Skye fought her way through layer after layer of heavy black clouds. They tried to hold her down, keep her from seeing the sun, but the weight of them, the pressure of them, made her stomach roil, her chest compress.

Panic made her fight harder, struggle more desperately. If she didn't break through soon, she wouldn't be able to breathe.

Instinct took over, aided by skills and knowledge painfully gained. Gasping, coming awake to the thundering sound of her heart in her ears, her breath shuddering in and out of her chest, Skye escaped the dark compulsion insisting that she sleep until sunset.

For a split second she was disoriented, confused. But then the events of the previous night came into focus.

Unerringly her hand went to the medallion. It was cool to the touch, quiet where it lay against her flesh.

She tried to remember if her mother wore one. When she couldn't picture it, a hint of panic touched her, but she pushed it away.

Inherent knowledge warned her to block her thoughts and actions, that even though Gian was elsewhere, safely hidden from the sun and any who might hunt him, sharing blood with him had forged an awareness between them that was not blurred by distance.

It took sheer determination to move from the bed to where her clothes lay on the floor, left there when Gian had stripped her. She forced herself to put them on, to walk to the door. Each step felt like a major accomplishment. She hadn't been so weak, so vulnerable since she was a small child.

Leaning her forehead against the wall, she focused on the numbers she'd seen Gian punch on the keypad. Slowly, not wanting to make an error and trip some kind of security lock, Skye repeated them.

A barely heard click signaled that she'd remembered correctly. She opened the door and moved into the hallway, reaching for the cellular phone in her pocket as she tried to decide which direction to go.

There would be guards, to protect the vampires if they slept here, or simply to protect the vampires' property. What little of the life she now remembered with her mother and her mother's mates made her aware of certain facts, but didn't help her navigate this new situation. She'd been so young then, so unaware of how her environment was structured, of the rules that governed her existence. But the weight of the medallion hung heavy around her neck and reminded her of how others might see her. Gian's property.

She chose the way Gian had taken her before, letting her senses flare out as she moved quietly down the hall. Though her body was weak, her awareness of her surroundings seemed stronger. Well before she got to the door leading to the area behind the bar, she could hear Haley's voice say, "Do you think she will rise today?"

A man's voice answered, "Not if Gian really controls her as he said he does."

Haley gave a little gasp. "Rafael, you should watch your words. Just because Brann protects you doesn't mean you can challenge Gian."

The man snorted, "I'm not anyone's pet to speak only when spoken to and behave only as ordered to behave."

Another voice entered the conversation-Kisha, Nahir's companion. "Don't act like you're better than Haley, Rafael, you're the same as we are-you answer to a vampire master."

Haley's soft voice offered peace. "It's okay, Kisha. I wasn't offended." She hesitated then added, "Why is Brann here, Rafael? Did the council send him?"

Rafael said, "And I should tell you why?"

"Oh, don't be an ass," Kisha said. "Is he here because of Jen and Amy or because of Gian's Angelini companion?"

Even through the wooden door, Skye could sense the amusement rolling off the man named Rafael. She pictured Brann, the powerful vampire who'd been waiting at the back door when Gian brought her here last night, and wondered what his companion looked like.

Rafael let the tension build until finally answering. "Brann's here to deal with the witch."

Haley's voice was tight with worry. "What about Jen? And Amy?"

"Brann has the skills to remove the witch's taint, though they'll still be vampire." He paused dramatically. "That's if Gian's companion doesn't kill them first. You'd be wise to stay clear of her. I assume you know that she killed a fledgling last night."

Kisha's response was immediate. "You're such a shit-disturber, Rafe. Knock it off. Even Brann believes it was in self-defense. Nahir and Kyle both told us that."

There was movement in the room and Skye tensed, waiting for them to come toward the hidden door.

"You're no fun, Kisha. I'm going to stroll around outside."

"None of us is supposed to leave the building today," Haley said.

"And around we go," Rafael retorted. "I'm not anyone's pet to speak only when spoken to and behave only as ordered to behave."

A door opened and closed. Kisha snorted. "God, what an arrogant ass. I'd like to see him brought down a peg or two. I don't know what Brann sees in him, except maybe a challenge."

There was an unspoken question in Haley's voice when she said, "Brann was here once before, when you and Nahir were away. He didn't have a companion with him, but he...took what he needed from the women who came to Fangs."

