by Bianca D'Arc
Gabe held out his hand to her, and Margo felt compelled to take it. He led her toward the dance floor, which had been abandoned by the teens and reclaimed by the older couples. She and Josh wouldn’t be the only ones dancing. Far from it.
She stepped into his arms and was immediately entranced. He knew just how to lead her, just how to touch her. He was a good dancer. Masterful, yet not pushy. Margo often had problems following anyone’s lead. She was too Alpha herself to take kindly to being led, but there was something about the way Gabe held her that made it less of a battle for dominance, and much more of a cooperative thing. Two bodies working together to achieve beauty of movement and harmony of minds.
The two of them together just worked. She didn’t know how or why. They just did. Something she totally hadn’t expected. Not in a million years.
Margo mixed with humans at times in her work as a private investigator, but she seldom socialized with them outside of work. Following leads in investigations was one thing. Hanging out with humans for fun was something altogether out of her experience. She’d never imagined this kind of situation, but her cousin had gone and married a human mage. Okay, Deena was a little fey too—as was most of her family—which made them somewhat special, but at heart, they were still humans who wielded magic.
Generally speaking, shifters didn’t socialize with mages or vampires. All of the supernatural races kept mostly to themselves. Although, more and more, Margo had been hearing about marriages like Josh and Deena’s that crossed the lines and merged different kinds of magic. There were a lot of theories floating around about why that was happening so much right now.
Most of the theories were kind of scary and involved preparation for the coming of evil into the world. The priestesses were all giving out warnings to be on the lookout for agents of evil. The Lords who governed shifters all over the world had also put out warnings and requests for information about anything happening that was out of the ordinary. The Lords and priestesses were collating the reports. Margo wondered what they would find.
She supposed they would all hear about it eventually. Frankly, her mind was wandering, in search of distraction from the way Gabe’s touch made her feel. She was trying so hard to ignore it, but the sensations were cutting through her attempts to distract herself.
She’d been trying so hard to not feel the things being in Gabe’s arms evoked that they’d sort of snuck up on her. Her body moved with his of its own volition. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her legs rubbed up against his as they moved together in time. Her fingers wove into the hair at the back of his neck as she twined her arms around his strong shoulders.
How had she managed to wrap herself around him? Damn. She should have kept her wits about her. Gabe Llewellyn was pure seduction. He had a magnetism about him that she couldn’t explain. He drew her in ways she didn’t fully understand.
There was the draw of a handsome man, of course, but there was more to it than that. If she’d only been dealing with plain old male-female attraction, he would have been easier to dismiss. This, however, was something much stronger. Something she had never dealt with before.
It confused her inner wolf. It confused her human mind, too. Gabe set her senses on fire, and she couldn’t explain why to her own satisfaction. He was a mystery. And there was nothing Margo liked more than a mystery. Hell, she’d become a private eye because of her fascination with solving puzzles, figuring out riddles and finding things—and people—that were lost.
Right now, she was lost to all reason as Gabe danced her around the edge of the dance floor to a dark spot where the lighting didn’t quite reach. Was it on purpose? She had a sneaking suspicion it was. Gabe had planned this party down to the last detail. Sure, he’d had lots of help, but this whole shindig was his baby. He’d probably deliberately set up this dark corner, and the way he’d maneuvered her into it was darn smooth, if she was being honest.
She’d go with the flow for now. See where it led. If he tried something she didn’t like, she was strong enough to take care of it herself. Being a werewolf meant having superior strength and senses. Margo was in no danger physically from the human mage. It was her heart she had to worry about. She didn’t want to lose it to a man who couldn’t commit to her the way she needed. Only a were mate could form the kind of bond she needed. Of that, she was convinced.
It might be all right for Josh. He wasn’t a full-blooded Alpha werewolf. Her cousin’s father was totally fey, which made Josh a half-breed. His new mate was also part fey, and somehow, they had connected in the forever kind of way most shifters dreamed about. The strange mixed bloodlines had worked for them, but Margo didn’t believe a true mating could happen for her with a man who wasn’t a shifter.
Gabe sure was pretty to look at, though. Handsome as sin and twice as compelling. He danced like a dream and touched her in a way that made her feel special. Respected and desired, all at the same time. It was heady stuff.
She rested her cheek against his shoulder. He was just the right height for her, and he was a lot more muscular than she’d expected for someone with no animal inside him. Was she a shifter snob? Maybe. But Gabe was quickly disabusing her of her unflattering notions about humans.
The music cut out, and the DJ—her cousin, Barry—started to speak.
“Ten seconds to midnight. Everybody, countdown! Ten. Nine. Eight…”
Gabe didn’t let her go, despite the lack of music. Instead, he looked down into her eyes and held her tight while he counted down with the rest of the crowd. Margo was mesmerized by the look in his eyes. Was it some kind of magic spell? She wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t move. Further, she didn’t want to move.
What?
“Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!” Barry shouted, and everyone cheered.
Then, Gabe moved closer, his lips leaning into hers, and then… They were kissing while Barry put on a recording of Auld Lang Syne, and everyone sang along, rocking and cheering while couples kissed in the New Year.
