Last Wolf Hunting (Silhouette Nocturne Series #38)

Abitter mountain breeze wrapped around his long frame, whipping his shaggy hair against the furrowed ridges of his brow as Jeremy Burns hiked through the Maryland forest. Like a wrathful banshee, the relentless autumn winds howled with fury, while his fellow Bloodrunner, Cian Hennessey, quietly kept pace at his side.They'd been working their way through the woods for a good fifteen minutes now, each step taking Jeremy closer to the last place on earth that he wanted to be. His muscles were hard with tension, biceps bulging against the seams of his shirt, his skin fever-hot despite the chill of the air. Blood pumped through his veins in a powerful, heavy rhythm, his heart hammering like a drum, senses honed to a razor's edge, sharp and precise.And it was all because of a girl. All because of a woman.That was the relentless, infuriating thought burning its way through his tired mind as he hiked, the silvery moonlight glinting against the ravaged limbs of the trees, making them look like gnarled monsters in the shadowed darkness. But monsters didn't scare him. Hell, he was one of the monsters, complete with fangs and fur and a deadly appetite that could get him into trouble should he fail to exercise fierce control--which was why he always kept a white-knuckled grip on the animal side of his nature. For a Bloodrunner, losing control was never an option, but then neither was fear.And Jeremy had done a damn good job of mastering both--until it came to her.He hated to admit it, but he was terrified by the growing knot of anticipation inside of him. The one that kept sniffing at the nighttime air, eager for a whiff of that lone, perfect fragrance that never failed to drive him out of his mind. Honeyed and womanly warm. Earthy and rich. It'd been woven into the very fabric of his soul, imprinted upon his senses like a tattoo needled into his skin. Just the thought of that mouthwatering scent made him hard and aching, not to mention irritable as hell."Do you think she'll be there?" he muttered in a gritty rasp, slanting a look toward the man at his side."Who?" Cian pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and flicked a sharp glance toward Jeremy, his pale gray eyes shadowed beneath the thick veil of his lashes. "The Murphy witch?""Who else?" he grunted impatiently. Jillian Murphy was the only woman on his mind--and the Irishman damn well knew it.Taking a long drag from his now smoldering cigarette, Cian lifted his right brow in a cynical arch. "What? I'm psychic now, as well as irresistible?""Trust me, I have no problem resisting you," Jeremy quietly snarled, narrowing his eyes on the grinning bastard. Normally he enjoyed trading barbs with the Irishman, but not tonight. Tonight he was too tense, too bitter to have a sense of humor.As if impervious to the thread of warning in his words, Cian barked a rich, husky laugh. "Aw, there it is. I knew your inner smart-ass was hiding in there somewhere, Burns. And to answer your question, yes, I think she'll be there. Why else do you think I decided to tag along?" His white teeth flashed in a taunting smile. "I'm here for moral support, you know.""Moral support my ass. More like you're here so that you can run back to the Alley with some juicy gossip for the others." Jeremy knew his partner, Mason Dillinger, and the other Bloodrunners would be champing at the bit to hear the details of his first night back. "Face it, Hennessey. I'm on...to...you."The soft words trailed off as the mountain winds suddenly surged from a new direction, swelling with power. Jeremy inhaled with a sharp, deep breath, and his head immediately shot back as if he'd been clipped under the chin.Oh, god. There it was. Like a messenger in the night, the shivering breeze carried the fertile scents of the forest...and something more. Something lush and achingly familiar. Something that goddamn belonged to him.With no choice but toByrd, Rhyannon is the author of 'Last Wolf Hunting (Silhouette Nocturne Series #38)', published 2008 under ISBN 9780373617852 and ISBN 0373617852.