Unmasking the Wolf (10 page)

His brows snapped down over his eyes. “Put a trace on my credit card probably. I didn’t think about it.”

The chocolate and peanuts satisfied her hunger. Now that the danger was over, her natural proclivity toward human emotion kicked in. Her hands shook as she balled up the wrapper and stuffed it in the center console.

Luke noticed and curled his warm fingers around her shaking ones. “You did good.”

She clung to his hand, embarrassed by how much his touch comforted her. “It was stupid of me to go out alone.”

“We’re going to have to be more careful. Apparently whoever is after us are more determined than I imagined them to be.”

A thought occurred to her. “You said Laura was murdered. Did they ever find her killer?”

Luke joined the traffic on the interstate and moved into the passing lane. The speedometer inched near seventy. “No. It was a random event the police said. They didn’t pursue it for long.”

“So it’s possible her murderer may really be involved?”

“Why did you ask?” He spared her a quick look. “Did you notice anything about the guy back there?”

She struggled to remember the details. “He wore a black jacket, youngish. His scent was strange, like the guy from yesterday.”

Luke nodded as if he understood. “Something more than just wolf.”

She stilled. “How do you know how a wolf smells? A shifter’s scent is undetectable to humans.”

He didn’t even flicker an eyelid. “You told me.”

“No, I didn’t.” She was sure of it. She would remember if she had.

He quickly changed the subject. “Okay, there’s going to be a change of plans. First, I need to get you home and then I’ll . . . ”

“No!” She wrenched her hand from his. “I’m not going back to Clinton.”

“Be reasonable, Gina. You’ll be safe there.”

Frustration made her long to punch him. “I’ll be miserable. I can’t go back. I won’t. Not yet.”

Luke ran a hand through his hair. The blond tipped ends stuck up in spiky angles. “I understand the need to choose your own path, really I do, but we’ve got to face the facts. Someone is after me and doesn’t seem averse to using you to get to me. I refuse to let you be hurt because of me.”

She leaned forward, desperate for him to see things her way. “I can help. I’m a wolf. You can use me.”

He arched an eyebrow and sent her a strange look. “And I’m just some weakling?”

“No, I didn’t say that. But I have skills you can’t hope to possess.”

He sighed. “The men we’re dealing with aren’t human. I’m not quite sure
what
they are, but just being a wolf isn’t going to be enough.”

“But . . . ”

He cut her off immediately. “No. I’m taking you home.”

She snapped her mouth closed, content to give up the fight for now. Apparently, she would have to use more than just reasoning to get it through his thick skull that he needed her.

•●•

They reached Cleveland after ten hours of driving. Although night hadn’t fallen, it was time to stop driving. Gina’s muscles had to be stiff after sitting so tensely in the passenger seat. It was plain to see she was upset with him. But he couldn’t risk her getting hurt.

This time, they were able to get a room with two beds. To say he was disappointed would be an understatement. He’d loved having her beside him the night before.

Gina bounced onto one of the beds and fell backward. “I’m so tired!”

He kicked off his shoes and followed her example. Cutting his gaze to her, he unobtrusively watched as she scrolled on her cell phone. She appeared to be scanning the day’s headlines. “Anything interesting?”

She frowned, sitting up and her lips moving as she read silently to herself. “Oh my God.”

“What?” The tone in her voice jolted him to attention. He bolted upright, his muscles tense with dread.

She began to read aloud. “In a bizarre twist, several bodies have been found in Boston’s alleyways and parks. All appeared to have throats ripped out, but the odd absence of blood has police stumped.”

A pit of apprehension lodged in his gut.
Just like Laura
. He reached for the phone. “What else does it say?”

She handed the cell over to him and he quickly scanned the few lines of text. A picture of one of the victims was included with the article and he sucked in a deep breath. “Several of these names are familiar.” He pointed at the face on the screen. “I know him.”

Gina stood and leaned over him to view the picture. “Howard Trotter?”

“He’s a wolf.”

His words lingered in the air between them, neither seeming to want to put voice to his suspicion.

Gina plopped down beside him, the mattress bouncing as her hip brushed his. “Do you think the murders are related?”

“Seems that way.” He handed the phone back to her.

“And the murderer seems to be targeting wolves?”

Impotent rage filled him. Like Laura, Howard was a lunar wolf. He wouldn’t have been able to fight off a stronger shifter. But why all the sudden deaths?

“We need to get back to Boston.”

Her eyes widened with surprise. “But I thought you wanted to take me home?”

“I still do, but I’ll have to come up with something else.” There was no way he could stand idly by while wolves were attacked. “Until I know what’s going on, you’ll be safer with me.”

“My father would beg to differ.” Her eyebrow arched.

“Do you want to go home?”

Red hair slapped against her cheeks as she shook her head. “No. I want to help you.”

He faced her, his hands coming up to frame her face. “Let me make this absolutely clear. I’m taking you back to Boston to keep an eye on you. In no way does that mean I’m going to let you assist in finding out what’s going on.”

She pouted, her full bottom lip plump and red, ripe for the tasting. “You need me.”

He did. He really did. But not in the way she meant.

“Don’t argue with me,” he commanded in a stern tone.

Her mouth opened. “But . . . ”

He put a finger against her lips. “Hush.”