Sweet Mother of All! The man could kiss. Sparks ran through Margo’s system as her brain short-circuited and her blood was set on fire. Gabe’s kiss affected her like no other she’d ever experienced. Was this the way all humans kissed? All mages? She suspected not. Just like every other thing about him, Gabe’s kiss was a law unto itself.
At length—and not before he was good and ready—Gabe ended the kiss and pulled back slightly. His blue eyes bore into her like lasers. She could actually see the magic swirling in them, marking him as more than human. Or maybe that was just her imagination? She wasn’t sure. Her senses were scrambled by pleasure overload.
All from just a kiss. Wow. That had been one stunner of a kiss.
“Happy New Year, Margo,” he whispered in a low, sexy tone.
“Happy New Year, Gabe,” she answered automatically, still dazed.
He reached behind him to one of the small tables that had been set up around the area and brought out two half-filled champagne glasses. He handed her one, keeping one arm around her and raised his glass.
“May every day be as bright as this moment, and may all our dreams come true.” He clinked glasses with her, and then, she drank with him, moving robotically as her mind tried to deal with this charming side of Gabe.
He was like some sort of suave secret agent type all of a sudden. Was this the real Gabe, after all? Had she not given herself a chance to get to know him over the past days while the two families had been together celebrating so much happiness?
“Who are you?” she asked, voicing her thoughts aloud after they’d sipped the champagne.
Her question apparently caught Gabe off guard because he barked a laugh that made her want to join in. She watched him chuckle, still wondering how she hadn’t noticed this rather compelling side of him before. Sure, she’d been well aware of his hunky exterior and his willingness to work with her Pack on the party plans. She’d even noticed how good he was with the pups. He was patient and kind with the Pack’s smallest a
nd most curious little members.
What she hadn’t observed was the mature male animal that knew just how to push a woman’s buttons to get the desired result. It was pretty clear he’d planned this little interlude right down to the champagne bubbles. She was flattered and a bit miffed that she hadn’t realized he’d been leading her into a trap of sorts. A very sexy trap with a very sexy man waiting for her inside it.
Hmm. We’ll just see about that.
Margo was an Alpha female. She wouldn’t be so easily cornered. If he really wanted to catch her, he was going to have to show a bit more effort than this, though she had to concede this had been a really good first try. Her inner wolf was impressed by his cunning, which was definitely a stroke in his favor. Maybe she’d give him a chance to chase her a bit and see where it would lead.
CHAPTER TWO
Gabe thought he’d prepared himself for the various reactions Margo might give to his plot, but she’d taken him by surprise. He could see the New Year well-wishers making their way around the room to their dark little corner. They wouldn’t have any more privacy in a few moments, but he was at a loss as to how to recapture the seductive mood he’d been coaxing along.
She’d made him laugh, and although, he, personally, found laughter among lovers just another aspect of a fully rounded relationship, it was probably too soon for her to feel the same. The mood was broken, but maybe that was for the best. On reflection, her words indicated that she hadn’t really been seeing him before.
That he’d been able to take her so unawares was food for thought. Oh, they’d talked a number of times over the past weeks, but never about anything serious. They hadn’t shared stories of their pasts or dreams of their futures. They’d been mere acquaintances, rubbing along together in space…along with the rest of her Pack and his extended family.
Her question meant she hadn’t really been seeing him. He’d surprised her. Lulled her to the extent that she went along with his plans almost to the very end. He’d caught her off guard, which wasn’t really fair of him, but he’d take what he could get with a cunning Alpha female like Margo.
He’d caught her attention now. She’d be looking at him more closely. That, perhaps, was the best result he could have hoped for in this scenario. First, he had to make her aware of him as a man. A man who wanted her on every level. Then, maybe, they might be able to approach each other on more even footing.
He could see well-wishers heading their way, all wanting to spread the cheer of ringing in another year. His alone time with Margo was quickly coming to a close, so he tried to recapture what he could and leave her with a parting thought. He raised his glass, which still had a bit of champagne in it. She reflexively did the same.
“Happy New Year, Margo. I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”
They clinked glasses, but she still wore that sort of half-stunned, half-curious look on her face as she watched him down the rest of his bubbly in one swallow. Time was up as her Packmates surrounded her, crowding close in the way wolves sometimes did and giving each other hugs and friendly nuzzles like wolves in human form.
Gabe backed off, allowing the werewolves their moment. He disappeared into the crowd of his family, who were all exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheek, as was their custom. He tracked her in the crowd, stealing glances at her every once in a while as she danced in the New Year surrounded by both of their families. It was as if, now that they’d kissed, he was able to home in on her signal no matter where she was. He found that even more intriguing than the woman herself.
He’d already pretty much decided that she was the one for him. The kiss had only confirmed what his magical senses had been telling him since the moment he first laid eyes on her. Phase one of his plan had been a success. Now, on to phase two.
