Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(28)
Author: Cynthia Eden

He laughed at that. “Babe, tell me something I don’t know.” But now wasn’t the time for talking. The wolf wanted to run. No, he wanted to kill, and maybe Caleb had news on those coyotes that would let him do just that.

Rip. Claw. Blood.

A fist shook the door. “Lucas! I know you can hear me!” Caleb. But with an edge to his voice. Guess the guy’s patience had run out. Not that the Texan ever really had much patience.

Lucas yanked open the door. Caleb’s narrowed eyes met his. “I can’t make contact with Dane.”

Shit.

“We sent scouts to the area. There were signs of a fight, and the coyotes are locked down tight now.”

Caleb’s gaze drifted to Sarah. Widened a bit.

Because Sarah was only wearing a sheet. Lucas stepped to the left, blocking the view. “Did the scouts catch Dane’s scent?”

Caleb’s gaze snapped back to him. “They . . . thought they picked up his scent in one of the houses but—”

“Then we’re going to f**king get our man back.” The wolf howled inside. Just what he needed. Blood and death and fury. “I’m tired of screwing with the coyotes. Time to break that pack.”

Caleb’s lips twisted into a savage grin. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Tell the wolves it’s time to hunt.”

“Lucas,” Sarah touched him again. Dammit. He knew Caleb noticed the slight jerk of his body. Toward her. “You’re hurt,” she said, “you can’t—”

He laughed at that. “Babe, I can do anything.” She looked so delicate, so sexy with her hair mussed and his scent on her. His scent, not his mark.

Already been marked by that f**king bastard.

Rip. Him. Apart.

“You’re afraid of the wolf in me.” He didn’t bother to keep his voice low. Caleb would hear no matter what with his shifter ears. “Fair warning, that wolf is hungry, and he’s about to come out.”

She didn’t let him go. Surprising. “Be careful.”

He knew his smile held a razor’s edge. “I’m not the one who has to worry.” No more playing nice with the coyotes. They’d come at him . . . my turn.

The idiots probably thought he’d wait until the cover of darkness to attack. The better to not be seen by humans. What they didn’t understand . . . he didn’t give a f**k about the humans. They had Dane, the wolf who’d stood by him in hell, and in order to get his friend back, Lucas would cut through anyone who got in his way.

Sarah’s gaze held his. After a moment, her hand fell away, and he went to hunt.

With her scent on him.

Sarah watched him leave through the window. Lucas had to know she was there, but he didn’t glance up at her, not even once. He left as a man, loading into the SUV with the others, but she knew he’d soon be shedding the cover of flesh for the power of fur and fangs and claws.

The sheet felt cool around her body, and damn if she didn’t still feel the press of his hands and lips on her.

What was happening? She’d thought sex might be a possibility, but . . .

But she was weakening with the wolf. She’d almost told him the truth before he left. Talk about crap timing. With his wolf so close—that would have been a nightmare.

The sun beamed down from overhead. Attacking in daylight. Figured that would be something Lucas would do.

The SUVs disappeared along the winding road.

Her gaze darted to the left. To the phone that waited on the nightstand. Should she call and give a warning?

She was at the phone before she gave herself time for second thoughts. One ring. Two. Answer. Lucas knew exactly where the coyotes were hiding. The bloodbath would be brutal. She’d seen what he could do when he was the only one fighting.

How fast would they all die when the wolf pack attacked?

Another ring. Not answering.

She slammed the phone down. Dressed as fast as she could. Then Sarah ran for the door. She wrenched it open—

And found herself staring up into a pair of golden eyes. She stumbled to a stop right before she slammed into the human wall.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and thoroughly blocking her way. He was young, probably barely in his early twenties—not much younger than me—but his face . . . like Lucas’s. The same hard chin. The same cheeks. His eyes held the same hard edge, even though the color was different. But then, she’d seen those eyes before.

The wolf who came to greet Lucas the first day. Sarah forced her shoulders to relax. “You’re Jordan.”

His dark brows rose. “Lucas told you about me?” He even had the same thick, dark hair that Lucas had.

No. “I’ve heard about you.” About the young wolf who’d once been taken by a band of vamps. Lucas had become legend when he’d gone after them and destroyed the bloodsuckers. Don’t f**k with the LA pack.

That message had been loud and clear for years. Until Rafe’s patience had worn too thin. He’d wanted to be the legend.

Jordan’s gaze searched her face. “You’re my brother’s lover.” Said without inflection.

Her shoulders stiffened. So much for relaxing. “I’m sure you brother has plenty of lovers.” Okay, now why did that actually hurt? Wolves were sexual, she knew that. Fucking was sometimes as necessary as breathing.

“None that he ever brings around the pack.”

Oh.

His head cocked. “You going somewhere?” Now an edge of steel had crept into his voice. “I don’t think Lucas would like to come back and find you missing.”

There was a reason the wolf had survived capture by the vamps. He had a core of fire inside. Strength that was apparent in the hard stare of his eyes.

Not a kid. She’d been foolish to make that mistake when he was in wolf form. She’d been nervous because of Lucas, and hadn’t been focusing enough. This wasn’t a kid. This was definitely a grown man. A very dangerous man.

“I didn’t think Lucas wanted you . . .” Near me. Ah, how could she put this delicately? “I thought you were out—”

“He told me to keep an eye on you.”

While the others hunted.

His gaze dropped to rake her body. “So here I am.”

Right.

His stance widened, and the smile he gave her wasn’t pretty. “And trust me on this, you’re not going anywhere. Not until the pack is back, safe and sound.”

She recognized the look in his eyes. She’d seen it plenty of times. “You don’t trust me?”