When she stopped to talk to a tall, blond man, he hung back so neither would notice him. His wolf growled at how the man seemed too familiar with her. He stood close—too close—as he spoke.
Why was he reacting this way? He had yet to see her face. Sure, he could tell she had generous curves from the way her sea-colored gown clung to her body, but he didn’t even know what she looked like. Her hair though, looked silky and thick, and he wondered how it would feel between his fingers.
Soon the man left her alone. Good. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to approach her or even overtake her so he could glimpse her face. Like he was almost afraid of what he’d see.
He kept a good distance between them, not too far that he lost sight of her, but not too close that anyone would notice. The moment he walked into the ballroom, he knew that the entire place was being watched carefully, most likely by the New York clan’s famed Lycan security guards. Already, he counted them around the area—one in the far corner, a second in the mezzanine, and a third pretending to sip champagne as he spoke into a communication device tucked in his ear. It was not that they were terrible at blending in, but Darius was trained to see such things. And after a few minutes, he knew that they were watching her too.
Who was this mysterious woman?
She stopped and then pivoted on her heel, and if he had been less careful, she would have bumped straight into him. He quickly sidestepped so she wouldn’t notice him, grabbing a champagne flute from a passing waiter’s tray. Had he been faster, he would have seen her face, maybe even discovered what the color of her eyes were. When he finally reoriented himself and looked toward the direction where she ran off, she was gone.
He cursed, craning his neck for any sign of her. Her dress was distinct enough, but there were too many people. Surely she couldn’t have gone too far. It would be easy enough to—
The explosion came unexpectedly, disorienting him. He thought it was a trick or that he was imagining it, but the ringing in his ears told him it was real. Before he could figure out what was happening, a second, even stronger explosion blasted into the room, knocking down several guests, including himself. He braced himself as his knees hit the floor, his palms smacking down on the hardwood, the only thing keeping him from sprawling over.
A growl ripped from his throat as he composed himself. He shot to his feet and assessed his environment. Chaos reigned as people scrambled and ran for cover. Strange men dressed in robes entered through two giant gaping holes in the walls. Behind them, people in dark combat gear filed in, weapons raised and pointed into the throng of well-dressed guests.
His wolf coiled inside him, ready to pounce, to fight and to kill if necessary. His first thought, however, was the woman in the blue-green dress. Where was she? Had she made it out before the explosion?
His brain told him to leave now. This wasn’t their fight. He needed to get out. Stay alive. He wasn’t going to be collateral damage in some unknown war.
But his wolf was already fighting his brain, and he found himself heading straight into the thick of it all.
A cry made him turn his head. He’d never heard her speak but he just knew. That was her.
He turned toward the sound, his legs pumping as he sped across the ballroom. What he saw had his vision turning red. Two men dressed in robes standing over a figure slumped on the floor, a pool of silky blue-green fabric around their feet.
His wolf ripped out of him so fast that he felt lightheaded. His animal leapt up and soared toward the two men. Its large paw reached out and swatted one man, knocking him down as the wolf sailed forward, opening its jaw as razor-sharp teeth went right for the other man’s jugular. The wolf’s mouth was so large it practically engulfed the man’s head, and as it bore down, the satisfying crunch of bone filled his ears just as he felt the warm blood gushing into his mouth.
It didn’t even take five seconds to take down both men. The wolf released what was left of its victim and turned to the unconscious woman on the floor.
Need to get her to safety.
The wolf wholeheartedly agreed with him for once and relinquished their body to him. He didn’t waste a second and scooped her up into his arms, then made his way toward the exit, not really caring where he was going or that his clothes had ripped away in his hasty shift. All that mattered was to get her far away from those seeking to harm her.
He followed the rest of the people fleeing, down a long, carpeted hallway, but instead of heading into the lobby, he turned down another smaller hallway and into the first door he found—the ladies’ restroom. He rushed into the plush sitting room and gently laid her down on the couch. Unable to stop himself, he pushed the strands of thick dark curls away from her face.
His chest tightened as he looked at the exquisite face of the woman who had captivated him and his wolf. He couldn’t turn away and his gaze swept over her, starting from her delicately arched thick brows, her pert nose, and her plump lips. The dress she wore exposed her shoulders and the expanse of smooth olive skin of the tops of her lush breasts. He knew he shouldn’t be admiring the assets of an unconscious woman, but he couldn’t help himself. This was the body of a real woman, all curves and dips. Sturdy and well-built, made to be handled.
A soft gasp made him freeze. Her
