Troy grinned. Good for you.
To his surprise, she growled low and shifted into a wolf.
Well damn, how about that? Another Lupine who had more than Lupine powers.
One Skin shrieked as the wolf pounced, tearing at his leg. The other two ran to the end of the alley and were trapped. The wolf dealt with them next, tearing into their legs, incapacitating them. A hot copper smell, blood, filled the alleyway.
The watching Skin dropped his hand, his erection fading as if someone dumped ice water over him. Troy grinned again. In a few strides, he was at the man’s side.
Troy throat punched him. Perv Guy tumbled down like dead weight. For good measure, Troy kicked him in the balls. The man screamed, and fainted.
The wolf bounded over to him, growling.
He backed up, held up his hands. “Easy girl. I’m on your side. I intend no harm.”
Showing her teeth, the wolf stared at him.
Troy gentled his voice, making it low and soothing. A former lover used to call it his persuasive tone that could sweet talk the most celibate woman into ripping off her clothes climbing into his bed. He didn’t use it for sex often. Didn’t have to, not when women were willing to be his bed partners.
On the road he used to calm volatile situations, or in this case, a volatile wolf.
“I know you’re scared. I can smell your fear. If you get into human skin, I can help you. You can’t be a wolf in the city. Too many Skins. They’ll want to haul you to animal control or worse. Like shoot you.”
She shifted back, a swirling mass of incredible colors accommodating her shift before he could even blink. Whoa. He’d never seen a Lupine shift back into Skin so fast.
Troy pushed a hank of wet hair out of his face as she clothed herself through magick.
Young, early twenties. Big blue eyes, wet black hair hanging in a thick braid down her back, a vulnerable look to her, like a lost lamb.
But this girl was no sheep. More like super wolf.
Troy gestured to the alley’s exit.
“Get your stuff. We need to get out of here before the cleanup crew arrives and a certain wizard punishes you for exposing magick to Skins.” Troy didn’t know when Tristan, the wizard who judged Lupines, would arrive, but he wouldn’t take chances.
The girl had been through enough tonight. She didn’t need that jackass wizard scolding her or worse.
The girl grabbed a backpack that seemed painfully thin.
“I’m Jenny. Jenny Logan.” She shivered. “Thank you. I can’t believe… that almost happened to me.”
“Troy Gilbert.” He shrugged out of his jacket, draped it around her slim shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here and home to your pack.”
“Don’t have a pack. Or a home.” Those big doe eyes looked up at him.
Something tugged at his hard heart, breaking it a little bit more. “Then stick with me for tonight.”
For a moment, suspicion flared on her face. So damn young, and yet her eyes looked ancient.
“How do I know you won’t try what they failed at?” She jerked her thumb at the alley.
Troy held up his hand. “I promise I won’t do anything.” Not unless you want me to. “Friends, okay? Besides, you look more than capable of handling yourself. That light trick was impressive.”
Jenny gave an uncertain smile. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Hell yeah, good thing you did. Showed them a thing or two. You let them live.” He glanced at the trio, bleeding heavily. “I wouldn’t have spared their sorry lives.”
“I don’t like to use my powers.” She flexed her hands, water dripping off her slender fingers. “They scare me more than those Skins.”
Ah hell, she looked so sweet and vulnerable. He had to get her the hell out of here. He reached over and touched her face, feeling the tears there mingling with raindrops.
“These powers scare people. My own people. I’m a wolf, but I’m such a misfit. No one wants me around. Ever feel like that?”
Troy’s chest tightened at her misery. “All the time, sweetheart. All the time.”
He glanced upward. “Rain’s falling harder. You need shelter. I have a hotel room not far from here.”
“You expect me to sleep with you now that you tried to save me?” She narrowed her eyes.
He shook his head. Oh, he found her attractive. More than attractive. He liked the look of her, and the way she’d kicked ass on those three gained his admiration. But Jenny didn’t need a Lupine with a hard on trying to seduce her.
“No. Just offering shelter. You can have the bed. I like sleeping on the floor anyway. Besides, if I tried anything with you, you can kick my ass just like you did to them.”
Jenny’s lower lip wobbled. “Thanks… I’m sorry for being suspicious. No one’s been nice to me in a long time.”
Troy couldn’t resist staring into her pretty blue eyes, feeling a tug of deep empathy. “Me either. It’s a rough life when you’re traveling from town to town, not knowing anyone.”
Her smile faded. “I’ve been on the road so long, sometimes I forget, like tonight, that there’s people out there who only want to hurt you. I was trying to grab some sleep in the alley when they saw me.”
A low growl rumbled from his throat. “Stick with me. I’ve been on the road as well, and there’s worse things out there, Jenny. You shouldn’t be alone.”
Jenny looked up at him, admiration flaring on her face. “Are you my wolf in shining fur?”
He gave a little laugh. “I’m no hero, sweetheart. Just a guy on the road who’s lost his way.”
She took his hand. “I’ll pay for tonight’s room. I have some money and I want to thank you for trying to save me.”
As he looked at her big eyes, her waiflike look, Troy knew the truth. “Maybe you were the one who saved me.”
She gave him a puzzled look,
