Toya crouched low on the roof of Kyoko’s home and let his golden eyes drift down toward the small building that housed the Maiden Statue in the back yard. It had been a number of years since the night he’d slipped through the barrier and found her in this world but he still remembered every detail like it had happened yesterday.

A soft smile appeared on his face thinking about her jumping into that freezing cold water after him… the little idiot couldn’t even swim but she hadn't cared.

His thoughts darkened as he recalled every time he’d met her in different realities. No matter what world, Kyoko never paused to think when it came to sacrificing herself in the heat of the moment to save someone she loved. Toya's lips thinned. He hoped to break her of that little habit or chain her headstrong ass to him so he could protect her this time.

Toya shifted his gaze and glared at the huge pond on the back area of the property. He really hoped she’d taken his advice and learned how to swim. She’d about given him a freakin’ heart attack that night drowning on him like that and when he found her he was sure as hell going to yell at her for it.

When he found her… Toya's features softened already knowing why she hadn't been right here waiting on her guardians when they crossed over. He and his brothers had already figured it out since Kyoko hadn't recognized him when he’d shown up the first time. She didn’t remember her guardians, which was about normal considering in every other dimension they’d found her in, she only held the memories of one lifetime and that was always the life she was living at that moment in that dimension.

Usually that dimensional amnesia affected all of the guardians too… including him. He couldn't count how many times he’d met Kyoko for the first time but this world was different. The Heart of Time had sent them here with a gift and a curse. For once, he and his brothers remembered everything about her… even the fact that they were all in love with her and had fought over her in parallel worlds.

His chest tightened at one memory he wished he didn’t have. He could still feel the horror of Kyoko dying in his arms, their bodies moving together as they were both impaled by a death blow meant only for him. She’d been trying to save him from Hyakuhei… and she had saved him. Toya blinked as a lone tear slid down his cheek and he angrily shoved the memory away.

Hell, even Hyakuhei remembered it all, which seemed to be in their favor considering he hadn't attacked them on sight. Of course… he hadn't really been sociable either. They had already decided to stay the hell out of his way and not antagonize him this time.

Hyakuhei hadn't been with them when they’d followed the demons through the rip so they had no idea where he’d come from and that worried them a bit. So far he just seemed to be collecting the peaces of crystal that Kyoko had obviously shattered… again. It wasn’t Kyoko’s fault… she couldn’t learn from her past mistakes if she wasn’t allowed to remember making them. He forgave her knowing if she hadn't shattered the crystal then her guardians wouldn’t have been drawn into this world to find her.

A frown appeared on Toya’s lips when he sensed the familiar pull of a sliver of that same shattered crystal close by. The Guardian Heart Crystal was unbelievably powerful and every tiny shard held a piece of that power. Any human or demon that managed to get their hands on a piece of it would gain one hell of a power boost and as luck would have it, the things drew demons like flies to honey.

It was because the crystal had surfaced here in LA that this place had turned into this world’s hot spot for all paranormal creatures. Everything non-human was drawn to this area, even if they didn’t have a clue why.

Looking for the crystal he was feeling, Toya slowly swept his gaze over the houses surrounding the shrine and paused when he saw someone looking out the darkened window of the house next door. He rose to his feet and glared at the silhouette staring out at him then cocked an eyebrow when the shadowed form suddenly dropped below the edge of the window.

Toya smirked. It was about time he had a little fun. He promptly vanished from sight just as the man gathered enough bravery to take another look.

Tasuki took a deep breath still holding his gun in front of him like a shield. That was the man Kyoko had been with the night she’d disappeared… he was sure of it. What was he doing lurking on Kyoko’s roof? Tasuki squared his shoulders in determination. There was only one way to find out and being a cop gave him every right to go investigate.

Making sure his Berretta had a full magazine, Tasuki clicked off the safety and headed out the front door. This wasn’t the first time he’d set foot on the property since Kyoko vanished that night ten years ago, but it was the first time he’d seen someone besides the company that had been hired to keep up the grounds.

