Unmasking the Wolf

by Gissendaner, Christy

  He made a move to reach for her, but a shrill ringtone cut through the air. Groaning, he dug in his pocket and looked at the number on the display. “It’s Meredith,” he said to Gina as she turned to him. She gave him a vaguely confused look. “She works for the FDA.”

  He answered the phone and held it to his ear. “Hello.”

  Meredith’s calm, professional voice came across the line. “Luke, I expected an email from you two days ago.”

  “Sorry. Something came up, and I had to leave the office unexpectedly.”

  “I hope everything is okay?” Her inquiry was polite, but not very warm. “If we’re going to push L-12 through trials, I’ll need that information as soon as possible.”

  He briefly thought about telling her someone appeared to be after L-12, but he decided against it. Until he was sure what was going on, there was no need to let Meredith know it may be compromised. “I’ll go to the office and send it to you in a couple hours.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” With barely a goodbye, Meredith disconnected the call.

  Gina had cleared away the remains of their breakfast and washed the dishes they’d used. She wiped her hands on a towel and set it aside. The wifely action made him imagine what a life with her would be like. Not that he wanted a maid, but waking up and sharing breakfast with her every morning would make him the happiest wolf on earth.

  He put away his phone and walked over to her to kiss her softly on the forehead. “Thank you.”

  She pulled away, but her cheeks turned pink. “Is there a problem?”

  “No. I just need to go to the office and send an email.” This time he wouldn’t be caught unawares. “I want you to stay here. I’ll have Dominic come over.”

  She frowned. “Can’t you just send the email from here?”

  Shaking his head, he moved away from her before he forgot all his promises. “It’ll be safer from the office. We have a state-of-the-art firewall on the server. I don’t trust the Wi-Fi here.”

  “Oh.” She twisted her fingers together and appeared nervous. “Be careful.”

  Touched by her concern, he threw away his hesitation and strode forward, catching her by the elbows and tugging her into his arms. Her eyes widened an instant before she wrapped her hands around his neck and tugged him down for a kiss. It was hot, passionate, all he’d ever dreamed of, but regrettably short.

  Her body was fluid against his until resistance set in. Shoving at his chest, she pushed him away. “I don’t need a babysitter, by the way. There’s no need to have Dominic come over.”

  This was one thing he wouldn’t compromise on. Her safety was all that mattered. He’d already lost one person he’d cared about. He wouldn’t lose another. “It’s not up for debate. Your cousin is coming over.”

  She straightened as if a rod had been attached to her spine. Her pert chin lifted in defiance. “I’m not a child. I can take care of myself. Besides,” she broke off to motion around the room. “Who could reach me in here? It’s like a maximum-security prison.”

  He touched a finger to her chin. “You’re not changing my mind.”

  “Why can’t I go with you?” Her eyes seemed impossibly blue as she stared at him. “You need me.”

  “Oh, I do. Believe me.” Just not in the way she meant. He was still hard, his muscles tense with the need to take her over and over again.

  She shot him an irritated look. “I meant, you need my help. What if someone attacks you?”

  “Then I want you as far away as possible.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Nothing matters if I lose you, Gina.”

  Her mouth opened and she drew a quick breath. “Even L-12?”

  “Not even that.” It was crazy he’d even think it, much less admit it, but it was the truth. No matter what happened, he had to have her. Months of research meant nothing if he lost her.

  Chapter Twelve

  The office seemed quiet for a Monday. After checking in with security, Luke made it to his desk with few interruptions. A red light glowed on his phone, letting him know he had messages, but he ignored it and opened his laptop.

  As he waited for the computer to load, he pulled out the flash drive he kept in a locked drawer. All the information on L-12 was contained on the tiny stick. He put it in the USB port and brought up his email. Quickly typing out a short message, he attached the files and moved the cursor to hover over the send button.

  Two years of research and finally they were going to trial. The excitement he’d thought he’d feel was curiously missing. What if he was wrong? What if L-12 wasn’t used for the purpose Laura had intended?

