Secret of the Wolf

by Cynthia Garner

  Staring at the curls, Tori imagined running her fingers through them. She squeezed her hands closed to keep from giving in to her desires. She swallowed hard, trying to control her thoughts.

  “When can we get together again to look over that device?” He twisted in his seat to face her, one long arm resting along the upper curve of the steering wheel. He turned away to look through the windshield.

  She loved his strong profile. He really was a handsome, masculine man, though his eyelashes were beautiful and long. “Just about any time is good for me. As long as Rand isn’t home.” A thought struck her, and she said, “Monday night would be good. Rand’s planning on being out, and after I take care of a…thing, I’ll be available.”

  His brows dipped and he glanced at her again. “What thing?”

  “You remember Barry? From the grocery store?”

  “Yeah, I remember. It was just a couple of days ago.” His lips twisted in a wry grin. “Senility hasn’t quite set in yet.”

  Tori grimaced good-naturedly. “No need for sarcasm.” She brought her left leg up onto the seat, her knee bumping against his thigh. When she met his gaze, she saw his eyes had darkened. She had no doubt that he wanted her and sooner or later he’d realize that love hardly waited for convenience. She hoped it was sooner. “His punishment for biting the human was to be bound in silver for thirty days. He can’t shift,” she added in explanation when Dante seemed a little bewildered.

  “Ah.” He gave a nod.

  “I promised I’d be with him the night of the full moon.” She watched him closely for his reaction.

  His eyes narrowed slightly. “You mean you’ll be sitting outside his cell, right? You’ll still be able to shift.”

  “Well, that would be downright cruel, wouldn’t it? Shapeshifters can control when and how often they shift, but during a full moon it’s agonizing if you don’t change into your animal form. And I mean agonizing.” She closed her eyes briefly, remembering all those years ago when she’d been clapped in silver chains, rendered impotent of her shifting abilities. She’d deserved the punishment. Barry didn’t. “It’s…difficult to get through. Anyway, he turned me down, but I want to check on him before sunset.” She couldn’t explain to herself why it was so important to make sure this one werewolf was as emotionally prepared as possible to get through this punishment, except that she’d been there. She knew how excruciating an experience it was, and if she could help, she had to.

  “Why would you do that?” Dante’s eyes narrowed even further. “He’s not your responsibility. He’s there because of choices he made.”

  She sighed. “I just…Wolves are pack animals, Dante. We’re not loners. We want our own kind around us, especially when we’re sick or injured.” She leaned toward him, trying to make him understand. “Barry’s not exactly an alpha male. He’ll have a hard time of it. The effect is not only physical but emotional, too.”

  “And that’s your responsibility how?” When she shot him a glare, he held up one hand. “Look, I don’t mean any disrespect. I think what you offered to do says a lot about the kind of woman you are.” His tone suggested he wasn’t sure if he should admire her or call the men in the white coats. “But I…” He leaned forward and took her hands in his. “I for one am glad he declined your offer. I don’t want you to be in pain.”

  He was the sweetest man ever. She’d known a lot of good men, but none had even come close to making her feel the way Dante did. Tori got mutant-sized butterflies in her stomach when he was near, and everything seemed brighter and full of hope when she was with him. With him, she felt like she was living, not just surviving like she’d done just about all of her life. She squeezed his fingers. “That means a lot to me, that you feel that way.”

  “I appreciate your compassion, honey, I do.”

  Her heart jumped at the endearment he didn’t seem to know he’d used. He also didn’t seem to realize his thumbs were sweeping over the pulse points of her wrists.

  But she had noticed the action. With every sweep, her pulse skittered, her breath came faster, and everything feminine deep inside her softened with desire. With a soft moan, she leaned into him and pressed her mouth to his.

  His lips opened beneath hers, his low groan lost in her kiss. He stroked his tongue along hers, tasting dark and all male. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer.

