“I don’t know what this is. It almost looks like a taser. Or maybe…no,” she stopped herself before saying something ludicrous.
“What, Dana?”
“It’s just that it kind of looks like an old polio scar. You know, from the seventies. Or maybe it could be caused by some kind of a multi-needle injection device,” she guessed with a shrug. “Whatever made it could be causing this fever. But then if that’s true, I’ve never seen anything like it. Wolves don’t get sick.”
Logan grew quiet with concern. He’d remembered the Canine Lupis Inhibitor drug that Tristan’s mate, Kalli had created. Until he’d heard of that, he would have never believed someone could take a pill to disguise their wolf. And while this was completely different, a wolf getting ill was unheard of unless there was some kind of magic affecting her that could explain the illness.
“Could this be some kind of a spell? A hex?” Logan asked.
“Maybe. It’s hard to tell. But you said her fever was really high when you found her, right? I just took her temp again and it isn’t going up, so that’s good news. Whatever is affecting her could be wearing off. If it’s a spell or herbs, it seems short-lived. Tell you what. I’m goin’ to take a few blood samples. I’ll take them to the lab and personally run them, okay?”
Fiona approached Wynter and brushed a long strand of blonde hair from her face. Logan’s jaw tightened in response to having yet another wolf touch his human. Noticing the subtle sign, she backed away from the bed and turned to him.
“Logan, if this is magic, I haven’t seen it before either. That’s not to say the witches aren’t always trying to cook up things to thwart shifters and vamps,” she said coyly. “I mean, you know there’re always a few bad apples in the bunch. I’ll ask around. I can also bring some healing herbs for her…if she still feels sick when she wakes up.”
“Thanks, Fi.” Logan paced, working through his plan of action. “Dimitri, call Jake and Zeke. I want them to set up a perimeter guard on my place. Have them fix the damn gate. No one gets in or out. I don’t know how long she’s going to be down, but my guess is this little bird is going to try to fly the coop when she realizes where she is.”
“You got it.” Dimitri nodded.
“Dana, I hate to ask the obvious question but is whatever’s going on with her a threat to others?”
“Do you mean is what she has contagious? I’d go with no. I can’t be sure but if it was brought on quickly and she’s already rebounding, it could even be a poison of some kind. I didn’t think of it until now, but considering the marks on her neck, it’s obvious she was exposed to something. Sorry I can’t tell you more,” Dana said in defeat. She finished drawing blood, snapped the test tubes neatly into a carrying case and arranged everything back into her medical bag.
“Listen up everyone,” Logan snapped. All eyes landed on his hard glare. “No one else in the pack is to know what’s going on here with mystery girl, got it? I don’t know who this woman is…this wolf is. But something’s not right here. And until we figure out what’s happening, I want to keep it under wraps. This is a direct order. Do not speak of this to anyone. The story for now is that she’s a victim of a vampire attack and she’s under my protection, nothing more.”
The group nodded in agreement and began filing out the door. Logan stopped Dana, privately asking her if she could change Wynter into one of his t-shirts and boxers. As good as she’d felt in his arms, it felt wrong for him to touch her any further. It was obvious she’d been violated by vampires; he wasn’t about to add himself to the list.
Logan had doubts about having the girl sleep in his bed, but his protective instincts told him to keep her close. She was vulnerable, and for at least the night, his responsibility. He wasn’t sure whether it was his wolf or his heart driving his actions, but he felt compelled to watch over her, to protect her. In the morning, there’d be plenty of time for questions and rational approaches to solving perplexing conundrums. For now it was just him and her, resting, healing.
Clothed, Logan laid next to Wynter. He pushed over to his side and propped his head with the heel of his hand. He studied her face as if memorizing every curve of her chin, the swell of her lips. Something about her drew his interest. He’d like to have blamed it on his vision, but his visceral reaction to her scent concerned him. Alone and happily content for so many years, he couldn’t fathom such an instantaneous and intense attraction toward a woman. Regardless, she smelled incredibly delectable to his wolf. Logan sighed. It would wait until tomorrow. He looked forward to her awakening, to forthcoming answers and mostly to getting to know the little wolf in his bed.
“Hey sweetheart, can you hear me?” Logan awoke to a cry. Even though her eyelids fluttered, she didn’t appear to be moving.
