Page 53 of Protecting The Gray Wolf
She grabbed his wrists, her strength surprising. “It’s a trap. They’re counting on you to come for me. What you feel for me isn’t real. It’s magic. I’m nothing more than her creation, a tool for your destruction. It’s not real,” she repeated. He wondered who she was trying to convince, him or herself.
He slammed his mouth down on hers. She made a small sound of protest before throwing her arms around him. It might be a dream, but she was real—the weight of her against him, the sweet smell of her skin tainted by sweat and fear and magic, the taste of her lips against his.
Groaning, he thrust his tongue inside, seeking her warmth. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she kissed him back. Desperation tasted bitter, but it couldn’t banish the sweetness of Luna herself. He wanted to lay her down, kiss every inch of her body, and make love to her until she screamed his name in release. But every second that passed brought them closer to either of them waking.
He pulled away and pressed his forehead against hers, both of them gasping. “Get it through your head I’ll never walk away. You carry a drop of my blood in your veins. It’s responsible for your coloring.” When she stiffened, he hurriedly assured her, “I talked to Devlin. I wouldn’t have kept that from you. In the beginning, yes, but not now.”
“Solange bragged about what she’d done. It’s more than responsible for our shared coloring. It created the bond. It’s magical manipulation, nothing more.”
His wolf growled in frustration. Slipping his hand around to the back of her neck, he eased her away from him. “Our connection is as genuine as it gets. I’m the gray wolf, sweetheart, and you belong to me. You try and wake up and I’ll keep haunting your dreams. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
His muscles clenched, ready for action. There was the real concern she’d choose to ignore him and vanish into thin air. She was stubborn enough to do it, to sacrifice herself to save him.
Fear and a desperate sort of hope mingled in her eyes. She nibbled on her bottom lip, obviously torn. Needing to get through to her, he picked up her hand and pressed it against the marking on his chest. The tattoo warmed beneath her touch. “Feel it. Feel me. Trust me.” If she left, he’d have to wait for her to sleep again to make contact. They didn’t have that kind of time to waste. There was always the risk Solange would lose patience and take out her frustration on Luna.
Finally, she heaved a sigh. “If you end up dead, I’m going to kill you.” Her acerbic tone made him smile.
He briefly closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers as a weight rolled off his shoulders. “I promise I’ll do my best not to die.” However it ended, walking away from her wasn’t an option. He’d rather go down trying to save her than face eternity without her.
When he straightened, his gaze was drawn to her neck. “What happened to your throat?” He rubbed his thumb gently over one of the dark marks. A low growl rolled from within him. She’d been choked.
“Solange did something to me, cast some kind of spell or hex. She can physically harm me without having to lay a finger on me. It’s a million times worse than the tracking thing.” The bleakness in her eyes was killing him. “I had no control over my body. It did what she wanted.” Even with the chill of the night, sweat beaded on her brow.
“I’m sorry.” The words were totally inadequate. That mage needed to die. None of them would ever be safe as long as she was alive.
Being a lone wolf put a target on his back, which meant it put one on hers. As long as they were together, she’d be in danger from other werewolves or mages like Solange who wanted to steal his immortality. Nothing he could do would change that. His chest squeezed, despair threatening to swamp him. How could he leave her when he’d only just found her? When this was done, it’s exactly what he had to do to keep her safe. But first he had to save her.
Luna shivered. “She said there was no way to remove whatever she did, not without me ending up dead.”
“I, for one, am not about to trust anything she says.” There had to be a way. They just had to find it. “Now what can you tell me?”
“I have no idea where I am. I ran into her, got tasered and drugged, and woke in a cell. There’s absolutely nothing to give me any indication where I might be.”
“You’re in the city.” Of that, he was sure. “They’d want you close enough for me to find.” His mind worked frantically, coming up with and discarding possible plans. His wolf butted at him from inside. When he ignored it, the beast did it again. He stopped thinking and listened to his instinct, trusting the gray wolf. “We’re going to use our connection. When you wake, start thinking about me, mentally calling. I think my wolf can use that to track you. They won’t expect me to be able to find you this fast.”
“I’m scared, Kade. She’s incredibly powerful.”
“So am I.” It might not seem that way to her since she’d been taken practically under his nose. That wouldnothappen a second time.
“But you’re on your own. I haven’t met the wolf working with her. So far, she’s the only one I’ve seen. I have no idea how many men might be here. You’re facing a veritable army on your own plus Solange’s magic.”
“I can do this.” He cupped her precious face in his hands. “We can do this. Your job is to stay alive. Promise me.”
She brushed her lips against his. “I’ll do my best.”
“Remember, you need to think about me. Try to reach out with your mind. If we can connect in a dream, we can do it when we’re awake. No one else knows what we can do.” It was a distinct advantage, one Solange wouldn’t have deliberately allowed. It was all them. The mage had manipulated their coming into being and their meeting, but she had no control over what either of them did about it. He was the lone wolf, and Luna was a strong, independent, courageous woman.
It practically killed him to leave her, but the quicker he did, the faster he’d find her. He set her back down on the ground, stood, and took a step away. “Call for me. Stay alive.”
“Be safe. Don’t let them use me to hurt you.” When she began to fade, he lunged…
Kade bolted upright in bed. He was naked, his clothes tossed on the floor. Luna’s scent lingered on his skin. His fingers curled into fists, trying to hold on to the feel of her. With his mind, he reached out, trying to find her, trying to connect.
His entire body swiveled, facing the north. He didn’t hear her voice. It was more a beacon calling him home. Not Queens. Not Manhattan. The Bronx. It gave him a starting point. Rolling off the bed, he grabbed his bag and dug out his phone. It was answered on the first ring. “Did you mean it when you offered to help?”
“Yes.”
“It will take men with unique skills.” And the broker had access. The question was how many?