  He trailed a path to her ear, giving her lobe a light nip, not hurtful but enough to send a shock of arousal jolting through her.

  “Dante,” she moaned. She shifted her position, draping herself over him, flattening her breasts against his broad chest. She ignored the steering wheel digging into her rib cage. The small amount of pain was worth getting close to this man again.

  With an oath, he wrapped his hands around her upper arms and lifted her off him. He set her gently on the passenger seat. His breathing came hard and fast, chest rising and falling. “Wait.”

  “Wait for what, Dante?” She stroked her fingers down his cheek, but he stopped her. She whispered, “What if you’re about to pass up something beautiful, something right, because the timing doesn’t fit your schedule?”

  Regret, stark and sharp, passed over his face. “I really like you, Tori. But I have so much on my plate right now, with a job that isn’t exactly a forty-hour-a-week thing, and my sister…” He blew out a breath and pressed her palm to his face, holding it there. “That’s not entirely it. I…I’m afraid of losing you. If I fall in love with you and then you get killed by some other pret…”

  Her breath hitched. “You’re not alone in this, you know. You also do dangerous work and could get killed on the job.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” He held her gaze. “One thing I know for sure, the first time I make love to you is not going to be in the cab of my pickup.”

  She smiled, a slow build up to a full-fledged grin. “You are such a gentleman. What if I want it to be right here, right now? What if I’m ready to see what you look like naked?”

  He shook his head even as his eyes darkened with desire. “You say the most romantic things.” When she didn’t laugh, he said, “Not here, because…”

  “Yes?”

  “When I have you stretched out under me, I’m gonna take my time.”

  A shiver wracked through her. She had to admit that Dante was right about their bad timing. However, she couldn’t stop her mind from thinking of the possibilities when they did find someplace private. She swiped her thumb across his sexy lower lip. “I can’t wait,” she murmured. She withdrew her hand from his and opened her door.

  “Why don’t you come over Monday night after you check on Barry? Lily’s going out with friends. I’ll fix dinner and you can bring the, uh, thing.”

  Her mind went blank for a moment, then she started sorting through all kinds of items he might be meaning by “the thing” before she finally landed on the rift device. “Oh. Right. The thing.” She smiled again. “I actually have a council meeting, a sort of meet and greet for new prets in town, at seven. Is five o’clock too early to come over?”

  He shook his head.

  In a throaty voice she murmured, “I’ll see you then.” She climbed down from the cab of his truck, grinning at his mingled look of desire and dismay. It wasn’t often Dante MacMillan could be knocked off his stride. She couldn’t wait to do it again.

  Finn leaned against the corner of the building and watched Tori get out of the human cop’s truck. Things had been getting interesting, and for a minute he’d thought they were going to make out right there in the parking lot. Not only would it have been entertaining, it would have given him something to throw into Tori’s face whenever she got too big for her britches. But to his disappointment they hadn’t.

  “So you’re also a voyeur,” a lilting voice said from behind him. “Good to know.”

  He turned his head and looked at Keira as she walked up to stand beside him. “I spy on people only when it might lead to something useful.”

  She cast him a si
delong glance. “Do you play Peepin’ Tom much, then?”

  Finn shrugged. “I lurk. That’s what I do.” He shifted his position, leaning his back against the wall. “And just what do you mean by ‘also a voyeur’?”

  Her smile was a slow dance of pure wickedness. “Oh, you’ve quite the reputation.” She drew one finger down his shoulder, leaving a trail of sparks he could feel even through his clothing. “Playboy. Ladykiller.” Her expression sobered. “Ne’er-do-well.”

  “Oh, a ne’er-do-well, really?” He crossed his ankles, bearing his weight on his heels. Shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, he said, “Now you’re just flattering me.”

  “Do you think so?” Keira reached into her purse and pulled out some sort of plastic hair clip. Holding it between her lips, she lifted her arms and gathered her long hair up off her neck, then fastened it. Stray strands fell around her face, curling in the humidity of the approaching dusk. Without thinking he reached out and scooped several strands behind her ear.

