovery that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“I wasn’t expecting company.” Selene giggled, folding her arms

over her breasts. Her girlish reaction surprised her. Two people had seen

her naked a week ago during the full moon, but the circumstances were

different now, and unlike Renee the escort and Clarence the jogger,

Eve’s opinion mattered. “You must think I’m ridiculous.”

Eve gave her a salacious grin. “I told you. You’re perfect.”

Selene lowered her arms, shivering when Eve’s eyes darkened

with desire. Eve didn’t even need to touch her to bring her satisfaction,

not when Selene felt all of Eve’s lust and pleasure. “Kiss me,” Selene

murmured, even as she rose on her knees to bring their mouths together

again.Eve placed her hands on Selene’s throat and groaned. She scooted

nearer until their upper bodies pressed together, so close Selene could

feel Eve’s heartbeat hammering against her chest. The sensation of

Eve’s breasts smashed against her own electrified Selene, igniting a

hot curl of pleasure between her thighs. She swayed and her knees

threatened to buckle, but Eve slid her hands down Selene’s back to cup

her buttocks, keeping her steady against Eve’s strong body.

Instinct started to take over as desire overrode her adolescent

nervousness. Selene reached between them and found the button on

Eve’s pants, thumbing it open and tugging down the zipper. Not quite

bold enough to slide her hand inside to find what she most craved, she

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Meghan O’BrIen

grabbed Eve’s hips and squeezed, then slipped both hands into the back

of her cotton panties. Eve’s bottom fit perfectly in her palms, full and

warm and so sensitive to the touch.

Selene closed her eyes and inhaled as Eve reacted to her caress.

Every bit of pleasure Selene caused came back to her by way of Eve’s

visceral reaction, creating a feedback loop of sensation that threatened

to undo Selene before she’d even begun.

Eve tore away from their kiss, exhaling shakily. “I think that

bakery spiked our cake with a narcotic or something. Seriously. This

is…weirdly incredible.”

Selene laughed. “I feel the same. But I don’t think we’ve been

drugged.”

Eve’s eyes were heavy-lidded, her face totally relaxed. “Whatever

it is, I like it.”

Swallowing at Eve’s seductive tone, Selene dropped her hands

lower, brushing her fingertips ever closer to Eve’s arousal. She didn’t

need to touch Eve to know she was soaking wet. She could smell her

and wanted to howl.

Eve’s hands found the button of Selene’s jeans and worked it open.

Lowering the zipper with one hand, Eve slid the other into Selene’s

panties and ran a finger along her slick labia. Selene cried out as her

pussy contracted and waves of pleasure radiated throughout her body.

She was used to reacting so strongly during the full moon, but never

outside that time of the month. Stunned, Selene drew back and met

Eve’s eyes, wondering if she had felt it, too.

Trembling, Eve whispered, “You came.”

“I’m sorry,” Selene said. “It’s just been so long and…”

Eve beamed, hitting Selene with a burst of genuine happiness that

took her breath away. “I can’t believe I just made you come like that.”

Relieved that Eve wasn’t questioning their amazing synchronicity,

Selene nipped at Eve’s lower lip with gentle teeth. “I guess that means

you’re perfect, too.”

Eve wiggled her fingertips, gently playing with Selene’s labia, and

her thighs trembled as aftershocks tore through her. “Let me lick you,”

Eve whispered next to Selene’s ear. She swirled her fingers in Selene’s

wetness. “I want to taste this.”

That did it for Selene’s knees. She half collapsed onto the bed,

taking Eve with her. Eve took the change of position in stride, deftly

removing her hand from Selene’s panties so she could pull them down

her legs with her jeans.

WILD

• 69 •

“I’m taking that as a yes until you tell me otherwise,” Eve said.

She tossed Selene’s jeans over the side of the bed, then shed the rest

of her own clothing, leaving them both bare. Selene’s breath caught at

the sight of Eve’s naked skin and the triangle of dark hair between her

thighs.

“Yes,” Selene whispered. Eve drank her in with hungry eyes,

stoking Selene’s desire impossibly higher. “Definitely yes.”

Still beaming, Eve pushed Selene’s thighs apart and lay on her

stomach in the space between them. She lifted Selene’s leg over her

shoulder, bringing her face close to Selene’s pussy. Then she inhaled

deeply, exuding a heady mix of hunger, anticipation, and shyness. It

was getting harder to separate Eve’s feelings from her own, and the

resulting sensory overload made Selene’s head spin.

The first touch of Eve’s tongue against her labia set Selene on fire.

She arched her back and gasped at the intensity of Eve’s intimate kiss,

knowing she wouldn’t be able to stand very much of the white-hot bliss

of Eve’s mouth on her pussy. It was too much, and at the same time it

could never be enough.

“Oh,” Selene groaned. “Oh, yes.”

Eve dove in deeper, moaning aloud as she sucked Selene’s clit

gently. She slid a finger along Selene’s labia, then pushed inside

her tight opening with deliberate care. Selene closed her eyes and

concentrated on breathing, on not passing out. She’d never felt anything

so extraordinary.

A throaty, languid moan burst from Eve, cutting Selene loose from

the last bit of her control. The vibrations of Eve’s own pleasure ushered

Selene into climax, and she tipped back her head and gave voice to her

soul-shattering release. Between her legs, Eve cried out and gripped

Selene’s thigh with her free hand as she quaked along with Selene.

As Selene came down from her climax, Eve drew back with a

gasp. She collapsed with her face on Selene’s inner thigh and trembled,

breathing heavily. Selene tangled her fingers in Eve’s hair and held her

close.“I came,” Eve whispered. “I licked you and I came.”

Selene closed her eyes, loving the wonder in Eve’s voice, wishing

she could help Eve understand what had just happened. But she couldn’t

explain that Eve had just made love to someone not quite human. Not

without scaring her away.

Stroking Eve’s hair, Selene murmured, “Think you could do it

again?”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“What? Come?”

“Yes.”

“I’m certainly not opposed to trying.” Eve lifted her head, and

Selene opened her eyes so she could catch her gaze. “That was amazing.

You are amazing.”

Selene gripped Eve’s shoulders gently, pulling her up her body so

they were face-to-face. Then she flipped Eve onto her back and nudged

her thighs apart, taking her place between them. “We are amazing.”

Eve cradled Selene’s face in her hands. “You’re right,” she

whispered. “We are.”

Selene lowered her head and poured every ounce of her emotion

into kissing Eve. They groaned simultaneously, twin sounds of pleasure

that nearly brought Selene to orgasm again. She pressed her thigh against

Eve’s pussy, sliding over her wetness, and hummed when Eve inhaled

sharply at the contact. Pulling away from Eve’s mouth, Selene trailed

kisses over her throat, then down to the tip of one perfect breast.

Eve’s hands found Selene’s head and held her close, encouraging

her to lick and nibble, then tug with her teeth. As Selene stimulated

Eve’s nipple she could feel burning pleasure build in her own stomach,

signaling yet another climax. Not wanting them to go off before she

could taste Eve the way Eve had tasted her, Selene quickly kissed her

way down Eve’s stomach to the kinky hairs between her legs.

“I don’t know if I can take that,” Eve gasped, tugging at Selene’s

hair. “It feels too fucking good.”

“You can,” Selene said. She pushed Eve’s thighs apart and gently

kissed her labia. “You will.”

Groaning, Eve tightened her fingers on Selene’s scalp. Electric

current seemed to shoot from Eve’s hands, traveling down the length of

Selene’s body to the tips of her toes. Combined with the sweet flavor of

Eve’s juices, it was pure bliss. Selene kissed and sucked Eve’s swollen

folds, then her clit, until Eve stiffened and came with a hoarse shout.

Selene held back the sound of her own orgasm as best she could, not

sure she wanted Eve to know that pleasuring her had brought her to

climax once again. But Eve couldn’t possibly miss how Selene gasped

and quivered as they lay there recovering.

“That was the best sex I’ve ever had,” Eve murmured some time

later, once her breathing slowed. “Our first time. The best of my life.”

Selene’s chest puffed with pride. She kissed her way up Eve’s

body, to her lips. Drawing back after long moments, Selene said, “You

sure know how to make a girl feel good.”

WILD

• 71 •

“So do you.” Eve raised an eyebrow. Now that the sexual tension

had eased slightly, her face seemed more relaxed. She was still bruised

from the attack, and Selene frowned, feathering her fingers over the

fading marks. Eve shook her head. “Let’s not talk about it.”

Nodding, Selene moved off Eve’s body and lay at her side. She

propped herself up on her elbow and gently caressed Eve’s stomach

with her fingertips. “Spend the night?”

Eve touched Selene’s face. “Just try and get me to leave.”

“You realize that I plan to ravish you many more times this evening,

right?” Selene captured Eve’s hand and kissed her fingers, pulling one

into her mouth. Eve’s eyes darkened. “I hope you’re prepared.”

“I hope you are,” Eve said, in a voice that dripped with seduction.

She blinked then giggled, turning red. “Not to bring up anything

awkward, but I was with my ex for three years. It was never like this. I

was never like this.”

“Like what?” Selene tugged on a tendril of Eve’s hair. “Beautiful?

Sexy? Exciting?”

“Uh.” Eve giggled again, averting her gaze. “All of the above, I

guess.”

“I don’t believe it.”

Covering her face with her hands, Eve looked beautiful with

cheeks glowing deep pink. “No, it’s true. I’ve always been all work

and no play. Probably why I’ve never been able to keep a woman very

long.”Selene slid her hand between Eve’s legs, cupping her gently. “I

don’t think you’ll have a problem keeping me.”

Eve spread her thighs and dropped her hands to look Selene in the

eyes. “I hope not. I could get used to you.”

Selene heard and felt the undercurrent of love in Eve’s voice, so

strong it squeezed her heart painfully and didn’t let go. Eve probably

wouldn’t feel that way if she knew what Selene really was, but the

words filled her with joy anyway. No one had cared about her in a long

time. She hadn’t expected anyone to care again. Now that she had this

chance with Eve, she vowed to do whatever it took not to screw it up.

Even if that meant hiding from the one person in the world she

wanted to trust.

Scooting closer to Eve, Selene pushed a single finger inside her

tight opening with excruciating slowness, then bent to kiss her again.

Delighting in the taste of Eve’s whimper on her lips, Selene pulled back

just far enough to whisper, “I could get used to you, too.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter ten

When Selene woke up early the next morning, Eve was

silently slipping out of bed. Glad to have caught her before

she made her escape, Selene said, “Sneaking away?”

Jerking in surprise, Eve glanced over her shoulder. “No. Couldn’t

sleep, that’s all. I didn’t want to wake you with my tossing and turning,

so I thought I’d make some coffee.”

Not ready to lose the heat of Eve’s naked body close to her own,

Selene grabbed her arm and gently tugged her back under the covers.

“Come here. Coffee can wait a few minutes.”

“Yes, it can.” Eve’s eyes glittered in the low light as she stretched

out on her side facing Selene. She hooked a leg around Selene’s hip,

bringing their lower bodies together with a contented whimper. “I’m

going to be sore today.”

“Me, too.”

“You have no idea how badly I needed last night.”

Tracing her tongue over Eve’s lower lip, Selene whispered, “I

think I have a pretty good idea, actually.”

Eve giggled, moving forward to capture Selene’s mouth in a deep

kiss. When she pulled away, she murmured, “This is crazy.”

Selene couldn’t disagree—and Eve didn’t know the half of it. A

tiny kernel of panic took root in Selene’s belly as she considered the

ramifications of what they’d just done. She was bonded to Eve now.

She could feel it to the depths of her being. And she still had no idea

how she would manage a relationship with a human.

Eve kissed her again. “You okay?”

Shaking off her unease, Selene shifted her focus back to Eve.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?”

Immediately, a mask dropped over Eve’s face. Though Selene

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• 73 •

could clearly feel her distress at the question, Eve kept her expression

neutral. “Just one of those nights, I guess.” She gave Selene a grin that

looked more like a grimace. “Too much sex?”

“That’s not it.” Selene brushed a lock of hair off Eve’s face. “Tell

me.” Rather than become frustrated at Selene’s persistence, Eve relaxed

all over. Selene could feel her rush of relief as though a dam had broken.

“Bad dream.”

“You should have woken me,” Selene said. Pulling Eve into a

warm embrace, she stroked her back and kissed her cheek. “You don’t

need to suffer alone.”

Tensing slightly, Eve said, “We just met, Selene. I’m hesitant to

admit just how much baggage I’m carrying.”

“Nonsense.” Selene didn’t care how long they’d known one

another. Considering how she felt after just one night, it might as well

have been years. Besides, Eve’s issues couldn’t even begin to compare

to Selene’s dark secret. “I’ve got my own baggage, believe me. Yours

couldn’t possibly frighten me.”

Snorting, Eve murmured, “Give me a chance.”

Selene drew back and winked. “That’s the plan.”

Eve blushed, barely hiding her delight, and warm affection flowed

from her like a fast-moving stream. Clearly Selene had said the right

thing. “Where did you come from?” Eve’s voice held a note of pure

wonder.

Selene smiled but didn’t answer. Frankly, she wasn’t sure what to

say, on so many levels. “Have you been having a lot of nightmares?”

“Some.” Eve sat up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest. Sighing

deeply, she wrapped her arms around her legs as though protecting

herself. “I hate to admit it, but what happened has really shaken me

up.” “I don’t blame you.” Selene drew a line down the length of Eve’s

spine with her fingertips. “Being attacked like that must be traumatic, to

say the least. It’s only natural that you’d still be dealing with it.”

“I see a lot of sick, twisted stuff in my line of work,” Eve said,

relaxing into Selene’s touch. “I have no illusions as far as what human

beings are capable of doing to each other. When that man was on

top of me, all I could see was all the murder victims I’ve examined

over the years. Their wounds, their mottled gray skin, those empty,

staring eyes. I could so easily imagine myself like that, on a steel table

somewhere—”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“Hey.” Sensing Eve’s rising fear, Selene sat up and wrapped

her arm around her shoulders, tugging her close. “You’re safe now. I

promise.”

Blinking rapidly, Eve pressed the heels of her hands against her

eyes. “I don’t even want to walk outside anymore. One of my favorite

things in the world, and…” She swallowed, turning her face away from

Selene. “He took that away from me.”

The sadness in Eve’s voice tore at Selene’s heart. “Not forever,

darling.”

Eve shook her head. “Just the thought of going on one of my

morning walks…” She shivered violently, and Selene had to close her

eyes against the wave of nausea Eve sent rolling over her. “I barely

want to leave the house, especially early in the morning.”

Selene took a deep breath, steadying her own emotions. Besides

having to contend with Eve’s residual fear, she struggled to keep her

anger at bay. She hated seeing Eve in so much pain, and, more than

anything, she wanted to find the man who had attacked her and hurt

him. Taken aback by the fantasy violence that flashed through her

mind at the thought of confronting Eve’s attacker, Selene concentrated

instead on projecting calm strength. Staying positive was the best way

to bring Eve’s tumultuous emotions under control.

“Tell you what,” Selene said, patting Eve on the back. “We’re

going for a walk right now. This morning. Together.”

Eve gave her a look of pure panic. “I don’t think that’s a good

idea.” She gestured out the window at the morning sky, just beginning

to lighten. “It’s still dark. I’ve got to go to work soon.”

“The sun will be up in thirty minutes. When do you need to be at

work?”

Hesitating only a moment, Eve said, “Eight o’clock.”

Selene gave her a reassuring hug. “That gives us plenty of time for

a short stroll. We won’t go far.”

Eve shook her head. “I vote for staying in and making love

again.”

Tempting as that was, Selene needed to help Eve overcome her

lingering fears. Obviously Eve was an intelligent, logical, self-sufficient

woman, and the introduction of unchecked fear into her ordered life

had shaken her thoroughly. Even having known Eve only a short while,

Selene couldn’t stand to see her like this.

“Hey,” Selene said, grabbing Eve’s hand between her own. “You

WILD

• 75 •

can do it. I promise. I’ll be right next to you. We won’t go anywhere

near where it happened. We can stay at the edge of the park, if you

want. If it’s too intense, we’ll turn right around.”

“You’re going to make me do this, aren’t you?”

Worried about overstepping in a brand-new relationship, Selene

shook her head. “Not if you really don’t want to. But you’ll be miserable

until you face this fear head-on. And I very much want to be there to

help you do that.”

Eve’s eyes shone with emotion. The jumble of love, affection, and

surrender Selene could feel reassured her that she hadn’t pushed too

hard. “Okay. We’ll take a walk.”

“Good.” Selene hopped out of bed, offering her hand to Eve. “Let’s

go have a quickie in the shower before we leave. There’s a coffee shop

a couple blocks away. We can get our morning fix there.”

That promise brought genuine pleasure to Eve’s face. She took

Selene’s hand, allowing herself to be hauled to her feet, then gathered

into a tight hug. “I like the way you think.”

v

For the first block, Selene felt almost as though she was dragging

Eve along against her will. Eve gripped her hand tight, staying close

to Selene’s side and darting her eyes around as though anticipating

danger from all sides. Rank fear emanated from Eve’s pores, nearly

choking Selene with its intensity. It wasn’t easy to stay relaxed in the

face of such strong, instinctual dread, but it was the only way to ease

Eve’s worries. This was as frightened as she had seen Eve since the

immediate aftermath of her attack.

As though reading her mind, Eve said, “I’m sorry. I’m being

ridiculous.”

Selene squeezed her hand, then wrapped an arm around her

shoulders. “No, you’re not.”

“Logically, I know the chance of something bad happening

is slim to none. But I can’t stop flashing back to that moment when

that man came running at me. It happened so fast, and I was totally

unprepared.”

“Focus on the fact that you’re not alone this time.” Selene raised

Eve’s hand to her mouth, kissing her knuckles gently. “I would never

let anything happen to you. Seriously.” It was a scary thought, but

• 76 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Selene meant what she said. For years, staying hidden had been her

only priority. But she had no doubt that if given the choice between

shifting in front of Eve to save her or seeing her hurt, she’d expose

herself in an instant.

That someone she’d just met could already mean so much to

Selene unnerved her. Short of threat of death or physical harm, she never

wanted Eve to know the truth. Undoubtedly such a revelation would

end their relationship. Nobody wanted to be with a freak, especially not

one who became a genuine monster under the light of the full moon.

“Are you okay?” Eve said, giving Selene a sidelong glance. She

rubbed a thumb over Selene’s knuckles. “Where did you just go?”

Selene forced a nonchalant shrug. “Nowhere. Just thinking about

how much I like you.”

The last trace of anxiety melted from Eve’s face. “I like you,

too.”

“Good.” Selene stopped in front of the coffee shop two and a half

city blocks from her house. Bumping Eve with her shoulder, she said,

“Look. We made it.”

Eve looked behind them as though internally measuring the

distance they had traveled. Then she scanned their immediate

surroundings. At seven fifteen in the morning, the streets were active

if still quiet. A jogger moved purposefully down the sidewalk across

the street, and a pair of older women waited at the corner for the Walk

sign to light. Selene watched Eve take in the normalcy of the situation,

her breathing now calm and controlled.

“You’ve walked in this city hundreds of times, right?” Selene said

quietly. “One time something bad happened. And maybe you don’t

walk alone anymore, not in the park. But this is still your city. He hasn’t

taken that away from you.”

Nodding, Eve bit her lip and her nostrils flared. “You’re right.”

She threw her arms around Selene, kissing her softly on the neck.

“Thank you.”

Selene returned the hug as her chest filled with so much love she

felt like she would burst. Making Eve happy was the best thing she’d

ever done. It stirred answering joy in her own heart, a feeling of hope

and promise that had been missing from her life for far too long. Selene

never wanted to lose that heavy fullness inside, this sensation of having

her whole being entwined with another soul.

Eve drew back from their embrace with a tremulous chuckle.

“Should we get some coffee?”

WILD

• 77 •

“Coffee sounds good.” Shaken by the depth of her feeling for Eve,

Selene jogged to the entrance and held open the door. “After you.”

Selene stood silently at Eve’s side as they waited through the short

line and ordered their drinks. Eve drank her coffee black, which didn’t

surprise Selene. As Selene stood at the counter dumping sugar into her

own coffee, Eve gave her an indulgent grin.

“You like the sweet stuff, huh?”

Selene chuckled. “Half the appeal of that cake last night was

sharing it with you.” She snapped the lid back on her coffee cup and

took Eve’s hand, walking them to the door. “But, yes, I love sweet

stuff.” As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Selene bent close so

nobody would overhear. “My favorite is your pussy.”

Eve blushed fiercely, taking a sip of her coffee as she fought back

a grin. “Wow.”

Deciding to take advantage of Eve’s distraction, Selene steered

them in the direction of the crosswalk. “Let’s walk back on the other

side of the street.” She could sense how much Eve loved Golden Gate

Park and how upset she was to have it associated with fear and death,

so Selene wanted to help her reclaim that part of her city, too. “Prettier

view over there,” she said, pointing at the tall eucalyptus trees that

loomed over the sidewalk, signaling the edge of the park.

Eve tightened her fingers on Selene’s. “Okay.”

They crossed the street in silence, and Selene positioned herself

closest to the trees as they began to stroll back. She could surely defend

Eve if it came down to it, so she wasn’t worried about their safety. But

Eve would feel safer if she didn’t have to worry about someone rushing

at her from the brush, like last time.

“When I was a kid my father used to take us for picnics in Golden

Gate Park,” Eve said, staying close to Selene’s side. “He loved Stow

Lake. After we ate we’d take out a boat, him and me and my mom, and

paddle around for hours. Talking and laughing, just being together as

a family.”

Feeling the bittersweet melancholy behind the memory, Selene

put her arm around Eve and squeezed. “Do your parents still live in the

area?”“No, my father passed away when I was in high school. It was very

sudden. My mother and I woke up one morning and found him dead

on the bathroom floor. Healthy one day and gone the next. The autopsy

revealed he’d died of a brain aneurysm.” Eve’s voice remained steady,

but Selene could feel her sadness. “My mother was killed shortly after

• 78 •

Meghan O’BrIen

I graduated from college, during a robbery at the gas station she used

to frequent. According to witnesses, the guy with the gun panicked and

started firing. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Me, too.” Eve cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders.

“My father’s death is actually what made me decide to become a

forensic pathologist. The shock of having someone you love die, and

not knowing why, is unimaginable. I like being able to answer those

questions for people. And now, with the work I do for the police, I

feel like I’m also honoring my mother’s memory by helping catch and

convict murderers. Not that answers or convictions make a loss like

that hurt any less.”

There was something so noble about how Eve had used her

personal pain to drive her toward a career that helped ease the torment

of others. Selene admired Eve’s desire to give back almost as much as

she envied the obvious bond she’d had with her parents. “You were

very close with them, huh?”

“I was. They’re probably the complete opposite from what you’d

expect, as far as who would raise a pragmatist like me. Open-minded,

spiritual, nature-loving—they lived in the Haight during the sixties, if

that gives you any idea of the kind of people they were.” Chuckling,

Eve said, “When I was little they’d take me to the park and just want to

mellow out with nature—and I’d keep tossing question after question

at them. Why do leaves change color in the fall? Do birds fly at night?

They never knew the answers, and I think they preferred it that way. To

them the world was mysterious and magical, which was exactly what

they loved about it. Me, I always wanted to know why and how.”

The thought of a bespectacled, inquisitive child-Eve warmed

Selene. “So you harshed their mellow?”

Eve burst into giggles that made Selene happy all over. “I guess

so.” She glanced into the park, and Selene felt her body relax slightly.

“Even though I was always the coldly rational type, having parents like

that was a gift. They taught me to appreciate nature and the universe on

a purely emotional level. To recognize that even if there are things in

the world nobody can explain, we should be grateful for those things,

and for that mystery. I’ve only realized in the past few years just how

much I value having that attitude. Keeps me more balanced than many

of my colleagues.”

“Sounds like you miss them a lot.”

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• 79 •

“Yeah.” Eve waved a hand at the park. “Spending time in there

makes me feel closer to them. It always felt safe, like a refuge. So

this…is hard.”

Selene completely understood the importance of refuge away from

the noise of daily life. Moving from place to place, she always required

being close to nature. Even when she was in human form, the sight and

smell of trees and damp earth soothed her in a way nothing else did.

Once a month, her beast-self was drawn so powerfully to nature that if

she escaped, she would likely run miles to find it, if necessary.

Feeling a strange kinship with Eve, Selene murmured, “I never

knew my birth parents. A couple in Italy adopted me when I was four

years old. But I…lost them, too. When I was sixteen.” She hoped Eve

wouldn’t ask for details, because she didn’t want to lie. But she couldn’t

possibly tell Eve that her parents had disowned her after she murdered

the family sheep. “It doesn’t matter how long ago it happened. It still

hurts, right?”

Eve nodded, rising on her tiptoes to kiss Selene’s cheek. “Right.”

A distinctive call cut through the quiet morning and Selene stopped,

searching the branches above them until she spotted the source. “Eve,

look.” She pointed at the large bird perched on a tree just ahead of

them. “A Cooper’s hawk. Isn’t she gorgeous?”

Eve squinted for a moment, then lit up. “I see her.”

“Did you know that ninety percent of bird species are

monogamous?” Selene noted the way Eve’s mouth twitched and the

obvious pleasure she seemed to derive from that fact. “Some birds mate

only for a season, or even sequential seasons, but most Cooper’s hawks

mate for life.”

“I like that,” Eve said. “I wonder where her mate is.”

Selene touched the small of Eve’s back. “Maybe she hasn’t found

him yet. She’s a juvenile.”

“You know a lot about birds.” Eve stood quietly at her side,

watching the hawk as she cried out again. No longer anxious about

being so close to the park, Eve seemed genuinely interested in Selene’s

dorky cache of wildlife knowledge. “Do you watch them?”

Shrugging, Selene said, “I just love wildlife, including birds.”

“I should’ve guessed, from your photos.” The hawk flew away

suddenly, leaving them staring up at the empty tree. “We should

probably keep moving,” Eve said. “I have to leave for work soon.”

Selene tried to suppress her disappointment at being separated, but

• 80 •

Meghan O’BrIen

knew she’d failed when Eve’s eyes sparkled with sympathy. “I know

what you’re thinking,” Eve said as she started them walking again.

“Spending the day in bed would be better.”

“Spending the day with you would be better.” Selene rubbed her

hand over Eve’s side, delighting in her warmth. “When can I see you

again?”

“How about tonight?”

Selene’s mood soared. It should have scared her, so quickly going

from a near hermit to being desperate for Eve’s company, but right

now she felt too good to dwell on the inevitable difficulties involved

in having a relationship. Not to mention the danger of caring about

someone who would surely be horrified by what she was. “That would

be excellent.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” The light at the corner turned and Selene led them across

the street, back to her doorstep. “I can’t wait.”

“Me either.” When they reached Selene’s porch, Eve stopped

Selene before she could unlock the door, initiating a deep, passionate

kiss. After a few moments she broke away, panting heavily. “I had a

great time, Selene. Thanks for that walk.”

Eve wasn’t making it easy to say good-bye. Gritting her teeth

against the burning desire that pounded through her veins, Selene said,

“You be safe today, okay?”

“I will.”

Selene stepped away, eager for some breathing room. “Call me if

you need anything. Anything.”

The look Eve gave her was positively naughty. “What I need

wouldn’t be appropriate for a phone call at work.”

Exhaling in a rush, Selene said, “Go to work before I pull you

inside and have my way with you again.”

Eve grinned, clearly pleased to be causing such a reaction. For a

moment she looked as though she was thinking about accepting Selene’s

invitation, then she walked to her car with an extra sway in her step. “I

get off between five and six. I’ll be here by six thirty at the latest.”

“I’ll be waiting.” By that, Selene meant counting the seconds. As

she watched Eve get into her car and pull away from the curb, she

drooped against her front door with a heavy sigh.

She was in so much trouble.

WILD

• 81 •

Chapter eLeven

Later at work, Eve was sore, exhausted, and happier than she

had been in a long time. Maybe ever. She sat at her desk with

the Golden Gate Park victim’s file spread out around her, finalizing

her forensic report with a grin on her face. Feeling this good made no

sense at all when she had just spent the past hour staring at crime-scene

photos of a woman who might have been murdered by the same man

who had attacked her, but very little made sense these days. The past

twenty-four hours with Selene had defied logic altogether, though that

hadn’t stopped Eve from enjoying every second of it.

“Knock, knock.”

Eve glanced over her shoulder and waved at Jac, who stood just

inside the lab door. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, back.” Jac raised an eyebrow as she stepped inside. “What’s

up?” “Just putting the finishing touches on your forensic report,” Eve

said. She sounded chipper, didn’t she? Jac would definitely pick up on

that. Eve was never this cheerful, even in her best moods. “I’ll have it

to you in just a moment.”

“Thanks,” Jac said carefully. She approached Eve’s desk and gave

her a sidelong look. “But I meant what’s up with the sunny disposition?

You’re…glowing.”

Eve’s face heated. Jac was a detective for a reason, so she couldn’t

try to hide her joy. “I had a good night, that’s all.” She glanced up at Jac.

“Can’t a girl be happy?”

“Of course.” Jac studied her face, probably trying to decide if

Eve’s good night was actually what it sounded like. “You just haven’t

been lately. Not that I blame you, of course. With what happened in

• 82 •

Meghan O’BrIen

the park and everything…” Jac tilted her head. “Did you get laid last

night?”

Clearing her throat, Eve made a big show of jotting a final note in

Yasmin Mandujano’s file. She refused to admit that she’d spent all of

yesterday afternoon and last night making love to someone she’d just

met. “Not that it’s any of your business, but…I did have a date.”

“You’re kidding.”

Eve frowned. The sheer disbelief in Jac’s voice offended her.

Was she really so socially awkward that Jac didn’t think she could find

someone who was interested? “Gee, thanks.”

“No!” Jac shook her head, propping her hip on the desk next to

Eve’s hand. She was so close Eve could feel heat radiating from her.

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just…after what you’ve just been through.

I’m surprised.”

“Well, don’t be. Life goes on.”

“Apparently it does.” Jac folded her arms over her chest, clearly

waiting for more. She’d have to ask. Eve wouldn’t supply any more

information than necessary. What she had shared with Selene was too

precious to reduce to tedious gossip. And something about discussing

Selene with her ex-girlfriend made Eve uncomfortable. Jac held out for

almost thirty seconds before she said, “Who is she?”

“Just a woman.”

“I figured,” Jac said, smirking. “What else?”

“She’s the one who helped me the other morning. In the park,

after…you know. After.”

“Huh.” Craning her neck to meet Eve’s eyes, Jac winked. “She

have a name?”

“Selene,” Eve answered shortly. She was about done playing along

with the interrogation. Closing the file, she offered it to Jac. “She’s very

nice, we had a good time. End of story.”

“Is it?” Jac took the file and tucked it beneath her arm without

glancing at it. Obviously she found Eve’s personal life more riveting

than something so trivial as solving a murder. “You said she found you

in the park that morning?”

Eve sighed. “I’m trying to decide why the police are suddenly

questioning me about this.”

“Because I care about you,” Jac said. “And I want to know. What

was this Selene doing in Golden Gate Park so early in the morning?”

“Same thing I was, I guess.” Eve’s mood was quickly deflating.

“Jesus, Jac. Can’t you just be glad that I’m happy and move on?”

WILD

• 83 •

Looking only mildly chagrined, Jac put a hand on Eve’s shoulder

and squeezed. “Nothing would please me more than to see you happy.

You know that. I’m just—”

“A cop.”

Jac chuckled. “Yes. And someone who loves you.”

“Yeah, well…” Eve rolled her chair backward and stood, wanting

to be at eye level with Jac. It made it easier to assert herself. “I appreciate

that. But this is kind of a new thing, so I’d prefer to keep it to myself

for a while.”

“I get it,” Jac said. “Sorry.”

Now Jac appeared fully chagrined. Eve softened. “It’s okay. I get

it, too.”

“Cool.” Jac eased into a wide smile, the one that had always

reduced Eve to jelly when they were together. “So, I actually intended

to ask you if you wanted to join me for dinner tonight. I figured I could

make your favorite. Chicken fajitas?”

“I go on a date and suddenly you want to cook dinner for me?” Eve

chuckled to cover her uncertainty about Jac’s motives. She hadn’t been

to Jac’s place for dinner since the breakup. Her timing was suspicious,

to say the least. “Is that what’s happening here?”

“I was planning to ask you to dinner before I found out you went out

with someone,” Jac said. “You just laid that one on me, remember?”

“Why now? Broken up for almost a year and all of a sudden you

want to get cozy again?”

Jac gave her a pained frown. “Look, I know we’ve had some rough

times. But what happened to you in the park…it really got me thinking.

About how much you mean to me. How lost I’d be if something

happened to you.” Reaching for her hand, Jac entangled their fingers

and tugged Eve closer. “I’m just asking you to dinner, Eve. That’s all. I

want to spend time with you.” Jac’s brown eyes were wide and sincere,

but they no longer drew Eve in. “Shit, we used to be best friends. And

I know I screwed everything up, but…that doesn’t mean I don’t still

need you in my life.”

Anger flared in Eve’s stomach, spreading through her body like

wildfire, then burning out just as quickly. For months she’d struggled

over their breakup, and now Jac wanted to rekindle something? She

didn’t believe for a second that Jac was only after friendship. The look

in Jac’s eyes was familiar. Eve hadn’t seen it since they first became

lovers, and it threw her for a loop. Now that she was finally over Jac,

she was worth desiring again? For the thrill of the hunt?

• 84 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“Actually, I’ve got another date tonight.” Eve tried to sound casual,

but knew she’d just dropped a bombshell. “But thanks anyway.”

Jac blinked. “Really? Two nights in a row?” She wasn’t even

trying to hide her lack of enthusiasm. “Wow.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen women two nights in a row,” Eve said.

“Maybe not the same woman, granted.”

Jac tensed, then forcibly relaxed. “I don’t expect you to believe

me, but I have changed, Eve. I made a mistake. And I’ve learned my

lesson.” Stepping away from Eve, she pulled the case file from under

her arm and tapped it on the desktop. “All I’ve got left to do now is

prove it to you.”

Wayne chose that moment to return from lunch. As he opened the

lab door and hurried inside, not pausing even when he saw her and Jac

locked in a meaningful stare, Eve was glad for his occasional social

ineptitude. This wasn’t the first time he’d saved her from a conversation

she’d rather not have.

“Hello, peeps.” Wayne flashed Eve an enthusiastic Spock greeting

gesture with his hand. “What are we talking about?”

“Nerdy science stuff,” Jac said easily. “But I was just leaving.”

“Perfect.” Wayne pointed at his microscope on the counter.

“Because I have something you’ve got to check out, Dr. Thomas. The

biggest maggots you’ve ever seen. Dug them out of some necrotic

flesh.”“Okay.” Jac exhaled and put a hand on her stomach. “Things just

got a little too real for me in here.” Waving at Eve, she rushed to the

door. “I’ll see you later, Eve.” Glancing at Wayne, she said, “You…

well, thanks for that.”

“Bye.” He waved cheerily until Jac shut the door behind her. Then

he rolled his eyes, glancing at Eve. “I hope I didn’t misread that you

wanted her gone.”

Eve laughed. “So you don’t really have giant maggots for me?”

“Unfortunately, no,” he said. “I do have some necrotic flesh,

though.”

Eve patted him on the back. “You’re a good friend, Dr. Black.

Truly.”

Wayne ducked his head, obviously pleased by the praise. “Yeah,

well. Us geeks have to stick together. Right?”

“That is in the handbook. At least the last time I checked.” Eve

went back to her desk and sat down. Now that Jac was gone, she

was determined to recapture the good mood Selene had given her. At

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• 85 •

the thought of her, Eve’s tummy fluttered pleasantly, and she stared

dreamily at the wall.

“You almost ready for our eleven o’clock autopsy?” Wayne said,

not bothering to hide his excitement. He probably enjoyed the hands-on

portion of his job a little too much, but Eve understood. It was better

than paperwork.

“I am.” For the first time since the attack, she faced the prospect

of confronting a dead human being with scientific curiosity instead of

mild dread. Selene had given her that gift, a return to normalcy. And

she’d also given Eve something so much better than normal. Something

decidedly not normal: the possibility of soul-twisting, reason-defying,

head-over-heels love.

Eve hoped she could offer Selene something even a fraction as

compelling in return. At least she had the whole evening to try.

v

After her second all-night lovemaking session in as many days,

Eve sat at her kitchen table watching the sunrise through the window

and wondering how she had gotten so lucky. Dressed in only a loose-

collared button-up shirt and black panties, Selene stood at the stove

with a spatula in hand, every inch of her sex personified. Eve couldn’t

stop sneaking peeks at Selene’s bare legs, remembering how they’d felt

wrapped around her only thirty minutes earlier. She was tired, hungry,

even sore, but above all, she was gloriously content.

“Do you know that I’ve had more sex in the past forty-eight hours

than the entire rest of my life?” Selene glanced over her shoulder, taking

her eyes off their pancakes for the first time since she’d poured them.

“Seriously. It’s fantastic.”

Humming, Eve tilted her head and gazed longingly at the very tops

of Selene’s muscular thighs. Eve wouldn’t believe such an incredible

statement from most women as beautiful as Selene. But she knew

Selene was wholly sincere. “We agree, then. The sex is fantastic.”

“The sex is just the tip of the iceberg.” Selene transferred a

pancake from the skillet to a plate, then set her spatula on the counter.

She sauntered over to Eve’s chair, hips rolling in the most sensuous

display of movement Eve had ever seen. “You are fantastic.” Kneeling

beside Eve’s chair, Selene gave her a slow, wet kiss. “And I think I’m

falling for you.”

Eve’s heart thudded. Not because she didn’t feel the same way,

• 86 •

Meghan O’BrIen

not even because she hadn’t already guessed how Selene felt. If she’d

been uncertain yesterday at work, the past eighteen hours had erased all

doubt. She was just reacting to the simple shock of hearing the words

spoken aloud and, more than that, believing them.

“Me, too,” Eve whispered, closing the distance between them to

steal another kiss. She thumbed open the top two buttons of Selene’s

shirt and slipped her hand inside. She grazed Selene’s erect nipple, and

suddenly pancakes were the last things on her mind.

“We can reheat them,” Selene said, once again on exactly the

same wavelength. They always seemed to be in synch, which made

being together easy in a way it had never been with Jac.

Eve moaned into their kisses. “We’re going to kill ourselves.

Starvation, dehydration…where will it end?”

“Satisfaction.” Selene hissed as Eve pinched her nipple. “A small

price to pay, I think. For this.”

Eve opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when someone

knocked on her door. Pulling back from Selene, she was instantly wary.

She hadn’t buzzed anyone in. Nobody ever visited her so early. For the

first time since their walk to the coffee shop the other morning, Eve felt

afraid of the man from the park. It wasn’t logical that he would knock,

but that didn’t stop her flight instinct from kicking in.

Selene seemed to pick up on her unease. “Not expecting

anyone?”

“No.” Eve stood and forced herself to walk to the door. “Definitely

not.” Someone probably just had the wrong apartment. She put her eye

to the peephole, shocked, relieved, and a little angry to see Jac. Opening

the door slightly, Eve stepped into the hallway and frowned. “What are

you doing here?”

“Good morning to you, too, darling.” Jac held up a familiar blue

box. “Bagels. Cream cheese. What do you say?”

“I say I’ve already got breakfast plans,” Eve said, even as Jac was

edging past her into the apartment. “Hey!”

Jac stopped only a few steps inside her living room. Feeling as

though her worlds were colliding, Eve turned and swallowed at the

sight of Jac and Selene sizing one another up.

Selene smiled warmly. “Hello,” she said, crossing the room and

offering her hand. “I’m Selene.”

“Jac.” Taking Selene’s hand, Jac raised an eyebrow and unsubtly

scanned Selene’s bare legs. “I apologize. I didn’t realize Eve had

company.”

WILD

• 87 •

“It’s quite all right,” Selene said. “Would you like to stay for

pancakes?”

Trying to hide her alarm, Eve grabbed Jac’s arm and tugged her

toward the door. “Actually, Jac has to leave.”

Jac shrugged away from Eve’s hand. “That’s a fascinating accent,

Selene. Unusual. Where are you from?”

Though Selene’s friendly expression never faltered, Eve sensed

her discomfort. “I was born in Italy, but I’ve lived many different

places. Mostly in Europe. I’ve been in the States for three years now.”

“Europe,” Jac said softly. “Ah.”

Eve recognized Jac’s tone. She thought she was on to something,

though Eve had no idea what that might be. All she knew was that Jac

was turning an excellent morning into something unbearably awkward.

“Really, Jac. You should go.”

“Well, it was nice meeting you.” Jac gave Selene a wide,

charming grin every bit as fake as the sentiment. “You two enjoy your

breakfast.”

“Nice meeting you, too, Jac.”

Jac raised an eyebrow. “I’m Eve’s ex, by the way.”

“Yes, I got that,” Selene murmured. “Sorry you have to run.”

Unable to stand any more, Eve dug her fingernails into Jac’s arm

and dragged her to the door. Opening it, she pushed her into the hallway,

then shut the door behind them. “What the hell are you doing?” Eve

said once she was certain Selene couldn’t hear.

“Damn, girl.” Jac pulled her arm away, rubbing at the faint marks.

“You’re surprisingly grumpy for someone who obviously had another

very good night.”

“My night is none of your business,” Eve said in a tight voice.

“It stopped being your business the moment you chose to fuck other

women.”

Irritation flashed over Jac’s face. “Look, I don’t know how many

times I can apologize, or tell you I’ve changed. But this, right now,

has nothing to do with that. I had no idea you’d have company. I just

wanted to bring you bagels. As your friend.”

Eve forced herself to calm down. She really didn’t want to fight

with Jac. The adrenaline from her surge of fear at the sound of Jac

knocking had fueled her anger, and now she just wanted to let it go.

Move on. “I appreciate the gesture, Jac. But I told you I had a date last

night.”

“Second date?” Jac gentled her voice. “I don’t care what I said

• 88 •

Meghan O’BrIen

in the lab yesterday, I didn’t honestly expect her to be serving you

breakfast.”

“Yes, well…” Eve cleared her throat, knowing how out of character

this all was for her. It was no wonder Jac was surprised. It had taken

them three months to transition from friendship to intimacy. The idea

of Eve sleeping with a woman so quickly would seem inconceivable.

Before two days ago, it had been. “She’s special.”

“I could see that.” Still holding the box of bagels, Jac leaned

against the wall, striking what she probably hoped was a casual pose.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?”

Something about Jac’s tone rankled Eve. “She is.”

“So what do you know about her? Really?”

“Excuse me?” Eve folded her arms over her chest. “Are you

actually pretending that our relationship is any of your business?”

“Your relationship?” Jac shook her head. “Oh, Eve.”

“Don’t,” Eve said coldly. Condescension was the last straw. “You

want to be my friend, Jac? You’re on very thin ice right now.”

Jac’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Evie. I understand how this must

seem. You start seeing this woman and all of a sudden here I am.”

“Here you are,” Eve said. “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.”

“Honestly…” Jac glanced at the apartment door, then moved

close. “Something’s off about her. I can’t quite put my finger on it,

but…really, what’s her background?”

Eve stiffened. She might have known Selene for less than a week,

been her lover for only forty-eight hours, but in that time she’d learned

everything she needed to know about Selene. Maybe not the intimate

details of her life, but the important stuff. Selene was a good person,

and when Eve was with her, she was part of something greater than

herself.

Above all else, Selene made her happy.

“Leave.” Eve put her hand on her doorknob. “How dare you?”

“I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m trying to be your friend.”

“You want to be my friend? Go away. Let me finish my goddamn

pancakes with the woman who’s made me feel better about myself in

the past two days than you ever did.” Feeling terrible for enjoying the

pain Jac wasn’t able to hide at that statement, Eve focused on the ugly

hallway carpet and wished for her peaceful morning back. “Just let me

have this, okay? Please.”

“Okay,” Jac said. She took a step backward, looking stricken. “I

just don’t want you to get hurt.”

WILD

• 89 •

Eve didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Not every woman’s

going to hurt me, Jac. Not like you did.”

Blinking rapidly, Jac turned and headed for the staircase. Eve

watched her go, already regretting what she’d said. As much as she

hated Jac’s jealousy, she actually didn’t doubt that Jac still cared for

her very much. And that at least some of her concern did come from a

place of love. But their time together was over, and that had been Jac’s

choice. Disrupting the order of things just as Eve had found Selene

seemed unnecessarily cruel.

Eve exhaled, then opened her apartment door and walked back

inside. Selene sat at the kitchen table with her legs crossed, staring at

the door. When she saw Eve, Selene immediately stood, worry etched

across her face.

“She upset you,” Selene said. “Are you okay?”

Eve crossed the room and fell into Selene’s arms. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why?”

“For Jac.”

Chuckling, Selene nuzzled Eve’s neck. “Darling, she was fine.

She just cares about you, no?”

“Barging in here, questioning you about your accent. Acting

suspicious.” Eve frowned even as she consoled herself by running her

hands over Selene’s curves. “She’s such a cop.”

Selene went still. “Suspicious of what?”

“Probably why such a hot woman’s interested in me.” Eve

shrugged to hide the uncertainty Jac had caused. “I don’t know. All of

a sudden she’s jealous or something.”

Selene tightened her arms around Eve’s middle, but said nothing.

Sighing, Eve drew back and met Selene’s eyes.

“I realize how this must seem. But things are settled between Jac

and me, I promise. At least as far as I’m concerned.” Hating the vague

discomfort on Selene’s face, Eve vowed not to let Jac pull anything like

this again. She would never forgive Jac if she managed to scare Selene

away. “I’m not interested in whatever game she’s playing.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Selene said softly, and despite the

lingering unease Eve could feel emanating from her, Eve believed her.

“I just don’t like knowing that she’s upset you.”

“I’ve spent the past year getting over a lot of hurt that she caused.”

As much as Eve hated to talk about Jac with Selene, she deserved to

know what she was getting into. Clearly their history would creep

into her relationship with Selene whether she wanted it to or not. “She

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Meghan O’BrIen

cheated on me. A lot, I think. I know I was never exactly what she

wanted in bed, so…” Eve blushed and stared down at the floor. “She

made me feel like I wasn’t enough for her, but now that I find someone

who seems to want what I have to offer…”

“She’s jealous.”

“I guess so.” Eve didn’t know what to make of Jac’s behavior. Did

Jac really want her back? Or did she just not want to see her move on?

“It’s pissing me off.”

“Sounds like she realizes she was a fool to break your heart.”

Selene touched Eve’s cheek with the back of her hand. “Though I can’t

say I’m sorry she blew her chance.”

Eve frowned. “I hate this. The last thing I wanted was to expose

you to ex-girlfriend drama. At least this early on.” Wincing at what her

hasty words implied, Eve said, “Not to be presumptuous. About the

lifespan of this thing, I mean.”

Selene’s obvious pleasure at her words drew Eve in, made her

feel surrounded by love. “You’re not being presumptuous. And as far

as ex drama…I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” Her lips found Eve’s neck

again. “Nothing will scare me away from you. I promise.”

Eve tilted her head, giving Selene better access. “This is making

me feel better,” she murmured. “You’re so good at that. Making

everything better.”

“Among other things?” Selene drew back, eyes sparkling. Her

hands found Eve’s hips and she walked Eve backward until her legs hit

the couch. Tugging at Eve’s pajama pants, Selene slipped a hand inside

and cupped her between the legs. “Or do you need a reminder?”

“A reminder would be good.”

And just like that, Jac was forgotten.

WILD

• 91 •

Chapter tWeLve

It had been two weeks since Kevin touched Dr. Eve Thomas.

Two weeks since he held her down on the ground and pressed

his thumbs into her throat. Made her beg and quiver, reduced her to a

pathetic shadow of the competent professional she pretended to be. It

had been fourteen days exactly, and Kevin wanted to do it again.

But this time he yearned to take it further. To smack her in the face

until she cried. Cut her. Maybe even work up the nerve to rape her. Not

because he got off on that kind of thing, but because he knew it would

frighten her.

And, Christ, how her fear fed him like nothing ever had.

He had planned to taunt Eve Thomas, not torment her. Confound

her, not confront her. But now that Kevin had glimpsed another

possibility for their game, the idea consumed him. For so long he’d

told himself he would come up with a brilliant plan, then stick to it no

matter what. That was the way not to get caught. That was his way.

After five minutes alone with Eve Thomas, Kevin didn’t know if

that was how he wanted to do things anymore. Where was the fun in

being too afraid to improvise? Too rigid to seize an opportunity when

it presented itself?

It wouldn’t be enough to outsmart Dr. Eve Thomas. Not for him,

not anymore. He wanted to destroy her. To be the last thing she saw

before she died, the monster she feared until that day. He wanted her,

full stop, because she was quite simply the strongest, most competent

woman he’d ever encountered. And yet he could reduce her to a

quivering mass of flesh.

What could be more exhilarating?

So he would change his Plan. Nothing held him to it, really.

Nothing except his own expectations.

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Meghan O’BrIen

No matter what, he wouldn’t kill her yet. The anticipation was too

delicious. Once he killed her it would be over. He would have to come

up with a new game. And at the moment, he couldn’t think of another

adversary he’d rather defeat. So he’d keep this going as long as he

could. First he would kill another woman for her to examine, but then

maybe he’d pay the good forensic pathologist a visit.

Touch her again.

Leave her afraid.

He wanted to destroy her mentally so she would never be able to

defeat him with her science, the cold logic with which she had taken

down Charles Dunning. Just because he didn’t follow the original

Plan, just because it served his basest desires, he wouldn’t be sloppy.

Wouldn’t make the wrong move.

He could do whatever the fuck he wanted. And what he craved

most in the world, even more than being untouchable, was to terrify the

living hell out of Eve Thomas.

So he would.

WILD

• 93 •

Chapter thIrteen

When Selene’s phone rang at five thirty on a Thursday evening

just a little over halfway through the lunar cycle, she knew

immediately that she was in trouble. It was Eve, and these phone calls

had become a daily ritual. Selene’s stomach flip-flopped happily that

Eve was finished at work and they would be together soon. But worry

niggled at the back of her mind, the ever-present awareness that soon a

night would come they couldn’t spend together—up to three nights, if

Selene really wanted to play it safe. Even if she wasn’t forced to shift

the day before and after the full moon, its pull usually affected her for a

solid seventy-two hours. Eve would surely notice that she was hornier

than usual.

Coming up with an excuse to be away from Eve for even one night

would be hard enough. Especially when being with Eve had become

the best part of her life. Selene simply didn’t want to be apart.

Picking up the phone, she said, “Hey, sweetheart.”

“I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

Selene warmed at the happiness that shone through in Eve’s voice.

“I’ve been thinking about you, too. Only every second.”

“Good answer.” From the slight hiss of background noise, Selene

could tell that Eve was calling from her car. “Want to hang out with me

tonight?”

“We should just agree that we don’t need to pretend I might say

no.” Heart soaring at the thought of being together again, Selene took a

steadying breath to tamp down her excitement. Eve made it very hard

to play cool. “Of course I want to hang out. Always. This minute.”

Eve laughed. “Have you ever been to the Castro Theater? They

play older movies.”

“No.” Selene couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone to a

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Meghan O’BrIen

movie theater. She’d been a teenager, certainly, before her first forced

transformation. Once she’d gone into hiding, being in a crowded room

surrounded by other people didn’t appeal to her. But now that she was

with Eve, doing something as painfully normal as going to the movies

intoxicated her. “What’s playing?”

“Ladyhawke. Have you seen it?”

“I haven’t.”

“It’s one of my favorites. It has everything…fantasy, romance,

humor. The tragedy of star-crossed lovers, kept apart by a curse.”

Eve’s excitement made Selene’s decision for her. “Sounds great.”