The first time he’d seen them over there on their zero turn mowers he’d confronted them only to find out they had been hired anonymously. When he’d tried to track down that lead it had been a dead end because the money simply showed up in the company’s PO Box once a year and was always paid in cash.

Crossing the well-worn path between the two houses, Tasuki paused unable to stop the memories he had of Kyoko and her brother Tama from haunting him. If it hadn’t been for that damned so called ‘angel’ Kyoko met that last night, she wouldn’t have left… he was sure of it. Tasuki wasn’t ashamed to admit it… he hated that man for taking Kyoko away from him, but if he was back, then there was a chance Kyoko might be back as well.

Not finding anyone in the immediate area, Tasuki crept toward the back of the house where the statue was locked up tight inside the small shrine house. Moving silently, he rounded the corner of the house and jerked back when he again saw the very man he’d just been thinking about standing right there in front of the shed… and the freakin’ doors of it were wide open.

Having only seen him from afar as a child, Tasuki studied the man this time putting every detail to memory. His long dark hair had thick silver highlights running through it and he dressed just as strange as half the people he’d seen working with PIT. He didn’t look normal but he sure as hell didn’t have wings so Tasuki tossed Kyoko’s ‘angel’ idea out the window.

“FREEZE,” Tasuki yelled stepping out of the shadows and bringing his Berretta up, taking aim directly at the man’s heart.

Toya’s smirk widened and he slowly turned around to glare at the man who only thought he’d snuck up on him. His glare quickly turned into annoyance coming face to face with a blast from the past. Fucking Tasuki… he should have known that human would be lurking around here somewhere. Toya frowned at the next words out of Tasuki’s mouth.

“I thought it was you,” Tasuki exclaimed with a snarl. “I remember… you were here the night the demons came. Are you one of them? You did something to Kyoko… I saw you holding her limp body and don’t you dare deny it.”

Toya steadied his gaze on the human Kyoko was always so fond of and mentally laughed at the fact that Tasuki didn’t remember all the times they’d met… which was probably a good thing. His eyes narrowed when he sensed the power of the broken crystal coming from Tasuki and the knowledge suddenly pissed him off.

“You have a talisman,” Toya stated. “I want it.”

It was Tasuki’s turn to frown, “What?”

He didn’t have a chance to fire the Berretta when the man came at him in a blur, knocking him down and pressing his fingertips hard against the muscle of his chest. Tasuki wrapped his hands around the man’s wrist and pushed back with every ounce of strength he had.

“Angel… my… ass,” Tasuki growled and planted his foot in the man’s stomach, “you act more like a demon!” He managed to push him off with more strength than he realized he had.

Toya went flying backwards, landing on his feet and skidding across the well-manicured grass. His hand fisted at his side and he growled. So, the crystal was protecting him was it?

“What did you do to make Kyoko leave?” Tasuki demanded and he scrambled to his feet when his opponent’s eyes faded from pure gold to very scary silver. Tasuki didn’t back down as he met his gaze head on.

Toya snarled when he saw Tasuki’s eyes turn amethyst.

“Toya!”

The silver left Toya's eyes and he glared over his shoulder at his brother Shinbe, “What do you want Shinbe? Can’t you see I’m busy collecting the crystal?”

Shinbe calmly tilted his head to the side, “You do realize you’ll have to kill him in order to remove the talisman… correct?”

“I’m fine with that. Besides, we both know he can die,” Toya growled and snarled again when a gunshot rang out and he felt the bullet pierce his right shoulder. “You son of a bitch!”

Shinbe chuckled lightly, “In this instance Toya, I think you deserved that one. Now, leave Tasuki be… we must leave quickly.”

“You would take up for him,” Toya said sarcastically as one of his twin daggers came to life in his hand and he used the tip of it to dig the bullet out of his shoulder. “Why leave? The fun has just started,” he growled as the bullet flicked across the grass to land at Tasuki’s feet.

“He’s coming,” Shinbe answered cryptically.

Toya's dagger disappeared and his lips hinted at a smile as he glanced back over at Tasuki. “At least I won't be blamed for it.”

