Unmasking the Wolf

by Gissendaner, Christy

  “I’ll go get the car.”

  After retrieving his Lexus, he pulled up to the curb just as Vino and Gina exited the shop. He threw the car in park and jumped out to open the door for her.

  She seemed surprised by the gesture. “Uh, thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” A whiff of her scent teased him as she slid onto the leather seat. It was a mixture of coffee beans, frosting, and her unique vanilla scent. She smelled good enough to eat.

  Vino chuckled and threw up his hand. “See you later, Luke. Treat my gal right.”

  “I intend to,” Luke replied as he went back to the driver’s side.

  •●•

  Not wanting Dominic to worry, Gina sent a quick text to let him know she was going out to eat. He was working late, so he only responded with Have fun. No need to tell him who she was going with. If he assumed it to be Vino, oh well.

  Tucking her cell inside her pocket, she glanced over at Luke. He guided the Lexus through the crowded streets with ease. They’d headed north into an area she hadn’t visited. She’d expected him to head downtown, but instead he seemed to be going out of the city.

  Unease struck her. How well did Dominic really know his boss? Why had she agreed to go out alone with him?

  “I make you nervous.”

  Luke’s voice seemed overly loud. Her gaze jerked back to him. “No.”

  A smile twitched at his lips. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “I didn’t think you would.” She swallowed with an audible gulp. “I’ve just never been in this neighborhood before.”

  “We’re almost there.” The glow of the nightlights that came on as they drove shone on his handsome visage. “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe with me.”

  A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of a tiny brick building. A courtyard, dotted with iron benches and tables, was off to one side. A long line of people waited outside the door.

  “Wow, must be packed.” Her stomach chose that moment to growl. She clapped a hand over it.

  Getting out of the car, Luke came around to open her door again. She wasn’t used to men behaving like gentlemen. The guys back home were nothing like him. “Thanks.”

  The air was redolent with the scent of grilled meat. Her scant breakfast of a bagel long since digested. She was starving, and the thought of an hour wait made her want to cry.

  Seeing her crestfallen expression, Luke took her arm. “Come with me.”

  He strode to the front of the line. Unexpectedly, the crowd moved aside for them to enter. The hostess beamed at him. “Mr. Mason! How good to see you again.”

  Gina was amazed as the hostess motioned for a waiter to seat them. She followed in Luke’s wake, conscious of the eyes that trailed after them. Was the man some sort of god?

  Once they were seated and the wine ordered, Luke explained. “Did I mention I’m the owner?”

  “Well, that explains it.” Gina laughed as she opened her menu and glanced at the selection. “Oh my.”

  “What is it?”

  She gave him a sheepish look. “Is it wrong of me to want to try a little bit of everything?”

  His appreciative gaze stared into her. “I like a woman with an appetite.”

  “Gluttony is my vice.” She dropped her gaze back to the menu, intent on choosing between the prime rib and the rib eye.

  “You couldn’t tell it.”

  She glanced back at him questioningly. An entirely too male smile appeared. “You’re a shapely woman.”

  She dropped the menu and patted her rounded hips. “Tell that to my thighs.”

  “I’d love to.” A hot gaze raked over her.

  Flushed from the heat of his expression, she forced breath in and out of her nostrils. “Easy now. You said just dinner.”

  Laughter escaped him. “A promise is a promise.” He gave her an innocent look. “Are you sure no dessert?”

  It was easy to like Luke. He seemed so capable and businesslike one moment, and playful and fun the next. “We’ll see how dinner goes first.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  The food arrived soon after they ordered. She gorged on the delicious prime rib she’d chosen. It was medium rare and seasoned to perfection. Humming under her breath, she put another piece in her mouth.

  “Delicious,” she murmured.

  Luke watched her over the rim of his wine glass. After he’d sipped, he put the glass down and chuckled. “Would you like another?”

  Only a few bites remained on her plate. She actually considered his offer. “I’d better not. I’d like to walk out of here, not be rolled.”

