Mia was tempted-she was paralyzed, actually, with the desire to open the door and beg for the bits that were left. Savor the taste of a meal like no other, but she didn’t because she knew if she failed this test she’d never be able to pass any other the Family chose to send her way. She was her own woman now, and though it was difficult, she pushed that dark half of herself that craved the hunt back down into the deepest, darkest hole within her she could find. Her skin prickled and sweated from the exertion, but as with most challenges she faced, she surmounted it and breathed a sigh of relief.

Pushing from the door, she shook her whole body and felt the tension of the last few minutes fall off her like discarded water. She tuned out the noises from the other side of the door and walked through her tiny studio apartment, touching the now-familiar things she was collecting in her new life. The gesture grounded her and helped keep her in the present. All of this stuff was an example of the life she’d planned for herself, a life that was away from The Family. She could do this, she thought as she headed toward the bathroom and the promise of a hot bath.

“You’re getting sloppy.”

The cultured tones and deep timbre of a male voice startled Mia. She should have known the Family wouldn’t have stopped with the attraction outside her door but would also send backup just in case she was stubborn enough to pass on what they were offering.

“This is my sanctuary. I guess I assumed wrongly you all would respect that.”

She turned slowly and watched as he unfolded himself from the dark shadows that danced at the very edges of the room. It was as if they were one and the same, and as he stepped fully into the low light she’d turned on when she’d left for work earlier in the day, Mia resisted the urge to sigh out her appreciation.

It was hard, because one could not look at the sheer perfection that was Galen and not utter a sigh of contentment. He was darkly handsome with olive skin, burnished golden from his time in the sun, a tall, leanly muscled body that spoke of agility as well as strength, and a rakish mop of wavy raven hair that seemed to balance perpetually between groomed and wild. It was his eyes, though, that always held her captive, and as she gazed into them she resisted their magnetic pull.

He was the bad boy incarnate that had you whispering a reluctant no even as you dreamed of him slipping those strong fingers under the edges of your panties. Galen was heartache and restless nights, but also moments of such exquisite pleasure that when he was deeply embedded inside you his bad boy ways didn’t matter. He was the ultimate predator, and it would take all the strength Mia had to resist him, because though she could deny her dark other half the pleasure of blood and flesh, they both longed for the pleasure Galen could create with one well-placed kiss.

“You have had your fun-it’s time to come back home,” he stated flatly, interrupting her wandering thoughts.

“My departure was approved by the elders. Your trespassing is in violation of that agreement,” she replied firmly.

“Would you punish me, sweet Mia, for breaking the rules?”

His question was like the warmest caress with the hint of a sharp sting. She resisted blushing as the memory of such caresses surfaced in her mind. Mia would not succumb to the charms of the bad-boy predator. No matter how enticing those charms were.

“Not me personally, but I’m sure a call to the elders would suffice,” she retorted, raising her chin in defiance.

“That is assuming you can reach the phone.”

“Unless you plan to restrain me, I don’t see there being a problem.”

As the words left her mouth, she stifled a groan of frustration at the smirk his luscious mouth formed. He stepped farther into the light, and she resisted the urge to retreat, even as the dark intensity of his sea-green eyes held her in their snare. She should never have mentioned restraints to Galen, because that had always been his favorite form of play.

“Oh, sweet Mia, I would so love to have you bound for our pleasure.”

The deep timbre of his voice washed over her body, and she could almost feel the cool texture of the satin ties he used wrapped around her wrists and ankles. He would have her spread open, aching and waiting for his masterful touch. His strong fingers would knead sore muscles and his delicious mouth would kiss skin sensitive from having him so near. He would trail his too-sharp teeth gently across delicate parts of her body, nipping where needed as he kept her hovering between a state of pleasure and pain. She both hated and loved his unique ability to do that to her body.

Mia took a deep breath and ignored the way his nostrils flared as the scent of her arousal permeated the space between them. She was her own person now, and the bad-boy predator was not going to drag her back. Straightening her spine, she gave him a cold look before she brushed past him to her front door. She disengaged her locks and opened the door swiftly, indicating with her head what she wanted him to do. He gave her a toothy smile that was white perfection and too-large teeth and sauntered in her direction.

“Resisting always makes the chase that much more exciting,” he whispered close to her ear before he walked into the night and the shadows.

Mia slammed the door behind him and ignored the sound of his husky laugh that seeped into her apartment like a provocative perfume. Her darker half whimpered with a need that had nothing to do with her earlier hunger, and Mia wanted to sit down and cry with her. She should have known it was too easy when she was released from the fold and told she could go out on her own to discover a world made in her creation. She envisioned a world that wasn’t ruled by The Family, one where she chose to live as human. Mia should have been more suspicious, a little bit more cautious, but now that she knew they weren’t going to play fair, she would be on guard and ready for the next time they sent their messenger out on a call.

Mia slowed as she passed the mouth of an alley. She couldn’t articulate what slowed her, but she knew there was something in the dark shadows of the deserted access way that she was supposed to see. The hairs on the back of her neck felt as if they’d been infused with electricity as they crackled against her skin. Taking deep breaths, she was thankful she’d declined her coworker’s offer to walk her home. They lived in opposite directions from the coffee shop they both worked at, but Mia’s destination would take her through the less savory area of the neighborhood, and her coworker worried about her walking it alone. Suggesting instead to accompany Mia and have the coworker’s boyfriend pick her up from Mia’s place.

It was a sweet gesture that spoke of kindness Mia hadn’t quite gotten used to. She had never been abused with the Family but little niceties had never been part of her existence. One either thrived or didn’t, and the thought that someone cared for her safety warmed her enough that she almost gave into the temptation, but as she stared into the too-quiet darkness of the alley she realized she’d made the right choice.

“You might as well get this over with, because I’ve had a long day and don’t have time for bullshit.”

She infused her statement with as much bravado as she could muster. Mia really was tired; she hadn’t slept the night before, as her dreams were plagued with dreams of submission. They were torturous, promising fulfillment but never taking her where she needed to be. She’d woken several times in the night after the sensation of the cool press of leather against her skin or the tingle of her hair being pulled by familiar, strong hands sent her body into a frenzy only to have her mind squelch the pleasure with reality. Mia was grumpy, and if the family wanted a fight, she felt obliged to give them one tonight.