“Yeah?”

“I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Chuckling, Eve said, “I guess this is like a date, huh? Our first

real one.”

“You mean where we go out and do something fun first, then come

home and have sex?” Selene was confident where their evening would

end—in bed. “I’m up for it if you are.”

“I’ll even buy you dinner.”

Selene snorted. “Well, then I guess I’ll have to put out.”

“Damn right,” Eve said. “Listen, I’m about five minutes from your

place. If you can get ready quickly, we could grab something to eat

right now. That should give us just enough time to make the movie.”

Unable to believe this was her life now, Selene shook her head as

she struggled against face-splitting joy. “That sounds perfect. I’ll just

throw on my shoes and meet you outside.”

“Awesome.” She could hear Eve’s anticipation in her voice. “See

you soon.”

“Bye.” Selene hung up and sighed deeply. Things were going so

well with Eve that she hated to rock the boat. With a week and a half left

until the next full moon, she had to figure out how to juggle a girlfriend

and her transition for the first time. It definitely put a damper on the

thrill of dating, but Selene wouldn’t let it bring her down tonight.

Not when she was about to go out and have fun like a normal

person.

“A movie,” Selene murmured. “Look at me.”

v

Spilling out of the theater onto the crowded Castro sidewalk hours

later, Selene could hardly believe what she’d just watched. Leave it to

WILD

• 95 •

Eve to pick a movie that so closely hinted at Selene’s dual nature. As it

turned out, Ladyhawke was a fantasy movie about a pair of lovers who

were kept apart because of a curse—by day she was transformed into

a hawk, and by night he shifted into a wolf. Consequently they could

never be together as human beings—at least not until the end of the

film. “Are you okay?” Eve asked as they walked down the street toward

the car.

Selene choked out an embarrassed laugh. Not one to get emotional

over films easily, she had tears pouring down her face by the time the

lovers got to be together. The idea that happy endings might be possible

even in the most impossible of circumstances definitely stirred her and

made her own situation that much more painful.

Because real life wasn’t a movie. And though the thought of a

fictional character who turned into a hawk or a wolf enchanted Eve,

Selene doubted she would be so understanding about her own girlfriend

being able to shift into either at will. Even less so about the fact that

once a month Selene turned into a monster who couldn’t remember her

nocturnal activities the next day.

“It must be that time of the month,” Selene lied. “I’m just a little

emotional.”

“I think it’s sweet.” Eve clasped Selene’s hand, tangling their

fingers together as they strolled down the sidewalk. “It’s a beautiful

story, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Hesitating, Selene tried to decide if she wanted to offer an

explanation as to why the movie had touched her so much. Eve seemed

content to chalk it up to hormones and good storytelling, and that was

probably best. But despite her need to maintain secrecy, Selene craved

a deeper connection with Eve. She wanted Eve to understand her as

much as possible, even if Selene could never tell her a lot. “It’s just

so sad. Not having any control over your life and your body, to the

point that you can’t enjoy the love you’ve managed to find with another

person…” Aware that she was on the verge of tearing up again, Selene

forced a sheepish chuckle. “I’m just glad they were able to be together

in the end.”

“Me, too.”

Exhaling shakily, Selene swiped at her eyes with her free hand.

“I’m not usually this sappy.” She gave Eve a sidelong glance. “Must be

a consequence of all these new feelings you’ve inspired.”

Eve blushed, stopping them in front of her car. “I like it.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“That’s a relief.” Selene wrapped her arms around Eve and held

her tight. After enduring two hours of tortured longing and shape-

shifting that cut too close to reality, she was ready to take Eve home

and lose herself in physical pleasure. “What do you say we go back to

my place and you cheer me up?”

Drawing away, Eve dropped a light kiss on the tip of Selene’s

nose. “I could definitely do that.”

“I know you can.” It had nothing to do with sex and everything to

do with the way Eve made Selene feel. Like she was worth loving. Like

they could somehow be normal together, even if Selene couldn’t quite

figure out how she might make that work.

Soon Selene would need to find an excuse to keep Eve away during

her next transformation. And the one after that. And the one after that. It

wouldn’t be easy, but she needed to do it.

Real life wasn’t a movie, and Selene had no idea whether a happy

ending was even possible for her relationship with Eve. But she had to

try to make one happen.

WILD

• 97 •

Chapter FOurteen

Lying had never come naturally to Selene.

Until she was sixteen years old, she hadn’t wanted or needed

to cultivate the skill. She loved her adoptive parents and was generally

a good kid. But the night of her first, uncontrolled shift—when she’d

killed those sheep—lying suddenly became necessary for survival.

That night she lost everything important to her: her home, her adoptive

parents, her girlfriend. Her innocence. She gained the keen awareness

that even those people who professed to love her would never accept

her true nature, so in order to stay alive, she had to learn to hide in plain

sight.That meant becoming a master of deception.

Fifteen years of practice had made Selene very good at living in

the shadows. She maintained relationships with escort services, did

contract graphic-design work for numerous employers, and kept an

apartment in one of the bigger cities in the United States without letting

anyone know who or what she really was. For a child who had once

been unable to sell even the most reasonable half-truth, as an adult

Selene excelled at keeping secrets and misleading people.

She didn’t enjoy telling lies. It still made her nervous, not to

mention guilty. Although she was good at hiding that emotional turmoil

from most people, she wouldn’t be able to hide from Eve.

How could she lie to a woman who felt what she felt? A woman

who’d already captured her heart, who’d shown her what it was like

to feel loved? Not only would lying be difficult, but also Selene just

plain didn’t want to do it. She knew how Eve felt about dishonesty—

how broken trust had been the crux of her problems with Jac—and she

dreaded the thought of starting down that road with the woman who’d

quickly become as essential as the air she breathed.

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Meghan O’BrIen

Even so, she had just a week until the next full moon. That meant

she was rapidly running out of time to come up with a good story for

why she wouldn’t be around that night. She had to work on staying

calm when she told that lie. She had to believe it. Otherwise Eve would

sense her dishonesty just as surely as she sensed everything else Selene

felt.

Hating herself, Selene hung up from her call to the escort service

she’d been using for the past year and a half. She’d just arranged for

a new girl, someone who could tie knots to her satisfaction. Escaping

as her beast-self wasn’t an option this time, not when she wasn’t sure

who or what she might seek out in her most primal form now that she’d

found a mate.

Selene sensed Eve a moment before she heard a knock at her front

door. Excited to see Eve despite her anxiety, she struck a casual pose as

she answered. “I was just thinking about you.”

Eve beamed. “Good things, I hope.”

Her bright mood washed over Selene, lifting her spirits.

“Always.”

“You okay?” Eve tilted her head as she stepped inside. “You

seem…unsettled.”

“No, I’m great.” Selene pulled Eve into her arms. Their connection

flared deep in her chest, soothing her worries and refocusing her on

what was important. This woman. She had to do whatever it took to

keep Eve, and if that meant lying, then so be it.

“You sure?” Eve put a hand on the back of Selene’s head and held

her close, turning her face so their foreheads touched. “Because it’s

like I can feel things, you know. It sounds ridiculous, but with you…I

don’t know. I guess you’re easy to read.” Giggling shyly, Eve said, “I

feel things.”

Selene put every ounce of her concentration into not reacting to

Eve’s confession. She knew that they had an empathetic bond, but Eve

didn’t. Scientist that she was, Eve most likely wouldn’t even believe in

such a concept. And yet here Eve was, skirting the edge of articulating

what it was between them that made their chemistry so explosive.

“I was just missing you,” Selene said quietly. She forgot any

notion of trying to sell Eve a story about the night of the full moon.

Eve’s intuition of her feelings spooked her, and she didn’t want to risk

their newly formed bond. Not yet, anyway. “I’m feeling much better

now.”

WILD

• 99 •

“Good.” Eve giggled when Selene’s hands found her ass, caressing

her gently. “Should we eat dinner? We could order pizza.”

“I can think of something I’d rather eat,” Selene whispered into

Eve’s ear. She felt the immediate impact of her words as a tightening

in her abdomen, then a surge of lust that seemed to flow directly from

Eve’s hands to Selene’s brain.

“Since when did you get so naughty?”

“You’re a bad influence.” Selene nipped at Eve’s throat. “You’ve

totally corrupted me.”

“Apparently so.” Eve threw her head back and hissed when Selene

slipped her hand down the front of her pants, into her panties, fingers

instinctively finding wet heat, then pushing between her folds. “I can

live with that.”

“Trust me, I’m not complaining.” Selene worked a single finger

inside Eve, delighting in the tight warmth of her pussy. She loved

the way Eve clamped down around her, the way her fingers dug into

Selene’s shoulders like she was desperate to get closer. “How about we

go to the bedroom now and worry about dinner later?”

Eve nibbled at her ear with sharp teeth. “You talked me into it.”

Selene knew it was wrong to distract herself from the necessary

task by initiating sex, but the seduction wasn’t a purely cunning move.

Making love was better than lying to the woman she adored, certainly,

but Selene simply couldn’t stop herself from taking Eve physically,

over and over. The emotional pull between them was so intense that the

only way to ease the sweet agony was through sexual release. Even that

only offered a temporary reprieve from the desperate craving for Eve

that constantly thrummed through Selene’s veins.

Lying could wait. Tonight she’d enjoy Eve while she still had the

chance.

v

Sometime in the middle of the night, Eve’s cell phone rang.

Groaning, she opened her eyes and reached for the glowing, vibrating

object, hoping like hell that she wasn’t being called to examine a body.

After hours of strenuous physical activity with Selene, the thought of

dragging her ass out of bed and to a crime scene was spectacularly

unappealing. Usually the late-night calls went to Wayne, who valued a

good corpse much more highly than sleep.

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Meghan O’BrIen

Eve glanced at the display. She didn’t recognize the number.

Picking up, she mumbled, “Hello?”

Silence.

“Hello?” Eve said again. She pulled the phone away from her ear to

check that the caller hadn’t hung up. When she saw that the connection

was still active, she brought the phone to her ear and listened. She heard

the faintest trace of street noise, then a beep that signaled that the caller

had disconnected. “Nice.”

“Everything okay?” Selene murmured. A strong arm curled around

Eve’s waist, tugging her closer. “What time is it?”

Eve glanced at the phone’s display. “A little after one in the

morning.”

Selene hummed in acknowledgment. Then she kissed Eve’s throat,

scraping her teeth over a pulse point. “Need any help getting back to

sleep?”

Chuckling sleepily, Eve seriously considered another round before

conceding defeat. “I’m not sure I’m physically capable right now.”

“Good.” Selene slid her hand between Eve’s legs and cupped her

gently. “Me either. No matter how badly I want to.”

Eve closed her eyes and sighed. “You make me feel so sexy.”

“Because you are.”

That was the amazing thing about being with Selene. For the first

time in her life, Eve believed in her own desirability. How could she

not? The ringing of Eve’s cell phone tore her out of sleep once again.

“Leave me alone,” Eve mumbled. But she reached out and swiped her

thumb across the screen to answer it anyway. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry to wake you,” Jac said. “But I’m standing over a very

fresh corpse that you need to know about.”

Eve groaned. “Wayne isn’t available?”

“No, Eve. You need to know about this one.”

Jac’s sober tone wrenched Eve fully awake. “Why?” Selene’s

hand landed on Eve’s back. “What is it?”

“Female, approximately mid thirties, looks like multiple stab and

slice wounds. Two bad ones on her neck, same pattern as the last victim.

And I’m not exactly sure, but I think her eyelids show signs of…what

is that called?”

“Petechiae,” Eve murmured. “You’re saying she was strangled,

too?”“Well, you’re the expert, but—”

WILD

• 101 •

“So we’re looking at the Golden Gate Park killer?” Eve glanced

over as Selene sat up in bed, giving her a worried look that sent fear

rolling through Eve’s stomach.

“I think it’s definitely a possibility.” Jac cleared her throat. “There’s

something else.”

“Just tell me.”

“Well, I’m standing in an alley about a block from your

apartment.”

A cold sliver of dread pierced Eve’s throat, making it hard to

breathe. Immediately Selene’s arm was around her, strong and warm

and somehow able to sweep away her disquiet in a way that defied

logic. Eve burrowed into Selene, greedy for the comfort. “I’ll be right

there.”

Jac exhaled. “You want me to come to your place and walk

you?”“I’m not at my place.”

Jac was silent for a moment, then said, “Then drive safe, okay?”

“Okay.” Eve hung up and exhaled, dropping her face into her

hands. Now she was not only exhausted, but also frightened, because

it probably wasn’t a coincidence. Same MO as the victim in the park,

found only a block away from her apartment. Eve was a big believer

in Occam’s razor—the simplest explanation is most likely the correct

one. And the most likely scenario here was that they were looking at

a new victim of the same killer from Golden Gate Park—who almost

certainly knew where Eve lived.

“He killed another one?” Voice choked with dread, Selene radiated

unease.

“Sounds like it.” Eve lit the display on her phone again to check

the time. Four in the morning. The three hours of sleep she’d managed

to get after the last phone call would have to be enough. “I’m sorry, I

have to go.”

“Where?” Selene tightened her arm around Eve. “Let me take

you.”Eve tried to keep her face calm even as her guts churned. “She was

dumped about a block from my place. And you should go back to sleep.

I’ll be fine.” Eve hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. “Jac’s

there. The place will be swarming with cops, honestly. It’ll be the safest

spot in the city.”

Selene threw back the comforter and stood, switching on the lamp

on her nightstand. “No way. I’ll drive you.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“I’ll probably end up going straight in to the office afterward—”

“I can either wait for you there, then take you to work, or else you

can call me to come back and pick you up when you’re done.” Selene

grabbed Eve’s hand, pulling her to her feet and into a tight hug in one

swift motion. “But I’m not letting you go alone.”

“Sweetheart—”

Selene drew back and met Eve’s eyes. “You’re scared. You can

hide it all you want, but I know this has you freaked out. Please let me

be with you. Let me protect you.”

The thought amused Eve. Selene was many things, chief among

them a source of comfort, but the idea of her gentle lover being able

to offer physical protection was almost laughable. However, the

determination in Selene’s eyes told Eve that she’d die trying.

“Okay.” Eve touched Selene’s cheek, marveling at the way her

fear dissipated as Selene accepted the caress. “Thank you.”

Selene curled her hand around the back of Eve’s neck, drawing

her into a slow kiss. “I will always be here for you. I love you.”

Eve’s heart stuttered, then jolted into overdrive. Selene startled

slightly, easing back to regard Eve with serious eyes. Now she looked

terrified, as though she understood the enormous weight of her words

and honestly had no idea how Eve would react.

Eve opened her mouth but nothing came out. No matter how

perfect things had been between them, no matter how intense her

feelings were, she had never imagined hearing Selene say those words

so soon. With anyone else, she would have found them ridiculous. After

all, how could someone fall in love in less than three weeks?

Improbable as it was, Eve had, too.

“It’s too soon.” Obviously embarrassed, Selene seemed to

suddenly find her feet very interesting. “I’m sorry, it’s too soon to talk

like that. I just—”

Eve stopped Selene’s mouth with her fingertips. “I love you,

too.”Selene lifted her face, giving Eve an expression of pure joy that

almost knocked her off her feet with its luminance. “Yeah?”

Five minutes ago Eve had been weak with fear. Now she returned

Selene’s smile easily. “Oh, yeah.”

“Good.” Selene gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then patted her

bare bottom shyly. “Now get dressed.”

WILD

• 103 •

Chapter FIFteen

By the time they reached the row of police vehicles parked near

an alley not even a block from Eve’s apartment, the euphoria

of Selene’s declaration of love had all but faded, leaving Eve unsettled

about what this crime scene would bring. Though she’d seen some

terrible things over the course of her career—especially while hunting

the serial murderer Charles Dunning—Eve had never experienced

trepidation like this when faced with the prospect of examining a

body. Quite the opposite, in fact. Usually she felt a sense of purpose,

even excitement that she might be able to help bring a killer to justice.

Tonight all that gripped her was disquiet.

Why dump a body so close to her apartment, on a well-traveled

residential street? Was it merely chance? Or had the killer done it on

purpose? If he was the man who attacked her in the park, he had her

wallet. That meant he knew where she lived. Was he sending a message?

Threatening her? But if he wanted to hurt her, why not just come after

her instead? Was it because she hadn’t been home? If she hadn’t been

at Selene’s place tonight, would Jac be standing over Eve’s dead body

now?“Everything will be okay.” Parking near the curb, Selene put a

hand on Eve’s knee. “You and Jac will catch this guy. I know it.”

Eve nodded resolutely. “Hopefully before he kills another one.”

What she didn’t say out loud was Like me.

“You don’t know that this was the same guy.” Selene was obviously

reaching, desperate to assuage Eve’s anxiety. “You don’t know that he

chose this location on purpose.”

“You’re right.” Taking a deep breath, Eve exhaled, centering

herself. “Time to go find out.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Selene stopped her with a hand on Eve’s wrist. “Should I wait for

you?”Technically, Jac could drive her to work. But Eve liked the idea of

having Selene close, especially when she suspected that this would be

a difficult crime scene. “How about you give me a few minutes until I

know what we’re dealing with here. If it looks like it’ll take a long time,

I’ll let you know.”

“I can wait as long as it takes.” Selene gave her a brave nod.

“Don’t worry about me.”

Eve kissed Selene soundly, then she pulled back with a small,

forced laugh. “Wish me luck.”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t need it, but good luck.” Selene waved

her away. “Go be a super-smart crime solver, will you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Eve opened the passenger door and stepped out,

meeting Jac’s gaze instantly. Jac stood on the sidewalk with her arms

folded over her chest, a very unsubtle glare on her face. She shifted her

focus to Selene and scowled harder. Irritated, Eve closed the car door

and strode over to Jac with her shoulders thrown back, pretending to

project confidence, at least. “Get up on the wrong side of the bed?”

Jac’s sober expression didn’t waver. “Selene. What a surprise.”

“Get over it.”

“You two spending every night together now?” Jac glanced over

Eve’s shoulder, shooting an icy-cold stare in the direction of Selene’s

car. Stepping close to Jac, Eve lowered her voice so none of the cops

around them would hear. “This is the last time I’m going to say this, so

listen well. Back the hell off. You want to be my friend? I’ll give you a

tip. Treating Selene like some kind of animal who’s pissing on your turf

is not the way to do it.”

“That’s not my problem with her.”

“Oh, really?” Eve folded her arms over her chest. “Enlighten me,

then. What has Selene done to offend you, besides fucking me?”

Jac blinked rapidly, clearly taken aback by her crude language.

“Christ, Eve.”

Tired of Jac’s jealous act, Eve pinched the bridge of her nose,

wishing she still wore glasses so she could push them up. “Listen, it’s

early, I’m exhausted, and quite frankly I’m pretty damn freaked out

about this murder. Can we just go see the body now?”

“Fine.” With one last glance at Selene’s car, Jac gestured for Eve

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• 105 •

to step into the alley where police personnel gathered around the still

form of a woman who lay near a large metal Dumpster. “After you.”

Taking a deep breath, Eve pushed away her lingering fear. She had

a job to do. Above all else, she was a professional. Eve gave Jac a curt

nod and led the way.

v

Even through the car window, Selene could feel Jac’s bile rolling

over her, anger mixed with jealousy and sharp, stabbing regret. She

couldn’t sense Jac’s feelings on a soul level like she could with Eve, but

she didn’t have to. The death glare said it all.

Selene understood all those emotions. She even expected them. Jac

had thrown away an incredible woman, and now that Eve was moving

on, she was realizing what an idiot she’d been to break Eve’s heart. It

didn’t take an empath to figure that out. If Selene screwed things up

with Eve, then saw her with someone new, she’d feel the same way.

What worried Selene about Jac was that her dislike didn’t stop

at simple jealousy. She was obviously suspicious, about what, Selene

wasn’t sure. The nature of Jac’s suspicion hardly mattered—as long

as she was motivated to study Selene for flaws, she might expose her.

Being discovered was bad enough, but having a jealous cop find her out

would mean the end of her life as she knew it.

Selene watched Eve and Jac walk into the alley, joining a throng

of men and women who moved back and forth with purpose. Almost

immediately she felt a surge of clenching horror from Eve, so powerful

that Selene had to double over and hold her stomach to stop from

vomiting. Whatever Eve had just seen, it was bad.

Nauseated, Selene rolled down the car window and took a deep

breath. Instead of the fresh air she craved, she choked on the strong

smell of fresh blood. The scent hung thick and pungent in the night,

leaving no doubt that the victim had bled out. But unlike the last time

Selene had smelled death, now she also discerned another scent in the

air, one that froze her insides in fear.

It was him. The man who’d attacked Eve in Golden Gate Park.

Selene stuck her head out the window and drew in another whiff.

Not because she doubted her sense of smell, but because she wanted

to determine just how strongly the man’s presence still lingered. On a

damp morning like this, she would be able to detect his scent long after

• 106 •

Meghan O’BrIen

he left the scene. But if he was hanging around, she should also be able

to pick him up.

These were the moments when Selene wished that she didn’t have

to hide her ability. If she could shift into a dog, she would be better able

to track the killer. As a bird, she could survey the scene from above and

possibly find him watching from afar. In human form, all she could do

was sniff ineffectually to confirm something she’d never be able to tell

anyone: that the man who attacked Eve had also killed this woman.

Unfortunately, Selene couldn’t use her ability to sense his

agenda—to know whether Eve was in danger or if his dumping site

was simply a sick joke, or even an accidental coincidence. She knew

only that although he had definitely been here, he wasn’t anymore. He

was probably far away, but Selene burned to try to track him.

“Damn it,” Selene murmured, and glanced at the alleyway. It was

far too risky to even consider abandoning the car and shifting. Not with

this many people around, especially when one of them was Jac.

Another jolt of sharp agitation hit Selene in the gut and she closed

her eyes again, certain she was about to start retching onto the street.

Whatever Eve was going through, it wasn’t good. Selene wished she

could go to Eve and comfort her, using the steel will she’d summoned

so many times in the past few weeks to soothe Eve’s fears, but she

knew she wasn’t welcome at the crime scene.

She could only wait for Eve to come to her.

v

Usually Eve was impervious to the smell of death. It was disgusting

and repulsive, but after years in its presence, she’d developed immunity

to its sickening presence. However, standing over a woman who looked

not unlike her—a thirty-something brunette whose smashed eyeglasses

lay on the ground in a pool of crimson—the oppressive odor of blood and

gore had Eve swallowing convulsively in an effort not to contaminate

the crime scene by throwing up on the ground.

“Are you okay?” Jac kept her voice low, ensuring that nobody

overheard. Her hand found the small of Eve’s back, and despite their

confrontation just moments ago, Eve moved into the caress.

“I don’t know,” Eve said. “This is him. I feel it.”

“It may very well be.” Stroking her back lightly, Jac spoke in a

trembling voice, betraying her nerves. “But we don’t know what it

means. This location.”

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• 107 •

“It means we have our work cut out for us.” Eve tore her attention

away from the woman’s empty eyes, meeting Jac’s concerned stare.

“We’ve got to catch this guy. Now.”

Nodding, Jac said, “I think the evidence collection team is just

about done here. We should be able to move the body to your lab within

the hour.”

“Good.” Eve tried not to think about having to stare at this woman’s

injuries under a bright light. It would be a messy, terrifying display,

even in a clinical setting. She’d never been squeamish before. But the

thought of coming face-to-face with this killer’s work nauseated her.

“Do we know who she is?”

“She had a cell phone on her. That’s all.” Jac’s hand lingered on

her back, telling Eve that she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding

her emotions. “I’ll come back to the lab with you and see what I can

find on it.”

No matter how frustrated she might be with Jac, Eve was glad

for the company at the lab. An ID badge was required to get inside

the building, but even that didn’t make Eve feel entirely safe. Just as

she was starting to really get past what had happened to her in Golden

Gate Park, her old fears came back tenfold. What had been nervous

speculation now appeared to be cold, hard fact. The man who’d attacked

her was more than a simple thief or rapist. He was a psychopath.

Eve was truly lucky to be alive, and whatever had passed between

them might not be over yet. Not if his choice of a kill site was any

indication.

“Come on,” Jac said quietly. “They’re ready to load up the

body.”“Who found her?” Eve walked out of the alley on rubbery legs,

grateful for the opportunity to escape momentarily. “Or did you get

another anonymous tip?”

Jac’s eyes flicked over Eve’s shoulder to Selene’s car. “Couple of

drunk guys walking home from the bar. One of them stopped to piss in

the alley and practically tripped over the body.”

“You questioned them?”

“As best as I could. They were stupid intoxicated.” Jac shifted her

focus back to Eve’s face. “Look, Eve. You asked me what my problem

was with Selene. I admit, at first I just wasn’t thrilled about the idea

of this mystery woman seducing you right when you’re at your most

vulnerable.”

“I’m a big girl, Jac.” But Eve could hear genuine concern in Jac’s

• 108 •

Meghan O’BrIen

voice and kept the rebuke as gentle as possible. “I hope you realize

that.”“After I met her at your place, though, something else bothered

me.” Remembering Jac’s words in the hallway of her apartment, Eve

frowned. “Something ‘off’ about her, I think you said.”

At least Jac had the good grace to look uncomfortable as she

shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Yeah. Well, anyway, so

I thought a lot about it. I really asked myself—am I just being a selfish

asshole? Jealous when I have absolutely no right to be?”

“Keep going.” Eve wasn’t sure whether this was leading to an

apology, but there was a first time for everything.

“So then it came to me, and I listened again to the recording of

the anonymous tipster who called in that first body in Golden Gate

Park. The morning you were attacked.” Jac swallowed. She looked like

she knew this might set Eve off, but was determined to plunge ahead

anyway. “It was her, Eve. I’m sorry. Selene’s the anonymous tipster.”

At first Eve didn’t know how to react. It was a ridiculous accusation,

certainly. Completely out of left field. And Eve didn’t believe it for a

minute. She couldn’t believe it. Selene would have told her if she’d

been the one to report the body. Wouldn’t she?

“That’s ridiculous,” Eve said finally. “I wish you’d stop grasping

at straws.”

“Evie, she has a really distinctive accent. ‘European,’ I believe she

said.” Wearing an expression of honest-to-goodness regret, Jac seemed

almost apologetic about having to deliver the news. “I’m not just saying

this because I don’t care much for her. I promise. It really was her.”

“She would have told me,” Eve said, but even as the words left

her mouth, she wondered if that was true. If Selene had called in her

discovery of the body, that had been before she and Eve knew one

another. She’d done it anonymously for a reason and surely wouldn’t

have told a new acquaintance—especially one associated with law

enforcement—about her activities that morning.

But what about in the days and weeks since? After all they’d

shared? Eve was convinced that their bond, though new, went deep

enough that Selene would have trusted her with that secret. In a crazy

way, Eve felt like she would have sensed it.

Unless Selene was a very, very good liar.

The thought chilled Eve. Jac was a good liar. That was exactly

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• 109 •

why dishonesty was the one thing Eve couldn’t abide in a relationship.

Not even with someone who felt as right as Selene did.

“I wouldn’t lie to you about this,” Jac said softly. “I can play the

tape for you.”

“No.” Eve’s voice came out more forcefully than she intended.

But she was angry with Jac for introducing doubt into a situation that

had, until that point, brought Eve nothing but pure happiness. Selene

was the best thing in her life right now. She was possibly the only thing

holding her together in the face of this Golden Gate Park killer debacle.

She couldn’t allow Jac to destroy the trust between them, the way

everything about their relationship felt both natural and intense beyond

reason. It was far too valuable. “I don’t want to hear it.”

A shadow passed over Jac’s face. “She might know something,

Eve. Maybe she saw something, or maybe…maybe she’s involved

somehow.”

Eve flinched, taken aback that Selene might have more information

about her attacker than she was letting on. Selene knew how frightened

Eve was and had offered nothing but support. She couldn’t comprehend

that Selene could be hiding something like that from her. Eve refused

to believe it and hated Jac for even going there. Lowering her voice to

an angry whisper, Eve said, “Fuck you. Fuck your tape. And fuck your

suspicious bullshit.”

“Eve—”

“No. I’m not listening to any more of this. I’m going to get in

Selene’s car and she’s going to drive me to the lab. If you want to meet

me there, fine. We can review the evidence together.” Eve folded her

arms over her stomach, needing the illusion of self-protection. Jac’s

insinuations had shaken her. “If not, then I’ll see you later. But we’re

not talking about this again.”

Irritation flashed in Jac’s eyes. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Great.” Eve turned and met Selene’s concerned gaze, soothed

momentarily as their connection sparked to life. “Thanks for calling

me.” “I just want to catch this guy,” Jac said to her back. “That’s all. I

know I was a jealous bitch the other morning when I showed up at your

place, but that’s not what this is about right now. It was her, Eve. If you

don’t want to listen to the recording, ask her. You don’t believe me? Ask

her. See what she says. But don’t let your feelings for a woman you just

met cloud your judgment. There’s a killer out there, and I guarantee you

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Meghan O’BrIen

he’s not done yet. If there’s a chance, any chance, that Selene knows

something that could help us find him, isn’t it worth pursuing?”

Tensing, Eve watched as Selene’s expression hardened and her

focus shifted to Jac. It had to be obvious to Selene that they were

arguing. Did she have any idea what about? What if Jac was right? For

all the times Jac had been dishonest within their relationship, Eve had

never known her to be anything but honest and ethical when it came

to her investigations. Even if she was insanely jealous of Selene, Jac

wouldn’t just pull this type of accusation out of the air.

“I’ll think about it.” Eve turned back to meet Jac’s eyes. “But even

if she did make the call, I don’t believe for a second that she’s involved.

There’s no way.”

Jac’s jaw tightened. “Just be careful. Okay?”

“Always.” With a tired wave, Eve left Jac and walked to Selene’s

car. She opened the passenger door and slid into the seat, resting back

against the headrest with a weary sigh. “Mind taking me to the lab

now?”“Of course not.” Selene started the car, giving Eve a sidelong

glance. “You okay?”

“That wasn’t fun.”

“I know.” Selene’s voice radiated sympathy, washing over Eve

like a calming wave. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” Eve caught Jac’s eyes one last time as Selene pulled away

from the curb, but glanced down quickly, not wanting Jac to see how

unsettled their conversation had left her.

Back in the car with Selene, Eve was even less convinced that what

Jac said could be true. How could Selene—her Selene—hide something

of that magnitude? Knowing that Eve was frightened, knowing that the

killer could be targeting her in some way, would Selene really remain

silent about having played an integral role in discovering Yasmin

Mandujano’s body? It just wasn’t possible.

Closing her eyes, Eve said, “It’s the same killer. I don’t have to get

the body back to the lab to know for sure. It’s definitely him.”

“So what happens next?”

Eve sighed. “All I can do is hope he left us more to go on than he

did with the first one. Bodily fluids, hair or fiber samples…anything.

Otherwise, I just cross my fingers that a witness comes forward with

something substantial this time.”

If the pointed comment disturbed Selene, she didn’t show it.

“Looked like you and Jac had an argument. Was it because of me?”

WILD

• 111 •

Eve shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose firmly. “It

doesn’t matter.”

“It upset you. It does matter.”

Selene had just given her the perfect opening to bring up the topic

of Jac’s anonymous tipster, but Eve didn’t want to. Asking Selene was

just taking Jac’s bait, admitting that a part of her still found it difficult to

trust anyone completely. Eve didn’t want to feel that way with Selene,

especially not because of something Jac had said. Jac was the one

who’d made her so afraid of being lied to in the first place. To allow Jac

to sow distrust within this new relationship was giving her far too much

power over her future happiness.

“She’s just jealous. Old news.” Eve mustered what she hoped

came across as an indifferent shrug. “She’ll get over it.”

“She’ll have to.” Selene’s hand landed on Eve’s thigh and squeezed

gently. “I plan on sticking around for a while.”

“You’d better.” Eve stared out the car window at the darkened city

streets. He could be anywhere right now. Watching her, even. Aware

of her movements, the company she kept. Eve’s throat tightened at the

sudden thought that if a killer was targeting her, everyone she knew

could also be in danger. Whipping around to stare at Selene, Eve tried to

decide how to broach the subject without causing unnecessary alarm.

“I’ll be fine, sweetheart.” Selene gave her a sideways glance. “I

promise.”

Eve blinked, wondering for a moment if she’d been thinking aloud.

But she hadn’t. Selene just had a spooky way of sensing her thoughts.

“Can you read my mind or something?”

Selene stiffened and Eve swore she could feel the shocked guilt

that quickly passed across Selene’s face. It was gone in an instant,

leaving behind only an amused expression that made Eve wonder

whether she was searching for signs of deceit where none existed. Had

Jac succeeded in planting a seed of doubt that would only grow and

tangle their relationship in constant mistrust?

“I could tell you were worried about something. Since you’d just

said that I’d better stick around…well, I just assumed maybe you were

worried about me.” Selene’s eyes darted away from the road for an

instant to search Eve’s face. “I wasn’t sure if you were worried about

me in regard to Jac or this Golden Gate Park killer, though.” When Eve

said nothing, Selene shrugged and looked back to the road. “Or maybe

I’m just completely off the mark.”

“You’re never off the mark when it comes to me, Selene.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Frowning, Eve thought about just how true that was. She didn’t actually

believe that Selene was a mind reader—the scientific evidence for

telepathy was sketchy at best—but it did seem that Selene was a highly

empathetic individual. There was hardly anything sinister about that. “I

was worried. If there’s any chance the killer is targeting me, he could

learn about my routine. That includes where I go, who I see.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Just…” Eve bit her lip, worried about Selene’s ability to defend

herself if something did happen. Not that Eve had been a powerhouse

of self-defense. But the idea of Selene getting hurt because of her was

heart-wrenching beyond anything she’d ever felt before. “Just be aware

of your surroundings. If something looks suspicious, trust your gut.

Okay? And call me.”

Selene nodded easily. “I promise. I really will be okay.”

Eve exhaled. She wished she could be so certain about her own

safety.

WILD

• 113 •

Chapter sIxteen

When Selene dropped Eve off at nearly five thirty at the

medical examiner’s office, Jac was already waiting for her

in front of the building. The sky had lightened to a foggy gray, but

the morning was still dark enough that Eve was very glad she didn’t

have to walk inside alone. From the easy wave Jac gave her as she

approached, Eve knew they were about to play the everything’s-fine

game and pretend they hadn’t just argued at the crime scene.

That worked for Eve.

“How in the world did you beat me here?” Eve said lightly as she

carded them into the building. “I saw you standing on the sidewalk as

we pulled away.”

“I drive like a cop.” Jac chuckled lightly as they walked down

the still-deserted hallway to Eve’s lab. Their shoes squeaked on the

tiled floor, so loud that Eve couldn’t help searching every dark, empty

doorway they passed for fear they were announcing their presence to

some unseen enemy. “Remember?”

“We did go on some pretty wild rides together.” Stopping in front

of her lab, Eve willed her hand not to shake as she swiped her card

through the reader, then opened the door. She stepped into her sanctuary

with a sigh of relief. For whatever reason, she felt as safe in her lab as

she did at home. Probably because, for a workaholic like her, the lab

was her second home. “Is the body en route?”

“It is.” Jac held up a zippered plastic evidence bag that contained a

cell phone, and another smaller bag that contained the victim’s jewelry.

“I brought the rest of the evidence.”

“That’s all she had on her?” Eve sat at her desk, watching silently

as Jac pulled over a chair to sit at her side. Regardless of their personal

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Meghan O’BrIen

history and their current tension over Selene, she and Jac had always

made a good team. She didn’t know anybody she’d rather have by her

side on this case, anybody she trusted more to help find this killer before

he could hurt anyone else.

“That’s it. No wallet or purse, unfortunately.”

“He likes to take their purses,” Eve said softly. He’d taken hers,

hadn’t he? “Maybe he keeps them as trophies.”

“Or else he’s just trying to slow down the identification process.”

Jac shrugged, pulling two latex gloves from a cardboard box on Eve’s

desk. She slipped them on and dumped the cell phone out of the bag.

“At least he left the phone behind. Maybe we can find her name in

here.”Eve watched Jac power on the phone and flip through menus with

a flick of her thumb. What bothered Eve most about this murder was

where it had happened. Not only the proximity to her apartment, but

the open, public nature of the kill site. From her cursory examination of

the body, she estimated that the murder had taken place between twelve

thirty and one thirty in the morning. While her street certainly wasn’t

the most heavily traveled in San Francisco, it was close enough to a few

popular bars that it attracted moderate foot traffic even in the middle of

the week. That traffic wouldn’t make it impossible to kill a woman in

that alley without being detected, but taking the risk indicated a killer

with real confidence.

Was that confidence earned or merely foolish?

Jac gasped sharply, eyes shooting up to meet Eve’s in a way that

turned Eve’s stomach to stone. “That woman. Did you recognize her?

Did you know her?”

Eve had stared at the woman’s face long enough to know the

answer without thinking. “No, of course not. Why?”

Biting down hard on her lip, Jac held the phone so Eve could read

the on-screen text. It was the call log. The last recorded outgoing call

was at the top of the list, made just after one o’clock in the morning.

To Eve’s cell phone.

Eve felt the blood drain from her face, leaving her light-headed

and dizzy. “Oh, my God.”

“That’s your number, right? I’m not crazy.”

Eve flashed back to the first phone call that had woken her up at

Selene’s. No words, not even the sound of breathing. Just quiet street

noise, then beep. “He called me. He didn’t say anything and I just

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• 115 •

chalked it up to a wrong number, but…” Shivering, she imagined what

the killer might have felt, listening to her sleepily fishing for a response.

Totally ignorant of what he’d just done, apparently with her in mind.

“This murder was about me, wasn’t it?”

“I’m assigning a protective detail to stay with you twenty-four

seven,” Jac said, already dialing her own cell phone. “No arguments.”

Eve shook her head, dazed by the enormity of the situation she

could no longer deny. The man in the ski mask—the man from her

nightmares—had called her tonight from a dead woman’s cell phone.

A woman he’d killed less than a block from Eve’s apartment. Why?

What did he find compelling enough about Eve to risk his anonymity?

If he knew her cell phone number, that meant he’d definitely taken her

purse. Which meant he knew she worked with the police—her purse

contained the identification and credentials to prove it. By pursuing her,

he was not only making it easy to link his crimes but also increasing

his threat of exposure. Was his motivation simply that she’d escaped

his grasp?

Was he that determined to maintain a perfect record of murder?

As she listened to Jac speak to her captain in a hushed tone, another,

more sinister thought struck her. Maybe her attack hadn’t been a matter

of chance. All this time Eve had assumed that she’d been jumped due to

pure dumb luck. Because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong

time, unfortunate enough to take that particular running path on that

particular morning. But what if that wasn’t true?

What if he had intentionally targeted her? Perhaps this had always

been about Eve, even before Yasmin Mandujano was stabbed to death

in the predawn hours of that fateful morning. It wasn’t too big a stretch

to think that he had some kind of vendetta against her. Or, perhaps more

likely, the man in the ski mask had created a challenge for himself.

After all, in criminal and forensic circles, Dr. Eve Thomas was

something of a celebrity. Her book had spent eight weeks at the top of

The New York Times best-seller list, and since Charles Dunning’s arrest

and the subsequent publication of her account of the role her science

had played in his capture, she had enjoyed moderate attention in the

mainstream media. The country loved a juicy serial-murder case, and

when it had a happy ending, CSI-style, even better. What if this man had

seen all that and decided to take Eve down a notch? Or even to make

her a victim in his own string of sick killings? The ultimate trophy.

“Protection detail’s all set. They’re sending a couple of detectives

• 116 •

Meghan O’BrIen

over right away. I’ve asked them to keep a car on your apartment at

all times and someone with you whenever you’re out.” Jac hesitated

a moment, then made eye contact. “I know this will make dating a

little…awkward. But please believe that’s not why I’m doing it.”

Eve nodded, too numb to worry about the impact Jac’s surveillance

might have on her relationship. “I know.”

“And I’m getting you a gun. I want you to carry it concealed.”

Eve winced. “I don’t have a permit.” And she hated guns.

“We’ll take care of that. I insist, Eve. Carry a gun, at least until

this is over.”

Eve could hear from Jac’s tone that she couldn’t win this argument.

Dropping her shoulders in resignation, she said, “Okay.”

“Okay,” Jac said quietly. She lifted a hand as though she might touch

Eve’s face, then dropped it to her side. “What are you thinking?”

Exhaling, Eve said, “I’m thinking that maybe this has always been

about me.”

“In what way?”

“These murders, my attack…maybe this guy is taunting me.

Trying to prove something.”

“But why?” Jac’s throat tensed as a familiar, protective fire flared

in her eyes. “Why come after you?”

“Maybe he didn’t like my book.” Eve managed a weak laugh. If

she could find the humor in this, perhaps she wouldn’t fall apart. It was

a theory, at least. “Or he wants to be part of the sequel.”

“You think this is about your work on the Dunning case?”

“I don’t know. Possibly the attack was a coincidence, and he just

doesn’t like knowing that I’m ‘the one who got away.’”

Jac shuddered. “If he does know who you are, if this was

intentional, it’s possible he’s tried to make contact with you in the past.

Do you keep fan letters and e-mail?”

One of the more interesting aspects of her newfound celebrity

had been the outpouring of interest, gratitude, and just-plain-creepy

messages from the general public. Eve had hundreds of e-mails that

ranged from curious to flirtatious to downright disturbing. They all

lived in a special folder in her e-mail account. “Yes, I keep them.”

“I’d like copies, please.” Eve knew Jac well enough to realize that

she was desperately trying to maintain a calm façade. But the quaver in

her voice betrayed inner turmoil. “Everything you can dig up.”

“Of course.” Eve dropped her head in her hands and groaned.

“God, Jac. Why me?”

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• 117 •

Jac put a gentle hand on her back, rubbing circles over her spine.

“We’ll catch him, Eve. I promise. He will not hurt you.” In a soft, fierce

voice, Jac murmured, “I won’t let him.”

Touched by the obvious love in Jac’s voice, Eve turned and fell

into the familiar embrace she found waiting for her. All of a sudden

their arguments over Selene seemed trivial. The important thing was

that Jac truly did have her back. Even if she hadn’t been there for her as

a romantic partner, Jac would always be her friend.

“Thank you,” Eve mumbled into the shoulder of Jac’s leather

jacket. “And I’m sorry I said ‘fuck you’ before.”

Jac squeezed her tighter. “Let’s not talk about it right now.”

Sniffing, Eve pulled back. “I’ve been telling myself it was over,

what happened that morning. That I was safe. That’s been the only thing

keeping me going. The thought that it was over.” That, and Selene. Not

that she’d admit that to Jac. “I’m not sure I know what to do now. The

idea that I could see him again—”

“Not on my watch.” Jac opened her mouth to say something

else, but the loud chime of the lab’s doorbell cut her off. Eve’s heart

constricted, then stuttered into overdrive, her entire body tensing as her

fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. Immediately Jac’s warm hand covered

hers. “I’m sure it’s the techs delivering the body. I’ll go get it.”

Normally Eve would’ve jumped right up to help receive a new

corpse, but she didn’t trust her legs to support her. “Thanks.”

Eve watched Jac cross the lab and peek out the window into the

hallway, exhaling in relief when she immediately stepped back to open

the door. Two familiar police technicians wheeled in a gurney and

carefully transferred a black body bag to the steel table in the center

of the room. Eve watched the process—something she’d witnessed

hundreds of times before—with a sense of mounting dread.

She didn’t know how she would bring herself to stare into that

woman’s lifeless eyes again. Not when she felt somehow responsible

for her death. She’d faced the same evil this woman had stared down

tonight and escaped—if only because of the freak appearance of a wolf

in Golden Gate Park. She was alive and this woman wasn’t.

Eve could have just as easily ended up on that steel slab. Even

more horrifying than that thought was that she might wind up there

yet. Jac told both technicians good-bye, closing the lab door behind

them. Then she turned to Eve and planted her hands on her hips, fire in

her eyes. “All right. We gonna catch this motherfucker or not?”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Eve snorted at Jac’s characteristic bluntness. “Yes.”

“Then get up, evil genius, and work your forensic magic.”

Eve knew perfectly well what Jac was trying to do—motivate her

with flattery, banish her fear with a reminder of their purpose. And it

worked. She could either live in terror of another encounter with the

Golden Gate Park killer or she could take her fate into her own hands.

She was Dr. Eve Thomas, for goodness sake. She’d helped catch one

serial killer. Damn straight she could do it again.

Eve slapped her hands down on the surface of her desk and stood,

shooting Jac a determined grin. “Let’s do this.”

“That’s my girl.”

Eve locked away her disquiet, forcing back every nonanalytical

emotion so she could prepare the body for the autopsy. It was “the

body” now, not a woman. Not someone who had been walking and

talking mere hours ago, before being forced to stare into the same

eyes that haunted Eve’s nightmares. It was a body. An empty vessel.

And, potentially, their key to tracking down the man who cut short its

owner’s life.

The examination felt very familiar. Multiple wounds, all made with

the same type of knife used on Yasmin Mandujano. Similar patterning

of shallow cuts and deeper slices, with two perfectly placed slashes

across the throat that had caused her to bleed out. As Jac had indicated

over the phone, the evidence of petechiae covering her face and eyelids

confirmed that he had strangled this one, too.

“Do you think he asphyxiates them until they pass out, then cuts

them, then asphyxiates them again when they wake up?” Eve tilted her

head, considering the question objectively, trying not to remember the

feeling of thumbs digging into her own vulnerable throat. “That could

explain how he’s able to kill them so brutally in such public places

without anyone hearing.”

“If that’s true, he’s one sick bastard.” Jac grimaced. “Seems like a

lot of effort to go through, especially in a scenario where time is limited

and the threat of discovery is high.”

Swallowing, Eve let herself remember the man who’d attacked

her. His eyes, the cold certainty in his voice when he said he could do

whatever he wanted. “He thinks he’s invincible. That nobody can stop

him.”Jac hesitated, then touched Eve’s shoulder. “Is that what he told

you?”Eve stripped off her bloody gloves, crossing the room to toss them

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• 119 •

in the medical waste bin. “He gets off on fear. He definitely got off on

my fear. Using that knife to toy with me. Cutting me—”

“He cut you?” Jac rounded the table as though Eve were bleeding

right then and there. “You didn’t tell me that.”

Eve met Jac’s eyes. “A nick. On my breast.”

Jac’s expression turned deadly. “I will fucking kill him.”

“No, you won’t.” Eve picked up the evidence she’d collected from

the body—fibers that could very well turn out to be insignificant, pubic-

hair combings despite no indication of sexual assault, and scrapings

from beneath the victim’s trimmed fingernails. But if this was anything

like the last body, none of it would lead them any closer to their killer.

“You’ll arrest him.”

“Maybe I’ll just hit him first.” Touching Eve’s cheek, Jac tightened

her jaw. “A little.”

Eve stepped away from her, needing the space. Protective Jac

stirred feelings inside her that no longer had a place in her life. “Don’t

you dare do anything to jeopardize your safety or your career. Okay?”

Jac followed Eve to her desk, perching on the edge again. “I want

to say something, but I don’t want you to get angry with me.”

Eve knew exactly where the conversation was going, but after the

care and concern Jac had shown over the past hour or so, she didn’t

have the heart to shut her down. “I’ll try to remain calm.” She forced a

neutral expression, hoping to put Jac at ease.

“Selene,” Jac said, and held up a hand when Eve tensed. “I know

she’s important to you. And I trust your judgment. But that phone

call—”

“You can’t prove it was her. Can you?”

“It was her. I know it in my gut, Eve. For all my faults, I think

you’ve always trusted my gut.” Jac gave her a pleading look, and Eve

could see that this truly wasn’t simply about jealousy. Jac believed that

Selene was their anonymous tipster. And Eve had always trusted Jac’s

gut. It usually seemed to be right.

“She could have a lot of reasons to want to remain anonymous.”

Eve tried to think of what might prevent Selene from telling her about

something so important, but came up short. But she was certain Selene

had reasons, legitimate ones. “It’s not against the law to make an

anonymous tip.”

Jac stared into Eve’s eyes. “Are you in love with her?” Eve opened

her mouth to answer, but Jac looked away with a pained grimace. “Don’t

bother. Your face says it all.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“I can’t explain how it is with Selene,” Eve said. “But it’s good,

Jac. It’s really good.”

“Then ask her.” Jac glanced at the exam table, then back at Eve.

“Please.”

Eve exhaled shakily. If Selene had discovered the body, Eve did

want to know, and not only because it might help their investigation.

That was a big secret to keep. Selene might have her reasons, but if Eve

didn’t ask, she could only guess what they might be. Eve was tired of

relationships built on lies. She wouldn’t have one again, not even for

Selene.

“I will,” Eve murmured. She wanted to know, didn’t she? But how

to do it without destroying what had so far been perfect in every way?

“Just give me some time.”

“Two bodies in less than a month,” Jac said meaningfully. “Don’t

take too long.”

Eve gave Jac a grudging nod. “I won’t.”

WILD

• 121 •

Chapter seventeen

Selene knew something was different the moment Eve

answered her door the evening after the second murder. Eve’s

face softened at the sight of her, and Selene’s entire body hummed as

their connection flared to life, but Eve seemed almost reserved as they

embraced. The stream of emotion that flowed from her directly into

Selene was difficult to decipher, almost overwhelming in its complexity.

Familiar love and desire were there, but new—and unsettling—feelings

were in the mix.

Anxiety. Fear. Worst of all, uncertainty.

Those negative emotions seemed directed at her, an unexpected

turn of events that jarred her into stunned stillness. She knew that Jac

and Eve had argued about her that morning at the crime scene, but now

she wondered what exactly Jac had said. Whatever it was, it had clearly

gotten to Eve.

“Is everything all right?” Selene asked as she drew back from

their embrace. Cautiously, she stepped into Eve’s apartment and closed

the door behind her. She had planned to tell Eve this evening that she

wouldn’t be around on the night of the full moon, so the last thing she

needed was unspoken distrust between them. That would make lying

even harder to pull off. “You seem upset.”

“I am upset,” Eve said, but gave her a brave smile. “Rough day

at the lab.”

“I’ll bet. Anything I can do?”

Eve smiled wider, blushing. “Why don’t we talk a little first?”

Relieved by Eve’s reaction, Selene walked deeper into the

apartment. Flirting was a good sign. If Eve was still flirting, Jac hadn’t

managed to completely poison her mind against her. At least not yet.

After a moment of hesitation, she sat on Eve’s couch. She needed to act

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Meghan O’BrIen

casual, to push aside her nerves. If she wanted Eve to trust her, she had

to project calm honesty. That was the only way to make Eve believe

that she wasn’t hiding anything.

Eve put her hands on her hips. “Want something to drink?”

Selene shook her head, patting the cushion next to her. “Sit down,

sweetheart. Tell me about your day. About the woman from the alley.”

Eve shook her head, then turned to walk into the kitchen. “Let me

get a glass of wine first.”

“Of course.” Selene stood and followed Eve to the refrigerator,

watching as she pulled out a bottle of chardonnay. She hoped Eve had

been able to scientifically establish the fact that her own attacker was

the same man who killed the woman in the alley. Selene had smelled

it, of course, but could never tell Eve. “So it’s the same guy, right? The

one who killed the woman in Golden Gate Park?”

Sighing, Eve poured a generous glass of wine, then took a large

sip. After another sip, she topped off her glass, then recorked the bottle,

sticking it back into the fridge. “Without a doubt.” Eve gestured for

Selene to follow her back to the sitting room. “Same exact wounds.

Same knack for creating the cleanest messy crime scene I’ve ever

encountered.” Eve sat and took another healthy drink, shivering after

she swallowed. “And there was something else.”

