Page 18 of Protecting The Gray Wolf
Kade cursed himself for an idiot. It left a bitter taste in his mouth to discover he’d been played for a fool. The stench of magic clung to Luna.
Her eyes widened. She blinked several times and frowned. “I’m sorry?” The confused and innocent act was convincing, but his sense of smell told a different tale. “Magic? Um, like Harry Potter? I saw the movies, never read the books. I’m not into video games or anything like that, either. What does that have to do with anything?”
She honestly didn’t know. Either that or she was the best liar he’d ever crossed paths with.Her mother’s an actress.The talent might be an inherited one or an inherent one. Some people were born sociopaths.
She was breathing too fast, the pulse in her neck fluttering wildly. He leaned back to give her some breathing space. Last thing he wanted was for her to pass out. And a part of him was ashamed for frightening her, even if it was necessary to get to the truth. “Let’s start with something simpler. What happened after we parted earlier?”
She glanced around before rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “I shouldn’t have come. I’m probably making a big deal out of nothing.”
The urge to comfort her was immediate. He tamped it down and hardened his softer emotions.Focus, damn it.“Talk to me.”
“Chelsea brought a client to the gallery.” She shivered and hugged herself tighter. She’d come across as confident and forthright but now seemed confused, almost fragile.
It’s an illusion.Dark magic clung to her, the nasty smell covering her natural scent. His wolf was agitated by the sudden change of events.
“There was something about the woman…” She trailed off and shook her head. “I’ve come across people I’ve taken an immediate dislike to before, but this was something different. I didn’t even want to shake her hand.”
The fine hairs on the back of his neck rose. Inside him, his wolf stilled, sensing this was important. “But you did.” It wasn’t a question. He already knew the answer.
“It seemed impolite not to, especially with Chelsea ready to pounce. This woman is rich and powerful enough to intimidate my boss. You need to understand I’ve never witnessed anything like that before.”
“Hold out your hand.” No way was he going to take the chance of touching her until he figured out what the hell was going on.
“There’s no mark. I’m not sure why I’m making a big deal out of it.” Fingers trembling, she complied. Her fingers were long and slender, but there was strength there, too. He let his larger one hover over it, feeling the unmistakable pulse of dark magic. It hadn’t been there last night or when he’d left her this morning.
“What happened when you touched?” It was second nature to gather as much information as possible. There was no telling which details might prove to be significant down the road.
Her fingers curled against her palm. “It was like getting an electrical shock. An unpleasant one.” She shook out her hand and stared at it. “Even now, I can feel her touch. That’s impossible, right?”
“I’m not sure.” The mage had somehow marked Luna, but for what purpose? It didn’t seem to have been voluntary on her part. Or maybe that was what she wanted him to believe. If she was indeed innocent, she was screwed without intervention. There was no telling what the magic might do to her.
Whatever the intent of the spell, he had to proceed with caution. There was a chance it was transferable to him, a way to track or weaken him or worse. It was probably safe to touch her as long as it wasn’t her bare skin. He needed help of a magical kind. The broker wasn’t going to be able to help him with this particular request. It was on him.
She lowered her hand to her lap. “That’s when things took an even weirder turn. Chelsea had told her about my painting. She wasn’t happy to discover it was gone.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I lied when she asked if there were more of the gray wolf.”
“Why?” His stomach clenched in anticipation of her answer.
“Why? I had to protect him. I brought everything—the painting, sketches, and notebooks.” She indicated the large portfolio. “I’ve sketched and painted wolves all my life, but about two months ago, I started focusing on the gray wolf. My wolf.” The possessive way she spoke about the beast had his own wolf rumbling with pleasure. “I know it doesn’t make sense. As I’m saying it out loud, it sounds beyond paranoid, but I can’t let her have any of it.”
“She’d likely pay a pretty price for all of it.” He continued to play devil’s advocate, pushing her hard. Any other relatively unknown artist would have taken the money and been grateful for the patronage, especially one who was trying to build their reputation.
“I should’ve jumped at the chance. It’s what I’ve always wanted for as far back as I can remember. But there was something about her…” She shivered. “I’m sorry for involving you. I shouldn’t have called. Whatever is going on, you don’t need to be part of it.”
His abilities as a lone wolf were legendary. It was instinctual to use his preternatural hearing and vision to catalogue her every physical response and make assessments. Coupled with instincts honed over decades of hunting rogues, it all indicated she was telling the truth…at least as she knew it.
Some suspicion remained, but one thing was clear. She was the key to whatever his enemies had planned. All the pieces fit—her unique coloring, the painting, their immediate and intense connection. To get her to open up, he had to win her trust. “I’ll do what I can to help you, but I have a price.”
Brow furrowing, she rubbed her hands against her legs. “What?”
“Tell me what you dreamed last night.” He had to know with certainty how deep their bond went.
Her eyes widened, her gray eyes pleading. “Wouldn’t you rather have the painting?” When he remained silent, she cleared her throat. “Why is it so important to you?”
“You know why.” He narrowed his gaze, watching her intently. “I’m the gray wolf.”
…
I’m the gray wolf.
