He rose from the chair so quickly she thought he’d upturn it. “What is this wolf you keep bringing up? I’m a man.” He pointed to his torso. “Clearly.”
Although he’d tried to throw her off the trail, his quick movement gave him away. The towel parted, exposing the wound on his upper thigh. She’d treated a wound in the wolf’s leg yesterday, pulling out the tentacles from a jellyfish. The raw, red welts on Seth’s leg matched up to the crisscross stings from a jellyfish.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “Your wound.” She stood and moved closer to him. “It matches up with the wolf’s.” She inched nearer to him, mesmerized by what was becoming clear to her. “I’ve heard legends, about wolves turning to men and vice versa. It’s not a myth, is it?”
His eyes flickered with fear for a moment before he wiped all emotion from his face. “Thank you for your—hospitality,” he said, “but I need to go.” He strode to the door.
He couldn’t leave. Not after what she’d discovered. He hadn’t admitted it, but she knew it was true. Somehow or other, he was the wolf.
And in her cottage.
She shuffled her feet, moving her arms rapidly, unable to contain the excitement of the discovery. Hell, she’d do a backflip, if she knew how. Perhaps it was better off she didn’t—her exuberant reaction would trigger his suspicions.
And her father—he’d be even more excited. After all his years studying wolves and advocating for their return to Scotland, having one on his estate with this capability would be incredible. Surreal. He’d be so proud of her discovery.
But this man—wolf—whatever he was, wanted to leave her cottage. She had to delay his departure, at least until her father returned and met him.
“You can’t go out there like that,” she said, catching up with him at her front door. “You’re injured.”
“I’ll heal.”
“Not if that gets infected. I cleaned and treated the wound yesterday when we brought the wolf—I mean you—here. Let me put more antibiotic on it. How do you feel? Jellyfish stings can be nasty. Do you have a headache or nausea?”
“No.”
“Muscle or joint pain?”
“No. Just the skin. It will heal.”
“But—” She was stalling. “You don’t have clothes.”
“I’ll get some.”
“With what money?” She glanced down at the towel. “You don’t have a wallet.”
His jaw twitched. “I don’t need clothes.” He put his hand on the knob of her front door.
“If you’re thinking of going wolf, it’s too dangerous. Too many of our neighbors aren’t happy with our ideas. And if they see you…” She wasn’t sure how to finish her thought without getting too deep into the project and the opposition to it.
He released the doorknob and turned to her. “What is it you’re working on?”
Good, she caught his interest. Maybe she could keep him here long enough for her father to return. “Admit the truth about what you are and then I’ll tell you.”
CHAPTER THREE
Shite. Seth’s situation grew more complicated by the minute. She’d figured out what he was, somewhat. And where would he go from here? He wasn’t even sure where he was, except a vague idea he was in the Highlands, northwest of Inverness. That encompassed a vast stretch of land.
“I thought you had it all figured out,” he said.
“I did. I mean, I do.”
“And what exactly do you think I am?”
“A shapeshifter.”
Fuck. Although it was quite clear from what she’d said, he was hoping she’d come up with something off base to describe what had happened to the wolf. No such luck.
He barked out a forced laugh. “As if that’s possible.”
“I didn’t think so myself,” she said. “But it has to be true. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Och, she appeared convinced, sure of what she saw. It was going to be tougher to get out of this than he’d thought. “Pfft. Why, because you think I have similar eyes to whatever this wolf is you keep talking about? That’s a rather flimsy explanation.”
“Perhaps. But your wound convinces me of it. I treated it yesterday on the wolf’s leg, which happens to be your leg today.”
Fuck. He didn’t think of that with everything else going on. When he’d been in the cage, his wounded leg wasn’t facing her. When he’d climbed out, she’d turned quickly on, noticing he wasn’t wearing clothes. So, he might have gotten away with it until now, when the towel opened up, offering the perfect shot of red, raw flesh.
“Deny it if you want,” she added, “but I know it’s the truth.”
He wasn’t going to admit anything about his true nature to a human. “How can you be so sure?”
“Sherlock Holmes said, ‘After you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’”
“Sherlock who?”
“Never mind. You don’t have to worry. Your secret is safe with me.”
She wouldn’t be swayed—and he couldn’t think of a good enough explanation to throw her off. “And if I am?”
Stepping closer to him, her eyes flickered with curiosity. “It’s—just—fascinating.”
Double fuck. What the hell should he do next? He could run away. She might send out an alert and then he’d have a whole swarm of humans hunting him down in a land he was unfamiliar with, not having any clue as to where to hide.
His gut told him to work with her. He was better off with only one human knowing his secret than a large number of them. And if he could convince her to keep it a secret—then he’d figure out his next move.
“You can’t tell anyone. The danger involved…”
“It’s true.” Her eyes shined with wonder. Although he didn’t reply, she appeared convinced. “Will you tell me more about yourself? How do you do it? My father would love to hear about it. His research into—”
Research? Fuck! He ended up caught in the worse possible scenario. Research meant humans with sharp objects. Poking and prodding with sick curiosity. Experimenting on animals with drugs, cosmetics, all kinds of mad ideas. He’d made a mistake admitting the truth. Possibly a fatal one. He had to do something. He’d never let them touch him.
