Munro (Immortals After Dark #18) by Kresley Cole

            Four: Find his mate in the afterlife and be with her there.

            “I leave tomorrow. . . .” He trailed off when a shadow crossed the corner of his vision. Was there a second heartbeat nearby?

            As he turned, he inwardly begged, Please be her, please, gods, let it be . . .

            Kereny.

            She stood on the other side of room.

            “You’re alive.” His phone dropped to the floor.

            She’d pulled through! His bite had healed, which meant she was regenerating.

            A chuff of relief burst from his chest, and he ran his arm over his blurry eyes. “I will never doubt you again. Your determination saw you through once more.”

            Her newling blue gaze met Munro’s eyes, and her body stilled. Was her beast recognizing its mate for the first time? Was he hers?

            Munro had to shuffle his feet to remain standing, not only from the shock of her resurrection but from the beauty of her feminine beast. “Great gods, Kereny.”

            Overlaying her body was the image of her wolf, with its lupine features and mouthwatering curves. Her lips were stark red against white teeth and fangs.

            The ice blue of her eyes called to his primal memories, stoking his body. His beast howled inside him for this incomparable she-wolf.

            Kereny was now an immortal Lykae, her scent altered somewhat, but still much the same.

            Exquisite.

            Yet at the same time, her newling state made Munro roil. Would he never see her copper-colored eyes again?

            He actually needed that control cuff now, but he’d left the task in Will’s hands? Worse, the sun had just set. As soon as the moon rose, the light would possess him, drawing forth his own beast.

            Doubly worse, Munro had no contraception. Of course, that would only be a problem if they were mated. She would fight his claim otherwise.

            “I ken you canna reply to me, but you can hear me and understand. We’re at Glenrial, and it’s dangerous for you to be in this part of the settlement.” The wards were staying with Madadh—Munro thought—but a newling needed to be miles away from anyone still vulnerable to injury. “Would you like to spend the night deep in the woods and test out the changes within you? I want to show you the bayou from my photos.”

            She raised her face, caught a scent. Her muscles tensed to explore new stimuli. Her beast was only just born; every stimulus was new.

            He held his hands up. “Stay with me, sweet.”

            She sprang for the door, threw it open, yanking it off its hinges. She seemed confused that she was holding a door.

            “Hand it over, nice and slow.”

            She tossed it at him and ran toward the stairs.

            He dove to the floor, narrowly dodging the door. It whistled over his head, sliced through the wall, then landed somewhere outside. He leapt to his feet, behind her in a flash.

            But she tore down the steps, moving like a blur. He vaulted over the banister to cut her off. She ran to his left—just a feint—then raced to his right.

            “Damn it, Kereny!”

            She ripped open the front door and careened outside. Rather than going around Munro’s truck, her beast picked it up and flung it out of her way. Airborne!

            The vehicle flew across a field straight for Prince Garreth’s lodge—

            BOOM! The truck crashed into the building, cutting through the first floor.

            Munro could only watch as the lodge crumpled in an explosion of groaning lumber and shattered glass. Thankfully, he didn’t scent blood or hear screams.

            Relief was short-lived. Kereny pivoted in circles, her gaze darting as her beast decided where to run next. He had to get her away from everyone. Maybe he should use the moon’s pull—as well as her new immortal-strength lust—to draw her to the woods.

            Normally Loreans eased into their supernatural desires as they approached the age when they began to regenerate. She’d been thrust into hers headfirst. Add the call of the moon to that and she would be on fire to mate.