Kiss of Darkness by Loribelle Hunt Page A

surrendering her soul to the demon? His hands fisted hard enough for his fingernails to break skin. He smelled his blood and forced them to unclench. She wouldn’t give in to that evil. He wouldn’t let her.
    The possessive fury that held him in place lessened, but before he could move in her direction and assert his place at her side, he felt a presence behind him. Turning, he met Mitchell’s gaze. Good. He wouldn’t have to seek the lupine out later. He could deal with him now.
    “Wolf.”
    “Walker.”
    As greetings went, it wasn’t much but even that little bit tested the bounds of his civility. He felt Winter’s alarm and jerked his head up to see her watching him.

    Don’t kill him, will ya? He makes a good sparring partner. Her voice was sardonic, half amused and half uneasy. It was a tone he’d never heard from her before and seemed to signal an opening up, a small acceptance of him in her mind, in her life. That brief conversation in his study had done him more good than he’d realized.
    He can live. For now.
    Turning back, he registered the other man’s study and returned it. He’d been in Winter’s mind. He knew the lupine alpha was an old lover. Somehow he’d trained himself not to care about that. Well, not care too much. If he didn’t bury the anger he felt toward the man who’d dared touch his woman soon, even though it was long before he knew her, he’d lose control. He could destroy Mitchell’s mind where he stood and damned the consequences.
    They were night and day, he and this wolf. Both tall but where he was leanly muscled, his body better used for speed, the wolf was almost bulky, his build more for strength and force. He had shorn black hair and glowing green eyes. Marcus supposed most women found him attractive. And what about Winter? What did she think? He shied away from the questions; that way led to madness.
    “She’s a remarkable woman,” Mitchell said, making the first move. There was a hint of possessiveness in his voice and it engaged every one of Marcus’s senses. He turned to face the wolf, opened his mind in aggression and widened his stance. He wasn’t as strong as the wolf, but he was faster. More agile. And he could crush his mind if it came down to it.
    “She’s mine,” he practically snarled, not worried about losing control anymore. He had to assert his dominance, his claim against the one person his instinct said was the only real threat.
    Mitchell watched him for several seconds then turned his gaze to seek her out. Marcus clenched his fists. He didn’t want anyone else even looking at her and he knew the impulse was ludicrous. It would ease when she accepted him, but in the meantime he was very dangerous. He almost didn’t trust himself.
    “She won’t be happy about that.”
    Marcus shrugged. He’d resigned himself to that at their first meeting. It’s why he’d physically stayed away and tried to get to know her first. There was no walking away now. He knew that. It was only a matter of hours before she did too. There was no way he was letting her go anywhere alone when day broke.
    “She’ll get over it.”
    The wolf gave him a look that was pure disbelief then threw his head back and laughed. It was the last thing Marcus expected and unsettled him a little.
    “Good luck with that,” he said between chuckles. Marcus took an aggressive step forward. He didn’t like his control of his mate being questioned. Mitchell stepped back and held his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, believe it or not I’m on your side.”
    He didn’t believe it. He’d watched the wolf at the Alliance meeting and seen his longing. His thoughts must have shown on his face. He had to be more careful.
    “She’s not for me. I know that.” He didn’t try to hide the disappointment he felt over it and Marcus’s respect for the alpha leader went up a little against his will. Mitchell continued softly, “She has to bond soon. She’s too close to giving in to the