He scanned the area and eyed a knife on her kitchen counter. Lunging for it, he pointed at his neck. “I’d kill myself before letting humans experiment on me.”
She shrieked and raised her hands. “Calm down. Nobody’s going to hurt you. Least of all me.”
For several minutes, their gazes locked. Their quickened breaths sounded louder in the tense situation. He assessed her eyes, her stance, her scent—anything that would indicate danger, that she’d meant him harm. Through that alluring female fragrance, he caught an indication of her fear. She didn’t appear to pose a threat.
He might have overreacted. The idea of humans subjecting him to such torture made him desperate to take a stance.
“Just put it down,” she pleaded in a soothing voice. “I would never hurt anyone. Or any animal. Neither would my father.”
He eyed her with wariness before dropping the knife onto the counter.
She let out a deep exhale and covered her chest with one hand. “Oh my God. Why did you do that?”
“You said research. I know what that means.”
“What?” She shook her head, eyes brimmed with confusion.
“Experiments. Drugs. Cutting. Torture.”
“No,” she said. “That’s not what I meant at all.”
He cocked his head. “What did you mean?”
“It’s the project you asked me about. My father is an advocate for rewilding the Highlands, restoring the ecosystem by replanting forests and bringing back animals who used to live here, such as bears and lynx—and wolves.”
This type of research was unknown to him. It didn’t sound as threatening as the types he’d been warned about. “Go on.”
“When we lived in the U.S., near Yellowstone Pa
rk, we were fascinated by the efforts of rewilding there. They’d reintroduced the wolves to the park and the impact on the environment has been amazing.”
Wolves impacting the environment? He couldn’t deny his interest. “How?”
“By culling the deer population. With reduced numbers of deer feeding on the land, the forests and plants can replenish themselves.” She tilted her head and studied him. “What I don’t understand is why you turned the knife on yourself and not me?”
Interesting. He hadn’t thought of that. Sure, he could have aimed it at her throat. He could have killed her, if he’d wanted, and run from there. He would have had a head start against any humans that attempted to track him down. He might have even escaped.
The thought—even the thought of hurting her—made a part of him ache. His wolf yelped softly inside as if it had been wounded. It was unthinkable, worse than the idea of turning it on himself. Why? She was a human who meant nothing to him. Nothing.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Instinct, perhaps.”
“Can we start over?” Hailey said.
“Why?”
“Because it looks like I’m the closest thing you have to an ally right now, even though you look at me like I’m the enemy. I saved you from drowning, don’t forget.”
“You mean when you shot me?”
She propped her hands on her hips and huffed with clear exasperation. “You’re welcome, by the way, for saving your life. Why don’t you cut the indignant crap for a minute? Do you want me to help you or not?”
***
Help him? How in the hell was she going to help him? He was a wolf who shifted into a man, something she thought was a myth until she’d seen his wound.
“Help me how?”
Great, he echoed her question, and now watched her, waiting for an answer.
Well, he was a lone, naked man-wolf, or whatever he was, with no place to go, she guessed. He couldn’t stay with her, though.
Yet, she didn’t want him to leave. At least, not yet, not until her father had returned.
Stumbling upon him in the ocean might be the biggest breakthrough yet. She told herself it was her scientific nature, curious to unravel more about this fascinating species. But the way her body had seemed to tingle with awareness suggested otherwise.
She brushed that reaction off. Sure, he was easy on the eyes. From the blond highlights in his hair to his sun-kissed skin that covered all those delicious, contoured muscles…
So not her type, she reminded herself. She preferred the nerdy types, brains over brawn.
Her gaze was drawn once again to his eyes with that splendid shade of amber. It wasn’t one color but a mix of caramel, browns, and flecks of gold. So penetrating. They’d caught her attention when she spotted the drowning wolf—and were the key to his true identity.
Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, she blurted out, “First of all, your injury. How did you get it?”
“I don’t know. I was struggling, and then there was this intense pain.”
“I think some kind of jellyfish got you. I pulled out some nasty tentacles and cleaned the wound. We need to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t get infected.”
“I can treat it myself. Just need to find the right kind of plants—”
“In a land you’re unfamiliar with?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She planted her hands on her hips. “And second, I’m guessing you need a place to stay. You can spend the night with me.”
Wait, did she just say it like that? Holy crap on a cracker. That came out wrong. So unbelievably wrong.
He slanted his head and the wary expression faded, replaced by a growing smirk. “You want me to spend the night with you?”
“No! Not like that,” she answered with a frustrated wave. A searing heat rose in her cheeks. “I meant, this sofa opens to a bed. Wait—unless you prefer to sleep outside?” Ugh, she was rambling on now. He didn’t say anything; just continued to watch her with amusement. “If you need a bed, you can stay here.”
“If I need a bed…” He nodded slightly before giving her a suggestive look.