As if an elephant sat on her chest, Wynter felt immobilized, both tired and heavy. The soft bedding was her first clue that she was no longer outside.
Where am I? Please God, don’t let them have captured me.
She took a deep breath, forcing her mind to focus. Her hazy vision presented the blurry image of a man.
No, no, no
.
“I’ve gotta go,” she coughed, attempting to push upward. Feeling as if she weighed a million pounds, she got an inch off the mattress before falling backward. She licked her dry lips; tears brimmed in her eyes.
“Hold on there now. You’re safe. How do you feel?” Logan asked, brushing the back of his hand across her cheek. She felt much cooler; her fever had subsided.
Wynter heard the sound of his familiar low voice wrapping around her like a warm blanket. The man from the alleyway. Thoughts spilled like droplets of rain as she remembered their brief encounter. He’d protected her. Sexy, dominant and altogether male. But, no, he wasn’t a man. He was a wolf.
Alpha.
“I’m Wyn. Wynter Ryan. I think I’m…” She closed her eyes, trying to piece together what had happened. She hadn’t felt well.
“Sick. You gave us a good scare, but your fever’s down.” Logan finished her sentence. “Here, let me get you some water. You’ve been out of it for a few hours.”
He reached over and grabbed a bottle of water that he’d kept near his bedside. Unscrewing the cap, he slid an arm underneath her neck so he could support her head. Bringing the rim to her lips, he watched as she swallowed a few sips. Almost feeling as if he was feeding an infant, he was careful not to choke her with too much liquid.
“Thank you,” she whispered, aware that he was holding her. She gazed into his mesmerizing blue eyes. The handsome planes of his face were only outdone by the small smile he gave her. She’d been scared he’d hurt her. Jax had warned her about male wolves. But instead of being aggressive, her savior spoke to her gently, tending to her like an injured child.
“Do you need anything else? You really should get some sleep,” he suggested, even though he wanted to ask her a million questions. Reluctantly, he laid her back onto her pillow and backed away.
Immediately, Wynter felt the loss of his warmth as he removed his arm from the crook of her neck. She barely knew him, so why did the brief embrace feel so good? She diverted her gaze, embarrassed by her situation.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run,” she began. “I need to tell you…”
“Shhh…you need to rest now. Tomorrow, Wynter. Tomorrow, we’ll talk, okay?” Logan assured her. He could hear her heartbeat race; he assumed from anxiety. He sought to soothe her worries. “Just lay back and close your eyes, little wolf.”
“But I’m not,” Wynter protested.
“Hey now, no more words, okay? You need to get well.” Logan moved away from Wynter. Logical thoughts pressed forward; he should let her sleep alone, go work in his office. He eased off the bed and turned off the lights. “You’ll be safe here. Just rest.”
As the room fell into darkness, Wynter grabbed the sheet out of fear. She hated the dark. Two long months of no sun had done that to her. The claustrophobia threatened to smother her. In the pitch black of the night, she let out a small sob.
“Please, please not the dark. Don’t leave,” she cried.
Logan flicked one of the soft hallway lights back on and returned to her side. Goddess, he knew he’d regret this in the morning. This was exactly how he’d ended up with a menagerie of animals as a kid. As if he’d found a stray puppy, he was already becoming attached. But he knew there was something special about this woman, something that would keep him from simply letting her go in the morning. He’d learned long ago that one could not fight nature. He sighed, aware of what he was about to do. Against his better judgment, he slid into the bed next to her.
“Come here, Wynter,” he ordered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Goddess almighty, her small body fit his perfectly, and he was pissed at himself. Not only had he let Wynter into his home, his bed, he now had her conveniently and warmly against his chest. The dreams hadn’t prepared him for the intense arousal and possessiveness that appeared to be rearing its ugly head. No, he couldn’t let this happen. Establishing his dominance within the pack and securing his position as Alpha had been his number one priority. And now that that was accomplished, he needed to focus on continuing to nurture his already successful real estate venture, not become emotionally involved with a stranger.
As he allowed himself the indulgence of pressing his nose to her hair, he mentally shook his head. He didn’t know anything about this woman. She seemed human, but now he distinctively scented wolf. And if she was wolf that meant she came from a pack. She belonged somewhere else, possibly to someone else. He cringed slightly at the thought she could be mated. No, that couldn’t be possible. She felt so right in his arms. So terribly, wonderfully perfect. And it was all wrong.
