Page 22 of Taming the White Wolf
Zoe didn’t even jolt, seemingly unaware of what was happening. He opened the door and pushed her inside before joining her.
“I’m off duty, man,” the driver began, but subsided when Devlin glared at him. “Fine. Where to?”
He rattled off the address to the hotel where he was staying. The cabbie glanced at him in the rearview mirror, swallowed any complaints, and drove. Smart move. He was in a killing mood. Not from the fight. That was nothing he hadn’t done a hundred times before. No, it was the threat to Zoe that made him want to go back to the abandoned building and kick the rogue even though he was dead.
He glanced over at her. Shoulders hunched, she kept her eyes lowered and her hands fisted in her lap. He reached over and covered them with one of his.
The interior of the car was silent, but the anxiety of the cabbie grew more palpable with each second. Devlin was doing his best to contain his fury, but it was leaking out into the atmosphere. They pulled up in front of the hotel in short order. The driver kept his mouth shut and his eyes on the road. He pushed a fifty through the slot. “Keep the change.” The vehicle peeled away as soon as he shut the door behind them.
Arm around Zoe, he whisked her into the building and straight to the elevator, alert for potential danger. Another couple was waiting to get on. One look at his face and they took a step back, opting to take the next one.
Her continued silence bothered him. She leaned against him, her eyes on the floor.Ding!The door slid open on his floor, and he hurried her down the hallway. When he finally closed and locked the door behind him, he heaved a sigh of relief.
She blinked slowly, as if coming out of a daze. “Where…where are we?”
He dumped the bags at the foot of the bed. “My hotel. It’s safer than your apartment.”
She swallowed, her throat rippling. “You killed him.” Her eyes sought his. The fear in them soured his stomach.
“I did.” He wouldn’t lie to her. He was what he was and made no apology for it.
Sitting down hard on the side of the bed, she buried her face in her hands. “I know what I saw, but I don’t want to believe it.”
His heart sank. Acceptance was too much to ask. It was one thing if she’d been introduced to his kind in a controlled and safe situation. Even then, most people would deny what they’d seen. Zoe had been stalked and attacked.
Ignoring the tightness in his chest, he crouched in front of her. “It’s a lot to take in.” Talk about a massive understatement.
“You think?” There was a slightly hysterical edge to her laugh. “I was attacked by a wolf. No, not a wolf.” She scrubbed her hand over her face and then looked at him. “A werewolf. And you’re one too.”
“I am.” Would she run screaming? Would she attack? He braced himself, ready to deal with whatever she threw at him.
She sighed and gave a small nod. “Thank you.”
He tilted his head to one side, certain he’d misheard. “What?”
“Thank you. I didn’t believe you, sent you away, and yet you came back.” She wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock back and forth. “I should’ve called you after he approached me in the park.”
Hackles rising, he swallowed back a growl. Scaring her wouldn’t earn him any trust. Bastard had tracked her. The rogue had been smarter and more controlled than most. Maybe he’d had some help from the mage with that. Maybe he was one of the rare rogues able to keep bloodlust in check.
“Pietro Cardelli. The guy you—” She waved her hand in the air. “You know. That’s his name or at least the one he gave me.”
“He approached you in the park?” He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, swearing when she cried out. Shit, how had he forgotten for one second she was injured? What little color she’d gained back drained from her face. “Let’s get this sweatshirt off and have a look.” He followed the gruff words with action, gently easing the garment over her head and down her arms.
Bruises were already forming on her creamy white skin. Her left arm had a deep gash that seeped blood. He didn’t think it would need stitches, but what did he know? Human healing wasn’t exactly his area of expertise. He dug a burner phone out of his bag and punched in a number, making his request as soon as it was answered. “I need a doctor.”
“Where shall I send him?”
The response didn’t surprise Devlin. The man he was speaking with was a broker, of sorts, paid a lot of money for efficiency and discretion. After rattling off his hotel and room number, he hung up and transferred payment to the broker’s account. Confirmation came seconds later. Done with the transaction, he yanked the back off the phone and removed the battery before tossing the pieces into a pocket of his bag. It had been purchased using a fake ID, but it didn’t pay to get careless when it came to safety. They’d be leaving as soon as she received treatment.
Zoe watched the entire procedure, confusion clouding her beautiful eyes. “Whoareyou?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s get you cleaned up. After the doctor’s treated you, we’ll talk.”
She rolled her lips, looking uncertain. “And then?”
“That’s up to you.” As much as it killed him, he had to give her a choice or she’d bolt again as soon as the shock wore off. “Do you want to go home, or do you want to stay?” The “with me” was implied.
Dark circles had formed under her eyes. She was exhausted on all levels. She nibbled on her bottom lip. He wanted to soothe the small hurt, to kiss her sweet lips. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
