Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, J. R. Ward, Susan Squires Page A

. . . unless you’re wounded.” She teleported out.
    Fury shook his head, then looked at her. All humor died. “You were going to turn yourself in to save me.”
    “I told you, Fury. I will always stand at your back.”
    He took her hands into his and then kissed each one in turn. “My back isn’t where I want you.”
    She arched a brow. “No? Where would you prefer me, then?” She expected him to say under him—it was what an Arcadian male would say.
    But he didn’t.
    “I want you at my side. Always.”
    “Ugh,” Fang groused. “Wolves, get a room.”
    Angelia smiled. “Sounds like a great idea.”
    The next thing she knew, they were home.
     
    Savitar didn’t move as he watched the last of the wolves clear the room. The moment it was empty, he felt a power surge next to him.
    It was Zarek.
    “Sasha went home, Z.”
    “Yeah, I know. I was checking with you about our earlier discussion.”
    “My demons got most of the weapons.”
    “But . . .”
    “There are still a few out there.”
    Zarek cursed. “If Sasha gets nailed with one, Astrid will lose her mind.”
    “Believe me, Z, I know.” Savitar looked out toward the clear horizon, but inside, he knew the same thing that Zarek did. There was a storm brewing. Fierce and violent.
    They’d stopped this minor bout. But it was nothing compared to the one that was coming.
     
    Fury lay in bed, naked, with Angelia on top of him. Their palms were still pressed together from their mating ritual.
    “I still can’t believe you would have died so that I could go home.”
    “I can’t believe you were going to call me a liar and take my place under the guillotine. Next time I try to save you, woman, you better stay saved.”
    She laughed, then nipped at his chin. “I shall promise to behave, on only one condition.”
    “And that is?”
    “That you bond your life force to mine.”
    He scowled at her. “Why is that so important to you?”
    She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “Don’t you know?”
    “No.”
    “Because I love you, Wolf, and I don’t ever want to spend another day in this life without you. Where you den, I den, and when you die, I die, too.”
    Fury looked up at her in disbelief. In all his life, he’d only ever wanted one thing.
    And Lia had just given it to him. A woman he could love and depend on.
    “For you, my lady wolf, I would do anything.”
    Anglia smiled as she felt him growing hard again. Kissing his hand, she knew that this time they wouldn’t just have sex. This time they would be joined throughout all eternity.

 
     
     
THE STORY OF SON
    by
    J.R. Ward

 
     
     
     
    For my family,
both those of blood and choice,
with all my love
.
     
     

 
     
     
1
     
     
     
     
    Claire Stroughton palmed her travel mug without looking up from the will she’d drafted and was reviewing.
    “I hate when you do that.”
    Claire glanced across her office at her executive assistant. “Do what?”
    “That heat-seeking missile routine with your coffee.”
    “My mug and I have a very close relationship.”
    Martha pushed her sleek glasses up on her nose. “Then good thing it’s got a lid. You’re going to be late for your five o’clock if you don’t leave now.”
    Claire stood and pulled on her suit jacket. “How bad’s the time?”
    “Two twenty-nine. Drive to Caldwell is a minimum of two hours plus in this traffic and your car is waiting for you down in front. Your conference call with London is scheduled for sixteen . . . fifteen minutes from now. What kind of cleanup do you need me to do before the long weekend?”
    “I’ve reviewed the revised merger documents for Technitron and I’m not impressed.” Claire passed over a stack ofpaper big enough to be used as a doorstop. “Courier them down to 50 Wall now. I need a meeting with opposing counsel seven a.m. Tuesday morning. They come to us. Do I owe you anything before I go?”
    “No, but you can tell me something. What kind of sadistic bore schedules a