  She drew in a startled breath but her expression didn’t change. “You have an odd opinion of yourself then.”

  He made note of her reaction and determined some day, and someday soon, he was going to get that reaction from her again. “I’m a demon,” he said, figuring that was explanation enough. He glanced around the nearly empty lot. “What’re you doing here?”

  “Oh, meeting new people.” She gave a dainty shrug. “Gettin’ the lay of the land. You know.” She moved a little closer, tilting back her head to look up into his face. “I’m findin’ that Scottsdale’s an interesting place.”

  She didn’t know the half of it. He heard a car start up and peered around the edge of the building to see Tori’s tiny piece of tin she called a car pulling out of the parking lot. For God’s sake, who ever heard of a werewolf driving a Mini Cooper?

  Not him. As much as he hated to leave Keira’s side, he had to keep an eye on Tori and her family. He’d been hearing things, things that surprised him and piqued his interest. He turned back to Keira. He hated to bail on this gorgeous woman, but he needed to see what Tori was up to. He had reports to file, and the lord of demons didn’t like to be kept waiting. “I’ve gotta go, sweetheart. Catch up with you later?”

  “Sure.” She adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “You know she has her eyes on that detective, don’t you?”

  “Who?” He frowned. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Tori.”

  “I’m not…” He stopped. “It’s complicated. And not what you think.”

  The lifting of her eyebrows was both regal and skeptical.

  “Seriously.” Finn pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I’ll see you.”

  “Sure.”

  He felt her gaze on him as he walked around the back of the club to his motorcycle. As he pulled on his gloves, he watched her walk toward a neon-green Beetle. He scowled. What was it with the women around here? His frown lightened when she went past the Volkswagen and unlocked a black BMW M3. He admired her choice of vehicle—it was small enough for good maneuverability yet had a big enough engine for excellent acceleration.

  He made sure she got under way before he left the parking lot and headed after Tori. Something was going on in this town, something not good, and he had a feeling she knew what it was.

  Chapter Eleven

  Things were quiet for the next couple of days. Dante and Tori handled a few minor skirmishes here and there, both of them glad that things seemed to be calming down. Even the attacks in quadrant four had stopped. Tori hoped the rogue was finished but her instincts said otherwise.

  Rand seemed unusually quiet. He hadn’t asked about the rift device since that day in her bedroom. She didn’t know for certain if he’d looked for it again, though she thought he might have searched her closet. A couple of her shoes were askew on the shoe rack, shoes she hadn’t worn in several weeks and didn’t remember touching. She kept the incident to herself because she didn’t want to draw attention to the device at all. She started thinking again that maybe Dante was right—she needed to get it out of the house. She just wasn’t sure where to put it, and she hated to admit she couldn’t keep it out of Rand’s grasp. It hurt her to think that she was unable to trust her own brother. As soon as she got the chance, she’d talk to Dante about it. It seemed like his gun safe might be the best place for it after all, but she couldn’t help but think about Lily. She would be in danger just by virtue of the fact that the device was in Dante’s home.

  At least as werewolves, Tori and Rand had a fighting chance against anyone who might come for the device. Lily would be helpless.

  Unsure of a good hiding place, she took it out of the flour canister and put it in her fanny pack. She always wore it to work, anyway, so no one would think anything of it. Despite the new location, she still carried the damn thing everywhere she went, even into the bathroom, where she stashed it in her box of tampons while she showered.

  As she took off her clothes, she thought about the meeting at headquarters, which she really wasn’t looking forward to. The new prets didn’t like being put on display under the auspices of introductions to the council and its liaisons. Tori supposed it was a necessary evil. This way, when the newcomers got themselves into trouble—which most of them invariably did to one degree or another—Tori and her colleagues knew with whom they were dealing.