Kisha laughed. "I love you, Haley. You are always so polite. FYI, Brann goes both ways, though honestly, I always thought he was more interested in women. I was surprised when he showed up with Rafael as a companion, but Brann's so powerful, he can probably take a female companion also-if he's ever able to find one that can put up with Rafael."

Once again there was movement, along with the clatter of dishes and silverware being gathered. Haley said, "I can do yours, too."

"That's okay, let's do them together then we can watch TV or play some cards." Their footsteps drew near, passing right by the door shielding Skye then grew faint as they passed through another door.

Skye slipped into the bar area and moved quickly to the door leading out of the building and into the parking lot. The lot would be wide open now, free of cars. If Rafael was near, he'd see her as soon as she stepped outside, but there was no choice but to try and make her escape. The switchblade she always kept with her was in the pocket of her jeans but she didn't pull it out. Even if he tried to prevent her from leaving she wouldn't use the weapon on him.

Slowly she opened the door, bracing herself for the sound of an alarm or for Rafael's shout, but neither came. She'd been to Fangs enough times to know which direction would lead her to cover. She hesitated only long enough to make sure that she could sense no presence before committing herself to her path and leaving the building.

Adrenaline kicked in, giving her the strength to run just far enough that she could hide in an alley and consider her next move. She needed to get to the airport and see if the Harley was there.

She reached in her pocket and drew out her wallet, wondering what the cab fare would be, wondering if she dared to go home. The ID that she'd found in the witch's house caught her attention. She needed to know who the man left on the altar was, who the fledgling vampire she'd killed had been. Skye flicked on the cell phone and saw that Rico had called.

Conflicting emotions and instincts crashed through her.

He was her mate. He was safety.

He was a cop. He was dangerous.

This was her world and he was now a part of it.

This was the part of her world that she wanted him safe from.

There was no safety in ignorance.

She dialed his number and couldn't stop the way her heart leaped at the sound of his voice. "Where are you?" he asked.

She told him. "Are you on duty?"

"No."

"Can you come get me?"

There was a surprised hesitation. "Sure."

Skye waited a heartbeat before adding, "When you get here, wait a minute, I'll come to you."

"Shit. You're in trouble. I'm walking out of my house right now. I can stay on the line."

Warmth rushed through Skye. "I'm not in danger. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Rico's voice was cop-firm. "We'll talk about it then."

"I'll see you in a few minutes," Skye repeated before cutting off the connection and silencing the phone.

* * * * *

Carajo! He hated this. Hated the worry, hated the fact that he didn't know what she was doing and he was too chickenshit to ask her. Fuck! How could he know and stay a cop?

Rico slammed his fist on the steering wheel. Shit! What was he going to do about this?

Frustration rolled into aggression. They would talk. He was starting to get pissed at himself. He'd let himself be led around by his dick long enough. Maybe he wouldn't like her answers, maybe he wouldn't be able to live with them, maybe in the end he'd see if she could make him forget that he'd ever done more than fantasize about her, but at least it would be his choice.

The anger turned to worry when he passed Fangs. He'd been through here numerous times since landing the Brittany Armstrong case. Usually the place was dead, couldn't even get anyone to answer the phone during daylight hours. But now there were a couple of women outside and about a half dozen men. One in particular caught Rico's eye. Despite the long blond hair, the guy oozed power. He was talking and pointing, directing the others. Rico's heart did a nervous tap dance when he recognized the beginnings of a search.

Fuck. He had almost no time to get to Skye.

It was all he could do not to give in to temptation and stomp on the gas. Still, he knew a moment of panic when he got to where she'd told him to meet her and he didn't see her.

Before true fear could set in, she slipped from behind the building and hurried to the car. Rico's jaw tightened when he saw the condition she was in. He'd seen her run all night long tracking and not look as weak and drawn as she did right now. If Gian had done this to her, then he was going to pay for it.

She didn't need to be told to get down so that she wouldn't be seen. Rico didn't need to be told to hurry.

He didn't ask where she wanted to go, but took her to his house. She remained quiet even as he led her into the kitchen and sat her down. "You look like you're getting ready to drop. When's the last time you had something to eat?"

Fire raced through Skye and for a moment she was trapped in the night, in Gian's eyes, remembering the hot, metallic blood that had slid down her throat. Though he could heal her and replenish her with his blood-last night his blood had been neither medicine nor sustenance-it had been magic that bound her to him.

