Dark Wolf: 1 (Spirit Wild) (3 page)

Finally, satisfied there was nothing more she could learn, she turned away and trotted slowly back to the spot where she’d left her clothes.
Her joy in the night felt tarnished, just like her mother’s garden. She was absolutely certain it would be a long time before she ran this way again.
 
Sebastian adjusted the bow tie on the black silk shirt he’d selected to wear with his tux and once again checked the time. The week had flown by, but he’d spent the hours immersed in his father’s collection of books on magical theory and practice, and he felt as if he’d strengthened his own magic through knowledge. Now it was time to study another kind of magic.
Tonight’s reception was his first truly public event with his father—though why the man had chosen a reception in San Francisco honoring the Montana neighbor he claimed to despise really didn’t make much sense.
No matter. Aldo Xenakis had an amazing, inbred charisma. When he walked into a room, people naturally gravitated toward him and gathered about him. When he spoke, they listened. When he gave an order, no one asked why.
They merely did his bidding.
That was the thing that had stood out the first time Sebastian met his father, the trait that had impressed him the most. He’d since studied the man carefully, watching the way he moved, the words he used, the intonation of his voice.
Tonight Sebastian would do as he always had—he’d keep his mouth shut and stand beside the man he knew he’d never fully understand, and continue to do his best to figure him out.
How else was he going to learn how to move within the same rarified social circles? His mother certainly hadn’t had the opportunity. No, she’d spent her life living alone and afraid, focusing entirely on her only son. Loving him.
He sighed. She’d loved him all right, but she’d lied to him, too. He wondered what his life would be like if he’d never found her divorce papers or his original birth certificate with his mother’s real name—one listing Aldo Xenakis as his father.
How different would things be if he’d never hunted for the man, if he’d listened to his mother’s pleas that he leave well enough alone?
She’d asked him to promise. On her death bed she’d begged him to promise he would never search for his father.
He hadn’t been able to do it. Hadn’t even had the guts to lie to her. She’d gone to her grave, telling him he was making a terrible mistake.
Some days he had to agree. But then, some days . . .
“Sebastian?”
“Yes, Father?” He glanced at his father’s reflection in the mirror and corralled his unsettling thoughts. Aldo stood in the doorway, still dressed in his everyday dark suit.
“I’m sorry,” he said, studying Sebastian as if he was some sort of exotic bug, “but I will not be attending tonight’s event after all.”
Sebastian turned slowly and watched his father, wondering what the old man was up to now.
“I’ve had some other business come up,” he said. His stare was direct, his manner as formal as always. “You will go. I understand Mr. and Mrs. Cheval will not be at the reception. Their daughter will represent them.”
Interesting. Why would that matter? Well, two could play this game . . . if a game it was.
Of course, with his father, it was always a game—or a contest—of some sort. “Which one?” Sebastian checked his cuff links as he spoke. “Don’t they have two daughters?”
“They do. The oldest girl, the one who runs Cheval International. Her name is Lily. Lily Cheval. She’s single, very intelligent. She’s also quite attractive.”
That caught his attention. Sebastian raised his head. “You’ve met her?”
Aldo nodded. “This week.”
“Why do you mention her?” He watched his father’s face. As usual, the man gave away nothing.
He shrugged, as if the question meant little to him. “You’re young. You’re not seeing anyone. I thought you might be interested.”
Sebastian raised one eyebrow. “You’re playing matchmaker? With the daughter of the most powerful Chanku alpha alive? A man you openly dislike? Why do I find that so interesting, Father? So unlike you.”
There was the slightest flicker of . . . what? Indecision? Discomfort? Now that was a rarity. He focused on Aldo’s eyes. Dark brown. So dark they almost appeared black. Nothing like his own, but their physical resemblance was still remarkable. The same tall, lean build, the pronounced widow’s peak, a certain intensity . . .
“Matchmaker?” His father chuckled. Unconvincingly. “Not at all. I merely thought you would feel more comfortable attending without me if you knew our neighbor’s daughter would be there.”
“I’ve never met her. Never had any desire to. She is, after all, the enemy, isn’t she? Or at least the enemy’s daughter.”
His father’s eyes went wide. Sebastian almost laughed. The man couldn’t look innocent no matter how hard he tried.