  After her shower, she dressed in a flowing sky-blue skirt, a two-toned silk tank top, and a bright pink short-sleeved jacket with high-heeled sandals to match. She fitted the fanny pack in place, grimacing at how it ruined the look of her outfit, and made sure the jacket wasn’t caught under the straps. She left a note for Rand, letting him know she’d see him at the meeting, and drove to Dante’s.

  As she drove up the winding driveway, she admired the natural landscaping of prickly pear and saguaro cacti, mesquite, and palo verde trees. When she pulled up in front of the house, she put the car in park and turned off the ignition, sitting for a few minutes to look the place over. It was a one-story adobe ranch house with a long front porch and roofed with Spanish tiles. Potted flowering plants lined the walkway leading to the front door. She couldn’t see Dante taking the time to plant flowers, so no doubt they were Lily’s handiwork.

  A separate barn sat about twenty-five yards away from the house on the south side, complete with a corral that, at the moment, was empty. His horses must be in the barn.

  She got out of her car and slammed the door, hitting the button on the remote to lock it. She drew in a breath and smelled various scents—the flowering bougainvillea and oleanders, horses, hay, and the pungent odor of manure. The sound of hooves stomping, low nickers, and the aroma of fear wafted to her from the horses. They smelled her, and they were afraid. She pressed her lips together. Sometimes she regretted what she was, and this was one of those times. She’d love to be able to get close enough to the horses to really appreciate their beauty, but she’d probably never be able to.

  She headed toward the house. As she reached the front door it swung open and Dante stood there, a wide smile on his face. “You made it. Any trouble finding the place?”

  “Nope, none.” She entered the house. “Nice,” she commented, seeing how it reflected his masculinity from the oversized leather recliner and matching sofa in the living room to the décor in various shades of browns and greens. There were a couple of pillows on the sofa that had splashes of red in them and a few decorative pots on the hearth of the beehive fireplace in the corner that suggested a woman’s touch. Again probably due to Lily.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I can give you the tour a little later, if you’d like.”

  She followed him through to a large country-style eat-in kitchen, complete with a distressed pine table that seated six. There was also a formal dining room off to the left of the kitchen with another large table, this one a darker wood.

  “I know I said I’d fix dinner,” Dante said. “But since you can’t stay long, I figured we should sp
end most of the time working on the device instead of eating. So…” The doorbell rang and he held up one finger. “I ordered pizza. Have a seat,” he said, motioning toward the kitchen table. “I’ll be right back.”

  Tori went over to it and pulled out a chair, admiring the Southwest pattern on the padded seat. Dante came back in with a couple of boxes in his hands. The smell of pepperoni and pizza sauce wafted her way, as well as the spicy aroma of barbecue.

  “Got some wings, too.” Dante flipped open the boxes and grabbed a couple of plates from a cabinet. He placed one in front of her and handed her a paper towel. “You want beer? Soda?”

  “Soda’s fine,” she said. “Since I have to drive.”

  “Okay. Soda it is.” He grabbed two cans from the fridge and handed one to her. Taking his place in the chair across from her, he said, “Dig in.”

  She took two slices and put them on her plate.

  “Get some wings, too,” he urged.

  “In a minute,” she said around a mouthful of food.

  Once she’d scarfed down her pizza, she started on some wings. After a few minutes, Dante reached over and swiped his thumb across the corner of her mouth, letting it linger on her lip. “You had some barbecue sauce there,” he said, his voice husky.

  In reflex, she swept out her tongue, the tip sliding over the pad of his thumb. His indrawn breath flared his nostrils. He rubbed across her bottom lip and leaned closer. “God, you’ve got the most beautiful mouth.” He bent his head, his lips closing over hers.

  He tasted like pizza sauce and pepperoni with an underlying tang of heated desire. He ate at her mouth like a starving man and she was just as voracious. When they pulled away for air, they both breathed heavily. Dante’s eyes were heavy-lidded, the brown of his irises almost black with passion.