Selene sank onto the cushion beside Eve. Her gut churned as Eve

struggled with whatever she intended to say next. “Tell me.”

“Remember the phone call I got last night? The hang-up?”

Throat dry, Selene nodded. “Was it him?”

“He placed the call from the victim’s cell phone—probably as he

stood over her body. We found the entry in her call log.” Eve hiccupped

out a humorless laugh. “Pretty big clue that not only are my attacker

and this killer one and the same, but he’s clearly fixated on me for

some reason.” Another drink, more like a gulp than a sip. “Jac assigned

a protective detail to watch my apartment. You probably walked past

them on the way in.”

“I didn’t notice.”

“Well, they’re my new shadows, for the time being.” Eve gave a

weary chuckle. “Hope you don’t mind having the cops watch you when

you’re with me.”

Selene forced down her natural panic at the idea. Eve blinked,

staring hard into Selene’s face, and Selene worried that she hadn’t

hidden her reaction well enough. “Whatever keeps you safe, darling.

That’s all I care about.”

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• 123 •

“Is it?” Eve asked, then blushed and quickly stared into her

wineglass.

“Of course.” Selene frowned. She could feel that Eve was

struggling with something, almost as though she wanted to ask Selene

a question, and her heart thumped as she considered all the possibilities.

Could Eve have found out about her abilities somehow? Was it the

mind-reader thing from the other night? Or did Eve actually know she

was a shape-shifter?

But how could she? Selene had been beyond careful not to shift at

all since her brief foray into Golden Gate Park to track the killer shortly

after Eve’s attack, terrified that Eve or Jac would somehow find out. If

that wasn’t what Eve wanted to ask her about—if that wasn’t the cause

of Eve’s obvious lapse in trust—then what was it?

Did she simply sense that Selene was keeping secrets?

“I love you, Eve.” Selene took Eve’s hand between her own,

shocked by how cold and fragile her slim fingers felt. Drawing from

deep within herself, Selene channeled every bit of love and devotion

she felt for Eve into her touch, desperate to wrap Eve in the warmth of

their bond. “Keeping you safe is more important than anything else.”

Eve’s eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly, setting down

her wine to swipe at her face with a shaky hand. She left her other hand

within Selene’s grasp, curling her fingers around Selene’s palm to give

her a gentle squeeze. “I’m so scared, Selene.” Breaking eye contact, she

whispered, “And I love you, too.”

Eve still wasn’t saying something. She was holding back, too

frightened to vocalize the lingering unease that still hung between them.

Hating to see Eve so torn up, Selene took a deep breath and prayed

she wasn’t making a mistake by probing deeper. “What else is wrong,

darling? Is there something you need to talk about?”

Fear shot from Eve to Selene like a stab in the gut. Eve jerked her

head back and stared into Selene’s eyes, desperately searching for…

Selene didn’t know. Selene lifted Eve’s hand to her lips, forcing herself

not to tremble, and kissed Eve’s knuckles.

“You can tell me anything,” Selene murmured. If Eve knew about

her, Selene wouldn’t deny it. After all, Eve had allowed her inside her

apartment, so how disgusted could she be? “Don’t be afraid.”

Eve took a breath, then hesitated. After a moment she shook her

head. “No, it’s nothing. I’m just…shaken up.”

Scooting closer, Selene pulled Eve into a loose embrace. She

kissed her hair and stroked her back, sending as much positive, healing

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Meghan O’BrIen

energy to Eve as she could muster. That meant suppressing her own

anxiety about the lie she had yet to tell, about whatever Eve didn’t

feel comfortable saying. But Selene knew it was important. Though it

felt slightly manipulative to influence Eve’s mood when Eve was so

clearly uncertain, Selene told herself that it was for her benefit. There

was nothing wrong with wrapping Eve in love and desire right now, not

when it would ease her obvious disquiet.

Eve exhaled, seeming to melt into their embrace. “This is what

I needed.” Fisting her hands in Selene’s T-shirt, Eve buried her face

in Selene’s chest and inhaled deeply. “You always make me feel so

good.”

“I’m glad.” Selene closed her eyes, not allowing herself to feel the

guilt that tickled her subconscious. She wasn’t abusing Eve’s trust by

making her feel better this way. She was just using their connection to

both their advantage. “I try.”

“I want to trust you.”

Selene stiffened slightly at Eve’s mumbled words, then forced

herself to relax. The comment was probably more about Jac than

Selene. She knew Eve had trust issues—which made keeping secrets

doubly painful. “Of course you can trust me.” Drawing back, she met

Eve’s gaze. “I will always do everything I can to protect you. And I will

never, ever hurt you. Not if I can help it.”

Eve stared deep into Selene’s eyes. Her face relaxed as she shed

the last of whatever had been bothering her. “I know you won’t.”

“Good.” Selene kissed Eve’s lips, then pulled back a few inches to

watch her reaction. Success. Eve was no longer anxious, suspicious, or

uneasy. She was full of love, and Selene’s chest hurt at the intensity of

having all that emotion directed toward her.

“I want you to take me to bed.” Eve blushed as soon as the words

came out of her mouth, but she didn’t break eye contact. “I need you to

make everything else go away, just for tonight.”

“I can do that,” Selene murmured. She stroked down Eve’s arm,

raising gooseflesh. “You’ve had a long day. Maybe we can just hold

each other.”

Eve shook her head. “No. I want you to fuck me.”

Selene went still. She wanted Eve—she always wanted her—but

for a moment the sudden change in mood paralyzed her. Five minutes

ago Eve had been full of doubt, and now she eyed Selene with so much

hunger it made thinking all but impossible. “You sure?”

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• 125 •

“I need you inside me. I need…” Eve closed her eyes and exhaled

shakily. “I need you.”

Selene stood, then pulled Eve to her feet. They could talk later. Right

now she needed to reassure Eve that no matter what else happened, she

was the most important thing in Selene’s life. She needed to make Eve

believe that she was loyal and true, that despite the secrets Selene had

to keep, nothing would ever stand in the way of them being together.

She needed to make Eve trust her again.

• 126 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter eIghteen

Eve didn’t know what to think about the drastic shift in her

mood over the past twenty minutes. Before Selene came

over, she was scared—of the strange turn the Golden Gate Park killer

case had taken, of Jac’s revelation that Selene might be the anonymous

tipster, of the possibility that she had once again fallen in love with

someone who could so easily mislead her. But more than being afraid,

Eve had been determined. She had sworn to herself that she would

ask Selene about the anonymous phone call straight up, to hell with

the consequences. If Selene hadn’t made the call, at worst Eve would

embarrass herself for having lent any credence to Jac’s suspicions. But

if Selene was the tipster, Eve needed to know. Not only because Selene

could have useful information without knowing it, but also for Eve’s

own peace of mind.

If Selene had discovered that body, she had been keeping a

pretty big secret. And it needed to be brought out into the open if their

relationship had any hope of surviving. After Jac, Eve couldn’t deal

with more lies. She just couldn’t. She was willing to give Selene the

benefit of the doubt that she had hidden the truth for good reason. What

she couldn’t do was look the other way.

But all that fear and determination had disappeared within Selene’s

embrace on the couch. The simple touch of Selene’s hands, then her

gentle kisses, had chased away every bit of Eve’s negative emotion,

leaving her filled with almost crippling desire. The only thing Eve felt

now was a fierce urge to connect with Selene at the most primal level.

She could find no logical reason for her wildly vacillating emotions, but

she was beyond caring. She wanted to trust Selene—she needed to trust

Selene—because, plain and simple, Selene made her happy. Beyond

happy. Selene was everything to her, inexplicable as that was.

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• 127 •

Now Eve was another kind of determined. Determined to

reestablish their connection, to prove to herself that she trusted Selene

implicitly. And the best way to do that was in bed. Before Selene, Eve

had never been confident in her sexuality. She had never trusted anyone

enough to truly let go and surrender her mind and body completely. But

Selene made that easy.

That had to mean something. Didn’t it?

Eve led Selene to her bedroom by the hand, nervous anticipation

fluttering in her belly. Together only two weeks, they’d already had

a lot of sex. Passionate sex, loving sex, laughing sex—even a little

rough sex. Tonight would be something different. Something special.

When they made love tonight, it would be to prove something about

this relationship, about the trust Eve had in Selene, and about Eve’s

ability to give herself fully to another person.

She couldn’t bear the thought that Jac had broken her forever,

that the fear and distrust that relationship introduced into her life could

seep into this thing with Selene and destroy it. Selene had never given

Eve any reason not to trust her intentions. Whatever had happened that

day in Golden Gate Park—whoever made that anonymous call—Eve

believed in Selene. She trusted that their growing feelings were real. By

taking Selene to bed right now, she was putting that trust into action.

Eve began to undress the instant she entered her bedroom, tugging

her shirt over her head, then unbuttoning her jeans. Selene stopped

just inside the doorway and watched with hooded eyes. Eve slowed

down once she realized that she had an appreciative audience, walking

backward until her thighs hit the mattress. Reaching behind her back,

she unhooked her bra with seductive languor. The desire that flooded

Selene’s face as she bared her body stunned Eve. Nobody had ever made

her feel so beautiful. Selene’s obvious admiration gave her the courage

to perform a playful striptease, something so outside her comfort zone

she’d never even considered it before now.

Selene made her feel like anything was possible. Even trust.

Once she was naked, Eve beckoned Selene forward with a crooked

finger. “You’re overdressed.”

“Just enjoying the view.” Selene closed the distance between them,

pulling off her shirt as she walked. “Trying to savor every moment of

your little show.”

“You liked that?” Bolstered by the overwhelming love in Selene’s

eyes, Eve ran her finger down the center of Selene’s chest, between her

breasts. Then she slipped a hand around Selene’s back to thumb open

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Meghan O’BrIen

the clasp of her bra, guiding it off her shoulders with an appreciative

smirk.

“Loved it.” Selene’s hands landed on Eve’s bare hips, gripping

her gently while pulling her closer. “Do you have any idea how badly I

want you right now?”

“No. Show me.”

Selene gave her an almost feral growl. “With pleasure.”

Eve glanced at her nightstand, the bottom drawer, with barely

conscious thought. When she remembered what was in there, she

blushed and her stomach tightened with nervous anticipation. She

couldn’t ask for that—could she? Did she even want it?

“Tell me,” Selene murmured, moving forward to kiss Eve’s neck.

“What’s in the drawer?”

Eve shivered at Selene’s perceptive question. She didn’t know

why she’d looked there. Her unconscious mind had probably made the

connection between what was inside and the question of trust. Yes, Eve

wanted to prove just how real the safety Selene created for her was. But

consciously Eve didn’t know whether she wanted what her body was

clearly excited about.

“Tell me, Eve.” Selene slid her hands around to cup Eve’s bottom,

gripping her tight. Eve gasped and closed her eyes, shocked by how the

rough touch affected her. Immediately she was soaking wet, thighs slick

with arousal. Selene brought her mouth to Eve’s ear and whispered, “Or

do you want me to look for myself?”

Eve shivered. This was a completely new dynamic, forceful

Selene, and Eve couldn’t believe how it turned her on. She would never

have predicted enjoying something like this so much. Part of her wanted

Selene to make the discovery herself, to take control of the situation, to

leave Eve without any choice but to surrender to her desires.

As though Selene knew exactly what Eve was thinking, she drew

away from their embrace and yanked open the drawer. Eve’s face

flooded with heat at the sight of the leather harness and brand-new

silicone dildo inside. Selene sucked in a noisy breath, then picked up

each object in turn. Raising an eyebrow, Selene murmured, “You want

me to fuck you with this?”

“I…” Eve closed her mouth, swallowing against her suddenly dry

throat. “I’ve never done that before.”

Selene held her gaze. “But you’ve wanted to.”

“I bought those after the breakup.” Eve blushed as she

remembered the day she went online and placed her order. “Tired of

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• 129 •

feeling vanilla, I guess. But I never…there’s never been an opportunity

to use them.”

“Vanilla?” Selene hefted the dildo in her hand. “Jac call you

that?”

“She didn’t have to.”

“Well, I don’t think you’re vanilla.” As Selene tossed the dildo

onto the mattress, her eyes darkened. “I think you’re a dirty girl who

wants to be taken hard and fast with that big, thick cock. Am I right?”

Eve gasped at the heat that shot through her body at Selene’s

unexpected words. “I—”

Tipping her head, Selene gestured at her pants. “Unbutton me.”

It was like Selene was tapping into thoughts and desires Eve could

scarcely admit having, even to herself. And Eve was excited beyond

belief. Every word from Selene, every movement, evoked undeniable

arousal. Eve yearned to give up control completely, to trust Selene to

guide her through an experience that would have been unimaginable

even a month ago.

Eve’s hands shook as she thumbed open the button of Selene’s

jeans. She tugged down the zipper, then hesitated, checking Selene’s

eyes. Somehow she knew she needed Selene’s approval before moving

any farther.

“Take them off.” Selene seemed to be enjoying this new role just

as much as Eve. Her expression had turned predatory. “Now.”

Pushing Selene’s jeans down over her hips, Eve took a chance

and also hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties, baring

Selene completely. She got on her knees in front of Selene, steadying

her as she lifted Selene’s feet out of her pants, leaving her gloriously

nude. Eve stared up from her submissive position, waiting for her next

instruction.

Selene set her feet apart, tangling a hand in Eve’s hair. She pulled

Eve forward roughly, until her nose and mouth were buried in the slick,

swollen folds between Selene’s thighs. “Suck me.”

Eve poked out her tongue, eager for Selene’s sweet taste in her

mouth. Licking Selene was something she’d never tire of, and being

ordered to do so while on her knees ratcheted her excitement to

dizzying heights. Slipping between Selene’s labia, Eve groaned at the

thick liquid that immediately coated her lips and tongue. Selene’s hand

tightened in her hair, holding her in place.

“Yeah, you know how I like it.” With her other hand, Selene

stroked Eve’s face gently. “Just like that, good girl.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Eve closed her eyes. Selene’s murmured encouragement should

have made her feel degraded somehow. She was being treated like a

sex object, for God’s sake. After years of being shy and reserved in bed,

she should have been overwhelmed. But Selene was tapping into what

she’d always wanted but never would have admitted. Eve would have

died before handing control over to Jac like this, but with Selene…in

her heart, Eve knew that she was important to Selene—her thoughts,

her feelings, her desires. Selene would never hurt her on purpose. She

believed that with everything inside her. After having her ability to trust

completely shattered, Eve never imagined feeling it so strongly again.

The revelation that she could feel it, and did feel it, was startlingly

arousing. That trust made her want to admit her deepest, darkest kinks,

the things she fantasized about alone in the shower but could never

have brought to a lover before Selene. She did trust Selene never to

betray her, and there was no more powerful aphrodisiac in the world.

Selene’s body tensed and she quaked as Eve drew out an orgasm

with her mouth. Then Selene curled a hand around Eve’s chin, forcing

her away from the sweet juices she lapped up hungrily. “You do like

this, don’t you?” For a moment the commanding presence dropped

away and only Selene, her tender lover, remained. “This is something

you need.” Her grip on Eve’s chin tightened slightly. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Eve whispered. Though it defied reason that in the same

month a serial killer had torn away her control, she could feel safe

enough to be her most vulnerable with a woman she had only just met,

Eve didn’t doubt this choice for an instant. “I need this.”

Selene’s eyes hardened even as her lips relaxed into an easy smirk.

“Good. Because I’m going to give it to you.” She grabbed Eve’s upper

arm, hauling her to her feet. “Get on the bed.”

Eve crawled onto the mattress, grateful not to have to try to stand.

Her legs felt boneless. Lying back against the headboard, she bit her

lip as she watched Selene fasten the harness around her hips. She had

fantasized about using these toys for a long time but always doubted

she would ever actually do it. The idea of living out her secret fantasy

with someone who made her feel safe was nearly enough to make her

come without even being touched.

Selene tightened the straps on the harness, raising an eyebrow at

her. “I can smell how much you want this.”

Heat flooded Eve’s cheeks, a curious mixture of embarrassment

and excitement. She glanced down at the dildo that rested on the

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mattress beside her, then picked it up and investigated its length and

girth with her hands. When it had arrived in the mail all those months

ago, she’d opened the package and simply stared in shock. It was bigger

than she’d pictured. Not too big, she suspected, but larger than anything

a lover had ever given her. The thought of allowing someone to guide

that phallus inside her body, to stretch her open around it, had made her

uneasy. That meant really putting herself into someone else’s hands, at

her mercy, for what felt almost unbearably intimate. The potential for

discomfort or humiliation seemed high, and Eve had simply never met

a woman she trusted enough to be so vulnerable around.

Until now.

“Give it to me.” Selene extended her hand, stopping inches from

the dildo. “If you want that cock inside you, hand it to me right now.”

Eve handed it over without meeting Selene’s eyes. Silent

subservience.

Selene’s upper lip curled into a smirk, lending her a distinct air of

danger. It did nothing to diminish Eve’s trust, and everything to jack up

the rush of endorphins their play sent through her body. Eve watched as

Selene fit the dildo in the harness, then exhaled shyly when Selene used

one slim hand to stroke it from base to tip.

“How do you want to take this?” Selene knelt on the side of the

bed, devouring Eve’s body with her eyes as she continued to caress

the dildo. “Missionary position?” She met Eve’s stare, tilting her head

searchingly. “Do you want to ride my cock?” Her eyes flashed as though

she’d read something on Eve’s face. “Or get fucked on your hands and

knees like the nasty girl we both know you are?”

Eve’s mouth dropped open slightly as burning hunger twisted her

insides. “I—”

“Get on your hands and knees.” Selene’s tone banished any

thought of refusal. “Now, darling.”

Blushing, Eve sat up, then turned to balance on her hands and

knees. She could feel Selene move into position behind her and held

her breath, uncertain what to expect. The gentle touch of Selene’s hands

on her bottom made her jerk in surprise, then she moaned loudly when

those hands gripped her buttocks and pulled her open, exposing her

scorching flesh to the chilly air.

“Let me see that wet pussy.” She could feel Selene’s breath as she

brought her mouth next to Eve’s labia, fiery hot and so very close. “I

had no idea, Eve. None at all.”

• 132 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“No idea about what?” Eve whispered. Tensing, she nearly came

when Selene’s mouth suddenly covered her labia and her tongue snaked

its way to circle Eve’s swollen clit.

Selene pulled away with a quiet groan. “I had no idea you wanted

to be taken this way.”

“Me either.” Eve dropped her forehead to the mattress, rocking

back on her knees. She bumped Selene’s mouth, but Selene pulled

quickly away, wrenching a cry of disappointment from Eve’s throat.

“But I do.”

“I can see that.”

Selene’s tongue was everywhere, exploring every fold, tracing her

opening, then poking inside. Tightening her hands on Eve’s buttocks,

Selene held her open and spent long moments thrusting her stiff tongue

in and out of Eve’s pussy. Eve grabbed the headboard with both hands,

hanging on tight. She had never been devoured like this. It made her

feel wanton and decadent and like she was Selene’s last meal. Eve’s

thighs quaked as her climax began to build.

Selene pulled away. “No, you’re going to come on my cock,

darling.” As Eve gasped into her pillow, unable to believe that Selene

had just stopped like that, she felt Selene straighten, then take one hand

away from her bottom. A moment later the thick, silicone length of the

dildo was sliding along her wetness, making her shudder in pleasure.

“And not until I say so. Understand?”

Eve managed a noncommittal groan. “Please.”

Selene smacked her sharply on the ass, then gave her a rough

squeeze. “I mean it. You come without permission and I promise you’ll

be sorry.”

Lifting her head, Eve nodded quickly. “Not until you say so. I

understand.”

“Good.” And with that, Selene pushed the dildo forward, carefully

working the thick head into Eve’s opening. “Let’s take this nice and

slow.”

Eve’s forehead hit the pillow and her mouth dropped open as her

body stretched to accommodate the thick length of Selene’s cock. The

sensation was incredible—she was so wet, so open and ready, that the

penetration immediately soothed the crippling ache between her thighs.

Selene filled her, firm and unyielding, until her belly was flush against

Eve’s ass. Both hands moved to Eve’s hips, gripping her tight and

keeping her impaled.

“You took that like a good girl, didn’t you?” Selene’s fingers

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squeezed her buttocks, then she drew one hand away to deliver a light

slap. “You sure you’ve never done this before?”

Looking back over her shoulder, Eve met Selene’s eyes, which

softened instantly. “I’m sure.”

Selene slid one hand up Eve’s spine to settle on the back of her

neck. “Thank you for giving this to me.” She drew back her hips, then

drove forward again. Then another thrust, faster and harder. “For giving

me this sweet, tight pussy.”

Eve cried out as Selene set a steady rhythm, filling then

withdrawing, somehow hitting all the right spots deep inside. She

buried her face in her pillow, muffling the loud moans Selene’s deep

strokes wrenched out of her. Selene’s hands kneaded the tender skin of

her bottom, the rough handling intensifying the sheer pleasure Eve got

from Selene’s skillful motion.

“Tell me you like it.” Selene pulled her open, exposing her anus to

the cool air. “Tell me how much you like being fucked.”

“I love being fucked.” Eve came up on her hands and arched her

back, rocking to meet Selene’s thrusts. “I’ve never felt anything so

goddamn good.”

Strong hands slid up her sides and around her chest to cradle her

breasts. Selene tugged sharply on both nipples, then pinched the turgid

flesh in time with the speed of her deep strokes. “You’re mine. Aren’t

you?”Stunned by the quiet intensity of the question, Eve glanced over

her shoulder and returned Selene’s heated gaze. The fierce, possessive

look on Selene’s face jolted Eve into sudden climax, and when Selene

gritted her teeth and quaked with her own release, the contractions in

Eve’s pussy grew so violent that all she could do was collapse on her

stomach and ride out the wave beneath Selene’s solid, trembling form.

When she finally came down from her orgasm, either minutes or

hours later, Selene kissed the edge of her ear and said again, in a growl

that sent shivers through Eve’s body, “Aren’t you?”

It took Eve a moment to remember the question. “I’m yours.”

“I never gave you permission to come.” Selene nipped at her neck,

grabbing her hands, then pinning them above Eve’s head. “Didn’t I

warn you about that?”

“Yes.” Eve had completely forgotten Selene’s admonishment.

Quite frankly, she couldn’t wait to find out how Selene intended to

make her sorry.

Scraping her sharp teeth over Eve’s shoulder, Selene murmured,

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Meghan O’BrIen

“What kind of punishment do you think you deserve for such willful

disobedience?”

“Whatever you feel is appropriate.” Eve groaned as Selene pumped

her hips against her bottom. She was going to be deliciously sore in the

morning. “I deserve it.”

Selene withdrew, then rolled Eve over, pushing her thighs apart

and settling between them. She reached between their bodies and guided

the dildo back into Eve while staring into her eyes. Eve whimpered,

unsure how much more stimulation she could handle.

Kissing the corner of Eve’s mouth, Selene murmured, “I’ll be

gentle.”

Eve laced her fingers behind Selene’s neck. “I trust you.”

Selene deepened their kiss and just barely shifted her hips, pressing

into Eve with excruciating slowness. Eve moaned into Selene’s mouth,

then again when Selene tore her lips away to whisper in Eve’s ear, “I’m

in love with you.”

“Good.” Eve bit her lip as Selene angled her hips just right, sinking

deeper inside. She had no idea how a piece of silicone could make her

feel so connected, but it almost seemed as though the toy was merely an

extension of Selene’s body, conveying all her ardent desire. “Because

I’m in love with you, too.”

“And I will do everything I can to protect you.” Tracing her tongue

over Eve’s upper lip, Selene tightened her embrace. “I will do anything

to keep you safe.”

Selene’s solemn words warmed her from the inside out, and Eve

couldn’t help but think of that anonymous tip. It seemed impossible

that the same woman who spoke so passionately would keep a secret of

that magnitude. No way Selene had made that call. No way.

Selene brought their mouths together again in a passionate kiss.

She pumped her hips faster, but kept her strokes shallow and gentle.

The friction of their pelvises rubbing together was more than enough to

bring Eve to the brink again. Selene slid a hand down Eve’s side, then

curled beneath her bottom, tugging Eve’s leg over her own hip. Then

she growled, “Mine,” and Eve spasmed around her and cried out in

release once again.

Dropping her head onto Eve’s shoulder, Selene trembled and

gasped like she’d forgotten how to breathe. Eve placed her hands on

Selene’s back and stroked calming circles up and down her spine.

“Yours,” Eve whispered. “Easy, darling. Take a deep breath.”

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• 135 •

Selene’s body rose beneath Eve’s fingers as she inhaled deeply.

Snaking her hands beneath Eve’s shoulders, she tugged Eve closer

without withdrawing, still buried deep inside. Eve blinked in surprise

when moisture fell upon her shoulder, craning her head to peer at

Selene’s face. Tears streamed from Selene’s dark, searching eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Eve could feel that although Selene’s emotion

was part joy, it had another level—sorrow, maybe. Or regret.

“Next Thursday night…” Selene lifted her head but didn’t quite

meet Eve’s eyes. “I have to go out of town overnight. For a job. I should

be back the next day, but…” Guilt tightened her features. “I can’t be

with you on Thursday.”

A bitter stab of disappointment knocked the wind out of Eve.

Shocked by the intensity of her reaction, she tried not to let it show.

“I understand.” Selene winced and dropped her forehead on Eve’s

shoulder again. Guiltily, Eve traced her fingertips down to the small

of Selene’s sweat-slicked back. “It’s okay, Selene. Really. You have a

life—and responsibilities—beyond me.”

“I wish you could come with me,” Selene mumbled. “But you

can’t.” She drew back but seemed to have trouble meeting Eve’s eyes.

“If I could cancel, I would. I swear. But I don’t have a choice.”

Eve forced a casual chuckle, taken aback by the self-loathing in

Selene’s voice. Sure, it was unfortunate timing, but Selene had no reason

to feel bad about fulfilling professional obligations. As a workaholic,

Eve understood better than anyone. “Sweetheart, stop. It’s okay, really.

It’s just one night.” She mustered a light tone even she didn’t really

believe. “I’m a big girl. I’ll be just fine.”

Selene finally met her eyes. “I don’t want you to be alone that

night.”

“Honestly, Selene—”

“No.” Every bit as forceful as she had been during their sexual

play, Selene made it clear that the topic wasn’t up for discussion. “You

can’t stay by yourself. If I was away and something happened to you, I’d

never forgive myself.” Selene swallowed and looked away. “Never.”

“I won’t be alone. Jac has two detectives watching me at all times,

remember?”

Selene scowled. “Even so, I’d feel better if you had someone

inside with you. Or even if you stayed at a friend’s place.”

Eve touched Selene’s jaw, forcing her eyes back to Eve’s face.

“Okay.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“Maybe you can stay at Jac’s.”

That was the last thing Eve had expected Selene to suggest. “Jac?

I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Looking as though she was struggling to swallow a mouthful of

bad food, Selene said, “She has a gun. She can take care of you.”

“I have a gun, too.” Jac had stopped by that afternoon with a

concealed weapons permit and a handgun. Eve hoped she’d never

actually have to use it.

“Please, darling. For me.”

Eve’s belly flipped at the very real fear she sensed behind Selene’s

concern. “I’ll see what Jac says.”

“Are you joking?” Selene kissed the tip of Eve’s nose. “She’s still

in love with you. She’ll agree. Probably jump at the chance to have you

all to herself.”

Face heating, Eve tried to interpret Selene’s tone. “Does that

bother you?”

“No. I trust you.”

Eve tangled a hand in Selene’s dark hair and pulled her down for

another kiss. “May I see you on Friday when you get home?”

“Just try and keep me away.”

v

Selene lay awake for hours after Eve fell asleep, struggling with

guilt so intense she worried it might seep into Eve’s unconscious and

darken her dreams. Their lovemaking earlier had left Selene shaken,

humbled, and deeply, deeply ashamed. She had lied to the woman she

loved. Worse, she had done so while still buried deep inside Eve after

the most intense sex she suspected either of them had ever had. In a

moment when she felt more connected to a human being than she had

ever imagined possible.

She was a piece of shit.

The worst part was that she had no choice. For two weeks she

had tried and failed to come up with other options, anything to avoid

betraying Eve’s trust. But the only way to be honest would be to tell Eve

that she was a shape-shifter who transformed into something horrific

once a month on the eve of the full moon. And that her solution to the

problem of safety—her own as well as the rest of the city’s—was to get

naked and have a call girl tie her to a steel table.

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• 137 •

Yeah, right. That would not only end their relationship, but could

possibly get Selene committed. Or worse.

Truth was, Selene wished she could tell Eve and have her accept

the truth. Eliminating the need for secrecy would only cement their

already-strong relationship. Better than that, if Selene could tell Eve

what she was, maybe they could use her ability to hunt down the Golden

Gate Park killer. Selene had tools at her disposal that all the police

investigations and forensic science in the world couldn’t replicate. With

the freedom to take advantage of her true nature, Selene could protect

Eve properly.

Unfortunately Selene was a coward. No matter how intense their

connection was, she just couldn’t believe that Eve could handle the

truth and accept her for what she was. Nobody else had, so why would

a woman she’d known for a month—a woman of science—be any

different?

She exhaled and put a hand on her stomach. She didn’t want to

throw up, but it was taking everything she had to keep her dinner down.

Eve was her mate, the undeniable nucleus of her universe, and Selene’s

entire being burned with the need to protect what was hers. Knowing

that Jac would have to do it instead, even for one night, was excruciating.

She trusted Eve totally, but she hated the idea that Jac would take the

opportunity to point out that Selene wasn’t good enough. Again.

Particularly because Jac had a point.

Eve whimpered in her sleep, stirring uneasily beneath the comforter.

With effort Selene quieted her thoughts and turned on her side to pull

Eve into a warm embrace. Immediately Eve calmed down. Whether her

troubled dreams stemmed from the threat to her life or Selene’s own

tortured thoughts, Selene didn’t know. What she did know was that she

needed to figure out how they could possibly have a real relationship

without Selene needing to lie every month.

Something had to give. Lying wasn’t a long-term strategy—it was

a weak, cowardly way to buy some time. At some point, she would be

forced to put their relationship to the test, to see if Eve truly was the

one for her.

But not this month. Not yet.

• 138 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter nIneteen

Selene was right—when Eve explained to Jac that she was going

out of town and didn’t want Eve to be alone, Jac couldn’t have

looked more pleased about being designated her bodyguard for the

night. So pleased, in fact, that it took every bit of Eve’s willpower to

shove down the irritation she felt at Jac’s failure to hide her smug glee.

But she did, because she was glad for Jac’s company. She didn’t want

to spend the night in her apartment wondering if the Golden Gate Park

killer was lurking in the shadows.

When Jac mentioned cooking her dinner, Eve knew she would

have to be on guard. Cooking was a wooing tactic for Jac, probably

used successfully on far more women than Eve wanted to imagine. It

had certainly worked on her, once upon a time. After turning down

Jac’s last dinner invitation, Eve knew that Jac saw this evening as a

second chance.

Jac said dinner was at five thirty, which meant she’d decided to

leave work early to prepare their meal. She didn’t doubt that Jac wanted

to make sure they were together well before dark, but she suspected

that Jac was also just plain excited about finally getting Eve over to

her place again. Still, Eve wouldn’t complain about the early meal. She

didn’t particularly want to be out late anyway. Tonight was the full

moon, and though Eve wasn’t superstitious, she recognized that the

lunar cycle sometimes played into the patterns of psychopaths. The first

murder had been committed the night of the previous full moon.

Eve left the lab early and was at Jac’s door ten minutes before she

was due. She intended to spend the night discussing the case, so along

with a bottle of wine, she carried a stack of forensic reports. Poring

over case files would be the best use of their time together and would

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• 139 •

keep things professional, which was exactly where Eve wanted their

relationship to stay.

Jac answered the door wearing an apron and a brilliant smile.

“Hey. Fajitas will be ready in about five minutes.”

“Great.” Awkwardly, Eve offered her the bottle cradled against her

side. Bringing wine had seemed like the thing to do until the moment

she smelled Jac’s cologne and saw that Jac was wearing the purple shirt

that had always turned Eve on when they were together. Apparently Jac

had decided to be blatant about being in full seduction mode. Alcohol

really didn’t need to be introduced into the mix, but it was a bit late for

that now. “I brought the forensic reports on our two victims. I figured

we’d comb through them to see what we’ve missed.”

Jac ushered Eve inside. “Of course. But let’s eat first, have a glass

of wine. Unwind a little.” She looked Eve up and down, then kissed her

cheek. “You look lovely.”

Eve stiffened. “This isn’t a date, Jac.”

“I know that.” Glancing at the bottle’s label, Jac whistled. “My

favorite.”

“It’s a thank-you for giving up your evening to babysit me.” Eve

followed Jac to the kitchen. She stood at the counter as Jac set the wine

down, then checked her sizzling skillet of peppers and onions. “I hate

knowing I messed up your plans.”

Jac shook her head. “No plans. There’s no place I’d rather be. And

no one I’d rather be with.”

Sometimes Jac was wholly exasperating. Nine months ago Eve

would have taken this about-face differently. Not that she would have

necessarily forgiven Jac, because her betrayal had cut so deep, but at

least then it would have vindicated her belief that they really had been

in love. It would have proved that she hadn’t been crazy to believe their

relationship was working right up until the moment she discovered Jac

in bed with another woman. But coming as it did now, after Selene

had entered the picture, Eve just felt like Jac was desperate to reclaim

something Selene had rightfully won. And that made her angry.

All she could do was keep things friendly and courteous, and

dissuade Jac from crossing the line Eve had clearly asked her to

maintain. “Smells delicious.”

“I haven’t made them in a while.” Jac shrugged as she stirred.

“I’ve missed having my most appreciative audience around.”

Eve forced a noncommittal hum, picking up a case file and flipping

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Meghan O’BrIen

it open. “You know, I’ve been thinking about the lack of hair and fiber

evidence at the scenes. What if—”

Jac raised her wooden spoon into the air. “I mean it. No talking

shop until after dinner. Then you can knock yourself out.”

“Fine.” Eve tossed the file on the counter and sighed. Then

she walked to the bottle of wine and snatched it up. “Where’s your

corkscrew?”

“Drawer next to the sink.”

Eve found it and removed the cork from the bottle, filling two

wineglasses halfway. She set one next to Jac, then stepped away, out of

reach. Leaning against the door frame, she took a sip and watched Jac

finish her masterpiece. Her fajitas really were the stuff of legend. In the

past, Eve had considered them an aphrodisiac, and Jac knew it.

“So how are things with Selene?” Mouth frozen in insincere cheer,

Jac managed to keep her voice light. “Still head over heels?”

“Don’t,” Eve murmured. “Please.”

“What?” Jac tried to sound innocent, but Eve knew better. “I’m

just trying to make conversation. Be friendly.” She didn’t meet Eve’s

eyes as she poured the vegetables onto a platter. “You ask her about that

anonymous phone call yet?”

“She doesn’t know anything, Jac.”

“Is that what she said?”

Eve took another sip of wine. Truthfully, she had no idea why she

hadn’t questioned Selene. She’d been ready to do so the night of their

intensely passionate lovemaking, but every time Selene touched her,

Eve lost all desire to rock the boat. Partially because she couldn’t bear

the thought of finding out that Selene had been keeping secrets, but also

because her gut told her that Selene would never betray her. She had

all but given up on her gut after Jac and hated to imagine it might fail

her again.

There was no way to make Jac understand without sounding naïve.

“Jac—”

“I’m just asking. Did she tell you she didn’t know anything?”

Coming over tonight had probably been a mistake. But walking

out and going home—or even to a hotel—wasn’t particularly appealing.

And it would mean breaking her promise to Selene. Eve had sworn she

would stay with Jac until Selene returned, no matter how awkward the

situation might be. “She didn’t have to. Believe me, if Selene knew

anything that might help us catch the guy, she’d tell me. I know she

would.”

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• 141 •

“Because she loves you?” Eve could hear the resentment in Jac’s

tone.“Yes,” Eve said simply. “Think what you will about Selene, but

our feelings for one another are real. I don’t know how to explain it to

you. It’s surprised me as much as anyone. But there it is. You have to

trust me.”

“It isn’t you I don’t trust.”

“I know.” Eve didn’t bother to disguise her irritation, hopeful

that Jac would back down if she sensed that her show of jealousy was

about to ruin her perfectly choreographed evening. “Let’s drop it now,

okay?”

“Okay.” Jac handed her the platter of fajitas and the bottle of wine.

“Would you carry these to the table? I’ll be right behind you.”

“Sure.” Grateful to escape the confined space of the kitchen,

Eve heard her stomach growl at the incredible sight of the meal Jac

had prepared. For all her faults, Jac really knew how to express love

through her food. And judging by the spread in front of her, Jac was full

of love tonight.

Jac sat next to Eve at the table, gesturing at the tortilla holder in

the center. “Don’t be shy. Dig in.”

“Thank you.” Eve spared Jac a genuine expression of gratitude as

she filled her plate. “I’m starving.”

“Good, because I probably went a bit overboard. I hope you’re

ready to take home some leftovers.”

“Always.”

Jac ate in silence, dragging her gaze over Eve’s body without

visibly reacting. When she spoke a moment later, her voice came out

husky. “You’re really looking good, Eve. I mean it. I’m guessing it’s

being in love, but you look different than I’ve ever seen you. So…

vibrant. Alive.”

“Ironic, considering I’m marked for death.” As much as she tried

not to let her mind go there, fear had become Eve’s constant companion.

Even more so when she wasn’t in Selene’s calming presence. But she

didn’t doubt that Jac was right—being in love and sexually confident

for the first time in her life, Eve felt like a new woman. Despite the

terror this stalker had brought into her life, she felt freer than ever. She

wasn’t surprised that Jac could see it, too. “Thank you, though. Besides

the obsessed-psychopath thing, I’m doing well.”

“Clearly.” Jac stared at her with an intensity that quickened Eve’s

heartbeat. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, you know. So

• 142 •

Meghan O’BrIen

as far as being marked for death, forget about it. This is some scary shit,

for sure, but it’ll end well. And soon.”

“I know.” Eve managed to sound braver than she felt. At the

moment they had an almost total lack of physical evidence, no solid

witnesses, and not even a weak lead. Still, Jac would do everything

possible to catch the guy. “Doesn’t stop me from worrying, though.”

“I get it. But just know that I can’t live without you. I refuse to.

That bastard will not hurt you again.” Suddenly sober, Jac spoke in an

intense tone that sent a shiver through Eve. Regardless of her feelings

for Selene, Eve wasn’t immune to Jac’s desire. Cheater or no, Jac had

once been the center of her world. Hearing genuine love in her voice

still made Eve’s heart beat faster. “Hurting you was the worst thing

I ever did. I’ll spend every day of my life atoning, if that’s what it

takes.”

Eve swallowed a mouthful of food, then set down her fajita.

“Jac—”

“Maybe it’s unfair of me to say these things now that you’re with

Selene.” Jac took a large sip of wine, as though bolstering her courage.

“I made some terrible mistakes, I know, but you can’t deny that we still

have something special. Something that could be fixed, if you’d forgive

me.” “I do forgive you,” Eve said. “But forgiving you isn’t the same as

wanting to be with you.”

Hurt flashed across Jac’s face, but she hid it quickly. “I deserve

that. I know I do.” She took another long sip, then set down her glass

with an easy chuckle. “But I can be persistent, and patient.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

Jac looked as though she was trying to decide whether to say

something more, but simply cleared her throat. “Ready for dessert?”

Stuffed from the fajitas, Eve doubted she had room for more.

“Seriously?”

“Chocolate mousse.”

Oh, that was low. Eve scowled at Jac. “Bringing out the big guns,

are you?”

Jac grinned cheekily. “What, you like chocolate mousse?”

“Hmmph.” Eve stood and started gathering their dirty dishes.

“You know I do.”

Grabbing her own handful of dishes, Jac followed Eve to the

kitchen. “I know a lot of things about you. Very important things.”

Eve couldn’t deny that was true. “Then you should know that

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• 143 •

you’re not getting me into bed tonight, no matter how much you turn

on the charm.” She scraped the remnants of her dinner into the garbage,

then set her plate in the sink. “You should also know—”

Before she could tell Jac that it would take more than chocolate

mousse to get her to cheat on Selene, Jac turned her around and pushed

her against the counter, crushing their mouths together in a hungry

kiss. Stunned, Eve grabbed onto Jac’s biceps, intending to push her

away. But she hesitated, the safe familiarity of Jac’s mouth on hers

overwhelming her. Dimly aware that kissing back made her refusals not

only weak but also empty, Eve couldn’t help but briefly sample Jac’s

mouth before turning her face to the side with a gasp.

“I said no.” Eve’s legs seemed to melt beneath her. “Stop.”

Immediately Jac backed off. “I’m sorry.”

“Goddamn it, Jac.” Eve touched her lips with her fingertips, unable

to believe what had just happened. She hadn’t meant to hesitate before

pulling away and hoped Jac hadn’t noticed. “I don’t think I was unclear.

This—us—isn’t going to happen. I’m not coming back to you. You had

your chance and you blew it. It’s time to accept that and move on. I

have—and it wasn’t easy. Don’t make it even harder now.”

“I’m not trying to hurt you.” Jac walked backward, folding her

arms over her chest. She couldn’t quite meet Eve’s eyes. “And you’re

right, that was out of line. I’m sorry. I just…I know you’re in love with

her. I know that. This isn’t about being jealous. It’s about really and

truly realizing what I did to you, what I lost, and wanting desperately to

believe that I might get another chance.”

“You’re not getting another chance,” Eve whispered. “Especially

because you’re making me not want to be around you.”

Jac clenched her jaw. “Do you want to go listen to the recording

of our Golden Gate Park murder tip? Let’s do that right now. I’ve got

it on my laptop.”

Heart pounding, Eve tightened her fists at her sides. “And what do

you think that’ll accomplish? I’m going to hear a voice that sounds like

Selene and decide to fall into bed with you?”

“No. But at least you’ll have all the necessary information before

you start making choices.”

“I have all the information that I need, to know I don’t want to

be with you anymore.” Eve edged around Jac, escaping the kitchen

on shaky legs. “And you’re really making me regret coming over here

tonight.”

“Come on, Eve. It’s not like you have a choice.” Jac didn’t even

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Meghan O’BrIen

bother to hide her frustration as she followed Eve back into the living

room. “If Selene and I don’t agree on anything else, it’s that you will

not be alone while that monster is still out there.”

Whirling to face Jac, Eve fought not to raise her voice. On the

heels of that kiss, hearing Jac invoke Selene’s name bordered on

offensive. “I doubt this is what Selene had in mind.”

“Probably not.”

“So I’m a captive audience, then? Is that it?” Eve’s throat tightened

at the memory of Jac crushing their mouths and bodies together. “You

think you can ambush me?”

“I just want to protect you. That includes making sure you know

the truth about the woman you’ve fallen in love with. Even if it hurts

your feelings.” Jac puffed up her chest, challenging. “You can’t tell me

that kiss was entirely unwelcome. I know there’s some part of you that

isn’t sure about Selene, that misses me.”

“I’m not a cheater,” Eve said coldly. “You took me by surprise.

But I would never do to Selene what you did to me.” The thought made

Eve tremble. She could think of nothing worse than betraying Selene’s

trust like Jac had once betrayed hers. That Jac was the one who put her

in this position enraged Eve. “And I don’t care what you or Selene say.

I do have a choice about being here, and I’m choosing to leave. Right

now.”Alarm flashed in Jac’s eyes. “No. You’re right, I shouldn’t have

said that. That was unfair. I promise to drop it for the rest of the night.

But you’re not going anywhere.”

“Goddamn you, Jac.” Eve walked to the door, grabbing her coat

from the hook in the entryway. “Yes, I am. I’m going outside to tell

my friends from the department that I’m getting a hotel room tonight.

I have no doubt they’ll keep me perfectly safe without hitting on me.”

She buttoned her coat with trembling hands. “I don’t need you. Not to

protect me, or to tell me whom I should date. I don’t even need you as

a friend, if you’re going to put me in the awkward position of having to

constantly push you away.”

Jac grabbed Eve’s wrist, stopping her from turning the doorknob.

“I said I was sorry. Please don’t go.”

Eve shivered under Jac’s touch. Guilt turned her stomach at the

memory of kissing back, even for an instant. She couldn’t stay with Jac

tonight. She couldn’t even imagine waiting until tomorrow to confess

what happened to Selene. Selene was probably already on her way out

of town, but if she hadn’t left yet, Eve had to go see her. To clear her

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• 145 •

conscience. To reassure herself that she hadn’t just royally screwed

things up.

Eve yanked her wrist away and opened the door. “Thanks for

dinner, Jac. I’ll see you later.” She hurried out of the apartment, rushing

down the hallway before Jac could try to convince her to stay.

She had to see Selene—and apologize.

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Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty

Selene gritted her teeth as she walked to her front door, waves

of pleasure rippling through her body from the simple friction

of her silk robe brushing her naked skin. She hadn’t expected the new

escort to arrive for another fifteen minutes, but was thrilled by her

punctuality. This month’s impending transformation was already more

intense than the last, even without the perigee moon, and Selene knew

it had everything to do with Eve.

Consumed by Eve’s lingering scent on the furniture around her, by

the memory of the last time she touched Eve’s skin, Selene could think

of nothing but her desire to fuck Eve hard and fast, to make her scream

out shuddering release. More than once today she had orgasmed simply

by thinking of what she would do to Eve if they were together. It was

probably better for Eve they weren’t.

Now that she had a mate, the sexual frenzy the moon sparked

within Selene burned so hot it left her barely able to hold on to conscious

thought. She had no idea how she would restrain herself if Eve were

near. As it was, it would surely take everything she had to explain her

ritual to the new girl—even more not to seem like a complete lunatic

while doing so. Selene hoped the escort’s early arrival boded well for her

ability to follow instructions and tie rope tighter than her predecessor.

Selene opened the door, then went very still. For a few breathless

moments she hoped she was seeing things, that her sex-clouded mind

was tricking her into imagining Eve standing there on her porch looking

delicious enough to devour.

“Oh, good. I thought you would have already left.” Eve’s eyes

shone with emotion even as she flitted her gaze over the length of

Selene’s body. “Were you about to take a shower?”

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• 147 •

Bracing a hand against the door frame, Selene gritted her teeth

and tried to hold herself together. Answering the door in a robe had to

seem strange when Eve believed she should be on her way out of town

already. The least she could do was try to act normal.

Working against her was not only the maddening influence of

the moon but also the knowledge that her escort was due to arrive

any moment. Selene struggled to focus on the task at hand—it was

absolutely necessary to make Eve leave before she got caught in a lie.

But her body didn’t want Eve to go. The satisfaction she craved was

right in front of her, staring at her with troubled eyes. Selene felt a

myriad of emotions pouring off Eve, chief among them guilt. Dimly,

Selene wondered what could have happened to bring Eve here when

she knew Selene wasn’t supposed to be home.

“I was just getting ready to go.” Cursing the breathiness of her

voice, Selene tried to affect a casual air. “What are you doing here?

You’re supposed to be at Jac’s.”

“I couldn’t stay.” The guilt that flowed from Eve intensified, but

instead of dampening Selene’s arousal, it only inflamed her more. Right

now every bit of Eve’s emotion served as kindling for the fire of her

lust, stoking the flames to dangerous heights. “She kissed me, Selene.

I didn’t want her to and I told her nothing could happen between us,

but…” Swallowing, Eve could no longer seem to meet her eyes. “I

know you wanted me to stay with her tonight, but I can’t. And I’m so

sorry to just drop in like this when you’re on your way out of town. I

needed to tell you what happened…and apologize.”

Selene exhaled through her nose. Her heart pumped alarmingly

hard, every beat thrumming in her pussy and making it more and more

difficult to function. The idea that Jac would touch her Eve unleashed

a flood of jealous need, stretching her control to the breaking point.

The easiest way to make Eve leave would probably be to accuse her of

cheating and send her away, but Selene couldn’t do that. Not even to

protect her secret. With effort, Selene bared her teeth in a tense smile.

“No need to apologize, darling. I trust you. Is there somewhere else

you can go tonight?” Selene concentrated on moderating her breathing,

trying to ignore the scent of Jac she now picked up on Eve’s skin. The

visceral reminder of Jac’s transgression made it all but impossible to

resist pulling Eve inside and staking her claim. “I hate to turn you away,

but I’m already running late…”

“Of course,” Eve murmured, face falling. “I’m sorry to have

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Meghan O’BrIen

bothered you. I probably shouldn’t have come—” She turned slightly

and her shirt pulled tight across her breasts, snapping the last thread of

Selene’s control.

Growling, Selene caught Eve’s arm in a forceful grasp and pulled

her forward, inside the house, then slammed her up against the wall next

to the door. She attacked Eve’s mouth with vicious passion, crushing

their lips together in a hard kiss. Eve gasped beneath her, then clutched

at Selene’s shoulders, giving off a jolt of shocked pleasure that made

Selene climax violently against her. Tearing her mouth away, Selene

turned her face to the side and closed her eyes without retreating.

“You’re mine,” Selene choked out. She buried her face in Eve’s

hair and inhaled deeply, quaking as an aftershock rolled through her

body. Rather than sate her need, each orgasm only cranked it up higher.

“But you need to go, Eve. Right now.”

Eve curled a hand around the back of Selene’s neck, holding her

close. She couldn’t have moved even if she’d wanted to, pinned in place

by Selene’s heavy bulk. But it didn’t seem like getting away was on her

agenda. “If you’ve got five minutes, we could say good-bye properly.”

Too weak to resist, Selene shivered. The smell of Eve’s wetness

saturated the air between them, wiping every bit of rational thought

from Selene’s mind. The longer she let Eve stay, the greater the chance

of getting caught. But her body simply wouldn’t obey her mind. She

couldn’t send Eve away when every cell of her being screamed with

the need to take her.

“Goddamn it,” Selene groaned. She reached between their bodies

and yanked open the button on Eve’s pants, tearing down her zipper,

then plunging her hand into the front of Eve’s panties. She found silky

hairs, then slick folds with her fingers, too desperate to sink into Eve’s

tight opening to bother with being gentle.

“Selene—” Eve squeezed her shoulders and cried out when Selene

thrust up inside her. “Oh, fuck.”

“Am I hurting you?” Selene gasped. She hoped like hell that she

wasn’t because she didn’t know how to stop.

“No.” Eve set her feet apart and clung to Selene like her life

depended on it. “Fuck me, baby. Take me.”

The front door stood open beside them, and though nobody could

see them from the street, Selene knew anyone passing by would hear

the sounds of their frenzied joining. Stunned that Eve would allow such

an exhibition, the thought of Eve that far beyond self-consciousness

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• 149 •

only made Selene hungry for more. Harder. Faster. She drove her

fingers into Eve over and over again, as deeply as they would go in

this awkward position, and used her thumb to rub harsh circles over

Eve’s swollen clit. When Eve stiffened beneath her, right on the edge

of orgasm, Selene bent to Eve’s neck and bit down roughly, sucking the

tender flesh into her mouth hard enough to leave a mark.

Selene’s eyes were tightly closed, but she saw Eve’s release as a

fiery burst of yellow light behind her eyelids. Her pleasure exploded

into Selene’s body, triggering an orgasm in Selene that seemed to send

Eve tumbling over again just as her first climax subsided. Every orgasm

Eve endured touched off another in Selene, no less intense than the

one before, and every time Selene came Eve tipped her head back to

start the process again. Selene had no idea how long they stood there

holding one another up as they rode out their feedback loop of pleasure,

but the only thing that brought Selene down was the sound of a throat

clearing beside them.