“I’ve never said that. Anton Cheval and I have met on more than one occasion. We are always quite civil to one another. I have issues with the species as a whole, but not any one shifter in particular.”
“I guess I misunderstood. Still, I don’t see how her presence should change things.” Sebastian turned away from his father, but he watched him in the mirror as he finished adjusting his bow tie. “I hope your business goes well.”
Aldo nodded and left the room. Sebastian watched him leave, aware of a faint buzzing in his head. He’d noticed it a lot lately. Almost as if someone pushed at his mind.
From the inside.
It wasn’t until the bedroom door closed quietly behind his father that he remembered to breathe.
 
Lily stared into the vanity mirror and clipped the diamond studs first to one ear and then the other. Such a nuisance, not being able to pierce her ears, but the holes closed up after every shift, and it was hardly worth the trouble.
She smoothed her hands down over the silky fabric and wondered if this was the right dress for the CEO of the largest import business in the city to wear to an event honoring her father. Dark russet shimmered over her skin. The halter top plunged deep in front and was almost nonexistent in the back. The color shifted with reflected light. Turn this way, the gown looked black, that way, russet. Yet in the direct light it was a brilliant, almost metallic copper.
Almost an exact match to her hair and close to her caramel skin. She’d chosen to wear her hair long and loose tonight. Thank the goddess the tight ringlets of her childhood had loosened into softer waves and manageable curls after so many years of shifting.
Even so, it hung almost to her hips when it was dry, but stretched past her butt when wet. Leaving it loose when the back of the dress dipped to the upper curve of her buttocks kept her from feeling half naked, though she loved the sensual feel of her thick hair sweeping over her bare back and arms.
Arousal blossomed, and she took a deep, controlling breath. Probably not a good idea to run again this afternoon, but damn, she’d felt so trapped this week. Trapped and frustrated by too many pressures coming from too many directions.
The murders, the press hounding her for comments, this reception. Damn, she really didn’t want to go to this event tonight. She’d rather be running through the tall grass on the flanks of Mount Tamalpais than forcing her feet into these damned high heels and worrying if her dress was apropos or not.
She wished Alex had been able to come. He’d have had her laughing by now, but he hadn’t been able to make it down for the reception. She really needed him tonight, if only to burn off the rush of sexual need that always followed a shift.
But Alex was trapped on the investigation in Montana, and it was up to Lily to represent Cheval International tonight. She wondered what he’d discovered, if anything. After the bombshell he’d dropped on her this morning, she’d been so upset she’d walked out of her office and headed straight for Mount Tam. She’d badly needed a chance to breathe some fresh air and think.
Sebastian Xenakis had been in Montana last weekend, when that body was discovered. He was in San Francisco the night the latest victim had died. But could he shift? The only thing they had was Tinker’s nose, the fact he’d followed the scent of a strange wolf and it had led directly across the Xenakis property.
Right to the staircase leading up to the huge Xenakis home.
Her father’s warning floated through her mind, and she looked longingly at the beautifully designed grotto in the bathroom behind her. Natural stone with live ferns and orchids growing from carefully camouflaged pots, a series of showerheads designed to mimic falling rain, and a deep pool off to one side with the option of soaking in an inexcusable amount of hot water with lots of bubbles and all the jets going—it sounded so much more appealing than tonight’s event.
It was definitely preferable to meeting someone who might be a killer and a rapist, of having to carry on polite conversation. What would she do if she recognized his scent? She knew she’d never forget the mix of wolf and man, the stench of pain and death she’d smelled on her run through Golden Gate Park a couple of nights back.
She was certain she’d be introduced to Sebastian Xenakis tonight. The fact they were both young and single, the offspring of very powerful men, made it a given that someone, somewhere, would be pushing them together.
If only for the photo op.
She really wasn’t cut out for this. All the publicity, the schmoozing with people who’d stab her in the back as easily as they’d buy her a drink. Who the hell did she think she was kidding?
You can do this, sweetheart.
Dad? What are you doing in my head?
Usually she knew when he was hanging around. She must be more concerned about the evening than she’d realized.
Listening to you worry. You must have inherited that trait from me. Your mother never worries.
Lily snorted. Not a very ladylike response, but her father was right.
That’s because she knows you’ll do it for her.
True. Relax. Enjoy yourself tonight. Don’t make a special effort to meet young Mr. Xenakis. It will happen in good time.