Rico's hand on her face brought her back to the day, to the kitchen where he hovered over her, concern and caring so obvious on his face that Skye felt tears threaten. The surge of emotion shocked her, leaving her momentarily frozen, trapped in his eyes.

"Hey, you're starting to freak me out here," Rico said, the soft way he caressed her face sending a hot flame of love through her.

Skye blinked and turned to press a kiss on his palm. "I'm okay. It was a long night and I haven't eaten since LA."

Rico brushed his mouth over hers. "I make a killer omelet. You like jalapenos?"

"Yes."

"Good. One specialty omelet coming up." Rico turned away from where she sat at the table and began gathering what he needed to cook.

Fuck! How could he resist her when she was like this? Soft, in need of more than just his cock.

He tried to work up some righteous anger, but didn't get any closer than outraged protectiveness. "Did he hurt you?"

Skye's hand went immediately to the medallion. But the gesture made her think of Haley's nervous habit, so she forced her hand back into her lap. "No."

The muscles in Rico's back tensed. "Then why is there a search party looking for you?"

"Gian wanted me to stay until sunset, but there are things I need to take care of."

Rico turned from the refrigerator with a carton of eggs in his hand. "You were being held against your will?" There was anger in his voice, but his expression said that he'd use the law to see that Gian paid.

"No."

Rico's face tightened as though he didn't believe her. Anger radiated off of him as he moved to the counter and began to chop ingredients for her omelet.

An unfamiliar exhaustion settled on Skye. Until the craving to take mates had overwhelmed her, she'd spent most of her time hunting, surrounded by people and yet separate.

Nothing in her life had prepared her for this-for dealing with so many conflicting feelings and realities. She balanced on an emotional razor edge, bound to two dangerous men, uncertain how to integrate them into her life, how to meld what her body needed with what her soul demanded-equality, unity, a cohesive union like her mother shared with her two mates.

Skye rested her head in her hands and let her mind escape to what it was like to run as other, to streak across the desert unencumbered by human thought or emotion, to exist, to live, to embrace something greater.

Pain ripped through Rico's heart when he turned and saw Skye. With her shoulders hunched and her face buried in her hands, she looked utterly defeated. The need to comfort and protect her warred with the need to regain control of his life.

Since this thing with her had started, his life had become chaotic, weirdly disjointed. It was starting to affect how he did his job, how he saw himself.

Every cop instinct he possessed urged him to go at her now, when she was vulnerable. But he couldn't bring himself to press her for answers. Instead he put her meal down in front of her and stroked her hair. "Go ahead and eat then take a hot shower. We can talk afterward."

Skye accepted the reprieve and consumed the meal rapidly, barely able to stop long enough to take a breath. Rico laughed and cooked up another omelet, this time adding a couple of pieces of toast. "Either my cooking is unbelievably great or you're starving."

"Both," she said before attacking the second serving. She could feel her strength building with every bite.

"Another?" Rico asked when she'd cleaned her plate.

"No. I'm okay now." She stood and took her plate to the sink then followed as Rico led her through the house, through the bedroom with its masculine scent and huge four-poster bed, and into an equally impressive bathroom. Without a word he began unbuttoning her shirt. She reached over and did the same to his before removing the rest of her clothes.

Rico's face tightened momentarily then darkened as his eyes moved along her naked body. His fingers followed, sending erotic pulses through her as he traced a line from the bite mark on her neck, to the one over her heart, to the one on her inner thigh.

Fuck! It was starting again. He'd wanted a few minutes to hold her, to feel her skin touch his before they started talking. The shower had seemed like a safe enough idea. But now lust slammed through his system.

When her fingers traced a similar line from his neck, to his heart, to his thigh, his cock grew larger, his balls heavier-a male animal on proud display for his female.

Rico ground his teeth against the need pouring through him. He'd never been a biter, never been one to let a woman mark him. But the sight of the marks on her body had him wanting to sink his teeth into her before pressing her mouth to his skin so she could reclaim him.

He fought to stay in control, to keep his body from taking over even as the desire to understand this thing between them was being weakened by the fantasies playing out in his mind.

He forced his words out, trying to keep from touching her. "Did you bite him like this?"