Full moon or not, Selene sobered in an instant. Her call girl had

arrived.

v

Eve didn’t know what hit her. One moment she was standing on

Selene’s porch thinking she shouldn’t have dropped in, then suddenly

Selene had her crushed against the wall inside the apartment—next to

the open door—taking her hard and fast, making her love every second

of it. Like a woman possessed, Selene seemed to be acting out of sheer

passion, and Eve doubted she realized just how rough her hands were,

how sharp her teeth. Every bit of pain Selene inflicted instantly turned

into white-hot pleasure. There wasn’t one moment during their frenzied

coupling when Eve didn’t want exactly what Selene was giving her.

Just as quickly as Selene exploded into frantic need, she froze

with what felt like silent fear. Yanked out of their incredible mutual

orgasm by Selene’s wild-eyed look of terrified guilt, Eve struggled to

catch her breath even as she contracted weakly around the fingers still

buried deep inside her pussy. When Selene’s attention shifted to the

door beside them, Eve turned her head and noticed a beautiful blonde

standing not three feet away.

“Oh.” Eve grabbed Selene’s arm and tugged, mortified that

the woman had no doubt witnessed the conclusion of their mindless

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Meghan O’BrIen

fucking. Selene pulled her fingers from Eve quickly, without a trace

of tenderness. Wincing, Eve buttoned her pants with shaking hands as

Selene stared at the blonde as though she were seeing a ghost.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the stranger said lightly. “I’m here for my

seven o’clock with Selene?”

The stricken look on Selene’s face sent hot, gut-wrenching pain

shooting through Eve. She wore an expression of pure, panicked

shame—of disbelief at knowing she had just been caught. Jac had once

given her the same look after Eve caught her going down on another

woman in their bed. Eve shifted her attention from Selene to the blonde

in the doorway, trying to understand what this meant.

“She’s Selene,” Eve said thickly, pointing at her lover.

Selene opened then closed her mouth. Her eyes were unfocused

and Eve suddenly realized just how out of it she seemed. When Selene

had first answered the door, Eve had sensed something was off, but

chalked it up to simple confusion over the fact that she wasn’t where

Selene had expected her to be. Now she realized that Selene had

probably been anxious about her visit because she knew the blonde

was due for their appointment.

So who was she? And why had Selene pulled Eve inside for a

quickie if she was expecting someone she clearly didn’t want her to

meet?“I’m sorry.” The blonde shifted uncomfortably, looking between

Eve and Selene like she suddenly realized just how volatile this situation

could become. “Is this a bad time?”

Eve waited to hear what Selene would say. Alarm flashed across

Selene’s face. “No. Not a bad time. Why don’t you wait for me in the

living room?” She shifted her attention back to Eve. “I’ll walk you to

your car.”

When Selene reached for her arm, Eve jerked away sharply. “No,

I think you owe me an explanation.”

Glancing at the blonde, Selene gestured toward the living room

with a visibly shaking hand. “It’s just in there.”

“Great.” The blonde chanced one last apologetic look at Eve.

“Sorry.”

Eve had never wanted to punch someone so badly in her life. She

glared at the blonde’s back as she walked inside, only returning her

focus to Selene when the woman disappeared from view. “You’re not

really going out of town. Are you?”

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• 151 •

Sweat dripped from Selene’s forehead and her breathing emerged

in heaving gasps. “Eve, you need to leave. I can explain later.”

Selene might as well have plunged a knife into her chest. It

couldn’t have hurt nearly as bad. “I don’t want you to explain later.”

Pushing away from the wall, Eve limped out the front door. Until that

moment she didn’t realize how sore her pussy was. Tears stung her

eyes and she gritted her teeth in an effort not to react. Not because

of the pain, but because what should have been the reminder of wild,

uninhibited lovemaking now felt like the aftermath of a lie. “You don’t

need to explain. It’s written all over your face.”

Selene followed her out the door. “I did hurt you.” She grabbed

Eve’s wrist, and even that simple touch ignited fierce need and longing

within her that left her infuriated. With a connection like theirs, why

did Selene need to screw someone else? Selene let out a strangled

groan and instantly pulled back her hand as though she’d been burned.

“Wait.”

Disgusted, Eve whirled around and put out a hand to stop Selene

from touching her again. “I thought you wanted me to go.”

Tears streamed from Selene’s eyes. “I do,” she whispered, “but

not for the reason you think.”

“Not because you’re going in there to fuck that woman?” Eve

never thought Selene would do this to her. Not after everything they’d

experienced together. Not when Eve had made herself more vulnerable

with her than anyone. “Tell me why you really want me to leave,

then.”Selene opened her mouth but no sound came out. Rivulets of sweat

tracked down her face, and she couldn’t seem to stand still. Eve sensed

confusion in amongst the guilt and fear, and had a sudden, sickening

thought.

“Are you on drugs?” Scanning Selene’s face, Eve now saw that

something was quite definitely not right. “Or sick?” She glanced over

Selene’s shoulder, inside her apartment. Was it possible the woman was

there for some other reason? It sounded like they had an appointment.

What if Selene was hiding a health problem, not sleeping with another

woman? Determined not to let her history with Jac prevent her from

giving Selene the benefit of the doubt, Eve forced herself to see the

situation clearly. “Tell me what’s going on, Selene. So I don’t think the

worst.”

“I’m not having sex with her.” Jaw clenched, Selene seemed

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Meghan O’BrIen

caught between desperation and reticence. “That’s all I can tell you. I

need you to trust me.”

After Selene had lied about going out of town, Eve didn’t know

how to offer that level of blind trust. “How? How can I trust you when

you lied to me, when I can see you’re scared out of your mind and

obviously full of guilt?”

“Because you know me. I’m not Jac.”

Eve didn’t know what to believe anymore. All of a sudden she

wanted to ask about that anonymous phone tip just as badly as Jac

wanted her to. “Did you report that body in Golden Gate Park to the

police?”

Selene’s face drained of color. “What?”

“Jac says it’s you on the recording of that call. She wanted me to

listen to it, but I refused to believe that you’d keep something like that

from me.” Folding her arms over her chest, Eve said, “But obviously I

don’t know you. At least not as well as I thought I did.”

“Eve—”

“Did you make that call? Just tell me. The truth.”

Selene looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, then stared at Eve

with haunted eyes. “Yes.”

Eve’s insides turned to ice. Yesterday she would have sworn she

understood Selene’s heart. Now she didn’t understand anything. “Who

is that woman in your living room?”

Wincing, Selene brought a hand to her head and clenched her teeth.

Eve watched warily, unsure how to interpret the histrionics. Nothing

about what was happening made sense. How could she have been so

wrong about someone? Eve had come to trust Selene more than she’d

ever trusted anyone, at a time when her life was filled with fear and

uncertainty. That didn’t just happen without a reason. Did it?

Tears poured from Selene’s eyes. Every word she said seemed

torn out of her, as though she didn’t want to let them go. “Get out of

here, Eve. We’re done for tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Don’t bother,” Eve said, as surprised by the cold, angry words

as Selene appeared to be. Ten minutes ago she’d thought Selene was

the love of her life. Now she felt like she was looking at a stranger, one

who cared more about keeping a secret than saving their relationship.

“You’re right. We’re done.”

Selene’s face dissolved into anguish so painful that Eve felt it,

too, deep in her chest. It hollowed her out, made it hard to breathe. She

turned her back on Selene, but that didn’t diminish her heartbreak.

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• 153 •

“Be careful, Eve.” Selene’s voice cracked with emotion. “Please.

Go back to Jac. Be safe tonight.”

Eve didn’t know where she’d go. She glanced across the street,

where she saw the car with her protective detail parked. The detectives

were watching the scene but turned their attention away quickly when

Eve stared them down. How long would it take Jac to hear about this?

“Eve—”

“Good-bye, Selene.” Each step away from Selene took effort. But

as Eve walked the ache in her chest diminished slightly, so she picked

up her pace until she was nearly jogging to her car. Once she got to the

driver’s side door she threw it open and dove inside, starting the engine

and pulling into the street as quickly as she could.

She didn’t know where she was going. She just had to get away.

• 154 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty-One

Selene staggered back into her house after Eve sped off, forcing

her mind to the task at hand. She could fall apart about what

had just happened later. Right now she had a call girl to instruct, and

time was running out. The transformation was itching at her skin.

Another forty-five minutes and she would be completely out of her

mind from the moon. If the blonde didn’t leave before then, Selene

would have even more to worry about than breaking Eve’s heart.

The blonde stood up as Selene stumbled into the living room. She

looked Selene up and down with uneasy eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Selene gritted her teeth and gestured toward her guest

room. “Shall we?”

Clearly uncertain what to think of her, the escort offered her hand.

“I’m Dani.”

Bracing herself for the inevitable, Selene shook Dani’s hand,

suppressing a groan at her body’s reaction to the tactile stimulation.

“Lovely to meet you.” She withdrew quickly. “We need to hurry. I’m

on a schedule and we’re already running late.”

Dani followed her into the guest room. Like her predecessor, she

didn’t react visibly to the steel table bolted to the floor. Her eyes were

glued to Selene’s face. “I’m sorry if I caused any trouble between you

and your friend back there. If you’d like to reschedule, I completely

understand.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Selene tugged on the belt of her robe,

pushing the flimsy garment off her shoulders and onto the ground.

“Listen, what I need is very simple, but it’s important you do exactly

as I tell you.”

It took every ounce of Selene’s concentration to get through her

bullshit speech about how she liked to be lashed to a table so tight she

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• 155 •

could barely breathe. Because she liked feeling powerless. Right. She

felt powerless every day, and she was sick and tired of it.

Dani listened carefully to every word, never betraying any

reaction at all, then tied her as tight as anyone had ever dared. By the

time Selene was immobilized on the table, she could no longer speak.

Mixed in with all the lust and power she felt just shy of her shift was the

terrible memory of watching Eve limp away in tears.

Selene was glad Dani wasn’t afraid to take things to the extreme.

If Selene escaped tonight, her grieving, enraged beast-self could do

anything, to anyone. One of her last coherent thoughts as Dani tied the

final knot was that she would be sure to tip her well, and ask for her

again.“Eight o’clock tomorrow morning?” Dani walked to the guest

room door, tossing the spare set of house keys in her hand. “I’ll see you

then, okay?”

Selene grunted in the affirmative. Speaking required too much

effort, took more conscious thought than she could summon.

“You have a good night, Selene. I hope you get what you want out

of this.”

Selene waited until she heard her front door shut before she choked

out the sobs that tore at her insides. What she wanted was already gone.

Tipping back her head, she howled in pain.

It was going to be a long, dark night.

v

Selene came awake with a strangled gasp. She tried to sit up, but

the rope and steel around her limbs kept her prone on the steel table.

Exhaling shakily, she let her head drop back. She’d made it through

another transformation safe and secure. After a moment she lifted her

head and surveyed the length of her body. The rope was frayed and

nearly torn through in places. But it had held.

She’d forgotten how damn good it was to survive another full moon

knowing she hadn’t hurt anyone, herself included. But any relief she

felt was short-lived. As she struggled to remember the events leading

up to the loss of human consciousness, terrible, fragmented memories

assaulted her. Opening the door to find Eve on her front porch. Fucking

her hard, so hard she’d limped away in pain. The angry red bite imprint

on Eve’s neck where Selene had marked her. Worst of all, the betrayal

in Eve’s eyes when she realized Selene had never planned to leave

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Meghan O’BrIen

town. When the call girl—whose name Selene couldn’t remember—

had arrived.

“Shit,” Selene whispered brokenly. She craned her neck, glancing

at the clock she had mounted near the door. The escort wasn’t due

back for another two hours, so she had plenty of time to relive every

agonizing moment from the night before. In less than fifteen minutes,

she guessed, she’d managed to destroy the one thing she held most

dear. It almost made her success at staying contained seem not to matter

at all.Selene closed her eyes. Though Eve’s presence during her moon-

frenzy had thrown her already-clouded mind into overdrive, she could

still remember how good it felt when they climaxed together. How

awful it was to watch Eve jump into her car and speed away. Tears

poured down Selene’s face, soaking her hair. She couldn’t fix what had

happened, not without telling Eve the truth. Even that was far from

a foolproof plan—Eve would quite possibly freak out. Who wanted

to hear that her girlfriend was a shape-shifter whose monthly cycle

involved becoming a vicious beast with no human conscience?

By the time Selene heard the faint sound of her front door opening

then closing, she thought she was all cried out. Her tears had run dry

at least a half hour ago, partially because her eyes were too sore to

keep producing them. Wishing she could fix her face before the escort

opened the guest room door, Selene just took a deep breath and prepared

to act as normal as a woman who liked getting tied to steel tables could

possibly hope to seem.

The guest room door opened and an attractive blonde strolled

inside. “Rise and shine, darling.”

Selene mustered a weak nod. “Hey. Uh…”

“Dani.” She gave Selene a sunny grin, immediately going to work

untying the ropes. “Well, you seem like you’re feeling better today.”

Selene could only imagine how she must have seemed to Dani last

night. Between the moon and her encounter with Eve, Selene had no

doubt that she’d come across as either sick or crazy. Maybe both. “Yes,

thank you.”

“Still pretty broken up about what happened with your friend,

though.” Dani met her eyes cautiously before returning her attention to

the restraints. “If I’m overstepping, feel free to tell me.”

Selene considered telling Dani to mind her own business for only

an instant before discarding the notion. She paid good money for these

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• 157 •

escorts without asking for much at all—a sympathetic ear actually

didn’t sound half-bad right now. “She wasn’t supposed to know about

you.”“Yeah, I gathered that.” Dani freed one of Selene’s wrists. “I’m

sorry.”

“Not your fault.” As soon as Dani released her other wrist, Selene

sat up and rubbed her hands together, getting her blood moving again.

“I should never have invited her inside. I knew you’d be here any

minute.” She couldn’t possibly explain what a slave to the moon she’d

been, how she could have had such an incredible lapse in judgment. So

she just shrugged. “I made a mistake.”

Dani glanced up as she untied Selene’s ankle. “She your

girlfriend?”

“Was my girlfriend.” Selene’s chest ached from the finality of the

statement, but she didn’t doubt it was true. “Yeah.”

“It’s over?”

Selene’s chin trembled. Apparently she hadn’t run out of tears to

spill, after all. “I think so, yeah.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” Dani raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m

pretty sure I interrupted some of the hottest sex I’ve ever seen.”

Selene nodded, then dissolved into a fresh round of sobs. Mortified

that she was breaking down in front of a stranger, she covered her eyes

with her hands and willed herself to pull it together. She’d known from

the start that this would happen someday. Lying to Eve every month

would never have worked, but that didn’t lessen her heartache. If

anything, it made it worse.

“Hey.” The restraint around Selene’s other ankle opened, then

Dani’s arms were around her naked, shivering body, gathering her into

a warm embrace. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Every instinct Selene had screamed at her to pull away, to send

Dani home and keep any further details of her personal life to herself,

just as she’d always done. Not that her instincts were always correct,

clearly. Selene really wanted to cuddle into Dani and let her try to ease

the gut-churning pain of knowing she’d destroyed the love of her life.

“I screwed up.” Selene’s shoulders shook, and Dani squeezed her

even tighter. “She was the one. She was it. And I…I lied to her. She

thought she knew who I was—I told her she knew who I was—but I’ve

been lying to her this whole time.”

Dani stroked Selene’s hair as though comforting a weeping child.

“May I ask you a question?”

• 158 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Selene had nothing left to lose. “Sure.”

“You like being tied up, right? Feeling out of control?” Dani drew

back and searched Selene’s face. “Does she know that?”

Selene wished it were as easy as having the courage to share

unusual sexual tastes. “No.”

“You don’t think she’d accept you?”

“No, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t.” Embarrassed, Selene eased

out of Dani’s arms and crossed the room to slip on her robe. “It’s more

complicated than it seems.”

“I’m sure it is.” Dani sat on the edge of the table, staring at her

thoughtfully. “But if she really is the one, don’t you think she’d accept

you no matter what? I mean, I hate to break it to you, but you’re hardly

the kinkiest freak I’ve ever met.” Chuckling, Dani ran a hand over the

edge of the table. “In fact, this is relatively tame. Hell, you’re not even

asking for sex. Just restraint.”

Selene shook her head. She couldn’t explain this without spilling

her deepest secrets. If she couldn’t tell Eve, she certainly wasn’t telling

Dani. “You just have to trust me on this. I don’t think Eve would

understand. If she knew about me—everything I’ve been hiding—she’d

run away screaming.”

“Kind of like she did last night?” Dani shrugged. “Look, you don’t

know me. God knows I don’t have all the answers. But it doesn’t make

much sense from where I’m standing—lying to someone for fear of

losing them, only to lose her anyway because of the lies. If you tell the

truth, maybe she will leave you. I don’t know. But maybe she won’t.

This way, you never even gave her a chance to prove you wrong.”

It wasn’t that simple, of course, but Dani’s words tugged at

Selene’s gut. Would Eve have really exposed her if Selene had revealed

her secret? Possibly, but somehow Selene couldn’t imagine it. Would

Eve have ended their relationship? Quite likely. But would Selene have

felt any worse about it than she did right now? At least that way it

would have been Eve making a choice instead of Selene violating her

trust. If she truly loved Eve, she should have given her the opportunity

to make that choice. Even at the risk of her own freedom.

Selene shook her head. “It’s too late now.”

“Is it?”

Exhausted from her difficult night, Selene didn’t have the

energy to even consider the possibility that their relationship could

be salvaged. She couldn’t decide whether to tell Eve the truth without

thinking seriously about the matter and considering all the possible

WILD

• 159 •

consequences. She would need to do that alone. Selene gestured for

Dani to follow her into the living room. “Let me get you the rest of

your payment.”

Taking the hint, Dani didn’t say anything until Selene withdrew

a stack of bills and handed them over. Dani tucked the money into her

pocket with a grateful nod. “You take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will. See you next month?”

Dani gave Selene a sad smile. “It’s a date.”

Selene walked her to the door and saw her off, keeping a stoic

face. But the minute she closed the door she crumpled, totally and

utterly lost. For years she’d been alone, never talking to anyone except

her freelance clients and assorted call girls, yet she’d never felt as

desolate then as she did now. Eve had given her a taste of something

truly extraordinary, and now that it was gone, she felt as though her soul

had been ripped from her body, leaving behind an empty shell.

All at once fear stabbed deep in Selene’s gut. She had no idea

where Eve had gone last night after leaving her place in tears. Back to

Jac? Or had she returned home, alone and vulnerable? Selene closed

her eyes and concentrated on reaching out with her mind, desperate

to feel the gossamer pull of Eve’s emotion that was usually within her

grasp even when they were miles apart.

The good news was that she felt something, which had to mean

that Eve was alive out there somewhere, hopefully safe from harm.

Unfortunately, all Selene could read from her was pain, so thick and

deep it threatened to choke Selene with its intensity. She couldn’t

determine what the source of that pain was. Selene suspected—hell,

almost hoped—that it was because of her, not because she’d fallen prey

to her stalker. But because Eve could be in trouble, Selene wouldn’t be

able to rest until she made sure Eve was physically unharmed.

Selene got her cell phone and typed in a text message. I know

you don’t want to talk to me right now. Please let me know you’re safe,

okay? Clicking Send, Selene held her breath, knowing that the sight

of her name in Eve’s in-box was sure to stir up some pretty intense

feelings.

Crazily, Selene sensed the exact moment Eve read her message,

less than a minute later. A pang of sorrow constricted her heart. Tears

stung her sore eyes. A few heartbeats later, her phone beeped with an

answer.

I’m safe.

Hands shaking, Selene typed out one last message, even though

• 160 •

Meghan O’BrIen

she knew it wouldn’t be welcome. I never wanted to hurt you. It’s

complicated and I wish I had the courage to explain. I love you.

This time Selene felt Eve’s reaction as a dim mixture of anger and

grief. Trembling, she both anticipated and feared Eve’s response.

One never came.

v

Eve locked her phone, then slipped it into her desk drawer. Any

feelings of obligation she had as far as communicating with Selene

ended with her terse reassurance that she was safe. Beyond that, her

life was no longer Selene’s business. After a long night filled with tears,

anger, and disbelief, Eve had come to work today determined to hold her

head high and keep her dignity intact. So what that she’d been fooled

again? She was a professional, respected in her field and responsible

for helping catch a very bad man who’d killed many women. It would

take a lot more than a woman she’d known only a month to destroy

her—even if the idea of never being with Selene again left her bone-

chillingly empty.

Wayne sat at the counter across the lab, eyes glued to a microscope.

All morning he had studiously ignored the telltale signs that she was

having a bad day, and Eve loved him for that. The thought of having to

explain how two women who claimed to love her had put her through

a night of hell—both of them acting in concert to break her heart—was

more than she could bear. She just wanted to bury herself in work. She

was due to testify in court at two o’clock and needed to brush up on the

facts of that older case. Right now they had a newly delivered corpse to

examine. As long as she kept her mind on her job, maybe she wouldn’t

have time to think about the fact that once she left the lab tonight, she

wouldn’t have anywhere to go.

Eve walked to the body bag that lay on the steel examination table

in the center of her lab. A month ago work had been the most important

thing in her life. It shouldn’t be so difficult to refocus her passion on the

one thing that had never broken her heart: science.

“Do you mind if I assist you?” Wayne said suddenly, seemingly

distracted from his silent analysis of whatever sample he’d been

examining. “I’d love to dig into a fresh corpse this morning.”

Eve wrinkled her nose at his choice of words. “Of course, Dr.

Black. I’d be happy to have a second pair of eyes.”

WILD

• 161 •

Approaching the table with purpose, he met her gaze briefly. “How

are you?”

“Just okay.” She handed him the scalpel, more than willing to let

him make the first cut. Lately she just didn’t have the stomach for it. “I

had a long night.”

“But you’re okay, at least?” Wayne glanced at her neck.

Self-conscious, Eve tried not to react to his frank examination.

The red-purple bruise on her neck was impossible to miss. After

checking into her hotel room the night before, she had gasped as soon

as she walked into the bathroom and caught her reflection in the mirror.

Selene’s possessive mark stood out against her pale skin, an ugly

reminder of the intensity of their final joining. Makeup couldn’t cover

it. That the love bite had been the result of unrestrained passion was

obvious. In the aftermath of Selene’s betrayal, it was also a mark of

shame.

“I’m fine.” Eve gave him a look that she hoped made clear that the

subject was closed. “Now cut.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Wayne positioned the scalpel over the breastbone,

readying for the first incision. Just as he sliced into the gray flesh, the

lab doorbell chimed.

Instantly wary, Eve tensed and glanced back at the door. From this

angle she couldn’t see who rang. It would be just like Jac to push her

luck instead of giving Eve space. “Go ahead. I’ll see who that is.” At

Wayne’s nod, she crossed to the lab door and peered out the window.

As she’d feared, Jac stood in the hallway with a hangdog expression.

Against her better judgment, Eve opened the door a crack. “What do

you want?”

“Just to talk.” Jac held up her hands in supplication. “I was an

asshole last night. I know it. Please let me apologize.”

Too exhausted for another emotional scene, Eve stepped into the

hallway and shut the door behind her. She pointed Jac toward the exit

with a shaking hand. “I can’t do this right now. I just can’t.”

Jac’s jaw tightened as she scanned the length of Eve’s body.

“Looks like you caught up with Selene last night. Is that hickey because

you told her I kissed you?”

Even the sound of Selene’s name brought a fresh wave of grief

to Eve’s heart. “I don’t want to talk to you about this. Just go. Okay?”

Chin trembling, Eve reached behind her for the door handle, fumbling

in her desperation to escape. “Please.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Jac’s whole body tensed. “No.” She grabbed Eve’s wrist, stopping

her from leaving. “What’s wrong? Tell me what happened.”

Not wanting to admit that Jac had been right about Selene, Eve

leveled an accusatory glare. “You know what’s wrong.”

“This isn’t just about what I did.” Jac’s hand shot out and brushed

a lock of hair off Eve’s neck. Her eyes narrowed as she examined what

Selene had left behind. “Something happened with Selene, didn’t it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You can be honest with me.” Inspecting her face, Jac studied

Eve with the same unflinching boldness she used on criminal suspects.

“Detective Munoz called me last night. He told me he thought you and

Selene might have had some kind of altercation. Please tell me what

she did to you.”

Incensed at the violation of her privacy, Eve jerked away from

Jac’s touch. “So the detectives are your spies, then? Is that it? Reporting

my movements back to the boss?”

Softening slightly, Jac shook her head. “They were worried about

you, Evie. All they told me was that you went to see your girlfriend,

another woman showed up, and you and Selene argued on the porch.

And it looked like maybe you’d been assaulted.” Tightening her hand

into a fist, Jac said, “I know you don’t want anything to do with me, but

I need to ask. Did Selene hurt you?”

“She didn’t physically assault me.” The answer was a cop-out

and Eve had no doubt that Jac read the subtext loud and clear. But if

Jac thought Eve intended to unload her emotional pain to the woman

who’d constantly rooted for her relationship with Selene to fail, she

could think again. “I’m not saying anything else about it, Jac. It’s none

of your business.”

Jac’s eyes shone with barely restrained contempt. “She’s a

goddamn idiot. Just like me. Both of us complete and total morons, to

hurt someone like you.”

Eve appreciated the sentiment, but from Jac it was too little too

late. “Yeah, well. I must ask for it somehow, right?”

“No. We’re just stupid.”

“Guess I’ve got bad taste in women, then.”

“Guess so.” Jac swallowed. “The detective told me you stayed in

a hotel last night. What are you planning to do tonight?”

The idea of another night in a hotel room, away from the familiarity

of her space, was too much for Eve to handle. “I’m going home.”

WILD

• 163 •

“I’d really rather you stay somewhere else. Until we get our killer

off the street, at least.”

With her life coming apart at the seams, only the thought of

being surrounded by the home she’d made for herself brought Eve any

comfort. Staying at a hotel indefinitely was not going to happen. She

was too stubborn to let her stalker force her into any sadder a state than

she was already in. “I’ll be just fine. Your detectives will make sure of

that.”“Street surveillance only goes so far,” Jac said, sounding as

though she’d anticipated this argument. “At least let me post them at

your door.”

“No.” Let Jac’s spies camp out in the hallway of her apartment

building? Eve couldn’t think of a more unappealing idea. “They can

escort me inside, if that makes you feel better. I’ll even let them sweep

the apartment. But then they leave. I’ll lock the door behind them.”

Jac didn’t bother to hide her irritation. “Why do you have to be so

difficult? This is your life we’re talking about. Someone’s stalking you,

someone who takes his time killing his victims in the middle of a densely

populated city yet somehow never seems to attract any attention. Forget

about your pride, forget that you’ve just been put through the wringer.

You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Snorting, Eve said, “That’s exactly what I am, Jac. Alone. And

I’m fine alone. I’m not going to be stupid about this. I know I need

to be careful. We’re doing all we can. I’ve got armed guards. I’ll use

them, within reason. And we’ll catch this guy, hopefully before he can

hurt anyone else.” Careful not to take out all her anger with Selene

on Jac, Eve modulated her tone, then said, “If something changes, I’ll

reconsider. But for the moment, he doesn’t appear to be coming for me.

I’m more worried about who he’ll kill to send his next message than

the possibility that he’ll approach me directly. After all, if he’s fixated

on me—if this is all about taunting me—I’d say there’s a good chance

he wants me alive to see his work.”

“For now, maybe.”

“Maybe.” Eve waved Jac away. “Listen, we’ll talk about this later.

I’ve got a cold one on the table and a lot of work to do. Why don’t you

go work on finding the guy? We do that and we won’t have to worry

about where I’m sleeping.”

“I’ll still worry about it.” Jac’s low tone conveyed her meaning

loud and clear. Now that Selene had broken Eve’s heart, Jac wasn’t

• 164 •

Meghan O’BrIen

about to relinquish the idea of reconciliation. “But I do have a possible

witness I’m planning to re-interview today. I’ll let you know if I learn

anything new.”

“Thank you.”

“And you let me know if anything happens, okay? Anything at all

that seems out of the ordinary, no matter how mundane.” Jac lifted a

hand as though she might touch Eve’s arm, then let it drop. “The barista

even looks at you funny when you’re standing in line at Starbucks, you

let me know. Deal?”

“Fine.”

Jac stepped backward but didn’t turn away. “I really am sorry about

last night. I never should have put you in that position, particularly

because I know how you feel about infidelity.”

“I appreciate that.” Jac’s sincere tone and genuine contriteness

softened Eve’s resolve not to let her off the hook so easily. In the

aftermath of Selene’s crushing betrayal, Jac’s stupid seduction scene

hardly merited Eve’s continued anger. She just didn’t have the energy

to stay mad at both of them. “And I accept your apology.”

“If you’ll stay at my place, just until we catch this guy, I promise

nothing like that will happen again.”

Eve didn’t entertain the thought for even a moment. “Good-bye,

Jac. I’ll talk to you later.”

Sheepish, Jac said, “Can’t blame me for trying, right?”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Pushing open the lab door, Eve

smirked to take the sting out of her words. “Go catch some bad guys.”

“Will do.” Jac watched as she retreated into the lab. As Eve closed

the door behind her, Jac called after her, “Is Selene my anonymous

tipster?”

Eve hesitated, debating how to answer. Technically there was

nothing wrong about making an anonymous tip. Confirming Jac’s

suspicion was tantamount to giving her permission to harass Selene—

Eve knew Jac well enough to be sure that she wouldn’t back down, not

where Eve was concerned—but at this point lying for Selene seemed

ridiculous.

“Yes,” Eve said quietly. “She reported the body.”

“Do you think she knows anything she hasn’t told us?”

Despite all the lies Selene had spouted over the past month,

Eve still believed she wouldn’t have held back vital, life-or-death

information. Not when Eve’s safety was at stake. “No. I don’t think she

knows anything.”

WILD

• 165 •

“Good. But I may want to confirm that for myself.”

Facing away from Jac, Eve closed her eyes. Grateful that Jac

couldn’t see the pain she knew was written all over her face, Eve took

a deep breath and said, “Do whatever you want. It’s not my concern

anymore.”

Jac was silent a moment. “I’m sorry, Eve.”

“Me, too.”

• 166 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty-tWO

Kevin sat at a café table outside the local coffee shop around the

corner from the courthouse, reading a magazine and trying to

blend in. The dog he’d adopted from the shelter a week ago circled

his feet, its leash secured around the leg of his chair. Kevin had never

imagined owning a dog before, but he liked how having one made him

seem both inconspicuous and non-threatening. It was a small mutt, not

too cute as to draw a lot of attention, and it offered him the perfect

excuse to walk the city streets as he studied Eve Thomas’s routines.

She was due in court in forty-five minutes and would probably

return to her lab after she gave her testimony. It was where she’d go

tonight that interested him most. Lately she’d been spending a lot of

time with the attractive dark-haired woman, but after their argument

last night, her social patterns were probably about to change. Kevin had

no idea where she slept after their fight—it had been too risky to follow

her for long as she drove aimlessly through the streets after leaving her

friend’s place—but he planned to watch her apartment building tonight

to see if she returned home.

The presence of her protection detail had complicated his plans,

but he was adjusting. As soon as he spotted the same two guys parked

in the street in front of her building three nights in a row, he knew

that he needed to carefully choose his moments to interact with Eve.

Though he yearned to get physical with her again, he had decided to

hold back for now. Letting his obsession with Eve Thomas cloud his

better judgment was the surest way to get caught.

He couldn’t get caught. He was too goddamn smart. For all the

trouble he went through to evade identification—to never take a trophy

no matter how badly he desired one, to keep all his body hair shaved off

WILD

• 167 •

lest he leave useful evidence, to keep bodily fluids to himself—Kevin

wasn’t about to throw his freedom away for a quick thrill.

He was ready to kill again, though. And this time, he wanted Eve

to know before he completed the act so she could feel even worse after

they discovered where he left the body.

The cops who watched her stuck with her throughout the day, so

they wouldn’t be guarding her apartment while she was in court. That

would be the perfect opportunity to initiate the next phase of his Plan.

Kevin couldn’t think of a better place to leave his gift for her than on

her doorstep. He hoped she decided to sleep at home tonight so she’d

find it just when she thought she’d returned to a safe place. His cock

stiffened at the thought of just how frightened she would be, knowing

he’d stood at her apartment door only hours earlier, so close to invading

her private sanctuary. Reminding her that she had nowhere to hide.

His dog—who didn’t have a name, though the shelter had called

it Nero—panted happily up at him as though sensing his excitement.

Kevin stared back at it stone-faced. As good a prop as it was, he wasn’t

sure how long he’d bother to keep the animal. It was needy and messy,

without any redeeming qualities except perhaps lending him some

social legitimacy.

Though it was kind of cute.

Kevin lowered his hand and let the dog sniff it, then gave it a

tentative scratch on the neck. The dog made a grumbling noise, licking

his fingers appreciatively.

What would Eve think about a dead dog being delivered to her

lab, wrapped up with a bow and a note that she could be next?

It was an option, at least, if the whole pet-ownership thing didn’t

work out.

• 168 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty-three

The evening after the full moon, Selene struggled with what her

next step should be. She was in for another intense time—the

nights before and after the full moon didn’t trigger a transformation, but

the moon’s intoxicating pull made it difficult for her to think clearly—

yet she couldn’t fathom not reaching out to Eve in some way.

The cynical part of Selene told her to just let their relationship go,

to try to forget the fantasy of having a true life-partner. Eve had just

been a diversion, albeit a magnificent one, but Selene couldn’t get back

what she’d lost. Telling Eve the truth about her nature was just asking

for further heartbreak, and she couldn’t sell any other lie. At least not

without setting herself up for a greater fall when, inevitably, that story

would crumble just like the going-out-of-town one had. Setting Eve up

for a lifetime of lies and betrayal wasn’t fair for either of them.

Not if she really loved Eve.

But Selene didn’t know how to simply walk away. More than

that, she refused to turn her back on Eve now. A maniac out there had

attacked her once and would surely try again. In the meantime, he’d kill

other innocent women in service of some sick game only he understood.

Leaving Eve to face that threat alone wasn’t an option. Jac could only

protect her so much. Selene could do things that might possibly mean

the difference between tracking down Eve’s stalker and letting him hurt

the most precious thing in Selene’s life.

Even if Eve no longer belonged to her, Selene would never let that

happen.

So at five o’clock in the evening, about an hour before she figured

Eve might return home from work, Selene drove to Eve’s apartment

just in case she was stubborn enough to decide to spend the night there

WILD

• 169 •

instead of staying elsewhere. Though they’d known each other only

about a month, Selene sensed that in times of heartache, Eve relied

on the comfort of the familiar. She had a bad feeling that Eve would

insist on remaining in her apartment even though she was aware that

her stalker knew where she lived.

The least Selene could do was help with security.

She scanned the cars parked along the street in front of Eve’s

apartment, trying to decide if any of them belonged to the detectives

on her protective detail. She was pretty sure nobody was watching the

apartment when she wasn’t there, instead just keeping twenty-four-

hour surveillance on Eve herself. Not what Selene would have chosen,

though of course she had no idea what kind of budget and resource

constraints Jac faced when creating the assignment. Honestly, had Jac

been able to throw more manpower at the task, Selene had no doubt she

would have. Jac clearly still cared for Eve deeply and genuinely wanted

to keep her safe.

Now that Selene was out of the picture, Jac would probably think

of all kinds of new ways to protect Eve. The fine hairs covering Selene’s

body stood on end at the very idea.

Keying the four-digit code Eve had taught her into the security

panel—and breathing a sigh of relief when it still worked—Selene

unlocked the door and slipped inside. She climbed the first flight of

stairs, then stopped halfway up. Hackles rising, she caught a familiar,

gut-churning scent lingering in the air.

Eve’s stalker. He had been here, in this very stairwell, and not

long ago.

Selene continued slowly, inhaling with focused intensity. Her

human nose just couldn’t tell her very much. She needed to shift

into a dog. But that meant using her ability in an enclosed, populated

space. Though she didn’t sense anyone in the immediate vicinity,

even entertaining the thought of pulling off a shift in Eve’s apartment

building ran counter to all her survival instincts. Yet what was the point

of having this gift—she didn’t often think of it as a gift, but if it might

help her protect Eve, then that seemed like an appropriate word—if she

never took advantage of it?

Pausing on the first-floor landing, she tried to decide what to do.

She could hide her clothes in the stairwell and continue her investigation

with a far more powerful nose. If the killer was still in the building,

approaching him as a dog could very easily protect her own life.

• 170 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chances were he wouldn’t perceive her as a threat unless she attacked

him outright. But as a woman walking alone, she could very easily get

herself into trouble if he found her before she found him.

Selene jogged to an isolated corner of the stairwell, tucked back

behind a fire-exit door, and tore off her clothes simply because she

couldn’t do nothing when Eve might be in danger. If that man was in

her apartment right now, she had to find out before Eve got home. If he

wasn’t, perhaps she could track him and discover his whereabouts.

The only challenge then would be to explain how she knew he

was the man they sought without revealing her method for hunting him

down.Selene shifted into her trusty bloodhound form and put her nose

on the ground, taking a deep whiff. The man’s scent filled her nostrils,

dark and pungent, and the fur on her back rose in response. She bared

her teeth as she followed his trail up to Eve’s third-floor apartment,

dismayed when his odor only grew stronger. Trotting down Eve’s

hallway, Selene spotted an envelope propped against her doorway. She

picked up speed, skidding to a stop over Eve’s welcome mat, which

smelled of rubber and wet leaves.

Lowering her nose to the envelope, she sniffed frantically. She

blocked out all the other scents that floated around in her olfactory

passages, most interested in the strangely familiar one that stood out

among the rest. The man’s smell permeated the manila envelope and its

contents, but she detected something else. An earthy scent that Selene

instantly recognized, but which seemed strangely out of place in this

setting.

It smelled like shit. Literally.

Selene inhaled deeply, puzzled. The unmistakable odor certainly

came from inside the envelope, so it wasn’t merely a souvenir from the

bottom of someone’s shoe. Weird.

Lifting her head, she sniffed around the doorknob. Eve’s scent

was there but faint. She hadn’t been here for a while. Selene guessed

she hadn’t returned home after their fight last night. She almost hoped

she wouldn’t come home tonight.

The man’s scent wasn’t on the door, which meant he hadn’t

touched it. Apparently breaking in hadn’t been on his agenda. But how

soon until he tried? Despite Eve’s protective detail, he’d been able to

leave something at her apartment door unnoticed. He could have just as

easily broken in to lie in wait for her return.

Selene’s ears twitched, pulled in the direction of the stairwell.

WILD

• 171 •

Her canine senses picked up the sound of the building door opening

downstairs, then a male voice, and eventually the scent of two men and a

woman. A woman whose unique smell Selene would know anywhere.

Eve was home.

Not wanting Eve to come home to a large bloodhound sitting on

her doorstep, Selene quickly shifted into the least noticeable creature

she could think of: a common fly. It was only the second time she’d

tried this shape, and she still didn’t like it. The reality of occupying so

little physical space made her uneasy, as did the mechanics involved in

using her wings and antennae. Emulating a mammal was so much easier

than an insect or arachnid, probably because the basic physiology was

relatively similar. Perhaps if she practiced more it would get easier, but

Selene had always spent far more time cursing her ability than trying to

master its intricacies.

Flying clumsily into the air, she perched on top of the door frame

and waited for Eve and the men who accompanied her to appear. As

far as she could tell, she had two choices. She could zoom over their

heads back into the stairwell, throw on her clothes, and escape from the

building undetected. Or she could stick around, a literal fly on the wall,

and find out what was inside that envelope.

On second thought, that really wasn’t much of a choice.

The man on Eve’s left was talking when they stepped into view.

“We’ll do a quick sweep and be out of your hair in just a few minutes.

You’ve got my cell number in your contact list, right?”

Eve sighed. She looked exhausted. “I do, Detective Munoz. Just

like you have Detective Battle’s number. If you know what I mean.”

The dark-haired detective glanced over Eve’s head at his partner,

both of them sharing a sheepish grimace. “We’re in charge of making

sure nothing happens to you, Doc. What went down last night was

definitely relevant to our assignment. Jac is in charge of that assignment,

so we had to report back that your movements had become erratic.

Especially after you refused to answer your cell phone when I called

you first.”

Clearly Eve’s relationship with her protective detail had grown

contentious. Selene hoped Eve realized that she needed them now more

than ever. Crouching patiently on the edge of the door frame, Selene

contended with the challenge of using human intellect to interpret

what she saw and heard with her fly’s senses. Though she kept her

core intellect and personality despite the form her body took, Selene’s

sense of self was filtered through the strengths and frailties of whatever

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Meghan O’BrIen

animal she mimicked. Just another reason that she didn’t like shifting

into insects. The way they experienced reality was too foreign not to

clash with her human sensibilities.

Frankly, it drained her.

“Fair enough,” Eve said, thawing slightly. “I’ll answer my phone

next time. Or, better yet, call you first. But please don’t report my every

movement to Jac, if you can help it. You know our history. It’s just a

little awkward.”

The one she called Munoz nodded. “I get it. The important part is

that you’re safe.”

Eve stopped abruptly in the hallway, staring at the envelope on

her doorstep. Selene held her breath and waited for a reaction. Her

heart ached at the fear that flashed across Eve’s face as she struggled to

speak. “We’ve got something.”

The detective on Eve’s right put an arm out, holding her back

while Munoz hurried forward to crouch in front of the door. He pulled

a pair of latex gloves from his pocket, then covered his mouth and

nostrils with his hand as he peeked inside the envelope. Dropping his

hand, he said, “Looks like a photograph. Maybe some kind of note.”

Eve walked around the other detective’s arm and joined Munoz

at the door. Clearly struggling to maintain her composure, she bristled

with fear and anger that nearly knocked Selene over with its intensity.

“Let’s get it inside and take a look.”

Munoz looked over his shoulder at his partner. “All right, but you

stay back. We’ll go in first.”

As Eve handed Munoz her keys, Selene took a deep breath,

readying herself for a risky maneuver. If she wanted to see what was in

that envelope, she’d need to launch herself off the door and follow the

three of them inside Eve’s apartment. The flying would require certain

finesse, but Selene was most concerned about the possibility of getting

swatted mid-flight. She’d need to do this quickly, attracting as little

attention as possible.

When Munoz swung open the apartment door, Selene leapt

from her perch and steered herself directly into Eve’s apartment. The

sharp turn, executed with a burst of speed, left Selene disoriented for

a moment and she drunkenly buzzed too close to Munoz’s head. He

waved his hand absently, missing her by inches, but close enough to

get her blood pumping. Taking a moment to orient herself in space,

she shifted direction, then landed on the light fixture over Eve’s dining

WILD

• 173 •

room table, right above where they would probably empty the contents

of the envelope to examine them.

The detectives entered the apartment first, guns drawn, and

methodically searched every room. Selene stayed within sight of the

doorway, watching Eve slump heavily against the wall and close her

eyes. She was a jumble of emotions, and Selene couldn’t help sending

out a wave of healing energy, her typical shot of calm strength that had

always soothed Eve’s nerves. Eve’s eyes snapped open and she inhaled

sharply, looking around as though expecting to see a ghost.

Clearly Eve sensed her presence. Knowing it was reckless to use

their connection when Eve couldn’t understand the source, Selene

pushed back her desire to comfort Eve, shutting off the flow of positive

energy. Immediately Eve’s shoulders sagged. Her hand drifted to her

forehead and Selene could feel her rush of confusion. Hopefully Eve

would simply write it off as misplaced grief, an unfortunate symptom

of loss. She couldn’t possibly guess the real reason their connection

flared to life in a seemingly empty room.

“All clear,” the unnamed detective called as they strolled back

into the front room. “Come on in.”

Eve closed and locked the door behind her. Now Selene was well

and truly trapped, at least until the detectives left. “Do you have a spare

pair of gloves, Detective Hunt?”

Munoz’s partner withdrew a fresh pair of latex gloves from his

pocket. “Sure thing, Doc.”

Eve pulled on the gloves, then took the envelope from Detective

Munoz. Opening the top, she spilled the contents out onto the table.

It was an 8x10 black-and-white photograph of an attractive woman—

similar in build and features to Eve. Someone had obviously altered

the image, as the background was blurred, making it all but impossible

to recognize where it was taken. The woman in the picture was clearly

unaware that she was being photographed, half turned away from the

camera, her head tipped back in laughter. Selene shivered at the candid

nature of the photo and at the possibility that this woman might not yet

know that she’d attracted the attention of a psychopath.

Picking up the photograph, Eve squinted at the handwritten words

scrawled across the bottom of the image. “‘I wonder if she’ll be as scared

as you,’” Eve read aloud. She turned the photograph over, scanned the

back, then set it face-up on the table with a shaky exhalation.

“You think she’s still alive?” Hunt asked.

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Meghan O’BrIen

“We have to assume she is.” Eve picked up the print again, gingerly

holding it by one corner. “Unfortunately I can’t tell where this was shot.

Or when.”

“Me either,” Munoz said. “Looks Photoshopped to me.”

“Very likely.” Setting down the photograph, Eve said, “Give me

a few minutes, then we’ll head to the department. I’ll call Jac and have

her meet us there.”

Munoz nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Go ahead and wait in your car. I’ll be ready in ten.” At their

immediate expressions of protest, Eve raised her hand to quiet them.

“You’ve swept the apartment. Nobody’s here. I’ve had a long day and

I’d like to change clothes in private. So I’ll be fine, gentlemen, if you

don’t mind.”

Detective Munoz gave her a terse nod. “You’ll answer your phone

if we call, and call us if you need anything. Even if you just get a weird

feeling.”

“Of course.” Eve sounded impatient.

“Let us know when you’re ready to leave. We’ll come to your

door and get you.” Hunt spoke to her in a no-nonsense tone. “The game

has changed, Dr. Thomas. This guy has been to your place now. He’s

getting bolder. Jac wouldn’t want us to let you out of our sight at all.

She’s running this operation, and your safety is more important to her

than just about anything, so you’ll just have to bear with us.”

Munoz’s voice softened. “We don’t want anything to happen to

you. This guy is a sick fucker, right?”

Eve nodded.

“Let us be overprotective, then. It’s our job.”

Relaxing slightly, Eve said, “I get it. And I appreciate you guys

being overprotective in the car for the next fifteen minutes.”

As the three of them walked toward the front door, Selene debated

internally. She could leave with the detectives, which was probably the

wise thing to do, or she could stick around inside Eve’s just a little

longer. She wasn’t sure what she hoped to accomplish by staying. She

just wasn’t ready to say good-bye yet.

Closing the door, Eve engaged the lock and put on the chain. Then

she sighed, pivoting to stare at the table with an expression of pure

dread. “Goddamn it.”

More than anything, Selene wanted to come out of hiding, shift

back into human form, and hold Eve tight to reassure her that everything

WILD

• 175 •

would be okay. For a moment the desire to do just that was so strong,

Selene could hardly remember all the reasons why shifting back was a

bad idea. Like giving Eve a heart attack, for one.

Below her, Eve shivered and closed her eyes. Selene could feel

her struggling against a wave of emotion: pain, loss, and yawning grief.

Her face contorted and a quiet sob burst from her lips, which she stifled

by clapping her hand over her mouth. Eve’s pain sliced into Selene,

awakening a fresh wave of sorrow. Heart breaking, Selene left her

hiding spot on the light fixture, flying down to land on the wall next

to the dining room table. From this vantage point, she could see all of

Eve’s turmoil.

“Goddamn you, Selene,” Eve whispered. Dismayed, Selene

watched her touch the purple bruise on her neck with a shaking hand.

“Get out of my head.”

Startled, Selene didn’t move. It was all too clear that her presence

was only causing Eve torment. She should leave. No matter how badly

she wanted to make sure Eve was safe, it wasn’t right to stay. Eve didn’t

want her here. Their empathetic link no longer brought Eve comfort.

After what had happened between them, any hint of that connection had

to be confusing and traumatic for Eve, who no doubt wanted nothing

more than to forget Selene had ever existed.

Exhaling, Eve dropped her hands to her sides and shook them out.

Then she straightened her shoulders, walking briskly to her bedroom.

She tugged her shirt over her head as she went, offering Selene a

tantalizing view of her bare stomach and bra-encased breasts.

Now it was definitely wrong to stick around. Without hesitation,

Selene launched herself across the room, flying for the front door as

quickly as she could. She wasn’t entirely sure how she would escape

the apartment, but she sure as hell had to try, for Eve’s sake as well

as her own. It was excruciating to see the woman she loved in such

distress, especially when she was the cause.

Selene landed on the floor mat just inside Eve’s entryway,

examining the narrow gap between the bottom of the door and the

wooden floor. Although there seemed to be more than enough room for

her to squeeze through, the thought of wedging her body into such a

tight space nauseated her. She just couldn’t shed her very human sense

of caution that told her that squeezing into an opening an inch wide

wasn’t a good idea.

Unfortunately she had no choice. She needed to get away from

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Meghan O’BrIen

Eve, from the overwhelming evidence that she’d lost Eve forever. More

important, she needed to follow the stalker’s trail while it was still fresh.

This might be her best opportunity to track him down.

Taking a deep breath, Selene cleared her mind of fear and crawled

beneath the door frame. As predicted, she made it through with ease,

though the sensation of the thick door hovering close to her head and

the unyielding floor beneath her feet was enough to make her stop and

gasp for air as soon as she emerged on the other side.

On the tail end of her panic, Selene felt her blood surge with

exhilaration. Since meeting Eve, she had tested and stretched her abilities

in ways she never could have anticipated. Protecting Eve was the best

reason to embrace her nature and shift, and now that she was getting

more comfortable with it, a part of her actually enjoyed experiencing

the world from different perspectives. That her ability might actually

give her an edge over normal people when it came to hunting Eve’s

stalker made her cherish it for the very first time in her life.

And damn, that felt good.

Quickly buzzing down the hall and around the corner, Selene

landed on the carpet and swiveled, making sure nobody was watching.

Then she gathered her strength and shifted back into bloodhound form.

Each shift was more difficult than the last, and she would be exhausted

when she got home tonight. She would come back for her clothes later,

once she’d followed his trail.

Hopefully she’d have something to show for her effort. Either

way, Selene was prepared to make protecting Eve her new full-time

job. Eve’s stalker was going down.

WILD

• 177 •

Chapter tWenty-FOur

When Eve arrived at the homicide division flanked by

Detectives Munoz and Hunt, Jac was already at her desk.

She jumped up as soon as she spotted Eve, worry etched across her

face. “Are you all right?”

Embarrassed by Jac’s obvious concern, Eve waved her off. “I’m

fine. It’s the woman in the picture he left for me that we need to worry

about.” Setting the envelope on Jac’s desk, Eve waited as Jac rolled

an extra office chair over so they could examine its contents together.

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure he gave us much to work with.”

“Let’s take a look.” Jac glanced at the detectives, who stood

silently as though waiting to be addressed. “You guys want to take a

break? Grab something to eat?”

Hunt nodded. “That’d be nice.”

“You sure you don’t need us?” Munoz asked, always the

professional. Though Eve had given him a lot of grief, the man was

clearly dedicated to his job—and Jac.

“We’ll be fine.” Jac gestured for Eve to sit and, once she had,

dropped into the chair beside her. “Go ahead and relax. We’ll dust for

prints, see if we can come up with anything.”

The detectives left them with muttered thanks, and Eve was glad

to see them go. She knew they were just looking out for her, but she

was really starting to feel like her life was no longer her own. In a

perfect world she wouldn’t have to spend the evening with Jac, either.

She could soak in her bathtub and concentrate on not thinking about

Selene.

Who was she kidding? That was clearly impossible. For almost the

entire fifteen minutes she’d spent in her apartment earlier that evening,

Selene’s presence had lingered so strongly that Eve could have sworn

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Meghan O’BrIen

she was in the next room. No matter how badly Eve wanted to write

off Selene and move on—to not allow herself to grieve for a woman

she’d known only a month—she was hopelessly, desperately sad that

things had ended the way they had. Breaking up was bad enough, but

not having seen it coming was even worse.