  Thoughts of his sister never failed to make him miserable. He missed her. Missed how she could light up a room with her smile, and how she put everyone’s needs before her own. She would’ve liked Gina. He wished Laura was still there, so she could give him hell about how he’d fallen head over heels for a woman.

  No use denying it. Mate or no, Gina was perfect for him.

  He glanced back at the screen, reading the few sentences he’d written, and poised his finger above the keyboard. One click and it would be done; L-12 would go to trial. Damn, why the hesitation? This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

  Before he could press send, his cell phone rang. He answered it, grateful for the brief reprieve. Dominic’s anxiety was like a palpable thing as he spoke. “She’s gone.”

  His chair groaned at the abrupt shift in position. “What do you mean gone?”

  “I got here at ten, just like I promised, but she’d already left.”

  Fear turned the blood in his veins to ice. He’d left the condo after Dominic had texted to say he was in the parking garage. He’d thought Gina would stay put for the few minutes it would take Dominic to come up the elevator. Apparently he was wrong. “Why are you just calling me now? It’s ten-thirty. She’s been missing for thirty minutes now.”

  “I looked for her first. I thought maybe she’d run downstairs to the lobby for something. She’s not here, Luke.”

  “Shit!” He snapped the lid of his laptop closed and got to his feet. “I’m coming home.”

  He caught a flash of movement near his door. Long red hair was the dead giveaway. “Never mind,” he growled to Dominic. “I found her.”

  He hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket. Gina lingered outside his open doorway, her back to him as if she were guarding it. Guarding him. It had been so long since someone cared enough to worry about his safety. But it wasn’t his safety that mattered, it was Gina’s. Frustrated anger made his control snap.

  He strode forward and grabbed her. She whirled around, surprise evident on her face. Without a word, he tugged her into his office and slammed the door shut. His hands shook with the effort to keep a leash on his tenuous command of his emotions. “God damn it, Gina!”

  She opened her mouth, but no sound escaped. So beautiful it hurt to look at, but anger blinded to him all but the fact that she’d put herself in danger . . . for him. “I told you to stay home.”

  She licked her lips, her voice shaky as she answered. “Don’t be mad.”

  “Mad?” He laughed. “I’m way beyond mad. Pissed would be a more accurate term. Or you know what? Incensed. Yeah, that’s much closer.”

  Self-preservation probably made her back up a step. She held up her hands as if to hold him back. “I was careful the entire time.”

  “How did you even get here?” He’d taken his car. It wasn’t feasible to believe she’d walked all this way.

  “I took a taxi.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the short ends in exasperation. “Do you know how stupid that was? We’re not playing games here, Gina. Someone is after us. Or maybe they’re after L-12. No matter which, you’re stuck in the middle. Do you not understand what that means? They’ll use you to get to me.”

  “No one will get me.” Blue eyes sparked with conviction. “I’m not a weak female. I’m the daughter of an alpha.”

  “Oh, so you’re okay with pulling
that card when it suits you?”

  She folded in on herself as if he’d punched her. He hated the hurt on her face, the pain he’d put there. “Jesus, Gina. I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “No, you’re right. You’re completely right. I can’t keep running from it. No matter what I do, my life is already planned out. I came to Boston to keep from being mated. You see how that turned out. Everywhere I go, I’m reminded of what I am. I’m the alpha’s daughter. I’m here to help, Luke. Use me.”

  “But you’re . . . ”

  “What?” She straightened and stared him down. “What am I? Female?”

  “No. Well, yes. You are. But that’s not what I meant.”

  “Well, what did you mean?”

  He hated the suspicion in her eyes. When would she learn to trust him? “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Some of the fight left her body. She stepped forward, stopping mere inches from him. “You’re serious?”

  “Completely.” He reached down to grab her hand and held it to his chest. “I never thought I would find someone like you. Now that I have, the last thing I want to do is let you go.”