It’s going to happen tonight.
There was a long pause. Lily heard her own heartbeat. She could practically see her father nodding as he considered his response.
Okay,
he said.
How do you feel about that?
I’ll be fine. I probably won’t call you until tomorrow.
Is that a hint for me to stay out of your head?
Yes. Good night. I love you, Dad. Now go. Give Mom a hug for me.
He didn’t answer, but his laughter echoed in her mind.
And Lily realized her nervousness was gone. Someday she’d figure out how he did that.
She just hoped this sense of calm lasted.
She was dressed to the max and running late. Her libido was working on overtime and her imagination wasn’t much better. So be it. Grabbing her handbag, Lily slipped out the door. The company limo she’d called for earlier waited in front of the house.
The driver opened the door, and she slid into the backseat. “Museum of Modern Art,” she said, checking her handbag for the speech she’d prepared.
The notes were there. She’d done this sort of thing a hundred times. So why was she so uptight about tonight?
And what if Aldo Xenakis approached her with his slimy comments, the way he’d done when she’d met him on Monday? And how the hell was she going to deal with his son?
Somehow, she just couldn’t drag up any good feelings about the coming evening. As they drove into town, she found herself turning in her seat, looking back in the direction of the mountain.
What kind of CEO would rather be running as a wolf across the grassy hillside? With a deep sigh, Lily turned and faced forward. Time to put on her business face and act like a grown-up, whether she wanted to or not.
3
S
ebastian sipped an excellent champagne and paid just enough attention to the two gentlemen he was standing with to nod occasionally in the right places.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected tonight. He hadn’t intended to be here by himself, but even though his father had chosen not to come, the evening had been . . . interesting. He’d actually been enjoying himself.
For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why.
Crowds and formal events had never been high on his list of things to do. He preferred the silence of the mountains, the ebb and flow of the ocean, even a hike in the foothills rather than a fancy event where the ultimate purpose seemed to be who had more, controlled more, or wanted more.
People had been pleasant enough, a bit curious when they realized he was Aldo Xenakis’s son, but he’d not run into any of the attitude he’d expected.
If anything, he’d been aware of a growing sense of expectation. It wasn’t just him. Those around him kept glancing toward the entrance to the room, as if awaiting royalty. He knew the honoree wasn’t expected to attend. Had he missed something? The mayor was already here. Was the governor coming?
He decided to relax and see what happened. Whoever was keeping everyone busy casting surreptitious glances toward the door would eventually arrive and the mystery would be solved.
A soft sigh spread across the huge room, as if everyone exhaled at once. Sebastian realized that he turned in absolute synchronization with every other person in the room.
Silence fell, and a few people pushed to get a better look. At times like this, he appreciated his above average height because it was a simple thing merely to peer over the heads of those between him and the entry.
There was a small cluster of people blocking the wide doorway into the ballroom, but they moved aside as if clearing way for royalty. Sebastian realized he’d lifted a bit to his toes in order to see who or what everyone was looking at.
The final person moved out of his line of vision.
Sebastian’s breath caught in his throat.
She was taller than average, as slim and graceful as any woodland creature, and yet when she turned and gazed in his direction, he sensed pure predator beneath the tawny waves that cascaded in wild disarray over her shoulders and curled around her slim hips.
Without a doubt, he’d never seen anyone as lovely or as mesmerizing in his entire life. The woman, smiling and greeting those who met her like subjects bowing to a queen, moved within an aura of light and color that jolted his psychic senses on a level never before touched.
He’d always seen auras—they were a normal part of his vision, and he rarely thought much of them. They were a part of the whole, just as important in his perception of each individual as the color of their hair or the shade of their eyes.
He’d never seen anyone like this woman. She moved in a shimmer of russet and gold, but the brilliance of her aura actually reflected in the physical plane, shimmering over her gown in a scarlet wave of light and life. So many shades of red, from the deepest bloodred to a shade bordering on orange.
She wore her will, her power, and her energy like a crimson cloak, radiating life and courage, and enough blatant sensuality that he felt the connection clear across the room.
His body reacted on a level totally separate from his brain, though he wondered how many other men in the room were suddenly as aroused as he was. He sensed a thread of desire drawing all of them closer, but he fought the pull. Fought the need that pulsed deep and steady on a level he’d never once experienced.