“Who’s coming?” Tasuki asked not quite sure who to aim at… though the one called Toya was still his first choice. That knowing smile of his was giving him the creeps.

Shinbe gave him a long stare, “Trust me Tasuki… you must leave now. If you do not, then at least hide until he is gone.” He recognized that stubborn look when Tasuki squared his shoulders and tightened his hold on the weapon. Shaking his head, Shinbe decided to give his wayward reincarnate a helpful little gift.

With a couple quick hand movements and a tilt of his staff, Shinbe erected a permanent barrier around the boy that would keep demons or anyone else from detecting the crystal shard that lay deep inside him. He mentally sighed knowing it was too late to hide that little fact from Toya.

Tasuki stared wide eyed when the large amethyst stone on Shinbe’s staff glowed softly and he disappeared along with the one called Toya. His gaze was drawn down to his own hands and then to the rest of his body as a soft amethyst light outlined him for a moment then faded away.

‘Perhaps this will help you stay alive this time,’ Shinbe’s voice echoed inside his head before it too was gone.

“This time?” Tasuki asked in confusion then flinched when the door of the shed slammed closed. A sudden sense of foreboding washed over him and he would swear to the fact that the sky darkened by several shades.

Tasuki couldn’t control the urgent need to hide in the shadows of the trees behind him. He crouched down, halfway hidden behind two tree trunks so he could peek through the middle and see what was going on.

A bone deep chill swept through him when he saw a man with long black hair appear out of nowhere right in the center of the back yard. The very air halted in his chest as overwhelming fear and complete calm froze him to the spot. It was him… the man from his nightmares was standing just ten feet away from his hiding place.

Hyakuhei walked toward the shed with a contemplative expression on his face. He was certain he’d just felt the presence of a talisman when it vanished. How ironic was it that a talisman would be here on the grounds of the very shrine where the Maiden resided? Stopping in front of the shed, the door once again opened as if obeying his silent command.

His dark eyes lightened to a soft brown as he gazed upon the likeness of his heart’s desire. Reaching out a hand, he touched his fingertips to hers and felt nothing but the coldness of the stone. So, even after all this time she still rejected him… refusing to allow him back into the Heart of Time. He raised his eyes to hers and was rewarded when they softly glowed for a moment. A devilish smile appeared on his perfect lips… so be it.

His eyes narrowed when he felt the fading energies of Toya and Shinbe. It was obvious they’d gotten here first to claim the crystal’s talisman. With a final glance at the statue, Hyakuhei spun on his heel and left the shrine property.

Tasuki didn’t dare move until the monster from his nightmares had left the shrine. He slid the rest of the way to the ground releasing the breath he hadn’t known he was holding and rolled over onto his back to look up at the stars. What the hell was going on? He was used to seeing the paranormal that thrived in LA but this was different… this hit too close to home.

Already knowing the answer he reached over and pinched his arm, hard. Okay… that was proof he wasn’t dreaming. Jade was right… they had been more than just dreams. Never in his life had he ever experienced anything as frightening as that. He took a number of deep breaths and waited for it to pass before he slowly pushed back to his feet and stumbled toward the edge of the property between their houses.

When he reached the edge of his front yard Tasuki sprinted to his front door and almost forced his way through the obstruction when his hand fumbled on the knob. Closing the door behind him, he slid every lock into place and quickly backed away from it. Making his way over to the sofa he sat down and wrapped the blanket around him making sure to keep his finger on the trigger of his Berretta… not that it would do him any good.

He cringed remembering the one named Toya picking the bullet out with the tip of that dangerous looking dagger. He raised his eyes to the portrait hanging above his fireplace and his lips parted in a sense of déjà vu. In the painting, Kyoko was touching the statue’s hands the same way tall, dark, and spooky had just done.

Chapter 2

Jade could feel the serenity of sleep slipping away from her but she was so comfortable that she simply didn’t want to face reality yet. She could feel the heated body pressed against her and almost groaned. On second thought… maybe waking up wasn’t such a bad idea.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw a tanned bare chest rippling with muscles span across her vision. Judging by the steady heartbeat under her ear, Titus was still asleep and it would be cruel to jerk away or indignantly push him out of the bed just because they were touching. He wouldn’t have completely healed yet so she decided to cut him a little slack… this time.