  After dinner and dessert, they left the restaurant. It was nearly nine o’clock. The moon was partly visible through wispy clouds. The parking lot was behind the building. They crossed through a small alley to get to his car.

  Laughing at a joke he made, she was taken off guard when Luke suddenly turned and backed her against the wall. The coolness of the bricks seeped through her thin shirt, but all she felt was warmth emanating from Luke’s body.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She ignored how good his body felt pressed against hers. “For what?”

  “Lying. It’s not just dinner.” A grin broke out a moment before he lowered his head and kissed her.

  Gina was ready for it. Leaning up on the tips of her toes, she eagerly met his mouth. She’d been a kissed a few times, but nothing could prepare her for the sparks. Their lips met, softly touching, before the kiss deepened. Mouths pressed together, both strained to gain control. Despite her attempts to take over the kiss, Luke remained in command. His tongue slid into her mouth, tasting of the chocolate dessert they’d just shared.

  She was so far gone, it was several moments until she realized the sound she’d just heard meant they were no longer alone in the alley. Lifting her head, she sniffed the air. Luke stiffened beside her, as if he too had sensed danger.

  A rock skittered down the alley. “Did you hear . . . ?”

  Her words trailed off at the unmistakable sound of a hammer being cocked. A dark shape loomed over Luke. Oh, no.

  •●•

  A gun barrel pressed into the base of his spine. Forcing himself to remain calm, he looked down at the woman in his arms. Gina’s eyes were dark and wide with fright. Her pale face gleamed in the moonlight.

  “Don’t worry,” he mouthed to her. The scent behind him was definitely human. Nervous as well. Not a professional thief.

  Regardless, the cool metal against his back reminded him of the danger.

  Whatever happened, he couldn’t allow Gina to be hurt.

  “Give me the keys to your Lexus and neither of you will be hurt,” a rough voice said. The gun prodded him in the back.

  He didn’t want to reveal his wolf side, but he would if he had to. In human shape, he had no doubt he could take the other man but he couldn’t risk Gina’s safety. He would do what the man said. Slowly dropping his hands from Gina, he held them out at his sides. “The keys are in my pocket.”

  “No,” Gina gasped. Obviously, the threat of his car being stolen upset her more than it did him.

  He gave her an encouraging smile. “It’ll be okay.”

  A change came over Gina. Her wide eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Only a glimmer of blue iris remained, but the color brightened until her eyes almost appeared to glow in the dark.

  Fuck. She was going to shift.

  Attempting to dissuade her, he quickly reached into his pocket and tossed the keys down the alley. The thief cursed as he dove after them. Gina growled, her body visibly trembling with the need to shift. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

  He knew what she was about to say. Panic set in.

  “Gina, no!”

  She ignored him. Shoving him aside, the change began. Her pink shirt and jeans ripped away, revealing golden limbs and shapely curves an instant before her bones lengthened and hair appeared. Dropping onto all fours, she completed the transformation into a red wolf.


  His mate was a thing of beauty, whether in wolf or human form. Now wasn’t the time to marvel. He had to protect her.

  The thief stared at her like he’d just seen a ghost. The gun trembled in his grasp, but it was still a danger. “What the fuck?”

  Placing his body between the gun and Gina, Luke stared the man down. “Get the keys and go. Forget anything you’ve seen here tonight. Or I promise I’ll hunt you down and kill you.”

  Some of his wolf must’ve shown on his face because the man’s horror increased. He scrambled for the keys and took off running. As soon as he was gone, Luke turned back to Gina. Crouching down to her level, he stared into the intense blue of her lupine eyes.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. “It’s not safe here.”

  Fur bristling, she changed back. Nude, she crouched before him. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she lifted her chin. “You knew what I was.”

  He nodded. “Dominic told me.” A tiny white lie wouldn’t hurt.

  “And you’re not scared?” Doubt reflected in her gaze.

  “No. More like intrigued.” He ran a hand over her silky-smooth shoulder.