He planted his feet, even though they wanted to move. He felt his wolf rise and forced that creature back as well.
Who was she?
What was she?
He stared at her as she raised her eyes and glanced in his direction. Then she quickly turned away, and once again appeared to focus on the small crowd that pushed closer. He recognized the mayor and a few city officials, but they were nothing. No one of interest. Only the woman.
His heart thundered in his chest with the certainty that she was every bit as aware of him as he was of her. He pushed, sending a soft yet powerful mental command, calling her to him.
She fought him. Smiling, shaking hands, and sharing air kisses with one person after another, she slowly worked her way across the room. Her aura spiked, the red growing brighter, stronger, and he knew she drew on her own psychic power as she continued to ignore him.
Look at me. Now. Raise your head and look at me.
I think not. You’re much too pushy.
Stunned, Sebastian took a step backward. She’d heard him. Heard him and answered him telepathically. She’d not raised her head, not looked his way, but she’d still managed to put him in his place.
Damn. She was absolutely magnificent.
He started slowly across the room, working his way through the throng that continued moving in her direction, as if they merely needed a chance to be close, to touch her hand, to speak to her.
The same way he did. He might have felt like a fool, except she was so obviously enjoying herself, so entirely involved in the people pressing all around that he couldn’t deny the joy he felt in her pleasure.
It was as if she took the goodwill of those around her and sent it back tenfold. His father had charisma, but he couldn’t touch this young woman. She was charisma personified, a veritable magnet, drawing everyone to her. Who in the hell was she?
He turned to a matronly woman standing beside him. She, too, was trying to get close. “I don’t know who she is. That woman who just came in. Do you?”
She looked at him as if he’d just stepped out of a cave. “Why, that’s Lily Cheval. Her father is the one being honored tonight. He couldn’t be here, so Lily’s attending in his place.”
Lily Cheval. He should have known. “Thank you,” he said, but the woman had managed to move a few steps ahead and wasn’t paying him any attention at all. Her focus, hell, the focus of every person in the room, was entirely on Ms. Cheval.
Sebastian turned his head and studied her again. His father had lied. She wasn’t merely attractive, she was absolutely breathtaking, from her long, tawny curls to her caramel skin barely covered in some sort of fabric that flashed like dark fire.
With the crimson flame of her aura all around, she was a burning torch of pure sensual energy. The crowd had moved closer now, and Sebastian was no more than ten or twelve feet from her.
She raised her head, and he was drowning. Drowning in eyes of deepest amber, eyes so pure, yet filled with so many secrets, he didn’t care if he never found the surface again.
A sharp pain pierced his skull, a sense of intrusion, of foul air and darkness.
Sebastian blinked. Lily stared at him for a brief moment. Her aura spiked a brilliant lavender, then faded to a muddy brown. Her eyes went wide, and her hand went to her temple. Slowly, gracefully, she crumpled to the floor.
Someone screamed. A man called for calm. A woman was on her phone dialing 911. Sebastian shoved his way through the few people still separating him from Lily Cheval. He knelt beside her. Her aura was shifting color again, from gray and brown to a brilliant gold.
Someone or something watched over her. He wasn’t certain, but he placed his fingertips against her throat and felt for her pulse, then brushed her hair away from her face. It slipped like silk through his fingers, but she was breathing on her own and, other than being unconscious, seemed perfectly okay.
He used his mind. They’d communicated a moment ago. Would it work again?
Lily? Can you hear me?
Who are you? What did you do to me?
I didn’t do anything. My name is Sebastian. Sebastian Xenakis.
Why am I not surprised?
Now what did she mean by that? He gazed at her and realized anyone watching them would think he was merely staring at an unconscious woman.
I was looking at you and then . . .
It felt as if you shot something into my head.
A sharp pain?
Exactly. What was it?
I don’t know, but I felt it, too. Can you sit up? People are staring. I’m afraid they’re beginning to wonder what’s going on.
A slight shudder went through her. He wrapped his hand around her lax fingers.
I am so embarrassed. Do I have to?
Biting his lips to keep from grinning, Sebastian glanced up and realized one of the waitstaff was standing close by. “I think she’s coming ’round. Is there a quiet room somewhere?”
The man nodded. “Follow me. Are you sure it’s safe to move her?”
