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“Good morning.” The female barista greeted her. “What can I get you?”
“An iced cappuccino, please.”
“Taking your caffeine cold today. I don’t blame you. Going to be a hot one later.” The barista began to prepare the drink. “Anything to go with it?”
When she glanced at the case and then away, it occurred to him that money might be an issue. City living was expensive. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “My treat.” It gave him remarkable pleasure to buy her food, to know she’d eat something he’d provided. His wolf chuffed in agreement.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, and his jeans seemed to shrink a size, becoming much tighter than they’d been seconds before. He wanted to drag his tongue over that plump lip. Instead, he glanced up at the menu board behind the counter and counted to ten.
The barista eyed him as she set the drink down on the counter. “Ah, is that it?”
“Zoe?” he prompted.
“I’ll have one of those oat fudge bars.” She pointed to the treat.
“I’ll have a large coffee, black. A brownie.” He’d seen Zoe eyeing it. “And a half dozen of those cherry Danishes.” He hadn’t had breakfast. This would hold him over until he got something more substantial.
When everything was ready, they carried it to a quiet table near the far wall. It was past the morning rush with only a smattering of patrons. With his back against the wall, he took his first sip of coffee and moaned. That got him a tiny smile. “I recognize a fellow caffeine addict.” She hooked her purse over her seat and took a sip of her drink. When she reached for the oat bar, he pushed the brownie toward her.
“In case you want this instead.”
She leaned back in her chair and studied him. “I can’t figure you out.” She tucked the oat bar into her bag and pulled the brownie closer.
Rather than answer, he took a big bite of cherry Danish and chewed. It wasn’t half bad. He waited for her to continue. Most people hurried to fill any silence. Not Zoe. Impressed with her patience, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and had another mouthful of coffee.
She held up her cup and waggled it back and forth. “Once this is gone I’m outta here. Let’s start with the basics. Devlin what?”
“Moore. Devlin Moore.” He laid his hand on the table, palm up, offering it to her. “Zoe what?” It would be easy enough for him to find out, but he wanted her to offer it freely.
She was staring at his hand as if it was a snake that might bite her. Easing her cup to the side, she slid her palm over his. “Galvani. Zoe Galvani.”
He closed his fingers around her much smaller hand. That small connection calmed the beast inside him. He ran his thumb over her delicate skin. “Glad to meet you.” And he was, despite all the problems that association brought with it, even though it couldn’t last beyond his hunt. He’d be moving on as soon as the rogue was put down. His wolf howled in protest, but it didn’t change the facts. He’d enjoy their time together, but his staying would only put her in danger. “What exactly happened last night?” The more information he had about his quarry, the faster he could track him.
She shrugged and pulled her hand back, placing it on her lap, furtively rubbing it against her stomach as if unsettled as much as he by the simple touch. “After you left, I glimpsed a huge dog across the street, but it seemed to disappear. I wondered if I’d imagined it. Later, there was growling outside my door. I looked through the peephole.” She paused and took a long pull on her drink. “It looked like a giant wolf, some kind of hybrid. I thought the animal belonged to you.” She pointed an accusing finger at him before breaking off a piece of brownie and popping it into her mouth. “That you sent it to terrorize me.”
For all her nonchalance in the retelling, he scented her anxiety. Rage bled from every pore of his body. His wolf clawed at him, wanting out to hunt their foe. Locking the creature down took every ounce of restraint he possessed, because he was of the same mind. The rogue was taunting him. Zoe’s fear was an added benefit.
“It wasn’t.” Whether she believed him or not was up to her. “If I wanted in, I’d have taken down the door.”
Choking, she sputtered and swallowed. “Not reassuring.”
“I’m not trying to be. I’m being honest.” He had little to no experience with softer emotions, had no idea how to cushion the truth, but sugarcoating the facts wouldn’t keep her safe.
“Oddly enough, I believe you.” She turned her cup round and round on the table, leaving a ring of condensation. “If it wasn’t your dog, any idea who it belongs to?”
“It wasn’t a dog.” This was where things could go bad in a hurry.
“I know what I saw, Devlin. It was some kind of wolf dog hybrid.”
“How much do you believe in the paranormal?”
She blinked several times, her gaze turning wary. “Ah, like angels and demons?”
He shook his head. “No.” While real, they rarely messed with wolves. They were too busy battling one another.
“Good. Because I’m not about to believe there was a demon at my door. What exactly do you mean by the paranormal? Vampires and ghosts?”
“Werewolves.” There was no easy way to break it to her, so he threw it out there to see how she’d react.
