Page 72 of Wolf It Down, Knot Me Up

“Did you know, I own a mask,” he says at once. “I’ll wear it for you. Let’s make it the middle of the night with no warning. Or I carry you over my shoulder, and you never see my face.”

I narrow my gaze at him. “That’s a crime, Wolf.”

He’s grinning. “Does that make you hotter for me?”

I find myself just staring, struggling to find my words, and that’s my whole problem. Secretly, I think I want everything he promises.

“Good to know,” he states, enjoying himself too much.

The stripper continues into another two songs until his show finally completes. Grayson calls everybody through for dinner, and the guests follow him, still speaking loudly, and the noise floods the main room.

The stripper pulls on his pants and packs his stuff, while I grab his envelope off the hall table and follow him out.

The porch and path lamps is on outside, and there’s a motorcycle in the driveway. A cold chill rushes up my arm from the breeze, and somewhere in the woods, an owl hoots.

He straps his bag to the rack and pulls a shirt over his head. The mask remains.

“Thanks so much,” I say, holding the envelope out. “They enjoyed the night so much.”

He strides toward me fast, and my back finds the porch rail. He stands so close that his shadow engulfs me, and I’m uncomfortable all of a sudden.

The guy tips his head down toward me, breaths pumping out fast.

“All right.” I shove a hand up between us, and goosebumps cover my arms. “Hey, back off. I’m not one of your fans.”

He doesn’t move away. Then a low growl rolls from his throat, and the hair rises on my nape.

“I knew Jerry, your first Alpha,” he sneers.

I can’t move, can’t breathe.

The man studies me, the silence between us feeling far more sinister. “And he’d be fucking broken now if he could see you with those men,” he adds. “Didn’t take you long to move the fuck on, did it?”

17

LUCY

“Take that mask off.” My words tremble. “Who are you?”

The stranger heaves for breath through the skull mask and steps closer. The railing presses at my, trapping me, and he knows it. “Jerry loved you so much it was pathetic. But now, you’re parading around with three Alphas.” The masked man stands there. “He’d be horrified if he saw you now.”

My heart squeezes at hearing Jerry’s name. With it, that damn dream comes raging across my mind. Of Jerry watching me surrounded by the three Alphas, the horror on his face before he shook his head and disappeared into the dark. My stomach hurts thinking about it.

“Shut up,” I snap.

“Struck a nerve? You know I’m right.”

Anger slices through the fear. “Take that mask off and show me who you really are.”

He chuckles, and a chill races down my spine because there’s a familiarity to it. I swear I’ve heard that laugh and voice before.

The front door suddenly swings open so hard it slams against the wall. “Get the hell away from her.”

Relief washes over me as I lift my gaze to Grayson in the doorway. Teeth are bared, shoulders squared, and for one crazy second, he scares me.

The masked man just scratches lazily at his chest. “Can’t handle another man with your girl?”

“He’s trying to tell me he knew Jerry.” My voice wobbles, and Grayson’s attention snaps to mine. Whatever he sees on my face sets him off because he charges toward the man.