“Yes. She’s almost conscious. I’d like to get her somewhere private.” He slipped his hands beneath her slim body and lifted her easily. She was tall—almost six feet—but so slim she barely weighed anything. She felt fragile in his arms, but he knew differently. She was a wolf, and powerful muscles rippled beneath her skin.
Her dress was slick and slippery in his hands, and he clutched her tightly against his chest. Dropping her wouldn’t be the best move about now, but it was more about feeling her body close against his than actually keeping her safe.
Peripherally aware of the anxious undercurrents in the room, of the bright flashes from cameras and cell phones, he moved quickly through the crowd, but he didn’t feel Lily’s body relax until he’d slipped through the doors and out of the ballroom. As the big double doors closed behind them, Lily opened her eyes and winked at him.
Sebastian felt it all the way to his toes.
Holding her close, he followed the waiter down a short hallway and slipped through a door the man unlocked and held open to a private office. Along with the desk and bookcases, a leather couch stretched along one wall.
Sebastian nodded to the waiter. “Thank you. I’ll bring her out as soon as she feels up to it. I think we’ll be just a few minutes more, okay?”
The man sighed. “That’s good. I hope she’ll be okay. You’re sure we don’t need a paramedic? Shouldn’t she be awake by now if she merely fainted? We wouldn’t want her to miss this reception. Her parents have done an awful lot for the museum and the folks who work here. This is our chance to thank her family.”
“That’s good to hear.” Sebastian gave the man a gentle mental push.
The waiter frowned, glanced about him nervously, and then left the office.
“That wasn’t very nice.”
“Excuse me?” Sebastian glanced down at Lily. She was still lying in his arms, but her beautiful amber eyes were wide open and she was smiling.
She was even more beautiful up close, and her aura was back to that amazing red. So much power in her. And enough sensual energy to destroy whatever shreds of Sebastian’s control remained.
Somehow he found what scraps were left and helped her sit.
“Shoving that poor man out of here like that. That really wasn’t very nice of you, was it?”
How the hell had she known he was . . . well, shit. Obviously his mind was an open page to her. Now that was rather disconcerting. “It was only a little nudge.”
“You took away his free will.”
His eyes snapped to hers. When he saw the sparkle in their amber depths, the spikes of yellow in her crimson aura, he knew she was teasing him.
“I’ll grant you that, but it gave you the privacy to quit pretending to be unconscious. How long do you think you could have run with that, figuratively speaking, of course?” When she merely rolled her eyes at him, he sat back against the arm of the couch so he could study her. “What happened in there, anyway?”
She shook her head as she carefully rearranged her gown. “You tell me. I raised my head and caught you looking at me. The moment our gazes connected, it felt like you shot me through the brain with a laser.”
Shaking his head in denial, Sebastian practically stumbled over the words. “I felt something, but the power didn’t originate with me. I think someone used me as a conduit.”
Lily frowned. “Any idea who?”
“No. Do you?”
But he did, and he found himself wondering what his father’s other business tonight had been. How strong the man’s powers really were.
“No. But I will.” She stood up, brushed the short hem of her skirt down, and shoved the thick curls back from her face.
Sebastian stood and placed his hand lightly on her back, just above the draped fabric that hugged her perfectly rounded bottom. The moment he connected with her warm skin, he felt a slight frisson, a sensation as if energy flew over the surface, from her smooth back to his calloused fingers.
It was slightly unnerving.
It was horribly exciting.
He wanted more of the same.
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
She slowly turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. Her full lips curved in a wide smile. “Oh, yeah. C’mon. I’ll buy you a drink.”
He laughed and guided her toward the door. “The champagne’s included. You’re making me feel like a cheap date.”
She stopped in the doorway and touched the back of his hand with her fingertips. “I really do appreciate your getting me out of there. I’m sure my picture will be in all the tabloids tomorrow, and my father will have a fit, but it could have been much worse. Thank you.”
He grinned. “I understand fathers like that. Have one of my own.” Then he shrugged. “You don’t have to thank me, especially if whatever happened was my fault to begin with.”
She gazed at him, a slow, steady, painless yet thorough unpeeling of his soul. He fought the impulse to lower his eyes. Instead, he faced her directly.
“I don’t believe it was your fault.” She smiled, but she stepped away from him.
Sebastian shook his head. “I felt something, which means whatever attacked you probably used me.”

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