Margo felt Gabe’s eyes on her over the next hour as the adults kept the party going, first with loud cheers and happy embraces then, as the first hour of the New Year wore on, growing quieter and mellower. The kids were bedded down in human-sized puppy piles, a few of the younger set having shifted into their wolf forms to snuggle with their friends and siblings.
The older couples were swaying together gently on the dance floor, and some of the singles had paired up to enjoy the party. Margo danced with everyone who asked, spreading good wishes for the year ahead, even as one very large part of her mind was preoccupied by thoughts of that amazing kiss.
Gabe had surprised her in every way. He was passionate. Skilled. Suave and much subtler than she ever would have expected. The ardor that had risen between them was startling in its intensity. She’d never felt such a quick-fire conflagration of desire before. He’d taken her breath away. Literally. Both physically and mentally.
The man ought to come with a warning label!
He’d kicked her awareness of him into high gear, and her inner wolf was intrigued. Not good. Her wolf hadn’t been all that interested in any man. Not like this. They were either too predictable, too overbearing, too wimpy or just too…not the right guy to make any sort of lasting impression on her finicky inner wolf.
Then, there was Gabe.
But this would never do. Margo left the party, deliberately not glancing toward Gabe for one last lingering look. She wouldn’t be that sappy. She refused to give in to the unprecedented feelings inside her. Feelings she didn’t quite understand. Feelings she would rather have remained unstirred and asleep.
She went to sleep that night, and against her own conscious will, her last thoughts before unconsciousness claimed her were of that amazing kiss…and the puzzling man who had given it to her.
*
January first dawned bright and clear. It was cold, to be sure, but nothing like their home territory in Canada. Compared to their mountains, rural Pennsylvania was positively summery. Any time the winter temperatures were above freezing, it felt downright balmy to the hardened and hearty members of the Stony Ridge Pack.
Everyone was a little slower moving this morning than usual because of the holiday. Plus, they were all away from home, essentially on an extended vacation trip. That would be changing soon, however, as the Pack migrated back to Canada. The newlyweds didn’t need a lot of family hanging around during their honeymoon period, after all.
Circumstances, though, had required a big demonstration of acceptance for Evie and her son, Josh. They’d been lost to the Pack for far too long and needed the reassurance of this grand gesture.
Now that family ties had been reconnected, it was time to leave the happy couples in peace. At least for a little while.
There was still the matter of Mathias Bolivar. The fact he remained at large was a thorn in Margo’s side. As far as she was concerned, Bolivar had to answer for his crimes. She had vowed to never let the case rest.
Finding him had been one of her highest priorities since she was just a girl, with no real investigative skills or experience. Now that she was older, she had exactly the right knowledge to get the job done. All she needed was a lead.
The trail wasn’t just cold. It had been obliterated by Bolivar’s magic. He’d run off after chasing Evie away and making it impossible for her family to find her. In the same way, he’d made his own trail disappear, and all of Margo’s attempts to find the evil mage had come to naught. That didn’t mean she would ever give up trying.
No, Bolivar still had a date with destiny coming to him. It was just a matter of time. Margo felt confident that, at some point, she would get a break. She just had to have a little more faith.
To that end, Margo was making plans to return to Canada and her job as head of the Canadian branch of Collin Hastings’ very exclusive private investigation firm. She’d been his lead investigator in Canada for the past couple of years after serving an apprenticeship with the man himself on the West Coast of the United States.
Collin was truly a master at finding people who didn’t want to be found. He knew every trick in the book and had probably written most of the chapters in that proverbial book himsel
f. He’d taught her just about everything she knew, and more than that, he’d given her a chance to work at a job she loved in her home region where she could be near her family.
Hastings was a bird shifter. A giant hawk, when he chose to shapeshift. His people weren’t as big on extended family as werewolves, but he seemed understanding of Margo’s desire, and need, to be back with her Pack as much as possible while still working for him. He’d been more than fair with her and had been glad to have her open a branch of his agency in Canada. The fact that he’d trusted her with his reputation in that way meant more than she could say.
She often wished her inner wolf had been attracted to the sandy-haired werehawk, but it wasn’t meant to be. Collin was a compelling man. A former Army Ranger with skills she couldn’t even guess at, but, although he was a good friend and great boss, he just didn’t spark any interest in her wolf. There wasn’t any flaming attraction between them. They were more like siblings than possible romantic interests, unfortunately.
She regretted that, because he would have been perfect. He treated her with respect and didn’t try to mollycoddle her in any way. He’d always been fair in his dealings and truthful—which was very important to her. He was also a shifter, which would have made things easy. If they’d felt drawn to each other and formed that elusive bond that would tie them together for the rest of their lives as mates, she wouldn’t have minded at all. Even though he wasn’t a wolf. She could have made it work. But there was nothing. No spark.
Not like the immediate attraction she felt for the most unsuitable Gabe Llewellyn. The very last thing she needed in her life was a magic user. After all, it had been a mage who had caused so much misery in her Pack. She didn’t like mages on principle, though she had to admit, Deena and the women in her family were okay. They were priestesses. Blessed and consecrated by the Mother of All. Even Margo couldn’t doubt their innate goodness.