  She was uncomfortable with the direction their conversation had taken. It was evident in the way she refused to meet his gaze. “Did you send the email?”

  “Not yet.” It was amazing how quickly he could forget what he’d come here for. One glimpse of her, one sniff, and all his common sense went out the window. Right now, she smelled like vanilla, rich sweet vanilla with the intoxicating blend of arousal and fear.

  He lowered his head and sniffed her neck. She’d marked him, but he had yet to return the favor. The skin exposed by her familiar blue sweater was sweetly scented with the essence of her. His mouth watered, craving a taste of her.

  She moaned and tilted her head to one side. It would be so easy to give in, to let his urges have free rein. He wanted to strip her, bare every delicious inch of her body, and make love to her until they couldn’t move. But that was inadvisable. Who knew how long they had? He needed to get her home, make sure she was safe.

  It was easy to tell his head, but not quite so easy to tell his heart. Brushing his lips across her shoulder, he nibbled his way up the side of her neck. He pressed tiny kissed to her ear lobe, his tongue swiping out to taste the delicious skin. “You’ve entranced me.”

  The scent of her arousal increased. He sniffed again, the pounding in his veins sent blood pooling to his lower regions. His cock seemed to be in permanent hard-on mode. With her around, he doubted he would ever have blood in his brain again.

  “You’re so damned sexy,” he growled into her ear.

  “Luke,” she said with a breathy moan. “Your email.”

  “Fuck it.” He lifted her into his arms. “You’re all I care about right now.”

  Like wild animals, they went to work on each other’s clothes. He pulled off her sweater, exposing his T-shirt beneath it. The sight of her in his clothes pleased him. Gina pulled his shirt out of the waistband of his slacks. Her fumbling fingers tore at the buttons, popping more of them than she undid.

  It was different this time. Now she knew they were mated. They would be no need to hold back for fear of exposing himself. Sex between mates was fierce, passionate, often times rough. He wanted that and more with her, but most of all he wanted to please Gina. Whatever she wanted, he would do his best to give to her.

  He grabbed her hands and held her still. “Tell me what you want.”

  She curled her fingers, the points of her nails pricking his palms. “I want you.”

  “I know.” He ran his hand across her hip and cupped her ass. “How do you want me? Tell me.”

  She licked her lips and considered his question. Just as she was about to answer, a noise near the doorway alerted him to potential danger. Damn it.

  •●•

  What would she have said had they not been interrupted? The calm way he’d asked the question, the tender look in his gaze, had softened her heart. Despite everything, that he’d lied to her, kept his wolf nature a secret, she trusted him. It was weird. Her entire life she’d been convinced that she needed no one. Yet one look from Luke and she melted like butter. It was a simple answer . . . she wanted him. Wanted whatever he could give her.

  She glanced toward the doorway. “Who is it?”

  Luke held his forefinger to his mouth and shushed her. Suddenly chilled, she retrieved her sweater and put it back on. Luke’s shirt was ruined, but he tried his best to tuck it back into his waistband.

  “I’m sorry,” she mouthed to him.

  He gave her a reassuring smile. Despite the possible danger, her temperature rose. It was so easy to fall for him. Luke faced the door, bracing his large body as if he expected a fight. He’d put his body between her and the door. The protective move was sweet, but unnecessary. She’d been serious when she said she wanted to help him.

  The doorknob rattled. Gina drew a breath and waited. Unease passed through her. A scent of something dark reached her nostrils. It was similar to the man who’d tried to attack her at the vending machine, but stronger.

  “Luke,” she whispered in warning.

  “I know,” he shot back, his body leaning forward, prepared to pounce.

  The door swung open, revealing the hulking shape of a man framed in the entrance. He was tall, much taller than Luke, with coarse features and lank brown hair. When he grinned at them, she noticed his front teeth were missing. How in the hell had this guy gotten passed security? It was hard enough for Gina to make her way through the lobby.

