Not that it was necessary, she sourly acknowledged, watching the flock of women fluttering around Luc like bees to honey.

But then, why wouldn’t they flutter?

He looked like a bronzed god stretched on a lounge chair beside the pool wearing nothing more than a black Speedo that left nothing to the imagination.

The half dozen female mortals were so enthralled by the sight they were actually kneeling next to the chaise, as if they were worshipping him, while the dark-haired vampire with brown eyes and pale, pale skin had planted her ass on the edge of the chair, leaning forward as if afraid that Luc had missed the pair of boobs she had barely covered in a scarlet bikini.

Whose stupid idea was it to make this a pool party? she wondered in disgust.

Oh yeah, hers.

And why?

Because of the damned Were who had spent the past four days practically ignoring her.

Standing near the French doors that led to her kitchen, Sophia heaved out a frustrated sigh.

She supposed she should be pleased.

Hadn’t she made it clear she had no intention in sharing her bed? Or her body?

But after the alarm system had been professionally installed, and Luc had moved into the guest room down the hall, she hadn’t been nearly so relieved as she should have been. And she’d been even less relieved when he began disappearing for hours on end, popping in and out without warning.

Was he hunting for her mysterious stalker? Or had the fact that there hadn’t been any more attacks given him the excuse to find another woman to ease his lust?

She told herself she didn’t give a damn even as she’d abruptly decided to hold the party by the pool. Why not show off her new hot pink Dolce and Gabbana bikini? But even as she sent out the invitations she’d suspected that her reasons were a lot less about vanity and a lot more about Luc.

Stupid werewolf.

Sipping her apple martini while she imagined the pleasure of shifting so she could more easily rip out the throats of the twits paying homage to the man driving her nuts, Sophia abruptly caught a whiff of an approaching nymph.

Turning her head, she watched the auburn-haired woman with smoke-gray eyes halt at her side.

Victoria was lushly curved like most nymphs and at the moment was displaying those curves to full advantage in a black strapless one-piece swimsuit that was cut down to her navel.

The female smiled as her gaze shifted toward Luc. “You never mentioned that you had a lover.”

Sophia barely swallowed her snarl.

Get it together, Sophia, she silently chided herself.

The opportunity to question this female was precisely why she’d agreed to hold this stupid party.

“My private relations are just that... .” She pinned a cold smile to her lips. “Private.”

“If you wanted privacy then you should never have moved into this neighborhood,” the nymph drawled. “We are incurably curious and far more interested in one another’s lives than our own.”

“Isn’t that a little pathetic?”

“Perhaps.” A sly expression crossed the nymph’s pretty face. “Of course, I do understand your reluctance to share. He’s yummy.”

“Obviously you’re not the only one who thinks so,” Sophia snapped as Kirsten ran a provocative finger down Luc’s bare chest.

Victoria wrinkled her nose. “That vampire should be staked and left for the sun.”

Sophia was thinking more along the lines of ripping off her head.

Quick and easy.

“Not a big Kirsten fan?” she instead forced herself to ask.

“She’s a whore.”

Sophia lifted a brow at the sharp edge in Victoria’s voice. “Don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel.”

“She pretends she has no interest in my Morton, but I’ve seen how she sniffs at him when he’s near.”

“She’s still a foundling, no doubt she sniffs everything with warm blood.”

“Really?” The nymph sent Sophia a mocking smile. “Then you don’t mind that she’s currently latched on to Luc?”

“Of course not.” It was a miracle that the words didn’t choke her. “I trust Luc.”

Victoria snorted. “Don’t lie. You want to toss the bitch into the barbeque pit and watch her go up in flames.”

Sophia hastily squelched the delicious image.

Focus, Sophia. Focus.

“If I do decide I need to defend my territory, I’ll confront her directly.” She narrowed her gaze. “I have no tolerance for creatures who attack anonymously.”

The nymph paled, hastily backing away. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Sophia rolled her eyes. The stupid female might as well have tattooed “guilty” across her forehead.

Grasping her upper arm, Sophia yanked her to a halt. “Don’t run away, Victoria. We have so much to discuss.”

“Please,” the nymph pleaded. “Don’t hurt me.”

“That all depends on you,” she growled. “Confess and I won’t kill you here and now.”

The silver eyes shimmered with terrified tears. “How did you know it was me?”

“I’m a pure-blooded Were.”

Victoria frowned at Sophia’s deliberately vague response. “The witch promised me that the amulet would disguise my scent completely.”

A disguise amulet.

That’s how the woman had waltzed into her yard without leaving a trail.

“Why?” Sophia demanded.

“You know why.”

It was Sophia’s turn to frown, her gaze moving toward the short, stocky male cur built like a fireplug. He had brown hair and pale eyes with unremarkable features.

“You can’t possibly imagine I would be interested in Morton?”

Victoria sucked in an offended breath. “He’s perfect. Why wouldn’t you want him?”

Where to start?

Sophia picked the first one that came to mind. “He’s a cur.”

“So?”

“So Weres and curs don’t mix,” Sophia snapped. “Now tell me why you’ve been harassing me.”

The nymph licked her lips. “I ...”

“What?”

“I didn’t like how Morton watched you when he thought I wasn’t looking.”

Sophia swore. “So you thought you could badger me into leaving?”

“It was worth a shot.” The nymph shrugged. “I couldn’t physically force you to leave.”

“And when that didn’t work?” Sophia pressed.

“I don’t understand.”

“Did you decide on a more permanent solution?”

There was a stunned silence before Victoria at last gave a slow shake of her head.

“Permanent?”

“Running me over in your car?” Sophia suggested sweetly. “Releasing a rabid pit bull to attack me?”

Victoria lost another layer of color. “I’m in love, not insane.”

“Not much difference,” Sophia muttered.

“Perhaps not, but I know that none of those things would actually kill you,” Victoria said. “Only piss you off.”

Her words teased at the edge of Sophia’s mind, but for the moment she was too preoccupied to sort through the sensation that she should be disturbed by the comment.

“A silver bullet through the heart would be lethal,” she pointed out.

The nymph held up pleading hands. “Look, I left a few notes, a dead rat, and slashed your tires.”

“The brick through my window?”

“Yes, the brick,” she admitted. “I’ll pay for the damages if that’s what you want.”

Sophia gave the spiteful female a small shake before shoving her away in disgust.

“What I want is for you to leave me the hell alone.”

“You got it.” Victoria visibly struggled to regain her composure, smoothing her shaking hands over her hair as her gaze shifted to Luc. “I think it’s obvious to everyone in the neighborhood that you’re taken.”

Sophia stiffened. “I’m not ‘taken.’ ”

“No? I doubt the Were would agree. The way he looks at you ...” She gave a tiny giggle. “It gives me the shivers.”

Sophia followed the nymph’s gaze, finding Luc staring at her with a heat that made the very air sizzle.

Shivers? Her entire body trembled.

“He’s an alpha,” she lamely retorted.

“It has nothing to do with him being an alpha and everything to do with him being a man.” Victoria heaved a feminine sigh of pleasure. “And what a man he is.”

Sophia’s power made the nymph’s hair stir in warning. “I thought you were desperately in love with your cur?”

“I am, but I’m not blind.” Not entirely suicidal, the female returned her attention to Sophia. “Take my advice and lock him away before some tart tries to steal him.”

Sophia clenched her hands, her gaze still locked with Luc as she absently considered the logistics of holding such a powerful beast captive.

Preferably in her bed.