Her whispered "yes" made his cock jerk. Of its own accord, his hand reached down, encircling his penis, pumping once then squeezing when fantasizes of spewing his seed across her flat stomach, across her mound and her breasts seized his mind.

Carajo! He'd never been this primitive.

He closed his eyes, tried to close his mind. "Fuck, I don't understand this thing between us."

His tortured expression gentled some of the lust that whipped through Skye's body. She moved closer to the shower, hoping that putting some distance between them would help. She surprised both of them by saying, "I didn't know it would be like this. I didn't understand what it would mean to mark you...to lock you in my body that first night. If I'd known, I would have told you before we joined. I would have tried to give you a choice. I can still try to undo it. I don't know if it will work, but I can try to make the need fade for you."

Rico opened his eyes and saw the sincerity in hers, saw the same glimmer of defeat that he'd seen in the kitchen. Shit, maybe this thing was making a mess of her life, too.

"What about Gian?" When her eyebrows drew together in a silent question, Rico said, "Does he want this...fuck, it's like an addiction...does he want it?"

"Yes." She hesitated, wondering how much to tell him then deciding that in the end he would need to know all of it-maybe not right now, but eventually. There was no safety in ignorance. "Gian knows more about the Angelini than I do. He understands the bond."

Rico's cop instincts snapped into place and with it the feeling of control. He could handle the lust now, hold off until he had some answers. He forced his hand away from his penis and stepped toward her. "Angelini?"

"My race."

His gaze sharpened. "I've never heard of them. Who are they?"

"Hunters, like me. Different, like I'm different."

Shit! He didn't want to believe that there were others like her, that she belonged to a race that was probably the stuff of nightmares-his balls tightened-or fantasies. But his cop instincts said she wasn't lying, the memories of being locked in her body and orgasming over and over again were his proof.

He was close enough to smell her arousal, to feel the heat coming off her body. When her eyes dropped to his penis, it strained and bobbed in greeting. He stilled it with his hand then risked touching her face to draw her attention back to his.

"I thought you had no memory of where you came from. The file says you were found in a ghetto in LA and grew up in foster care. You were mute until you were twelve or thirteen, and even then weren't cooperative when people tried to talk to you."

Her eyes widened and Rico almost laughed at her surprise. "Believe me, the captain has a file that's about five inches thick on you. He's collected every scrap of paper with your name on it. It's almost become required reading for anyone in the department."

She laughed softly and Rico's heart lightened at seeing fewer shadows in her eyes. When she rubbed her cheek against his palm in an affectionate gesture, it was all he could do to stop himself from pulling her into his arms. Only the need for answers held him back.

"There were always vague memories," Skye said, "of my mother and her two mates-husbands. Impressions mainly, nothing to lead me to them or explain how I ended up in Los Angeles. Even now I don't have the answer, but at least I know that I wasn't supposed to be in that city. It's not where I had been before." She shrugged. "The memories only started coming back yesterday when I was in LA."

Rico circled back to what she'd said before. "But Gian knew what you were before you knew?"

"Yes. He knew that I could bind him to me...he knew it before, during and after. He accepts it. He binds me to him in return."

Rico's eyes narrowed when her hand strayed to the medallion around her neck. It was the only piece of jewelry she wore, the only piece he'd ever seen on her.

He reached for it, a knee-jerk reaction that had him wanting to rip it off her neck. But when his hand closed around it, heat seared through his palm and straight to his cock.

"Fuck! What was that?"

Skye shivered. When he'd grabbed the medallion, a rush of power had surged through her-Gian's power. "A safeguard, I think."

"He's Angelini?"

"No. But he's powerful in his own right."

Rico's mind flashed on the blond man he'd seen in the Fangs' parking lot when he went to get Skye. The guy had oozed power. If Gian was the same...

Rico gritted his teeth and reached for the medallion again. This time there was only a small pulse of heat, but it was there, real, and not something he imagined.

He used the medallion to pull her closer. For a split second he thought he saw a flame deep in the centers of her pupils. But as soon as their bodies touched, he threw his head back and closed his eyes as the pleasure of being skin-to-skin roared through him. He could almost believe anything, accept anything in order to experience this.

The damp, aroused heat of her beckoned and his cock responded, swelling further, its tip leaking. There were other answers that he wanted, but right now, he wanted this more.

