connect to me. Before I gave up my search for the night, I heard back from Chuck Seefut about his jaguar attack. The details in his email sounded like a shifter attack was highly possible. It happened during a new moon, and he hadn’t heard the big black cat coming before it was on top of him.
How many other people out in the world were like me?
Checking the clock, I closed up my laptop. Adam was supposed to pick me up at six p.m. for dinner and more investigating. Even though I shouldn’t, I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to see his barn, the horses, and pretend I had a normal life, whatever that was. Even if it was only temporary.
I had to keep reminding myself I couldn’t stay in Reno. As much as we liked each other, the truth was his Pack would never accept me. And I would never ask Adam to leave his family. If anyone understood how precious a family was, it was me. I’d lost mine before I was a week old. Over the years, I would have given anything to have a family. I wouldn’t take that away from Adam.
I got into the shower and shampooed, conditioned, and shaved. I got out feeling clean and quickly slathered on lotion. Just in case something happened with Adam, I wanted my skin soft and smooth. I couldn’t stay with him and live happily ever after, but I could enjoy what was left of our time together. That was my plan anyway.
When I finished my hair and makeup, I dug around in my bag and sighed. I hadn’t been on a date since before my run-in with Bellevue. Living on the run left my apparel choices extremely limited, too. I finally decided on a pair of jeans and a clean pink T-shirt. Clean being the big selling point.
I headed back into the bathroom for a final look-over in the mirror when I heard the lock disengaging. I turned around to see Adam in my doorway. My breath caught in my throat. He had on black jeans and a form- fitting, green T-shirt that made his eyes stand out even more than usual.
He smiled. “You look amazing.”
I started to make an excuse for my lack of a hot outfit, but his smile was gone in an instant. I followed Adam over to the bed. He stopped by my discarded clothes and spun around.
“He was here. I smell him. What happened today? Why didn’t you tell me he was here? Are you okay?”
I held my hand up shaking my head. “Slow down. He wasn’t in here. I met him down at the buffet.”
“You what?” I could see the muscles in his arms tense, and he was staring at me like I was insane.
“It sounds worse than it was. I found out his name is Sebastian and I confirmed that the Nero Organization sent him after me.”
Adam shook his head. “What part of
Okay, now my smile was gone too. “I didn’t miss anything except maybe your new job title as my jail warden.”
He shook off my verbal jab. “Why did you go downstairs to eat in the first place? You could have gotten room service.”
“I knew what I was doing. If I could get him to come find me, then our meeting could be on my terms. I was ready for him this time.” His jaw dropped a little so I jumped back in before he could interrupt. “He doesn’t know I’m staying in this hotel. He thinks he tracked me to the restaurant. Besides, he couldn’t get me out of there or hurt me in such a public place. I just wanted to talk to him.”
“Jesus, Lana.” He raked his fingers back through his hair. “Do you know how dangerous that was?”
“He doesn’t want to hurt me.”
“No?” He let out a sarcastic laugh. “Then why did he kill Gabe and leave him dying at your feet?”
“Because he wants me to stay away from you and the Pack. He figured Gabe dying from a jaguar attack would make it impossible for me to stay in town.”
“He knows I’m protecting you.”
“He knows some wolf is. He caught the scent while he tracked me. I don’t know if he ever saw your face.”
Adam nodded slowly and blew out a pent-up breath of frustration and maybe a little relief. He shook his head and held his hand out toward me. I took it without thinking, and he pulled me another step closer. His stare was intense and demanding as he lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of my fingers.
“I’m glad you’re all right. I’m sorry if I jumped all over you, it’s just that…”
“You need to keep me safe.”
He nodded, lowering my hand, but not releasing it. “Yeah. It’s the wolf in me. I can’t help it.”
“Can we call a truce and go see the horses now?” I gnawed at my lower lip. “I promise I’ll tell you everything I’ve found out so far.”
He finally smiled, and my heart skipped like I was a teenager again. No one should be allowed to be that cute, angry, and sexy all at the same time.
But my heart was deaf to my head’s warnings. Instead, I grabbed my jacket and leaned up for a quick kiss before I even realized what I was doing.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter Sixteen
Bruce and Lana hit it off instantly. He nickered and shook his head every time I started to pull Lana away to meet the other horses. She laughed, holding out her empty palm while the stallion’s upper lip twitched back and forth against her skin.
“That tickles!”
“Bruce is definitely a ladies’ man.” I grinned.
Lana looked over at me with a playful sparkle in her dark brown eyes. “Just like his trainer, huh?”
“Me?” I pointed at my chest, doing my best to look shocked by her accusation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh please.” She rolled her eyes. “You have ladies’ man written all over you. I knew it from the second you walked in that cafe. You were hot, and you knew it.”
I laughed. “Is that what you thought?” She walked toward me, and I stared down at her with a crooked smile. “Because I thought I was hunting.”
“For dates or jaguars?” She grinned.
I raised a brow slightly. “Maybe both.”
She tipped her chin up. “No wonder you were so pushy.”
“I was not pushy.” I gave her a little wink. “Just tenacious.”
“Oh, is that what you call it?”
She walked farther down the barn aisle, and my gaze slid along her back, taking in all her curves. Deep inside I could feel the wolf in me growling, needing to claim her in a very primal sense. My voice was low when I replied. “When I know what I want, I go after it.”
I watched her in front of Bubbles’s stall, her slender fingers sliding down the mare’s satin coat, and my heart twisted in my chest. Seeing her with the horses—my horses—only made the bindings of the inexplicable connection between us that much stronger. She reached up under Bubbles’s forelock to stroke her forehead and leaned in close to the bay mare, whispering to her.
My keen wolf senses could pick up every word as she told the mare that she was lucky to have such a cute trainer, although she also mentioned he could be stubborn and cocky.
I started to respond when Lana looked over at me and grinned. “You could hear every word, couldn’t you?”
I shrugged with a smile.
“Good. That last little bit was just a test.” She turned back to Bubbles, kissing her soft muzzle. “No telling secrets around Adam. He hears everything.”
The bay nickered in answer, and Lana strode back over to my side. Something about the way she looked up at me, how her full lips parted as she smiled, made the animal inside of me howl with desire. I wanted her, but more than that, I needed her. The wolf had never reacted to a woman like this before. Just like Malcolm had