Snuggling up to him during the night had probably been her doing anyway since she usually had several pillows she tackled at night. Honestly, having a leg and arm thrown across him was no big surprise. He was definitely a good substitute for her normal body pillows.

She shifted her leg just a fraction, feeling the inside of her thigh laying right over the bulge between his legs and inwardly sighed. Though she hated to admit it, even when the man was soft, he was still very impressive. Jade felt his hard thigh move against her crotch and mentally forced herself not to flex against him. She was dying to do it. Actually, at the moment she was dying to do him.

Jade slowly inhaled his heady scent and closed her eyes, savoring the raw male that could so easily take the throbbing ache of her heat away. She was stubborn and so far it had been pretty easy not to give in to the overwhelming need for sex the hormone induced heat had brought on.

She felt a hot tickling sensation spiral downward and her stomach muscles tightened. Before she could stop herself, her body betrayed her and she flexed her hips. The feeling was so incredible that instead of pulling back, she held herself there needing the pressure.

Jade mentally rolled her eyes at the irony. Here Titus thought the smell of her heat was going to drive him crazy. Well, she had news for the mighty Alpha… she wasn’t the only one that needed to be using the scent spritzer right now. She frowned knowing she’d never been attracted to the way a human male smelled, but then she wouldn’t… would she?

This just confirmed her theory that it was far safer to wake up in bed with a human because now she had something to compare it with.

The harder she pressed herself against Titus, the faster her thoughts started going until her mind came to a screeching halt when she moved again. The next thing she knew, she was rubbing herself against the hardness of his thigh trying to bring herself to completion. Jade cringed damning the fact that she’d just bragged on her stubborn streak and she was making a liar out of herself.

The second Titus awoke from the deep healing sleep that he’d been in he immediately gripped the soft body beside him and rolled over until he was on top. He pinned her wrists to the bed and pressed his thigh harder against the hot dampness. Titus gazed down into Jade’s face and knew with one glance that she needed him. Her eyes were bright and glassy, her cheeks were flushed with color, and those pouty lips were slightly parted from rapid breathing. How in the hell had he slept through this?

Jade stared up at Titus, stunned at how fast he had just moved to dominate her. She wanted to taste that speed and raw power… just once. She wanted to feel the difference between the passion of a human and the raw sexuality of the wolf on top of her. Jade rocked against him knowing it was too late to turn it off now and he wasn’t to blame… she was.

Titus half groaned and half growled as he felt himself stiffen painfully hard and fast. He knew she was past her breaking point and although he was glad her prejudice walls had come down… he wanted to hear her say that she needed him so that she couldn't throw it in his face after.

Lowering his face to hover just above her lips he asked, “What do you want from me Jade?”

Hearing the husky deepness of his voice sent more heat racing through her. Jade strained upward against him and shivered. She was almost past the point of rational thought but steadied herself and looked him directly in the eyes. She still had enough self-preservation to know she was dangerously close to stepping over more than one line.

In an almost panicked voice Jade answered his question. “You claim to be a man of honor so I want your word as an Alpha that you will not mark me and let me keep my freedom. Can you do that and still show me what it’s like to be with a wolf so I can get it out of my system?”

Titus felt the sting of her desperate words and glared down at her. “If you weren’t half out of your mind with heat, you would never want me simply because of what I am,” he accused. He did not like the thought of helping her get him out of her system. “Don’t worry… I have no intentions of marking you. You’re not the only one that has standards.”

Jade held her breath hearing the slight anger in his voice. She sank backward into the mattress to create distance between them. Unable to hold his gaze she lowered hers to the perfection of his lips. “Then we agree. Once we leave this bed there will be no strings attached,” she repeated praying she would have the willpower to get up if he refused her terms.

“If a pounding is all you want then a pounding is what I’ll give you… and you will know the difference between sleeping with a human and being with a wolf,” Titus said and didn’t care that the words sounded more like a threat than an agreement.