Wynter had never been needy or scared. But in that moment, her vulnerability overtook her sense of reason. A small voice in her head told her that it wasn’t right to let a stranger hold her, comfort her. Yet the attraction was too hard to resist. Certain that he was Alpha, she wasn’t sure if it was his powers she felt humming through her veins or her own arousal, but his protective embrace spoke to her soul, calmed her mind. Acquiescing to his wishes, she cuddled her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest.
Safe.
The last thought that ran through her mind was that she needed to call home. God, she missed him. Surely, he’d be ripe with panic. Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow, I’ll call him.
“Jax,” she murmured right before she was lost to sleep.
Logan sucked a breath.
What the fuck did she just say?
He glanced downward. She was completely asleep, but there was no mistaking what she just said. No, it could not be possible. Jax. Jax fucking Chandler; the Alpha of New York City. He’d met him a handful of times. When it came to business, the man was fair, albeit having a flair for the dramatic.
The last time he’d seen the guy in Jersey, he’d presented Tristan with a ‘present’ of sorts. Of course the ‘gift’ turned out to be a wolf who’d been involved in killing one of Tristan’s wolves.
It’s the thought that counts.
In reality, Tristan couldn’t have been happier with the present. During the event, Logan had observed Jax, who seemed to take perverse pleasure in watching Tristan attack and kill the wolf. He distinctively remembered Jax comforting Tristan after he’d taken a life, assuring him that he’d done the right thing as Alpha.
At the time he couldn’t quite understand the interaction. But now that he was Alpha, he could easily relate to what transpired that day. Jax was merely supporting Tristan, giving him a peace offering after he’d aggressively pursued Tristan’s sister. Like leaders of countries, Alphas chose other Alphas as allies, all the while protecting their own packs. Logan had never thought it would be possible to have more respect for Tristan or Jax, but now that he was Alpha, their relationship was even more important.
Did Wynter belong to Jax? Was she his mate? He blew out a breath, knowing that it shouldn’t matter. All that really mattered was finding out what the hell happened with the vampires in the alleyway and how a wolf could get sick. Both spelled serious trouble for not just wolves but all supernaturals in the area. The shit was about to hit the fan.
Wynter woke refreshed, although alone. The bright sun streamed into her room, causing her to yawn. Months of sleeping on the floor, and she was finally home in her warm bed; it felt incredible. She pressed her eyes shut, willing her dream to continue. A sexy mysterious stranger beckoned to her in the distance. She could make out the definition of his abs, but couldn’t quite see his face. She strained to listen, to run to him, so she could see who he was.
“Hey sunshine,” a male voice called to her.
Startled, she jolted upward, eyes wide open. Scanning the room, she instantly realized her erotic dream of being held in a strong Alpha’s arms must have been just that: a dream.
Where am I?
Panic set in once again as an imposing man with tattoos on his forearms approached her. Not the man from her dreams.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warned him. “I don’t know how I got here but I’m leaving.” She jumped out of bed, then quickly realized she was naked underneath a man’s t-shirt and boxer shorts.
Oh God.
“Listen, cher. No one here’s goin’ to hurt you. Just settle down,” he suggested and gestured toward a bureau. Yogurt, granola, fruit and juice sat on a tray. “Now that you’re feelin’ better, maybe you can eat some breakfast.”
She wanted to deny it, but her stomach ached in hunger. How long had it been since she’d eaten like a normal human being? Months? But how could she trust this stranger looming across the room? She glanced up at him. Definitely wolf. She could tell by his piercing green eyes. But who was he? Alpha? No, he wasn’t Alpha. She’d been with pack long enough to tell this wasn’t him. But the man from last night…was he real? She grasped the collar of her shirt, drew it up to her nose and took a deep breath. Clean, male with a touch of cologne. She nearly fell back into the bed taking in his scent. She sighed, closing her eyes. The male from last night. It was him. And it smelled so…good. Memories of their conversation played in her mind. She’d asked him to stay with her. And he did. He’d held her. The arousal she’d felt. Oh God. That couldn’t be right. She was in so much trouble. No, no, no. Jax was going to freak out when he finally found her.