“That’s not what I mean,” she snapped and pointed toward the door. “So, if that’s what you’re thinking, you can go fend for yourself out there.”
Images of what they could do in her bedroom flashed in her mind. She’d run her fingers over that golden skin, touch the hard planes of his chest, the ripped contours in his abs…
What was wrong with her? Was she seriously pushing this guy out because he made her flustered? Ugh, she hated when she got flustered and reacted with a hot head rather than thinking things through.
The smile vanished from his face, but amusement lingered in his eyes. “I think the sofa will be fine.”
She exhaled with relief, not sure why she’d been holding her breath, awaiting his reply. “What were you doing so far out in the ocean anyway?”
His face hardened, every flicker of mirth vanished. “Long story.”
Her curiosity spiraled. Her gaze traveled over his torso again and paused at the towel. “How about I get you some clothes and you can tell me about it.” She glanced at his leg. “If you walk, is it painful?”
He took a few steps. “Not enough to stop me.” She must have given him a concerned look as he added, “Don’t worry, I heal quickly.”
Damn, he was a fascinating species. Not only a mix of human and animal, but with quicker healing capabilities and a higher pain threshold. She had to take notes of all the things he’d told her. Her father would be as fascinated as she was.
“I’ll show you around, if you’re up for it. We can drive so you can rest your leg.”
“No, it would be better to walk and stretch my muscles.” With a one-sided grin, he said, “After all, it was cramped in that cage.”
Her phone rang. It was Liam. She stared at it. What could she say to him? She couldn’t tell him what happened, not yet at least. Not after promising Seth she wouldn’t.
Of course, she’d have to tell her father, but she needed to convince Seth of that first.
With the obnoxious ringing and the way Liam’s name kept flashing on her phone, she swore it was like a carnival taking place in her living room.
Seth eyed her carefully. “You going to get that?”
“Yes.” She picked up the phone and said, “Excuse me.” She said, “Liam, where are you?” as she entered her bedroom and closed the door.
“I’m headed to the train to London,” he said. “What’s going on there?”
She’d planned on being on the train with him this morning to meet up with their father for a conference. After they’d discovered the wolf, they’d agreed to bring him to her workspace to recover. After all, she’d treated several injured animals there, only none quite like Seth.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Her voice sounded off, a higher pitch, and he must have picked up on it. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,”
“How’s the wolf?”
Funny, earlier that morning, she was convinced he’d pulled some prank with the wolf, but what she’d discovered was far different. Mind-blowing, in fact. “Fine.”
“Why are you acting strange, Hailey?”
“I’m not acting strange.” She paced her bedroom.
“We saved a wolf from drowning, and you’re acting like this is a regular ol’ day.”
Ugh, she wasn’t doing a good job at acting nonchalant. “The wolf is still sleeping. I don’t know what else to say. The tranquilizer must have done a number on it. Plus, all the exertion of struggling in the water.”
“True.” After a pause, he said, “I still can’t believe we found it. Crazy, isn’t it?”
“Not really,” she said. “I mean, we were looking for an island with wolves. And we found a wolf. With so many islands out in the ocean, there are bound to be animals living on them. Especially on ones not taken over by humans.”
“I know. We’ve seen
islands that are nothing but a giant rock inhabited by birds. I think it’s pretty amazing, though.”
“It is,” she agreed. If she showed no excitement, he would know something was up.
“Hailey, you sure you don’t want to make this conference? We can get someone else that Dad knows to care for the wolf. There will be so many bigwigs there—powerful people, decision makers.”
It was true. She’d been looking forward to this meeting for two months, but that was before she met Seth. What he was, what he could do—that pretty much blew away anything she’d ever seen.
“I’ll have to meet them at another time. In the meantime, you dazzle them for the both of us.”
He snorted. “Can’t promise that.”
“Don’t tell Dad,” she reminded him. “He might get too excited and rush back from London. We’ll show him when you return.”
Thoughts of the conference quickly vanished as she ended the call. Something far more exciting awaited her in the next room.
CHAPTER FOUR
Seth listened outside Hailey’s bedroom door. When she returned to the main area, he pressed her for more info. “Who was that?” he snapped.
“My brother, Liam.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why does he know you have a wolf here?”
“He was on the boat with me,” she said in an exasperated tone. “He helped me bring you back here. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him your secret. He’s going to London to meet up with my father.”
“Why aren’t you going?”
“I was going to, but I decided to stay and help you.”
Seth assessed her for signs of lying. This woman confused him. On the one hand, he didn’t trust her—she was human and she’d locked him in a cage. That was exactly how he feared humans would treat shifters. They’d first lock them up and then proceed to much worse, as they tried to unlock the secrets to a species they didn’t understand.
On the other hand, if what she’d said was true, she’d saved him from drowning. She’d also treated his wound and extended him hospitality. She offered to help him and was skipping a trip to do so.
Her story checked out, so he shouldn’t be such an arse. He softened his hardened demeanor and smiled. “My leg feels a bit better already.”
Seth Page 3