Her tongue flicked against the pad of his finger. Whether intentional or accidental, it had the same effect. The flames of desire flickered to life. He leaned closer, his attention focused on her mouth. He was just about to kiss her when she jerked away.

She stood, sniffing the air, and a bewildered expression crossed her face. He reached for her arm. “What?”

Her face turned to him, disbelief clouding her eyes. “You smell different.”

“What do you mean?” Mentally he slapped his forehead. He hadn’t taken L-12 today. He’d left his daily dose behind, locked up tight in the lab.

Her nostrils flared as she leaned in and sniffed his shirt. Reeling away, she held up her hands as if to ward him off. “Why do I smell a fucking wolf on you?”

“I can explain.” It was stupid of him to have forgotten that L-12 has to be taken daily. The effect wasn’t long-lasting. It took time to build up the result and had to be maintained every twenty-four hours.

She crossed her arms. “Start explaining then.”

“The reason I’m so familiar with wolves is because I am . . . ”
Shit, it was hard to come clean with her
. “One.” He owned up to the truth. She wouldn’t accept anything less.

Her eyebrows arched skeptically. “No, you’re not.”

“Yes.” He wished there was a way to avoid her anger.

She shook her head, her gaze no longer bemused, but wary. “How did I never notice?”

“The research Dominic has been doing. He created a drug that masks the scent of a wolf.”

She frowned. “What? Why would he do that?”

He stood, hoping she knew he’d kept the secret for good reasons. “My sister was a lunar wolf. She wanted to protect others like her from those who would prey on the weak.”

Gina frowned. “So it was to mask her scent to an At Will shifter?”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “It wasn’t a full moon that night. She had no way to defend herself. If she’d had L-12, the other wolf probably would’ve left her alone.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Recently, the murders of lunar wolves have been growing all over the country. It’s always been a problem, but now it’s much worse. I have to suspect that Laura fell victim too. After she died, Dominic continued her research at my request.”

“Are you a lunar as well?”

“No. In my family, about thirty percent of offspring are At Wills.”

“Okay, I’ll buy Laura’s reason for wanting to mask her scent.” Sparks of irritation lit her brilliant eyes. She lifted her hand and poked a finger against his chest. “But why did
you
not smell like a wolf?”

“I was my own company’s guinea pig.” He shrugged. “Dominic had a fit when he found out I’d taken L-12, but I had to know if it worked. It did. You’re beginning to smell me now because I didn’t have my daily dose. The effect is only temporary.”

“You must’ve thought I was so stupid. The country wolf who was tricked by the big bad city wolf.” She slapped her hand against his chest. “You should’ve told me. I would’ve understood.”

He encircled her wrist to keep her from hitting him again. “I had to keep L-12 secret. If I’d told you I was a wolf and you didn’t smell me, it would lead to more questions. I wasn’t prepared to answer them yet.”

Did she know he was her mate? She didn’t seem to. Or perhaps the mating urge wasn’t as strong for her, like he’d feared. “How well can you . . . smell me?”

She shrugged and broke free of his grip. “Not very. It’s almost as if you brushed against a wolf.”

Was that why she couldn’t tell he was her mate? How would she react when the scent intensified? He debated coming completely clean, but he kept his mouth shut. He wanted her full-blown reaction when she finally realized it.

She reached up to tighten her ponytail. He tried to pretend the sight of her breasts straining against her sweater wasn’t turning him completely on.

“I guess now I know why you were so familiar with wolf-related stuff.” She dropped her arms to her sides, and her hands made a slapping sound as they met her thighs.

“I’m really sorry for misleading you.” He reclaimed her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her closer. “When you appeared at the office, I was too shell-shocked to think straight.”

Her cheeks turned pink. Incredibly long lashes fluttered down to cover her eyes before sweeping up and granting him the full view of the beautiful blue orbs. She didn’t beat around the bush, pretending she didn’t know the reason for his claim. “You’re lying.”

“No. I’ve never been more honest in my entire life.”

She sucked in a breath, as if realizing he hadn’t been teasing her. “You can’t be serious.”

He turned her hand over, exposing the delicate skin of her wrist to his gaze. He bent his head and whispered a breath across it. “Why can’t I?”

A visible shiver went down her body. “Because . . . because . . . ”

His lips remained close to her wrist, but he cut his gaze to her face. “Because why?”

Her words stuttered to a stop and she just stared at him. The moment drew out, neither looking away, until the tension got too thick to ignore. He straightened and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I can think of a million reasons why I should let you go, but for the life of me I can’t seem to.”

He was a shifter.

It made sense, yet her mind refused to accept it. She’d categorically placed him in the
safe
zone. Knowing he was her equal heightened her awareness of him. And her lust.

Although she’d wanted him before, it was nothing like the bone-jarring need ricocheting through her body. One whiff of his faint scent and she was panting like . . . well, a wolf in heat. If such a reaction could be caused by the slight strain, what would it be like when his full scent returned?

He still held her hand, his other arm wrapped tight around her waist. With every breath she took, her breasts brushed his firm chest. It seemed natural to lean into him, so she did. A full, honest-to-goodness growl escaped him. Suddenly, his hands were tangled in her hair, angling her face for his kiss.

Fire scorched her veins as his tongue surged into her mouth. Passion flared to life, no gentleness evident in the way he kissed her now. Despite her lack of her experience, she recognized the difference in this kiss. There would be no pulling back tonight . . . for either of them.