Jade’s lips parted with a sarcastic comeback but the words were stolen when his hot lips swiftly descended on hers in a fiery kiss. At this point, she no longer had a reason to fight with him… she was getting what she wanted. Jade strained her body upwards and moaned into the heated kiss. If she was going to do this then she wanted everything she could get out of it.

Titus had decided the same thing. If this was the only time she would willingly allow his touch, then he was going to make sure she never forgot it. Letting go of her hands, he deepened the kiss while grinding against her. Grabbing the fabric of the hot pink nightshirt, he jerked one side of it down to expose her breast to him.

Abruptly ending the kiss, he slid backwards across the bed grabbing her panties and pulling them down her legs in one swift motion. He felt satisfaction hearing her startled gasp.

Gazing at her with her dark hair spread across the white sheet and that one mound of creamy flesh above the rim of the lose shirt, Titus decided there was one more thing to complete the picture. Gripping the bottom of the nightshirt, he ripped it up the middle, stopping just inches before the rip reached the top and snapped in half.

He spread the nightshirt wide then let go of the soft fabric, watching as it opened like a curtain then fluttered down leaving her bare from her breasts down.

Jade smirked feeling like they were still fighting and she instinctively liked the energy of it. She rose up and put her palm against his chest to hold him at bay. Sliding her legs out from between his, she rose up on her knees facing him and smiled coyly when he let her force him to back up off the bed until he was out of her reach.

She let her gaze travel lower as Titus slid the jogging pants down his legs and kick them to the side. She thought he was hard the last time she’d seen him naked but now she could tell the difference… he was huge.

Crawling to the edge of the bed, Jade rose up on her knees and surged forward, slashing her lips across his in a heated kiss that he quickly dominated. She let her hands caress his hips then slid one of them around the front to wrap her hand around his thick length.

Knowing that she now had a firm hold of the one thing she wanted from him, Titus slid his fingers up into her hair and tilted her head as he growled into the kiss. He could feel her free nipple rubbing against his chest as he moved against her and rocked back and forth in her hand.

Titus smirked inwardly knowing he was about to teach her a lesson. His little she-wolf had no idea what she was getting herself into. She was used to the stamina of humans when even a normal werewolf couldn't hold a candle to the stamina of an Alpha. Dragging her off the bed, he turned them around and lifted her against the wall.

Jade wrapped her legs around him and put her hands on his shoulders for leverage. Rising up, she fearlessly angled her hips until the swollen end of him was pressing against her opening. Oh god he was so big. She rocked her hips back and forth in a slow grinding motion as the first inch of him slid inside her stretching her.

Titus watched as she leaned her head back against the wall trying to take him slowly. Shaking his head, he wound his hands behind her and gripped her shoulders and, with one hard thrust upwards, he brought her down on him causing them both to lose their breath.

He hadn't expected her to be so tight and the squeezing sensation almost brought him to his knees.

Before she could recover, Titus eased halfway back out then pulled down on her shoulders again as he drove upward and held her there in a strong grip.

Jade pushed at his chest and moaned when she was suddenly swung around and her back hit the mattress. The tall bed was the perfect height for him to remain standing with her legs wrapped around his waist. She grabbed handfuls of the cover when he palmed her buttocks, pulling and pushing her back and forth against him.

With ragged breaths, Jade looked up at him only to find him watching himself slide in and out of her. The muscles of his arms tightened with each movement and she lowered her gaze to the eight-pack of muscles flexing at his abdomen. The image of him standing there tall and proud as he pounded into her was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. The feel of him feeding her inch by wonderful inch in slow hard thrusts sent her over the edge.

Titus raised his heated gaze when he heard her cry out. She was so sensual in her orgasm that he had to concentrate to remember that to her, he was nothing but a tool to give her release from her heat. He or any other human would do. The thought of other men touching her… riding her into orgasm helped him keep his rigid control as he sank into her and pulled back out flexing his whole body with each movement.

