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“Right.” He ran his thumb across the curve of her jaw. “Trust me. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“And I won’t let anyone harm you.” Her wolf was dealing with residual guilt over what had happened to her. “Together, remember.”
“How could I forget?” The kiss was fleeting and light. Then he groaned and pulled her up onto her toes, his mouth devouring hers. When they parted, they were both breathless. His hair was disheveled where she’d dragged her fingers through it. “Fear is foreign to me. The first time I shifted, when I transitioned into the lone wolf, I was terrified. Once I survived and settled into my new life, it vanished. I had nothing to live for, nothing to lose. Then I walked into a New York art gallery.”
“I’m afraid, too. Not for me, but for you. I was drifting through life, not really living. Then a man walked into the gallery where I worked.” That seemed like months ago, rather than days. “I’ve always trusted the gray wolf, and I trust you.” Taking his hand, she placed it over her heart. Beneath her clothing, the tattoo warmed. “I love you. Whatever happens, I’ll never regret that.”
Sighing, he pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you, too. Let’s get out of here.”
Kade collected their bags and paused at the open door. The men who’d been guarding them had left a half hour ago, at his request. Leaving the keys to the apartment on the kitchen table, he closed the door and made sure it was locked before they headed to the elevator.
They were silent on the trip down to the parking garage. “Wait here.” Dropping the bags beside her, she held the sliding door open with one hand and watched as he prowled toward a truck, which the broker had personally delivered. His head swiveled from side-to-side, searching for any threats. When he reached the vehicle, he went down on his back and scooted underneath. When he’d satisfied himself, he checked under the hood, in the back, and inside, stopping occasionally to sniff.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and glanced around, feeling exposed the longer she stood there. Finally, he started back toward her. Not willing to wait, she grabbed their bags and hurried toward him. “What were you looking for?” she asked as he took their luggage and stowed it in the backseat.
“Tracking device.” He opened her door and motioned for her to get in. When she was settled, he pulled her seat belt across, buckling her in. “Explosives.” He closed the door and went around, climbing in the driver’s seat.
“Explosives?” The tracker made sense, but she’d never considered the possibility of the other, and she should have, considering Solange had blown up a building on top of them.
“She’s used them once.” He started the engine and drove toward the exit. His gaze constantly moving, he merged into traffic. “There’s no sign of either, so we’re clean. As long as we don’t pick up a tail, we’re home free. For the time being,” he added. When he stopped at a light, he glanced over at her. “Tell me about your childhood.”
Her stomach knotted. She hated thinking about those years. “Why?”
“It’s a part of you, helped shape you into the incredible woman you’ve become. Tell me about your fascination with wolves. When did it begin?”
They were a couple now. Sharing her past, no matter how painful, was a part of that—if she wanted their relationship to grow. “I’ll share if you will.”
“Deal.” The light changed, and they began to move again.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled up the memory. “It all started when a friend of my parents gave me a stuffed wolf…”
…
Kade parked the truck and killed the engine. The area appeared deserted, but his senses warned otherwise. “They’re here.” That wasn’t a surprise. It was what he would have done. “Stay in the truck. If things go wrong, get out of here and trust that I’ll find you.”
Without waiting for a reply, he climbed out and strode to the center of the small clearing. It was in a heavily wooded area off a narrow secondary road. No people and little traffic. It was the perfect place for a private discussion…or an ambush.
The massive white wolf stepped out from between two large oak trees.A light breeze ruffled his fur. The birds were silent. The squirrels and rabbits and other small animals had either scampered away or were hunkered down hiding.The sickle tattoo on his chest and his white eyes left no doubt as to his identity. “Devlin Moore.” He gave a curt nod. Surprisingly, his wolf wasn’t the least bit wary but excited. “Do we fight or talk? I’d prefer the latter, but I’m up for the former.”
The wolf glanced past him to the truck. Kade heard the door open and wanted to curse at her for not following his instructions. He should have known better. His Luna was independent to the core of her being. She’d always do what she considered to be the right thing.
“That’s my mate. Touch her and I’ll fucking gut you.”
“No one is gutting anyone.” A woman with dark hair with a slash of white slipped from behind a rock. Devlin growled at her, but she ignored him. Seemed the white wolf had as much control over his mate as Kade did, which was none. He bit the inside of his mouth to keep from grinning.
“Zoe, I presume. It’s good to meet you.” He beckoned Luna forward. “This is my mate, Luna West. Luna, this is Zoe Galvani, mate to the white wolf.”
“It’s good to meet you, Zoe, and you.” She nodded at Devlin.
The white wolf sighed and nudged his mate toward the woods. They reappeared a minute later. Devlin had shifted back to human and pulled on a pair of jeans. “Let’s see the mark.”
Kade raised his eyebrows, but he pulled his shirt up, exposing the tattoo. “Satisfied.” As if his gray hair and eyes weren’t enough evidence. Then there was Luna, with her matching eyes and streaks of gray in her hair.
Devlin grunted.
Fuck this, they didn’t have time for mistrust. Not if they wanted to survive. Deciding to take control of the situation, Kade spoke first. “Long story short. Solange managed to kidnap Luna in a bid to trap me. When it failed, she blew the building we were in. Luna almost died and was in a coma.” Here’s where it got tricky. “We connected in our dreams.” That was as much as they needed to know. It was too intimate. As if sensing his unease, she gripped his hand tighter. “Solange used some kind of magic to create a conduit into Luna’s mind.”
“Oh my God,” Zoe gasped, her eyes wide with horror.
