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Something flashed in his eyes—surprise, then a fierce heat that made my breath catch. “You sure?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. He studied my face for a long moment, then stepped back, creating space between us.

“It’s not a full shift,” he explained, his hands going to the buttons of his shirt. “Not unless I choose it. But on the full moon…” He trailed off, shrugging out of his shirt to reveal that magnificent chest. “The wolf is closer to the surface.”

As I watched, a subtle change came over him. His already impressive muscles seemed to swell slightly, becoming more defined. The light dusting of hair on his chest and arms thickened, not drastically but noticeably. His fingernails lengthened into something not quite claws but definitely not normal human nails.

Most striking, though, was his face. His features remained recognizably Shep, but his brow ridge became more pronounced, his jaw stronger, and when he smiled, those canines were definitely longer and sharper than they had been before.

His eyes, however, underwent the most dramatic transformation. The warm amber was completely replaced by a glowing gold that illuminated his face from within, wild and beautiful and utterly inhuman.

“This is what I am,” he said, his voice deeper, rougher—a growl wrapped in human speech. “What do you think, Inspector? Do I pass inspection?”

I should have been terrified. Any rational person would have backed away, would have run from the predator now standing before them. Instead, I found myself stepping forward, drawn by a fascination that went beyond scientific curiosity into something much more primal.

“May I?” I asked, my hand raised but not quite touching him.

He nodded, holding perfectly still as I traced the stronger angles of his face, the thicker hair at his jawline, the pointed tips of his ears that I hadn’t noticed changing. His skin was even hotter than usual, burning against my palm.

“Extraordinary,” I whispered, genuine awe in my voice. “You’re extraordinary.”

A shudder ran through him at my touch, his eyes closing briefly. When they opened again, the gold seemed to burn even brighter. “You’re not afraid,” he observed, wonder in his rough voice.

“No,” I confirmed, my hand sliding down to rest over his heart, feeling its powerful rhythm. “Should I be?”

His smile showed those dangerous teeth. “Not of me. Never of me.” His hand covered mine, pressing it more firmly against his chest. “But maybe a little afraid of yourself. Of what you want.”

The challenge in his words sent a thrill through me. “Who says I don’t know exactly what I want?”

His laugh was deeper in this form, more rumble than sound. “Then tell me, Inspector. Be specific.”

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. “I want you to take me to your bedroom. I want to feel what it’s like to be with you when you’re like this. I want—” I swallowed hard, forcing myself to continue. “I want to feel owned by you.”

The growl that emanated from his chest was purely animal, vibrating through my palm into my own body. Before I could blink, he had lifted me, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he carried me through the cabin toward what I assumed was his bedroom.

“Last chance to back out,” he warned, pausing at the threshold. “The wolf doesn’t have much restraint.”

I threaded my fingers into his hair, which was thicker and coarser in this form. “I don’t want your restraint,” I said, surprising myself with my boldness. “I want you.”

His response was to kick the door open and carry me inside. The bedroom was as surprising as the rest of the house—not the bachelor lair I might have expected, but a comfortable space dominated by an enormous bed with what looked like handcrafted wooden posts at each corner.

He set me down beside the bed, his hands immediately going to the hem of my t-shirt. “Too many clothes,” he growled, impatience evident in every line of his transformed body.

I raised my arms, allowing him to pull the shirt over my head. His eyes, glowing in the dim light of the bedroom, raked over my exposed chest with hungry appreciation.

“All of it,” he demanded, his hands already working on my belt. “I want to see all of you.”

I didn’t resist as he stripped me efficiently, those slightly-too-long nails occasionally scraping against my skin in ways that made me shiver. When I stood naked before him, he circled me slowly, a predator assessing his prey.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, one hand trailing down my spine to cup my ass. “So fucking beautiful.”

I turned to face him, my hands reaching for his jeans. “Your turn.”

He smiled, showing those dangerous teeth again. “Eager, aren’t you?”

“Scientific curiosity,” I replied, unable to resist teasing him even in this charged moment. “I need comprehensive data.”

His laugh was warm against my skin as he leaned down to nip at my shoulder—not hard enough to break skin, but definitely hard enough to leave a mark. “Then by all means, Inspector. Conduct your examination.”