Page 24 of Protecting The Gray Wolf
All his plans to calmly explain things had gone out the window. He’d blow that shot by a single slip of the tongue. He’d forgotten she hadn’t mentioned Solange’s last name. The fact she’d caught the mistake was a sharp reminder of her intelligence.
Her expressive eyes darkening with hurt, she scooped up her purse and headed to the door. Shit, she was leaving.
“I’m not mocking you.” What he was about to do broke all kinds of rules, but fuck that. Her life was on the line as much as his.
Faster than he’d thought possible, he kicked off his boots and yanked his shirt over his head. His hands were on the zipper of his jeans when her hand hit the door handle. “Luna, look at me.” Shoulders tense, she peered over her shoulder, eyes widening when she caught sight of him.
“What are you doing?”
He shucked his jeans, leaving him naked. “Showing you I’m not lying.” He slowed the process so she could witness his transformation. His limbs reformed. Fur pushed out from beneath his skin. His jaw elongated. His forehead flattened. Even at leisurely rate, it took mere seconds.
The man was gone. The gray wolf remained.
Luna’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. Her back hit the door. As if her knees had simply given out, she slid down until her ass was on the floor. “This can’t be real.” As she had in her dream last night, she pinched herself.
So as to not freak her out any more than she already was, he eased toward her, keeping his head lowered to show he wasn’t a threat.
She put out her hand and yanked it back. He lightly bumped her arm. She swallowed heavily and lifted her hand. Fingers trembling, she brushed them over the top of his broad head.
“I’ve either completely lost my grip on reality or this is actually happening. Your fur, it’s coarser than I expected.” When he didn’t move a muscle, she grew bolder, stroking down his flank. “Thick and gorgeous. And look, the mark is there, just the way I painted it.” Warmth spread throughout him when her fingertips lightly grazed the tattoo.
With a sigh, she leaned her head against his shoulder. “How is this possible? I’m sitting on the floor of an upscale hotel room petting a massive wolf, much larger than any in existence.”
Taking a chance he wouldn’t freak her out, he nudged his jaw against hers. Her fingers curled into his fur, but she didn’t pull away. He flicked his tongue over her cheek.
She yanked her head back and slapped her hand over the area. “You licked me. Or was that your version of wolf kisses?”
Her outrage made him grin. He kept his fangs hidden. No need to freak her out worse than she already was.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were feeling pretty smug about now.”
It was more relief. There could be no more secrets between them. All he wanted to do was lay beside her and put his head in her lap. Being with her filled the bottomless, empty void inside him, but their problems couldn’t wait. Backing away, he shifted. This time he went from wolf back to man in the blink of an eye.
“Holy crap, that was fast.”
“I slowed it down the first time.” He retrieved his jeans and pulled them on. Decently covered, he held out his hand, helping her to her feet when she took it.
Holding her purse in a death grip, she leaned against the door. “The tattoo is still there.” She pointed at his chest, her eyes wide and slightly dilated. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
“Sweetheart, that’s the tip of the iceberg.” Counting on her natural curiosity to keep her here, he padded on bare feet to the chair, took a seat, and waved toward the sofa. He’d much rather be beside her. Hell, he’d much rather she was on his lap, but she was naturally skittish. Not that he blamed her. His wolf prowled inside him, not happy about having to retreat so quickly. They’d been in the city for a short time, and the beast was already missing the freedom of the rainforests of South America.
She sidled over and slumped on the couch, hugging her purse to her chest. “You’re the wolf I’ve been dreaming about all those years. Not like him, but him.”
“Your dreams have been yours until last night. I can honestly say that was the first time we’d met in them.” He leaned back and clasped his hands over his stomach, doing his best to appear relaxed. It wasn’t easy. The need to protect Luna, to hunt down his enemies and destroy them, pounded in his veins.
“Why now?”
He shrugged, still trying to fit all the pieces together. “I’m assuming it’s because we met.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “That makes an odd kind of sense. If you exist, I have to accept that magic does, too. Ohmygod.” She spoke so fast the words ran together. “Werewolves are real.” She began to rock back and forth. “But you don’t need the full moon to shift.” She was talking more to herself than him, teetering on the edge of shock.
“It’s a lot to take in.”
“You think?” The sarcasm paired with the glare she sent him said that she didn’t think he was particularly bright. She rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay, I can deal with this. Werewolves and magic are real, and you’re the gray wolf.” A slightly hysterical laugh escaped her.
“You can’t tell anyone.” If she did, word would eventually trickle back to the local wolves. They would not be pleased. To protect themselves, they’d sacrifice her life. He couldn’t allow that.
“I’m not stupid. I start spewing nonsense about werewolves and I’ll be locked up. All my life, others have pointed out my unhealthy obsession with wolves and my art.”