“You okay?” Jac murmured as she pulled on a pair of gloves. “I

don’t blame you for being shaken up, knowing this guy’s been to your

place and is actually leaving you presents now.”

“It’s not that.” Eve cringed. That was probably ridiculous, wasn’t

it? What kind of person was she when her shitty love life upset her

more than the thought that her stalker had just raised the stakes in his

sick game? “I mean, it is. I’m upset, of course.”

“About Selene, too.” Jac shook the contents of the envelope onto

the table, avoiding Eve’s gaze. “You’ve had an awesomely bad past

thirty-six hours. You deserve to fall apart a little, I think.”

“I’m not falling apart.” Eve pulled on her gloves. “I refuse to.”

Jac gingerly picked up the photo of their potential victim. Eve

watched Jac scan the note at the bottom— I wonder if she’ll be as scared

as you, Eve remembered, like she could forget—fascinated by the way

Jac’s jaw tensed in visceral anger. Jac glanced up, apparently checking

Eve’s reaction.

“I’m not convinced he hasn’t given us anything to work with.”

Voice thick with anger, Jac nodded at the photo. “He’s having too much

fun with this. He thinks he’s invincible, that he’s just toying with you.

He told you he could do whatever he wants and nobody could stop him.

Right?”

“That’s what he said.” Eve let her gaze drift to the image of the

woman who might very well be facing the same terror she’d endured

even as they sat there looking at her photo. “He definitely wants to

believe that he’s unstoppable.”

“So would he really resist the urge to give you some kind of puzzle

to decipher?” Jac stared at the photo, first the front, then the back.

“He doesn’t want to get caught. And so far he’s been very smart.

Why give us something to go on now?”

“Because he’s controlling the scenario,” Jac said, brows furrowing

as she studied the back of the photo. “Leaving evidence on a body,

well, that’s just sloppy. But giving his adversary some kind of clue or

challenge…” Flipping the photo around, Jac said, “What does that look

like to you?”

WILD

• 179 •

Eve zeroed in on a thick, dark smudge on the lower corner of the

paper. “I have no idea. Dirt.”

Jac unzipped a bag that sat on the corner of her desk, taking out a

shallow plastic dish and a metal instrument. “We should analyze it just

in case.”

“You really think this is a puzzle of some kind?”

“Well, I have to.” Jac scraped a sample of the smudge onto a tiny

blade and deposited it in the dish. Then she screwed on a clear plastic

lid and set the evidence aside. “Better than the alternative, which is that

all this will get us nowhere except feeling guilty when we find this girl

dead.”

“I already feel guilty,” Eve said softly.

“Don’t. He’s involved you in his crimes, but you’re not the reason

he’s killing. The psycho obviously gets off on the act of murder.” Jac

took out her fingerprint kit and diligently began dusting the envelope,

though Eve suspected she knew it was a long shot that the guy would

leave a usable print. “Whether or not he fixated on you, he’d be hurting

people.” Glancing up, she met Eve’s eyes. “Trust me on that.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Of course she was. This man wouldn’t

be sitting at home watching football or playing with his kids instead of

murdering women. But knowing he had apparently been killing with

her in mind from the start was too much to take. “Doesn’t make me feel

any better.”

“I know.” Scowling, Jac examined the envelope. “Nothing.”

“You didn’t expect him to be that sloppy, did you?”

“Maybe I was hoping he wanted to get caught.” Jac managed a

tight smile. “He must, to mess with you.”

Not knowing how to respond, Eve murmured, “Dust the photo. I’ll

cross my fingers.”

Jac dusted in silence and Eve watched, grateful for the momentary

lull in conversation. Her mind kept slipping away to thoughts of what

Selene might be doing. Was she home alone? Or with another woman?

Eve’s stomach turned at the thought of Selene with someone else.

“I really thought this thing with Selene was for real.” Eve hadn’t

meant to say anything out loud, especially not to Jac, but she couldn’t

keep this to herself anymore. She was angry and confused—not just

at Selene, but also at Jac, all over again. Though she thought she’d

forgiven Jac for her betrayal, this thing with Selene dredged up all her

old resentments. Because she lacked the strength to confront Selene,

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Meghan O’BrIen

Jac made an ideal target for her rage. “I thought this time I’d found

someone who wouldn’t lie to me. Who understood that the one thing I

want from a relationship is honesty.”

Jac blinked, taking a deep breath then exhaling. In a low voice,

she said, “You only knew her a month. That’s not enough time to get a

real read on someone.”

“It didn’t feel like only a month,” Eve said quietly. She couldn’t

explain to Jac how she had felt connected to Selene from almost the

first moment they met. How Selene had made her feel stronger, more

beautiful, more confident and centered than she ever had. All that

sounded illogical, silly—two things Eve prided herself on not being.

“You know me, Jac. I don’t trust easily. I’m not the type to fall for

someone so quickly.”

“I know you aren’t.” With a disgusted sigh, Jac packed up her

fingerprint kit, having come up with nothing. “I was surprised you

had.”“It just felt right.” Eve bit her lip hard, looking away from Jac as

she struggled to bring her emotion under control. “I’m an idiot.”

“No, you’re not.” Stripping off her gloves, Jac collapsed back into

her chair and folded her hands over her stomach. “I can give the photo

to our tech guys, see if they can clean up the background and identify

any landmarks. And we can get a handwriting analyst in here to help us

construct a profile on this guy. Other than that…”

“Yeah.” Eve picked up the photo, forcing herself to study the

woman’s face for the first time. Her obvious happiness was infectious,

which only made Eve feel worse. “I’m not used to dealing with someone

so careful, so meticulous. Charles Dunning wasn’t like that.”

“Not ultimately, no. But we spent a lot of restless nights hunting

him down, too.” Jac nudged Eve’s ankle with the toe of her shoe. “We’ll

get this guy. Who knows, maybe the dirt from the photo will lead us

somewhere.”

“I hope so.”

Jac cleared her throat. “And I hope you’ll think again about staying

at my place. Considering.”

“Considering that I have a serial killer obsessed with me?”

Mustering a brave chuckle, Eve shook her head. “That’s hardly news,

Jac. We already knew he was fixated on me, that he had my address and

phone number. So, really, nothing has changed.”

“Except now he’s shown us how bold he can be. He went to your

apartment. In broad daylight.”

WILD

• 181 •

“He attacked me in Golden Gate Park, too, which seems even

bolder, at least from my perspective.” Though Jac obviously thought it

foolish, Eve refused to cave to the temptation to flee. “Look, by staying

right where I am, I’ve given him a specific target, a place where he may

poke his head out again. It could be our best chance of nabbing him,

really. If I retreat to a secure location, we may lose our only opportunity

to draw him out.”

Scowling, Jac said, “How did I know you’d come up with a semi-

logical reason to be a stubborn ass?”

“I guess you just know me well.”

“Guess so.” Jac seemed pleased by that. “You eat dinner yet?”

“I haven’t.”

“Why don’t you let me have something delivered? That is, if you

don’t mind hanging out here for a while.”

Twenty-four hours ago, Eve would never have imagined having

dinner with Jac again so soon. But she was hungry, she was shaken

up, and she really didn’t want to be alone. As determined as she was

not to be chased away from her apartment, she couldn’t quite imagine

returning there yet. Especially not with the way it made her miss Selene

so badly. Not that she would admit that out loud. “I don’t mind hanging

out.”“Cool. How does Chinese sound?”

“Delicious.” Eve didn’t let herself react to the familiarity of this

scene. She and Jac had fallen in love over Chinese takeout when they

worked the Charles Dunning case. In fact, Eve had been eating Kung

Pao chicken from their favorite Chinese delivery place on the night

she’d uncovered the evidence that cracked the case. As much as she

didn’t want to go back to that romantic place with Jac, sticking to what

had worked for their investigations in the past probably wasn’t a bad

idea. “I’ll have my usual.”

“Figured.” Jac didn’t hide her pleasure.

“In the meantime, I’m going to call Wayne and ask him to start

with this sample you collected.” Eve lifted the evidence dish and peered

at the meager specimen inside. Hopefully there was enough there to

analyze. If it turned out to be nothing more than insignificant dirt, she

would be extremely disappointed. “I’ll make it his only priority. We

should know within seventy-two hours.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure IT starts working on the photo analysis

tonight.” Jac picked up her desk phone but didn’t dial. “Now that we’ve

got a potential victim who may still be alive, this case just became the

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Meghan O’BrIen

department’s only priority. And on that note, I’m assigning round-the-

clock surveillance on your apartment. No more of this leaving-presents-

on-your-doorstep-without-anyone-knowing bullshit.”

“Fair enough,” Eve said. As much as she hated the loss of her

privacy, her stalker’s new gambit left her more than happy to be under

constant watch. Their encounter in Golden Gate Park remained the

single most terrifying experience of her life, and she had no desire to

relive it. She had no problem stacking the deck in her favor.

“I plan to participate in at least some of that security detail,” Jac

said quietly. The caution on her face signaled that she expected Eve to

argue. “It has nothing to do with spying on you. You won’t even know

I’m there. I’ll just…feel better knowing you’re okay.”

It wouldn’t be forever. And no matter how awkward it might be

to have her cheating ex-girlfriend secretly shadow her, Eve didn’t trust

anyone more to watch her back. So with a determined nod, she said,

“Sounds like a plan.”

She could only hope it worked.

WILD

• 183 •

Chapter tWenty-FIve

After spending the entire night in a failed attempt to track

Eve’s stalker through the city streets, Selene was exhausted

and frustrated to the point of tears. Though she’d been able to follow

the man’s scent from Eve’s building to a corner several blocks away,

once again his trail had suddenly disappeared. Now she was certain he

either owned a car or traveled via taxi, but that brought her no closer

to discovering his identity and keeping Eve safe. The hours she’d just

wasted randomly wandering through various neighborhoods hoping to

catch a whiff of his scent had gotten her nowhere. Unfortunately, it

didn’t seem likely that she’d find the guy by accident. For all Selene

knew, he didn’t even live in San Francisco.

That meant she needed to come up with a new strategy. Though

she hadn’t any idea what she planned to do when she found Eve’s

stalker, Selene had no choice but to try to hunt him down. The police

weren’t having any luck, and if she could do anything to help them, she

planned to, even if it meant risking discovery.

Selene’s best-case scenario would be to confront the guy during

one of his attempts to get close to Eve. Then she could follow him as he

fled and hopefully find out where he lived. To do that, she’d probably

need to keep up a constant surveillance on Eve. The fact that Eve

already had the police watching her meant that Selene would have to

be creative in her attempts to provide a second level of security without

being noticed.

Unfortunately, creativity would have to wait until after she’d

had a nap. It had been a long, draining night and her brain wasn’t

cooperating. Right now she couldn’t come up with a plan of attack if

her life depended upon it.

As Selene pulled her car up to her apartment, bleary-eyed and

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Meghan O’BrIen

ready to get some much-needed sleep, the sight of Detective Jac Battle

standing on her front porch sent her gut into sour, twisting panic. Jac

turned at the sound of the engine, nodding curtly as Selene pulled into

her parking spot, then cut the ignition. Heart pounding, she prepared

for what she was sure would be an unpleasant conversation with Eve’s

jealous ex-girlfriend. Without knowing whether Jac was there in an

official capacity or simply as Eve’s defender, Selene wasn’t even sure

what she should be nervous about.

Everything. Right now she was nervous about absolutely

everything.

Taking a deep breath, Selene opened the car door and got out. She

forced a polite smile and returned Jac’s nod. “Hello.”

“Good morning.” Jac clasped her hands behind her back, studying

Selene’s face as she approached. Every inch the suspicious cop. “Long

night?”

Selene didn’t let herself react to Jac’s subtle taunt. She had no idea

what Eve had told Jac about what happened between them, but Selene

wasn’t about to rise to the bait. “Can I help you with something?”

“I hope so. I wanted to talk to you about that phone call you made

last month. You know, the one where you reported finding a body in

Golden Gate Park.”

Selene kept her expression neutral and indicated that Jac should

step aside so she could unlock the door. Jac did so with another curt

nod. Inviting Jac into her sanctuary wasn’t her first choice, but she

refused to have this discussion on her front porch where anyone could

overhear. She pushed open the door and strolled inside, gesturing for

Jac to follow. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thanks.” Jac stepped into her foyer, taking a none-too-subtle

look around. “Nice place.”

“Thank you.” Selene led Jac to the living room and pointed her

toward the couch. “Have a seat.”

Returning her intense focus to Selene’s face, Jac sat carefully at

one end of the couch. “Sorry to drop by so early in the morning.”

“It’s okay.” Selene sat at the other end of the couch, careful not to

let her face or voice betray her anxiety. True, she had nothing to hide as

far as knowing more about the murders than she let on. But so much of

Selene’s involvement in this case was tied up in her ability, so talking

about any of it with Jac meant treading on dangerous ground. “This is

an important case, I know. But the last time I checked, anonymous tips

to the police weren’t illegal.”

WILD

• 185 •

“Not illegal, no.” Jac gave her a slow once-over. “I’m not here to

arrest you, Ms. Rhodes.”

“Selene.”

“Okay. I’m not here to arrest you, Selene. I just want to find out

if you know anything that could help us find the man who’s killing

these women. For Eve’s sake, given that he seems to be obsessed with

dragging her into the middle of his psychosis.”

Selene returned Jac’s serious look, jaw so tense her face ached.

“If I knew something that could help, I’d tell you. Believe me. The last

thing I want is for Eve to get hurt.”

Mouth twitching, Jac murmured, “That’s not what I heard.”

It took everything Selene had not to slap the smug look off Jac’s

face. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, you know. Seems to me you’re the

last person who should be passing judgment when it comes to hurting

Eve.”“You’re right, I made a mistake. A terrible mistake.” Jac’s eyes

glittered with ugly satisfaction. “But I’ve learned from my mistakes.

Quite frankly, I’m not entirely destroyed that you’ve gone down the

same road I did. Not that I would wish Eve any more heartache, because

she doesn’t deserve it. But I’m glad she figured out you were no good

for her now, before she got too attached.”

“Are you here to talk about your ex-girlfriend, or did you want

to discuss something in an official capacity?” Anger made it hard to

get the words out. When Selene was this tired, it became difficult to

control her emotions, and that was an extremely perilous state to be

in. On a few occasions, though none within the past ten years, Selene

had shifted against her will due to extreme emotional distress. That led

her to try to stay calm at all times, but hearing Jac compare the two of

them—and knowing that Jac saw their breakup as an opportunity to win

Eve back—threatened to push Selene into dangerous territory.

“How did you manage to stumble upon that body so early in

the morning?” Jac tilted her head, watching Selene’s face. “She was

dumped pretty far off the beaten path. Not someplace I’d imagine a

beautiful woman to be exploring by herself at sunrise.”

Shrugging, Selene said, “I was taking a walk. I decided to take

a shortcut through the trees. I enjoy nature, and sometimes I want to

pretend I’m not in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the country.

So I detour off the beaten path.”

“You don’t worry about who might be lurking in the woods with

you?”

• 186 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“I have martial-arts training,” Selene lied. In reality, she didn’t

often worry about her personal safety for two simple reasons. One, she

didn’t get out much. But more important, if push came to shove, Selene

could shift into something that would terrify even the most vicious

mugger or rapist. “I can take care of myself. I wasn’t worried.”

“I imagine you were pretty shaken up when you found the corpse,

though.” Jac gave her an expectant look. “Right?”

“Of course. Who wouldn’t be?”

“So help me understand something. From what Eve has told me,

it’s clear that you called in the location of the body before you found

her after the attack. So why did you go back into the park?”

Selene hesitated, trying to ignore the way Jac’s mouth twitched

in apparent delight at her momentary uncertainty. Briefly, Selene

considered lying and telling Jac that she’d had to cut across the park to

get home after making her call, but dismissed the idea at the realization

that Jac might know exactly which pay phone she’d used. Although it

would have been impossible for her to hear Eve’s cries for help from

that location, it was the only explanation she could offer. “I thought I

heard something, so I went to check it out.”

Jac raised an eyebrow. “Martial-arts training or not, I find it hard

to believe that someone who’d just seen a murder victim minutes before

would feel compelled to go chasing after a mysterious noise that led her

anywhere near the scene.”

“What I heard sounded like a woman screaming. Luckily I wasn’t

thinking about myself at that moment. When I found Eve, she was

terrified, traumatized. I did the right thing, going back in there, no

matter how shaken up I was.”

Jac regarded her in silence for a long, uncomfortable minute. Then

she said, “Eve is in serious danger, Selene. Right now I couldn’t care

less as far as what your actual involvement in this case might be. I

know you didn’t kill those women, okay? But if you have information

about who did, if you saw anything—”

“I would tell you.” Selene looked into Jac’s eyes, willing her to

see the sincerity in her words. “Nothing’s more important to me than

making sure Eve stays safe. If you don’t believe anything else I say,

please believe that. Look into my eyes and see that I’m telling the truth.

Eve’s safety means everything to me. I’ll do whatever I can to protect

her. I promise.”

Though she didn’t look particularly satisfied by Selene’s words,

WILD

• 187 •

Jac’s nod signaled that the interrogation was over. “On that note, I need

to head back to work. Thank you for your time.”

When Jac stood, Selene rose with her. “I really don’t think Eve

should be staying at her apartment right now. It isn’t safe.”

“Are you saying that because you know something? Or do you

just want me to pass that along to Eve?” Jac might have decided to let

her off the hook with the phone tip, but it was clear she didn’t plan on

making nice.

“Before, I was with her. Now she’s alone. And he knows where

she lives.”

Concern momentarily softened Jac’s face. “Don’t worry. I can

take care of Eve.”

Selene couldn’t read Jac well enough to decide whether that meant

Eve planned to go back to her apartment or not. It wasn’t important

enough that she hear it from Jac to keep pushing, though. If necessary,

Selene could follow Eve after she left work to find out where she was

staying.

That sounded creepy. Selene didn’t want to feel like just another

stalker in Eve’s life, but she’d do whatever it took to keep her safe. Just

like Jac.

“If you remember anything you think might help our investigation,

please give me a call.” Jac handed her a business card. “I’m more than

happy to be discreet. Unless it’s a material fact in the case, I can keep

whatever you tell me between the two of us.” Smirking, Jac turned her

back on Selene and walked to the front door. “No need to cause Eve

any further pain.”

As she trailed Jac to the door, Selene clung tight to her iron control,

determined not to give her anger free rein until Jac was gone. But

the cocky arrogance radiating from Jac forced Selene into defending

herself, no matter how useless she knew it would be. “I didn’t fool

around on Eve, by the way. Whether or not anyone believes me, that’s

the truth. I’m not perfect, and I do have secrets, but I’d never have

cheated on Eve. Not after how you destroyed her.”

Jac whirled around, glaring at Selene. “Remind me, are you two on

speaking terms at the moment? You really think you haven’t destroyed

her? You’re no better than me. Not by a long shot. At least she’s talking

to me. Hell, she spent last night with me.” Eyes narrowing, Jac said,

“Yeah. All night.”

Selene had no idea where Eve had gone, or what she’d done, after

• 188 •

Meghan O’BrIen

she went to the police station the night before. The last time Selene

had seen Eve, she was lamenting their empathetic link and nursing a

broken heart. Had she found comfort in Jac’s arms? It didn’t seem like

something Eve would do.

But who could account for the actions of a broken heart?

Gritting her teeth so hard her jaw ached, Selene said, “I’ll call you

if I remember anything.”

“Excellent.” Jac’s tone oozed condescension. “Have a wonderful

morning, Selene.”

“You, too.” Selene shut the door hard as soon as Jac sauntered

outside. There was no point in pretending she wasn’t upset. She hadn’t

liked Jac from the start, but at least when Eve was on her side, dealing

with her detective ex-girlfriend felt necessary. Now it was pointless

torture. Worse than that, it reminded her of exactly why all the shifting

and deception of the past month was so dangerous.

Using her ability increased her risk of being discovered. Until Eve,

she’d never had a reason to take that risk. Eve’s stalker was the best

reason she could imagine, but the threats to her own safety were as real

as they’d ever been. Jac was a visceral reminder of that simple fact.

But in the end, that didn’t change a thing. Eve was in trouble

and Selene was determined to keep her safe, regardless of the

consequences.

WILD

• 189 •

Chapter tWenty-sIx

It’s feces.”

Eve set down her pen, blinking, and looked up at Wayne

towering over her desk. From the excitement on his face, she knew he

was talking about the substance from the mysterious photograph left on

her doorstep. She’d speculated about a number of different possibilities

for the results of Wayne’s analysis over the past couple of days, but she

could honestly say that excrement wasn’t one of them. “Seriously?”

“Oh, yes. Not human.” He bounced on the balls of his feet, clearly

thrilled by whatever he had to share. He always seemed to get the

biggest charge out of the most disgusting things.

“Well, that’s…gross. Do we think he planted it there on purpose,

or did the killer’s dog just decide to relieve itself on his masterpiece?”

“It’s not canine, and I’d say he definitely left it there on purpose.”

Wayne paused, probably for dramatic effect, but Eve didn’t take the

bait and ask. Sighing, he said, “I find it very unlikely that our suspect

managed to accidentally smear bison dung on his message.”

Eve’s awareness of time slowed even as her heartbeat thundered

into overdrive. She knew where he was leading them. “Bison. He’s

sending us back to Golden Gate Park.”

“That’s a very reasonable assumption.”

Bison had resided in the park since 1891, and the buffalo paddock

in the western section was created in 1899 to house the growing herd.

As a child, Eve had visited the paddock several times with her parents,

and the incongruity of such giant, wild creatures living peacefully in the

middle of one of the largest cities in California had always intrigued her.

The presence of bison dung in that envelope was a message so obvious,

Eve cursed that it had taken them so long to identify the substance.

“I’ll call Jac. We need to canvass the area inside and around the

• 190 •

Meghan O’BrIen

paddock to see what we can find.” Eve dreaded the possibility that they

were looking for a body, but her gut told her that was exactly what they’d

find. Unfortunately the photo analysis hadn’t given them anything to go

on, so they’d had to spend the time required to scientifically analyze

the evidence. That the killer had apparently given them such a clear,

distinct direction that they’d been so slow to recognize was frustrating,

to say the least.

“Are you going with her to the scene?” Wayne asked. They didn’t

often join the police in the field, especially when a body hadn’t surfaced

yet. Still, Eve couldn’t imagine staying behind in the lab for this one.

“I am.” Eve picked up her desk phone. “I’ll be back soon,

hopefully.”

“I’ll cross my fingers that you don’t bring a body with you.”

“That’s a change.” Wayne wasn’t cold-hearted, but his love for his

work sometimes outweighed his sympathy for the people his cadavers

had once been. Truthfully, it was probably part of the reason he was

so good at his job. He never let emotion get in the way of logic and

scientific fact.

“Tell me about it.” Shifting uncomfortably, he looked almost

painfully sincere as he said, “I know how you’ll feel if we didn’t find

her in time. Just remember that it’s not your fault, okay? Even if we are

too late.”

Eve gave him a weak nod. “I know. It’s his fault.”

If only it were that simple.

v

They found the body only fifteen minutes into their search. With

twelve men and women sweeping the area in and around the bison

paddock, it didn’t take long to discover the naked corpse of a female

in her mid thirties stashed among the trees near the corner of Chain of

Lakes and John F. Kennedy Drive. The killer had slaughtered her in an

area that probably didn’t get much foot traffic and was out of view of

the well-traveled roads nearby, but was still near enough to civilization

that Eve was struck once again by his sheer nerve.

Their victim appeared to have been dead for at least twelve hours.

She had been killed in the spot where she lay. Their killer didn’t seem

to deal in transporting bodies. That meant he was confident enough in

handling his victims that he apparently had no qualms about forcing

them to accompany him to the locations where he took their lives.

WILD

• 191 •

He had clearly planned to kill this woman right here days before the

actual murder, so Eve imagined that he’d grabbed her elsewhere, then

driven her here. Somehow he’d managed to get her to this secluded

spot without raising any major suspicions—if the lack of witnesses

reporting unusual activity was any indication—then kill her without

being discovered.

Though the bison paddock was hardly the most popular spot in

Golden Gate Park, it was fairly well traveled. No doubt the killer had

brought the victim here late at night.

I wonder if she’ll be as scared as you. Eve imagined she must

have been terrified.

A hand touched her shoulder and Eve jumped, tearing her gaze

away from the bloody, stiff-limbed corpse at the base of a large tree to

meet Jac’s eyes. Wincing apologetically, Jac said, “Are you okay?”

Eve had no idea how to answer that question anymore. “This isn’t

what I wanted to find.”

“Me either.” Jac regarded the body carefully. “How long has she

been dead?”

“I’d guess she died somewhere between midnight and three last

night. He probably waited until the park was deserted before bringing

her here.” Eve pointed at the dried, tacky blood painting the dirt and

vegetation beneath her body. “He killed her right here. And there’s

evidence of strangulation again—but I’m guessing that, like the others,

she died from blood loss. The choking is just how he got his kicks

before he put her down.”

Grimly, Jac muttered, “I hate this guy.”

“Agreed.” Eve’s cell phone chirped in her purse. Frowning, she

pulled it out expecting to see the lab’s number on the display. She

couldn’t think of anyone else who might be calling—especially now

that she was single. Not recognizing the number, she let it go to voice

mail. “We need to bag her up and get her back to the lab. If our guy’s

getting bold enough to leave us clues in envelopes, maybe he’s decided

to offer some evidence on his latest victim. You know, to test me.”

Jac touched the small of Eve’s back. “Let’s hope so.” She stepped

forward and, gesturing at a detective who knelt on the ground taking

photos of the body, said, “Let’s document this scene quickly so we can

get the corpse back to the lab.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The head of the crime scene investigation team

crouched down next to the body, marking a piece of evidence with a

yellow numbered tag. “We’re on it.”

• 192 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Eve’s cell phone rang again. Sighing, she raised her hand and

glanced at the display. Same number. Frowning, Eve answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Is this Dr. Eve Thomas?”

Something about the unfamiliar male voice set Eve’s nerves on

edge. Immediately she knew who was on the other end of the line.

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“The Dr. Eve Thomas?”

Eve swallowed. “Yes. Who is this?”

“Well, this is a thrill. I’m a big fan of your work.”

Stumbling, Eve hurried over to Jac, gripping her arm tight. Jac

opened her mouth to speak but took one look at her face and stopped.

Jac mouthed, Is that him? At Eve’s nod, Jac brought her head close to

Eve’s so she could listen.

The man chuckled. “You’re hurting my feelings, Eve. Are you a

fan of my work?”

“I’m looking at some of your work right now,” Eve said, willing

her voice not to shake. The more her stalker spoke, the clearer her

memory of his words on the day of her attack became. His icy-blue

eyes. The sensation of his body on top of hers, pinning her down. The

sharp edge of his blade. Shivering, Eve said, “I wouldn’t say I’m a fan,

no.” Jac wrapped her arm around Eve’s middle, tugging her close.

Grateful for her warmth, Eve allowed Jac to hold her.

“Not a fan? Really?” He sounded genuinely disappointed. “Surely

you have to appreciate how tidy I leave things. How conscientious I am

of what it is scientists like you need to track down people like me.”

“Are you killing these women to impress me? Because I can tell

you right now, there are better ways.”

He snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. No, I’m killing these women

here, in your territory, because I want you to know that even if you were

able to use your science to track down Charles Dunning, what you do is

worthless when you have an adversary who has half a brain.”

“And this half-brained adversary…is you?”

Dead silence met Eve’s comment, and for a moment she worried

that he had hung up or perhaps she’d dropped the call. Then he inhaled,

clearly irritated, and spat, “Pity that science can be so inefficient, isn’t

it? You’ve had a veritable map to this location for days. Long before

that lovely woman at your feet died. If only you’d been able to complete

your analysis in a more timely fashion…well, who knows?”

WILD

• 193 •

Jac stiffened and stepped away from Eve slightly, sweeping the

area around them intently. Though he spoke as though he could see

them, Eve wasn’t convinced. “You here right now? Maybe we should

talk about this face-to-face.”

“You didn’t really enjoy our last face-to-face chat, though. Did

you, Eve?”

A chill ran down Eve’s spine. She stared at Jac’s face, keeping

herself grounded in the present. She was safe now. “Being assaulted

and threatened isn’t much fun, no.”

“By the way, she wasn’t as scared as you.” His voice lowered,

almost seductive in tone. “No woman has ever been as scared for me as

you were, Eve. It was delicious.”

Her face must have reflected the visceral disgust his words elicited,

because Jac immediately returned close to her side. “So how does this

end? You keep killing until I help the police identify you?”

“No. I keep killing until I decide you’re next. Then I kill some

more.”

Jac opened her mouth as though she planned to interject, but

Eve raised a hand to stop her. If they had even a small chance to get a

concrete lead from this phone call, Eve was willing to play along even

if it meant listening to sick threats. “Doesn’t sound like there’s much

in this for me.”

“I’m afraid not.” He took a deep breath, then exhaled as though

remembering some hazy pleasure. “Don’t worry, though. I’m not done

with you yet.”

“No?”

“I hope we can spend some more time together soon. I miss seeing

that fear in your eyes.”

Eve tensed. This could be exactly what they needed to draw him

out into the open. Hadn’t she told Jac that she wanted to stay in her

apartment for exactly that reason? But the idea that this man could get

close to her again sent her into a cold sweat. “I’m willing to meet you

at the police station. I’ll even promise to listen to whatever you want to

say—about me, about science.”

He made a sound of displeasure. “I was thinking of something

more intimate. Now tell me, Eve, what scares you more—being raped

or being cut? Or maybe both, huh? I could fuck you, then carve my

name into your face.”

Willing her voice to remain steady, Eve said, “What name would

you write?”

• 194 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“Kev. But that won’t help you find me.”

Eve’s phone beeped, signaling that he had disconnected. With a

shaking hand, Eve checked the display to be sure. He was gone. Next

to her, Jac was trembling.

“I’ll fucking kill him first.” Jac spoke in a low rumble, the intensity

of her tone drawing a few odd looks from the detectives and technicians

who had slowed in their documentation of the crime scene when it

became clear that their suspect was on the phone.

Eve grabbed Jac’s arm and pulled her away from the corpse,

turning their backs to their colleagues. “No, you won’t. If he comes for

me, we’ll grab him, then let the justice system deal with him.”

Jac’s chest rose and fell with the force of her deep, angry breathing.

“Let me get the number from your phone. We’ll try to track down the

source of the call.”

“Good luck. I have a feeling we won’t find him that way.”

“So what?” Jac snapped angrily, turning Eve’s phone on and

punching the number of her last incoming call into her own phone.

“The only way to find him is to dangle you out there as bait?”

“Maybe.”

Jac dialed his number and raised the phone to her ear. After a

moment she cursed and hung up. “He turned it off.”

“Are you surprised?”

“No. Just pissed off.” Jac pocketed her phone and returned Eve’s

with a heavy sigh. “I can’t remember ever feeling so powerless. No

matter how many times I go over the evidence or the witness statements,

I can’t find a thing. Nothing to go on, except the fucking taunts he’s

dropping like bread crumbs. Meanwhile the body count keeps rising,

and it’s only a matter of time before the media catches on that we’ve got

a serial murderer in the city. I’m desperate for a goddamn break, Eve.

That’s all I want—one goddamn break.”

“We’re going to get this guy, Jac. It’s only a matter of time before

he slips up.” Eve squeezed Jac’s elbow, speaking with a level of

confidence she didn’t really feel. “He may think he’s invincible, but I

sure as hell don’t.”

“Me either.” Exhaling, Jac bumped Eve lightly with her shoulder.

“We need to talk about your new security detail—constant surveillance

of your building, officers on you at all times. And I want you to wear a

device, a panic button.”

“Okay.” She might be stubborn, but she wasn’t stupid. “Whatever

you think’s best.”

WILD

• 195 •

That elicited genuine satisfaction from Jac. “I like the sound of

that.”“Well, don’t get used to it.” Eve bumped Jac back. “I say such

things only during emergency-serial-killer-stalker situations.”

“Well, damn. I intend for this to be the last one of those we deal

with.”“Me, too.” Taking a deep breath, Eve shook off her lingering

unease from the phone call. Now wasn’t the time to let fear sweep her

away. She refused to let Kev win. She’d beat him by doing what she did

best. “Let’s head back to the lab and prep for the autopsy. Maybe this

time he made a mistake.”

Jac gave a grim nod. “I’ll cross my fingers.”

• 196 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty-seven

Armed with a brand-new knife, a lock-picking kit, and a handful

of condoms tucked safely inside his backpack, Kevin leashed

his dog and prepared for what he knew would be a challenging day.

Going after Eve Thomas was a risk, no matter how good he was. At this

point she had as much surveillance on her as the San Francisco Police

Department could surely afford. It wasn’t exactly FBI-level protection,

but Kevin would have to be very careful if he wanted to get close to her

without being caught.

He had set tonight’s plan in motion the day he left his little

present on her doorstep. Before he left Eve’s apartment building he’d

climbed the staircase to the top floor and located the roof-access door.

Not surprisingly, it locked from the inside to prevent intruders from

breaking into the building. As Kevin had hoped, Eve’s old building had

equally old security—a simple mechanical lock and no alarm. He’d

gone home that day confident that his bump key would do the job and

get him inside. No problem.

Tonight he’d find out.

It was probably only a matter of time before the SFPD called in

the feds to assist on the case—in fact, Kevin was surprised they hadn’t

already—so this was as good a time as any to make his next move.

Deep down, Kevin was confident he could slip past the layers of Eve’s

protective detail and catch her alone. The only thing that worried him

about tonight’s operation was that he might lose control and end their

game before he was ready for it to be over.

Right now he told himself that all he wanted was more of Eve’s

fear—intoxicating as it was, the memory of her face and her shaking

voice as she pleaded for her life had kept him going for weeks now. But

it wasn’t enough anymore.

WILD

• 197 •

The challenge would be holding himself back from just ending

her life today. He had fantasized about it so many times now, lying in

bed at night imagining the warm, red flow of her blood, the terror in

her eyes when she realized her time was up. Fucking her tonight was

more for her benefit than his. He didn’t care much for sex but sensed

that violating her in that way would crush her spirit. Carving his name

in her face would be the real pleasure. It would take everything he had

to keep the wounds superficial enough that she didn’t bleed out.

When he started this thing, the point had been to be the killer

Eve Thomas couldn’t catch, the one who could outsmart both her and

the police. That this whole thing had turned into an obsession with the

woman herself was unsettling, but Kevin was long past trying to quell

his desire to take things ever further.

Today was an important day. And he wouldn’t fail.

• 198 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty-eIght

Selene had never been so exhausted. After almost two weeks

of near-constant surveillance of Eve’s every move, she

was running on only a few hours’ sleep and questioning her sanity.

Technically what she was doing felt like stalking, though her motives

were more pure than simply wanting to stay close to Eve despite no

longer being welcome in her life. Still, Selene had totally disrupted her

schedule—leaving work projects undone and grabbing catnaps only

when she was absolutely certain Eve was safe—all so that she could

stay hidden in plain sight on the periphery of Eve’s life: outside her

apartment, at the morgue, everywhere she went.

Not wanting Eve to sense her presence, Selene had made it a point

to stay far enough away not to trigger Eve’s awareness while staying

within range where she would be able to sense approaching danger. It

wasn’t that Selene didn’t trust Jac’s protective detail to do their jobs.

Selene was just in a unique position to watch without being seen and, if

necessary, to attack with incredible force. If Eve’s stalker could possibly

slip past the cops, Selene had to be there as a last line of defense. She

wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to Eve and

she could have stopped it.

Tonight, curled up as a large Rottweiler on the welcome mat in

front of Eve’s apartment door, Selene struggled to keep her eyes open.

Falling asleep would be disastrous. She would almost certainly wake

up naked and human, and if Eve found her like that she wouldn’t be

able to explain except tell the truth. Selene was working up the nerve

to do just that. She missed Eve. If the truth could help smooth things

over between them, maybe it was worth taking that risk. Keeping this

secret wouldn’t bring Eve back. After their miserable time apart, that

WILD

• 199 •

was all Selene really cared about, even more than protecting herself

from discovery.

Selene opened her mouth wide and yawned, letting out a whine

that was louder than she would have liked. She laid her head on her

paws and went still, blinking sleepily as she listened to the quiet sounds

of the building at night—the hum of an air conditioner, the gentle

flickering of the light at the end of the hallway. There was only silence

from inside Eve’s apartment, which didn’t surprise Selene at two in the

morning. Eve would be sound asleep by now. If she was able to sleep,

that was. Every day Selene saw her, Eve looked increasingly weary.

Whether she was exhausted or depressed, Selene wasn’t sure.

If Eve was going through even half the pain Selene felt at their

separation, it was probably some of both. As much as she hated to see

Eve suffer, Selene took her obvious torment as a sign of hope. Clearly

Eve’s emotional turmoil didn’t result from having a serial killer stalk

her, as if that wasn’t enough, but was due to the loss of their connection.

Selene could only hope that if Eve missed her badly enough, maybe she

wouldn’t reject Selene if she knew the truth.

Exhaling, Selene closed her eyes for the space of two breaths

before forcing them open again. She had to stay awake. She sat up

and sniffed, shaking her head in an effort to chase away the urge to

fall asleep. Mid-shake Selene froze, ears perking as she picked up an

unusual scraping sound somewhere above her head. After so many long

nights in Eve’s hallway, she knew which noises to expect, and this one

was definitely out of place.

She inhaled deeply, knowing her nose would pick up the scent

of trouble if it was truly in their midst. Right now it was difficult to

trust her instincts. It was entirely possible her sleep-deprived mind was

playing tricks on her.

There. Selene lifted her nose and sniffed rapidly. There it was, the

unmistakable scent of the man who was hunting Eve. Selene popped

her ears up, rotating them as she strained to hear his approach. Ceiling

lamps lighted the hallway so she would surely see him coming, unless

he somehow managed to enter Eve’s apartment another way—through

a window, maybe, or the ventilation system.

His scent grew stronger. Standing close to Eve’s door, Selene

pressed her ear to the wood and listened for any sign that he was

inside. Just as she began to panic, Selene heard the sound of soft

footfalls approaching the end of Eve’s hallway. It was him. Somehow

he’d managed to get into the building, apparently without arousing

• 200 •

Meghan O’BrIen

suspicion, and now Selene was all that stood between a psychopath and

the woman she loved.

Suddenly wide-awake, Selene bared her teeth in a silent snarl.

She was ready for this, ready to kill this man if it came down to that,

though she honestly hoped it wouldn’t. She wasn’t a murderer, even

when her most animalistic urges drove her. Tonight her mission was to

protect Eve and to assist the police in capturing this man so he could

be punished.

He came around the corner so quietly that Selene wouldn’t have

heard him with human ears. He was pulling on a ski mask as he entered

the hallway, so his face was covered by the time Selene had her first

good look. Disappointed that she still didn’t know what he looked like,

Selene advanced a step and released the most menacing growl she could

muster. The fur on her back stood on end, an unconscious physiological

reaction to the threat the man presented.

The man stopped, clearly surprised to find a dog guarding Eve’s

door. Selene could see his mind working, and for a moment she

wondered if he would just turn around and leave. Unfortunately, she

had a feeling he was far too determined to let an aggressive dog stop

him that easily.

Moving slowly, the man eased his backpack from his shoulders

and unzipped it. The thought that he could have a gun flashed across

Selene’s mind and she raced toward him, hoping to attack before he

could draw a weapon. When he pulled out a knife instead of the gun

she had been expecting, she skidded to a stop. The closer she got, the

better the chance he would slice her with his blade. Though she would

heal quickly from most wounds, she wasn’t invincible. Caution was

important.

“That’s right, pup. Back off.”

Selene growled again. Beneath the sour smell of fear Selene

could pick up the lingering scent of his excitement. His adrenaline

was flowing, just like hers. Saliva dripped from her mouth, a primal

response brought on by her urge to tear him apart. She knew it looked

intimidating and so she played it up, snapping her jaw at him as she

lunged forward then danced back.

“Goddamn it.” The man grimaced, stumbling backward. He was

obviously nervous, no doubt remembering the last time she’d sunk her

teeth into him. Selene had no qualms about doing it again, and causing

damage this time. “First a wolf, now this.”

Pulling back her lips, Selene barked loudly. That would wake

WILD

• 201 •

some people up. Maybe even get the cops in here. Clearly alarmed, the

man came at her swinging his knife. Unprepared for the quickness of

his reaction, Selene yelped when the edge of his blade sliced into her

back. The wound was shallow and would heal before the night was

over, but she drew back a few steps to get away. Then she barked again.

She barked her fool head off.

“Fuck.” Leaving her with a murderous glare, the man took off

running even as Selene heard a door open behind her.

Selene turned to see Eve poke her head out into the hallway,

tentative and confused. Horrified that Eve would leave the safety of

her apartment for even an instant, Selene growled and barked again,

pleased when Eve disappeared inside quickly. Knowing that Eve would

surely alert the police of the disturbance in the hallway, Selene ran in

the direction the killer had gone, following his fresh trail with ease.

She ran up the stairs, until she got to a door that said Roof Access.

The door was closed so Selene shifted into human form just long

enough to turn the knob, then she changed into a bird as she threw

herself outside. As tired as she was, every shift took enormous effort.

But she was determined not to lose him this time. If she had to go

through her entire wildlife repertoire to make sure she could follow him

home, she would.

She needed to know where this fucker lived.

Flying high into the sky, Selene spotted the killer hurrying along

the roof of the building next to Eve’s. He hopped from that one to the

adjacent building, making his way farther down the block. Eve’s street

was lined with buildings that stood so close together they practically

touched, a San Francisco staple. It made sense that he would choose to

use the crowded architecture to his advantage. The cops were watching

the area at the street level, and only on Eve’s block. No wonder he was

able to get into her building undetected.

Selene followed him to the roof of the corner building, where he

escaped inside via the roof-access door. Rather than follow him inside

where she might get trapped, she swooped down to the street, taking

note of the two doors from which he could emerge. She guessed he

would take the side door since it couldn’t be seen from Eve’s street.

Perching on a wire that powered the Muni electric trolley, she held

her breath as she waited for him to appear. It occurred to her that there

could be another way out of the building she wasn’t able to see, but

just as she started to worry that she’d lost him, the door opened and he

stumbled outside.

• 202 •

Meghan O’BrIen

The ski mask was gone. What struck Selene first about his

appearance was his total lack of hair. His bald scalp shone in the

moonlight, making him look sinister in a way that turned her blood to

ice. She estimated he was in his mid thirties and guessed that the hair

loss wasn’t natural. Light stubble gave away his head as shaved.

Selene flapped her wings and took off from the wire, swooping

low enough to stay close. She didn’t want to risk losing him if he

suddenly descended into an underground BART station. He adjusted his

backpack, looked around, then pulled a baseball cap onto his head. He

kept his steps deliberate and measured, as though he was merely taking

a late-night stroll instead of escaping from the scene of an attempted

crime.

The killer crossed the street at the corner, detouring into a small

neighborhood park. Selene expected him to cut across to the other side,

but instead he stopped at a play structure and bent down low. Shocked,

Selene realized that he was untying a small dog that wagged its tail in

excitement. He yanked hard on the leash, practically dragging the poor

mutt back onto the sidewalk.

Clever. He’d walked into that park as a man who was out

suspiciously late, conspicuous in a hat, wearing a backpack. And

now he was leaving as a responsible pet owner who’d taken his dog

out for a late-night potty break. Even if the cops drove by now, they

wouldn’t necessarily decide he looked out of place. The only thing out

of the ordinary about him was the anger Selene could practically feel

emanating from his large frame.

Unfortunately his dog bore the brunt of that rage. Every so often

the man would pop the leash hard, seemingly for no other reason than

to make the dog whimper in discomfort. Selene kept up her silent vigil

overhead, worried for the little mutt. The man was obviously furious

that his plans had been thwarted, by a fellow dog, no less.

Selene’s mind raced as he turned down a residential street. She

assumed he was parked somewhere nearby and worried about her

ability to follow him once he got into a car. At this time of night, traffic

would be light, and if he chose to speed away, she could have trouble

keeping up.

At once an idea occurred to Selene, one so crazy she knew it had

merit. If it worked, she would solve two problems at once: discovering

where the killer lived and rescuing the man’s unfortunate pup from what

she imagined would be a gruesome fate once they got there. Without

allowing herself to second-guess her instincts, she descended onto the

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• 203 •

sidewalk just behind the man and, when he didn’t react to her presence,

she shifted into the biggest, meanest dog she could imagine.

Sending out a silent apology to the little mutt she was about to

terrorize, Selene took off running after the man and his dog with a low

snarl. Immediately the little dog went on the defensive, yapping noisily

as Selene closed in. The man watched her approach with wide eyes, as

though he either didn’t understand or didn’t believe what he was seeing.

Prepared to wrench the leash from his hand with her teeth, Selene was

thrilled when he simply dropped it and the little dog tore off down the

street. Selene gave chase, feeling simultaneously guilty and overjoyed

at being able to give in to her natural urge to pursue.

As soon as she and the dog ran around a corner out of the man’s

sight, Selene forced herself to stop. Breathing heavily, she checked to

make sure the street was still deserted, then ducked into a narrow alley

to shift into yet another new form, that of the man’s little dog. She

trotted out quickly, worried that the man would reach his car before she

could make her way back to him.

Her legs were shorter now so she had to run at top speed to catch

up, but luckily she was able to close the distance between her and the

killer without a problem. Her exhaustion returned swiftly as she circled

in front of the man, whining to be picked up. She wore no leash and

hoped the man would accept the idea that she’d slipped out of her collar

during the altercation with the larger dog.

The man stared down at her, clearly surprised that his dog had

returned. He glanced back over his shoulder, undoubtedly checking to

see if the big dog was still in pursuit. The sidewalk was empty. Selene

whined again and danced around, hoping he wouldn’t just decide to

abandon her here.

“Stupid mutt,” he muttered, bending to roughly grab the scruff of

her neck and lift her into his arms. “Thought you’d be dinner by now.”

Selene pushed back the desire to vomit at the sensation of being

carried beneath his arm, surrounded by his pungent scent. She stayed

very still and didn’t wiggle, afraid that his patience was worn too thin

to allow him to put up with a difficult pet. She needed him to take her

home, at the very least. Once she was there she’d figure out how to

escape, making sure she could retrace her steps and lead Eve and the

police to his door.

He carried her two more blocks before walking to the driver’s-

side door of a nondescript Toyota, using a fob to unlock the car, then

practically tossing her into the passenger seat. He threw his backpack

• 204 •

Meghan O’BrIen

on top of her, unzipping the largest pocket to stuff his baseball cap

inside. Then he started the car with a quiet curse.

“I should be fucking her right now.” He threw the car into drive

with an angry jerk of his wrist. “I should be torturing that bitch, but

instead a goddamn dog ruins everything.” As he pulled away from

the curb, he pinned Selene with a murderous glare. “Stupid fucking

dogs.”

Selene avoided his gaze and sat very still, pretending to be a

statue. She sensed that one wrong move would provoke violence, and

her options for evading injury were limited inside a locked car. Hoping

that he would be satisfied with ranting and raving, at least until they got

home, Selene watched him from the corner of her eye as he ground his

teeth together.

Angling her head so she could peer into his backpack, she spotted

his knife and a foil packet that turned her stomach. From his words

and the objects he carried, she had a good idea what he’d planned to

do at Eve’s apartment tonight. Her muscles weakened and she slumped

against the back of the seat, overcome by intense gratitude that she’d

been able to stop him.

The man spent the rest of the drive in silence. Selene watched

out the window, paying attention to their route through the city. He

appeared to be heading south, and when he got on 101, she realized that

he was driving them out of the city. It was little wonder that she’d never

been able to track him successfully in the past.

Slamming his hand against the steering wheel, the man roared,

“Fuck!”

At that moment Selene comprehended just how precarious

her situation was. She hadn’t really thought at all before deciding to

disguise herself as the killer’s dog so she could go home with him.

Trapped inside a car with a furious psychopath, she might be in real

danger. Though Selene rarely feared for her personal safety, confident

that her physical abilities would enable her to escape from serious harm,

a very real sense of fear crept up her spine. She wanted to do two things

before she made her escape—learn the killer’s name and memorize his

address. How she would convince Eve that the information was good

was a problem for another time. Selene hoped she could find what she

needed, then make her escape in one piece.

Only a few miles from the exit to the San Francisco International

Airport, the man pulled off the highway and drove into the well-lit

parking lot of an expensive-looking apartment complex. Without

WILD

• 205 •

moving, Selene mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen.

She hoped he’d carry her upstairs to his place, then put her down and let

her explore. From the anger and adrenaline that obviously continued to

surge through his veins, he might take out his desire to hurt something

on her. She needed to be ready to react to whatever happened.

The man parked his car then pocketed his keys. He zipped his

backpack, grabbing it as he opened the driver’s door and got out.

Selene waited in the passenger seat, unsure whether she should follow.

He gestured impatiently.

“Come on, you fucker.” As she scrambled onto the driver’s seat he

reached out and hauled her up by the scruff of her neck, shaking hard.

“I’ve got plans for you.”

Selene bared her teeth on instinct, shaken by the malice in his

voice. She knew she was about to have to fight for her life and steeled

her nerve. But she didn’t shift yet, or attempt to run away. She needed

to learn more so she had something solid to tell Eve.

He shook her again. “Don’t you growl at me. I’m bigger. I’ll

win.”With effort Selene relaxed her mouth. If she pushed him into

snapping her neck right here in the parking lot, everything she’d done

tonight would be a waste. If he managed to kill her she would shift back

into human form, she assumed, and with an inexplicable naked female

corpse on his hands, who knew whether the man would retreat into

hiding. She needed to flush him out so he could be captured, not send

him running scared.

He carried her under his arm like she was an inanimate object,

with absolutely no tenderness. Climbing the stairs to the third floor,

he moved quietly. For a man of his height, which she would put at just

over six feet tall, he was incredibly light on his feet. Clearly stealth was

a real strength for him.

When they got to a door marked 12C, the man stopped and dug his

keys out of his backpack. He unlocked the door and literally threw her

into the darkness of his apartment. A hard object caught her across the

hip and sent her tumbling to the ground. Whimpering in pain, Selene

forced herself to stand and scamper behind the couch. She wanted to be

out of sight before he turned on the lights. Perhaps that would also put

her out of mind.

The overhead lamp came to life, illuminating the apartment.

From behind the couch, Selene couldn’t see much except worn brown

carpeting and a couple of massive dust bunnies. She hunkered down

• 206 •

Meghan O’BrIen

and listened, hoping he would simply decide to go to bed. Best-case

scenario, he’d give her some time alone to gather information so she

could sneak out and fly home to Eve. If she could discover his name

and address, it would be over. Eve would be safe.

Selene didn’t move as he stomped heavily out of the room. The

sound of his backpack hitting the ground startled her, and then a door

slammed. A moment later she heard water running. That meant he

was probably in the bathroom. This could be her chance to look for

evidence.

Poking her head out from behind the couch, Selene took a tentative

step away from safety. She scanned the room frantically as she searched

for some clue as to what she should do next. She’d undertaken this

mission with very little thought about the best way to get what she

needed.

A banging noise came from a distant room, followed by an angry

curse. The muffled, indistinct noise reassured Selene that he had indeed

locked himself in another room. She spotted the corner of a magazine

hanging over the edge of a coffee table and scurried over, eager to

explore. There could be an address label on that magazine. If not,

maybe she’d get lucky and find a stack of mail.