  She shivered in response to the gentle caress. “I’ve never been with . . . a human.”

  Good thing he wasn’t human. Removing his blazer, he draped it over her body. She pushed her arms through the too-long sleeves and stood to button it. The hem reached her thighs, enough to cover the pertinent parts but not enough to hide the fact she wore nothing beneath.

  She frowned. “He didn’t take the car.”

  Luke lifted an eyebrow. “What?”

  Gina pointed over his shoulder at his Lexus. “Why would he steal your keys and forget to take the car?”

  A harrowing suspicion took form. “He was nervous. Perhaps it was his first armed robbery, and he bungled it.”

  Gina shook her head. “He knew what type of car you drove, so he obviously staked you out. That’s not the mark of a newbie.”

  She was right. He’d had more than just keys to his car on the ring. Was someone trying to get their hands on L-12? He would have to alert security. But first, he had to get Gina home.

  “Come. Let’s get you home before someone sees how delectable you look.” He gathered up her torn clothes and under things and handed them to her.

  Her cheeks reddened as she took the pile from him. “Thank you. But how are we getting home exactly?”

  “Spare key.” Luke led her to the car. He crouched down and retrieved the key he kept hidden behind a back tire. He unlocked and opened the passenger door for Gina. She climbed in, careful to keep her legs together to prevent a peep show. He chuckled at the acrobatics she performed to maintain her modesty. “Would you feel better if I promise not to look?”

  She giggled. “You promised just dinner as well, right? So forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

  “True enough.” His cock ached with the knowledge that beneath his blazer, she was completely naked. His mate sat inches away. It was pure hell. The wolf inside him howled with the need to take her. He forced air in and out of his nostrils. The scent of her drove him wild.

  He put the key in the ignition, but didn’t crank the engine. He gripped the steering wheel instead. The leather wrinkled beneath his palms as he squeezed. Holy shit, he wanted her. His vision sharpened. His skin tingled with the need to do something. Shift. Fuck. Run. Anything to rid his body of the excess energy flowing through it.

  “Luke?” Gina touched his bicep. “What’s going on?”

  Gritting his teeth, he forced his hands to unclench. He waited a couple seconds until he was sure the stark need on his face was hidden before he turned to look at her. Big mistake. In the glow from the street lamps, her tousled red hair and glimpses of skin sent visions of lovemaking through his mind.

  Gina licked her lips nervously. “Do you know the way to Dominic’s apartment?”

  Still struggling for control, he gave a jerky nod. “Yes.”

  The engine turned over easily as he cranked it. Pulling out of the driveway, he turned south, toward the apartment. The hardest thing he’d ever done was deliver her safely home without touching her again.

  Chapter Five

  Dominic’s expression when she walked in the door would’ve been comical had it not been directed at her.

  “What the hell happened to your clothes?”

  Shuffling inside, she tugged on the hem of Luke’s blazer to keep her dignity intact. “There was a bit of a mishap.”

  “I’ll say.” Dominic tossed down the remote and approached her. His gaze zeroed in on the blazer. “Is that Luke’s?”

  She lifted her chin. Damned interfering family members. “What if it is?”

  Dominic’s tall, lean body bristled. “Look, I’m not trying to pry into your personal business.”

  “Yes, you are.” She brushed past him. “You’re too much of a Moretti not to.”

  “Seriously, Gina. What happened to your clothes?”

  Sighing, she turned around to face him. “Promise you won’t freak.”

  Dominic crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t promise that.”

  “Then I’m not telling you.” She flounced to the guest bedroom and slammed the door in his face. Shrugging out of Luke’s blazer, she lifted it to her nose and inhaled. It smelled of him . . . all manly and crisp cologne. She sniffed again. A tiny hint of something else was present. Almost wolf-like. But it couldn’t be from him. More than likely, he’d brushed against a wolf on a busy city sidewalk.

  A banging started on the door. “Are you decent? If not, you’d better hurry because I’m coming in.”

