Now or Forever Read Online Free

favorite. Nobody had noticed more bloodshed and missing women, especially if they disappeared along with their bed.
    But all of that was ancient history when placed beside this moment. Now. With Leonard.
    Her mate .
    She rolled her belly like she’d been taught so long ago and felt his rod-part slide against her lower abdomen. He shuddered, and sent a whispered curse into the spot right above her left ear. The man was better than blood to her. He had no idea. Which was an oddity. He was a league member. He’d been around vampires. Surely he knew all about vampire mates. His body certainly did. She knew exactly what that signified. His desire was more than tantalizing. It was close to swoon-inducing.
    He was still trying to ignore her, though. That was evident the moment they reached the open air once again. Twilight was settling in. It was still misting rain. That combined to show her how incredibly handsome her mate really was. She was glad he didn’t wear a hat. It would’ve have shielded how the rain flattened his hair to his scalp, as well as slid over the planes of his face. He was studiously looking over her head with his teeth clamped shut, if the line of his jaw was any indicator. She looked in that direction as well. His partner was just disappearing around a tree.
    “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
    Her mate snapped it. The sound was still sweet. Deep. And reverberated through where she had him locked against her bosom.
    “Oh. You’re back. Finally. I thought you guys might need help.”
    The guy turned back around and just stood there, with a hand on his hip.
    “Me? Or the vampire chick?”
    “It’s Tassanee,” she told him.
    Leonard looked aslant at her, stopping her newly awakened heart for a full beat. And it felt amazing. She almost laughed.
    “I don’t want to know your name, ok?”
    “Too bad,” she replied, and blew him a kiss. And watched his eyes go wide and his breath skip.
    “Uh...you.”
    It was his partner interrupting. They both turned their heads toward him again.
    “Why? We were gone what? Four minutes... and...,” Len lifted his wrist and checked something before finishing. “Eight seconds. It’s not even dark yet. We’ve got at least five minutes left.”
    “More. They sent a message. Check-in is cancelled.”
    “Well. They are dumb pricks. Nice to know they keep proving it.”
    “Don’t you even want to know why?”
    “I’d rather know if you handled collateral damage.”
    “None found.”
    “The bullet that grazed my head found a home somewhere. Find it.”
    “You have a head wound? No wonder you’re acting funny.”
    “Put me down, sister.”
    Len dipped his chin and whispered it at her ear. The result was a blizzard of gooseflesh. She had to swallow to get her mouth to work.
    “Don’t make me ask again,” he continued.
    “Why don’t you ask once?” she replied.
    “Please.”
    It wasn’t asked. But he gave her another sidelong look, and she really liked the kick her heart gave over it. So Tassanee hovered above ground for another pulse beat of time and then lowered both of them to the stone. But she didn’t loosen her hold around his waist. Not just yet.
    “Who shot you?” his partner asked.
    “Camo pants.”
    “Right. That puts the trajectory from there... to over here. Add in a slight deflection from grazing your hollow head, and...”
    His partner was moving. His voice gave it away. Leonard wasn’t watching. Tassanee wasn’t either. Leonard was studiously looking over her head, more like he was avoiding her than watching anything. Tassanee was observing him. It was totally fascinating. And then he looked down.
    “Tassanee. You need to let me go, already. I’m the senior operative here. He’s the novice. I need to check his work.”
    “You’re my mate, Leonard.”
    He took a breath so deep it moved her. And then he let it out in a rush with air that cooled. And that had the opposite effect on her as something sparked deep into