  The scent wafting from him was hard to explain. It was tinged with wolf, but carried a rotting meat smell, like he’d rolled in something dead. Perhaps he was dead. The lifeless eyes and blackened teeth certainly indicated such.

  What in the hell were these things?

  A growl emanated from Luke’s throat, both a warning and a promise. She’d never seen him shift, but he seemed to be close. His body was tight with tension, the seams of his white dress shirt straining to contain the bulging muscles.

  The stranger moved first. He leapt at Luke, his beefy arms swinging out as if to wrap around his neck. Luke’s speed was unbelievable as he met the man halfway, his fists coming up to land a vicious double punch to the intruder’s face. His head swung around, but he kept moving. It was then Gina noticed his eyes. They were black, cold with evil, but glowed with an intensity she’d only seen once before.

  “Oh my God,” she breathed. “Luke, he’s a vamp.”

  Except he was more than just vampire. He had the eyes and the fangs, rotten as they may be, but the scent of wolf was unbelievably strong. Was it possible he was a hybrid? But that was impossible. The genetics of a wolf and a vampire prevented intermingling of the species, or at least so she’d been told. Maybe she should’ve listened to Dominic more. He’d always had an interest in paranormal science.

  The thing, whatever it was, wrapped his arms around Luke’s body in a bone-crushing grip and squeezed. Luke continued to punch him, his blows doing little to deflect him. Shift, Luke. Why would he take on the man in his human form? He’d be much stronger as a wolf. But for some reason, Luke held back.

  Skin pulsating with energy, she looked around the room. She longed to shift, but had a hunch Luke would kill her if she did so. As a human, she was weak. To have any hope of defeating their enemy, she needed a weapon. Her gaze landed on the desk. The laptop wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

  Hefting it over her head, thank goodness it wasn’t one of the slim models so prevalent now, she crept around the men. Swinging with all her might, she cracked it upside the thing’s skull. He stumbled and his grip on Luke loosened. That was all it took. In an instant, Luke was on his feet and fighting for all he was worth. If the thing truly was a vamp, like she imagined, it would be hellacious to kill him. They needed a stake, anything with a sharp point, to plunge into his heart.

  While she debated her options, she didn’t realize the creature’s attention had
turned to her.

  “Gina!” Luke yelled, throwing his body between them as the vamp lunged for her. She was knocked to the ground in the shuffle. She hit her head on a bookshelf and lay there stunned.

  The two men circled each other, neither daring to make the next move. The change in Luke was amazing. Gone was the calm, put-together businessman. It was replaced by a fierce warrior, with determination in his gaze and a cruel set to his lips. His shirt was ripped, more damage than she’d done, and glimpses of his powerful chest appeared through the slits in the expensive fabric. He was the closest to shifting she’d ever seen him.

  Lifting her hand, she touched the back of her head. There was a small knot, but it would cause nothing more than a vague headache. She stumbled to her feet. The desk was a few feet away. There had to be something inside she could use for a weapon.

  She pulled open the drawers, shoving aside papers, desperate to find a letter opener or a pen. Anything sharp enough to plunge into the bastard’s heart. A sickening thud sounded behind her and she twisted her head to see what was going.

  Luke had taken a hard hit, but he was still on his fist. The blood pouring from his nose galvanized her into action. Closing her hand around a silver letter opener, she held it behind her back and crept from behind the desk.

  “Hey, you. Yeah, the ugly one. I’m over here.”

  The vamp lifted his head and gave her a mean once-over. She motioned at him tauntingly. “Come and get it.”

  He lumbered toward her, his speed belying his massive size. Praying her small weapon would do the trick, she waited until he was upon her. In a quick motion, she moved her hand and buried the letter opener into his chest.

  The vamp let out an awful roar, the sound curdling her blood in its intensity. He dropped at her feet, jerking from side to side in agony. She stepped backward, shock at her first kill weakening her knees and making her wish she hadn’t eaten such a large breakfast.