Too short to see what was on the surface, she hopped up and braced

her paws against the edge of the table. The magazine had been discarded

cover-down, obscuring any possible evidence of a subscription. Aware

that she had very little time to act, Selene weighed her options. It would

be far more difficult to conduct this search as a small terrier mix. She

didn’t have height, but, more important, she didn’t have hands. Clearly

she would need to move things around and really dig through this

guy’s belongings, fast, if she wanted to get something useful before he

returned to the main room.

Taking a deep breath, Selene quickly shifted back into human

form. Even without a canine’s keen senses, she should be able to hear

when he left the bathroom. As soon as that door opened, she’d simply

shift. If necessary she’d try again later, after he’d gone to bed. Being

discovered in his apartment—naked, no less—wasn’t an option. She

had no doubt he would know who she was, since he’d obviously been

watching Eve. Even if she escaped unharmed, her presence would

surely alert him to danger and send him running.

All too conscious that this opportunity was rapidly passing her by,

Selene quickly turned over the magazine. No label. Probably purchased

from a bookstore. She shouldn’t be surprised—this was a man with a

WILD

• 207 •

keen interest in staying off the grid. But that didn’t mean there wouldn’t

be some other piece of evidence hidden in his apartment. It hardly

seemed possible that anyone could completely divorce himself from

modern society to the point where he didn’t at least receive a utility

bill, or something.

Selene raced around his apartment, quickly flipping through

various papers stacked here and there. For some reason she’d expected

him to keep a tidier home—too many serial-killer movies featuring

meticulous psychopaths, Selene supposed—but in reality he had a

dizzying array of books, journals, and loose papers stacked precariously

on nearly every flat surface. He even had a copy of the book Eve had

written, Listening to the Dead. Since it was dog-eared and worn, he had

obviously read it over and over. It took tremendous willpower not to

pick it up and destroy it, if only because she knew it fed his obsession.

But he would surely miss it, and she didn’t want to tip him off.

Spotting a small window above the kitchen sink, Selene took a

break from her search and ran over to pry it open a few inches. Better

to ensure she’d have a clear escape route later than leave that important

detail to chance.

Finally Selene found exactly what she was after, an electric bill

that he’d opened and cast aside on the kitchen counter. She picked it

up with shaking hands, groaning when she saw that he’d reinserted the

bill into the envelope the wrong way, making it impossible to see the

address through the plastic window. That’s when she realized how quiet

the apartment suddenly was. The sound of running water had stopped.

Jerking her head around, she searched the hallway down which

she assumed the man had gone. Empty. Surely she would have heard

the bathroom door open if he’d emerged. That she hadn’t meant that

she might have just a bit more time. Nerves shot, she fumbled with the

envelope, tearing the folded sheet of paper from inside and clumsily

manipulating it until she could read the text.

A door opened somewhere beyond the empty hallway. Heavy

footsteps approached. Selene searched numbers and letters that looked

strangely like gibberish, desperate to locate the information she needed

before she was forced to shift out of human form. Breathlessly, she

spotted it just as she caught a glimpse of the man’s shadow moving

across the threshold of the room he was about to exit.

Kevin Pike. 106 South Third Street, Apartment 12C, Burlingame.

Selene repeated it to herself even as she transformed into the poor little

dog. Kevin Pike. 106 South Third Street. Apartment 12C. Burlingame.

• 208 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Who knew if it was his real name or an alias? Selene wasn’t sure it

mattered. She had somewhere to lead the police. Soon Eve wouldn’t

have to live in fear.

“Dog.” The man’s voice cut through the silence of the apartment,

sending her already-accelerated heartbeat into near arrest. He spoke

with a light, singsong tone, but Selene easily read the malice within that

single word. “Come out, come out. I’ve got something for you.”

Selene cursed her impulsive decision to change back into his dog.

Becoming an insect would have been better. Though that form was

awkward to control, it worked well for staying hidden. Aware that her

opportunity for escape was slipping away, Selene called up a mental

image of a housefly and sent her body a silent command to mimic its

form. Usually the transformation happened automatically. All she had

to do was think it to make it so.

Usually, but not this time.

Horrified when her body refused to obey her mind, she skittered

backward across the kitchen tile. Still trapped in a small dog’s body, she

could do little to protect herself. She could bite him, sure, but probably

not hard enough to dissuade him from harming her. Certainly not hard

enough to stop him. Her only real option for escape was to shift. Either

because she was exhausted or the universe had decided to turn against

her, she seemed to have run out of juice.

Selene closed her eyes and tried again. When she shifted, her body

would tingle as though someone was passing a current through her

bones, and sometimes her stomach would flip-flop in a way that wasn’t

entirely unpleasant. She’d discovered how to do it by accident when

she was eight years old. Watching the family dog tear around their farm

chasing butterflies looking like the happiest creature on earth, Selene

only had to wish for that happiness to transform into a dog. Delighted,

she’d spent nearly an hour playing with Daisy the border collie in a

whole new way. From that day forward she knew how to shift, whether

she wanted to or not. It had never failed her before.

Until now. No matter how badly she wanted to become a fly, her

furry paws remained stubbornly planted on the cool kitchen floor.

Ironic that the ability she’d always yearned to lose would go away

when she needed it most. Maybe the first time she’d ever truly needed

it. She dashed under the kitchen table, buying herself perhaps only

seconds more. She closed her eyes tight. Fly. A fly. She needed to be a

fly.

WILD

• 209 •

“There you are.” A foot caught her behind her bottom, sweeping her

forward across the kitchen floor. Selene used the momentum to propel

herself down the hallway into a dark bedroom. She crawled beneath the

bed, heart thumping against the sour-smelling carpet. Trembling, she

listened to Kevin Pike storm his way into the bedroom. “Let’s see how

fast you run when I pin you to the fucking door with this knife.”

This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Selene moved to the

very center of the bed and curled into a tight ball, hoping he wouldn’t

be able to reach in and grab her. Getting caught would put Eve’s safety

in jeopardy. And the thought of never seeing Eve again was too painful

to bear. Finally Selene had something to live for, just when she was

closest to death.

With that thought in mind, she focused on an image of what she

wanted to be. A housefly: red eyes, sponging mouth parts, translucent

wings. Tiny. Capable of escaping the nightmare she was currently in.

A thrilling jolt of electricity shot down to the tips of her paws and

her perception of the world changed. The carpet rushed up to meet her,

the underside of the mattress suddenly far above her head. A dark shape

appeared to her left, and a frighteningly large hand reached toward

her. Selene took off, zipping out from beneath the bed on the opposite

side from where Kevin Pike crouched, searching for his dog. She flew

to the ceiling, exhilarated by her narrow escape. Below her, Kevin

grunted in frustration, banging his head against the bed frame with an

angry curse. He fumbled with the lamp on his nightstand in an effort

to turn it on. With the room dimly lit, he dropped back to the floor and

searched under the bed.

“Where are you, little fucker?”

That was enough for Selene. She didn’t want to stay inside his

apartment one moment longer than necessary. She had what she needed.

Kevin Pike. 106 South Third Street, Apartment 12C, Burlingame.

As she flew out the kitchen window, she heard a loud crash in

the bedroom. She couldn’t be sure, but she’d bet he was tearing the

place apart looking for that poor little dog. Pleased with the knowledge

that she’d saved one life tonight, Selene used her last bit of energy to

shift into a bird and pointed back toward San Francisco, ready to save

another.

• 210 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter tWenty-nIne

Still in her pajamas at ten o’clock in the morning, Eve stretched

out on her couch with a large bowl of cereal and an oversized

spoon, ready for a long, pathetic Saturday at home. Going out was hardly

worth the effort. She didn’t want to do anything outside her own four

walls badly enough to justify dragging San Francisco’s finest along.

Besides, in her apartment she didn’t have to worry about watching her

back. Out in the city streets, everything seemed ominous these days.

Picking up the remote, Eve clicked on the television just as her cell

phone buzzed its way toward the edge of the coffee table. She sighed,

muting the sound of the black-and-white movie playing onscreen. When

she looked at the cell phone’s display and saw Selene’s number flashing,

her stomach twisted. Two weeks had passed since their argument and

this was the first time Selene had called. Their only communication had

been the text message Selene sent the morning after, saying she loved

Eve and wished she had the courage to explain. Eve had taken that as

good-bye. Not having expected to hear from Selene again, she was torn

about what to do.

Part of her wanted to ignore the call. If their relationship hadn’t

been important enough for Selene to fight for two weeks ago, Eve didn’t

know what Selene could possibly say to fix things now. But the bigger

part of her, the part that desperately missed the way she felt when they

were together, wanted to give Selene a chance to try.

Swallowing against the lump in her throat, Eve answered the

phone. “Hello.”

“Eve.” At the sound of Selene’s voice, so full of emotion, the lump

grew bigger, nearly choking her. “Thank you for taking my call.”

“What do you want?”

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• 211 •

“I need to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Eve set down her bowl of cereal, no longer hungry.

“Talk.”

“Not on the phone. May I come over?”

Eve closed her eyes. She wanted Selene to do just that more than

anything. But not this Selene—she yearned for the Selene she could

trust, the one who could somehow make all her troubles melt away.

Who shrank the world down to just the two of them, so connected in

the safety of their little bubble that nothing else seemed to matter. Eve

didn’t have the energy to deal with Selene the liar, the coward who

refused to take responsibility for her actions.

Eve shook her head. “I can’t do this, Selene. I really can’t. There’s

too much crazy in my life at the moment to deal with what happened

between us. Maybe later. Just not right now.”

A long, uncomfortable silence stretched out before Selene spoke.

“I deserve that, I know. But I need to tell you something important

about the man who’s stalking you.”

“What?”

“Let me come over and I’ll explain—everything. I promise.”

Shocked, Eve tried to imagine what information Selene could

possibly have. Even knowing that Selene had called in the first victim’s

body to the police, never once had Eve truly believed that Selene knew

more than she let on. It had seemed impossible that she could hold

back, knowing Eve’s safety was on the line.

Clearly she’d never really known Selene at all.

Wary, Eve said, “If you have information about the case, I can set

up an interview for you with Detective Battle. You can tell Jac whatever

you think we should know.”

“No, I can’t.” Urgency permeated Selene’s tone. “This is something

I need to tell you. Then you can help me decide how, and what, to tell

Jac.”“How about you talk to me with Jac present in the room?”

“Some of what I need to tell you, Jac can’t know.” As though

aware of how much she was asking, Selene sighed deeply. When she

spoke again, she sounded on the verge of tears. “Please trust me, Eve.

You know I’d never hurt you. Right?”

Funny thing was, Eve did trust her, even if she didn’t want to.

“Okay. Why don’t we meet somewhere for coffee?”

“I’d rather have some privacy. Either your place or mine.”

• 212 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Exhaling, Eve said, “You’re not making this easy, Selene.”

“I know. But some of what I have to tell you really needs to stay

between you and me. It’s…there’s something I’ve never told anyone,

about me. Something you need to know. I hope…I hope it helps you

understand.”

Eve couldn’t ignore the earnestness in Selene’s voice. She sounded

resolute and passionate, crumbling Eve’s determination to keep her

distance. She told herself that didn’t mean she was a fool. This was a

woman she’d fallen for, hard, uncharacteristically quickly. There had

been something real between them. Maybe there still was.

“I was planning to spend today on the couch,” Eve said, “watching

old movies. Come over whenever you want.”

“Great. Thanks.” Beneath Selene’s relief, Eve sensed an

undercurrent of fear. “I’ll be over soon.”

“I’ll need to tell Jac and the others that you’re coming,” Eve said,

before Selene could hang up. “So they’ll let you through.”

“Okay.”

“I won’t let Jac know you have new information. You and I can

talk first. Then we’ll decide what to tell her.”

“That’s all I ask.” Selene exhaled shakily. “Thank you, Eve.”

Eve hoped she hadn’t just agreed to something she’d regret. She’d

do anything for more information about her stalker, but she wasn’t

exactly ready to have her heart stomped on again. Whatever Selene

needed to tell her, she hoped it was worth the risk. “You’re welcome.

I’ll see you later.”

Disconnecting their call, Eve took a deep breath before pulling up

Jac’s number and clicking the Send button. Jac answered on the second

ring. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Eve said. “I wanted to make you aware that I

have a visitor coming over this afternoon.”

“Okay. Who?”

Eve hesitated. “Selene.”

She didn’t have to see Jac’s face to know she was scowling. “Oh,

really.”

“She wants to talk.” Eve bit her lip, committed to keeping her

promise about not telling Jac everything. Not yet. “Don’t judge me.”

“I’m not.”

Eve knew that was a lie. Whether or not Jac knew the real reason

for Selene’s visit, Eve didn’t like Jac thinking she was foolish. “You

are. And I’m asking you not to.”

WILD

• 213 •

“Okay,” Jac said in a tight voice. “I just care about you. You don’t

need her bullshit right now.”

“I’ll be fine. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was expecting

her.” “Of course. If you need anything, you know how to call me.”

Eve barked out a humorless laugh. “Come on, Jac. Talking to

Selene is hardly panic-button material.”

“You never know.”

Rolling her eyes, Eve said, “I’ll see you later, Jac. Enjoy your

Saturday.”

“You, too.”

Eve hung up, tossing her phone aside. She eyed her cereal, but her

appetite had vanished. She was going to see Selene again. Groaning,

she slumped on the couch and turned up the sound on the television,

hoping to drown out her anxious thoughts.

She didn’t know what she wanted to have happen. Actually, that

was a lie. Though the strictly rational part of her brain rebelled at the

girlish, fairy-tale notion, Eve wished for some kind of happily-ever-

after, no matter how improbable it seemed.

v

Less than an hour after Eve hung up with Selene, she heard a knock

on her door. She didn’t need to look through the peephole to know who

it was. She could feel Selene’s presence in her belly, a strange curl of

electricity that hadn’t been there since the night Selene lied about being

out of town—the last time they were together. Eve had imagined feeling

that same spark of connection numerous times since their breakup, but

that had been pathetic yearning. This was the real thing.

Eve walked to the door on rubbery legs, steeling herself for the sight

of Selene’s face. She knew it would hit her hard, seeing Selene again,

and she worried she would lose her head and leap into Selene’s waiting

arms. Two weeks hadn’t been sufficient time to build a wall around

her heart strong enough to keep Selene out. Despite the pain Selene

had caused, Eve still missed her desperately. It would take everything

she had not to surrender her anger to her desire to be wrapped up in

Selene’s warm embrace.

Calling up an image of the blond woman who had disappeared into

Selene’s house the night she was supposedly leaving town, Eve took a

deep breath and checked the peephole, just in case. Even distorted by

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Meghan O’BrIen

the fish-eye lens, Selene looked stunning. Eve’s heart thundered as she

undid the chain and pulled the door open. The instant Eve’s eyes met

Selene’s, every bit of Eve’s willpower dissolved.

“Eve—” Selene stepped forward then jerked to a halt. She fisted

her hands at her sides, clearly holding back. “You look beautiful.”

Cursing the trembling of her fingers, Eve whispered, “So do you.”

She stepped aside and gestured for Selene to enter. “Come in.”

As Selene walked past her into the living room, Eve inhaled

deeply, savoring her scent. She followed Selene inside, working hard

to keep her expression neutral. Judging from the rapid rise and fall of

Selene’s chest, Selene saw the desire in Eve’s every movement. To her

credit, she didn’t seem to take that as an invitation to initiate physical

contact.

Eve almost wished she would.

“Sit down.” Hurrying to take a seat on the far end of the couch, Eve

sighed in relief as soon as she got off her feet. Weak-kneed and dizzy

in Selene’s presence, she felt like a ridiculous, lovesick schoolgirl. This

was what got her into trouble in the first place—letting her emotions

overrule a healthy sense of caution. Eve already knew Selene was a liar.

She couldn’t forget that just because she smelled good.

Selene sank onto the other end of the couch, shooting Eve a

nervous look. “I’ve missed you.”

Eve bit back the urge to confess just how much she’d missed

Selene, too. “You said you had information about the Golden Gate Park

killer.”

Swallowing, Selene said, “Yes.” She twisted her hands in her lap,

looking so anxious that Eve’s stomach roiled in sympathy. “I have a lot

to tell you, but I don’t know where to start.”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

Selene opened her mouth then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m…

I’m really nervous.”

“Okay.” Having Selene so close—and wanting her so badly—was

starting to wear on Eve’s patience. Especially when it seemed more and

more like maybe Selene’s involvement in this case went deeper than

Eve wanted to believe. “Why don’t you just tell me what you know

about this guy? We can go from there.”

Exhaling, Selene reached into her pocket and withdrew a folded

sheet of paper. She passed it to Eve, watching her face for a reaction

when Eve unfolded it and read the elegant lettering inside. Kevin Pike,

106 South Third Street, Apartment 12C, Burlingame. Eve gasped as the

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enormity of what Selene had just given her registered. The last thing

she’d expected was a name and address.

Eve looked up and met Selene’s worried gaze. “What’s this?”

“The name of the man who’s after you.” Selene’s accent seemed

more pronounced than usual, her words coming out brittle and

clipped. “The address is an apartment building in Burlingame, near the

airport.”

Eve’s stomach sank. The man on the phone had said his name was

Kev, and now Selene was giving her the name and address of a Kevin.

Not one to believe in coincidence, Eve immediately accepted that

Selene was telling the truth. Sickened by the thought that Selene had

known something that could have led to this man’s capture weeks ago,

that she’d sat on information that could have saved lives, Eve glared at

her in anger.

“Jac interviewed you almost two weeks ago. Why didn’t you give

her this information then?” Unable to tamp down her rage, Eve’s voice

rose. “Another woman died, Selene. If you’d just come clean when you

told us you made the phone call, she’d still be alive.”

Selene flinched. “I didn’t know who he was then.”

“Really? What, so this is the result of some detective work on your

part? You were able to crack the case the entire San Francisco homicide

division hasn’t been able to solve?” Aware that she was swiftly losing

control of her temper, Eve shouted, “Is that your big secret, Selene?

You’re a crime-fighting superhero?”

Selene wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Maybe I should just go.”

“No.” Eve fingered the charm she wore around her neck, Jac’s

panic button. “If you’re involved in this mess, you’re going to be held

accountable. I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is.”

Finally Selene looked her in the face, eyes blazing. “Involved? You

think I had something to do with your attack? With those murders?”

“I don’t know what to think.” Eve waved the piece of paper in the

air. “If you’re not involved, how in the world did you get this?”

“I followed him.”

“Followed him when? How?”

“Last night he came to your apartment about two o’clock in the

morning. A dog scared him away from your door.” Selene swallowed

convulsively. “The detectives didn’t see him because he entered the

building from the roof, then escaped the same way.”

Eve’s breath caught. She’d heard a barking dog in the hallway

about two in the morning the night before, but she hadn’t seen anyone

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Meghan O’BrIen

else. When she’d called the detectives who stood guard down in the

lobby, they assured her that no one had entered or left the building. A

subsequent sweep of the hallways hadn’t turned up any sign of the dog,

either. Eve didn’t understand how Selene could know any of this. More

important, she couldn’t fathom how Selene could have slipped into the

building without alerting anyone to her presence. Or why she would

have done so in the first place.

“I wanted to make sure you were safe,” Selene said quietly. “When

I realized I had the opportunity to follow him and maybe find out where

he lived, I had to take it.”

Though some aspects of the story rang true, Eve couldn’t believe

that Selene had been able to not only sneak past her protective detail,

but also follow her stalker all the way to Burlingame without being

caught. It sounded impossible. Shaking her head, Eve said, “I’m sorry,

this just doesn’t make any sense. Let’s say you managed to get into my

building without any of the cops on the street or in the lobby noticing.

And let’s say that this guy broke in via the roof-access door—which

is supposed to be locked from the inside, by the way—again, without

anybody noticing. Even if I believed all that, I can’t imagine how you

could have managed to trail him not only across the roof, but then all

the way to Burlingame? Without him noticing?”

To describe the look on Selene’s face as that of a deer in the

headlights would be unfair to the deer. Never before had Eve seen

such excruciating panic on display. Selene bent at the waist, swaying

as though she might be sick, and exhaled shakily. Then she shot to her

feet, tugging her shirt over her head and tossing it onto the floor.

Startled, Eve held up her hands. “Whoa. What are you doing?”

Selene walked to the window and drew the blinds, then reached

behind her back to unhook her bra. She turned to face Eve, mouth set

in a grim line. “I need to show you something. Because if I just tell it to

you, you won’t believe me.”

Eve shielded her eyes, irritated by her body’s instant reaction to

the sight of Selene’s bare breasts. “Is it really necessary to take off your

clothes?”

“Well, yes. Kind of.” Selene cleared her throat. “Eve. Look at

me.” Sighing heavily, Eve lowered her hand and swallowed hard at the

sight of Selene’s gloriously naked curves. “You’d better not be messing

with me, Selene. I mean it.”

Selene looked intensely serious. Holding her arms at her sides, she

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• 217 •

took another deep breath, clearly gathering her courage. “I was able to

follow Kevin Pike that night because he never saw me. Well, he did, but

he didn’t realize it was me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know,” Selene said quietly. “You will in a moment. Just…

promise me one thing?”

“What?”

“Please don’t freak out. I swear I’ll explain the best I can, but…”

Selene shook out her hands. “Just don’t panic.”

Tired of the dramatics, Eve propped her head on her hand and

feigned boredom. “I promise I won’t freak out.”

And then the impossible happened. Selene simply disappeared as

her body seemed to melt into a different shape. One moment she was

there, and the next, she wasn’t. In her place stood a brown dog with sad,

serious eyes.

Eve freaked out. Screaming, she leapt up from the couch and

scrambled backward, nearly losing her balance in her haste to put some

distance between herself and the dog that used to be Selene. Heart

thundering, Eve shook her head in disbelief. That couldn’t possibly

have just happened.

The dog startled, then smoothly grew upward and morphed into

Selene. The process of transformation was so bizarre to witness that

Eve’s scream died in her throat as her scientific mind took over. How

did Selene’s skeletal system handle that type of dramatic change? What

happened to the extra body mass when she became the dog, which was

far smaller than her human form? Was her ability the result of a genetic

anomaly or some environmental agent? What the fuck was she?

A heavy pounding shook the apartment door on its hinges. “Eve!”

Jac’s voice boomed out, deep and commanding, but tight with fear.

“Open the door or I’ll open it myself.”

Standing naked in the middle of her living room, Selene appeared

terrified. She looked down at her body, then up at Eve, as though

imagining exactly what Jac would make of this situation. Torn out of

her stupor by the sense that Selene was about to vanish again, maybe

for good, Eve picked up Selene’s pants and tossed them into her arms.

“I’m fine, Jac! Just give me a moment,” Eve shouted toward the

door. In a lower voice, she said, “Get dressed. Go in my bedroom and

stay there. We need to talk, but first let me get rid of Jac.”

Fear flashed across Selene’s face. “You’re not going to tell her?”

The terror in the softly spoken words tugged at Eve’s heart. Selene

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Meghan O’BrIen

clearly expected Eve’s hatred, not loyalty. “I’m not telling her anything

until you and I have a chance to discuss this. Now go.”

“Eve.” Jac banged on the door. “If you don’t open this door

immediately, I’m using my key.”

Flustered by Jac’s persistence, Eve gestured at Selene’s discarded

bra. “Take your clothes.”

Selene gathered her clothing and rushed out of the room without

speaking, closing Eve’s bedroom door behind her. Eve dashed over to

the apartment door and opened it, unsurprised to find Jac with key in

hand. “I’m sure the neighbors appreciated that,” Eve said, managing a

tense smile. “What’s wrong, Jac?”

“You tell me.” Jac shouldered her way past Eve into the apartment.

Her visual sweep of the living room was anything but subtle. She

walked to the kitchen and glanced inside as Eve closed the door behind

them. “Selene gets here and five minutes later you’re screaming bloody

murder. Where is that bitch?”

“Wait a second, were you standing guard outside my door?”

“Where is she?”

Eve waited until Jac turned to look at her. Then she folded her

arms over her chest and tried to act casual yet annoyed. “She’s in the

bathroom. I screamed because a rat ran across the floor.”

“A rat?” Jac gave her a skeptical once-over. “Since when are you

the kind of chick who screams about rats?”

“When it’s in my apartment, I scream. He surprised me.”

Jac studied her face carefully. Then she relaxed, even as her gaze

kept straying over Eve’s shoulder, to the master bedroom. Stepping

closer, Jac dropped her voice to a whisper. “Just tell me. Did she hurt

you?”“No.” Eve planted her hands on her hips. “Selene and I have

stuff to work out, definitely, but she would never lay a hand on me.”

Obviously Eve had a lot to learn about Selene, but she felt confident

about that. “Seriously, Jac. I’m fine. And you need to go.”

Studying her for a few moments longer, Jac nodded and walked

stiffly to the door. “Sorry I bothered you.”

“It’s fine.” Eve forced a light chuckle. “You’re right. I’m not really

much of a screamer. I’m sure it sounded pretty crazy.”

Jac didn’t join in her laughter. “It sounded terrifying.”

The genuine concern in Jac’s voice warmed Eve, gentling her

tone. “I’m sorry.” Eve patted Jac on the back as she walked out the

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door. “I do appreciate knowing that you can get to me quickly in case

something really happens, though.”

Giving her an expression of resigned sorrow, Jac said, “Fine. Use

your necklace if you need to.”

“I will. Thanks.” Eve closed the door behind Jac, then turned

around, slumping against the cool wood. She pressed a hand to her

forehead, stunned by this sudden turn of events. Knowing that Selene

was waiting for a reaction beyond pure, noisy astonishment, Eve walked

to the bedroom on shaking legs.

Selene sat on the foot of her bed fully dressed, holding her head

in her hands. She glanced up when Eve entered the room, then quickly

got to her feet. “I should have prepared you better than I did. I’m so

sorry…I never meant to frighten you.”

Eve cut Selene off with a shake of her head. “Selene, even if you’d

told me, ‘I’m going to turn into a dog now,’ I still would have screamed.

That was…unbelievable.”

“I know.” The sadness in Selene’s voice was palpable.

“Will you do it again?”

Eyes widening, Selene opened and closed her mouth before

whispering, “Seriously?”

“I need to see that again.” Eve gave Selene a sheepish smile. “For

the sake of scientific curiosity.”

A single tear rolled down Selene’s cheek. “So you’re not

disgusted?”

“No.” Hating that her earlier panic had led to the uncertainty that

now racked Selene’s tense frame, Eve took a step forward and touched

her arm. “I’m surprised. Dumbfounded. Intellectually challenged.

But I’m not disgusted. I see horrible things every day, Selene. Man’s

inhumanity toward man. What you are isn’t disgusting. You’re

amazing.”

Selene’s lower lip trembled. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely.” Eve sat on the bed, focusing on Selene. Now that

she knew what to expect, she wanted to pay more attention to exactly

how Selene changed shape. “Now do it again.”

Blushing, Selene undressed in silence. Despite Eve’s attempt at

reassurance, she seemed to have trouble making eye contact. “Do you

want to see a dog again, or something else?”

A shiver of excitement ran down the length of Eve’s spine. “You

can…you can change into whatever you want?”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“I guess so.” Selene shrugged shyly. “I haven’t tried many different

things, but I’ve been able to become whatever I’ve wanted so far.”

“When you…when you change, do you retain your human

consciousness and instincts?” Unable to help herself, Eve swept her

gaze over Selene’s nudity. Now that anticipation had replaced anger,

it was hard not to allow her old feelings to take over. She still wanted

Selene, badly.

Selene shuddered. “Yes.”

“How about a tiger?”

“Okay,” Selene said, then smoothly transformed into a large,

orange-and-black striped cat. The tiger—Selene—sat on its haunches,

staring at Eve expectantly.

Eve bleated out a peal of shocked laughter. Even the second time

around, Selene’s little trick was astonishing. “Come here.”

Tiger-Selene stood and stretched like an overgrown housecat,

then sauntered over to Eve. Shaking, Eve reached out and let her hand

hover in the air over one of Selene’s thick, furry ears. When the ear

twitched, Eve gasped and drew back, wary of the power and strength

in Selene’s massive body. Selene lifted her head and stared into Eve’s

eyes, as though begging for her trust. Eve exhaled, then sank her fingers

into the thick fur covering Selene’s skull, closing her eyes when Selene

rested her heavy head on Eve’s thigh.

“Thank you for showing me,” Eve whispered. “We’ve got a lot to

talk about, don’t we?”

Selene seemed to ripple beneath Eve’s hand. The sight of tiger-

orange fur becoming silky black hair between her fingers took Eve’s

breath away. She watched, rapt, as Selene’s transformation completed,

leaving a naked Selene resting her face on Eve’s clothed thigh. Eve

fought against a wave of desire that crashed over her at the realization

that things with Selene certainly weren’t as they seemed, and perhaps

what happened that night with the blonde was similarly complex. Maybe

the secrecy had something to do with her ability. That would make

sense, as far as Selene not being able to explain. This was a big deal.

You wouldn’t trust just anyone with a bombshell of this magnitude.

Selene lifted her face and stared up at Eve. Her entire body shook.

“We have more to talk about than you even realize.”

Caressing Selene’s face, Eve said, “Are you okay? You’re

shaking.”

“I just can’t believe I told you.” Selene stood, swaying slightly as

she turned to gather her clothes. “I’m sort of in shock.”

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• 221 •

Eve caught Selene’s arm, stopping her from leaving. She tugged

Selene down onto the bed beside her, then gathered her into a tight

hug. Though the gentle press of Selene’s naked curves sent a shiver of

arousal through Eve’s frame, the embrace wasn’t sexual. She sensed

that Selene needed a grounding touch right now. She needed to know

that who she was hadn’t scared Eve away.

Selene clutched her shoulders, breathing heavily. “You’re only the

third person I’ve ever actually told.”

“Did the first two times not go well?”

“No, they didn’t.” Burrowing deeper into the circle of Eve’s arms,

Selene shivered even more strongly. “I told my girlfriend when we

were sixteen. I was in love with her. She wanted to run away with me

until I showed her what I was. Then she was terrified. She told me to go.

That’s why I couldn’t tell you, Eve. I already loved you so much and I

couldn’t bear to go through that again. I didn’t want you to look at me

like I’m a monster.”

Eve drew back so she could stare seriously into Selene’s eyes,

wanting to soothe her back into calmness. Selene’s tumultuous emotion

poured over Eve, making it hard to breathe. “Well, you haven’t scared

me away. I’m still here.”

Selene nodded, then pulled away, color rising on her cheeks. “Let

me put on my clothes, unless you want to take yours off.” She managed

a playful wink. “Just feels weird to be the only naked one after two

weeks of not speaking.”

“Get dressed,” Eve said softly. Selene’s words hit her low in the

belly, the sweet pleasure of being desired. It was a welcome feeling

after two weeks of depression and anxiety. Still, they needed to talk

before Eve could decide where their romantic relationship stood.

Selene did as she said quickly, glancing every now and then at

Eve, who sat on the bed watching. “You can’t imagine how grateful

I am that you didn’t just run away screaming. But you don’t know

everything yet.”

“Everything about you, or everything about how you managed to

follow Kevin Pike?” Eve gestured for Selene to come sit beside her.

She wanted to keep this conversation in the bedroom, where they had

less chance of being overheard if Jac had decided to stick around.

“About me.”

Eve wrapped her arm around Selene’s waist when she sat down,

wanting to stay connected. She meant not only to reassure Selene that

she had an open mind about whatever she was about to hear, but also to

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Meghan O’BrIen

reassure herself that although she clearly hadn’t even begun to discover

who Selene was during their month of dating, she had a real connection

with this woman. Selene made her feel things that she couldn’t deny,

and if it was possible to get this relationship back, Eve wanted to try.

Sensing that Selene was having trouble finding the words to start,

Eve asked, “The day I was attacked in Golden Gate Park, a wolf saved

me, which seemed totally insane at the time. I know Jac thought I was

mistaken. That wolf was you, wasn’t it?”

Selene gave her a sidelong glance. “Yes.”

“You saved my life,” Eve whispered. Flashing on a memory of

Kevin Pike holding her down and threatening her with his knife, Eve

quaked with fear that felt every bit as potent as it did that day. Selene

clasped her hands, chasing the images away and bringing her back into

the present. Without thinking, Eve kissed Selene softly on the mouth.

“Thank you.”

When Eve pulled back, Selene touched her lips. “You’re

welcome.”

“I’m incredibly lucky that a beautiful shape-shifting superhero

just happened to be in the same area of the park I was right when I

needed her.” The odds of the situation she’d just described even being

possible, let alone actually occurring, were infinitesimal. Eve laughed.

“That’s crazy.”

“Yeah.”

The sick dread that poured from Selene didn’t pass Eve’s notice.

Obviously there was more to the story than Selene simply being in the

right place at the right time. Eve squeezed Selene’s hand. “Tell me what

happened that morning. Everything.”

Selene stared at her feet. “First I need to tell you more about my…

ability.”

“Okay. Tell me.”

Without meeting her eyes, Selene said, “The morning you were

attacked, I woke up in Golden Gate Park. That’s how I found that

woman’s body. She wasn’t far from where I regained consciousness,

and I could smell blood in the air, so I followed her scent.” Selene

searched Eve’s face, as though checking for a reaction. “Even in human

form, I have heightened senses. Tracking works better with a canine

sense of smell, of course, but that morning the scent of death was strong

enough that I could easily pick it up with my human nose.”

“What do you mean when you say you ‘regained consciousness’

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• 223 •

in the park?” Eve sensed that this detail was at the heart of Selene’s big

revelation. “How did you get there?”

“I don’t know if you remember—or were even aware—but you

were attacked the morning after the full moon.” Selene licked her lips

nervously. “The night you came over to my place—when I told you I

would be out of town—there was also a full moon.”

Remembering Selene’s strange behavior, the unrestrained lust

and seemingly painful lapses, Eve felt a piece of the puzzle fall into

place. “The full moon affects you. What does it do?” At Selene’s

expression of nervous shame, Eve’s heart rate picked up. They were in

uncharted territory here—Selene could conceivably tell her anything.

Eve desperately hoped it was something she could handle. “Don’t tell

me you’re a werewolf.”

The flicker of mortification Selene failed to hide seemed to confirm

Eve’s worst fear. “I don’t know if that’s the right word for it. But, yes,

the moon forces me to shift. I’m not entirely sure into what, but it’s big

and stronger than you can imagine. It’s probably wolf-like, but I’ve

never seen a picture and I’ve tried very hard to stay hidden during those

times. When I wake up the morning after a full moon, I can’t remember

anything about what happened the night before.”

“Have you ever done anything…bad?” As hard as Eve tried to

tiptoe around the topic, it was nearly impossible to sound casual when

asking someone whether she was dangerous.

“Yes, the first time it ever happened. When I was sixteen. I

wasn’t expecting it, but one month the moon just took me over. I woke

up outside, covered in the blood and tissue of the sheep we kept on

our family farm. Apparently I’d slaughtered them, much like a wolf

would—which is why I assume that whatever I become, it’s wolf-like.”

Selene’s eyes had gone far away, pain etched across her face as she

relived an event that clearly still had the power to hurt her.

Eve threaded her fingers through Selene’s, bringing Selene back

to the two of them, sitting together on the bed. “So what happened?”

“My parents were the ones who woke me up. My father was

screaming, my mother was crying. I tried to explain to them, but telling

them what I could do only made it worse. I’d been keeping my ability

secret since figuring out I could become the family dog when I was

eight years old.” A bare smile ghosted across Selene’s lips.

“I can’t even imagine what it must have felt like to discover that

you can do something nobody else can. How exciting.”

• 224 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“It was exciting, at first, but I was afraid to tell anyone. I was in

an orphanage until I was four years old and my parents adopted me.

Knowing I was different, I was afraid to do anything that might get me

sent back. So it was my little secret. I didn’t even tell my girlfriend, who

I’d been with for about a year when that first full moon got me.” Covering

her face with her hand, Selene emanated grief. It was as though a dam

had burst, and Eve suspected that Selene had just uncorked memories

that she had bottled up for years. “My parents disowned me. My father

threatened to call the police, actually, so I decided to run away. But I

couldn’t leave without telling Carla good-bye.”

“And that was when she rejected you.”

“I couldn’t blame her,” Selene murmured. “I told her about the

sheep. It was the first time I’d ever lost control and I couldn’t remember

any of it. I was scared out of my mind. She could see that. Who could

fault her for not wanting any part of a murderous freak?”

“Well, I can.” This new revelation was a game-changer, certainly,

but for some reason Eve felt no compulsion to sever ties with Selene.

Even if she was some kind of werewolf, Selene had a good heart and a

kind nature. How she responded to the lunar cycle was hardly her fault.

“You loved her, and you were scared and alone. She should have been

there for you when you needed someone. Instead she convinced you

that nobody could ever love a freak like you. Didn’t she?”

Selene blushed. “I knew you and I couldn’t have a real relationship

if I was hiding something so big. But I just didn’t know how to tell you.

I was convinced it would turn out badly. Of course, lying to you didn’t

exactly work out any better, did it?” Lowering her voice, Selene said,

“I tried not to fall in love with you at all, but we have a connection. I

couldn’t help it.”

Eve perked up at the mention of their connection, which had

always been so palpable yet improbable to a pragmatist like herself. If a

supernatural explanation existed for the instant chemistry and closeness

she felt with Selene—not to mention their unmistakable emotional

bond—then Eve was happy to hear it. In some insane way, that would

allow her to more easily accept it as real.

“Tell me about our connection,” Eve said. “I feel it, too, always

have. What does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” Selene said softly, caressing Eve’s face with a

tentative hand. “I’d never felt it before that morning in the park. That’s

what drew me to you, how I found you when you were being attacked.

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• 225 •

I wasn’t even inside the park when I felt you cry out for help, Eve. I

sprinted for about three minutes to get to you.”

Even sitting down, Eve felt her legs weaken at the confession.

Were it not for their strange bond, Selene might never have known she

was in trouble. Eve was luckier than she wanted to think about. “So

tell me more about waking up in the park. Does that happen every full

moon?”

“No.” Embarrassed, Selene mumbled, “Three nights out of the

month, the full moon affects me. The night before and after my forced

shift, I have an extremely heightened sex drive, slight loss of self-

control, and that’s it. On the night when the moon is fullest, I have

a standing appointment with a call girl. We don’t have sex,” Selene

said quickly, as though worried Eve would take that as a confession of

infidelity. “I ask her to handcuff me to a steel table and tie me down with

rope. I play it off like it’s some kind of sex game, but really, I just need

someone who can restrain me, leave for the night, and release me the

next morning. Escort services are kind of known for their discretion.”

So that’s who the woman at Selene’s house was. That Selene had

found it impossible to explain—that she’d looked so guilty—made

perfect sense. Eve nodded. “I understand.”

“The night I escaped I had an appointment with a new girl. The

one I’d been using before had graduated from school and wasn’t

escorting anymore.” Now that the truth was out in the open, Selene

visibly relaxed. “She didn’t want to tie me tight enough. That was the

month of the perigee moon—the largest one of the year. I knew I’d

escape before she even left my house. But how could I explain why she

had to tie me tighter, even though she was afraid of hurting me?”

Eve nodded. “When you woke up the next morning and found that

body, did you think you’d killed her?”

“Yes,” Selene said simply. “I didn’t know what to do. I’ve had

more than my share of forgotten, unrestrained shifts, especially when I

was younger, but I’ve never hurt a human being.” She paused. “Not that

I know about, anyway.”

Eve touched her forehead. This was information overload. She

tried to get a handle on what she’d just learned and what still needed

explaining. “So tell me how you found Kevin Pike. I know you were

watching over me when he came here last night. But how did you

manage to follow him all the way to Burlingame?”

Beneath the faint smile Selene gave her, Eve could see both pride

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Meghan O’BrIen

and unease. She was apparently about to hear quite a story. Taking a

breath, Selene said, “After I chased him away from your door—”

A thought occurred to Eve. “And barked at me to go back

inside.”

Selene chuckled. “Yes, and that, I followed him up the stairs to the

roof-access door. I had to shift back into human form to get outside, but

then I became a bird. That made it really easy to follow him across the

roofs of the buildings until he got to the end of the block. After getting

away he went to this playground a few blocks away—”

“I know the one you mean.”

“He had a little dog tied up there. He untied it and started back to

his car. I’m guessing he used the dog to try to look less conspicuous

walking around in the middle of the night, because he didn’t seem to

care for it very much.” Selene’s mouth set in a grim line. “He was very

angry that his plans had been ruined, that much was obvious. I sensed

that he would take it out on the dog, and I also started to worry that if he

got into a car I might lose him, depending on how far he had to travel.

So I saw my opportunity and took it.”

Eve held her breath, waiting to hear what happened next. “What

did you do?”

“I shifted into a big dog and charged his poor little one. He dropped

the leash and I chased his dog out of sight. Then I became his dog.”

Tensing, Eve realized just how far Selene had gone to protect her.

To take that kind of risk for a woman who wasn’t even speaking to you

showed real character—and proved that Selene’s feelings for her were

very real. Caught between terror and gratitude, Eve whispered, “You let

him take you back to his place.”

“It was the best way to find out who he was and where he lived.”

Selene played with her hair, searching Eve’s eyes. “He would have

killed his dog if I hadn’t switched places with it. I know it.”

“How did you get away?”

“It was dicey.” From the audible waver in Selene’s voice, Eve

guessed that dicey only scratched the surface of what she’d actually

been through. “I found out that my ability has limits. When he came

after me, thinking I was his dog, I hid under his bed and tried to become

a fly so I could escape. But I was exhausted and had already done seven

different shifts over the course of the night, and at first I couldn’t. It

just…didn’t work.”

“That’s the first time you’ve ever been unable to change when you

wanted to?” Greedy for more detail, Eve wanted to know everything

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• 227 •

about Selene’s gift. It excited her scientific mind more than she ever

would have anticipated. “How do you change?”

“I just think it and become it.” Selene shrugged. “Honestly, up

until I met you that morning in Golden Gate Park, I rarely shifted by

choice. Too dangerous. Occasionally I’d take trips out to the country so

I could indulge my need to go a little wild, but for the most part I was

too afraid someone might find out what I was.”

“That’s a shame.”

“I guess so.” Exhaling in a rush, Selene collapsed back onto the

mattress. She stared at the ceiling as Eve stretched out at her side. “I

think that’s everything. Now we just need to figure out what to do with

that name and address.”

That was the real question, wasn’t it? Without any evidence or

cause to make an arrest, they couldn’t take Kevin Pike into custody.

The best Jac could do was put a surveillance team on him and watch

his movements. If he slipped up, they could question him. Otherwise

they had to dig for some way to link the man to his victims or his crime

scenes. As meticulous as he’d been so far, that wouldn’t be so easy.

But the more immediate issue was how to tell Jac that she now

had the name and address of their suspect without raising suspicion that

Selene was somehow involved. Obviously Eve couldn’t tell Jac exactly

how Selene had managed to find such specific information. Given

that Jac already suspected that Selene had sinister motives for being

involved with Eve, she couldn’t easily convince her that Selene had

provided good intelligence without knowing more than she’d claimed.

Eve sighed. “I have no idea what to tell Jac. She’ll need to get a

couple of detectives on Kevin Pike’s tail, but it won’t be easy to explain

how I know who he is.”

“She’ll know I gave you his name.”

It wasn’t really a question. More like a statement, laced with

defeat. “Yes, she will. Jac isn’t stupid.”

“But they need to know what I know. It’s the only way to keep you

safe.” Selene’s eyelids drooped and she yawned, raising her arms above

her head. “Honestly, I can barely think right now. I’m so tired.”

Brushing a lock of hair away from Selene’s forehead, Eve

whispered, “Have you been guarding my apartment every night?”

“Yes.”

It occurred to Eve that perhaps the sensation of Selene being close

by hadn’t been due to her depressed imagination. “You’ve been keeping

watch pretty much all the time, haven’t you? I’ve felt you almost every

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Meghan O’BrIen

day. I thought it was because I missed you, but that wasn’t it, was it?

You were here.”

Selene gave her a sleepy nod. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to spy. I

just…needed to know that you were okay.”

Eve shook her head. Selene’s vigilance didn’t feel like an invasion

of privacy, but rather a declaration of love. “Why don’t you take a nap?”

she murmured. “I’ll think of what to tell Jac. Whatever I come up with,

I promise to protect you.”

Eyes drifting closed, Selene mumbled, “I trust you.”

Eve leaned close, brushing her lips over Selene’s cheek. “I trust

you, too.”

Selene dropped off to sleep with the barest hint of a smile on her

lips. Overcome by the sight, and by the sudden realization that her

relationship with Selene wasn’t over—not by a long shot—Eve rolled

onto her back and put her hand over her heart. It was finally beating

again.

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• 229 •

Chapter thIrty

Half an hour after Selene fell asleep in her bed, Eve returned

to her living room, closing the bedroom door behind her.

As much as she wasn’t looking forward to calling Jac, the sooner she

could pass along Kevin Pike’s name and address to the police, the

better. Although she still didn’t have a solid strategy for introducing the

tip—and explaining Selene’s part in delivering it—putting off talking

to Jac wasn’t an option. Every moment she waited gave Kevin Pike the

opportunity to hurt another woman.

Eve picked up her phone and dialed Jac’s number. Jac answered

after the first ring, breathless. “Yes, Eve?”

“Would you mind coming back for a few minutes? I need to talk

to you about something.”

“Of course.” Eve could hear her already walking. “I’m on my

way.”When a knock sounded on the door seconds later, Eve rolled her

eyes. Apparently Jac had decided to stay close after what happened

earlier. Eve opened the door. “That was fast.”

Jac smirked. “At your service.” She stepped inside, not so subtly

looking around. “Where’s Selene?”

“Sleeping.”

Jac didn’t bother to conceal her distaste at Eve’s answer. “So does

that mean you two worked things out?”

“We didn’t have sex, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Technically it wasn’t, but I’m glad to hear that, I guess.” Folding

her arms over her chest, Jac said, “What did you want to talk about?”

Eve gestured at the couch. “Let’s sit down.”

“Uh-oh. Something heavy.”

“You could say that.” When Jac settled at one end of the couch,

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Meghan O’BrIen

Eve withdrew the slip of paper Selene had given her from her pocket.

She met Jac’s gaze and exhaled. “I have the name and address of the

man who I believe is the Golden Gate Park killer.”

Jac blinked slowly. Her face betrayed no emotion. “How did you

manage that?”

“I can’t get into the details with you.” Eve crossed the room and

sat beside Jac, handing her the paper with Selene’s handwriting on it.

There was no real point in trying to hide where the information had

come from. “Right now I need you to trust me. I know we don’t have

anything on this guy. Unless he has an outstanding warrant, we can’t

arrest him. But at least now that we know who he is, we can set up

surveillance, watch for him to slip up.”

Jac took the paper, scanning the name and address. “You’re going

to have to tell me how Selene got this information, Eve. First she

reports the body of our initial victim, and now she waltzes back into

your life with the name and home address of a man who’s threatened to

kill you. Who’s killed at least three other women.” Folding the paper in

half, Jac slipped it into a pocket inside her jacket. “I can’t fathom how

Selene would know anything about the guy if she weren’t involved

somehow.”

“I know this is hard to understand, and I get why you’re suspicious.

I can’t explain how this information came to me without betraying

Selene’s trust, so I’m not even going to try. I’m just asking you to

remember who I am and what my values are. Ask yourself whether

I’d protect someone who was responsible in any way for the deaths of

three women. Not to mention my own stalking.” Eve briefly touched

Jac’s knee. “You know how badly Selene hurt me. Please believe that it

would take a genuine, honest explanation about her role in all of this—

one that convinced me that she’s totally innocent of any wrongdoing—

to sway me back to her side.”

“Are you back at her side?” Jac asked quietly. It was obvious she

knew the answer already and that it disturbed her deeply. “Be honest

with me.”

Eve wouldn’t have considered anything but honesty. “Yes. We

talked and I realized we’d had a serious misunderstanding. I think

we’re planning to work things out.”

“You think?”

“She was exhausted. She fell asleep before we came to any real

conclusion.”

Collapsing against the back of the couch, Jac exhaled harshly.

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• 231 •

“I’m not sure I know what to do with this. I mean, even if I take you at

your word, believe the tip is legit, I don’t exactly know what to tell my

captain when I’m requesting that resources be allocated to watching

some random guy who may or may not be connected to this case.”

“He is connected.” Frustrated but not surprised by Jac’s resistance,

Eve racked her brain for the best way to act on Selene’s tip. “You’ll

make it sound good, Jac. I know you will.” Chancing a playful wink,

Eve said, “You are the best at what you do, after all.”

Jac seemed unmoved. “Flattery won’t work this time.”

“What will?”

With a low grumble, Jac stood up and walked to Eve’s door.

Surprised by the abrupt departure, Eve sprang to her feet and followed.

Jac put her hand on the doorknob, then faced Eve. “I’ll put surveillance

on this guy. I can’t promise for how long. Obviously if we can catch

him in the act of grabbing some woman or harassing you, we’re golden.

But if not…” Jac shook her head. “Let’s just hope he slips up before my

captain decides we need to pursue more reliable leads.”

“This one is reliable.” Eve shrugged helplessly. “I wish I could tell

you how I know that. You just have to trust me—this is the guy.”

“I do trust you.” Her gaze flicking over Eve’s shoulder in the

direction of her bedroom, Jac curled her lip in disgust. “I just don’t

trust her.”

“I know,” Eve murmured. “But I do. I hope that counts for

something.”

Jac stared at her in silence, as though she was trying to decide

what to say. Then she opened the door with a shake of her head. “Of

course it counts. Just…promise me you’ll keep me in the loop as much

as you can. Your safety—and the safety of the women in this city—are

more important than keeping Selene’s confidence.”

“If I thought she had additional information material to this case,

I’d tell you.” At Jac’s fleeting expression of skepticism, Eve stiffened.

“I swear.”

“Okay.” Jac patted her pocket. “I’ll get to work on this right

away.”

“Thank you.” Relieved that Jac had accepted her lack of

explanation so easily, Eve sensed that both she and Selene would need

to be cautious around her. Jac was clearly suspicious, and the fact that

she held a personal grudge against Selene for having captured Eve’s

heart didn’t exactly help matters. “Let me know what you find out, as

far as whether he has any warrants.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

“Of course.” Tipping her head, Jac slipped out of her apartment

then shut the door behind her.

Eve sighed in relief. That hadn’t gone nearly as badly as she’d

thought. Now that the immediate problem of telling Jac about Kevin

Pike was over, Eve dazedly drifted back to all she’d learned over the

past hour or so.

It was unbelievable, to say the least. Except she did believe

it. She’d seen it with her own eyes. What Selene could do made no

sense—hell, it violated the laws of physics and biology—yet it was

true. Once again Eve silently thanked her parents for the gift of being

able to accept even those things she couldn’t explain. Eve wandered

back to her bedroom, eager to be close to Selene as she processed the

inexplicable truth about her new girlfriend.

She was a shape-shifter—an honest-to-God shape-shifter, with a

touch of werewolf thrown in. Opening the bedroom door, Eve stared at

Selene’s prone form reclining on her bed. She was also gorgeous and

still the woman Eve had fallen in love with, albeit far more complicated

than Eve had realized. And she hadn’t been unfaithful. She hadn’t

betrayed Eve in any way.

Eve crept to the bed and stood over Selene, watching her sleep.

Was Selene even human? Did the answer to that question change

anything between them?

Amazingly enough, Eve decided it didn’t. What mattered were

Selene’s actions, her heart. When it came down to it, the question of

her DNA—though fascinating to puzzle over—had no bearing on what

Eve felt. She was in love.

Yearning to be closer, Eve stripped off her pants and crawled into

bed beside Selene. Tentatively, so as not to wake her, Eve laid her head

on Selene’s chest and curled up against her side. The heat from Selene’s

body both soothed and inflamed Eve. Selene had always seemed to

run hot—now Eve speculated that perhaps a faster metabolism was

responsible for the intense warmth that radiated from her lean body.