  “Hold on a minute,” she yelled to Dominic. Tossing aside Luke’s blazer, she quickly pulled on underwear and a pair of pajamas. She perched on the edge of the bed, tucking her feet beneath her. “Okay.”

  Dominic opened the door and peered in. When he saw she was indeed dressed, he strode in. He put his hands on his slim hips and gave her a stern look. It was one her father had given her many times over the years. “So you went out with him?”

  She plucked at a piece of lint on her lime-green pajama top. “It was just dinner.”

  “Look, Luke’s a nice guy. I’m not saying he’s not. But you’ve got to be careful.”

  “I am!” Gina flicked the lint away. “It’s not like I’m dating him.”

  “You sure about that?” Dominic didn’t seem convinced.

  “I’m positive.”

  He motioned to the blazer. “And the lack of clothing?”

  She winced. “Wellll . . . ”

  “Gina,” he warned.

  “I shifted, all right? A man held a gun on us and . . . ”

  “Wait!” Dominic held up a hand. “Someone pulled a gun on you?”

  “Yes, after we left the restaurant. He stole Luke’s keys. It was the weirdest thing. He didn’t even take the car.”

  Dominic’s brows snapped together in a frown. “He only took the keys?”

  “Yes. I guess I frightened him when I turned into a wolf.”

  “Jesus.” Dominic’s face paled. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, feeling guilty she’d upset him. “I’m fine.”

  He came forward and touched her shoulder. “No more shifting, okay? It’s not safe here.”

  “That’s the same thing Luke told me. He said you’d told him about us.”

  “It’s not exactly a secret I could’ve kept from him. We work too closely.”

  Gina thought it odd her cousin would reveal his wolf nature. In Clinton, it was a well-kept secret. To admit it to anyone other than family or close friends was tantamount to treason. Dominic must really trust Luke to tell him. “He isn’t like most humans.”

  Her cousin’s expression was guarded. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m just being silly.” She waved her hand through the air as if to dispel the words she’d just spoken. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

  Dominic opened his mouth, but he snap
ped it closed when his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it. “Shit. I have to take this.”

  “Go ahead. It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed.”

  After Dominic had gone to take his call, she climbed beneath the covers. She stretched lazily, her muscles protesting the movement. Shifting wasn’t something she did very often. Unlike her parents, who roamed the woods around Clinton in wolf form, Gina kept her shifting at a minimum. She couldn’t always resist the lure of her animal nature, but she’d learned to control her impulses at a young age. Tonight was the first time in months she’d ditched her human form. And only to protect a man she’d just met.

  Groaning, she turned on her side and plumped her pillow. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the image of Luke’s kiss out of her mind. What would’ve happened had the thief not interrupted them?

  •●•

  Luke flicked on the lights and surveyed the lab. The stark white walls and cabinets glowed in the fluorescent lighting. The glass fronted case was locked. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Picking up the log, he saw Dominic had left a little after seven o’clock.

  Shaking off the paranoia, Luke flipped off the lights and carefully locked the door behind him. Even if the thief had the keys to Mason Building, he couldn’t enter the lab. Only a specially created bar code on the plastic card he carried with him at all times could grant access. He and Dominic had one copy each. The likelihood of the cards being stolen was slim.

  He left the building after speaking with the head of night security. Two extra guards were called in. Feeling better, he retrieved his car from the garage and headed home. His penthouse was located on Boylston Street, not far from Fenway Park. With ten-foot ceilings and a rooftop pool, it was an elegant place to live. Floor-to-ceiling windows provided the perfect view of the city. Much different from the home he’d grown up in.

  Crossing the bamboo flooring, he stood at the window and gazed at the night sky. Lights glowed from numerous windows of the buildings nearby. The city was always such a buzz of energy, nothing like the lazy, laid-back way of life in Jackson, Mississippi.

  His phone beeped. Sighing at the brief moment of silence, he pulled it out and read a terse note from Dominic.