Surprise flashed across the man’s face for a brief second, meaning he sensed her wolf too. Lycan, then. But who was he?
As the daughter of the Alpha, she knew most of the Lycans in New York—those worth knowing anyway. But she would have definitely remembered meeting this man before.
His hair seemed to have all shades of brown and blond mixed together. Like most Lycans, he was tall and well-built, but his face—it was like the face of an angel, half-covered with a beard that wasn’t overly thick, but enough to give him a dangerous, rough edge. Arrogantly, uncommonly handsome, pretty even. But there were definitely some bad boy vibes coming from him, judging from the two nose studs marring his almost perfect face and the tattoos curling out from his shirt that extended past his wrists, not to mention the well-scuffed riding boots, tight jeans, even tighter shirt, and the leather jacket he wore. Wow, he wasn’t even trying to pass for human in the middle of winter.
“Are you gonna stare at me all night, princess, or are you going to say hello?”
The deep, gravelly voice sent heat straight to her lower stomach, and her wolf yowled. She, however, did not appreciate his crassness. Angel? What was she thinking? Fallen angel, maybe. Lucifer himself, who clawed his way up from hell.
With a short, harumpph, she turned around and fished her phone out of her pocket. I should have downloaded Uber before I left. Or had Maxine teach me how to use it. Hopefully a cab would pass by soon, and she could be anywhere but here.
“Didn’t anyone teach you it’s rude to stare at people, then ignore them when they call you out?”
He’d moved so swiftly, she hadn’t realized he was right behind her until she felt the warmth of his breath by her ear. She stiffened her spine and turned her head up at him. However, when she stared up into his eyes, all thought left her head.
His eyes—were they green or gold? She couldn’t quite say. Maybe both. Gold in the center with large flecks of green. Her knees went weak, and for a second, he seemed taken aback again, but he composed himself quickly. Much quicker than she did because she stumbled backward.
A strong, muscled arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her up against him. An involuntary gasp escaped her mouth as she was pressed up against a warm, hard body. Though she was wearing her highest heels, her face was still at level with his chest. When she took in a deep breath, she got a whiff of his masculine scent—rain, musk, and leather. A shock went through her as an unfamiliar sensation coursed through her veins. She’d never felt anything like it before, but it was something she could only describe as hunger. But not for food.
“Let go of me.” Unfortunately, she said it in a much breathier tone than she’d intended. “Please.”
Gold-green eyes burned with challenge, but his grip loosened. “Whatever you want, princess.”
She disentangled herself from him, but it didn’t stop her heart from thudding wildly against her rib cage. Her wolf yowled unhappily at losing contact. What the hell was going on?
Straightening her shoulders and pulling her coat tighter around herself, she looked up at him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. And I’ve met most of the New York and New Jersey Lycans.” Usually, Lycans from one clan couldn’t travel into another’s without permission from the Alpha. But, since her mother was also the New Jersey Alpha, members of the two clans enjoyed free travel between territories.
He grabbed at the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, exposing a set of defined abs. Her mouth went dry as a desert as she observed the taut, golden skin of his stomach, and the sprinkling of hair disappearing under the waistband of his jeans. A chuckle knocked her out of her daze, and she felt heat flood her cheeks.
A golden brow quirked up. “Had enough?”
The image of the wolf tattoo over his hip seared into her brain, and she spun around. So, he was a Lone Wolf. Lone Wolves were a special type of Lycan clan—or rather, they lacked a clan and territory. Most were nomadic, though some stayed put in neutral territory. They were, however, allowed to move within territories as long as they announced themselves should anyone ask them why they were in said territory or meet an Alpha.
“Sorry,” he said scornfully. “You know, for getting my grubby Lone Wolf hands on ya.”
Her heart clenched for whatever his situation was, but outrage bubbled within her. “Excuse me?” She whirled around to face him again. While admittedly, she could be particular about what she wore or where she went, she would never think less of anyone who had no control over what they were. “Do you think I’m one of those Lycans who look down on Lone Wolves? Just because I’m part of a clan doesn’t mean I discriminate against those who aren’t.
“There are many reasons someone might choose to go Lone Wolf, or more often than not, not have any choice at all, so I wouldn’t be prejudiced against someone who might have gone through terrible circumstances. I’m sorry if you’ve had a bad experience with other clans, but you don’t know New York, and you don’t know me.”
He seemed taken aback. “Whoa, princess, don’t get your panties in a bunch.” He put his hands up in a defensive stance. “I didn’t mean to get you all riled up.”
Mist formed as she blew out a breath. She didn’t mean to rant at him like that, but she hated it when people thought she was shallow and mean. Okay, she could be superficial sometimes, but she wasn’t completely self-centered. Besides, one thing she hated was discrimination. Her own Grandpa Noah