Surely transforming one’s entire shape required an extra reserve of

energy.

Amused, Eve closed her eyes and forced her analytical mind to

power off. Right now she just wanted to enjoy the simple pleasure of

being close with Selene again. The science of who she was could wait

for another day.

Selene shifted in her sleep, wrapping an arm around Eve’s middle

and tugging her closer. Content for the first time in weeks, Eve basked

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• 233 •

in the sense of safety Selene created simply by being there. Eve had

no doubt that Selene would do everything possible to protect her if

the situation demanded. And if she could become a tiger, Eve doubted

Kevin Pike would have an easy time getting past Selene to cause her

harm.Life had just gotten a lot more complicated, but a lot better, too.

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Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter thIrty-One

When Selene woke from her deep, dreamless rest, the first

thing she saw was the new moon—just beginning to wax—

looming outside a curtained window. On instinct she calculated the

time until the next full moon—just under two weeks. Always her first

thought upon waking, keeping track of her cycle was an unconscious

instinct. Being caught unprepared was an irrational worry, but that

didn’t ease Selene’s fear or her distrust of her own body.

Disoriented until she noticed Eve nestled in her arms, Selene

remembered what had brought her to Eve’s apartment and what had

happened between them, and her breathing quickened. Despite Eve’s

initial knee-jerk reaction, Selene’s coming out had gone better than she

could have imagined. Eve hadn’t rejected her, even knowing the whole

truth. Apparently she’d even allowed Selene to fall asleep in her bed,

though Selene couldn’t remember how she’d gotten there.

“You were exhausted.” Eve answered Selene’s unspoken question,

voice scratchy with sleep. “After we talked, you practically passed

out.”

Selene had no recollection past shifting into a tiger then giving

Eve a long, rambling recap of the past month and a half. That she had

woken up with Eve by her side seemed like a good sign. “How long

was I out?”

Eve rolled over to check her alarm clock. “About eight hours.”

“What?” Selene sat abruptly, shocked and embarrassed that she’d

borrowed Eve’s bed for almost the entire day. They’d spoken for maybe

a half hour before Selene had fallen asleep. After basically being broken

up for the past two weeks, that was hardly enough reconciliation to

justify treating Eve’s place like a hotel. “I’m so sorry. I haven’t been

sleeping much and I just—”

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• 235 •

“Because you’ve been too busy watching over me.” Tugging

gently on Selene’s wrist, Eve encouraged her to lie back down. “I know.

Providing a bed is the least I can do to thank you.”

Selene blushed. Protecting Eve wasn’t an entirely selfless act.

Now that they’d found each other, Eve’s safety was the only thing that

mattered. Instinctively Selene knew that losing Eve would mean losing

a part of herself—the part that made her human. Not only was Eve

her most real connection to the human world, but she’d singlehandedly

erased Selene’s loneliness and convinced her that she could have the

same things normal people did. Love. Happiness. A future.

Caressing Eve’s face with the back of her hand, Selene murmured,

“Until Kevin Pike is in custody, I want to stay with you around the

clock. If you don’t feel comfortable taking me to work with you, I can

keep watch in a different form. I just don’t want to leave your side.”

“Can you fall asleep when you’re shifted without reverting back

to human form?”

“No.” Selene struggled to put her thoughts into words. Explaining

something she barely understood was difficult at best. “My body seems

to have a tendency or an impulse to retain its natural form. If I lose

consciousness when I’m shifted, I usually wake up myself. Naked.

Which is embarrassing.” She paused, then laughed shyly. “You know,

now that I’m talking about this, I realize that I don’t know as much

about what I can do as I should. I’ve never really tested myself. I’ve

mostly just tried to avoid the whole thing.”

“No more,” Eve murmured. “And as much as I appreciate your

protection, if you’re going to watch over me during the day, you need

to start sleeping at night. If we’re locked in my apartment and you’re

in bed with me, I don’t see any reason for you to keep running yourself

down like this.”

Selene’s breath caught at the unspoken implication. “Does this

mean we’re back together?” Cringing at the quaver in her voice, Selene

tensed as she awaited Eve’s answer. Since the night of the last full

moon, every day she’d dreamed of having Eve back. Until yesterday,

she hadn’t thought it possible. In a strange way, Selene was almost glad

for Kevin Pike. She wasn’t sure she would have had the courage to

confide in Eve if he hadn’t posed such an incredible threat to the person

Selene held most dear.

Because of Kevin Pike, she might have a second chance.

“I hope so.” Eve closed the distance between them to kiss Selene

lightly. “I understand why you didn’t feel you could tell me the truth,

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Meghan O’BrIen

Selene. As long as you’re willing to be honest from here on out—

knowing that I’ll always keep an open mind—I’d like to try this thing

between us again.” She deepened the kiss, then pulled back, running

her tongue along Selene’s lower lip. “Because it was really, really good

before. And I have a feeling it’ll only be better now.”

Eve’s total lack of uncertainty grabbed Selene’s heart and

squeezed. She’d expected to see some hint of hesitation or even unease

about the prospect of rekindling a romance with someone who wasn’t

quite human, but Eve didn’t look at her any differently than before.

Or perhaps she did, but with interest verging on awe, not suspicion or

disgust. Selene blinked back tears of relief and silent, unspoken joy.

Eve’s hand fluttered to her chest. “Is it my imagination or can I

feel that?”

“My happiness?”

Swallowing, Eve whispered, “Yes.”

“I think so.”

The play of emotions across Eve’s face entranced Selene, who

tried to untangle the complex rush of feelings that flowed from

her lover in a jumble. No doubt the concept of an empathetic bond

challenged everything Eve thought she knew, but she seemed excited

about it all the same. “I’ve wondered since we first met, but before it

seemed ridiculous to even speculate that I could somehow experience

your emotions. Now I realize that anything’s possible with you.”

“It’s more than possible.” Selene traced the shape of Eve’s

eyebrows, savoring the freedom to touch her again. The loss of this

intimacy had been soul-rending. Not until now had Selene appreciated

just how empty Eve’s absence had left her. “I feel what you feel. I don’t

see why it wouldn’t work the other way.”

“Did you have that with Carla when you were young? That shared

empathy?”

“No,” Selene said quietly. “I never knew this could happen until

you.”“I wonder what it means.” Eve searched Selene’s eyes.

“I think it means we fit.”

“Definitely.” Eve gave her a playful pinch on the hip, delivering a

burst of warm joy to Selene’s core. “That’s why the sex is so incredible,

isn’t it? Being able to feel what the other feels.”

“Perhaps. Or maybe I’m just that good.” Even the mere suggestion

of sex set Selene’s pulse racing. Unable to keep her hands away, she

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• 237 •

tickled Eve’s side, delighting in the giggle she elicited. “Maybe you

are.” “Well, that’s true.” Scooting closer, Eve stilled Selene’s fingers by

tugging her hand up to cover her breast. Selene sobered at the sensation

of cradling Eve’s tender flesh in her palm. She watched in wonderment

as Eve’s eyes darkened, signaling a shift in the mood between them.

Eve brought her mouth to Selene’s ear and whispered, “But I’m a little

out of practice. Maybe you can help me with that.”

Selene sucked in a surprised breath when Eve’s hand crept between

her thighs and skimmed over the inseam of the pants she still wore. The

gnawing ache that had been growing deep in her belly over the past two

weeks exploded, forcing her hips up to meet Eve’s touch. “That would

be nice.”

Eve kissed her earlobe, then took it gently between her teeth. “I’ve

missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.” The words triggered a flash of memory of

their last time together. Selene stiffened as familiar guilt came to the

front. She had been out of her mind with the moon and their sex had

been rough. The sight of Eve limping away from her house had haunted

her daily, and the idea that she’d crossed a line was almost too much to

bear. “I’m sorry about that last time, that I hurt you.”

Eve shook her head, brushing dark hair away from Selene’s

forehead. “It was a good hurt. I wanted that hurt.” Chuckling sadly,

she said, “If I hadn’t had such serious emotional pain afterward, I’d

probably consider it some of the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Masochist,” Selene mumbled, kissing Eve’s shoulder.

“So?” Eve pushed Selene onto her back and straddled her hips,

pinning her down. “But tonight I want us to take our time. Go slow.”

Sitting up, Eve tugged her shirt over her head unhurriedly, putting on a

tantalizing show. “Make love.”

Rapt at the sight of bare skin, Selene trailed her hands over Eve’s

sides. She seemed paler than normal, and thinner. Clearly their time

apart had taken its toll, though she was no less beautiful than Selene

remembered. “I do love you.”

Eve’s happiness lit Selene from the inside. “I know. I love you,

too.”Selene moved her hands up to cover Eve’s breasts. Her nipples

hardened against the center of Selene’s palms, and she bent forward,

brushing her lips over Selene’s. Lifting her head, Selene swept her

• 238 •

Meghan O’BrIen

tongue into Eve’s mouth as she stroked gentle thumbs along the

underside of her breasts. She moaned at the way Eve wiggled against

her in an unsubtle search for friction.

Eve pulled back. “We should take off our clothes.”

“What happened to taking it slow?”

“We can go slow after you’re naked.”

Selene laughed as Eve scrambled off and pulled her into a sitting

position, getting her out of her shirt and bra with skillful efficiency. She

helped Eve unbutton and haul off her pants, then they both worked on

stripping Eve of the rest of her clothing. As soon as they were naked, Eve

melted into her embrace. Eve echoed Selene’s gasp at the electricity of

skin on skin, tightening her arms around Selene and holding her close.

“It feels so good to touch you,” Eve whispered in a voice full of

quiet awe. “I knew we had something special between us, but I never

realized how special it really was.”

Selene tickled a line down the center of Eve’s spine, delighting

in the tremor the touch elicited. Eve quaked in her embrace, giving

off such an intense jolt of pleasure that Selene’s pussy tightened, then

contracted, sending an orgasm rolling through her body. Groaning,

Selene dragged her fingers down to Eve’s bottom, drawing her own

orgasm out by scratching Eve lightly with her nails, triggering another

rush of sensation that seemed to flow through both of them.

Eve shuddered. “You just came.”

“Yes.”

“That is so cool.” Eve dropped a hand between Selene’s thighs,

sliding into her folds. The soft touch sparked another orgasm, stronger

than the last. Selene dropped her head to Eve’s shoulder and pressed

against her body as she surrendered to her climax. “You make it really

easy to feel like some kind of sex goddess,” Eve murmured.

Overcome by the continued motion of Eve’s hand petting her

swollen labia, Selene could only grit her teeth and nod. It would take a

lot to wear her out sexually—Selene’s stamina always seemed to surpass

Eve’s—but if Eve’s goal was to give Selene a run for her money, she

was off to an excellent start.

After coming down from her third orgasm, Selene stilled Eve’s

hand with a tremulous chuckle. “I need to breathe.”

“Breathing is overrated,” Eve muttered, but backed out of Selene’s

arms. Collapsing onto the mattress, Eve beckoned Selene to climb on

top. “But I promise to go easy on you.”

“I never said you had to go easy.” Nudging Eve’s legs apart with

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• 239 •

her knee, Selene settled over her body with her thigh pressed firmly

against Eve’s slick center. The heat pouring from Eve’s pussy scorched

Selene, inflaming her lust. Needing more, Selene pressed harder into

Eve, grinding the firm length of her thigh against Eve’s sensitive clit.

“It’s just your turn now.”

Eve threw her head back and moaned, clutching at Selene’s

shoulders as she rode Selene’s thigh. Planting her hands beside Eve’s

head, Selene moved against her slowly, setting a steady pace. She

stared into Eve’s eyes as they rocked together, thrilled by the unself-

conscious noises that fell from Eve’s lips in a steady stream. There

was nothing sexier than how vocal Eve could be when they made love.

Selene lived for the opportunity to draw forth those mewling, languid

sounds. Knowing that she made Eve feel that good was almost enough

to make Selene peak yet again.

But Selene held back, solely focused on Eve’s rising ardor. What

she wanted more than anything was to feel Eve release beneath her, to

experience the psychic aftershocks of Eve’s orgasm and hopefully join

her in a mutual crescendo of sensation. Coming with Eve in the past

had always forged such a powerful, intimate connection, and Selene

was desperate to recapture the singular experience of losing herself in

their self-contained world of shared ecstasy.

A hot curl of pleasure flared between Selene’s legs just as Eve

murmured, “I’m going to come.”

“Come for me.” Selene kissed Eve deeply, lowering one hand to

squeeze her hip as she kept up her hard, driving thrusts. Arching her

back, Eve cried out and did just that, grabbing Selene’s ass in both

hands as she jerked helplessly against her thigh. Then all of a sudden

Selene was climaxing as well, and she could tell by the way it originated

in her belly that what she really felt was all from Eve.

It was breathtaking.

Breaking their kiss, Selene pressed her forehead to Eve’s and

stopped the motion of her hips when she sensed that they were both on

the verge of passing out. Selene slipped her hands beneath Eve’s back,

gathering her into a tight hug.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Selene mumbled. Now that the sexual

tension had eased, turbulent emotion that her release had stirred up

threatened to take over. She had come so close to losing Eve—to losing

the single most astonishing thing in a life filled with constant surprises.

But she hadn’t. “I never thought you’d want me like this again.”

“You’re still the woman I fell in love with.” Eve ran her fingertips

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Meghan O’BrIen

up and down Selene’s spine, but now the touch soothed rather than

inflamed. “What you can do doesn’t change that. And even though

honesty is the most important thing you can give me, I don’t blame you

for being scared. All that’s over now. I know what you are, Selene, and

I still want you. I still need you.”

Embarrassed by the tears that rose and threatened to drip onto

Eve’s face, Selene rolled to the side, throwing her arm around Eve’s

waist to stay close. She didn’t want to lose contact for even a moment.

“I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but I’m grateful.” She glanced

out the window again at the new moon, and a niggle of anxiety took

root in her belly.

As though sensing where her thoughts had gone, Eve said, “I want

to help you this month. On your full-moon night.”

Alarmed, Selene regarded Eve’s solemn expression. She wasn’t

kidding. “What?”

“Instead of using a call girl this month, I’d like to do whatever

they do for you. Tie you down, whatever you need.”

Selene shook her head. “No way. I don’t want you near me that

night.”

Frowning, Eve said, “Listen, I’m not some delicate flower. And

even though I know why you’ve used an escort service in the past—and

despite the fact that I do trust you to be faithful—I don’t exactly love

the idea of you continuing to have call girls come to your place once a

month.”

“And I don’t love the idea of you having anything to do with what

happens to me during the full moon. If you’re there, it’ll only arouse me

more. Make me crazy.”

“How do you know that?” Eve ran her fingers over Selene’s jaw,

giving her a reassuring peck on the cheek. “Listen, I can do whatever

needs to be done. And I already know your secret. I know why it’s so

important that I tie you tight. Wouldn’t you rather have someone you

can really trust who can help you? Someone who actually cares?”

Selene couldn’t argue that the idea had definite appeal. More than

once she’d been disappointed by a call girl who hadn’t done exactly

as she’d asked, partially because they had no way of knowing why it

was so important to follow her instructions precisely. Plus, the thought

of never again having to see confusion or suspicion in the eyes of a

complete stranger exhilarated her.

“If we’re going to be together, I’ll have to experience the full moon

with you eventually. I’m not doing this relationship halfway. This is me

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• 241 •

telling you that I’m all in, for better or worse.” Eve inhaled to continue

her speech, but Selene cut her off with a light kiss on the lips.

When Selene drew back, she whispered, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I understand what you’re saying, and I appreciate it.

Plus, if I have to be super horny around a beautiful woman that night,

I’d rather it be my beautiful woman.”

Eve’s eyes sparkled as she gave Selene a playful glare. “Me,

too.”“I’m not sure about this month, though.” Selene raised a hand

when Eve opened her mouth to protest. “Not if Kevin Pike is still on the

loose. You’ve got the cops watching you, Eve. Even if they shift most

of their focus to Pike, I suspect they’ll keep at least one team on you.

I can’t have the cops outside my apartment on that night. If something

did happen, they’d bust me for sure.”

“Nothing will happen.” Eve caressed Selene’s cheek. “Stop

worrying.”

“I can’t, Eve. I can’t ever stop worrying. I spend half my life

planning for and anticipating the next full moon. Asking me to let you

participate is a big deal, but letting you do so when it means the police

will be watching is beyond my comfort zone.” Hating the disappointment

that creased Eve’s brow, Selene said, “I’m sorry. I really am.”

“Okay, then.” Eve exhaled. “I’ll sneak away that night. Now that

they’ll be watching Kevin Pike, it won’t be as big a deal for me to slip

their protection detail for just one night.”

“No.” Selene took Eve’s hands in her own, kissing her knuckles.

“Jac would kill you. Hell, she’d kill me, if she figured out where you

went. It’s too dangerous. I can’t let you do it.”

“Unfortunately you don’t have a choice.” From the determined set

of Eve’s jaw, Selene could see she was speaking the truth. “I’m staying

with you that night. Nobody needs to know. I promise Jac won’t find

out.”It was an impossible promise to keep, but Selene knew she wouldn’t

win this argument. Even without their empathetic link, Selene could

hear in Eve’s voice just how much this meant to her. She made the offer

as a show of trust and commitment, and no matter how nervous Selene

was about accepting, she couldn’t refuse.

“All right,” Selene said quietly. “But promise me one thing?”

“What?”

“I want you to leave after you tie me down. You can do it before

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Meghan O’BrIen

dark, then go back to your protective detail. I understand and appreciate

what you’re trying to show me by staying with me during the full moon,

but I won’t be able protect you from myself, let alone Kevin Pike.”

Selene cradled Eve’s face in her hands. “I need to know you’re safe.

Okay?”

“Okay.” Eve smiled broadly, closing the discussion with a quick

kiss on Selene’s chin. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Selene hauled Eve back on top of her body, ready

for another go. “On that note, how would you like me to thank you?”

Eve gave her a wicked smirk, then got onto her knees and turned

around to give Selene an enticing view of her slick pussy. “How about

we thank each other?” Eve said, just before she lowered her head to

swipe the flat of her tongue along Selene’s labia.

Groaning, Selene grabbed Eve’s hips and pulled her down onto

her mouth, sucking languidly. She had a lot of gratitude to express, and

they had all night.

WILD

• 243 •

Chapter thIrty-tWO

Eve sat at her desk in the lab, trying to distract her wandering

mind by working through her never-diminishing mountain

of paperwork. Since she’d reconciled with Selene the week before,

life had been good. Had Kevin Pike not still been walking free, Eve

would even have said she was downright content. The experience of

being with Selene in a trusting relationship was more wonderful than

she could ever have hoped. And having Selene constantly by her side,

poised to come to her defense, eased Eve’s mind about the threat that

Kevin Pike posed in a way all the police officers in the world couldn’t.

A whine drew her attention to the floor, where the large Rottweiler

lying next to her chair stared directly into Eve’s eyes. Even in canine

form, Selene’s fierce love for her shone through in her gaze. Sprawled

on a dog pillow, hidden in plain sight, she gave Eve quiet support that

made her feel like she could conquer any challenge. Dropping her hand

to stroke Selene’s head, Eve looked down at her but said nothing. With

Wayne working at his own desk across the lab, chatting with the dog

wouldn’t be prudent.

The lab door slid open and Jac strolled inside. She nodded at

Wayne without taking her eyes off Eve, mouth set in a grim line. All

business, she softened her expression slightly when Eve greeted her

with a friendly wave. “Afternoon, Eve.”

Selene lifted her head but didn’t stand. This wasn’t the first time

Jac had met Eve’s new canine friend, but today she came bearing a

gift. Crouching in front of Selene, Jac offered a dog biscuit with a quiet

“Here you go, girl.”

Eve covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh at the

sight of the large Rottweiler taking the biscuit delicately between its

teeth. She had no doubt that the last thing Selene wanted was to gobble

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Meghan O’BrIen

up a dog treat, but apparently she was committed to staying in character.

“Cookies. Perfect.”

“Have I mentioned how glad I am that you managed to find such

a badass-looking dog?” Jac stroked Selene’s chest, triggering Selene’s

mouth to stretch into unconscious doggy pleasure. “I don’t know why I

didn’t think of this. A dog is an excellent deterrent.”

“Well, I’m not convinced a dog will deter Kevin Pike, but I do feel

better with Luna around.” Eve glanced at Selene, knowing she wasn’t a

huge fan of the name Eve had given her Rottweiler form. They’d both

agreed that it was a nice little inside joke, though. “I’m really grateful

that Selene was able to talk her friend into letting me borrow her.”

Jac rolled her eyes. “At least Selene’s good for something.” She

startled when Selene growled low in the back of her throat, then pulled

her hand away and quickly stood. Glancing at Eve, Jac said, “You train

her to do that?”

Eve gave Selene a mock glare that she hoped didn’t betray her

amusement at the situation. “Maybe Selene did.”

“Nice.” Jac took a step away, jamming her hands into her pockets.

“So Kevin Pike is officially the most boring man on the face of the earth.

One week watching his every move and we’ve got nothing. He likes to

go into the city and hang out at coffee shops—one near the morgue, the

other relatively close to your apartment. But so far he’s done nothing to

arouse suspicion. Certainly nothing we can pick him up on.”

“You think he’s gone dormant, or that he’s made his tail?”

Grumbling, Jac said, “My guys aren’t complete amateurs. I don’t

see how he could have made us so quickly.”

“He’s a smart guy. Meticulous.” Eve pushed aside her paperwork,

resting her hand on Selene’s head. Bolstered by her quiet strength, Eve

didn’t let herself get swept away by the familiar fear that always rose

when she thought back to her encounter with Kevin Pike. Five minutes

beneath him hardly made her an expert, but she did feel as though she

knew him through the way he left his crime scenes. “He’s observant.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine that he might sense he’s being

watched. Maybe he’s just generally paranoid.”

“Or maybe he’s not our guy.” Jac sat on the corner of Eve’s desk,

eyeing Selene warily. “Look, the chief has given me a lot of leeway

on this case. Putting department resources on a guy we think might

be a serial killer because we got some anonymous tip with no real

weight—”

“The tip was good,” Eve said. She fingered one of Selene’s thick,

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• 245 •

furry ears, hoping to soothe the frustration she could feel building at

Jac’s words. “Kevin Pike isn’t careless. Building a case against him

won’t be easy. But nobody’s perfect. We just have to wait for him to

slip up.”

Jac sighed. “Well, I hope we catch a break soon. I can’t exactly tie

up department resources forever when we have no real evidence pointing

to this guy. I’ve combed through his background and haven’t come up

with anything suspicious. No criminal record, not even a parking ticket.

To the casual observer, the guy looks thoroughly uninteresting. Cleaner

than clean.”

Eve heard the unspoken subtext in Jac’s statement. “Maybe a little

too clean.”

“Maybe.” Jac’s face softened and she leaned in, lowering her

voice. “I watched him the other day for almost ten hours. He didn’t do

anything suspicious, not one thing. Nothing about him suggests that

he’s our guy.”

“You said he’s completely bald, Jac. No eyebrows. Sounds like

someone who doesn’t want to leave forensic evidence behind.”

“Baldness isn’t a crime.” Despite her attempt to play devil’s

advocate, the frustration in Jac’s eyes signaled that deep down she also

believed Kevin Pike was their killer. “Is it a little strange? Sure. Does

he have plenty of other reasons to be hairless, besides being a serial

killer? Absolutely.”

Eve shook her head. “He’s our guy. I know it.”

“Honestly? I think so, too,” Jac said quietly. “He may not have

done anything wrong yet, but he feels wrong. Unfortunately, my gut

isn’t exactly admissible in court.”

“Shame, that.”

“Tell me about it.” Jac hesitated, then touched Eve’s shoulder.

“Trust me, nothing makes me happier than the idea that Kevin Pike’s

our guy. I’d feel a lot better knowing that we’ve got eyes on our killer

now. If we’re watching him, he can’t get to you.”

Eve agreed, which led to her next request, spurred on by the

impending full moon. All week she’d been brainstorming about how

to elude her security detail long enough to help Selene through that

night—without drawing any attention to her justifiably reclusive lover.

“In that case, what do you think about lowering my security detail just

a bit? As long as we know where Kevin Pike is, there’s really no reason

to watch me twenty-four hours a day. I’d rather you take protection off

me than surveillance off him, if resources are a problem.”

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Meghan O’BrIen

Jac’s frown made it clear that the issue wasn’t up for discussion.

“No way. Your security stays. If he slips our watch, I don’t want to have

to worry about him getting to you.”

Eve knew enough not to push her luck. She didn’t want to arouse

Jac’s suspicion when Selene had such an important secret to keep.

Insisting on doing something potentially foolish like shed her police

protection when she was under threat of injury or death would almost

certainly lead Jac to question her motives. “Okay,” Eve said. “Just

trying to spare the department’s resources.”

“I appreciate that, but protecting you is not where I choose to cut

corners. Understand?”

“Understood.”

“Good.”

Wayne cleared his throat from across the lab. “I’m due in court in

an hour, Dr. Thomas. Need anything from me before I go?”

Eve waved him away. “Nope. Drive safe. And good luck.”

“Thanks.” He gave her a searching look, as though trying to

determine how she felt about him leaving her alone with Jac. Always

the protector. “I’ll see you later.”

“Have fun, geek.” Clearly pleased to see him go, Jac grinned and

waved. “Try not to gross out the jury too badly.”

“Can’t make any promises,” Wayne said as he walked to the lab

door. “Call me if you need anything, Dr. Thomas.”

“Thanks, Dr. Black. Bye.” Eve turned her attention back to Jac,

rolling her eyes at the satisfied expression she wore as Wayne left

the room. Tapping Jac on the knee, Eve said, “Got anything else to

report?”

“Not really.” Jac’s entire tone changed now that Wayne was

gone. Warmer and more personal, she was being either flirty or simply

affectionate. Eve couldn’t tell which. “You want to grab some lunch?

I’ll buy.”

Selene didn’t have to growl again for Eve to sense her displeasure

at the invitation. Apparently Selene had decided that Jac was flirting.

Eve put on her best apologetic face. “I’m sorry, I’ve got so much

paperwork to finish today. I was honestly just planning to eat at my

desk.”

“I could go grab us a couple sandwiches. We could eat at your

desk together.”

Without allowing her friendly tone to falter, Eve said, “That’s

really sweet, Jac, but can I take a rain check? Things have been so

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• 247 •

crazy lately that I’ve been letting things go here. I promised myself that

today I’d play catch-up.”

Obviously disappointed, Jac gave her a light pat on the knee. “Sure.

I get it.” She stood up, running a hand over her kinky hair. “You’ll call

me if you need anything?”

“Always.” Truth was, now that Eve had Selene back—and more

important, knew what she was capable of doing—she wasn’t depending

on Jac for support nearly as much as she had before. Jac cared about

her, but when you had a supernatural force by your side, an all-too-

human, albeit talented detective just didn’t inspire the same confidence.

“Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the update.”

“I’m sure you’re right. He’ll slip up sooner or later.” Jac’s tone

conveyed weary experience. “They always do, right?”

“I hope so.”

Jac tipped her head and strolled to the lab door. “I’ll let you know

as soon as anything changes.”

“Thanks.” As soon as Jac left the room, Eve glanced down at

Selene. “Growling, huh?” Selene gazed at her with sad puppy-dog

eyes. Laughing, Eve ruffled the fur on top of her head. “She just cares

about me, that’s all. She means well.”

Selene yawned. She couldn’t have looked more disinterested in

the idea that Jac meant well if she’d tried.

Eve petted her again. “Hopefully someday you two can get along.

Even if I don’t trust Jac with my heart, I do trust her with my life. So

you two have that in common.”

Selene flopped back down on the pillow and sighed deeply. Eve

exhaled, too, aware that a resolution to Jac and Selene’s tensions

wouldn’t come that easily. Not when Jac badmouthed Selene on a

regular basis, totally unaware that Selene was there to hear every harsh

word.“Someday, maybe. Later.” At doggy-Selene’s skeptical look, Eve

said, “Much later.”

• 248 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter thIrty-three

Waking up on full-moon mornings was always the same. As

soon as Selene came into awareness, a riot of sensation hit

her full force, starting between her thighs and exploding outward. What

had been merely a heightened libido when she went to sleep had evolved

overnight into a painful ache so intense Selene groaned helplessly. All

she knew was the need to fuck and be fucked.

On her first full-moon morning with Eve, who knew exactly what

to expect and yet still slept beside her in the nude, the presence of a

warm body pressed against Selene’s introduced brand-new torment

into an already-difficult morning ritual. The faint, light scent of Eve’s

pussy filled Selene’s nostrils, so sweetly fragrant it made Selene’s

mouth water and her blood surge. She fisted her hands at her sides, all

too aware that acting on her instincts was not an option.

After their frenzied coupling the last time Selene had been under

the sway of the full moon, she’d sworn to herself that she wouldn’t

allow her need to overwhelm her sense of caution toward Eve. It didn’t

matter that Eve had gotten pleasure from their rough sex. Selene was

stronger than normal on full-moon days and less connected to reality.

That was a dangerous combination.

A warm hand landed on Selene’s thigh. “Are you all right,

darling?”

Selene rolled onto her side away from Eve, drawing her knees

close to her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to control the trembling

of her hands. Eve’s soft touch had very nearly snapped her tenuous

hold on her control. “It hurts,” Selene moaned. Now that Eve knew

everything, Selene didn’t see any reason not to be honest. “I’m sorry.”

Eve moved closer, making Selene quake at the gentle press of bare

breasts against her back. “Let me help you.”

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• 249 •

“You shouldn’t touch me.” Selene had trouble forcing the words

out. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me,” Eve murmured, pulling on Selene’s shoulder.

“I trust you.”

But Selene didn’t trust herself. “Maybe I should touch myself

first. Take the edge off.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Eve tore the comforter off Selene’s body,

exposing her oversensitized skin to the cool air. “You’re in pain. Let

me try to ease it.”

Selene moaned again and rolled onto her back. Her legs fell open

and she dropped her hand to brush against her clit, wincing at pleasure

so razor-sharp it hurt. Masturbation usually helped, but right now it was

hard to concentrate on what she was doing. Selene gasped when Eve

crawled between her legs and pushed her hand out of the way. Then she

shouted hoarsely when the soft, wet heat of Eve’s mouth covered her

throbbing pussy, triggering an orgasm that spread instant relief to the

tips of her toes.

“Oh,” Selene cried out, tangling her hands in Eve’s hair to keep

her close. The slow, gentle motion of Eve’s tongue against her labia

kept her climax going, each contraction and wave of pleasure further

lessening the pain of arousal. Staring down the length of her body into

Eve’s loving gaze, Selene tightened her fingers in Eve’s hair, full of

gratitude. “Just like that, darling. Don’t stop.”

Eve’s eyes twinkled as she shook her head, swiping her tongue

around Selene’s clit. She didn’t pull her mouth away to answer.

It took almost twenty minutes of Eve’s ministrations before Selene

felt capable of rational thought. Aware that they both needed a break,

Selene tapped Eve on the shoulder. “Come here and kiss me.”

Eve surged up the length of Selene’s body, a fabulous grin on her

face, and kissed her hard on the mouth. Selene wrapped one arm around

Eve’s back and slipped her other hand between Eve’s thighs, pushing

her fingers between Eve’s slick folds. She angled a single finger inside

Eve, then pressed her thumb against Eve’s clit, rubbing fast circles.

Without breaking their kiss, Selene quickly brought Eve to orgasm with

a few practiced strokes of her hand.

Pulling away with a whimper, Eve dropped her forehead onto

Selene’s shoulder and squeezed her thighs closed. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Selene put her arms around Eve, savoring the way

their bodies fit together. “Thank you for that.”

“Did it help?”

• 250 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“You have no idea.” Selene’s desire hadn’t disappeared but it had

abated, allowing her to focus on the day ahead. This evening would

be the ultimate test of their relationship. Selene wanted to be able to

face it with as clear a mind as possible. “I could get used to having you

around.”

“I hope so.” Eve lifted her head so she could stare into Selene’s

eyes. “You shouldn’t have to suffer alone anymore.”

Selene scratched her fingernails along Eve’s bare sides, delighted

by the shiver her touch caused. The love that poured from Eve flowed

into Selene’s chest, filling her up until she thought she might burst. She

had never not been alone. The very notion that someone had her back

brought tears to her eyes.

“How about I make us breakfast?” Eve murmured, stroking her

knuckles over Selene’s cheek. “We can talk about how we’re going to

sneak me past the detectives outside tonight.”

Selene frowned. As much as she appreciated that Eve wanted

to help her through the full moon, she didn’t love the idea of helping

Eve intentionally elude her protective detail while Kevin Pike was still

walking around free. But she’d already agreed to let Eve tie her down—

all she could do now was make tonight as safe as possible for Eve.

“Okay.” Shifting beneath Eve’s weight, Selene could already feel

her ardor rising again. “Let me take a quick shower and I’ll join you.”

A cold shower and one self-induced orgasm later, Selene wrapped

a robe around herself and shuffled to Eve’s dining room. Until tonight’s

transformation, the effects of the moon would only get stronger. Last

month she’d managed to stay away from Eve for most of the day, so

this was the first time Eve would really see the extent of the moon’s

influence on her behavior. Embarrassed by the way it seemed to dumb

her down and reduce her to base instinct, Selene avoided Eve’s eyes as

she sat at the table and tried not to squirm against the chair.

Eve set a plate of pancakes on the table in front of Selene, then

handed her a bottle of syrup. “Are you hungry?”

Selene nodded vigorously. She picked up the bottle and squirted a

large pool on her plate, then grabbed her fork and sawed at the stack of

pancakes with its edge. Shoving a forkful into her mouth, she tried hard

not to look as ravenous as she felt.

“Yummy?” Eve swallowed her own dainty bite, watching Selene

shovel down her breakfast with obvious good humor. “Should I make

more?”

Selene shook her head and swallowed her last bite. She could

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• 251 •

eat another stack, no doubt, but her real hunger took over at the sight

of Eve’s amusement. Her fork clanged against her plate as she set it

down, clumsy with desire. Less than an hour had passed and already

she wanted Eve again.

“I’m sorry,” Selene whimpered, but Eve had already scooted her

chair closer, undoing the sash of Selene’s robe with a firm tug. Eve

ran her hand over the hardened peak of Selene’s naked breast, then

lowered it between Selene’s thighs.

“Spread your legs.” Eve gave her a sympathetic kiss on the

cheek.

“You don’t have to do this again.”

Eve laughed. “It’s hardly a sacrifice. Now spread them.”

Selene obeyed and Eve immediately rewarded her with the

delicious sensation of two fingers sliding deep inside her pussy. Leaning

back in the chair, Selene moved her hands to her own breasts, pinching

and twisting her erect nipples as Eve set a fast, hard pace. The torrent of

pleasure began almost instantly, building to a crescendo over the span

of breathless minutes. Eve fucked her energetically, fingering her pussy

in exactly the way Selene loved best. Selene contracted around Eve,

coming again and again, until the dull roar inside her head had quieted

to a manageable hum.

Wrapping her fingers around Eve’s wrist, Selene stilled her with a

quiet plea. Eve withdrew slowly, searching Selene’s face. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Sheepish, Selene brushed a lock of sweat-dampened hair

from her face. “Sorry.”

“No more apologies.” Eve stood and gathered their plates, taking

them into the kitchen. She raised her voice so Selene could hear her

from the other room. “I love making you come, especially when I know

it’s literally bringing you relief.”

Selene retied her robe. “That it is.”

Eve returned to the dining room wearing a sexy expression. “There

are worse gigs than being your full-time sex machine, trust me.”

Snorting, Selene said, “If you say so.”

“I do.” Eve sat down at the table and exhaled. “So about tonight…

if I want to leave my apartment without the detectives knowing, we’ll

need a distraction.”

Clear-headed for the moment, Selene beamed as the perfect plan

occurred to her. Since meeting Eve, she had been forced to start thinking

about her unique skills in creative ways. It was so satisfying to solve

problems that relied upon using her ability to hide in plain sight. After

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Meghan O’BrIen

years of fearing her own nature, she finally saw its potential when it

came to getting out of impossible situations.

“I know exactly how we can do it.” Selene grabbed Eve’s hand,

appreciating the tether to her human concerns. “We just need to get the

timing right. If we do, we’re golden.”

“Tell me more.”

v

They agreed that it was best to wait as long as they possibly

could before escaping to Selene’s house. The longer Eve was gone,

the more likely someone would notice. Wanting to give Eve enough

time to return to her apartment before dark, Selene planned for them

to depart at six in the evening. That would let them sneak away from

Eve’s apartment unnoticed, travel to Selene’s place, then go over the

details of her monthly ritual. Selene didn’t want Eve to linger outside

of police protection any longer than necessary on the one night she

couldn’t protect her.

By a quarter to six, Selene had once again descended into the

throes of agonizing, moon-induced desire. It seemed to peak every hour

or so, and each time it did Eve sated her need passionately and without

hesitation, conveying pure, unconditional love in every stroke of her

fingers and tongue. The longer the day went on, the more primal their

connection began to feel. In her lucid moments Selene was embarrassed

by the instinctive, wholly physical state the moon had reduced her to,

but she was also in awe of how Eve handled the situation. Instead of

feeling reduced to some kind of sexual servant, Eve seemed to relish

the opportunity to give Selene something no one ever had before.

That’s why when Eve got on her knees in front of the couch and

pushed Selene’s thighs apart fifteen minutes before they had to walk out

the door, Selene didn’t tell Eve not to help or apologize for her body’s

betrayal. Instead she cradled the back of Eve’s head and moaned as her

hot tongue slid over Selene’s puffy, hypersensitive labia. Eve’s touch

was the only thing that had ever eased the pain of the moon, and Selene

surrendered to it with gratitude.

Eve lifted her face and stared at Selene’s pussy, obviously entranced

by its permanent state of wet, swollen arousal. “Oh, sweetheart, that

does look painful.”

Selene tightened her fingers in Eve’s hair, moving her mouth back

to where Selene needed it most. “Not when you suck it, darling.” She

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• 253 •

shuddered as the first wave of pleasure rolled through her body, relaxing

her muscles. Wrapping soft lips around Selene’s impossibly distended

clit, Eve milked her length with deliberate care. Grunting her approval,

Selene pushed her hips into Eve’s mouth greedily. “Good girl. That’s

so good.”

Eve was beaming by the time Selene pushed her away. “It’s

probably best this only happens once a month, for both our sakes, but

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying every second of it.”

Laughing weakly, Selene struggled to her feet. This was the best

full-moon day she’d ever had. “We’ll see how you feel in a year or

so.” Eve’s bright giggle preceded a burst of warm happiness that

hit Selene in the center of her chest. “Crazy, supernatural sex once a

month? With orgasms we can both feel? I’m pretty sure that’ll take

more than a year to get old.”

“That’s a relief.” Selene gave Eve a quick kiss. It was time to put

their plan into action. This was as clear-headed as she would feel for the

rest of the night, so they needed to move fast. “Ready to go?”

“Absolutely.”

Selene handed Eve the backpack that held her clothing, as well

as her keys and wallet. They’d decided that Selene would create a

diversion, but that meant she needed to leave Eve’s apartment naked.

They would meet after Eve slipped away and made it around the block,

then walk to Selene’s car, which she’d parked out of sight nearly three

blocks away. If all went as planned, they’d get to Selene’s house with

over an hour to spare before she changed. The cops watching Eve’s

apartment wouldn’t even realize she’d left until she returned in Selene’s

car. Selene had come up with this plan because she knew that Kevin

Pike was being watched. If he did anything suspicious, if he approached

Eve in any way, the police would arrest him. Allowing Eve to sneak

away tonight was a risk, but a calculated one. And it was clearly

important for reasons neither of them needed to vocalize.

Selene walked to the window that faced the street and opened it,

glancing down at the black sedan parked at the curb. She couldn’t see

the detectives from this floor, so it was impossible to know how closely

they were observing the situation. Playing it safe, Selene stepped away

from the window and met Eve’s excited gaze. “Okay. As soon as I fly

out the window, I want you to leave your apartment. Don’t forget to lock

up. Go downstairs to the lobby but don’t go outside until my signal.”

• 254 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“Which will be?”

“You’ll know. My goal is to get the detectives looking at me so

you can slip out the door and reach the end of the block without them

noticing. Leave when you’re confident that they’re not paying attention

to the front door.”

“Okay.” Eve nodded determinedly, tugging a dark hooded

sweatshirt over her head. She completed her outfit by tucking her hair

under a Giants baseball cap. The uncharacteristic clothing did the trick;

at a glance, she looked nothing like her normal, immaculate self. “I’ll

meet you there.”

“Yes.” Selene pulled Eve into a quick hug, moaning helplessly at

how good it felt to have her close. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. Be

careful.”

Selene hated to let Eve out of her sight and only did so because

she’d sense if Eve got into trouble. As long as she had her human

consciousness, Selene was tuned in to Eve on a cosmic frequency. That

would have to be enough.

Making sure she was out of the line of sight of the open window,

Selene shifted into a small sparrow. She wouldn’t be able to create

much of a distraction in this form, but it was the best and sneakiest way

to get down to street level. Glancing at Eve, Selene felt pleased rather

than insecure at the slack-jawed look of wonder on Eve’s face.

Eve had tried to explain just how mind-bending Selene’s ability

was, from a scientific standpoint—something to do with mass and the

laws of physics—but Selene hadn’t understood half of what she was

saying. All Selene cared about was that Eve seemed genuinely excited

about what she was. After both her parents and Carla accused her of

being a monster, Eve’s enthusiastic acceptance was beyond her wildest

hopes and dreams.

Selene chirped at Eve, then flapped her wings to take off, soaring

out the window to dive to the ground below. She tried to imagine Eve’s

movements inside the apartment building, desperate to get the timing

right. Flying over to land on the banister outside the front entrance,

Selene watched and waited for Eve’s arrival in the lobby. They were

lucky that Jac had agreed to remove the officers stationed inside now

that the cops were watching Kevin Pike. Jac had made it clear that the

officers would return if they lost track of Pike, but the slight loosening

of security definitely made tonight easier to pull off.

Eve stepped off the elevator and walked to the front door. She

stood beside the window, out of sight of the detectives on the street.

WILD

• 255 •

Satisfied by Eve’s position, Selene flew across the street into an alley,

landing behind a Dumpster so she could move to part two of her plan.

She wanted to get the attention of the police officers without causing a

panic, so doing something like unleashing a tiger in the middle of the

city street was out. Likewise, she didn’t want to become a creature they

were likely to open fire on if they feared for their safety.

That’s what made a bald eagle the perfect choice. Unusual enough

that people didn’t see them every day, such a spectacular bird was sure

to capture the detectives’ attention. And they sure as hell wouldn’t

decide to shoot at her even if she did startle them. Her second shift—

from sparrow to eagle—required more effort than the first, and took

her a little further away from her human self. But it was exhilarating to

occupy the large body of the majestic bird.

Selene flapped her wings and rose into the air, swooping out of

the alley and across the street to land on the hood of the black sedan.

She watched the detective in the driver’s seat spill his coffee on his lap,

while his partner grabbed at his chest, going round-eyed with surprise.

Extending her wings to their full width, Selene tipped back her head

and cried out three times. It was her signal to Eve and also a wild,

triumphant sound of unrestrained joy.

Never before had she voluntarily shifted on a full-moon day, and it

was glorious. Nearly as good as sex. Hopping around on the hood of the

car, Selene flapped her wings and jumped from side to side, glancing

at the front of Eve’s building. Now was the time for Eve to make her

escape—her performance had completely enthralled the detectives. Eve

could probably tap-dance down the street without them seeing.

When Eve slipped out the front door and skulked down the block,

Selene launched into her grand finale. She lifted herself into the air,

then came down hard on their windshield, drawing shouts from inside

the car. The detective on the driver’s side laid on the horn, startling

Selene backward. She glanced down the block just in time to see Eve

round the corner and disappear from sight.

Satisfied that she’d accomplished her mission, and wary of the

attention she was drawing from onlookers gathered on the street, Selene

pumped her wings and took off. She coasted over Eve’s building to the

place they’d agreed to meet. Landing in the narrow passage between

two buildings, she pulled off yet another shift—this time into Luna the

Rottweiler, Eve’s canine protector. Selene trotted out onto the sidewalk,

zeroing in on Eve’s location immediately. Drawn to her partner’s side,

Selene tore down the street to meet her.

• 256 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Eve greeted her with a gentle pat on the chest. “Good girl.”

Selene walked close to Eve’s side, hoping not to attract any

attention with their failure to adhere to the leash law. Eve rested her

hand on Selene’s head, sending a wave of contented pleasure through

her entire body.

“That was pretty impressive stuff back there,” Eve murmured

under her breath. She ruffled Selene’s fur. “There’s no way they saw

me leave. Not with the show you put on.”

Eve’s cell phone buzzed inside her pocket. She pulled it out and

glanced at the display. “Well, I guess we’re about to find out.” She

answered with a casual, “This is Eve.” Selene listened to the detective

check in while attempting to explain the very unusual thing that had just

happened. Eve did a perfect job of playing up fake surprise. “You’re

kidding me. I thought I heard a commotion down there, but I never

would have guessed that.” She listened, then laughed. “Well, good luck

with that. Glad I’m safe up here and not at the mercy of a crazy bird.

Okay. Bye.”

Clicking off the phone, Eve murmured under her breath, “Don’t

you love it when a plan comes together?”

Selene whined in agreement. Her skin tingled with excitement

and her animal brain threatened to take over as she struggled to pay

attention to their surroundings. As difficult as it was to concentrate, she

was now the last line of defense between Eve and Kevin Pike. Without

the cops as backup, she needed to be at the top of her game.

Eve unlocked Selene’s car as they approached, opening the

driver’s side door to allow Selene to jump inside first. They’d decided

that Selene wouldn’t change back into her human self until they

reached her apartment—cutting down her risk of exposure as much as

possible. Selene curled up on the passenger seat and exhaled deeply,

trying to relax. Three shifts had her adrenaline pumping. She wanted

to go home, get strapped down, and ride out the rest of the night in the

safety of her apartment.

Clearly sensing Selene’s unspoken urgency, Eve broke the speed

limit on the drive back to Selene’s house. As soon as they pulled up to

the curb Eve threw the car into park, then opened the driver’s side door

quickly and let Selene jump out of the car behind her. They jogged

across the street together, Eve leading the way. Selene circled Eve’s feet

excitedly as she unlocked the door, then dashed inside, shifting back

into her human self as soon as Eve shut the door behind them.

The moment Selene returned to her body, hot lust surged through

WILD

• 257 •

her veins. Thinking became impossible as the air molecules surrounding

her tickled her skin like a thousand tongues lapping at her clit. Selene

groaned in agony, zeroing in on the beautiful, fragrant form of her lover

standing not five feet away.

Eve must have seen the struggle in her eyes. “It’s okay, darling,”

she said, taking a step closer. “Do what you need to do.”

Selene closed the distance between them and grabbed Eve’s

shoulders, walking her backward into the living room. One desperate,

recurrent thought cut through the noise in her head. Don’t hurt her.

Frightened by her single-minded need, Selene spun Eve around, then

bent her over the arm of the couch. Hands shaking, Selene unbuttoned

and unzipped Eve’s jeans, yanking them down around her ankles. Then

she grasped the waist of Eve’s panties in both hands and lowered the

silky material to expose the firm, bare flesh of her ass.

Eve glanced back over her shoulder, meeting Selene’s eyes. “I

want you, Selene. Take me.”

Emboldened by Eve’s words, Selene used both hands to spread her

open, whimpering at the sight of her slick pink pussy, the delicate pucker

of her anus. Stepping forward, Selene pressed her center against Eve’s

soft warmth. She used her fingers to expose her distended clit, grunting

as she rubbed and thrust herself against Eve in a mindless, animalistic

pantomime of rear-entry sex. Once she settled into a satisfying rhythm,

clit perfectly positioned against Eve’s wetness, Selene reached beneath

Eve’s sweatshirt and cradled a hard-nippled breast in each hand.

“Pinch them,” Eve gasped. Despite the lack of clitoral and internal

stimulation from Selene’s attentions, she sounded as though she was

building toward a crescendo. “Twist my nipples. Don’t be afraid to get

rough.”

Selene obeyed Eve on instinct, tugging and squeezing her nipples

as she continued to drive her hips into Eve’s bare bottom. Arching her

back, Eve moaned loudly, then shook as an unmistakable orgasm tore

through her body. Eve’s climax sent Selene into screaming release,

delivering white-hot pleasure to the tips of her toes. The more she

came, the easier it became to think, until finally Selene collapsed onto

Eve’s back, exhausted but blessedly lucid.

Eve chuckled weakly, patting Selene’s thigh. “Well, that was a

new experience for me.”

Embarrassed, Selene stood on shaky legs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t

mean to…” Selene cleared her throat, unsure how to label what she’d

just done. Eve might have been willing to service her for the sake of

• 258 •

Meghan O’BrIen

keeping her comfortable and focused, but Selene worried that she’d

crossed a line. Allowing Eve to use her fingers and tongue was one

thing—degrading her was something else entirely. “Shifting got me

really worked up. But I shouldn’t have done that.”

Eve rose to her feet, giving Selene a dazed laugh. “Are you kidding

me? I just came from having my nipples touched.”

“Yeah, well…” Selene pulled up Eve’s pants, buttoning them

clumsily. “I could have probably made that more comfortable for

you.”“That was incredibly hot, Selene.” Eve touched her face. “I’m

pretty sure I had a fantasy along those lines once.”

Selene managed a smile that felt a lot like a grimace. She could

feel the late hour in her bones—soon she would be totally unsafe for

Eve to be around. “It’s getting close, darling. We need to go over the

instructions now.”

“Okay.” Eve casually arranged her clothing as though she hadn’t

just been ridden senseless. “You seriously never fucked those call girls?

I’m asking without judgment. It’s just that I can’t imagine how you

could have held back when you felt like this.”

“Honestly, you might be intensifying those feelings just a bit.”

“Really?” Eve looked strangely flattered.

“Absolutely. And no, I never did anything with the escorts. Didn’t

want to get attached. But, believe me, it required a lot of willpower.”

Selene grabbed Eve’s hand and led her to the guest bedroom, where her

trusty steel table sat waiting. “Which is something I seem to lose when

you’re around.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Eve stroked her thumb over the

side of Selene’s hand, sending another orgasm rolling through Selene’s

body. At Selene’s tormented groan, Eve murmured, “Sorry.”

Shaking her head, Selene hopped up onto the steel table and lay

down in the center. “I’m guessing I’ve got just over an hour before I

change. We need to get started if you’re going to be able to leave before

dark.”Eve nodded solemnly. “Tell me what to do.”

Having someone who knew the stakes was an entirely new

experience. For the first time, Selene faced the prospect of her full-moon

transformation with a sense of comfort. She had someone looking out

for her interests. Someone she could trust. Someone who didn’t want

her to escape and would do whatever it took to ensure she wouldn’t.

Selene had a partner in the truest sense of the word.

WILD

• 259 •

Nostrils flaring as her emotion rose, Selene gave Eve a tender,

lingering kiss on the lips. It took everything she had not to deepen it.

Drawing away, Selene whispered, “Just don’t be afraid of hurting me,

okay? You won’t. I promise.”

“I’m not afraid,” Eve said bravely. And, indeed, she had no fear in

her eyes. “I promise.”

Selene wished she could say the same.

• 260 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter thIrty-FOur

The cops had been watching him for at least eleven days now,

maybe longer. Kevin noticed them first while sitting at the

coffee shop near Eve Thomas’s apartment, two men in the dark sedan

who sat parked nearby. They watched him without watching, obvious

in the way law-enforcement types always seemed to be. They clearly

underestimated his intelligence, because after he picked them out the

first time, they were consistently easy to spot.