Jade was fighting for breath when the spasm of her orgasms continued to the point that she was ready to beg for mercy. Tossing her head back and forth, she bowed her body upwards and opened her eyes. What little breath she had was lost when she saw the angry eyes of the Alpha wolf staring back at her. Panicking, she untangled her legs and tried to twist away from him.

“Enough,” Jade said breathlessly and was glad when he released her. Still feeling the pulsation spasms between her legs, she tried to scramble away from him.

Titus watched as she turned over on her hands and knees to crawl away from him. He could smell her sudden spike of fear and he hated the fact that she was once again comparing him to other men she feared just because he was an Alpha. He shook his head and quickly crawled up and over her.

Jade inhaled sharply when she felt his body caress her back and his arms were suddenly beside hers. She could feel his thick head squeeze back into her opening and moaned as she lifted her upper body and laid her head back against his shoulder in surrender.

Titus caged her with his arms and pulled her back against his chest as he drove himself up inside her again. Lowering his lips to the shell of her ear, he whispered in a dark husky voice, “It’s never enough.” He nuzzled the side of her neck and felt her squeeze him even tighter.

Jade felt her heart flutter as his voice echoed in her mind but she was still lucid enough to be wary of the teeth that were so close to her skin. Almost all female weres were marked during sex and she couldn't stop her fear from rising at the same time another orgasm hit her hard.

Glancing up, Titus noticed their reflection in the huge mirror on the dresser. The sight of her with her eyes closed and lips slightly parted as she took his thrusts was erotic. Placing his hands on her hips, he lifted her up and brought her back down in a rhythm that kept her panting as her legs began to shake. He let one of his hands caress its way up until he was cupping her breast then he slid his other hand around the front of her and dipped it between her thighs.

“Open your eyes Jade,” he commanded in a harsh whisper and used his cheek to move her face to where she was facing the mirror.

Jade opened her eyes seeing their reflection just as he nudged her legs further apart. Her darker coloring held against the blond Greek God behind her was erotic as hell. When he ran the pad of his fingers across the bundle of nerves just above where he was entering her Jade moaned, biting her bottom lip as she came for him again. She felt like she was exploding when his fingers didn’t stop their torture.

“Titus please,” Jade cried out, pressing back against him as she shivered and twitched in his arms.

Titus’s eyes glowed as he watched her in the mirror. He was giving her something she’d never had before and he was nowhere near finished yet. If she was going to walk away from this bed thinking this was nothing but pity sex because of her heat, then he was going to make sure she had trouble walking away.

She felt him stroke that sweet spot between her legs again and again before his arms finally released her and she fell forward catching herself on the mattress. She sucked in her breath making a hissing sound when he placed one hand on her side and the other on the small of her back and slid almost all of the way out only to slowly, relentlessly push himself back in.

The seductive rocking motion was enough to keep her high and give her a chance to catch her breath at the same time. She gripped the sheet under her fingers when she realized in this position he could go in even deeper than he had before. Whatever he was touching inside of her had never been touched by anyone and this new sensation was making her tense and melt with every thrust. Before she could stop herself, she pushed back against him so that he would hit it even harder.

“Titus,” Jade cried out when he held her still for a second before moving again.

Titus growled low in his throat when his control almost slipped. Reaching forward, he pushed her long dark hair to one side and gripped her shoulder with one of his hands. Taking a deep unsteady breath, he pulled her back with a harder jerk, slamming into her and giving her what she was craving.

“Oh god Titus,” Jade moaned as he sped up giving her so much more than she’d ever anticipated. After several minutes, she finally felt like she was going to break and surged forward trying again to crawl away from him.

Titus was breathing hard as he grabbed her and rolled her over onto her back. She was limp and so flushed that it only made him grow harder if that was possible. Spreading her legs, he held her gaze as he eased his way inside her this time, holding himself above her by one arm. Taking his other hand, he looped it under one knee and brought her leg up, driving in and out of her at a slow torturous pace.

Slowing down backfired on him… he could feel every hot inch of her encasing him, squeezing and sucking at him. Smelling the mixture of their combined musk and seeing the glow of desire in her eyes surged inside him making him want to keep her. Titus gritted his teeth as he felt her pulse around him.