His hands dropped to her hips and she pressed even closer. But when he would have lifted her, had her wrap her legs around him so he could finally feel the heaven of her tight channel, Skye stilled him with a hand to his chest. "You can't have this and not the bond that goes with it. Every time we join, it deepens, it strengthens."

For a second he fought against the choice she was forcing on him, fought against having to think. All he wanted to do was lose himself in the pleasure of her.

Skye closed her eyes to the need she saw on Rico's face. Her body craved his, but Gian's strength gave her the buffer she needed to resist. She didn't know whether it was the medallion or the blood-magic, but changes she'd only been vaguely aware of since waking came into focus. She understood things that she hadn't understood before-as though some of Gian's knowledge and abilities had become hers.

With a thought she touched Gian's mind and felt his awareness that she was awake and with Rico. He was angry that she'd broken through his compulsion, but there was reluctant admiration too. He couldn't come for her until the sun set, but he could track her to Rico's then. And if she was careless enough to give him Rico's address, then he could send others to retrieve her.

All that she knew with just the brush of her mind to Gian's. She also knew that he waited to see whether Rico would accept the bond. He would be pleased to have her to himself, without Rico to anchor her to a world other than his own. But he would accept the bond with Rico. It was useful, an added layer of protection. And pleasure-he'd shared women in the past.

A spike of savage possessiveness surged through Skye at Gian's remembered pleasure. She would cut his heart out if he ever went to another woman.

Amusement rippled down the psychic line between them. This time she heard the words instead of experiencing them as impressions. There can be no one outside the bond, he whispered, his voice fading in a soft caress as his presence became a distant shadow in her mind.

Skye opened her eyes and focused on Rico. His eyes were still closed, his face tight. His thoughts were easier for her to reach.

He struggled to find a way to have her, to reconcile what he feared she was, with what he was-a cop. He couldn't give up his job, his identity, for her.

Skye's mind moved through the past, to the kills she'd made. She didn't regret them, wouldn't undo them if she could, but she could compromise and let others mete out justice in the future. She could give Rico that measure of peace.

She pressed her lips over the bite mark on his neck and whispered, "I'd never force you to give up your job, to be other than what you are. We both want the same thing-justice. I don't need to kill to achieve that goal."

Shock whipped through Rico at her words. His eyes flew open. Fuck, could she read his mind? Or was she just guessing?

She whispered, "I can touch your thoughts."

From Gian's knowledge she added, "When the bond is fully complete, then you'll be able to touch mine as well."

Rico's heart thundered in his chest. He knew he should be scared shitless, but the hot waves of lust that volleyed back and forth between them made fear impossible. He didn't want to give this up. If he could have her and stay a cop, then he was willing to pay any price.

Rico moved forward, pressing her against the wall. This time she didn't resist when he lifted her, urging her to wrap her legs around him.

The smell of her arousal flooded his senses. The feel of her slippery folds against his erection had fire racing along his spine. He'd die if he didn't get inside her.

"Do you agree to the bond?" she asked him.

He thrust into her and groaned against the tight squeeze of her channel.

"Say the words," she whispered.

This time he knew that he wasn't imagining the flames flickering deep in her eyes. If they were the fires of hell, then he was a doomed man.

"I accept the bond."

* * * * *

Trapped in the sluggish daylight sleep of a centuries-old vampire, Gian felt the echoes of Skye's pleasure down their psychic bond. His own penis stirred in anticipation. It was time to meet her other mate, to finish what she'd begun.

Brann's voice cut into his thoughts, sharp with censure. Even when you were human, you never allowed your cock to rule you. No fuck is worth the risks you take, Gian. She has gained from your blood but you still do not control her.

And you control Rafael? Do not play the heavy with me...Sire. Gian hissed, letting the other vampire feel the bite of his words.

There was a pause, like the buildup of pressure before a storm breaks. But then Brann laughed across the bond and the tension eased. You were a disrespectful ass before you became vampire. I don't know why I thought the centuries would improve you. I have called Rafael back from his search for your Angelini mate. Maybe when you rise you can put aside the demands of your pike and attend to the business of finding the witch and the fledglings so that I will be free to go about my business.

Gian laughed. You date yourself, Brann, no one calls it a pike anymore.

And you remain a disrespectful ass. There was a slight pause, then a more serious warning. Attend to what needs to be attended to, Gian, before there's more trouble here. Already I hear rumors that another Angelini hunts in Las Vegas.