Kevin didn’t let on that he knew. Since they’d already seen him

visit the coffee shop, he continued his daily trips. He stuck to the habits

that wouldn’t incriminate him, not wanting a change in behavior to

raise any alarm. It was better for him if they didn’t know he realized

they were watching. He figured if they thought he was ignorantly doing

nothing wrong, maybe they would look elsewhere.

They had to have a reason for placing him under surveillance. But

no matter how many times he retraced his movements and actions over

the past couple of months, he couldn’t figure out how they knew who

he was. He’d given Eve his first name, but he couldn’t imagine that

would be enough to find him. He wasn’t on anyone’s radar. No criminal

record, nothing to suggest anything off about him.

The timing was suspicious—he’d spotted his surveillance

detail not long after that damn dog had chased him away from Eve’s

apartment. He hadn’t left any evidence behind. He hadn’t spotted any

potential witnesses during his escape. Despite his failure to get to Eve,

the mission hadn’t been a total disaster. He’d gotten away without

being seen.

But his head hadn’t been right since that night, and he was starting

to second-guess his instincts, maybe even his sanity. Because as angry

as he was, he still didn’t understand where his little dog had gone.

WILD

• 261 •

He remembered being enraged, knowing he would take it out on

the dog, who ran under the bed and hid. And then the dog was gone.

Disappeared.

Now the cops were tailing him. That meant he’d done something

wrong, even if he couldn’t figure out what. Maybe he was losing it—

maybe he’d made a mistake with one of the bodies, or with that phone

call to Eve Thomas. His present. The clue. He’d gotten cocky. Over-

confident. Most regretfully, he’d become obsessed.

He was positive he wasn’t leaving behind any usable evidence at

his scenes or on his victims. His biggest risks were when he attempted

contact with Eve. That’s when he bent his self-imposed rules, the basic

tenets to which he’d sworn to adhere lest he be caught. Be smart about

forensic science. Don’t make hair evidence available, so shave your

head, eyebrows, and body. Don’t take trophies. Don’t stash evidence.

Use a new weapon every time. Above all else, don’t do anything stupid.

Act from the brain and not the heart.

With Eve he’d thrown not being stupid out the window. When

he’d imagined this game before it started, he fantasized about leaving

a trail of victims behind him, perpetually unknown, slipping out of the

shadows only to kill before disappearing into them once again. As soon

as he attacked Eve the morning of his first kill, he’d changed the game.

He’d allowed his desire to inflict fear and pain on Dr. Eve Thomas to

overwhelm his sense of caution and his intelligence.

Not anymore.

Kevin didn’t plan on getting caught. Tonight two detectives were

parked outside his apartment building, but tomorrow was a new day.

He’d leave tonight, go somewhere else. Do what he loved to do but

make it about himself next time—not about some goddamn best-selling

author / forensic pathologist. Just about him and the women he chose,

the ritual, the pleasure it gave him.

He’d get back to the basics.

Just as soon as he finished here.

Kevin couldn’t just leave Eve Thomas without some kind of

closure. He wasn’t suicidal—going after Eve directly was no longer

an option. It was too dangerous when the cops had their eye on both of

them. So his original endgame was, tragically, aborted.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t still pull off a closing move with

a flourish.

A couple of days before he discovered the cops’ presence, Kevin

had been doing his own surveillance of Eve’s block, noting the comings

• 262 •

Meghan O’BrIen

and goings at her apartment. To his surprise, her old friend showed up.

Selene, according to the mail he’d intercepted one day at her house.

Kevin had written off their relationship as over after their shouting

match a couple of weeks prior, but it appeared that they’d rekindled

something. Selene had entered the apartment in the morning and still

hadn’t emerged by the time he packed in his surveillance.

Unfortunately Kevin hadn’t been able to monitor Eve at all since

making his tail, but he suspected that Selene was still important enough

to Eve that her murder would be devastating. If he was lucky, Selene

might be home alone in her apartment tonight. Even if she wasn’t, he

should be able to break in and lie in wait. When Eve went to work

tomorrow morning and Selene returned home, Kevin would deliver his

parting shot. He’d give Eve something to remember him by.

Then he would disappear. He would win.

This Plan was even better than his original—this way he wouldn’t

kill Eve. He would destroy her spirit, but let her body live. A new

concept for him, admittedly, but he appreciated the poetic nature of this

ending. Never-ending torment for Eve Thomas. Because of him.

And who knew? Maybe he’d come back for her someday.

WILD

• 263 •

Chapter thIrty-FIve

All day Eve told herself she’d keep her promise and leave

Selene before dark. She wanted to prove that she was worthy

of Selene’s trust. The best way to do that was to follow Selene’s

instructions exactly. This monthly ritual was something Selene had

perfected over time. Years of experience had taught her what needed to

happen to keep everyone safe. Yet when the moment came and Selene

told her to go home, Eve couldn’t.

Seeing Selene strapped down, writhing in pain as nightfall

approached, made walking away easier to say than to do. She understood

why Selene didn’t want her to witness the transformation, but after the

day they’d just spent—building a primal connection Eve could feel in

her bones—she couldn’t bear to abandon Selene to the torment of the

moon.

She wanted to stay. To help, somehow.

“No. You agreed to go.” The panic in Selene’s voice tore at her

heart. “It’s time. Go!”

Tears welled in Eve’s eyes and she didn’t try to hide them. She

knew Selene could feel her anguish. “I hate seeing you like this. I don’t

want to leave you alone.”

Selene gritted her teeth and her face turned red. “Listen to me. In

about fifteen minutes, I won’t know who you are. You won’t be safe

around me.”

“You won’t hurt me.” Eve had no idea where she got her confidence

as far as that statement went, but she believed it to the bottom of her

soul. Especially after today, having shared what felt at times like some

kind of primitive mating and bonding ritual, Eve just couldn’t imagine

Selene causing her harm. “Maybe my presence will help with the

transformation, too. Like it did today, with the arousal.”

• 264 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Shaking her head furiously, Selene squeezed her eyes shut against

the tears that had started to fall. “You promised me, Eve. Don’t break

your promise.”

“But I just—”

“We can talk about it tomorrow.” Selene opened her eyes, which

were so haunted Eve shivered as soon as they fixed upon her own. “I

can’t protect you tonight—not even from myself. And I need to know

you’re safe. This will be so much easier for me if I know you’re out of

danger.”

It was clear she wouldn’t be able to talk Selene into letting her

stay. Going back on her promise could damage their relationship

irreparably. No matter how intensely they connected, their relationship

was still new. Eve expected Selene to be honest with her, so she needed

to demonstrate loyalty and honesty in return.

“Okay,” Eve said. She swiped the tears from her face quickly,

putting on a brave front. “I’m sorry. I just love you. This is so…hard.”

Selene’s eyes had gone wild. She was slipping further and further

away. “Love you. Now go.”

With a teary nod, Eve bent and kissed Selene on her damp cheek,

then turned and walked swiftly out of the guest room. She shut the

door behind her, then put the key to the cuffs in her pocket as Selene

had instructed. She walked to Selene’s living room, glancing out the

window at the darkening sky. According to Selene, the transformation

would happen any minute now. Eve hoped tonight would go as planned,

and that Selene would be safe until she returned in the morning.

Eve’s cell phone rang inside her backpack, which still sat where

she’d dropped it just inside the front door. Heart pounding, she rushed

across the room to unzip the bag and dig the phone out. Praying she

wouldn’t see Jac’s name on her caller ID, Eve feared someone had

discovered her absence. When she checked her phone and confirmed

that Jac was calling, she exhaled and answered the phone in as casual a

voice as she could manage.

“Hey, Jac. What’s up?”

“You’re not home. That’s what’s up.” Jac sounded like she was

trying hard to keep her tone neutral, which meant she was very angry.

Eve wouldn’t have expected anything less. “I’m standing in your living

room and you’re not here. So where the hell are you?”

“I’m coming home now.”

“That’s not what I asked. What possessed you to sneak away from

your protective detail?”

WILD

• 265 •

An agonized, guttural shriek rattled the walls around Eve, cutting

off her reply. Eve whipped around, zeroing in on the closed guest room

door. Her stomach flip-flopped uneasily—Selene’s transformation must

be under way.

“Eve! Are you okay?”

The alarm in Jac’s voice brought Eve back to their conversation.

“I’m fine.” The growing commotion within the guest room sent Eve

scurrying to the front door, afraid that Jac would overhear the growling,

groaning, and plaintive, agonized wail. Each sound of distress unleashed

an answering wave of pain within her own body. “I’m sorry, it’s just the

television.”

“Are you at Selene’s house? Tell me and I’ll send someone to get

you.”Eve’s stomach leapt into her throat. “That won’t be necessary. I

told you, I’m coming home right now. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

There’s no reason to worry.”

“Did Selene convince you to do this? What reason did she give

you for why you should put yourself at risk?” Jac no longer tried to hide

her fury. “Doesn’t she care about you at all?”

“Hey,” Eve said sharply. “It’s not like that. Stop making

assumptions, calm down, and we’ll talk about this when I get back. It’s

not a big deal. Unless you’ve neglected to tell me that Kevin Pike is in

the wind.”

Jac grumbled under her breath. “According to my guys, he went up

to his apartment two hours ago and turned out the lights. No movement

since then.”

“Taking a nap, maybe?” Despite her rattled nerves, Eve forced a

light chuckle. “Explain to me why you’re so freaked out again?”

“Because I don’t want anything to happen to you. Because it’s not

like you to do something this stupid.”

Eve realized that the noise from the guest room had suddenly

ceased, leaving Selene’s house almost unnaturally quiet. Just as she

wondered whether she should be worried, a piercing howl arose from

behind the door, so mournful it sent chills down Eve’s spine.

“Television again?” There was no humor in Jac’s voice.

Eve snatched up her backpack, zipping it closed, then slinging

it over her shoulder. She needed to leave now. Jac knew where she

was, and Eve had already overstayed her welcome. She was skating

dangerously close to exposing Selene’s secret, which was a risk she

couldn’t take. Eve was pretty sure Jac didn’t believe in the supernatural,

• 266 •

Meghan O’BrIen

and if she was confronted by evidence of its existence, her reaction

would not be good.

“It may not be like me to do stupid things, but I did this. Me. I

decided to get away for an hour because I wanted some privacy. It is

what it is, and I’m sorry. We’ll talk about it when I get home. Okay?”

Sighing, Jac said, “Fine.”

Eve picked up Selene’s house keys and threw open the front door.

Her terse good-bye to Jac died in her throat. Standing on the porch

was a man whose face she’d never seen before, yet she recognized him

immediately.

Kevin Pike.

Eve quickly stepped back and moved to close the door, but he

shouldered his way inside, shoving her backward hard enough to knock

her to the floor. Her cell phone clattered out of her hands and skidded

across the hallway, coming to rest beneath a small end table.

For a terrifying instant she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t open her

mouth, couldn’t force out sound. Then her lungs started working and

she screamed, “Jac!”

Kevin kicked the door shut and launched himself on top of her,

hitting her hard across the face with his fist. Stunned into momentary

silence, she moaned in pain as he scrambled over to the cell phone and

disconnected it. He shoved it into his pants pocket and clambered back

onto her body, pinning her down before she could gather her wits and

try to escape.

“I wasn’t expecting to find you here.” His pupils were so dilated

they made his eyes look black. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The

expression on his face was a curious mix of fear and arousal. “I came

for your girlfriend. She was going to be my final gift to you.”

“She’s not here,” Eve said. Even as the lie rolled off her tongue, a

growl from the guest room raised the hairs on the back of Eve’s neck.

Kevin glanced sharply at the closed door, then back at Eve. “Is

that your new dog? I saw you walking her right before I discovered the

police watching me.”

“Yes, that’s my dog.” Eve’s heart hammered in her chest. It would

take Jac at least fifteen minutes to get here, assuming traffic was moving.

Kevin Pike might not keep her alive that long, especially when he knew

someone had heard his entrance. “Please don’t hurt her.”

“What good is having a protection dog if you’re just going to leave

it locked in a room?” Amusement transformed his face into something

WILD

• 267 •

almost human. “I mean, it’s a little tragic to be murdered right after

you’ve put away your only weapon. Stupid bitch.”

Kevin’s words sparked Eve’s memory. She’d shoved the gun Jac

had insisted she carry into her backpack before she left her apartment.

Though she hadn’t honestly imagined that Kevin would escape

his surveillance detail and come after her on the one night she was

unprotected, Eve had liked the reassurance the gun provided. Not that

it was doing her much good, hidden in a backpack that lay facing away

from her, just out of reach.

A vicious snarl erupted from the guest room, then a series of

increasingly frustrated howls. Selene could sense she was in danger.

Even now, with Selene’s mind completely divorced from its human

sensibilities, their connection remained. The emotion coming from

Selene was raw and disjointed, difficult to discern. But Eve knew that

she was enraged. As Eve’s terror grew, the noises from the guest room

rose in volume.

“What the hell’s wrong with your dog?” Confusion passed across

Kevin’s face and he met her eyes for the first time, really studying her.

“What is it with you and dogs? Every time I get close to you there’s

some fucking dog to chase me away.”

“I like dogs.” Eve fought not to let her gaze stray to her backpack,

not wanting Kevin to anticipate her next move. “The police are on their

way. You should leave now if you don’t want to get caught.”

Kevin laughed. “Stick to forensic pathology, Doc. Your psychology

needs a bit of refinement.” Sitting up slightly, Kevin reached behind his

back and withdrew a large, wickedly sharp-looking knife. “I wasn’t

expecting to get close to you again. I’m not losing this opportunity. Not

after everything we’ve been through.”

Eve’s stomach churned. He spoke of her almost fondly, as though

they had a relationship he truly valued. “You’re going to kill me? Is that

your endgame? I thought this was about getting the better of me.”

“Oh, I’ll get the better of you.” Kevin stroked the back of his hand

across her cheek, tenderly. “Trust me, when the cops find you, they’ll

know who won our little game.” He dropped his hand to her throat,

paralyzing her with the fear that he would cut off her air supply, then

touched her breast through her shirt. “When I came to see you last time,

I’d intended to rape you and cut your face up. Pity I don’t have the time

or the prophylactic to do that tonight.”

Eve’s stomach dropped into her feet when he raised the knife,

• 268 •

Meghan O’BrIen

positioning the edge of the blade against her cheek. “Please,” she

whispered.

“Well, the raping part at least.” He drew the blade down her cheek

in a quick, brutal slice, splitting open her skin with searing precision.

Eve winced as hot blood oozed from the wound and ran down her face.

That would leave a scar.

An absolutely savage roar shook the walls around them, pulling

Kevin’s attention away just long enough for Eve to drive her fist into

his neck. Choking, he brought his hands reflexively to his throat. Eve

shoved against his chest as hard as she could, scrambling out from

beneath him as he fell to the side.

She crawled to her backpack and unzipped it, thrusting her hand

into the bottom in a mad search for the gun. Just as her fingers brushed

against the cool metal, Kevin grabbed her legs and yanked her toward

him. She lost her grip on the gun with a defeated whimper, swearing

in frustration when Kevin surged up over her to shove the backpack

farther away.

Rolling over beneath him, Eve kicked out wildly, first striking his

shin, then landing a solid blow between his legs. He gasped and rolled

away, holding himself protectively. Taking advantage of his momentary

lapse, Eve leapt to her feet and ran toward the guest room. Going for the

gun hadn’t worked the first time, so Eve abandoned that plan in favor

of going straight to her most deadly weapon—a pissed-off, fiercely

protective werewolf.

Or at least that’s what Eve hoped she’d find behind that door. Deep

in her heart she believed that Selene would recognize her even in her

changed state, but that didn’t stop a slight trill of apprehension from

crawling down Eve’s spine. Selene was making noises unlike anything

Eve had ever heard before. Vicious, throaty growls of murderous

intent.

Still, Eve would rather take her chances with full-moon Selene

than with Kevin Pike.

Taking a deep breath, Eve opened the guest room door, then

quickly closed it behind her. The door didn’t lock from the inside—

Selene probably figured there wasn’t much use for that—so shutting

it could only slow down Kevin briefly. But every second counted,

especially when Eve thought about just how tightly she’d tied Selene.

At the sound of her entrance, the hulking creature strapped to the

table lifted its head and stared at her with malevolent green eyes. Eve’s

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• 269 •

hands went numb at the sight of her lover, now wholly unrecognizable—

larger than any wolf on earth, but distinctly canid and devoid of any

humanity. Her silver fur caught the low light, gleaming, as she bared

her impossibly sharp fangs in a classic aggressive snarl.

There was no sign of recognition in Selene’s eyes, yet Eve still

felt their connection in her gut. Selene was reacting to Eve’s fear and

pain—even if Eve couldn’t see Selene in there, she could feel her.

Running to the table, Eve looked deeply into cold green eyes as she

dug the keys to Selene’s cuffs out of her pocket.

“I know you’re in there, Selene,” Eve murmured. “I trust you. You

will not hurt me, okay? I’m going to untie you, because I need you right

now—”

The guest room door banged open and Eve jumped, nearly

dropping the keys to Selene’s cuffs. Refusing to get distracted, she

fumbled to unlock the first cuff around Selene’s wrist. Already she

knew she would never have time to unlock the other three, let alone

untie the rope that held Selene down, but she refused to give up until

the last possible second.

“What the fuck is that?”

Eve glanced up at the terror in Kevin’s voice, just in time to watch

him bring her gun up and aim at Selene. Releasing her wrist, Eve jumped

out of the way when Selene swung her massive arm through the air,

trying to use her new leverage to break free. The loud crack of gunfire

pulled a scream from Eve’s throat, which turned into a sob when she

saw a vivid bloom of red stain the silver fur on Selene’s chest.

“No!” Unconcerned with her own safety, Eve ran at Kevin Pike

and tackled him around the middle. They fell backward into the hallway

even as another shot rang out. Eve drew back her fist and threw a punch

at Kevin’s throat, but narrowly missed when he moved his head to the

side. Her hand slammed uselessly against the hard tile floor, sending

breathtaking agony rocketing through her body. He took advantage of

her pain by rolling them over so he was on top.

“You’re one crazy fucking bitch.” Kevin wrapped his hands

around her throat, squeezing hard. Apparently he was done messing

around—no more toying with her, no more drawing things out. The end

was here. “I don’t know what the fuck is up with you and your freaky

animal friends, but I’m done. You’re done.”

Eve opened her mouth to call out to Selene, but couldn’t draw in

enough air to do more than whimper. She kicked out a foot, knocking

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Meghan O’BrIen

weakly against the guest room door frame. It was getting more difficult

to fight back without oxygen—her perception became distorted in the

strangest way. A terrible groan filled her ears, then a blood-chilling

howl of rage from Selene.

At last, all of the pressure around her throat eased and Eve could

breathe again. Drawing in a lungful of cool, sweet air, Eve sat up

clumsily, ready to move. She scanned her surroundings, assessing the

situation, then went still when she spotted Kevin’s body just inside the

guest room. He stared sightlessly at the ceiling, body convulsing as

blood poured from the savage gouge in his throat. An impossibly large

wolf loomed over him on all fours, its silver fur standing on end in a

line down its back.

“Selene!”

At Eve’s exclamation the wolf turned its head and fixed its stare

on her face. Selene, Eve reminded herself. That wolf is Selene. Forcing

her way past her instinctive caution, Eve extended her hand to the wolf

and met her eyes. “Selene, I’m safe now. Everything is okay.”

Lips still drawn back in a snarl, Selene took a step away from

Kevin’s dead body. Then she slowly relaxed her face, transforming

from ferocious beast to majestic creature in a heartbeat. Lowering her

head and gazing up into Eve’s eyes, looking almost submissive, Selene

trotted over to Eve and bumped her head against Eve’s chest.

Eve inhaled sharply at the unmistakably affectionate gesture. “You

saved my life.” She lifted a careful hand, running her fingers through

the thick fur covering Selene’s broad skull. “Thank you. I love you.”

Selene lifted her head and brushed her face against Eve’s. Then a

large, warm tongue lapped gently at the blood that covered Eve’s face

from the slice Kevin had made. Eve could feel Selene’s concern and

lingering anger, even in this primal state.

“Jac will be here any second,” Eve said softly. “We need to hide

you until after I deal with the police. Do you understand? The body

is in the guest room, so I’ll need you to stay in the bedroom.” Eve

had no idea how she’d explain the rope and the table to Jac, but knew

that moving the body somewhere else wasn’t a good idea. It would be

obvious if she tried to cover anything up, and Eve knew Jac’s suspicion

would fall on Selene.

Selene whined and rested a large paw on Eve’s thigh. It was

obvious she wanted to stay close.

“I know, darling. As soon as I can get Jac to leave, I need to look

at your wound.” She touched the bullet hole in Selene’s chest, wincing

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• 271 •

at the blood that oozed from the opening onto her fingers. “I’ll try to

make it quick.”

As though triggered by her words, Selene’s front door crashed

open. The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps raised Selene’s

hackles and she leapt in front of Eve, assuming a protective stance. Eve

got to her knees and called out, “Jac? Stay where you are.”

She didn’t really expect Jac to do as she asked, so it wasn’t a

surprise when Jac careened around the corner into the hallway. Her gun

was in her hands and instantly she had it trained on Selene. “Eve, get

away from it. I’ll handle this.”

Selene exposed her fangs and grumbled low in her throat. She

took a step closer to Jac, clearly unafraid of the gun. Eve could see

Jac’s fingers tighten on the gun and her stomach bottomed out at the

imminent violence that threatened to explode between the two people

she cared about most. “Jac, put your gun down. Just give me a few

minutes to get her into the bedroom and we can talk. Kevin Pike is

dead. The wolf saved me.”

Jac’s eyes narrowed and she licked her lips, adjusting her aim.

“That’s not a wolf. It’s a goddamn monster.”

Selene crouched and went still, ears held back against her head.

She was getting ready to pounce, which would almost certainly draw

gunfire. Terrified that the situation could turn deadly at any moment,

Eve’s mouth went dry when Selene crept slightly closer to Jac. She

could see the instant Jac decided to fire her weapon and immediately

opened her mouth. “Selene, no! She came to help.” Frantic, she met

Jac’s eyes. “That’s Selene, Jac. I promise to explain, but just don’t

shoot her. She saved my life.”

Darting her gaze between Eve and Selene, Jac hesitated, then

lowered her gun. Selene didn’t back down, drawing another step closer.

Jac took a nervous step backward. “Call it off, Eve. You don’t want me

to shoot it, it needs to back the fuck up.”

“Selene!” Eve spoke in a firm tone. “Come here now.”

Selene froze in place, then turned around, dropping her head as

she trotted back to Eve. When she got there she sat at Eve’s side, tall

enough that her head easily came even with Eve’s shoulder. At the end

of the hallway, Jac’s mouth was agape.

“You can’t be serious,” Jac said. “About that thing being Selene.”

“I’m dead serious.” Eve rested her hand on Selene’s back, stroking

her fur gently. Selene leaned against her, nearly causing her to lose her

balance. “Tonight is the full moon.”

• 272 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

Eve shook her head then gestured at the massive creature at her

side. “Do you have a more reasonable explanation for this?”

Jac swallowed. “You’re bleeding pretty badly. Who cut you?”

“Kevin Pike. Selene killed him to protect me.” Eve pointed at the

room behind them. “He’s in there.”

Exhaling, Jac waved Eve away. “Go. They’re sending cars here

right now. Get her hidden before this place is crawling with cops. And

make sure she stays hidden.” Jac lifted a trembling hand, patting her

hair nervously. “Once they’re gone, you and I are going to have a long,

serious talk.”

“Okay.” Despite her obvious unease about Selene, Eve knew Jac

would do everything she could to protect her secret tonight, if only

because she could see how important it was to Eve. “Thank you, Jac.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Just go.”

“Come on, Selene.” Eve turned and jogged down the hallway,

relieved when Selene followed without paying further attention to Jac.

She led Selene to the master bedroom, ushering her inside as the sound

of police sirens rose from outside. Then Eve shut the door behind them,

completely and utterly exhausted. Selene stalked around the room,

sniffing a trail along the floor. “You need to be very quiet, understand

me?”

Selene cocked her head to the side, then took a running leap and

jumped onto the bed, which creaked under her weight. Fat droplets of

blood splashed onto the comforter, compelling Eve forward to snap her

fingers and point to the floor. “Off.”

Obeying immediately, Selene crossed the room to sit attentively

on the rug at her feet. Eve had to laugh. After all Selene’s concern that

her full-moon wolf incarnation was a murderous, bloodthirsty beast,

she really seemed quite docile. When she wasn’t in protection mode,

at least. Eve theorized that her sheep-slaying had been the hard-wired

instinct of a wild, juvenile wolf and not an indicator of purely evil

intent.

“I need to look at your wound,” Eve said, getting on her knees

in front of Selene’s massive body. Confident now, she felt around in

Selene’s thick fur, only slightly tentative about how she might react to

pain. Despite Selene’s size and obvious disconnect from humanity, Eve

felt as safe as ever in her presence. Moving around Selene to inspect

her back, she exhaled in relief. “There’s an exit wound. It went clean

through.”

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• 273 •

That was a good sign—so was the fact that Selene didn’t act like

she was in pain. Also that the bleeding had already slowed to a trickle.

Eve sensed that she would recover from her wound without issue, but

she needed to clean the area to make sure it didn’t get infected. Dressing

it properly would be a challenge.

Eve went into the bathroom to find clean towels and disinfectant.

She also found some gauze pads and tape, which would have to do.

Shaking her head as she started cleaning Selene’s blood-soaked fur with

a wet washcloth, Eve murmured, “You’re never going to believe this

when you wake up tomorrow, darling. But if you’re in there right now,

then listen to me—you are not a monster. You’re my hero. Okay?”

Selene flinched as Eve dabbed disinfectant on her wound, growling

low in the back of her throat. But she stayed perfectly still, lowering her

head in submission.

Overcome with warm affection, Eve threw her arms around

the wolf’s neck and buried her face in silky silver fur. “I love you,

Selene.”

There was no response, of course—at least not in words.

• 274 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter thIrty-sIx

Eve stayed in Selene’s bedroom for at least an hour and a half,

listening to the sounds of police officers and technicians

wandering through the house. It felt strange to hide away while the scene

was documented and the body prepared for transport to the morgue, but

Eve was confident that Jac had offered a reasonable explanation for her

absence. Probably trauma, of which she’d suffered plenty.

Selene snored loudly next to her. She’d fallen asleep at the foot of

the mattress almost immediately after Eve bandaged her wound. Curled

into a tight ball, her massive body still took up most of the bed. Eve

stroked her absentmindedly, grateful for her presence. Despite seeing

Kevin Pike’s corpse with her own eyes, Eve remained on edge, as

though he might burst through the bedroom door at any moment.

When Jac finally knocked on the door shortly after the house went

quiet, the sudden noise made her jerk in surprise. Selene picked her

head up and blinked sleepily at the door, but when Jac said, “It’s me.

Jac,” Selene sighed and fell back against the bed, already closing her

eyes again.

“I’ll be right there.” Eve untangled herself from Selene, lifting

an enormous paw from her thigh and gently laying it on the mattress.

Selene cracked open her eyes and Eve flashed her palm, hoping she

would understand. “Stay here, Selene. I’m just going to talk to Jac for

a few minutes.”

But when Eve walked to the door, Selene jumped off the bed and

followed close behind. Eve raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t say

anything. She had a feeling this was an argument she couldn’t win.

Jac took an instinctive step back when Eve opened the door with

Selene at her side. She lifted her hand, stopping short of touching Eve’s

cheek. “Evie, your face.”

WILD

• 275 •

“Oh.” Eve brought her fingertips to her jawline, wincing at the

tacky, drying blood that she’d forgotten to wash away. Now that she’d

had time to catch her breath, her injured hand was beginning to throb as

well. She had been so concerned with Selene’s injury—and so worried

about what Jac would do with Selene’s secret—that her own aches

and pains had taken a backseat, until now. “I was so busy tending to

Selene’s bullet wound that I forgot all about it.”

Reluctantly dropping her gaze to Selene for the first time, Jac said,

“Is she all right?”

“She will be. The bullet went through her.”

“She doesn’t need to go to the hospital?”

“I don’t think so.” Eve touched Selene’s back, careful to avoid the

newly cleaned exit wound. “We’ll see what happens when she becomes

human again, but she seems really strong.”

“That’s good.” Jac cleared her throat and gestured at Eve’s face.

“I think you’ll need stitches. Why don’t you leave Selene here and I’ll

take you to the hospital?”

No way was she leaving Selene tonight—Eve sensed she was the

only thing keeping Selene inside the house. Even with her injured hand,

she should be able to handle her own care. “That won’t be necessary.

I’ll just find a needle and thread and sew it up myself.”

Jac gave her a familiar look of uneasy admiration, something she

usually reserved for when Eve made incredible forensic leaps based on

evidence Jac found disgusting. “You’re hardcore, Eve Thomas. Don’t

ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“I’m not feeling all that hardcore at the moment. Just tired.”

Glancing quickly at Selene, Jac slowly reached out to take

Eve’s hand. “Let me help you clean up your face. Then you can play

Frankenstein with yourself.”

Pleased that Selene accepted Jac’s friendly contact without even a

growl, Eve let Jac pull her into the guest bathroom. She settled against

the counter as Jac wet a washcloth with warm water, then gently dabbed

at her face. Tensing when Eve hissed in discomfort, Jac said, “He really

did a number on you.”

“He hit me a few times, cut me, then finally tried to choke me.

That’s when Selene got loose.”

Snorting, Jac said, “Bet he never knew what hit him.”

Warmed at the reluctant affection in Jac’s voice, Eve said, “Timing

is everything. I can’t believe he came after Selene tonight, of all nights.

How did he slip past the detectives, anyway?”

• 276 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Jac tightened her jaw, clearly upset. “Pike must have known they

were watching him. I guess he went upstairs to his apartment, turned

out the lights, and the detectives assumed he went to sleep. Instead he

broke into a neighboring apartment and climbed down a rope at the

back of the building. We’re assuming he took a cab into the city.”

Eve had no idea what had compelled Kevin Pike to choose tonight

to make such a bold move, but the consequences of his decision were

staggering. Not only did he sign his own death warrant, but he had

enabled Eve to discover that Selene wasn’t half the mindless, murderous

beast she thought she was. And, of course, he’d exposed Selene to Jac,

at the very least.

Shaking her head, Eve murmured, “I guess he tried to get into my

apartment two weeks ago. Said he’d planned to rape me and cut my

face. Apparently he came here tonight looking for Selene, but when he

found me instead—” Eve waved a hand at her cheek. “I guess I’m lucky

he didn’t bring a condom this time.”

Jac’s face darkened as she continued to wipe away the dried blood.

“If Selene hadn’t killed him, I would have.”

Pushing back a wave of revulsion at the thought of all the ways the

night could have ended badly, Eve took a deep breath and focused on

the fact that she was safe. “So that night two weeks ago, that was when

I called down after two in the morning to tell your detectives there was

a barking dog in my hallway.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, turns out that was Selene. She’d been sneaking into my

building to guard my door and just happened to be there when he broke

in that night—using the roof-access door. After she chased him away,

she was able to follow him home. That’s how she knew who he was.”

Jac’s hand slowed as comprehension spread across her face. “So

this isn’t strictly a full-moon thing?”

“She…” Eve glanced at Selene, wishing she had her permission

to share her secrets. Not that it mattered much in this instance—Jac

already knew the worst of it, and if Eve was going to ask her to keep

it a secret, she figured Jac deserved the truth. “She’s a shape-shifter,

I guess. She can become whatever animal she wants. Normally she

retains her human consciousness no matter what form she takes, but

not when the moon’s full. It forces her to transform into this wolf, and

she doesn’t remember anything the next day. She’s convinced that she’s

a killer on these nights, so she’s always spent them strapped to a steel

table.”

WILD

• 277 •

Jac chuckled. “Well, that explains the setup in the guest room.”

Raising an eyebrow, she pulled the bloodstained washcloth away from

Eve’s face. “I told the responding officers that Selene’s probably into

kinky sex.”

Blushing, Eve checked her face in the mirror. She definitely needed

stitches, and antiseptic. “Last month, when I thought she was cheating

on me? She had a standing appointment with an escort service to have

someone come out on the evening of the full moon and tie her down.

Then they’d leave and come back in the morning to release her. That’s

why she lied to me about being out of town. That’s who the blonde at

her door was.”

“So it was all just a big misunderstanding.”

“She didn’t feel she could tell me the truth.” Eve turned to Jac,

aware that Selene sat in the bathroom doorway listening. She knew

Selene wouldn’t remember any of this conversation tomorrow, but it

was still strange to have this discussion in front of her. “Believe it or

not, her first couple of experiences with having people find out what

she is didn’t go well.”

“Not surprising.” Jac tossed the washcloth aside, glancing back

to regard Selene, who watched her with intense green eyes. “Well,

the hardest part about covering this up will be trying to explain what

exactly killed Kevin Pike. Call me crazy, but I don’t think Wayne—or

whoever examines his body—will believe you used a knife to make the

wound that killed him. Seemed pretty obvious to me that his throat had

been torn out.”

Eve shivered. She had no idea how Selene would react to the

news that she had finally done what she most dreaded. Whether or not

she’d been acting in self-defense—to protect Eve—Selene had killed a

human being. And she’d never remember doing it. “I’ll say that I had

Luna the Rottweiler here with me. She came to my defense when Kevin

broke in.” A trained forensic pathologist would no doubt determine that

the creature that had caused Kevin Pike’s wounds was larger than a

Rottweiler, but no one would assume she was covering something up.

Hopefully the medical examiner would accept her story and not probe

too deeply. “That’s the best I have to offer. Hopefully it’ll be accepted

without too much scrutiny.”

“Luna the—” Jac laughed and shook her head. “Oh, no. That was

Selene, too, wasn’t it?”

“Yup.”

“Dude, she ate dog biscuits. I fed her dog biscuits!”

• 278 •

Meghan O’BrIen

“She didn’t want to be rude and not accept them.”

This set Jac off on a long, loud fit of laughter. Eve joined in,

grateful for the moment of levity. Jac’s ability to find humor in the

situation reassured her that everything would be okay. Finally sobering,

Jac said, “Damn, I sure wasn’t shy about talking smack to her face, was

I?” “It’s not like you knew she could hear what you were saying.”

Jac sighed deeply, running her hand over her hair. She regarded

Selene, who lay stretched out in front of the door, with wary eyes. “How

long will she stay like that?”

“Until tomorrow morning, I guess. Probably sunrise?” Eve stepped

out of the bathroom and led Jac to the living room. Selene followed.

“I’ll sew up my face in a few minutes. Why don’t we sit down?”

As soon as Eve entered the living room she drew the blinds,

ensuring that nobody would be able to see inside. More than twice the

size of a normal wolf, Selene wouldn’t be mistaken for a family pet.

It was bad enough that Jac knew the truth—Eve wanted to contain the

night’s damage as much as possible.

Jac slowly lowered herself onto a high-backed leather chair, while

Eve sat at one end of the couch. Selene jumped up to stretch out along

the rest of it, laying her head on Eve’s lap.

Seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from wolf-Selene, Jac

said, “You really want to let it get on the furniture?”

“Considering that she’s the one who paid for the furniture, I’m not

sure it’s my place to tell her no.” Eve sighed and collapsed against the

cushions. “You can’t tell anyone about this, Jac. Seriously. She’s spent

her whole life hiding and finally trusted me enough to share this secret.

If I end up being responsible for her loss of freedom and anonymity, I’ll

never forgive myself.”

Jac shook her head, searching Eve’s face. “Tell me the truth. Do

you think she’s dangerous?”

Selene chose that moment to stretch out her front paws and yawn

loudly, then she released a contented sigh and nuzzled farther into Eve’s

lap. Snorting, Eve said, “Do you?”

“Maybe not now, but when I first got here—”

“She had just stopped Kevin Pike from choking me to death.

Adrenaline was flowing, for everyone.” Eve gave Jac a pointed look.

“You were aiming a gun at her, remember?”

“Fair enough.” Sniffing, Jac looked around Selene’s living room

as though she could no longer sustain eye contact. “You know Selene

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• 279 •

isn’t my favorite person, but she did save your life tonight. And your

feelings for her—well, let’s just say it’s pretty obvious that I won’t

exactly win you back by doing something to hurt Selene. So…”

“Thank you, Jac.” After the night she’d had, Eve couldn’t stop the

tears from spilling onto her cheeks at Jac’s reassurance. Selene picked

up her head and stared into Eve’s face, and if Eve didn’t know better,

she’d think Selene was experiencing a lucid moment. Stroking Selene’s

head, Eve said, “I know Selene will be grateful, too.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping my eye on her.” Clearing

her throat, Jac stood up and straightened her clothing. “I know this

relationship matters to you, so I promise to try and get to know Selene

better, but I’m telling you right now…if she hurts you, she’s answering

to me.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Okay.” With a determined nod, Jac approached the couch and

held out her arms. “Now stand up and give me a hug. If you don’t think

Fido will mind.”

Eve maneuvered her way from beneath Selene’s body and got to

her feet, moving into Jac’s embrace with a grateful sigh. “You’re a good

friend.” She could feel Jac’s sadness at the statement—not literally, but

she knew Jac well enough to know that the sentiment triggered genuine

regret.

“Go sew up your face. I’ll check in with you two tomorrow and

get your official statement.”

“Sounds good.” Eve brushed her lips against Jac’s cheek before

withdrawing. “I owe you one.”

Jac shook her head. “Nah. Selene owes me.” When Eve cocked her

head curiously, Jac said, “Obviously we could put her special talents to

good use in certain investigative situations. If something comes up—”

“Well, that’s between you and Selene.” After spending a lifetime

denying her gift, Selene might not be ready to use it for solving crimes

on a regular basis. Then again, she did seem to have a natural talent for

surveillance and tracking. “Give her some time to adjust to the fact that

somebody else knows, especially somebody she isn’t acquainted with

all that well.”

“Sure.” Jac gave her a toothy grin. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

Eve saw her out, sighing in relief when she and Selene were alone

again. After she addressed her wounds, Eve planned to get some rest.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day.

• 280 •

Meghan O’BrIen

Chapter thIrty-seven

Selene startled awake, opening her eyes to stare at a painted

white ceiling. Eve’s familiar warmth at her side provided

a strange juxtaposition with the moon hangover that left her feeling

slightly disconnected from reality. Her whole body ached. She was

naked. Turning her head to the side, she exhaled shakily as she processed

what it meant that she was in bed with Eve and not lashed to the steel

table in her guest room. Confusion turned to horror when Eve rolled

over to reveal a battered face and bruised neck. Selene gasped out loud

at the long, ugly slice across Eve’s cheek held together by small, neat

stitches.

Sitting up quickly, Selene threw the covers off Eve’s pajama-clad

body and scanned her for further injuries. Last night she would have

been capable of tremendous violence. If Eve had gotten away with only

a few cuts and bruises, they were both lucky. But why Eve had stayed

after being attacked was beyond Selene’s comprehension.

“You didn’t do this.” Suddenly wide-awake, Eve sat and grasped

Selene’s arm, staring into her eyes. “Don’t panic. This wasn’t you.”

That didn’t exactly make Selene feel better. But it did stop her

hyperventilation, which had threatened to send her into an emotional

tailspin that would no doubt end in an uncontrolled shift. That was

the last thing she wanted after the night she imagined they’d just had.

“What happened? Did I get loose?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Eve patted the mattress beside her,

projecting a calm strength that brought Selene’s tumultuous mood

further under control. “Kevin Pike came here looking for you right as I

was getting ready to leave. He…had intended to murder you, to punish

me, I guess. He pushed his way inside and we struggled, and at one

point I managed to break free and run into the guest room. I started to

WILD

• 281 •

undo your cuffs but could only release one of your arms before he shot

you. So then I tackled him and he started choking me. That’s when you

broke free. Right in time to save me.”

Selene swallowed hard. On the one hand she was thrilled that her

beast-self had acted instinctively to protect Eve, especially when Eve

had trusted her enough to intentionally try to set her free. But on the

other, she had a sense that Eve had witnessed unchecked brutality last

night. It must have been a horrific sight, what she had undoubtedly

done to the man who was hurting the woman she loved. Yet Eve still

slept beside her, perhaps even when she’d been her beast-self. “Did I

kill him?”

“Yes,” Eve said plainly. “I don’t think you had much choice. He

was about to kill me. He’d already shot you. You acted in self-defense,

to protect me, and you have no reason to feel ashamed about any of

it.” Truthfully, Selene didn’t feel half as guilty as she’d have expected.

Maybe it’d hit her later. Right now she was just relieved that her beast-

self had been cognizant enough of their connection to protect Eve—

not harm her. Selene scanned Eve’s body again, less frantically this

time. Besides the wicked cut on her cheek, her throat was covered with

finger-shaped bruises, the skin below one eye was swollen and purple,

and her right hand was bandaged.

“I didn’t do any of that?” Selene met Eve’s eyes. “You swear?”

“That was all Kevin, trust me.” A small smile broke across Eve’s

battered face, seemingly genuine. “Darling, you’ve seriously misjudged

yourself. Last night you were a giant, fiercely protective wolf-puppy

who followed me everywhere I went.”

Selene blushed at the characterization, strangely embarrassed that

what she’d always assumed to be a ferocious, murderous creature was

really so docile. It seemed too good to be true. “I don’t believe you.”

“Well…” Eve’s good humor faltered and she exhaled, clearly

nervous about what she was about to say. “Ask Jac. She can confirm

that the only time you were anything close to threatening was when you

thought I was in danger.”

Selene’s knees buckled at Eve’s comment and she finally accepted

the unspoken invitation to get back in bed. Dropping her head into

her hands, Selene closed her eyes, wishing she could remember what

exactly had happened. “Jac saw me?”

“She realized I wasn’t at my apartment and called to check on me

just as I was leaving. We were actually on the phone when I opened the

• 282 •

Meghan O’BrIen

door and found Kevin Pike on your front porch. She heard him attack

me and rushed right over, naturally. By the time she got here you’d

already taken care of Pike, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to hide you

yet. So she walked in and found us in the hallway outside the guest

room.”

It was a good thing Selene was already sitting down. “She’s lucky

I didn’t kill her. To walk in right after something like that—”

Eve wrapped an arm around Selene’s middle, pulling her close.

“We had a bit of a standoff when Jac pointed her gun at you and you

felt threatened, but I was able to de-escalate things. Unfortunately, that

required telling Jac that the giant wolf was actually you. And that you’d

saved my life.”

Burying her face in Eve’s neck, Selene closed her eyes. The idea

that Jac knew her secret—Jac, who flatly didn’t like her and who had

every reason in the world to want her out of Eve’s life—made Selene’s

stomach churn. Already she was mentally packing her bags, picking up

and leaving San Francisco behind. Maybe Eve would come with her.

She didn’t know how she could go otherwise.

Eve pressed her uninjured hand between Selene’s shoulders,

holding her close. “Stop panicking. Jac won’t tell anyone. She and I

had a serious talk, and I can promise you that. Your secret is safe.”

“Why? Jac hates me. Why would she agree to cover up something

like this?”

“Because she knows that telling anyone would end our friendship.”

Drawing back, Eve caressed Selene’s face tenderly. “She knows what

you mean to me, and that you’re the only reason I’m alive right now.”

Selene blinked away the emotion that rose at Eve’s solemn words.

Never had she imagined her beast-self doing something heroic. In the

past twenty-four hours her worldview had changed completely. After

years of honoring the same paranoid routine, terrified of what might

happen if she made even one mistake, now Selene no longer had to fear

the worst. And she didn’t have to face the future alone.

“I don’t know what to say,” Selene said quietly. “I’m in uncharted

territory now.”

“Isn’t it wonderful?”

She didn’t have to think about that one. “Yes.”

Eve pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “Let me check your wounds.

I tried to clean them and dress them as much as possible last night, but

the fur complicated things.”

WILD

• 283 •

Chuckling, Selene pulled back and glanced down at her chest.

“I’ll bet.” The gauze and tape that covered a small area right above

her breast was clearly the result of a makeshift patch job. She peeled

away the dressing, curious what she would find beneath. The wound

had nearly healed over, leaving only a small, angry pink mark. “Oh,

that doesn’t look too bad.”

Eve’s jaw dropped open. She grabbed Selene’s shoulder and

tugged her forward, then peeled another bandage away from her back.

“That’s unbelievable,” Eve murmured. “You were shot last night. Entry

and exit wound. Today it looks like you got a couple of severe paper

cuts, maybe.”

Selene shrugged, both sheepish and proud of Eve’s awestruck

reaction. “I heal fast.”

“That’s an understatement.” Touching her face, clearly self-

conscious, Eve said, “Wish I could say the same. I’m pretty sure he left

me with a nice scar.”

“Doesn’t make you any less beautiful.”

Eve raised her injured hand, frowning at the bandages. “And

unfortunately, my dominant hand is out of commission for a while.”

“Shame. We’ll work around that, I promise.” Selene very carefully

put her arms around Eve and hugged her as tight as she dared. “But

otherwise you’re okay?”

“I’m okay. Kevin Pike is dead, our Golden Gate Park killer case is

closed, and I’m lying in bed with the woman I love.” Eve gave Selene

a playful pinch on the hip, guiding them back against the pillows and

pulling the comforter over their entwined bodies. “I’ve got to be honest,

I’m more than okay.”

“And we’re okay?”

“We’re perfect.” Licking gently at Selene’s lower lip, Eve said,

“Well, except for the fact that I’m too beat up to make love to you this

morning.”

Selene shook her head. “Honestly, there’s nothing I’d rather do

right now than this right here. Just holding you, loving you.”

“Good. Me, too.” After a brief hesitation, Eve said, “I should warn

you that Jac is coming over later. She needs to get my statement about

last night, about how Luna the Rottweiler attacked Kevin Pike after he

broke into my girlfriend’s house.”

“Jac, huh?” Selene could think of better ways to spend her

afternoon, but she supposed that she couldn’t possibly avoid Jac

• 284 •

Meghan O’BrIen

for the rest of her life. Now that their relationship had just become

immeasurably more intimate, she would probably be wise to get off on

a better foot sooner rather than later. “Super.”

“Who knows? Maybe one day you two will be friends. Heck,

maybe even work together.”

Selene could tell from the buoyant lilt of Eve’s voice, as well

as the cautious, nervous energy spilling from her every pore, that her

curious desire was more than just idle hope. Clearly Jac had her own

ideas about where this circle of trust left them. “We’ll see.”

“In the meantime, you’ve got all morning to kiss my bumps and

bruises away.” Eve wiggled out of her T-shirt and tossed it onto the

floor. She pointed at the smooth slope of her bare breast with a shy

smile. “You can start right here.”

Obedient and eager, Selene didn’t waste any time doing exactly as

Eve asked. “Yes, ma’am.”

About the Author

Born in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, Meghan O’Brien relocated

to a small town about an hour north of San Francisco in 2005. As

a relatively recent transplant, she’s enjoying the moderate weather

and gorgeous scenery of the Bay Area. Meghan lives with her

partner Angie, their young son, three cats, and two dogs. Yes, it can

be just as chaotic as it sounds. In her free time (HA!), she enjoys

playing video games, spending time with friends, and exploring the

beautiful place where she lives.

Meghan works as a Web developer by day, but her real passion is

writing.

Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

wild by Meghan O’Brien. Shapeshifter Selene Rhodes dreads the full

moon and the loss of control it brings, but when she rescues forensic

pathologist Eve Thomas from a vicious attack by a masked man, she

discovers she isn’t the scariest monster in San Francisco. (978-1-

60282-227-6)

Reluctant Hope by Erin Dutton. Cancer survivor Addison Hunt knows

she can’t offer any guarantees, in love or in life, and after experiencing

a loss of her own, Brooke Donahue isn’t willing to risk her heart. (978-

1-60282-228-3)

Conquest by Ronica Black. When Mary Brunelle stumbles into the

arms of Jude Jaeger, a gorgeous dominatrix at a private nightclub, she

is smitten, but she soon finds out Jude is her professor, and Professor

Jaeger doesn’t date her students…or her conquests. (978-1-60282-

229-0)

The Affair of the Porcelain dog by Jess Faraday. What darkness

stalks the London streets at night? Ira Adler, present plaything of crime

lord Cain Goddard, will soon find out. (978-1-60282-230-6)

365 days by K.E. Payne. Life sucks when you’re seventeen years old

and confused about your sexuality, and the girl of your dreams doesn’t

even know you exist. Then in walks sexy new emo girl, Hannah

Harrison. Clemmie Atkins has exactly 365 days to discover herself,

and she’s going to have a blast doing it! (978-1-60282-540-6)

darkness Embraced by Winter Pennington. Surrounded by harsh

vampire politics and secret ambitions, Epiphany learns that an old

enemy is plotting treason against the woman she once loved, and to

save all she holds dear, she must embrace and form an alliance with the

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78 Keys by Kristin Marra. When the cosmic powers choose Devorah

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Playing Passion’s Game by Lesley Davis. Trent Williams’s only

passion in life is gaming—until Juliet Sullivan makes her realize that

love can be a whole different game to play. (978-1-60282-223-8)

Retirement Plan by Martha Miller. A modern morality tale of justice,

retribution, and women who refuse to be politely invisible. (978-1-

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who dat whodunnit by Greg Herren. Popular New Orleans detective

Scotty Bradley investigates the murder of a dethroned beauty queen

to clear the name of his pro football–playing cousin. (978-1-60282-

225-2)

The Company He Keeps by Dale Chase. A riotously erotic collection

of stories set in the sexually repressed and therefore sexually rampant

Victorian era. (978-1-60282-226-9)

Cursebusters! by Julie Smith. Budding-psychic Reeno is the most

accomplished teenage burglar in California, but one tiny screw-up

and poof!—she’s sentenced to Bad Girl School. And that isn’t even

her worst problem. Her sister Haley’s dying of an illness no one can

diagnose, and now she can’t even help. (978-1-60282-559-8)

True Confessions by PJ Trebelhorn. Lynn Patrick finally has a chance

with the only woman she’s ever loved, her lifelong friend Jessica

Greenfield, but Jessie is still tormented by an abusive past. (978-1-

60282-216-0)

Ghosts of winter by Rebecca S. Buck. Can Ros Wynne, who has lost

everything she thought defined her, find her true life—and her true

love—surrounded by the lingering history of the once-grand Winter

Manor? (978-1-60282-219-1)

Blood Hunt by L.L. Raand. In the second Midnight Hunters Novel,

Detective Jody Gates, heir to a powerful Vampire clan, forges an uneasy

alliance with Sylvan, the Wolf Were Alpha, to battle a shadow army of

humans and rogue Weres, while fighting her growing hunger for human

reporter Becca Land. (978-1-60282-209-2)

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter tWO

Chapter three

Chapter FOur

Chapter FIve

Chapter sIx

Chapter seven

Chapter eIght

Chapter nIne

Chapter ten

Chapter eLeven

Chapter tWeLve

Chapter thIrteen

Chapter FOurteen

Chapter FIFteen

Chapter sIxteen

Chapter seventeen

Chapter eIghteen

Chapter nIneteen

Chapter tWenty

Chapter tWenty-One

Chapter tWenty-tWO

Chapter tWenty-three

Chapter tWenty-FOur

Chapter tWenty-FIve

Chapter tWenty-sIx

Chapter tWenty-seven

Chapter tWenty-eIght

Chapter tWenty-nIne

Chapter thIrty

Chapter thIrty-One

Chapter thIrty-tWO

Chapter thIrty-three

Chapter thIrty-FOur

Chapter thIrty-FIve

Chapter thIrty-sIx

Chapter thIrty-seven