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The elevator doors opened with a sigh, and I stumbled out away from Lucas and Desmond. Dominick stayed in the elevator, waiting to see what was about to unfold. I had not previously been afraid for my safety, but it was now occurring to me that if anyone wanted to make me disappear with no questions asked, it was Lucas Rain. He had the wealth and the power to make it happen. I broke into a cold sweat.
This did not go unnoticed.
“Why are you afraid? That’s not the reaction I’m used to getting. Unless of course someone has done something to wrong me. I don’t even know you, so I don’t think you have a reason to fear me. ” He looked genuinely puzzled.
The doors had opened onto a private floor, and I was all alone with these men. Having my gun offered me little comfort, apart from knowing headshots would kill werewolves. But the memory of the threat in Desmond’s eyes, and knowing how easy it had been for him to take the weapon once, left me unsure of my chances against three creatures whose individual skills nearly equaled my own.
On a good day I was stronger than the average werewolf, but I wasn’t stronger than three male wolves in their prime. I reached down into the depths of my psyche and tried to yank my vampire awake to no avail. Outside, the pale gray hues of the warning dawn were painting the sky, and the vampire part of me, for all intents and purposes, was dead to the world. Fuck. That left me with werewolf instinct and the training Keaty had given me.
Lucas stepped forward and looked at me the way a human observes a caged animal that was in danger of hurting itself.
“Would it make you feel safer to be here if you could call someone and tell them where you are before we continue?”
The man was a born politician and problem solver. It was little wonder that at only twenty-six he was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and, more impressive than all that, was the sole monarch to a secret civilization of thousands. The offer was so simple. It was the exact right thing for him to say.
I was unaccustomed to civility in my line of work.
“Umm, yes, actually. ” I cocked my head to the side, trying my best to understand what he really wanted from me. Outright asking him seemed too…obvious?
“I’m afraid your cell won’t work up here. Everything gets routed through the landlines. Desmond will show you to the study. We have a phone there. You can have all the time and privacy you would like. Then you can join me upstairs. ”
“Upstairs?” I gazed around, getting a better look at my surroundings, not grasping the full size of his living quarters.
“Yes. I own the building, so I took the top three floors for myself. An oasis above the city. It makes it easier to stay home when home is this size, I guess. ”
“And no cell phones is a big factor in maintaining your oasis?”
“I just don’t like them. I have one, but I find it’s more of a distraction than anything el
se. My personal time is limited for obvious reasons, and I’ve taken measures to make sure I can enjoy it in peace. ”
“I see. ” I wasn’t sure I did.
“Before I leave you I have to ask, and I hope it doesn’t seem rude coming so late in the game. What is your name?”
I almost laughed. At this point it felt like I’d been with him for days, and it was an adjustment for me to find someone who didn’t guess who I was within moments of meeting me.
“Secret. ” Then to assure him I wasn’t just coyly avoiding telling him my name, I added, “Secret McQueen. ”
“McQueen,” he repeated, casting a glance at Desmond. “Well now. Isn’t that interesting?”
“Makes sense. ” Desmond shrugged. But I saw his color pale.
I hadn’t encountered that many werewolves in my time in the city and had only been formally introduced to one of them. Funny that Desmond’s reaction was almost identical to that of the other wolf I’d met—cavalier but uneasy. It didn’t bode well. If they had any intention of explaining what the revelation meant, it didn’t show. Instead, Lucas bid me a temporary farewell with a nod, and Dominick trailed after him into the depths of the apartment. The main floor was a labyrinth of locked doors and long black hallways. I had not yet seen a window, and the whole area was lit by majestic stone chandeliers.
Desmond set off down a hallway, anticipating that I would follow.
“So…” I began, not sure if he would be open to conversation. “Are you and Dominick his…bodyguards?”
Desmond stopped in front of an open doorway, his tall, lean body filling its frame. He gave me an assessing look like he wasn’t sure what to make of me. “It’s true, then, what Lucas said. You really are ignorant of the ways of your own people. ”
I bristled. “Wolves are not people. ”
His eyes locked on mine in the unnerving way he was proving to be a pro at. “Wolves are just better versions of people. At least, unlike ghouls or vampires, we are still alive. ” I knew this wasn’t an attack because he didn’t know what I was, but I took offense anyway.
“At least vampires don’t feel the need to burst free of their own skin once a month to go chase rabbits in the moonlight. ”
He raised the corner of his lip, hinting at a smile but not fulfilling it. “You’re going to prove to be a complicated addition to the pack. ” Then he sighed. “I am not Lucas’s bodyguard. Dominick is his personal protection, yes. I am Lucas’s second-in-command. His lieutenant. ”
